Category: Work-In-Progress

Here are the drawings for the next map. While I was looking at various clock towers for inspiration, I discovered the Prague Orloj, which is an astronomical clock. It was too cool to not include it in the map, so I drew it in. It’s based on a geocentric model, but I think we can let that go, since it was made in the early 1400s and telescopes were still two centuries away.

Anyway, I’m gonna go color this thing. Hope you like it so far!

Here’s the art for the duergar outpost. It’s built in front of a magma vent, the heat from which is used to melt and cast steel to make duergar screamers. A screamer is a metal construct with a dwarf trapped inside. The dwarf is in constant agony and it channels that pain into screams that can shatter stone.

Anyway, just thought I’d give you a look before I get to work on coloring it.

Here are the drawings for the next map. I wanted to design the sewers in a fairly realistic way, so I did some research. It turns out that, for most people, your toilet does not lead to a place that would make a good fantasy map.

There are some exceptions, though. Are you in London? Your waste actually does goes to fantasy map sewers. Vienna, too. And in Cologne, Germany, there are two chandeliers in the sewers. I mean, you expect a place to be classy when it’s literally called Cologne, but that is really above and beyond.

Here’s the aboleth lair I’ve been working on. Man, where do I even start with this? Let’s go with the horrific worm thing on the left. That’s a creature the aboleth has been trying to pull into the world from the Far Realm (aka “Weird Hell”). I’ll make a version without it, of course, as well as a token of the worm.

The big dome is an ancient temple to Bylir, the ancient evil I mentioned in this post. The aboleth lives inside it now. There’s also a layer of underwater tunnels below all this.

If some of the things here seem really strange and hard to understand the purpose of, that’s intentional. Aboleths are strange, unknowable creatures and I wanted to make this place as absolutely bizarre as possible. I’m going for maximum R’lyeh here.

Anyway, let me know what you think so far! And if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Here are most of the drawings for the Blind Colossus, a huge, eyeless statue in the Black Loch. It’s definitely a little something different, which is hopefully a good thing.

I’ll explain who built it and why when it’s finished. I started coloring it yesterday, so I should have it done in a few days. Anyway, I hope you like it so far. If you’ve got any thoughts, let me know!

Here’s the gothic manor house I’ve been working on. Shawn, who proposed this idea to the Cartographic Congress, mentioned an old manor in Cheshire, England called Little Moreton Hall as something that might be good inspiration. Well, it was such good inspiration that the map is actually pretty close to just being Little Moreton Hall.

Have a look at Little Moreton from overhead. And here’s a picture from the courtyard. This place is screaming “Ravenloft” at the top of its lungs. If you’re not seeing it, try to imagine the place at night.

Anyway, I’m gonna start coloring this thing. Should be done in a few days. Let me know what you think so far!

Here’s the big tree village I’ve been working on. As you can see, I decided to put it in a giant baobab.

One of the reasons I went with a baobab is that I wanted to put a couple of big, hollow spaces in the trunk, which baobabs are known to have. For example, here’s a baobab tree in Namibia with a toilet inside. And here’s one in South Africa with a bar inside it.

Anyway, the drawings are done and I’ll start coloring it tomorrow. Let me know what you think so far!