The Empire of Aversten

**seredemia** · 02-22-2014, 07:40 PM

A map for this fantasy story I'm writing. This is the first map I've ever made so I'm hoping that my future maps will improve as I go along

In my WIP thread, I originally planned to make two more maps and add them here, but I ended up not liking the layout at all. I also tried to add a frame, but I felt that it just looked odd as everything about the map already looked busy and colourful. I also wanted to add some text underneath explaining the kingdoms but again, it just looked out of place. So, in the end, I decided to finish it like this and just have the map as the main focus.

I guess I'll post the text that I was originally going to put on the map here for anyone who's curious to read about the lands. Feel free to skip past all this

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Aversten, also referred to as The Giant Kingdom, is believed to once be a large country that dominated much of the world, Duleris. As legend dictates it, after the Fall of Eden, the Creator in all His rage at humanity's mistakes, brought His fist down on the world. The very power of His anger split the lands of Duleris. Aversten received much of the impact.

It should be noted that this map does not represent the entire empire. The hidden kingdom of Aquis Larivar lurks in the dark depths of the Forbidden Sea, and no one but the Aquis are aware of its whereabouts. The Aquis are waterbreathers who fear the rest of the world, thus they tend to stay in their seclusive kingdom. However, there were a few who were brave enough to venture into the upper lands. They molded ice into a whole country and rose it above the sea for them to reside in. This country is now referred to as Aquis Vol.

Ventuvia, The Floating Kingdom of Mages, hovers just above Noxval. Unlike Aquis Larivar, its whereabouts are made known to the rest of the world - perhaps because everyone lives in fear of its existence. The Mages of Ventuvia are not to be trusted. The kingdom is surrounded by a large atmospheric bubble that protects it from intruders. However, due to the magic that it requires to stay afloat, the kingdom is constantly met with extreme storms and natural disasters.

As Ventuvia floats just above it, the Kingdom of Noxval lives in constant darkness - hence its title as the Kingdom of Shadows. Due to this, the Nox have evolved to see better in the dark and have no awareness of night nor day. Noxval also has an infamous aura about it. Because of its proximity to Eden, many believe that Eden's curse, along with Noxval's constant night, is a foreboding sign that the kingdom has been abandoned by the Creator. There are also some who think this kingdom is home to dark mages, as although it is devoid of sunlight, the land and the plants are still as healthy as the rest of the world.

The largest kingdom in Aversten, Terrae, is not fully represented in the map. Half of it lies underground in the Undercity, where much of the poor and the diseased make their home there. Strong tension lies in this kingdom, as the fight for power is never-ending. The Mage Tower of Ambrosia is also found here; a tower where mages hone their skills to better themselves at the magical arts. There is a rumour, however, that the tower is merely a prison for mages to be kept from the outside world.

Beside Terrae is the dying kingdom of Draconel. In the olden days, it is remembered as a strong land where dragons once roamed. As years passed, the dragons were hunted by humans until they eventually all died out. Legend says that Mount Fides, the Eternal Volcano, was revenge brought down by the dead dragons. Just a few years after their disappearance, Mount Fides erupted for the first time and destroyed Karasdel, the former capital of Draconel.

Surrounded by mountains and a magical field, the country of Celesval is inaccessible to outsiders. The Celes are superstitious folk who believe that their kingdom is blessed by the Creator and that one day, they will be chosen to live in His New Eden. The Emperor of Aversten resides in the Palace of Salvation; although, as the Road to Salvation is treacherous, few actually ever manage to meet with him.

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That's it. (So sorry for the large block of text.) Comments and criticism would be much appreciated. Thank you

**Wingshaw** · 02-22-2014, 08:15 PM

This is a really beautiful map. The colours are fantastic, and the style is fresh (maybe unique). There are a few aspects of this map that don't work so well, but I'm pretty sure if you keep to this style you'll improve (and I reckon it's not unlikely you'll win some prestigious awards here at CG).

Congratulations on an excellent first map.

THW

**flocko** · 02-22-2014, 08:21 PM

I let out an involuntary Oooo when I saw the thumbnail. It's really beautifully done.

And it was fun matching up the countries with the story.

If you don't mind some criticism though, the text is really hard to read in some places.

**Falconius** · 02-22-2014, 08:36 PM

Its an evocative map, very atmospheric. I like it, I'd rep you again if I could.

**seredemia** · 02-22-2014, 08:37 PM

Originally Posted by TheHoarseWhisperer

This is a really beautiful map. The colours are fantastic, and the style is fresh (maybe unique). There are a few aspects of this map that don't work so well, but I'm pretty sure if you keep to this style you'll improve (and I reckon it's not unlikely you'll win some prestigious awards here at CG).

Congratulations on an excellent first map.

THW

Aaaw, thank you so much!!!! I was worried that this map was going the wrong way since it's not in the style I usually see in maps, but I'm glad that's not the case

Originally Posted by flocko

I let out an involuntary Oooo when I saw the thumbnail. It's really beautifully done.

And it was fun matching up the countries with the story.

If you don't mind some criticism though, the text is really hard to read in some places.

Thank you!!!

Yeah, it got harder to make the text stand out more as I coloured the land darker

I'll have to learn how to stop that from happening in my next map...

**flocko** · 02-22-2014, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by seredemia

Thank you!!!

Yeah, it got harder to make the text stand out more as I coloured the land darker

I'll have to learn how to stop that from happening in my next map...

A thin light border around the text can go a long way (sometimes too far). I'll look forward to the next one. Aquis Larivar perhaps?

**Veldehar** · 02-22-2014, 09:36 PM

It has a unique, almost over-the-top style, which will work for some but not for others. My one real nitpick would be the rivers. They seem too consistent in width and too straight, and there are a couple points where I wonder how the water is flowing like that... and having a bridge symbol of some sort would help my eye when the roads cross rivers.

Certainly a nice first attempt.