Land of the Eleven Tribes

[Juggernaut1981]

Land of the Eleven Tribes isn't as terrible a name as you think. It might need a little finessing, but it's not bad. There is a place in China literally called "9 Tribe Region".

I see you're an Aussie, have you been out in the "inland"? Just travelling around there will give you the idea of what you need for a big forest.

[LonewandererD]

Yeah I've been inland, I'm in Canberra so we have plenty of bush out here. I suppose I could explain away the mountain with magick or a real big river.

The practice map is a bit misleading, the green is actually supposed to be on the other side of the mountains. These lands are on the eastern coast of a continent (which explains why the shadows fall to the northwest, i didn't want them obscuring the detail), so they get plenty of rain to keep them green.

For the scale, if I made the mountains large would that make them better for the scale. I can't really make the rivers smaller as they are already at 2-3 pixels.

-D-

[LonewandererD]

Okay here is my map base

It isn't very lively along the coast because most of the action is set inland, I'll be making up for this at a later date as their is a large island chain to the south. My canvas is 4000x4000 just so i can get some detail in but the actualy map is only about 900x1000 miles.

I'm currently thinking of a new map name, still keep the Eleven Tribes name just changing it into something that would be translated into the lands of the Eleven Tribes.

-D-

[Scott Livingston]

I like the name "Land of the Eleven Tribes" also. Sounds realistic enough (reminds me of the Ten Arrows or Six Nations, or of course the Twelve Tribes of Israel), yet is also mystical/exotic. Your newer idea of a name that would translate to "Eleven Tribes" works well too!

[LonewandererD]

Not much of an update as I've been busy.

Anyway, heres is the map with hills, grasslands, ocean and the largest of the rivers. The grasslands are a bit bright I know, I had to add an extra pattern on top of the grassland pattern to break it up. I'm hoping that the darker shades of the forests and the mountains will help to balance out the bright grasses but I'm still going to tinker with them.

I'm currently stuck as how to place my mountains, using my scale I need to make the mountains big but not so big that they take up the map. I was thinking of placing them along the edges in the southwest and some in the north. After I'vee done the mountains I'll be moving onto inland waters sources like rivers, lakes and marshes.

My plans for setting up the map will happen from the edges inwards, basically the edges need to be set up as follows.

- Southwestern corner needs to mountains to seperate the lands from the isolationalist Kadonites of the Kadonite Valleys.
- Northeastern and eastern edge needs to be mix of mountains and marshes that seperate the lands from the nation of Belkadaia
- Northwestern area needs to be grasslands and forests where the Ithekin Tribes roam.
- North centre needs to have some small mountains that are low enough to not disrupt weather patterns too much but large enough to provide significant defense and mining.

Also included is my practice map but with some farmlands added in the top left hand corner around the rivers, I just wanted to know what people thought of them. But I've bored you all enough, will add more maps soon.

-D-

[su_liam]

Yeah. I read it as, "Elven Tribes."

[LonewandererD]

I know, i keep reading it as Elven Tribes too, which is why I thinking of a name change.

For the records, the more commonly used fantasy races like elves and dwarves are not found in this world.

On a side note, I was thinking of names for the Eleven Tribes, some are recycled directly from countries of my Adallian Map, and wanted to know what people think of them. Specifically I want people's opinions as to whether these names sound like they come from the same culture. The names are as followed.

- The Lobradis
- The Belphradunn (H is silent)
- The Dunn (descendant of the Belphradunn)
- The Sorresnan
- The Ihlii
- The Rothidyn
- The Maer
- The Heruhdol
- The Truiet
- The Arathyl
- The Khadon

Note: The Ihlii is supposed to sound different becuase they were originally an Ithekin Tribe whereas the other ten were humans.

-D-

[Gandwarf]

Your practice map is beautiful. It looks like you got your rivers fixed as well
I think you could improve the farmland though... I didn't even notice it at first, until I read your comment and went looking for it. I think farmland should popup a bit... it screams civilization.

[LonewandererD]

Thnx Gandwarf, I'm still fiddling with the farmlands but in truth i was aiming for something a little more subtle, sonmething that doens't scream civilisation but rather adds more of a civilised flavour. Besides, I have no idea how to do convincing farmlands anyway.

Update on my map, now with mountains, rivers, beaches on the coast and a few lakes. I know the mountains look off, I still haven't gotten the hang of drawing them in yet but at 100% zoom I don't think they look too bad. They're small but as they are only the tips of two larger mountain ranges I think it works.

Next I'll be breaking it down into eleven small groups so I can the land layout right for the ancestral lands of each of the tribes, for example, the ancestral Sorresnan lands are covered in dence forest but with a large burnt chasm running through from the War of Unity. First on my list of features are more smaller mountains, tiny really, and more water features like lakes and marshes.

-D-

[Gandwarf]

Well, if you are going with subtle this farmland will certainly do. It looks good as it is.

I guess I just like farmland that catches the attention... man against nature