Map 50 - a.coldyham - Island(s) of Suryaulan

[a.coldyham]

From my customary Mapping table:

### LATEST WIP ###


Unfortunately couldn't get good natural light at 8pm, so it's a little unclear, I just wanted a starting image.
It's looking like it'll be jungly, so that'll be a new challenge.
Running over some cultures, mostly 'why is it still independent?'

• Magical Concealment (Cheese hating Guerillas?)
• Some sort of neutral meeting place for those involved in cheese wars
• A 'cuba for hire' if that makes any sense
• It's not.
• Literally nothing of interest (cheesewise or otherwise)

I looked up how much 130 miles actually is, and I panicked because I put radius instead of diameter.
Off to go put in ridgelines and make the coast less 'blobby'

[J.Edward]

Feel free to add in more detail to coast, more little islands [if you want more] - I was drawing rather small on the big map to do this one, so it wasn't as detailed as I would've liked.
I'll let you decide why your island is independent. I put it near my own lands since it was an add-in and I didn't want to stress others with a new set of islands near them that wasn't on their initial map.

You could be an ally, invisible to common detection, a xenophobic colony, an invading group from somewhere else - whatever you want.
I'll work with the story that you start laying out.
Makes things more dynamic with my own country's history.

[a.coldyham]

### LATEST WIP ###

Most map elements drafted. I'll neaten and maybe start colouring tomorrow

[J.Edward]

Looks like a good layout of land features.
Once you're a bit further along I'll have to grab a capture of your islands so I can make a version for my map, since they're visible off the coast.

[a.coldyham]

Was making a quick lexicon for placenames, but realised I might have to change the overall name. The issue is that all the names I can assemble from my 'bits of words' don't sound anywhere as good. I was using -lan on the end for Island, suu on the start for small, Ryau was a person. but 'small populated islands' - suuRyau-lan (or Suuryaulan). Actually scratch that, Suryaulan sounds pretty good, and the twisting is justified. Cease panic! Is it possible to edit the thread title?

[J.Edward]

Was making a quick lexicon for placenames, but realised I might have to change the overall name. The issue is that all the names I can assemble from my 'bits of words' don't sound anywhere as good. I was using -lan on the end for Island, suu on the start for small, Ryau was a person. but 'small populated islands' - suuRyau-lan (or Suuryaulan). Actually scratch that, Suryaulan sounds pretty good, and the twisting is justified. Cease panic! Is it possible to edit the thread title?

Yep, just want to make sure - Suryaulan?
I'll make that change.

[a.coldyham]

Transcript of Interview with Sitra, Thief-Queen of the Northern Essakyar Dockland.
'Tell us about your history'
I'm going to assume you mean the islands, but as for what I can say, as long as the islands have been here, there were smugglers, raiders, maybe the occasional cheese pioneer. Sure they probably came from somewhere, but that's for Grjana (mainlanders) to measure. Nobody here knows history longer than a debt.
'So do you sit on a council? Serve a ruler?'
A leader? No. We don't have one of those; well, not as such. It could be you, if you wanted. Settle a little bit of land, buy up a street, suddenly that's your little kingdom. Maybe one guy gets enough to buy up a whole city one day, never sells it? Doesn't happen here. Darjan got close once, had most of Sarnyla in pocket, but near the end even he couldn't pay his guards more than it would be worth to kill him and take it all themselves. Of course none of them had the strength of will to hold it, and it all just worked down from there. Now nobody dares raise their claim too high. It's the little trees which miss the cutter.
'You're on the port right; What does Sarnyla export?'
Simple answer: not much. Same for imports. Wenkyar and the cavalry have a good hold on the beasts of the Nahujana, and the lowlands have been tamed to the plow, but the real jewel of Suryaulan production is mystery. Truth is, we could probably map the Gruwaer if we wanted, or scale the cliffs even of Krenglan, but it's those empty spaces calling to some inner fancy which brings travellers, their coins and their wares to our people.
'And you're not a part of Nahadua? Not involved in the cheese wars at all?'
Pah. Like we need their 'Peace of cheese'. On such an intrinsically anarchic, mysterious and wild land, there's lots of militarily inclined folk, adventurers, mercenaries, guilds. All the kings of the kyar want to keep their independence, thank-you very much, and are very willing to fight to do so. The only reason we're not recorded as a part of the cheese wars is that There's no way anyone could make us, as a nation, fight, in any direction. There simply isn't enough of 'us' as a concept in these islands to try. If you looked, though, we're probably there at the key moments. Such a competetive environment breeds fighters, and somebody else's war might seem like a holiday.
'What would have us publish?'
So come, noble traveller, to this ancient land, small but mighty. Climb the soaring peaks of the Nahusar Range, traverse the endless jungles of the Gruwaer and make your claim in the land where anyone can be King. Or Emperor. Or 'insert sovereign title here'.

Was spending too long obsessing, so I decided to just get it out there, not least for J.Ed's benefit.
Got the compass and title of the map done, and most names on, just got to get scale (and maybe that last paragraph) on before I start on irreversible stuff

[J.Edward]

I like it. Looks like some fertile territory for some good stories, and some nice local conflicts.

[a.coldyham]

### latest wip ###

I think those blotches are (mostly) on the lens. otherwise, fine.

[Greg]

Looking like you've added some nice details there. I think it's great to have a fair number of pen and paper ones in the mix too!

Shame about the lens/camera issues, I hope you can sort them so your work isn't marred by it. If you're just taking it on point and click, gently wipe the lens with a soft cloth (glasses cleaning cloth and the like). If you're shooting DSLR, then it could be stuff on the sensor, which would be a pain, but it would be very bad to be showing up when the picture isn't stopped down that much, so try gently cleaning the lens again.

Whatever the case, your map is shaping it nicely and I'm looking forwards to seeing your progression especially in how you colour it!

*EDIT* - If it's something more solid on the lens (I highly doubt it, but thought I'd add) then try gently blowing off as a cloth may make that scratch the lens. Also, apologies if I am sounding patronising, I don't mean to be...