Category: Brazenthrone

Posted on

Brazenthrone – The Underdark Trading Outpost

This is the bottom of Brazenthrone, as far down as the city goes. While dwarves aren’t typically a nautically-inclined people, they’re happy to trade with those who are and deep gnome, drow and orog merchants come here to do business. The thing across the harbor’s entrance is a chain boom, which can be raised or lowered to control access to the outpost.

Next up is the map chosen by last month’s Cartographic Congress, the harbor fortress of Torchguard. Like the Underdark Outpost, it’s looking like it’s going to be bigger than I’d originally planned. It might actually be approaching the size of Neuschwanstein.

I suppose it wouldn’t be the first time I made modest plans and then went way overboard. I originally planned for the Great Hall of Brazenthrone to be four floors before I added another two. And that’s the biggest map I’ve ever made. How do you look at that and think, “It could be bigger?” Well, anyway, I hope you’re cool with that because I’m probably not going to stop.

EDIT: Here’s a version without the annotations.

There are DM notes and an expanded annotated version of this map with the rooms of the numbered buildings marked available to patrons.

Posted on

Brazenthrone – The Pits of Justice

This is where Brazenthrone sends the few criminals whose crimes are deemed too severe for a flogging, yet not quite warranting execution (they do love a good flogging).

The prisoners are housed in a series of oubliettes, sleeping in the narrow alcoves around the sides. Those deemed especially naughty are placed in the isolation pits. Gates at the entrance and the guards’ area prevent access by potential escapees. This could be an interesting place to have your players escape from or stage a rescue.

Next up is Old Madeleine’s Inn and Fighting Pit, then we’re finishing off the lower part of Brazenthrone with the Underdark Trading Outpost. If you’re a patron, there’s still time to vote in the runoff between the Airship of the Line and the Aarakocra Village in the medium category (the vote ends later tonight). When it ends, the large-ish category vote will begin.

There’s an annotated version of this map and DM notes available to patrons.

Posted on

Delvers’ Rest – Brazenthrone’s Waystation on the Underdark Stairway

I’m giving out the DM notes for this map to everyone because I think they’re pretty good and I want to share them. I didn’t think I’d have too much to say about Delvers’ Rest at first, but then it occurred to me that this would probably be the foulest-smelling place in the city. I won’t explain the reason here, it’s in the notes if you’re curious.

The next map is something I thought was an interesting idea. Do you remember the Buried Tower? That’s not a map anyone was looking for before I drew it, but people seemed to like it and found ways to use it. The next map is a bit like that. It’s different, but I think you’ll like it. After that is the Pits of Justice– Brazenthrone’s prison– which is adjacent to Delvers’ Rest.

Anyway, here’s the version of Delvers’ Rest without the annotations. There’s an expanded annotated version with the rooms of the numbered buildings marked available to patrons.

Posted on

The High King’s Palace – Complete

Well, there it is. A little later than I’d hoped, but with my computer degenerating into a mass of dysfunctional electronics that necessitated several full hard drive wipes, I suppose that’s to be expected. You know what’s funny? I wiped my SSD several times over and you know what’s still there? Two things: Europa Universalis 4 and Stellaris. Apparently Paradox Interactive makes some highly resilient software.

Anyway, I need to get caught up, so I’m going to do the bridge map that I promised next, then the Cartographic Congress map, which will be a mine and mining camp. After that, more Brazenthrone. I’m not sure what part yet.

Also, sometime in the next week, I’ll be posting a second edition of Brazenthrone History and Lore.

There’s an annotated version and DM notes for this map on the patreon.

Posted on

The High King’s Palace – Second Level – Featuring the Actual Brazen Throne

If you look at the top-center of this map, you’ll notice a large chair. That is the city’s titular Brazen Throne. It’s a large, tarnished hunk of brass that has been the Brasshand clan’s royal seat for several thousand years. In case you’re unaware, a lesser-used meaning of the word ‘brazen’ is “made of brass.” It didn’t get its name for being cheeky.

I’ll release the rest of the palace next, including the High King’s treasure vault, which is a gigantic, Scrooge McDuck-style landfill of money. I’ve been looking forward to drawing it and I hope you’ll dig it.

Anyway, here’s the version without the labels. There’s an annotated version and other stuff available to patrons, if you’re interested.

Posted on

Brazenthrone – The High King’s Palace – Ground Level

This is the first of four floors of the High King’s palace. This took a while longer than usual because I laid out all four levels before finishing this one. But with that out of the way, the next three should come pretty quickly. Look for the second floor in around three or four days.

Well, like (I suspect) a lot of you, I recently got off the emotional rollercoaster that was the last episode of Game of Thrones, and… I really need to lie down. Jesus.

No labels here. There’s an annotated version blah blah blah patreon.

Posted on

Brazenthrone – The Hall of the Long Banner

Here’s the first of Brazenthrone‘s several residential districts. I know these residential districts aren’t really the sexiest parts of the city, but I’m going to try and keep them interesting.

Next up is last month’s Cartographic Congress winner, then back to Brazenthrone for the High King’s Palace, which I intend to run absolutely buckwild with.

Here’s an alternate version of this map with the market stalls removed. I made it for people who intend to use Brazenthrone as an abandoned ruin. DM notes for this map are available to supporters.

Posted on

Two Things: Reddit, and the Abysmal Floor Plans of Neuschwanstein Castle

I just want to say two things. First, some of you may not know this, but I recently posted the Great Hall on reddit and it was a pretty big hit. It’s actually the top post of all time on /r/battlemaps. I feel like I won an Oscar. Except I don’t care about the Oscars and I do care about the opinions of the people on /r/battlemaps.

So, anyway, I just wanted to thank all my patrons, new and old, for helping me make it. I know I don’t say that enough and I should, but I want you to know that Brazenthrone seriously would not exist without you.

The second thing is about the map of Neuschwanstein Castle I’m working on. I knew this would be a fairly big map, but I figured it’d go quicker than usual since I was drawing it straight from the floor plans and I could save time on designing the layout. Then I started looking more closely at the floor plans and OH MY GOD.

The different floor plans out there disagree. With each other and with actual photos of the castle. One has a staircase starting and ending on the same floor. None of them show the cellar. There’s more, but… the point is, it’s not going to be as quick as I thought, so I’m going to break it up into two parts. The first will be the first and second levels, which include the courtyard. Then I’ll draw the upper 3 floors. If I go hell-for-leather, I think I can finish the first part in around 3 days.

Alright, it’s 11:40 PM. I’m gonna hop off here, finish this coffee and lay down some ink.

Posted on

The Great Hall of Brazenthrone – The Promontories

Here’s the final floor of the Great Hall, the Promontories. This is the area where the city’s wealthy commoner families live.

Here’s the non-annotated version. There’s also DM notes and a Patrons’ Edition of this map with all the rooms marked and labeled available on the patreon.

Last time, I said I’d be doing a map of something historical, based on the floor plans. If you guessed Neuschwanstein Castle, you are damn right it is.