Well, I decided to draw a palm tree on the map and call it the "Two Palms Tavern" after all. I'm not proud of having drawn a dad joke into the map, but it felt like the right thing to do at the time. I won't make a habit of it, I promise.
The vote for the second civilization of Tir Thelandira is still open and I wanted to give patrons another chance to cast a vote before I end it in a f...
2022-12-22 22:34:59 +0000 UTC
View Post
I've made some fairly strange maps, but we might have a new champion today. The Barre Sinister is a tavern built on a giant, stone hand... in space. I also made a version with just the hand, which is arguably weirder. I suspect at least one of you has a use for that.
If you don't play Spelljammer and you're wondering how this place could possibly exist, a...
2022-12-20 22:45:02 +0000 UTC
View Post
I've made some fairly strange maps, but we might have a new champion today. The Barre Sinister is a tavern built on a giant, stone hand... in space. I also made a version with just the hand, which is arguably weirder. I suspect at least one of you has a use for that.
If you don't play Spelljammer and you're wondering how this place could possibly exist, a...
2022-12-20 22:44:37 +0000 UTC
View Post
I've come up with three civilizations based on the ideas you've given me. This vote will decide which one will share the island of Tir Thelandira with the wild elves. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
The Kiyaran Khanate:
The Kiyarans are horse-riding, nomadic people with a culture inspired by Turkmen, Tatars and Mongols. They rule a small empire on several dist...
2022-12-14 01:52:24 +0000 UTC
View Post
This map is based on a historic inn in Southwark, London. The establishment's original name was The George and Dragon, although it's known today as The George Inn. Personally, if it was up to me to abbreviate the name, I'd have kept the Dragon part and sent George packing, but I suppose that's not the way the owners decided to go with it. They did keep the dragon on 2022-12-13 03:22:39 +0000 UTC
View Post
This map is based on a historic inn in Southwark, London. The establishment's original name was The George and Dragon, although it's known today as The George Inn. Personally, if it was up to me to abbreviate the name, I'd have kept the Dragon part and sent George packing, but I suppose that's not the way the owners decided to go with it. They did keep the dragon on 2022-12-13 03:22:31 +0000 UTC
View Post
I'm working on last month's winner at the moment-- an Elizabethan coaching inn based on the George Inn in London-- so I'll get right to it. Here are your three finalists in this month's runoff:
Silas proposes a grand Cathedral of Pelor built next to a lake. This will resemble an ancient Sun Temple, with a worship hall, accommodation for the clergy and a hiding place for religious artefacts.
Shawn proposes a caravanserai built into the side of an oasis at the bottom of a sinkhole. ...
2022-12-03 20:38:00 +0000 UTC
View Post
People seem to like the wild elves, so I drew up a map of the island they'll be living on. The elves will occupy the left side of the island and their yet-to-be-decided neighbors will be on the right. I don't know what's going to be happening on that little island at the top, but we'll figure something out.
My wife has asked me to name the elven ruler after her and I told her I would. Don't worry, this doesn't mean we're getting a Queen Stacy or Queen Kathleen. My wife is named after Ni...
2022-12-02 19:19:24 +0000 UTC
View Post
In the last post, I talked about my plans for the first island of the as-yet-unnamed big project. There will be two civilizations living on the island, one of which will be a kingdom of wild elves.
Over the past century, the wild elves have been shifting from a tribal, nomadic society to a settled one. While the elves have become ...
2022-11-28 22:26:46 +0000 UTC
View Post
In the last post, I talked about my plans for the first island of the as-yet-unnamed big project. There will be two civilizations living on the island, one of which will be a kingdom of wild elves.
Over the past century, the wild elves have been shifting from a tribal, nomadic society to a settled one. While the elves have become ...
2022-11-28 22:26:43 +0000 UTC
View Post
We've got 11 proposals this month, so I'll let you get to it. As always, feel free to discuss, promote or ask questions!
Odd proposes a zaratan that has been corrupted by the shadow plane, with black, jewel-encrusted buildings rising from its back. This dark influence has turned the zaratan into a vile monstrosity.
Chaan proposes a beholder's lair, featuring vertical passages between levels for the occupant to levitate through.
Jon proposes an island prison designed to hold ...
2022-11-27 14:48:42 +0000 UTC
View Post
I compiled all the free versions of the Black Loch maps and tokens, which you can download here. The image above is something I made to post on reddit. I think it explains what the Black Loch is pretty well.
I also wanted to talk about what I'm working on now. A while back, I discussed2022-11-25 15:38:23 +0000 UTC
View Post
I made an annotated version of this map, which was only possible with the help of Aditya, who translated the only labeled map of this fort I was able to find, which was in Hindi. I'm very grateful for the help and the least I can do is pay it forward and give the annotated version away to everyone.
2022-11-20 23:31:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
I made an annotated version of this map, which was only possible with the help of Aditya, who translated the only labeled map of this fort I was able to find, which was in Hindi. I'm very grateful for the help and the least I can do is pay it forward and give the annotated version away to everyone.
2022-11-20 23:30:50 +0000 UTC
View Post
I meant to post this yesterday, but here's the art for Murud-Janjira, the island fortress just off the western coast of India.
There's a temple to the Hindu god Shiva here, but I couldn't find a picture of the interior, so I had to do a little research to find out what a temple to Shiva would look like. Along the way, I learned a...
2022-11-17 11:33:09 +0000 UTC
View Post
Several months ago, a patron said that India was underrepresented in fantasy settings and I agreed. Take the Forgotten Realms, for example. Faerun is inspired by Europe, of course. Then you've got Zakhara, the Arabian part of the world. And then there's Kara-Tur, which is East Asia, and Maztica, which is Mesoamerica. Technically, there's an Africa, but almost nothing is written about it, so that doesn't ...
2022-11-10 14:20:16 +0000 UTC
View Post
Several months ago, a patron said that India was underrepresented in fantasy settings and I agreed. Take the Forgotten Realms, for example. Faerun is inspired by Europe, of course. Then you've got Zakhara, the Arabian part of the world. And then there's Kara-Tur, which is East Asia, and Maztica, which is Mesoamerica. Technically, there's an Africa, but almost nothing is written about it, so that doesn't ...
2022-11-10 14:19:21 +0000 UTC
View Post
We're down to the final two proposals and, whichever you pick, there's going to be a bar. Do you want the classy, English bar with a place for horses or the bar on a big, stone hand with a place for ships or spelljammers? As always, feel free to ask questions or share your thoughts on the candidates.
Jon proposes the Barre Sinister, a spelljammer pirate port built into the palm of a gigantic stone hand that orbits the sun. There are docks and several buildings, most notably the Barre, a...
2022-11-08 12:49:14 +0000 UTC
View Post
We've got two final candidates and I'm glad they're both proposals from people who are still currently patrons. That saves me from having to send someone a map, tell them that I drew the thing they proposed to the Cartographic Congress three years ago and fill them in on exactly how and why that happened. That feels like a lot of typing.
Anyway, here are your proposals:
(11th CC): MacTorg proposed a small keep between two cliffs, walling off a mountain pass.
(46th CC): Wagne...
2022-11-08 12:41:22 +0000 UTC
View Post
Akshardham is a Hindu temple in New Delhi, India. This monument to the gods was constructed long, long ago, back in the year... *checks notes* 2005. Few remember what life was like in those ancient times, but historians say the telephones of that era could be folded in half. I didn't actually realize this place was so new until I'd already started drawing it, but I'm really happy that people ...
2022-11-06 15:21:42 +0000 UTC
View Post
Akshardham is a Hindu temple in New Delhi, India. This monument to the gods was constructed long, long ago, back in the year... *checks notes* 2005. Few remember what life was like in those ancient times, but historians say the telephones of that era could be folded in half. I didn't actually realize this place was so new until I'd already started drawing it, but I'm really happy that people ...
2022-11-06 15:21:29 +0000 UTC
View Post
Here's the runoff for the special vote. Which one of these do you want to see rise from the grave?
(15th CC): Fraz-Urb'luu proposed a fortified settlement built inside the skull of a dead god.
(11th CC): MacTorg proposed a small keep between two cliffs, walling off a mountain pass.
(46th CC): Wagner proposed a Venetian-style palace by a canal, with gondolas passing by. This would be in a gothic or dark fantasy style.
2022-11-04 15:57:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Here's Akshardham Temple almost fully inked. I'll be drawing the interior as well, of course.
This is definitely one of the most elaborate maps I've ever drawn, if not the most. Between the tile pattern on the central walkway, the gardens and the roof of the temple. this place is full of tiny details.
On a side note, I got a little confused while I was looking for information on this place. There was an Ak...
2022-11-02 12:26:24 +0000 UTC
View Post
We're down to three proposals in the runoff. I'm in the middle of inking Akshardham Temple, so I'll leave you to it. Your candidates are:
Dezzicus proposes Germany's Hohenzollern Castle.
Shawn proposes an Elizabethan coaching inn modeled after The George Inn in London.
Jon proposes the Barre Sinister, a spelljammer pirate port built into the palm of ...
2022-11-01 15:11:36 +0000 UTC
View Post
For the 50th Cartographic Congress, I decided to compile a list of the best proposals from the past that didn't make it and give them another shot. I think all of these would make excellent maps and I hope you'll agree. Feel free to ask questions or discuss your choices below.
(23rd CC): Jonathan proposed a large prison ship.
(15th CC): Fraz-Urb'luu proposed a fortified settlement built inside the skull of a dead god.
(14th CC): Andrew proposed a small shanty tow...
2022-10-29 11:40:36 +0000 UTC
View Post
The Great Bombard isn't a ship, it's a gun. A really big gun. This gun does has a ship attached to it, though. This accessory, mounted under the barrel, allows a crew to move the gun through space and blow things up in a variety of interesting and exotic locations.
If you allow your party to acquire a Great Bombard, I don't think that's unreasonable. But you do need to keep it in mind when planning adventures from that point on. Ask yourself, "Can my players solve this...
2022-10-27 18:06:06 +0000 UTC
View Post
The Great Bombard isn't a ship, it's a gun. A really big gun. This gun does has a ship attached to it, though. This accessory, mounted under the barrel, allows a crew to move the gun through space and blow things up in a variety of interesting and exotic locations.
If you allow your party to acquire a Great Bombard, I don't think that's unreasonable. But you do need to keep it in mind when planning adventures from that point on. Ask yourself, "Can my players solve this...
2022-10-27 18:05:57 +0000 UTC
View Post
FUN FACT: technically, this is only the 49th vote because, when the first one happened 50 months ago, there was only one member of the Cartographic Congress. There was a vote held during the 2nd Cartographic Congress, but there was only one proposal, so the ballot looked like this.
In a day or two, I'll be posting another vote on some proposals from the past that I thought were worth...
2022-10-27 09:21:56 +0000 UTC
View Post
I visited the Alhambra a few years ago and, before I went, I was considering drawing a map of the place. When I got there, I realized how completely insane a task that would be. Here's the entire Alhambra complex. This map–
2022-10-21 10:26:15 +0000 UTC
View Post
I visited the Alhambra a few years ago and, before I went, I was considering drawing a map of the place. When I got there, I realized how completely insane a task that would be. Here's the entire Alhambra complex. This map–
2022-10-21 10:26:06 +0000 UTC
View Post
