Hello folks,

I’ve been away from the Guild to the point of not lurking anymore. It’s a first since I joined and I don’t like it. Who knew that having two little kids at home, a regular job and a mapmaking job at night (outside, in the everlasting heat of another too hot summer, with motherblasting tiger mosquitoes eating me raw like piranhas) would take up that much time ? … I kinda knew it but not to that point.

These last few weeks I’ve been chipping away at a city map way out of my comfort zone. From thinking it to planning it and drawing it, it all has been a real ordeal to me but I kept my eyes on the prize and here it is.

I present to you Swenville (Swenstown in the original setting) ! An A3 city map drawn for the original material of the French edition of RuneQuest (along with this map). I’m so proud of being a part of this project as my roleplaying self grew up with RuneQuest.

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© Studio Deadcrows - 2020 - All rights reserved

The city is of Celt and Babylonian inspiration (RuneQuest is the best kind of weird) with a recent occupation of a Roman like force, hence the multiplicity of roofs. It’s a trading post centered on cattle who just got out of a tough time as the occupying force, the Lunar Empire, has been driven out by the fierce Sartarites (guess who I’m rooting for..) !

To the West is a huge plateau and the city stands at its eastern edge. The plain below becomes a desert but the map is in a Mediterrannean like area.

I hope I rendered the height well enough and the map is readable. I tried to add variations to the populated areas but it was not easy playing with shape and height. I could not resist adding a runic sword just because it looks so badass

Here are the illustrations that were given to me as basis.

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And here are the linework version and a flat colors one just because that's what I like to see when people post maps

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I hope you like it and I’ll try to come back more regularly even if my schedule is not improving (maps ! maps ! maps).

As always, your critics and comments are more than welcome.

Cheers !

PS : I’m not ready for another city map