Orenshire

This was once a bustling village, where kilns burned restlessly, shaping soft clay into sturdy tiles and exquisite pottery. The clay, mined from local quarries, was renowned for its reddish hue and malleable texture, making the town a small but thriving crafts centre. Small boats glided down the Slimy River, laden with goods that were bound for Ironvale before heading north for markets.

Then came the catastrophe. The tremors opened deep crevasses, sucking up the groundwater and leaving the land parched and barren. The river became a rotting watercourse, its black, oily waters swallowing the boats that once carried the town’s livelihood. Disease spread like wildfire, claiming lives in despair. Many fled, but those who stayed… changed. Today, just over two hundred souls inhabit this place, dragging themselves through indistinct days, trapped in a fog of resignation. Their eyes wander unfocused, their mouths murmur incoherent words, as if trying to remember something that has faded with time.

Behind the town, the forest remains like a ghost. Its dry orange trunks seem to ignite in the cold light, and from them emanates a sweet smell, almost hypnotic, but charged with something wrong. Invisible spores float through the air, sticking to skin, infiltrating tired lungs. Some claim to feel something crawling inside them after a walk along the edge of the dry forest. Others wake from restless dreams with the feeling that the forest is calling their name.

And here is the floor plan, based on Sue's structure image that I used as a reference on the draw above.

In fact, it all started with the structure icon used in the first map, then I thought: I need a landscape and a place for this "monastery", so right after that... I need a map of the monastery... lol

Cheers

After a few days working on the lore and the map, here are the first results - from the map - to share. I use the large scrubland trees in the midle as markers for where the detailed local forest will go later, and giant trees in the caption are the "main cities".. There's still a lot to do, but overall, I'm over 50%. (@Shessar)

The next post will be the complete one.

Health to all!

P.s.: Names are still in Portuguese, without translation.

Second and last map to Karkaroff second season.

Cheers

The Cenotes of Maniserp

This dusty, little-traveled stretch of road that cuts through the semi-desert region from Boldhome to Homer is lined with rock and sandstone formations shaped by wind and time. Only the most daring venture this cursed stretch, where the sweltering heat is relieved only by the fleeting sight of the cenotes – crystal-clear pools of pure water surrounded by trees with twisted roots, a treacherous promise of life amid death.

But the waters of the cenotes have an owner, and its name is whispered in fear: Maniserp, the Elder Hydra. A multi-headed monster, its scales are a dull green and gleam like blades in the sunlight, and its eyes, glowing like embers, are the last sight of many an unsuspecting person. For generations, Maniserp has been the queen of the wetlands. Its insatiable hunger is a legend that local merchants know well, as caravans often disappear, leaving only trails of destruction and white bones along the roadside.

The few who have survived an attack speak of its cave, hidden among the largest cenotes. A labyrinth of damp tunnels, where suffocating vapors emanate from the bowels of the earth and glowing lichens illuminate the sodden walls. The bones of its prey, human and animal, adorn the entrance like a macabre warning. Inside, the sound of dripping water is interrupted only by the roars of Maniserp echoing through the depths.

The residents of Homer and Boldhome tell stories of mercenaries who have tried to defeat it through time. None have returned. The blades of their swords rust in the silent lakes, a mute testament to Maniserp’s invincibility.

11 - to import, right-click and CC3 navigation will open (I don't know the correct term for that part)

12 - Back to symbols, from there MAPS (overland) > MIKE SCHLEY COLOR

13 - In the mike schley color folder (overland) I go, subfolder by subfolder choosing the icons that I like the most. Detail here: I prefer to start with the trees, I import all the trees I want to work with, and then I go to the city's vegetation and also click on all the trees I want. In order for the program to record all the multi options (when they exist) in the icon groups, at this point I hit TAB so that they all appear, then I move to the next icon. I select all the trees I want and group them.

14 - I keep choosing icons from other folders (preferably all together - Mountains and hills, structures, natural etc. Folder by Folder.

Once I've imported everything I want, clicking on that part will show you all the imported items (save your work now). Earlier I mentioned that I like to import in sets (whether it's just overland or in the example of trees, overland + isometric trees) and the reason for this is to facilitate the workflow, since things will be in that part, grouped in similar: trees, buildings, mountains and hills, structures, etc.I start with the river

15 - I start with the river

16 - I notice that it is too thin and I want it to be bigger (its measurement is in 2)

change properties and put size 6 (3 times the original)

17 - refresh and seems ok to me, lets go

18 - Note that the isometric city recognizes mike schley overland trees as when you work with overland. as SYMBOLS TREES and, as it did not exist before - the program creates a new sheet with that name by itself. Move it under (on top) of the sheet symbols.

SYMBOLS TREES new sheet is in correct place now..

19 - Having the tree symbols you want all together helps especially when you're looking for "vegetation diversity" making work much faster. Choose the trees you want but keep in mind that some of the icons come in "different size scales" be aware of this difference and solve it by pressing CTRL and moving the mouse up or down. As a tip, also vary your sizes intentionally, so you have a greater variety of looks.

20 - once the trees are in place, I go to the buildings. Note that I will stick to the SYMBOLS TREES sheet because at this point if I go back to the symbols sheet, the images I will use will be behind the trees.

with all the icons, trees, structures etc, sometimes I use the mirror function: I select an icon, left-click and click mirror. Doing this allows for variety, especially in the most interesting constructions, and will have a less monotonous final result.