The Cliff of Medölinn

[MistyBeee]

Hi everyone !

Here is my map for the June 2018 challenge : map a frontier

Usual informations :
- A4 size.
- Hand made in Photoshop CC2018 using a Cintiq 16 pro,
- WIP thread is here, where you'll find some explanations about the script and other minor things ^^

The complete title of the map in English would be something like "Map of the Most Important and Magic Pictograms on the Cliff of Medölinn", and my purpose was to focus on the cliff only.
The cliff is a part of my own fantasy world I started to create... hum... 18 years ago now..., and the countries the map is showing have a special place in my heart.

To make a long story short :
The Cliff of Medölinn is an artificial cliff which was raised by magic 9000 years ago by King Dar at the end of the War of the Keepers to protect the small territory of Musä (in the South) from a curse which was casted on the Empire of Thard (in the North). Covered with thousands (million ?) of magic pictograms of all size (some are several meters high, some are so tiny you can't read them with the naked eye, the cliff is an impassable frontier for anyone with bad intention towards Musä.
Although Musä belonged to the Empire of Thard, it now has its own culture : it's the country of the bards and a sanctuary for all, a green country of carelessness. The musän crystal, useful for bards, is the symbol of the country.
Sadly, the Empire of Thard, still cursed nowadays, was unable to find the peace even after thousands of years : the fertile land turned into a desert of black dust and rock, and several heirs of Dar have succeeded one another, unable to depose the immortal usurper sat on the throne for 6000 years, unable to defeat the curse, and keeping the country in a perpetual civil war.



I know it's a pretty unusual map, but I do hope you'll enjoy it !

[Ilanthar]

An excellent story to go with an awesome map !
Once again, a top quality map!

PS : hum, you're not alone about developing fantasy world since... a lot of time. But, I guess it's kind of a never ending story .

[Ramah]

Oh, I love this.
At first it's kinda hard to see how it works but then when it clicks into place it's amazing the thought that went into this. I love how you have rotated parts of the cliff and how you have shown this with the overlapping land and the angles in the blank spots. And all the different compasses... all done in your amazingly clean style. And the idea of the pictograms along the wall...

Great work, MistyBeee. Love it.

[Teslacrashed]

Absolutely beautiful and I love the style!

[MistyBeee]

An excellent story to go with an awesome map !
Once again, a top quality map!
PS : hum, you're not alone about developing fantasy world since... a lot of time. But, I guess it's kind of a never ending story .

Merci Ilanthar !
We use to say we'll be finished when we'll know personally the last nail of the last hut of the last fisher of the last island in the southern part of the world. Still a long road ! ^^

Oh, I love this.
At first it's kinda hard to see how it works but then when it clicks into place it's amazing the thought that went into this. I love how you have rotated parts of the cliff and how you have shown this with the overlapping land and the angles in the blank spots. And all the different compasses... all done in your amazingly clean style. And the idea of the pictograms along the wall...
Great work, MistyBeee. Love it.

Haha, I know it's a sort of UFO (UMO ?) and quite unusual, and maybe not easy to understand, but it was the purpose, in fact. People there have a complicate mind and never makes things easy, so it's a good example of what they would produce. It's a different world, and people there don't think exactly as we do here and it was so fun to explore a different way of thinking ^^
And thanks a lot for the kind words, Ramah

Absolutely beautiful and I love the style!

Thank you so much, Tesla ! I'm glad you love it !

[Voolf]

This is quite interesting map, though i must say i had difficult time "understanding" what is going on here at the beginning

You are indisputable one of few who can make those beautiful, intricate border illustrations and fill "the corners" of the map with great looking and interesting texts and inset maps.

Please continue to amaze.

(Can't rep, but definately deserves it)

[FrancescaBaerald]

Excellent job! And I love the concept

[MistyBeee]

This is quite interesting map, though i must say i had difficult time "understanding" what is going on here at the beginning

You are indisputable one of few who can make those beautiful, intricate border illustrations and fill "the corners" of the map with great looking and interesting texts and inset maps.

Please continue to amaze.

(Can't rep, but definately deserves it)

Haha, with this map I have the feeling I'm back to my school years, where "too original" (imagine a grave voice and the sound of the gravel of a court judge) was the usual sentence : I failed my French and philosophy exams many times because of this
But thanks a lot for the kind words, Voofs : drawing those corners and imagining the details was a pleasure, and it's always a joy when it's appreciated

Excellent job! And I love the concept

Thanks a lot, Francesca !!

[ThomasR]

These angle variations are very clever and the map is gorgeous as ever. Chapeau bas madame