About three generations ago the orcs were mostly driven from the human lands, and the Empire claimed supremacy. However, many more orcs escaped the slaughter than the humans guessed and now they are rebuilding their strength in a number of scattered settlements hidden along a forbidding stretch of coastline. A small group of elite orcish travelers keeps the communities connected, making several trips a year to the various villages and settlements. But all these places are well hidden, and the Messengers need to be sure they never miss any, so they have developed maps that can be used from their canoes a short distance from land, to precisely figure out their position relative to local settlements.
### Latest WIP ###
OrcMap.jpg
Clockwise from upper left:
1. An approximation of the map in use but with, you know, real mountains and ocean instead of a creek.
2. More high-contrast lighting to show some of the details. And more of my fingers.
3. Map data. These maps are meant to connect together, there are more than two dozen total, so symbols at each end show what map comes next. In the centre is the information that helps the Messenger to find settlements. The settlement on the left will be found at the top of a peak, in a cave, after two moons travel inland. The second settlement will be found in a valley, after a night of travel, hidden in a forested area.
4. Close-up showing the shoreline and my hat.
Let me know if I haven't explained something very well. Or missed something, etc. This is my first foray into wood-gouging (I'm not going to call what I do anything like carving for awhile yet). Also, credit where credit is due. I asked my five year-old son what orcs would make a map out of and he said wood and rocks. We're still deciding what to do with rocks. Also the technique of carving a coastline in wood as a map has been done before by the Inuit people. Also while researching these maps I came across a reference to the Marshall Islands stick charts, proving that maps can be all kinds of different things.
A fun and enlightening challenge!
cheers,
Meshon