I've restarted my languishing Greyhawk mapping project

AdmundfortGeographer · Nov 26, 2011

I've been letting my mapping project sit idle for years now. At once the victim of ever increasing map sizes challenging the processing power of my computer, and the intimidating scope of what I bit off in front of me, teamed up to just overwhelm me at it all. So I let it sit. For 8 years.

Computing power has caught up; CPU, RAM, graphic cards and OS advances. I plunked down for an upgrade to Photoshop and I could feel the mojo returning.

So I restarted my Greyhawk mapping project where I left off and I can say that I have finished off the most intimidating part, the mountains surrounding the Sheldomar Valley are completed, I'm off to finish the forest details and research the Greyhawk site locations. That's just time consuming off the computer, while the drawing of the mountains was time consuming at the computer.

So I just started a DeviantArt gallery to host all my completed Greyhawk maps. I held off getting my own website because I didn't want to deal with the hassle of domain names and web hosts. DeviantArt really fits my needs, and I'm glad I was turned on to it recently.

I've only posted the small-format images for now. The poster-scale images could be forthcoming someday.

I don't intend to post the in progress maps, but I might if demand is there.

For now though, jump on over there and take a look and download away!

AdmundfortGeographer · Nov 28, 2011

I've posted a new preview of the Sheldomar Valley project

Here is a link to the most recent progress on the northern portion of the valley, including Bissel, Gran March, and the Valley of the Mage. The little details are getting placed.

I've begun the mountainside forests, really shows in the Barrier Peaks. I've finished most of the streams in the Sheldomar Valley, the streams to the north and west of the Barrier Peaks are yet to come.

Nearly all roads, trails, and settlements are located. I've yet to decide what to do with the castle building project underway in Bissel nor the ruins left behind by Ket. (I'm setting this in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer era). I'm still researching for more ruins and castles in the Valley . . .

Enjoy!

Vascant · Dec 2, 2011

This is good news, I remember asking you about this many many many years ago. This would be incredible for an entire map of GH in your style.

Thanks and keep up the good work

AdmundfortGeographer · Dec 4, 2011

Pondering the ruins and castles of the Bissel frontier

I've cross posted this to a couple other forums where I'd announced my project was restarted. I'm posting it around to hopefully get ideas from people who are interested and would like to influence the final product. So . . .

The LGG describes Bissel's northern frontier as pretty much either covered in ruins of old castles and towers, or being built up with new ones.

"A large castle-biulding project is underway along the southern banks of the Fals (Bissel's new northern border) and along the neutral zone around Thornward. Ket destroyed many forts, minor castles, barracks, signal towers, and army bases when it invaded Bissel and later when it withdrew."

If you compare the amount of detail I was able to squeeze in my Central Flanaess map around the lands near the City of Greyhawk, you get an idea how much I could squeeze in around Bissel's frontier. Do I just scatter ruins about the countryside of northern Bissel? Just put them in a line along the river?

How far about should the fortifications be spread in the castle-building project on the Fals River and around Thornward?

Bissel's entry says this about Ket's presence, (sometime just in the period 587-589 I think) "Ket completely withdrew its armies, taking control of all Bisselite forts, towns, and lands north of the Bramblewood Gap." It also says earlier that Ket struck in 584 by "attack(ing) Bissel's watchtowers along the Fals River at the northern end of the Bramblewood Gap".

Okay, since it took control of sites "north of the . . . Gap", does that mean that Ket moved its forces *out* of the gap? How far out is out? Is getting OUT of the gap in 589 mean getting back beyond the watchtowers that were IN the gap that were attacked in 584? Or maybe this really is just asking where does the Bramblewood Gap start and end? Is Thornward IN it?

AdmundfortGeographer · Dec 5, 2011

New update posted.

The southern Sheldomar Valley quad just got a preview posted to my gallery.

I'm on to the research stage pretty heavy now. I'm conflicted ok how to best finish the Sea Princes well enough since the map cuts the Kamph mountains off badly.

grodog · Dec 11, 2011

Eric Anondson said:
New update posted.
The southern Sheldomar Valley quad just got a preview posted to my gallery.

Sounds great, Eric.

FYI, the tags are working again, so I tagged the thread with greyhawk and maps, but you may want to add some others (perhaps regions, "GH" etc.)

AdmundfortGeographer · Jan 2, 2012

Update

My Barrier Peaks region has some completed maps in it.

I'll be getting to the placenames in time, I'm getting these out now to share. The poster-sized maps are 1/4 my working file resolution of 21,000 pixels by 18,000 pixels, so you get something pretty detailed there.

Credit: I've used Mortellan's fan material for Ull to settle it with some places as Ull seemed to have a lack of canon material to work with there . . .

Enjoy!

Boz Shulun · Jan 2, 2012

Great stuff, Eric!

Our episode this week is about maps and we mention you. It comes out Tuesday. (click here for our site)

As always we link to all things we love and your work is no exception (Mort spearheaded this episode so I credit him for turning us onto your stuff).

Keep up the awesome work.

Eric (from Gamerstable)