World Map for my Campaign - WIP

[philipstephen]

I have the feeling i still have a long way to go...

but at this point, i am likely to just update local areas as the players start to explore the world a bit...

i have a good enough coastline and I have started to fill in the interior with colour from my previous version... a few islands got missed in the colouring, so they show up black...

I have also experimented with a thin black line, but i do not know what i think about it...

there are a few bits that do not sit right yet, like the skeleton-finger-like peninsulas and islands - (archipelagos?) - in the south central-ish area.

the red transparent island in the south west is the UK, for scale.

it is not a big continent by Earth standards I guess. I did not want it to take too long for the players to roam across it or for wars to travel across the land...

The original image i am working on is 50 x 32 inches at 300 dpi... i think this web-verstion is 25 x 16 at 72 dpi.

I suppose at some point i will have to make a pre-cataclysm map and figure out if there is any chance to reconcile my crazy metaphysical world-tree uprooting with the landscape of the world...

Phil

[Ascension]

Yeah, looks nice and painterly. I can dig it.

[Gidde]

I really like that maelstrom in the ocean. Nice touch!

[Karro]

Awesome; it's starting to look like the previous map with your wonderful painterly touch to it.

As for the thin black line on the coasts: I'd considering blurring it and blending it in a little. It kind of stands out now, but a slight blur might give it the effect of outlining the coasts while simultaneously softening its appearance in line with the painterly quality of the rest of the map.

[philipstephen]

Here is the latest WIP for my world map.

I have put some nation names and other labels on the map.

Because this will be part of a novel I am working on, I am hoping folks will let me know if any place names sound too hokey, or if they are copyrighted or part of any other previously published fantasy worlds that you know of.

I may still change a number of names. The nation of Gildurn had been Breone previously, but I found that name had already been used. I am not sure about Gildurn as a name though. It is a nation that honours storytellers and everyone believes that the crafting of a good story is the best use of one's life.

Nordenheim is likely to change as well. It is an icy realm of giants and ogres and barbarians.

Draknaar was Dregmar in previous incarnations of this map, and I am not sure which is better or if neither really work. It is a nation at civil war with two feuding dragons fueling the conflict.

Sephra started as Sardia before I noticed that Magic the Gathering had copyright of Sardia. It became Cypria, then Sephria, and now Sephra. Sephra is currently composed of a number of independant city states run by despots and such - but at its height it was dedicated to Sepher, god of Knowledge.

Andor will likely need to change names. I think that is the name of a country in the Wheel of Time books. Invading Skathicans pushed back the Andilhar border to form Andor. Skathicans are viking like people dedicated to mastery of the sword. They are fleeing the spreading ice from the north, which leads them to form villages along the Sword Coast as well.

Brundarland used to be Brundaria. I changed the name because the group I play with said that too many names ended with "ia." It is home to nomadic tribespeople called Brundar who worship Brond, god of strength and thunder.

Va'ar is a necrocratic nation with undead ruling various cities and subjugating the living.

Calidor is a nation of knights and warmages that is besieged on all sides.

Albanon is a sunken fey island a bit like Atlantis.

Andilhar is an elven nation.

Karakas was the centre of the dwarven empire, but most of its great halls and cavern complexes collapsed, causing the nation to tilt and submerge partially into the sea.

Estalar is a nation of horselords ruled by a High Marshall.

Shiar is a nation of desert people, at war with Estalar as they flee the expanding wastelands of the south.

Khashem is strangely lush and full of jungles and rivers and dark skinned warriors.

Carthion is a nation of demon worshiping sorts.

Nethria is an up and coming nation, ruled by a young warlord that is set on conquest.

Nemaria is a nation of half elves, recently conquered by Nethria. Nemelas is the lone standing fortress of Elves in the midst of the two nations.

Eribor and Laniwar I do not know much about yet. I am not sure how I feel about their names. They likely will be conquered or at least besieged by Nethria soon.

Kenzan is a small nation of contemplative mystics and refugees from an eastern nation that sunk below the sea.

The Four Kingdoms will likely get renamed as well. A father who went to war left his country to his four sons who fought amongst themselves until 4 nations formed where there once was one.

And there is more... but that will do for a ramble now.


Feel free to comment/critique on the map in general, but it is the place names I am wondering about most now...

thanks for all the support so far!

phil.

[Steel General]

Eribor has been used before...can't remember where though.

Sword Coast may or may not be copyrighted by WoTC for the Forgotten Realms

Andor is indeed a country in the Wheel of Time series

[Gidde]

Erebor is the elven name for the Lonely Mountain of Hobbit/LotR fame. That said, I just read a lovely fantasy trilogy with a couple recycled names in it and they didn't bother me at all. As long as all your names seem to "fit" in your world (i.e. they follow similar word patterns, etc.), one or two familiar ones isn't the end of the world.

[Steel General]

Erebor is the elven name for the Lonely Mountain of Hobbit/LotR fame. That said, I just read a lovely fantasy trilogy with a couple recycled names in it and they didn't bother me at all. As long as all your names seem to "fit" in your world (i.e. they follow similar word patterns, etc.), one or two familiar ones isn't the end of the world.

Ahh I knew I'd heard it before, and I agree with you about a couple of familiar/similar names isn't going to hurt anything.

[Gidde]

I took a closer look at the WIP and you have a typo as well ... Bay of Thieves.

This is looking really great btw. It looks very clean and very artistic at the same time.

[Ramah]

If we're picking up on Eribor being close to Erebor then we could also say that Palantyr is very close to Palantir (although obviously that isn't a place but a thing). Personally I think it matters not a jot. Especially as I have an "Andor" on my map too. I've never read Wheel of Time though so... tsk. It was originally called Farnandor, then I reduced it to Arnandor, and then cut the start off it. Ah well, great minds and all that.

And wait, can someone seriously copyright a generic name such as "Sword Coast"? :S

The map looks fantastic btw. I've always thought so, even before you felt the need to redraw the whole landmass. Such a unique style.