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Cool ! I like the snow. The terrain looks like its done with L3DT. Was it that or perlin noise type thing or something else ?
I had little time so I have to catch up. I had to adjust the climate after the continental movements that happened on this world so that the South is no more as dry as it initially was.
Here the first version of Khagramor, the Dwarven lands . Another story upcoming too .
Khagramor1.png
### Latest WIP ###
Cool ! I like the snow. The terrain looks like its done with L3DT. Was it that or perlin noise type thing or something else ?
Fractal for the relief and then Holdridge classification of biomes depending on temperature and precipitation.Originally Posted by Redrobes
THE CAVERN
========
Dorthori was a young ordinary Dwarf, hardly 70 years old.
He kept his ringmail underwear always clean and his beard was his pride.
Even a Dwarf would have to say that it was indeed remarkable, well oiled, combed and intricately braided.
He lived in Gormadon under Rakul-Zigil where he was learning his trade as precious stone miner.
After work he usually spent his time in the Bloody Axe Inn, quaffing ale and singing songs about gold and diamonds.
This was how he made acquaintance with Hjalvar.
Hjalvar was a human hunter trading in ice wolf silver pelts and was oftentimes seen in Gormadon when he made his way back from the frozen norther reaches.
A word leading to another, Hjalvar and Dorthori traded tales and emptied many a cask of stout ale.
When Dorthori was about to leave, trying to master his unsteady legs, Hjalvar leaned to his ear and whispered : "I have a secret for you my friend, if you would hear it."
The typical Dwarven curiosity awakened, Dorthori immediately replied : "I certainly would, friend !"
"I know of a cave in the far north and it is my reckoning that there are diamonds inside . I am not an expert but you are a good friend and I would lead you if we share the benefits."
Dorthori's eyes widened with surprise and the little calculating wheels started to whirr in his head : "We have a deal friend ! Let us go tomorrow ."
After an uneventful although freezing journey, Hjalvar stopped on a ridge and pointed to the north-east : "Here we are Dorthori ."
There on a snowy slope a black cave mouth opened an entrance into the mountain.
Entering the cave, the experienced eyes of a Dwarf miner immediately recognized that this was indeed a diamond vein and a huge one for that matter.
It was when Dorthori started to take some samples from the walls that a screeching sound made itself heard.
Turning around, he saw the most ugly apparition he had ever seen.
Wrinkled leather around empty sockets, diamond necklace on a turtle like neck, bony arms stretched towards Dorthori like if the being wanted to embrace him, it hissed and lisped : "Welcome to your master to be, worm ! You shall serve me well !"
Dorthori instinctively reached for his axe when he felt a blow on his head and everything went black .
Coming back to his senses he saw Hjalvar shackling his hands, the horrible apparition scowling a few paces behind.
"Ah well ." started Hjalvar with an unpleasant grin, "You Dwarves are so easy to trick. My lich master needed more slaves. So I promised him to bring him many more from your city. Untold richess and power await me if I please to my master . Tomorrow when the full moon rises, the demons that do my master's bidding will transform you into his slave ."
Upon these words Hjalvar took the shackled Dorthori upon his shoulders, brought him to a dank stony cell where he fixed the shackles to a massive iron ring sealed in the wall and locked the heavy oaken door.
The cell door closed, stretching himself upon the stone bed, Dorthori was thinking hard.
Squeezing his carefully oiled beard, he soaked the shackles and his hands with oil so that twisting, pulling and pushing he managed to free first one hand then the other.
Next he freed a large stone block from his bed and wound a length of chain around it.
There are subtile ways and there are stealthy ways.
Dorthori's was the Dwarven way.
Standing in the center of the cell and holding the chain he started spinning fast and then threw himself in the direction of the door.
The stone block struck first followed by a dwarven steel helmet.
The door withstood the former but not the latter and crashed into the guard room.
Hjalvar awoken by the crashing door had just time to stammer : "Wha .. wha ..." before the stone block sent him in oblivion.
The alarmed lich appeared in the doorway, sickly green light scintillating in its empty sockets, spread its arms and started to intone an incantation.
Liches are powerful magical beings but they seldom leave their lairs.
So it was absolutely not prepared to deal with 80 kg of an upset, highly magic resistant Dwarf wielding a 40 kg stone block at the end of a chain and spinning it madly around him.
It didn't last long before bone splinters started to fly in all directions and the dessicated skin was torn to shreds.
"So." said Dorthori, combed his beard, selected some of the most beautiful diamonds lying in the tatters that constituted formerly a lich and started the journey home.
Thus the Dwarves discovered what is nowadays their largest and most proficient diamond mine that they called Dalan-Adûr what means "Oiled beard".
And be very sure that Dorthori still oils, combs and braids his magnificent beard which became famous.
Last edited by Deadshade; 04-26-2016 at 10:42 AM.
Nice work on the terrain, mountains and rivers look good. But what really sells it are the colorful stories you've included. Dorthori the Lich slayer was a fun little tale.
Cheers,
-Arsheesh
Great map, I really like the textures. The story of Dorthori the Lich slayer is great.
My Battlemaps Gallery http://www.cartographersguild.com/al...p?albumid=3407
Added some labels (mostly to situate the places in the stories) . Black wouldn't work well with the biome textures so I had to opt for color.
One one hand I felt that there should be some labels but on the other hand I was not sure if it would fit with the map style.
Please criticize (yes, no, not like that ..) - for this 10 years anniversary it wouldn't do to deliver Something suboptimal.
I have also an idea for another story "The holy helmet" but it is still rough and would need to be refined. Hope to find the time because I am sure that every Dwarf fan has always dreamt to hear about the Holy Helmet
Khagramor-labels.png
### Latest WIP ###
I think the map itself looks great. For the labels you are right, they do kind of clash with the realistic style. Perhaps you could do the names in a legend indexed to numbered points? Or, do lines to points on the map with their titles in the empty space on the side? Maybe the clash is just a font issue? I don't know, I'm sure you'll figure something out though
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It's looking great!
