Dol Amroth

[Katto]

Errr, I've always thought we are all geeks here
Good work so far Ravi, the matte is very atmospheric.

[ravells]

Thanks guys! It's always been my intention to get my daughter into the ways of Geekdom! And Thanks JE for your kind comments. Yes, I want her to experience everything, make her own mind up with some gentle guidance and above all, to be herself. As parents we are there to help with that process.

[Abu Lafia]

The different perspectives on Dol Amroth are fantastic Rav! Very immersive stuff you are doing here (at least for me being "in Belfalas" for some weeks already ).
Btw. in my view, building fantasy-cities with wooden blocks is absolutely necessary for young childrens motoric skill development (not to speak of the broadening of their imagination)... Should be a mandatory subject in (pre-) school!

[ravells]

I didn't know you were mapping Belfalas, Abu! I'll look for it as I'd love to see your work and see if there are any ideas I can incorporate from your map about the wider geography so maybe the two maps can fit together without inconsistencies. Agree with you about the wooden block fantasy buildings. These days so many parents are so fixated on academic results that they forget that their children need time to enjoy their childhood and to really get that play is a form learning too (perhaps the best one, because then they are really motivated).

Hmm can't find your Belfalas WIP...can you post a link?

[Abu Lafia]

Well, i named it "Dor-en-Ernil" since it depicts the whole principality (Belfalas Peninsula + Dor-im-Nim). I just posted an wip-update. After i saw that you are doing a map of Dol Amroth i decided to wait with the depiction of it on my map, to see what you come up with . If it's ok with you i'd love to make the Dol Amroth city-icon in a similar shape you are giving the city on your map, (at least i'd try to! )

[su_liam]

I'm not sure I agree with your objection to brothels(I might avoid mentioning them to keep things suitable to younger crowds, but that's a separate issue). This isn't the golden age of Numenor, the people may still see themselves as the children of Numenor, but the old virtues have faded. There may be a veneer of respectability, but it's like Victorian London: everybody just kind of turns a blind eye on the debauchery. It kinda fits with Tolkein's thesis.

[ravells]

SU LIAM!!!! So good to see you posting! Missed you! I just *can't* see Tolkien accepting brothels for the Gondorians. Sure the Haradrim (and their wild and fancy outlandish eastern ways). But Tolkien was a man of his time -although the war changed perceptions of morality a huge amout - bordellos were cheap and dirty (unless perhaps they were the Seraglios of the east- with women with painted faces etc etc).

Oh and wait, Su Liam, I have a bone to pick with you: It's been far too bloody long since you've produced a stunner map. And you are the master of stunner maps. when do we get to see the next one? Or have you moved on?

Abu! Cool, looking at your map now and would LOVE to do a joint effort.

best

Ravs

[su_liam]

Sorry Ravs, I just think things like brothels would make an appropriate display of the Gondorians(?) dissolute ways. That said, Gondor still claims to be the light of Numenorean glory in Middle Earth, so any such establishment would be an illegal, underworld establishment and run on the down low. The same would be true of casinos and the like. No Casino Royale in Gondor, but if you get an invite from the right people and know the secret knock, the back room of Rosalinde's Place will cater to many tastes. YMMV and not to be played up when playing with younger ones, but doable. I don't even know if I'd mess with the issue any way. This isn't ASOIAF, and unless you're playing Dol Amroth Constabulary: Vice Squad(eek) not terribly important. Actually, mixing GRRM with JRRT might be interesting in a morbid kind of way. It'd be hard to tell the Men from the Orcs, though I expect that's a common feeling among Elves, Hobbits and, to some extent, Dwarves.

As to the other thing, I'm trying to get another Burphaban map together. Basically, the capital city of a civilized(ish) Orc kingdom. In many ways my Orcs are modeled off of 2300 ADs Kafers, so expect a somewhat tightly wound place wirh a lot of opportunities for mayhem. There will definitely be brothels, and worse things, in the Longknives district.

Don't know if it'll be a stunner, but if I can get over my terminal ADHD, it should be… something.

[ravells]

Heh, Thanks Su Liam. I'll look forward to seeing the new map!

Anyway I have made progress. I've revisited the composition and settled on what the page will look like (see below). In terms of style I've more or less decided that I'm going to follow the style of (don't know who mapped this, but I've always loved it and it's been in my inspiration folder for years) a map of Osgiliath. http://www.eredhel.tripod.com/sitebu.../osgiliath.gif

[Abu Lafia]

Hey Ravs, i really like the square-page composition you chose! The elevation diagrams look very interesting (and will be very helpful for me to rework the small-scale city icon of DA ). Looking forward how this develops, since the Osgiliath map is indeed absolutely great!
The idea of hand lettering the labels sounds fantastic. For the Dor-en-Ernil map though, it might be too many labels for me, to make it look good this way (my handwriting is a catastrophe! XD )...