June-Aug '21 Lite Challenge: Map of Pasarz and Myasha-Ahlwadi

[The Elderly Cartographer]

Well met, everyone!
It has been a long time since I have done anything on here (Partially because I haven't any new maps, save the big Heaven map that is still in the works).
I figured I should jump-start my map making by joining a challenge.

Pasarz is a large desert country in my fantasy world, so I'm attempting to kill two birds with one stone.
The county's capital and major cities are gathered in the fertile valley of Myasha-Ahlwadi (Living Valley), in which flows their most precious resource, the Nar-Myasha (River of Life). The source of the river is a great fountain that springs up in the courtyards of the Palace Mohqsa Aldine <-Subject to change... most definitely. The four figures are their false deities; the goddess of rain, which they desire most; The god of the mountains, which blocks the rain and produces hot wind and sand; The god of the great spring which fills the valley; Finally, the god of the death/desert, who scorches and kills.

### Latest WIP ###
Pasarz WIP 1.jpg

Good luck to everyone!

[Arimel]

Welcome back! Looking good so far. I am doing the exact same thing with mapping the desert from my homebrew world, so I am glad I am not the only one!

[The Elderly Cartographer]

Lol. No, you are not alone. Nearly every map I make is for my world, whether it is for a challenge or not. I find it is easier to build off something, rather than start a map and civilization/culture from scratch.

[Greason Wolfe]

Looks like you're off to a solid start. Back story sounds interesting. Will we be hearing more of it?

[Bogie]

Welcome to the Challenge. I like what you have there.

[The Elderly Cartographer]

Looks like you're off to a solid start. Back story sounds interesting. Will we be hearing more of it?

Thank you. Rest assured, if I can concoct any more backstory I will share it. lol.

Welcome to the Challenge. I like what you have there.

Thank you. It's a start.

I have added a little more details to the four characters. I am using a Persian rug as inspiration for the boarder... but it is terribly tedious and repetitive. Hopefully I can cheat with this stencil I made, but it is not quite ready.

### Latest WIP ###
Pasarz WIP 2.jpg

Have any suggestion?

[Arimel]

Looks really good. And clever use of the stencil. I am always afraid of repeating pattern borders like that because I can't keep my hands steady enough. That may be a solution.

[The Elderly Cartographer]

I know what you mean about shaky hands.
The pattern you see in the top left corner is actually hand drawn, but it took a long time. To complete the boarder in this fashion would probably take a whole week of drawing tiny lines. I said, there had to be an easier way. So I went to work on the stencil, it hasn't worked quite yet. I might have to switch to another material like cardstock paper.

[The Elderly Cartographer]

The stencil is working!

The right boarder is my finest pen going through the stencil. The top is the second step of going over it again with a thicker pen and correcting some the errors and emboldening it. Also I added more city names.

### Latest WIP ###
Pasarz WIP 3.jpg

[Bogie]

The border looks great!