Eerik’s New Job (1/11)

[- JO -]

Bjorn looked at him silently, worrying a bit as he saw the hole getting wider. But the ground was hard and Eerik soon had to give up. He checked the map again and again, paced the plateau in all directions, looking for an indication he had misread. He found nothing.

- I guess the guy how sold me that map made a fool of me.
- You couldn't know, said Bjorn comforting.
- I should have known better. I was blinded by an easy way to make money.
- Don't blame yourself. Who wouldn't try if the opportunity was given to them.
- Anyway. I should have been more careful.

Bjorn took the shovel and started filling the hole.

- We don't want some wild animal to break his leg in there, wouldn't we ?

Eerik agreed and watched him a while. Then he went to the mule who was chewing some leather. Eerik though it was his useless and fake map, bent down and took it. It was indeed the map. But not exactly his. Startled, Eerik put it in his coat next to the one he bought and looked at Bjorn. The guide had filled the hole, a fast job as the ground was too hard to dig much in. Eerik came near him, and looked Bjorn pilling the stones back.

- I thought it would look nicer, if you don't mind, of course, explained the guide.
- It's fine for me.

As they used the very same path they followed to come to go back to Suu, Eerik was very disappointed. And he started to think the way he had thought all his life as a bounty hunter.

First, now that the mist was gone and he can clearly think, he wondered how the mule had found her way. He had no doubt that the animal's feet were comfortable on uneven ground and that she can somewhat feel the way. But she must have quite a sens of orientation to lead them straight to the right spot. He hired the guide to lead them. Not the mule. One could say she already knew the way. The second map he found on the plateau felt like a confirmation she really did.

Then the guide. In Suu, he was just back from a trip. The very same day Eerik landed. Could he know someone in need for a guide was coming ? That was a bit stretch. There were not many guides in that part of the country. And it could only be a lucky coincidence that Bjorn returned at that convenient time. But Eerik had learned with his job as bounty hunter that too many coincidences weren’t coincidences.

Lost in his considerations, Eerik was very silent all the way back. The more he thought about Bjorn, the more he felt like he had already meet him. And why a guide would not asked a part of the treasure as payment ?

As they reached Suu, Eerik asked Bjorn to wait until the following day to received his payment. meet him the next morning to get his full payment. Bjorn frowned thinking, exhaled and spat. Then he agreed to see each other at the tavern at noon.

As he watched the guide and the mule going back to their barn south of the village, Eerik found out why the guide seemed familiar. He already saw someone frowned while thinking, exhaling and spitting : the merchant who sold him the treasure map. He was a tall man, had no hair and a small red beard. But with long red hair and no eyepatch, the merchant would have flagrant similarities with the guide. Like they are brothers. Or cousins.

The newly back to bounty hunting wondered if the constable knew about that. He definitely would be interested, maybe already had complaints or, even better, a wanted chart.

Eerik smiled. The trip was not as fruitless as he was afraid it had turned to be. There would be some treasure at the end. Not the one excepted. But still some gold anyway.

[- JO -]

Hello fellow guild members...

I've been working on this project for so long I can't even remember when I started it!

I remember being very enthusiastic when the guild launched this project, which was open to everyone, on the occasion of the guild's 15th anniversary...

And I immediately set to work.... by asking my wife to write me the story of a character set in the map I had drawn for the guild world.

She very kindly agreed and, once the story was finished, I started to draw the map for this story, taking my inspiration from the precise area of the Northern Maze map of the Guild World.

Between work, other projects and other obligations, it took me over two years to come up with a more or less satisfactory map. I had intended to draw many more details for the inserts that accompany the story, but I thought it would be better to finish, even if it wasn't very good work... so some of the inserts are just enlargements of the final map.

There you have it... it's far from perfect, but I really wanted to finish this project, to celebrate, more than two years late, the 15th anniversary of this wonderful congregation that is the cartographers' guild.

Now that I'm finally free of this project, I'll be able to get on with other cartographic projects, some of which are even much older... shall we call it late spring-cleaning?

I look forward to reading from you, dear companions !!!

[Ilanthar]

I'm gonna read that and comment further later, but I can already say "well done, sir"!
I did not even really began mine and really don't know if I'll finish it one day, so kudos for finishing such a project!

[- JO -]

I'm gonna read that and comment further later, but I can already say "well done, sir"!
I did not even really began mine and really don't know if I'll finish it one day, so kudos for finishing such a project!

Thanks a lot ! It really took so long but I'm glad I could arrive at "something" at the end... I hope it's not too bad.

[eViLe_eAgLe]

I've skimmed, but I, like them, will give more responses later when I'm not so tired.
Though something I like immediately, is the story progression of the map, which makes me want to read it after so I have the reference of whats going on

[- JO -]

I've skimmed, but I, like them, will give more responses later when I'm not so tired.
Though something I like immediately, is the story progression of the map, which makes me want to read it after so I have the reference of whats going on

Thank you very much! I look forward to hearing from you when you have time to read the story.

[Ilanthar]

After reading, I can say that I really enjoyed the story. It's fun, take the reader by the hand and have some nice twists
And I would say the map is fitting the story very well : the journey is easy to spot. You would certainly find the different elements intriguing if you have not read the story, but it makes completely sense when reading it, so it's kinda inviting to read the story, I'd say .
And cool banner by the way.
My only nitpick would be about the village. I think you might have the lights & shadows above the line drawing, because the buildings outlines are somewhat a tad blurry here. Just there, the other elements are well outlined and spot on.

[- JO -]

After reading, I can say that I really enjoyed the story. It's fun, take the reader by the hand and have some nice twists
And I would say the map is fitting the story very well : the journey is easy to spot. You would certainly find the different elements intriguing if you have not read the story, but it makes completely sense when reading it, so it's kinda inviting to read the story, I'd say .
And cool banner by the way.
My only nitpick would be about the village. I think you might have the lights & shadows above the line drawing, because the buildings outlines are somewhat a tad blurry here. Just there, the other elements are well outlined and spot on.

Many thanks for your comprehensive and constructive feedback!
I'm really pleased that you liked the story and that it was 'easy to read' as you put it...
And you're absolutely right about the light and shade of the villages. I had to correct these faults and I got a bit carried away in my eagerness to get it all done and published...
I think I'm going to go back to the drawing board before publishing the map in the forum's "finished maps"...
I've just realised that I also wanted to add a fabric texture to the banner.
I'm definitely running out of patience, even after almost two years of waiting!