September 2007 Entry: The Glass Journal

[Amonite]

THE GLASS JOURNAL


As the Glass Ocean has never been properly charted, though attempts have been made, I decided it would be fun to go through the stages of actually charting it ^.^ As such, my entry will be more of a series of maps than one map, though I will post the final map as my final entry. Until then, I will post up 'snapshots' of a journal following a cartographer on her quest to map out the unmappable Glass Ocean. In order to save space, I am just going to put up jpegs until the last map.

[Amonite]

"With the disappearance of my father over the Ocean of Glass, it has been left up to me to continue his work. While there are some that insist the exploration required for proper cartography is far to dangerous an undertaking for a girl, it has not my search. The maps I draw become less and less unique, the lines of the Earth constricted and confined by their proper positions. Yet there is one place that defies all attempts to constrain it to a world of logic. If I can chart this wild land of wild magic, and discover what has happened to my father, I can vindicate his work and clear his name. The Glass Ocean will open its secrets to me, no matter what the cost."

[Amonite]

"The few maps I have found of the Glass Ocean leave much to be desired. While preparing for my journey, which shall officially begin at Lemis Keep, I have purchased several of the cheaper maps one can get from any trader. All promise riches if one only follows their ‘real’ treasure map. The map I have copied here purports to show two routes, via land and sea, to the best lightning grounds. It also shows the fabled Shale-Table Key, which I am convinced must exist. I am also convinced that anyone following such a shoddy excuse for a map will likely meet with an untimely end."



Note: The typed text may not always match the journal tex, due to limited space in the journal and accidental typos on the computer.

[ravells]

Seriously beautiful idea and execution!

Superb!

Ravs

[Ishmayl]

This is awesome! I can't wait to see more.

[Amonite]

DAY 4
I arrived at Lemis Keep ahead of schedule, so have taken the opportunity to scout the area while my airship takes on fresh supplies. Lemis is an inspiring place, much of it built from the crimson stones common to the region. Surprisingly, Lemis Keep itself is white. It was made not of rock from the blood cliffs, but from white stone hauled in from Copperhead and the knucklebones. More intriguing, however, is the famed glass cathedral of Lemis Keep. It was built centuries ago during the Lawless Age, and the Keep was later built around it. How so much desert Glass was amassed remains a mystery, but standing inside the rose tinted cathedral lends itself to a beautiful inner peace and tranquility.


NOTE: Drawing maps on the computer is far harder than by hand! But I do like how this one turned out Since the glass ocean sand is pink (well, fingernail pink) I figured there was room for some strange geology in the area. So I put lots and lots of reddish, somewhat crystalline stone in the Lemis region. And, since the cliffs are blood red, I added in a reflection onto the sea. So sailors in the area braving the trecherous rocky shoreline would call it the Blood Sea, both due to the danger and to its wine-like color. In contrast to the red walls and towers of the area, Lemis Keep itself is white. Sand would be imported from the edges of the glass desert to fill the arena, but its magically properties quickly leech out once away from the Glass Ocean. (Otherwise, I assume people would just collect the sand and make glass elsewhere)

And, because I spent forever on this map and its hard to see in the journal page, I will post a bigger version here...

[Venardhi]

My only complaints would be the illegible diary entries, and the consistency between drawings. The first and last particiularly don't look much like they belong in a traveller's diary. For something like this I would lean towards minimalism. What tools would this man have at his disposal, what style of map or illustration would he make? A little color is good, but that latest one looks like exactly what it is, a digital painting.

Good stuff though, don't take me too harshly, I'm just a negative nancy and a perfectionist. . . which is why I never finish stuff.

[Amonite]

I figure she has her paint kit with her - I would. I was thinking of going with hand doing the labels on the map, but I rather like being able to read labels. And I would assume, being a cartographer, that her handwriting on at least maps would be much finer. I was going to just zoom in on the pictures, and only leave a little of the journal text visable for entries, but I forgot about that this time. In the future, I probably will, and then just type the journal entry. Because yah, its really hard to handwrite text in Photoshop Elements. If I had time, I would finish up the pictures in Project Dogwaffle, which is my paint program of choice. But, if I actually want to finish the journal, I need to save time *pout* I forgot to put in my compass and directions scale on the last one too...*fret*

Anyways, as far as the color ones go, I will likely put in an entry explaining the actual process of her map making later. What I had in mind was the world being a blend of science and magic, was that she could create the map elsewhere and then magically 'imprint' the map onto her journal page. (It would be the same process for other images, such as the first painting of the glass ocean) I will probably start doing some actual hand maps as the journal continues, because its easier and the result is prettier - but I am half doing this project to get used to my pen tablet ^.^ I do want to do at least one actual ink map on parchment though, so that one at least should be more realistic

[ravells]

The evolving story of it has me utterly hooked. This is the best WIP I've ever seen, because it's a story and a wip worked into one.

ravs

[Amonite]

DAY SEVEN
We left Lemis early this morning and should reach Copperhead before nightfall. On the way, I ordered the airship to land to better examine the first of the knucklebones. These first few on the southern fringe are very finger like, almost delicate, and are all smaller than myself. This is interesting, because if the stories and pictures hold true, the knucklebones farther on are both larger and more knobby. The strangeness of the first few hundred knucklebones in comparison to the rest has led the area to be dubbed Ladyhands. The sand about our feet showed quite the variety of color. Black and tan sand was predominant, but there was pale pink in the mix as well. The ground was littered with very tiny white pebbles and small white stones, presumably eroded from the knucklebones. A thin layer of white duct coated the base of the knucklebones. After lunch, we continued our journey on to Copperhead, which we should reach before nightfall.



NOTE: I was originally gonna do a digital painting of these, then decided to just tidy it all up and do outlines...but then once I scanned it in I decided I liked the sketchiness and untidiness of it And, I like how the not showing the journal page entirely turned out. Because my handwriting is terrible, and my digital handwriting is worse!