October 2019 Challenge: Dark & Mysterious

[Kisachik the Wanderer]

Hello Friends.

Here's the map I just started working on. Everything is a sketch and a placeholder so far, even my thread title.

I started like last time - no line work, just colors, from which I'll be creating shapes. Since this month's theme is supposed to be some kind of dark, I'm just going to play with dark colours, because that's probably the simplest approach for me. No horror stories. I want my map to simply look dark and mysterious.

This is more less the final shape of the land, but I'll be changing other things, like resizing the forest, lakes, shaping the mountains and so on. The labels are mandatory, so I put them in as well, but I'll probably change them a lot.

This is a VERY early version, so the final map will probably look much different, with different colours, texture, and so on, just like with my previous map.

### Latest WIP ###

October Challenge map 1.png

[fol2dol]

Nice! This gonna be dark
I already feel the mood. Werewolves, vampires, mist... the perfect spot for holidays if your name is Strahd

[Wingshaw]

Looking good, Kisachik! Off to a great start!

If I can make one suggestion at this stage (and I know you've already said you're going to change the labels a lot) but I don't think that font works well for the map. It looks a little bit too kitsch and cliched...in my opinion.

Very keen to see where you take this map

Wingshaw

[Kisachik the Wanderer]

Hi guys. Not sure who Strahd is, but if he likes misty and swampy, there it is. There are no werewolves or vampires in this realm, but if you like danger, there are snakes and hydras in the swamp, and the forests are full of wolves and bears. There is an occasional flightless dragon, but they generally don't leave their caves much. You can even get stuck in quicksand here and there, if you're stupid enough to have that particular kind of adventure. There are few undead, mostly in old, abandoned areas. They wander around and mind their own business. You'd only get in trouble with them if you are in the business of robbing old crypts.

[Bogie]

Strahd is basically Dracula in the D&D world "Ravenloft".

ravenloft-strahd.jpg

[Badger]

Nice work. I like all the colors in it. Very dark! ... Are those brushes for the trees? or did you just use a brush to 'paint' the trees? Just wondering.

Del

Bogie: Strahd would kick Dracula's ass.

[Kisachik the Wanderer]

Yes, I used a few generic tree brushes to place where the majority of the forest will be. I've had them longer than I can remember, but never really used them for anything. For a sketch they work pretty well. I also created some bushy and leafy brushes that I might use in this piece later, still tweaking and testing them.

[Kisachik the Wanderer]

Hello friends. Here's the new version of the map. I named the region Everswamp Glades, since a lot of its areas are densely forested swamps. Two castle ruins, because who builds castles on such grounds? Smaller dwellings fared much better here though, and you can visit those. Just don't venture carelessly into Whitefang or Grave Shallows. Those swamps are populated by nasty hydras, basilisks, and even flying snakes. Coalfen isn't as bad, but don't relax yet, you might get stuck in quicksand there.

### Latest WIP ###

October Challenge map4.png