Terrae incognita

[ThomasR]

Hello people,

I was wondering if any of you had a specific idea on how to depict unexplored regions on a map ? I thought about clouds but it's fairly cartoony and I was seeking other options.

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Thomas

[Mouse]

Fading the edges slowly into blank paper is my favourite one, although I 've never used it. I like it when I see it in other people's maps.

Clouds make the area look like an eternal bog.

Another idea I've seen being used is to just use the very faintest suggestion of... something, overshadowed by some grotesque and unrealistic gargoyle representing some spirit or prevailing wind. That's a good one too, since the thing that most people fear is the unknown, so unknown lands tend to get a bit of a black reputation down through the ages, whether they deserve it or not. I've seen an unknown land filled with drawings of ogres and goblins spilling into it from the border of the map. That was quite impressive

[Voolf]

All i can think of is 'fog of war' in games, but then again... it is either clouds or dim area, like in dark shadow. You may look through google image. Search this phrase, maybe you will find something interesting.

[DanielHasenbos]

When America wasn't fully explored yet they often wrote stuff about columbus and how he discovered it to cover up the empty space. You also see paragraphs about flora and fauna written down, mostly just to avoid having to leave it empty. Perhaps you could do something like that as well? (:

-Dan

[Straf]

Pens, screwdrivers and odd socks - they have to go somewhere right? And as we can never find them they must occupy the unexplored parts of our world.

I'm assuming this or these regions are in the middle of a map rather than at the edge. I'd go with Mouse, just fade the known bits and leave a blank canvas background. If it's at the end of the map, and depending on the setting, you could put some amusing text like 'here lies death' or 'devils and gorgons' or 'fields and fields of brussel sprouts' or something like that.

[Abu Lafia]

hic sunt ...

[Straf]

hic sunt sprouts