From the 1980's my campaign worlds I used briefly. (Borrowed from that other place's map thread..
Mydgard (with an Alfheim but no Niffleheim or Muspellheim)
(http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/1261/midgarda.jpg)
The Empire of the Dragon's Maw, and the Rebellious Summer Isle in the frozen tundra of the north. (Magic you know :D)
(http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/4485/dragonmawisle.jpg)
And for the oughts! We have:
(http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/7509/airumeltiny.jpg)
Wow, check out the ocean on that first map. How many blue markers do you figure you killed in the Eighties?
Quote from: Insufficient Metal;388180Wow, check out the ocean on that first map. How many blue markers do you figure you killed in the Eighties?
Ten or so. Not so many all told...
Silver Lion, I'm working on a Pathfinder game. I'd be interested in using your map there if you don't mind. What are the nations about?
Quote from: Insufficient Metal;388180Wow, check out the ocean on that first map. How many blue markers do you figure you killed in the Eighties?
LOL how to kill markers, indeed. :D
Quote from: Cranewings;388295Silver Lion, I'm working on a Pathfinder game. I'd be interested in using your map there if you don't mind. What are the nations about?
The Airumel one? Of course.
Elphurgas Hezzem is a lair of pirates, and bandits who hide along the wild coast and swamps. Kingdom's come and go but few go into the demon swamps. That's said to be the home to Toad demons. Giant toads that eat men, and seem to be sinister and cunning. (Not-intelligent, more like a big predator with just enough intellect.) Elphurgas means "Demon"
Zathurm Xathuiris is the Kingdom (some call it Empire) of the the Striking Serpent. It is ruled by a powerful Sorcerer-King and his legions. They say dark rites goes to turn some of his legions into monsters--but no one has seen these monster. They leave no remains, and wipe out everything they cross. So far only the land directly above it (river bounded) has managed to hold it back, despite the constant bickering over names and rulership in the land itself.
Hezzesheol is the Wailing Sands desert, filled with tough nomads, who are constant traders, and often welcoming to strangers. Those who don't find welcome don't last long when the sands wail, so it is best to trade with them at a small loss, or gain.
Legus Atterim is the Trade Guild League (where the map maker hails from hence his naming contentions.) City States with standardized money, and trade laws, plus mutual pacts for protection. The states all have Guild "rulers" or are basically politicking and back stabbing Merchant Princes. (Think Machiavelli for a Sword and Sorcery setting.) It is one of the most advanced "nations" if you can really call it that. The League often conflicts with the Lake Kingdoms over borders, goods, taxes, and slavery. Slavery is legal and common in the League, but not in the Lake Kingdoms.
Lake Kindgoms: Each kingdom of the Lake Kingdoms have distinct and individual political landscapes--all descended from a former King who ruled them all, but sons, and grandsons, and great grandsons split them farther and farther, not to mention conquest by new rulers or the like. It's very much like Carolingian Europe, though with each king or queen assigning their own magistrates and peers. they have the best steel anywhere, and the mountains protect them somewhat along with their Lake-Navies. Despite there being several different kingdoms the concept of honor, liberty, and weirgild helps keep a progressive fairly "good" fantasy area. (It is best for your classic D&D style heroism I imagine.)
Ebaarskaan is the chill Boarlands, or Kingdom of the Boar. It's pretty much Celtic Britain in many ways. It has a Cult of the Boar (pretty much for rulers only) with secret rites of passage, and tests for rulership. They'r civilized, but blood thirsty, have Druidic style "advisors" and in general are prickly about their honor and usually prefer to be left alone--but poke em or invade them and you've got an angry boar on your hands.
Azken-Ghazh is the Bloody Foot Desert (named by the mapmaker, from the words used by the few people who live close to it.) It's got a large amount of black sand from old volcanic obsidian mixed in with normal sand, it can tear up feet and skin. No "people" live there. Though sometimes voices can be heard carried on the wind.
Yssian, and Ysjorn (Ys =Ice) are basically another barbaric kingdom they're sailors, sometimes raiders, but usually warriors, farmers, and the usual sort you get in Northern ice areas. (I.e Norse, Danes etc, for vague similarities.) They have thralls, but most can buy their way out of thralldom if they do a service--long years of good work, respect earned, or though not usually given weapons, if they defend their master in some manner.) The farther south you go the more you get Elk hunting Finnish/Northern Russia sorts.
The two oceans Zammnun Elphurgus Osaen (Demon Haunted Ocean), and Nalthurniam Osaen (Ocean of Endless Night)
The three major seas are Jendoral Sea (Sea of Diamonds named for its piracy and trade.) Shathum Sea (Sea of Resounding Thunder, named for its noisy cliff side shorelines.) Niber Sea (Ebon Sea named for its dark dark depths.) Yssian Sea (Icemaw Sea, known for its grinding Ice and Fjords)
Not on the map are the Wastelands (Edge of Azken-Ghazh/Westside of Map) where once the might City of Rul was, and now only ruin remains--and the cursed Vulture men who lair in its barrenness and feast upon those who come into reach.
Ysen: North and West of Ysjorn. ("small" coastal land.)
The unnamed lands West and South of Elphurgas Hezzem is the Mongol-Chinese nations.
Also not shown are about three thousand islands too small to map at this scale.
This is my pitch for the game that goes with the map:
Barbarian of Lemuria: Thralls to the Mercenary KingYou've never heard of him. Kanjar the Mercenary King. It was said he once ruled a city of incredible power and vast wealth. That was allegedly over 100 years ago. By some sorcery he seems to live. Old, but not ancient. He has purchased you from a slave driver whose thugs who took you when you were too drunk to stand. If you'd been sober him and his beasts would be blood on the sand. Carted across the sea to the shores of a strange unknown land whose name has changed twice since you arrived.
Kanjar says you'll be freed, if you help defeat the seemingly endless hordes of the Sorcer-King Zaijra, ruler of Zathuirm Xathuiris, the Kingdom of the Striking Serpent. Yet the only way to kill a snake is to strike of its head. Are you up to the task of wading into battle and turning the blood-edged tide?
You lost so much cartography skill from the 80s:) Seriously, the last map is nice and in the 80's much harder to get a decent map made for the average person.
I'm trying to write most of this up in an Iron Age era setting. A lot of your countries seem like they would fit into it. I'm thinking of making the Legas Atterim a lot like Greece, and the Zathurm like the Persians. It might be a little stereotype heavy, but I can sell it to my players (:
Thanks again
Quote from: Cranewings;388395I'm trying to write most of this up in an Iron Age era setting. A lot of your countries seem like they would fit into it. I'm thinking of making the Legas Atterim a lot like Greece, and the Zathurm like the Persians. It might be a little stereotype heavy, but I can sell it to my players (:
Thanks again
Sounds good to me. I admit the inspiration comes more from visual cues in my head--and I think you've got a good solid idea going.
Check it out, here is my spin on the map. I kept a lot of your material but merged with with the last D&D world I developed. I think this has a lot of potential for a really good game.
The Map
[/B]
Elphurgas HezzemThe demon infested swamps and wetlands of the Elphurgas Hezzem has become home to the proud survivors of the city of Ramsar which was raised by the army of Zathurm Xathuiris. Now the survivors eke out a living on the sea and in the highlands beyond the swamps. The once powerful navy of Ramsar pirates the coast of Zathurm. There vessels, small and nimble, easily escape into the complex river delta of their new homeland.
Zathurm Xathuiris Zathurm Xathuiris is the Kingdom (some call it Empire) of the Striking Serpent. It is ruled by a powerful Sorcerer-King and his legions. They say dark rites are used to turn some of his legions into monsters--but no one has seen these monsters and lived. They leave no remains and wipe out everything they cross. So far only the land directly above it (river bounded) has managed to hold it back, despite the constant bickering over names and rulership in the land itself.
Zathurm is organized into 7 districts, 6 of which are ruled by Shahs and 1 which is ruled by the Sorcerer himself. The title of Shah is coveted my most, but not all, for some see it as first among slaves. The Shah answer directly to the sorcerer and failure to keep him pleased can have deadly repercussions.
HezzesheolHezzesheol is the city of light, named for the luminescent mists which fill its night sky from the nearby mountains. Built on a river in the heart of the Wailing Sands desert, the city has remained free from the advances of the Zathurm. The terrain itself is a fortress.
The desert is filled with tough nomads and merchants who are often welcoming to strangers. The bronze art of Hezzesheol is the best in the world, and the copper and tin produced in the nearby mines is the highest quality. People travel from all over the world to trade with these men.
Legus AtterimAlso known as the Trade Guild League, this alliance of city states was established for mutual defense against the threat of the Zathurm. Each city contributes wealth or men and ships to the League in order to secure its borders.
The League has standardized currency (at least when it comes to weight and type, if not design), treaties for mutual defense, and laws which govern trade and protect citizens. Non-citizens are only protected by the courts if they have a citizen speak on their behalf.
Sense its inception, the League has come into conflict with the Lake Kingdoms over its slave trade. Slavery is only practiced as a result of war in the Lake Kingdoms. Freemen are never sold into it. Unfortunately, some in the Legus Atterim have found it profitable to kidnap travelers or whole sale raid the Lake Kingdoms for slaves.
The Lake KingdomsSuffering a sharp decline, the kingdoms were unified by a great king some 120 years ago but have sense been divided up along family lines. Now each province is ruled independently and often with very different laws. The greatness of the first king still echoes through the culture for the weregild is upheld by the people.
The people of the Lake Kingdoms do not have a standing army. They are, however, a warrior culture and preoccupied with defense. The land is dotted with hill forts and ring forts and the prevalence of iron has allowed most of its men to acquire a sword.
The kingdoms closest to the Legus Atterim have the most developed material culture. Those living deeper in this ancient land are simpler. Lacking in any large cities, the Lake Kingdoms really are a land of small farms.
The only gods the people of the Lake Kingdoms worship are the Sun, the Moon, and the God of the Forge.
EbaarskaanThe Land of the Boar is a rocky, hilly, forested land where rugged barbarians live. There are a few permanent settlements where farmers and craftsmen live, though most of the population lives on milk, eggs, fish, and flesh.
Ebaarskan has the most primitive material culture in the world due to the nomadic lifestyle of the people. Unlike the brightly dressed people of Lake Kingdoms, the people of the Boar mostly dress in animal skins.
Ebaarskan is ruled by tribal kings who are elected every spring by the freemen of the land, and by the Druids who are raised for their position due to a natural gift for magic. Druids exercise more power than kings, though they exercise it more rarely.
At the Spring moot, the druids assign land for the next year to each tribe based on their needs, and encourage them to move on quickly, to preserve the spirit of the land, to keep them from settling into a weak, agricultural life style, and to keep them from owning any large possessions.
The land of Ebaarskaan is rich with iron, and its men are armed to the same extent as the men of the Lake Kingdoms.
Yssian and YsjornYssian, and Ysjorn (Ys =Ice) are basically another barbaric kingdom they're sailors, sometimes raiders, but usually warriors, farmers, and the usual sort you get in Northern ice areas. (I.e Norse, Danes etc, for vague similarities.) They have thralls, but most can buy their way out of thralldom if they do a service--long years of good work, respect earned, or though not usually given weapons, if they defend their master in some manner.) The farther south you go the more you get Elk hunting Finnish/Northern Russia sorts.
Oceans and SeasThe two oceans Zammnun Elphurgus Osaen (Demon Haunted Ocean), and Nalthurniam Osaen (Ocean of Endless Night)
The three major seas are Jendoral Sea (Sea of Diamonds named for its piracy and trade.) Shathum Sea (Sea of Resounding Thunder, named for its noisy cliff side shorelines.) Niber Sea (Ebon Sea named for its dark dark depths.) Yssian Sea (Icemaw Sea, known for its grinding Ice and Fjords)
Beyond the WastesNot on the map are the Wastelands (Edge of Azken-Ghazh/Westside of Map) where once the might City of Rul was, and now only ruin remains--and the cursed Vulture men who lair in its barrenness and feast upon those who come into reach.
YsenYsen: North and West of Ysjorn. ("small" coastal land.)
The Near WestThe unnamed lands West and South of Elphurgas Hezzem is the Mongol-Chinese nations.
Other ChangesI think for my alternate earth, the land to the west of the Niber Sea will be African and the land to the east of the Ebaarskan will be Mongol Chinese. To the south of the Legus Atterim is a Turkish style people that has been conquered by the Zathurm.
I think the party is going to consist of some minor nobles who lord over an area of about 10 square miles (or about 700 people). All of their land will be rural with a few ring forts and a single hill fort with a modest community living in and around it.
After working on the map, I think I'm going to place the party's land about 75 miles from the boarder with Legus Atterim in the Lake Kingdoms. Despite the low technology of this setting, setting them here and giving them a swamp they can get mine bog iron from for trade will let them have as much of a technical advantage as they can really get.
I'm going to write up a villain that has been feuding with the main player character's family for a couple of decades. If they can come out on top, they will stand to receive the kings judgment which mean a lot of their enemy's wealth. This could make one of them a possible candidate for marriage to the princess later on.
I can also put them in conflict with slavers from Legus Atterim.
I'm sure the bog is haunted.
The king might be receiving diplomats from Zathurm and he might be interested in waging war on a neighboring Lake Kingdom.