April 2018 Challenge: The Theocracy of Donargothr

[Quenten]

Here is my roll for the challenge. I will decide on the overall shape later today.

The Theocracy of Donargothr

Physical Area: 87,000 sq miles
Population Density: Low (40 persons per sq. mile)
Kingdom Age: 1740 years
Physical Area The Theocracy of Donargothr covers an area of 87 thousand square miles.
Of this, 27% (23 thousand sq. miles) is arable land, and 72% (63 thousand sq. miles) is wilderness.
Population The Theocracy of Donargothr has a total population of 3.4 million people.
Settlements The largest city has a population of 29 thousand people, the second largest 11 thousand.
There are no other cities of note in the kingdom, and 14 towns. The remaining population lives in numerous small villages, isolated dwellings, etc.

Castles The Theocracy of Donargothr has 69 active castles and 29 ruined. Of these, 45 castles and 25 ruined are in civilized lands,
and 24 castles and 4 ruined are in the wilderness, along borders, etc.

Unless Diamond says otherwise, I will use this 1000 mile square as the location of the realm


This should be fun.

[Mouse]

Off to a flying start

What style are you going to do this one in? Are you sticking with the existing style, or using something like HW?

[Quenten]

I will be using mainly Jon Roberts with various other styles.
The area will encompass what is named as Evejheras on the map, which is about 83,00 sq miles. I think this will do (I hope). The name will stay as rolled - the theocracy of Donargothr. It will inspire me with a culture for this otherwise scantily mapped area in my world. I hope Diamond is OK with this, as I would like to get double use out of the map. I certainly have not mapped this area before apart from the Atlas of the whole world. If this is not acceptable, I will have to rethink, but I really don't want to do a map I will never otherwise use.

[Mouse]

I think its ok to map an existing area in your fantasy world, as long as you start the actual map you are entering for the Challenge from scratch, and don't just alter an existing map of that area.

In your shoes I might wait for the big D to give me the nod, all the same

[Quenten]

Here is the map of donargothr (I will use it for my Myrandios World map when finished). A mixture of Mike Schley fills and Jon Roberts symbols. Forest, special terrain and castles/towns/special points of interest to be added next, then text, frame and explanatory yext last.
### Latest WIP ###

[Quenten]

Progress to date - major forests done. Next secondary rivers, special terrain and settlements with roads
### Latest WIP ###

[Quenten]

My next update, with arable land, and other natural features added, along with secondary rivers. Next is all the castles and towns, though most of the castles will be religious settlements, as befits a theocracy - a rather dark and intolerant one (like Spanish Inquisition Spain and modern Iran rolled into one). Finally the area outside the map, with small vignettes of the main 'attraction', and a write up of this 'lovely' place to the right.
Comments, critique and compliments welcome.
### Latest WIP ###

[Straf]

The Spanish Inquisition? I bet nobody expected that!

I like how it's all laid out. However I find that the land seems a bit 'twisted' to me. I don't know how to explain it properly but the mountains in the north have 'up' at a certain angle and the trees have 'up' at a different angle. It makes it a bit odd looking. Also the brown bit next to Instow looks like it's more top-down rather than having the perspective of the other elements.

[Quenten]

Here is the 'final' layout, with pictures in 'poster style' in each of the boxes, illustrating various features.
The mountains and trees are not at different angles to me, so not syre what you are driving at here- just put the lack of understanding down to my novice status.
The brown bit is terrain, but with a mountain at one end, and soon to be cliffs leading down into it - a lava sink.
All the structures are in - 2 cities, 14 towns, and 45 castles and 24 ruins inside the civilized areas, (which needs doubling at least by my calculations, which will mean some further re-placement of those structures, with the benefit of not as mush crowding of the structures), and the 24 castles and 4 ruined in the wilderness areas - but the 'castles' are not all castles, but henges, burial mounds, monasteries and religious communities etc, and as well some barbarian/orc encampments, especially where the devil signs are.
One thing I am not clear about. When it sats '24 castles and 4 ruins' does this mean 24 in total, 4 of which are ruins, or are the 4 ruins extra to the 24. God, I hope it is the former, though the map has the latter at present.
Anyway, here is the work to date.
### Latest WIP ###

[Straf]

I think I was seeing a perspective, iso-style map instead of a top down one and it was making me see the land as twisted. It doesn't seem to be that way today.