April 2018 Challenge: The Empire of Honosea

[Shenanigans]

New month, new challenge!

I really wanted to do an "island" nation, so I rerolled until I got a name that sounded oceany. Then I changed the population density to Desolate, because I want to actually map out all the strongholds, and anything else gave too many. The terrain of this map is actually going to be mountains with flying ships that go between the high settlements, so not really islands, but kind of islands.

### Latest WIP ###
honosea.png

[Mouse]

I'm really envious of your lack of castles!

[Shenanigans]

The castle count is surprisingly high for anything over desolate. :O

[Daistallia]

The terrain of this map is actually going to be mountains with flying ships that go between the high settlements, so not really islands, but kind of islands.

Sounds cool.

Kinda reminds of Jeff Carlson's Plague Year novels.

[Shenanigans]

Done!

Hoping to get some quick edits in tomorrow night after work, but that might not happen, so I'm uploading it now. Went for digital this month, to save time. Had some personal stuff come up that really cut into my production time, and physical maps are way more effort for me to produce. My personal goal in this challenge was to impart a sense of depth and false 3d to the viewer, as if looking down from the sky, and I'm pretty happy with the outcome! Clouds could be better, but I wasn't about to spend 40 hours drawing clouds.

This map is meant to show shipping lanes for merchants sailing through the perilous skies of Vangal, which is full of pirates. In regards to the challenge, the "castles" are lighthouses and "ruined" castles are lighthouses with no keepers, so they usually aren't lit. Most of this area is overgrown jungles or mountains, which aren't really arable in the sense of farmland (although I suppose you could burn it down).

### Latest WIP ###
honosea-map.png

[El Tau]

That's a very original approach! I like it!

[MistyBeee]

This map made me smile : fun style and great ideas. The parchment shadows works incredibly well !
Reminds me when I had some time to play Godus ^^