Spavento

[Meshon]

This was a battle map I entered in a challenge quite some time ago. I think the goal was to map a lair, so I decided to map the neighbourhood territory of a crime family. This was one of the first maps I really tried to make the streets look right on. In the end though, I think my favourite part was the tile roofs. Maybe I should have covered all the buildings...

Here's the story that went along with it.

 

"We're the Malvagios. We own this neighbourhood."

Southwest of the palazzos and villas where the children of the ruling elite indulge their hedonism, north of the canals that bring goods to the Commercio district, and just past the quieter end of the bustling Piazza Mercato where the city trades its goods lies the Vicinato Spavento, a quiet little neighbourhood of closed doors and shuttered windows. A few citizens of the city know this as a place to come to get things that can't be found anywhere else. Farina Malvagio sells bread and pastries that rival anything the nobles are eating. A few of her special customers know about the back room and the small but expensive "spices" she sells there. What makes her flour so wonderful? Old Cibo Malvagio's shop usually has good cuts of meat at surprising prices and if you come after dark he might be able to dispose of some spoiled meat for you. Off the main road the more daring visitors find Tesoro Malvagio's Banco which always seems to have the most interesting and rare trinkets on its tables. No point in asking where they come from, Tesoro never tells. Those with more secretive needs might find the Sicarios nearby, a close-knit band of Malvagio brothers and sisters who can make particular sorts of problems disappear. Permanently.
Not long ago the Magistrate Avaro, concerned that some of his own missing property might be for sale at Tesoro's, sent his personal guard in to the neighbourhood to take back what was his. Sadly Avaro has fallen on hard times lately, and his guards have not been seen since the night they took their swords to Vicinato Spavento.

cheers,
Meshon

Edit: Forgot to mention, all the bits of furniture came from a wide variety of sites, probably mostly the Dundjinni forums, but I didn't make any of them. I did make the streets and the tile roofs though!

[ChickPea]

Your cobbles really are fantastic and the roofs look great too. I also like the texture of the water. It looks very realistic and fits well with everything else in the image. And dirt! Lots of lovely mucky bits!

Your story felt like a scene out of 'The Lies of Locke Lamorra'. Don't know if you've read that? If you have, you'll realise that obviously what your map needs to finish it off is jumping murder sharks.

[Meshon]

Oh wow. That sounds like something I definitely need to read!