I just assumed some ents were going swimming. 😉

Below

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Description

Sakherma Ruins

Below

1.     Temple Stairs Entrance: Here, the stairs from the temple ruins above descend to human-created chambers. The northern staircase is blocked by sand, but a glass wall keeps the sand from filling the chamber below. The southern staircase is relatively unobstructed.

2.    Monks’ Cells: These three chambers appear to once have been home to the monks who maintained the original temple. Game Masters: At the Game Master’s discretion, one or more of these rooms may be occupied by the dragon’s humanoid allies – kobolds, dragonborn, or perhaps sorcerers with a draconic bloodline.

3.    Treasure Display: This room is practically cluttered with statues and tapestries. Game Masters: Here the dragon has created a veritable museum showing off its favorite treasures, including a display of magical armaments.

4.    Pond Entrance: At the base of the pond, a mighty glass wall keeps the pond’s water from flooding into the tunnels. Game Masters: The dragon can magically pass through the glass without harming it to bathe in the pond, or for another escape route to the outside surface.

5.    Dunes Entrance: A great glass wall keeps the sand dunes from pouring into the caverns. Game Masters: The dragon can pass through the glass without harming it in order to reach the surface of the desert, or to devoir travelers camping there.

6.    Tunnel Entrance: This tunnel connects the upper and lower caverns.

7.    Main Lair: It is readily apparent, if visitors haven’t already figured it out, that this is a dragon’s lair. Piles of coins, particularly copper ones, form its bed.

8.    Egg Nest: A blue dragon’s egg lies on top of a pile of coins infused with the dragon’s magic to keep the egg warm when the dragon is away.

9.    Ritual Chamber & Treasures: Here the dragon keeps most of its magical treasures. The dragon may also shift into human form to conduct arcane rituals from time to time.

10. Wyrmling Lair: The bedroom for the dragon’s “teenage” child.

This whole thread is brilliant. I love the approach of taking a theme and exploring how to create it in different map styles. It's conceptually similar to Lorelei's "All the Annuals" approach -- a way of showcasing different ways of using CC3 to make an idea come to life.

I love the Tolkien font -- I use it a lot with my maps designed with Mike Schley's styles. Seems to fit really well in that style. You're right, though: doesn't work as well for small text.

But actually, I was thinking of the runes like Sue used in the brass inlays in Marine Dungeons:

I discovered that FontSpace.com has a "Commercial" filter that allows you to limit the search/browse results to just the fonts that allow for commercial re-use:

There are some pretty elvish script fonts there, too. I am a little wary, though. Some seem to be based on Tolkien's elvish script, and while the person who designed it for FontSpace may have granted permission to use what they designed, I'm not entirely convinced that Tolkien's estate would agree.

I'm pro-heathen (embrace all people!), but Unheathen Ground would be awesome.

Here is the third of the three monasteries that I collaborated with @Ricko on for the Atlas. This is Zhao Guong Si, and it is located here (circled in the upper right corner):

There are a bunch of FCW files to submit because in addition to the monastery's grounds, we also go inside (and below) the temple, as well as in two "dungeons." I will post each discrete location separately in this thread.

First, the city map for the Zhao Guong Si monastery.

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Description

Zhao Guang Si 

The Temple of the Morning Glow

Situated in a hidden valley where the morning mist never quite dissipates, Zhao Guang Si (Temple of the Morning Glow) is a place where deceptive beauty hides a dark core. Despite its poetic name, the temple is synonymous with silent death and lethal precision. Here, under the first rays of dawn, apprentices learn the art of killing. The morning glow symbolizes the last moment many see before their silent and ordered death.

The Dark Environment

The temple, with its angular and austere architecture, is surrounded by twisted trees and a river of dark waters that flows silently like clotted blood. The black stone walls are decorated with murals depicting stories of betrayal, revenge and glory gained by force. The only constant sound is the echo of calculated footsteps in the cold corridors. Lanterns covered with red veils create a blood-red glow, making the environment even more somber and oppressive. Life and Training

Those who come to Zhao Guang Si are desperate, rejected, or ambitious, seeking a new identity. Under the watchful eye of their masters, known as the Shadows of Dawn, the apprentices undergo intense and cruel training.

• Physical Training: They climb cliffs without ropes, traverse fields filled with deadly traps, and duel to exhaustion, all to strengthen their bodies and reflexes.

• Mental Training: They are taught to hide emotions, manipulate the minds of their targets, and plan assassinations with surgical precision.

• Practice of Forbidden Magic: The temple houses ancient grimoires containing magics that grant temporary invisibility, silencing voices, and even cursing the senses. These spells demand sacrifices, often blood, making the price of power high.

The Bond with the Emperor

Although few would admit it, rumors persist that the temple has deep ties to the imperial throne. Men of the Emperor’s Personal Guard, known for their lethality and unquestioning loyalty, are said to have received secret training at Zhao Guang Si. Some claim that the emperor himself is the temple’s greatest patron, using its resources to eliminate rivals and consolidate power.

Legends and Intrigues

The temple is shrouded in dark tales:

• The Ritual of the Scarlet Mist: It is said that an assassin can sacrifice his soul to merge with the shadows, becoming invincible for a night. But few return from this ritual unharmed.

• The Echo of the Morning Glow: Legend has it that those who hear a whisper at dawn are marked for death by a blade that will emerge from the temple.

• The Faceless Master: A mysterious leader who never reveals his identity rules the temple. Some say he is an ancient spirit who has ruled the place for centuries.

A Haven of Questionable Morality

Zhao Guang Si is not just a temple; it is a training ground, a storehouse of forbidden knowledge, and a center for the trade of death. Those who enter rarely leave, but for those who survive the rigorous training, life outside the shadows becomes irrelevant.

In the dim light of dawn, under the treacherous glow of morning, Zhao Guang Si molds assassins, manipulates destinies, and remains a dark pillar in the region's balance of power.

Thank you!

I admit that I drew from a lot of different sources. The base is CA186 Creepy Crypts (2022), which I used in preparation for when I get to the basement/dungeon section. The main fills for the walls and floors of the tower itself come from CA149 Beaumaris Castle (2019), and the windows are from that, too. Most of the furniture comes from Dungeon Designer 3, but some are drawn from CA14 Symbol Catalogs (2008), and some of the fireplaces are from Shessar's free supplement. Some of the outside vegetation comes from CA141 Japanese Temple and CA143 Asian Town (both 2018).

Normally when designing something for the Atlas, I try to limit it to just a few styles to minimize the chance that others might be missing chunks of it. This time, I gave myself free rein to create my wizard's "dream home."

This question if very timely for me because I have just started to dip my toe into trying to sell maps…so I, too, have more questions than answers.

I am trying to sell mine on DriveThruRPG. My storefront is called Royal Scribe Imagiinarium. I have five maps up right now and two more pending review. Your first month or so selling on DTRPG, you’re considered “unverified.” During that period, everything you submit for sale has to be reviewed by staff before it goes live, and some of the other tools are limited (including not being able to put up a logo, etc, yet). Once I’m verified, I will have more tools to work with to promote my stuff.

I can’t tell yet whether it’s a waste of time. I have had about 101 map downloads. Some are priced and a few, for promo purposes, are set at “Pay What You Will.” But of these:

1 paid full price - but I know from the positive review they left that it was a friend of mine

1 paid $5 for a pay what you will map - same friend

3 were free downloads from a comp link I sent to my rpg group

And 95 were the pay what you will maps where they chose to pay $0. Hopefully they will someday convert to being paid customers.

Maybe once I’m verified I will be able to promote it better

Happy to chat more here or in DMs.

That central donut shaped continent looked to me like a sloth hanging from a tree, but a friend of mine thought it was a smiling frog. It’s like a Rorschach test.

It's a useful style for creating a rough idea of what I want to map, but somewhat limited in symbols. I like the idea of doing a sketch with this style and a more detailed version in another, with this style on hand to give to adventurers when the time is right. I love the idea of using this pencil sketch style for a map handed to adventurers by some weary ranger in a tavern who has scrawled out a quick idea of where the adventurers need to go -- while omitting many of the perils they'll encounter on the way.