May 2011 Challenge Entry - Saythen Empire

[Master TMO]

This world as a whole is in the Bronze Age, although many less advanced areas are still using late Stone Age tools, and there might be one or two gifted areas experimenting with iron technology. The societies discussed here are roughly the equivalent of the Akkadian and Sumerian empires in 27-2300 BCE. Many areas between the cities are still wilderness, and the country boundaries represent the approximate areas actually controlled, rather than the modern-day method of claiming any and all land available, even if useless or hazardous. (Note that this doesn't mean the rulers don't have titles implying rulership of various far-flung lands. This is a habit rulers of these lands share with Earthly leaders.)

### Latest WIP ###

Saythen.jpgWorldview-Saythen.jpg

Saythen Empire:The city of Sayth sits at the confluence of two major rivers, where the Falohani joins the Yawan. It lies roughly 100 miles inland from the coast, which spares it from the worst of the ravages from the aptly-named Sea of Storms. The city of Phaen has long been under the sway of Sayth, and a recent invasion has added the cities of Iardi and Kinar and the lands around the river Letusi to their Empire. This has put them into conflict with Iarti's former rival Turma, which has taken the opportunity to expand their territory at Iarti's expense.

The Serescrub Hills are sparsely populated due to the difficulty in farming the steep hills and slopes, and the ever-present danger of brushfire. Many dangerous and fell beasts roam the Hills as well, making even travel through them a hazardous proposal at best. And above and beyond the Hills, at the very edge of this map, lies a large arid expanse of mountainous terrain, meaning that even if one were inclined to brave the Hills, there would be very little reason to attempt the journey in the first place.

[Steel General]

I corrected the thread title as it had '2001' instead of '2011'

[Master TMO]

Thanks much! It was midnight when I finally posted this last night, and I was in the process of crashing when I finally hit submit. What's funny is I remember fixing that same error somewhere else as well. Or I fixed it here by typing the same thing in again.

[Master TMO]

Oh, quick map question- what is the standard way of depicting Chapparal on maps? The Serescrub Hills is actually chapparal, similar to the hills of California and other places, not a regular deciduous forest like we would typically think of one. But someone pointed out to me that the coloration I put there would make one think it was a normal forest, at 10000'.

[Master TMO]

Aaand, had to make a quick map substitution, as I realized I'd forgotten to update the name of the empire in the legend to the new one. Let's hear it for consistency!

[Master TMO]

I decided to recolor the chapparal of the Serescrub Hills into a more typical brown hill coloration, and I didn't really like using an English word combination as the name of them, so I went ahead and renamed them as well. And to provide a bit of consistency, since I named the hills, I also gave names to the forests. I have not named the lakes and smaller rivers and towns to avoid cluttering the map.

This world as a whole is in the Bronze Age, although many less advanced areas are still using late Stone Age tools, and there might be one or two gifted areas experimenting with iron technology. The societies discussed here are roughly the equivalent of the Akkadian and Sumerian empires in 27-2300 BCE. Many areas between the cities are still wilderness, and the country boundaries represent the approximate areas actually controlled, rather than the modern-day method of claiming any and all land available, even if useless or hazardous. (Note that this doesn't mean the rulers don't have titles implying rulership of various far-flung lands. This is a habit rulers of these lands share with Earthly leaders.)

### Latest WIP ###

Saythen2.jpgWorldview-Saythen.jpg

Saythen Empire:The city of Sayth sits at the confluence of two major rivers, where the Falohani joins the Yawan. It lies roughly 100 miles inland from the coast, which spares it from the worst of the ravages from the aptly-named Sea of Storms. The city of Phaen has long been under the sway of Sayth, and a recent invasion has added the cities of Iardi and Kinar and the lands around the river Letusi to their Empire. This has put them into conflict with Iarti's former rival Turma, which has taken the opportunity to expand their territory at Iarti's expense.

The Gharoda Hills are sparsely populated due to the difficulty in farming the steep hills and slopes, and the ever-present danger of wildfires among the dry brush and scrub. Many dangerous and fell beasts roam the Hills as well, making even travel through them a hazardous proposal at best. And above and beyond the Hills, at the very edge of this map, lies a large arid expanse of mountainous terrain, meaning that even if one were inclined to brave the Hills, there would be very little reason to attempt the journey in the first place.

[Ascension]

Chapparal is sort of like a desert with small trees and shrubs and sparse grasses like the American southwest (think Joshua Tree National Park). So I'd make it the color of a desert but with a tad more green and less tan/yellow or maybe greenish dots.

[Master TMO]

Reading through the rules for the challenge again, I noticed something - work on the map is supposed to be started during this month only. I had built the world map before this month, but all work on this national map was done in this month, specifically for the challenge. While this kind of mapping was the next thing on my to-do list, I had put further work temporarily on hold and hadn't started anything.

Hopefully the fact that I built the world previously won't disqualify me from the competition. From a reading of the rules, I don't think so, but I could easily be wrong.

Not that I have much of a chance of winning though. There be some awesome maps showing up in this challenge. Good luck to all, and congrats in advance to the winner.

[Ascension]

You're good, man. No problemos.

[Master TMO]

On the drive home I realized that the scalebar was created before this month. And it's ugly. So I'll create a better looking one later.