Dec/Feb "22 Lite Challenge: Darkrocks

[Antoine.L]

Let's try this!

So after playing with different maps generators, I decide to use the Watabou Medieval Fantasy City Generator

I asked for a medium size town with a sea, everything else random, and here is the result I get:

dark_rocks.png

Then I asked myself what could I do with this, and I decide to write a small background for this city, to help me to bring a coherent map to life.

Considering the names, places and geography I had, that were my though:



Darkrock is in the North of the Dinais continent. Area of intense volcanic activity, the rock is dark, and rare are the places suitable for agriculture. A small fishing town at the bottom of a fjord, Darkrocks is the last port in the north to go cod fishing.
The main route to get there is by sea, but a road crosses the mountains and arrives from the west.

The climate is cold and humid, although the winters remain mild. The coasts of the north of Dinais are whipped by the violent winds and assailed by many precipitations.

1253 inhabitants were recorded on the 1st day of the year of the second moon 1463.
The Darkrock population is a balanced trinity of three castes:

The Egnathos (Blue) are sinners, able to breathe underwater. Their emblem is the wave of the northern oceans from which they come. Understandably strong, the Egnathos provide food and exports to the other two classes.

The Proteus (red) are soldiers and privateers, they are strong tacticians. Their emblem is the flame of the surrounding volcanoes from which they originate. They bring protection to the whole city and its activities (fishing and trade)

Euplerides (yellow) are traders: although of weak constitution. They are good speakers and negotiators. Their symbol is a sand hourglass, recalling their desert origins and their mastery of time (only Euplerides are in contact with the outside, they are the guarantors of the synchronization of universal time. They bring wealth and materials to the soldiers and the fishermen.

Darkrocks maintains its economy thanks to its three ports,
The commercial port exports fish and boat building equipment, importing raw materials and food.
Boat and Rope Manufacturing are important at Darkrocks and the ships pulled out of the holds are some of the best in the world.

The political system is a plutocracy led by the 3 richest commanders of ships in each of the 3 classes. The council of three sits at the Volcanic Fort, seat of government and place of withdrawal. Capable of accommodating in the event of conflict the entire population who cannot fight to the sea or take arms up.



I first sketched exactly the same city on a paper (A3 size).

Next step is to change few buildings to get something that makes sense with the lore I wrote, without change on names, shapes or anything else from the generator.

Here is my WIP:

### Latest WIP ###

Dark Rock 05.01.jpg


My objective for this challenge is to try my best but I fixed to myself a constraint of 35 hours max spent in the project.

Time point:
- Research and Lore: 2.5 hours
- Sketches: 2.5 hours

I have 30 hours left to end it.

Hope you'll like it, thanks for reading!

[Bogie]

Welcome to the Challenge Antoine! Excellent backstory and a very good start on the map.

[wminish]

This is looking very promising so far. I look forward to seeing it take shape.

[Antoine.L]

Thanks for the encouragement!


Just a little WIP I did yesterday:

### Latest WIP ###
Darkrocks 07.01.jpg

I added a bit of labels, next step is inking all these buildings!!

Time point:
6.5/35 hours

[Kisachik the Wanderer]

Hi Antoine.

This is looking good. I like the calligraphy. I appreciate it when people take the effort to do this right, because it takes a tremendous amount of patience to draw the guidelines and resist the urge to just "wing it" with letters. I am so guilty of doing that way too often in my sketches.

[Bogie]

I have to agree with Kisachik, the calligraphy is excellent.

[Kier]

Very Nice. Coming along.

[Antoine.L]

Hi Antoine.

This is looking good. I like the calligraphy. I appreciate it when people take the effort to do this right, because it takes a tremendous amount of patience to draw the guidelines and resist the urge to just "wing it" with letters. I am so guilty of doing that way too often in my sketches.

Thank you very much Kisachik! Calligraphy does take a lot of time (it is about 2 hours and half on this map). I really like this font, and I start to be used of it, so it takes less and less time to "draw" it.

I have to agree with Kisachik, the calligraphy is excellent.

Thank you Bogie!

Very Nice. Coming along.

Thank you Kier, here is the WIP:

### Latest WIP ###

Darkrocks 03.02.jpg

All the inking is now over, I still have to start shading and colouring.

Timeline: 22.5 hours so far. I still have 12.5 hours left for the end, feels comfortable.

[Bogie]

The inking is great, the border is fantastic!

[KaiAeon]

This is such a cool map!