afternoonmaps

Stone Quarry Battle Map - Launch

Added 2025-08-31 19:11:57 +0000 UTC

Hello Adventurers! I’ve been having fun for the last week researching and creating a medieval stone quarry with some reasonably authentic wooden 'machinery' and a layout that should make for some interesting combat. This is a great place to hold some secret ritual or uncover some ancient, long-buried evil!

Next Maps

The Dark Sage’s Lighthouse will be our next map, with the Pool of Life map coming later in the month.

Dark Sage’s Lighthouse
I love lighthouses. I’ve already created a little lighthouse island, but I want to create something on a larger scale, so I’ll create a wizard tower with a lighthouse theme, standing on the edge of a cliff. It will have a few floors and a cave network under it.
Pool of Life
I want to create a Fountain of Youth-style pool, perhaps in a forest glade, with a few ruins that feature water welling up, creating a natural pool.

Upcoming Maps

I thought you’d like to see a little further ahead. These, along with a few other ideas I have, are likely to be added to the Next Maps list soon, but I do not have a set schedule for them as of yet.

Courtroom/Courthouse
Another one of those buildings your party may end up in, especially if they are bad boys and girls :) Now you’ll have a battle map to have a fun courtroom brawl in!
Tidal Cave
I have this vague memory of some sort of cave at the bottom of a coastal cliff, which is flooded by the tide. It may be at Tintangil castle in Cornwall, England. Something like that, which needs a rowing boat to enter and has an open cavern at its centre, should be a fun place for an encounter.

Many thanks for all your support. You allow me to continue creating cool things for this awesome hobby, and I couldn’t be more grateful :) I’m going to start thinking about spooky maps again for spooky month, so please let me know if you have any specific ideas. I hope your week goes well, and as always, happy adventuring!

And now, let's all remember that stone masons are just normal clients, like any other. They have a job that needs to be done, and we are adventurers with time on our hands. Sure, the handshake was a little peculiar, and the arcane symbols on the walls were a ‘unique’ aesthetic choice. Just because they are stone masons doesn’t mean they are also part of some kinda demonic cult… Yes, Bob, I did hear the demonic chanting. My point still stands!

Downloads

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Map Descriptions

The mud clings to your boots as you make your way towards the Quarry entrance. The road is pitted with deep cart tracks, many of them brimming with stagnant, foul-smelling water. Insects buzz all around you, flitting in and out of the scrub and trees that line the road's edge. The sides of the road are littered with pieces of partially cut rock and mounds of gravel.

As the undergrowth thins, the quarry comes into view. The Quarry is a large gash in the landscape, its sides are terraced stone descending toward a bottom partly submerged in murky water. Around its edges and on the stepped sides are paths and wooden scaffolds, along with crude machinery whose purpose is only half-apparent.

Notes and Tips

30x30 Grid Map
A Quarryman, or sometimes a Quarrier or Rockman, is someone who extracts and roughly cuts rocks to be removed from a quarry. A Stone Mason shapes and prepares the stone to be used in construction.
Stone is infinitely variable, from its durability and colour to its unique suitability for specific projects. Regions are famous for their stone. So you should ask yourself. Is this a renowned quarry for a legendary stone used in some of the most prestigious castles? Is this cheap sandstone that is easy to quarry, but a little rubbish? By defining something as simple as the type of stone the quarry produces, you help define the local region and its economic operations.
Much of the machinery in the quarry is used to move around heavy blocks of rock. A Capstan is a large vertical wooden spindle that is turned, using mechanical advantage, to move heavy items. Windlasses and winches work in similar ways, but employ slightly different designs, often featuring horizontal rather than vertical configurations.
Large wooden cranes were also used to move around blocks of rock.
You may not have dynamite in your medieval fantasy setting, but you sure do have magic! Some of the Quarrymen may have limited magical knowledge!
Elevation is important on this map! There are multiple levels with different methods to reach each area. Use the winch ropes for climbing up the cliffs, the cranes can be climbed to higher levels, and the scaffolds will have ladders.
The Beast at the Bottom - A creature has taken up residence in the pool at the bottom of the quarry. Whenever the workers try to work, it rises from the water and attacks them. The Stone Masons guild needs stone! And they will pay handsomely to be rid of the creature.
A Vein of Magic - The Quarrymen have hit a vein of magically infused quartz. It glows at night, and all manner of magical creatures are being attracted to the quarry because of it. The Quarrymen are trying to extract the vein as quickly as possible, but need protection while doing it.
Digging up the Past - An artefact has been found in the quarry. Its evil influence has bewitched the quarrymen, who do nothing but try to dig it free and will attack anyone who tries to stop them. They also possess strange magical abilities, such as heightened strength and resilience to damage. If they free the artefact during the encounter, the evil will be released and enter combat, which would be bad!