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This map is ridiculously good. I love it. Great job.
The Westerlands of Andoria and Andar
Hello,
Today I bring you my second large project, the Westerlands, in short. Using elements from my previous map, as well as some new techniques, I've learned a lot from my work on this!
Hope you can enjoy it
Border Edit.jpg
WIP - [Fantasy Map WIP - Unnamed World Map]
This map is ridiculously good. I love it. Great job.
I like a lot about this map. It has a real nice flavor. Well done!
The one thing that does not work well for me are the forests. The symbols are indecipherable...they look smudgy, unfocused. I can't tell that those are trees. As the colors are quite washed out in the whole map (which is not a problem, mind you. It's a nice look), the green isn't strong enough to immediately say "forest".
Last but not least - care to tell us about the setting itself? As a p&p roleplayer, i am always interested in the setting and it's history and people. Let us visit your world
I'm trapped in Darkness,
Still I reach out for the Stars
This is absolutely fantastic, I love the texture the map has, the colors, everything!
I have to echo Eilathen's comments about the forests. It's not even so much that the symbols aren't clear. For me, it's how regimented they are. You have your trees in straight rows, almost in a grid formation, which is rather the opposite of how forests should look! But that aside, it's an absolutely lovely map. I love your colour palette and the canvas texture works beautifully. It looks like something you could hang on your wall.
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams"
@Eilathen - Thank you for the forest-criticism. It's something I wasn't always happy with, and If I get the time to do it, I'l revisit them.
Regarding Lore. (oh boy!)
In this reply I'l be dealing with the Nations of the Northern Landmass
HUMAN NATIONS of the North
Andoria – The main Human nation with arms as wide as the Inner Waters, they were the second grand human country to develop. Their empire once spanned most of the Northern Lands (Oereath, Varador, The Eternal Watchlands, The Giant’s Hills and the now Blasted Dig), but is now mostly reduced to their own country of Andoria. This happens due to intense pressure from the Eastern Side, where the Orcs threaten the safety of the populace, and due to colonial fragmentation (especially in the Lowlands, where colonies became independent).
The Empire of Andoria has almost always coexisted with the Church of the Holy Cross (Crux Verata). They are the dominant religion in the Northern Lands (known to them as the Holy Lands), and they believe Andoria to be the center of the continent (that’s why their country is mostly organized along lines emanating from Andoria).
You can verify the Empire’s influence over the lands with the presence of Fortresses of the Church, castles and strongholds blessed by the Holy Cross, all of which host an agent of the Faith.
Gant – The country of Gant used to be part of Andoria. It’s not, however, a colony that rejected their rule, but simply one that embraced it in a different way. Independence was given to them by the Empire, due to growing economical issues regarding colonies; however, they remain under the supervision of several Imperial Ministers.
They now serve as the main sea port for the Holy Lands, with several ports ready to establish trade routes with Andoria, Quarinth and even Corvo.
Corvo - Corvo is a tricky country. The Northernmost half of it (from Corvo to Greattower) has remained under Imperial supervision, like Gant. Anything toward the East from Corvo is considered Lawless and Heretical. Small outposts of the faith remain scattered, some having been dismantled and taken over by thieves and mercenaries, others remaining enclosed within thick walls.
More toward the East, Holy Cremila’s Palace remains as the one shining beacon of the Faith in those lawless lands. Built with thick sandstone from the Lowlands and hard brick from the Holy Lands, the Palace remains a stronghold of fervor and religion.
The Eternal Watchlands – This land is not an official country. It doesn’t have a ruling body, and it’s ruled entirely from the capital of Andoria. It exists as a military land, where battle is constant. Abandoned fortresses dominate the landscape, with new fortresses being built along the battle lines. The current line stands at the 3rd stand, being watched over by the Fortress of Woe, a gargantuan structure of brick and metal, able to withstand any assault from the Orc forces.
Along the shore, there are several smaller fortresses and monasteries, where small military bands are stationed to protect the lines.
The Darkdens – This is a small portion of the Eternal Watchlands, not ruled by anyone and cut off from the Empire. Small villages are ruled by gangs of thieves and towns are often guarded by the patron of the land. The only proper city is Portum Phantas, the port of the Darkdens, where law is enforced with an iron grip.
The Holy Strip – A warring land, full of old fortresses and ruined castles, razed constantly by the orcs that the Watchlands can’t hold back. More toward the North, the Dredgepit used to operate and serve as a quarry for the Empire. Now, it stands ruined and destroyed.
Giant’s Hills – A land barely explored by Man, this is a place of giants, inhumanly tall creatures that live in the hills. Small villages dot the territory, with larger settlements being present near Annorhal, the Fortress of Vinterlake. Through careful management, the people of the Giant’s Hills avoid conflict with the native fauna, and exist in a quiet, peaceful state.
The Watcher’s Hold of Blackgate – Another warring land, this one has a history of peace. Surrounded by mountains, they have existed far from conflict for centuries. When an unspeakable evil took hold of Varador to the North, they hurriedly built a massive wall, the Blackgate (which has no true gate), to keep away the taint of darkness. The southernmost territories exist in peace and often make trades with the Dwarven peoples to the East. To the North however, they fight on two fronts. The Blackgate is maintained by constant patrols and small forays into the Blackmoor, and the White Gate, to the West, fights to keep out the lesser evils of Oereath, a portion of the Hold lost to the Darkness.
The Black Hold of Oereath – A land once prosperous, now a barren, desolate ruin. The Darkness of Varador threatened to reach Oereath, where they believed faith in Old Gods would save them from it. A powerful wizard attempted to cast a spell to keep the people safe, but it backfired, breaking ancient magical barriers etched into the mountains, allowing the darkness to seep into the land. The populace was turned into beasts, and the King hid in his castle with his denizens.
Along with the beastly Darkness of the Evernight, came the Black Plague, ravaging what little resistance there was. Now, the Watcher’s Hold serves as keepers of the Plague and of the Darkness.
ELVEN NATIONS of the North
Laarandaar and Quarinth – This large Elven hold is divided in two sections: Laarandaar, the home of the xenophobic High Elves; and Quarinth, the land of the Low Elves. Low Elves are born from the race-mixing of Elves and Men. Laarandar has suffered numerous catastrophes throughout the years. Once it was a massive countrywide forest, now it stands as a dry land, with patches of forest spread throughout. The Scorch of Laarandaar was a natural phenomenon that dried the land and impoverished the soil. It is believed that the Scorch had psychological effects on the elves, making them jaded and aggressive toward outsiders.
Quarinth remains open, and is known for the great elven forges of glass and refined materials.
Laranthil and the Eastern Greatwood – The largest forest hold of the High Elves, this isolated forest remains untouched by war and the Darkness. Little is known of the innards of the massive Greatwood, but tales tell of a mighty dragon resting beneath the wood. It is said when he landed he tore the earth aside, and slept. He slept for so long; the land began to grow atop of him, fertilized by his magical influence. Trees here are gigantic, and the flora grows exponentially.
DWARVEN NATIONS of the North
Karz’ Moghad of the Great Mine – The Great Mine is a large subterranean mining excavation that spans the entire country. The massive caves beneath the land have given the Dwarves of Karz’ Moghad the opportunity to look for precious metals, upon which their economy is based on. This mine is connected to the other Great Mines
Kahradun and Khar’ goresh – The Capital of the Dwarven Empire, Kahradun, hosts the largest mining operation in the World. Spanning from Kahradun to Karz’ Moghad and toward the now abandoned Khar Goren, it is also used as a method of transportation across the harsh land. It is also responsible for guarding the Dwarven holds from the effects of the Darkness of Varador, using mystical rune etchings on Dwarven metals.
Khar Goren and the Oldlands of the Throneforge – The now abandoned Khar Goren was once the main city in the Dwarven kingdom. Its tall towers and large dredges were the pride of the stout dwarves. The mining tunnels spanned a large circular area to the Northeast, and their large forges were cooled by the nearby Goldloch, a gold filled lake. However, this splendor was shattered by the Stone Plague, which slowly petrified the muscles of the Dwarves. The city was locked down, with all the inhabitants dying, and abandoned. The dredges were never shut down, and resulted in a poisoning of the neighboring land. It is now a land of mystery and toxicity.
Unftherilexicana – A locked, mysterious compound in the edge of the mountains. It’s rumored to hold all knowledge that the Old Men (primordial humanoid beings) ever learnt before abandoning the Westerlands. It’s locked away, and has only been entered once, by a powerful wizard of Andoria. Its mystery is the stuff of legend, and many adventurers try to brave the depths, against the orders of the numerous countries aware of its existence.
And that's about all I can muster regarding the Northern Landmass. When I get more time, I'l organize my things from the Southern one and make a post like this!
No problem, Alturax, glad if it helps.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing
As an aside - what kind of rpg system are you using with your group(s)?
I'm trapped in Darkness,
Still I reach out for the Stars
@Eilathen - Sadly, I do not have a group currently. I made this in my spare time just for.. It's artistic value? As you can see I have some world-building going on, but I do that with all maps or projects I undertake. I am incapable of creating a map without building a world around it.
My last map was planned to be used in some novel I was working on, but I ultimately scrapped it entirely due to time constraints and some reflection on my ideas. I unfortunately hop from inspiration to inspiration, at time feeling more Game of Thrones-y and sometimes feeling more toward the Tolkien side. This one was built with the traditional High Fantasy races, men, dwarves, elves and orcs. I suppose I was inspired!
If you would like to use it in your own settings, that's fine by me, and I hope you can enjoy your time with it. I'l be happy to provide some further details (even after the next gargantuan post about the South landmass) regarding setting and specifics.
Cheers.
A very nice and original map Alturax! It's full of details though, some are a bit too subtle imho (like the coat of arms for countries).
I really like the texture and the feeling it gives to the map. Nice job!
Francesca Baerald - http://www.francescabaerald.com/maps/
