Ah, yes. I had been a bit absorbed in the aesthetics that I had forgotten that maps are also a medium for information as well.
Istria v8.jpg
This being only my second map, I have had little practice with the information part. Are the Compass rose, title, scale, names placed optimally and clearly?
Meanwhile, some world building:
The Istrian nation was once great and powerful. Building vast cities with great works of architecture, they prospered. Pushing the boundaries of technology and building great vessels which traversed the sea, they expanded. However, with greatness comes arrogance and the Istrian people started to subject their neighbors to their brutal rule. Tempers fumed and mutinous thoughts spread like a plague; however the independece movement only simmered. As the Istrian nation continued to push their boundaries, they came across a horde. Sensing fresh meat, the horde attacked Istria. Caught off guard, the Istrian people lost their first few battles. Sensing weakness, the Istrian subjects revolted and allied with the horde. The sheer might of the enemy overwhelmed the great nation, and no mercy was shown. Cities crumbled and populations were slaughtered. As the end neared and became evident, the Istrians prepared to flee their continent. Building as many of their famed, great ships as they could, they fled, unaware of what lied beyond the horizon.
Hurricanes, starvation, and divisions happened; the few remaining Istrians dwindled in number. Finally, as the last scraps of hope were consumed, there was the sight of land. Beaten, worn, and weak, the pilgrims named the region after their former nation -- Istria -- but quickly discovered that their surroundings were hostile. Monsters lurked in the forests, and bandits were scattered among the landscape. Few returned from adventures away from civilization. However, the Istrian people, stubborn and reminiscent of their former days of glory, began the arduous task of taming these wildlands, planning for their eventual revenge.
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