The World of Aeran - My Campaign Setting

Very nice sir, I dig your style :)

Why "The Beltway"? Je suis curious :)
The world is tidally locked: one half faces the sun and one half faces away. There's a ring around the equator that is Goldilocks enough for people to live. It's a verdant belt. Hence, Beltway.

What's the hook/concept of your setting?
 
Last edited:

log in or register to remove this ad


The world is tidally locked: one half faces the sun and one half faces away. There's a ring around the equator that is Goldilocks enough for people to live. It's a verdant belt. Hence, Beltway.

That's kinda cool actually. Neat in fact.

What's the hook/concept of your setting?

Vanilla Fantasy with some "darker" parts scattered in.

No really "hook" to the world, more like my own Greyhawk or Forgotten Realms.
 


I find that incredibly difficult to believe. hahaha.

Did you watch the video?

Repeat after me: "I am a font of knowledge and brilliance. My creativity is boundless."

I am a font of knowledge and brilliance. My creativity is boundless.

I want to remake my map now that I finally know what the hell I want!

Now, pick a place/part of the world...maybe even a single person/NPC...now...GO!

Watch the video all the way through and you will understand. :)

Cheers!
 

I did watch it...after I posted that.

But I did watch it all of the way through and I think the post still applies. :)

It is/will be, certainly, a fascinating and cool reimagining. I personally think you might be overthinking it...and/or focusing a bit much on the actual map/cartography...since, as you say in the video, none of the actual material (cultures, religions, etc...) is changing.

I mean, the map is important, of course. As you are working toward an actual published product, naturally, the map needs to be "right" since it will be in print and "official" [immutable] -at least for a time. And what, presumably, you've settled on would certainly be something to set it apart...which is always nice/good (when you know it will be compared to other published settings).

You get dissatisfied with the actual shape of the world and look of the map...and change it. It's cool. It was interesting to watch the progression over the years. If turning it on its end makes it much more interesting and fun for you...then great! They are some beautiful maps. Those couple at the end [that I know you couldn't/can't use] where you were sticking region names on worked perfectly.

The different strokes of different folks are also always interesting to me as well. I can't say I, as a world builder, ever really focus that much on the world's actual map. The cultures, nations, religions, interactions thereof, specific locations (a special citadel or temple or dungeon or lair), histories and legends, are infinitely more interesting for me. In fact, I think the general, geographical, SHAPE of my world['s primary continent] has been roughly the same for nigh on 30 years. Places change. People change. Countries or kingdoms or empires, gods, heroes, and villains that interest me come and go. But the coastlines? The mountains? Sure here or there, one map might look a little different than another. Maybe a not so prominent river gets missed or I forget a town in one country that a given group of PCs aren't going to be anywhere near. But whether the nordic/scandanavian/viking analogue tundras are in the north or the east or south? Doesn't really ever cross my mind. The arabian/mesopotamian analogue empire of Thel? Still going to be in a chunk of the huge desert in the center of the continent. That kind of stuff pretty much doesn't change.

Interesting/fun video, as always. :)
 

Europe and Asia as a template works because we know it does. The real world is amazing to serve as inspiration because it has the best sourcebooks imaginable. The history and the geography works.

Also, the maps fit. Which is a catch.
We're used to maps being longer around the middle. Being landscape (they don't have to be: the world is round, we could have a portrait map). But even before we knew things were a globe there's this odd tendency to have landscape paper maps. So fantasy maps follow that strange pattern.
We draw maps to fit on an 8x11 piece of paper. So you either get the single ovoid contingent ala Australia (Khorvaire, Ansalon) or the "part of the continent" Europe + Asia map (Greyhawk, Realms, Mystara). Because you don't want to waste paper and precious map area with negative space.

A vertical (or portrait) map can work. It fits in a book more easily for one. There's no reason a world can't be taller than wide. It works for Westeros...
 

I will answer both of you in one go.

Why am I focusing on this? Or overthinking it (which is true)? It is simply because I am a visual creator. The map has to catch my eye and be pleasing to look at before I can consider it valuable to me.

I agree with you Steeldragons, Ben's maps at the end (the line art ones) are heaven. This is what I need.

I agree with you Jester, a tall map is different than what we normally get, which just encourages me even more.

Okay, back to the map design board I go... hopefully this won't take too long ;)

Thanks for putting up with my insanity guys, it is very encouraging.

Cheers!
 

I will answer both of you in one go.

Why am I focusing on this? Or overthinking it (which is true)? It is simply because I am a visual creator. The map has to catch my eye and be pleasing to look at before I can consider it valuable to me.

I agree with you Steeldragons, Ben's maps at the end (the line art ones) are heaven. This is what I need.

I agree with you Jester, a tall map is different than what we normally get, which just encourages me even more.

Okay, back to the map design board I go... hopefully this won't take too long ;)

Thanks for putting up with my insanity guys, it is very encouraging.

Cheers!

You forget this is an RPG board. Around here, it is not insanity, it is normal. :p
 

What I am going to do is put all the names on the map (Ben's) and then maybe write a little paragraph on the terrain I expect, remove Ben's map, then give that to an artist/cartographer and see what they drawn without ever having seen the original.

Might prove interesting.

What do you crazy bastards (and bastardesses) think? ;)
 

Remove ads

Top