Map 11 - The Ataxic Agglomeration of Apoplectic Aspect

[Falconius]

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Many say the Agglomeratiation council has long since passed into nothing but a show-piece. Still its function remains in action long after having been put into place by the Melinquost Gurus a century past. Balance is maintained through the precipice of war. Emissaries from all five great dominions still fill the seats, and, as intend, the council remains deadlocked and actionless to anything but the most minor movements of power.

To the west lie the rich Riverlands fat with food, and water, but also disease and choking jungle wilderness, where men fear to tread in terror of the horrors seeping down from the Hag Mountains along with the life giving water. Brinelings, Silenwasps, and other monsters choke the uper reaches of the river.

The Vatish Maugeum is run with careless tyranny by highlandish mages. Many things may pass beneath the skirt of their knowledge or care, and those that do are blessed, but woe to those who pique their interest, for their lives are sure to become... interesting. Fey come and go as they please from the North, for the Vateish highlands contain many sites of ancient power and if every so often a lone fey creature fails to return to its northern paradise, who's to know?

The Cobalt Freemen rule the Island of the Free with impunity, at least for that select caste born into lofty positions and great inheritance. The Cobalt marines ever expand the glory of the tiny island with unparalleled soldiery and bloodthirsty savagery. A civilizing force for the world, prosperity and knowledge follow in their footsteps, as do the subdued.

The Melinqouast Sqireens. The sons and daughters of great nobles followed the Melinqouast Gurus of ages past, beings of powerful aspect and terrible powers their land is hardy and sparse of population, for those who do populate need their space, and in this land freedom is paramount and angrily maintained.

The land of the dream plague has fallen into shadow and disrepair avoided by those with sense. The fey suffered a plague long ago and the drift of wind carried their airborne and energy charged pustulea across the once great western kingdom. Men do not die to the fey plague, but some say that would have been a better fate. Mutations, madness, filth ridden carriers of strange possibilities reside their now, along with the few brave folk of the once proud kingdom unwilling to surrender their history and birthright to the pollution that has grown up around them.

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So I had no idea how to approach a map of such enormous scale, and really I still don't. But with it being over 2000 miles across I figured it needed more than one country and so that's where I decided to start. My first plan was to divide the country up into three or four and do some hand drawn iso stuff, like I normally do but this scale really makes that seem... unwieldy to me. So instead I've been banging my head against Inkscape trying to figure it out, and learned quite a bit actually. Though it is very frustrating when you can't get results you desire. I would like to put in mountains I think, but other than copy pasting from topographic maps I'm not sure how to achieve the desired affect. I may still go and just draw them in, but we'll see. Yes I guess a political map would be fine without topographical features but I think it would miss out much of the flavour I at least aim to achieve, regardless of where my aim falls to the mark.

[Diamond]

My thinking was the same as yours; with a territory almost as big as the continental US, it had more than enough room for more than one country.

I really like what you've got so far; nice riff on the Fey countries to the north!

[Chashio]

Love it!

[Barek333]

Great story! Like it a lot

[Tonnichiwa]

This is really nice. Separating the different areas of your map with light colors makes the map look like an old atlas map I saw when I was a child. I like it.

[Falconius]

I edited some of the original ideas, so the eastern lands have changed to reflect this.

Now apparent in the east are the Powder Cumulate, a faction of feyplague warped people resisting the effects on their land and bodies through... mad science. They've rung their borders with war machines of terrible aspect, blasting all unapproved approachers with their massive might. In their medical exploration they've delved into dark areas. Having discovered no cures they have turned to "managing" the mutations, in doing so they have discovered powers unsought, but now valued. Still the very wildness and chaotic nature of their resources and the lands surrounding them have them constantly beleaguered and pent within their borders. Perhaps to the worlds benefit. They have no seat on the Ataxic Agglomeration. But they are trapped an the council has no real effect on them nor they on the council. They do occasionally trade with the Cobalt Freemen and thusly the are kept abreast of things away from their borders.

The Land of the Falling Dream remains the worst affected area by the feyplague. There is no true governance there and few humans in their natural forms. Wild things wander there, and unknown things occur to those who wander too close to the boarders of this overcharged land.

The Amerilian Nightmare, was once the powerful Golden Kingdom and comprised the lands now occupied by the Falling Dream and the Powder Cumulate Resistance. Now it is a kingdom of nightmare creatures surviving solely on the power of inheritances. The ruling family still roams the land but like the rest of the people there one can't help but question how much humanity runs in the blood. The vestiges of their former glory are evident in every road, city and building, but it is all crumbling, and their once powerful army is a shell clothed in the glory of its former times. The Cobalt Freeman have taken the initiative and pressed into the western holdings of Amerel, lands yet to fully feel the brunt of the feyplague.

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I've gotten much more used to using Inkscape and it's getting quite enjoyable. Once I figure out how to get the pattern fills I'd like, I'll cover in the contested areas.

I've taken the liberty to name the western river Milkmouth and the sea it pours into as the Milkwash sea, if people want to change this let me know. The reasoning behind it was that I figured this river must be absolutely loaded with sediment and probably fills the sea with it. Also, there is a disturbing obsession with cheese in this world

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Edit: Just noticed that there is a spelling error on the map, that should read Cobalt Preemitate

[Falconius]

Got some stuff done.

I added a town, Falchas, on the border between me and Chashio for the purposes of facilitating trade and diplomacy and kidnapping (hey! I'm sure they do it too). It sits on the main pass through the Hag pass into my lands. Also named the capital city of the Vateish Maugeum the "Grand Motholem" (courtesy of Jack Vance's, Dying Earth). Being loosely ruled by a bunch of tyrannical wizards I figured it appropriate.

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Clearly I went a little nuts with the rivers, but I was having such a good time I kept on doing it anyways. I also added in some of the roads, and figured out a more rounded scale to use, in units I have a better conceptual grasp of. I'm considering whether to switch the scale to a more archaic measurement system, something that reflects human foot travel, but I may not get to it. Other than that just experimenting with everything and learning a lot about inkscape.

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Edit: Why is it I always notice a bunch of errors in the map as soon as I post it? Argh.

[Lingon]

Hah, wonderful rivers! They are just so fun to draw, right? And the place names are totally amazing of course!

[Falconius]

I figured I'd turn the Riverlands area into something resembling the HRE. Because I'm an idiot. But it's done now, I was going to try and get naming some more things but I've run out of time for now.

I got all the roads in. I think. And all the cities I want. The north of the Riverlands are sparsely populated due to its being a giant jungle, also the reason for a lack of roads, I may knock back one or two cities up there depending on the criteria I define for meriting a dot on my map. The Milenqoust Squireenium lacks roads for the reason I described. it is a land populated by immensely powerful men and women who value independence and value things wrought through their own will and fortitude. That is the same reason there are so few cities. They keep the land wild and the only roads are trails they forage themselves.

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[snodsy]

I really like the land divisions on the Riverlands, it integrates with the map as somewhat realistic, where as the stripes are foreign to landforms, so they kind become a more symbolic patterned solutions. Not bad, just a thought.