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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
 Posted - 31 Mar 2007 : 22:11:06
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I noticed a few people asking about this region recently, both here and at WotC.
So I took a break from my Kara-Tur map and adding this region back into my world map. I didn't change canon material, just slightly shifted stuff around (mostly the Snowflake mountains moved a little north). For a full description of what I did you can read the text under the maps. There is both a full-size version on the same scale as the High-res Faerùn map available over at WotC, AND a smaller sideways version for those of you who have problems re-sizing pictures. The smaller one prints out perfectly on an 8½ x 11 piece of paper.
Heres the Link - http://markustay.deviantart.com
As with all my maps, they are considered the property of Wizards of the Coast, and Candlekeep is welcome to use any of them here in the map gallery.
Enjoy -- Mark
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"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Snotlord
Senior Scribe
Norway
476 Posts |
Posted - 31 Mar 2007 : 22:18:27
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Very nice |
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Brian R. James
Forgotten Realms Game Designer
USA
1098 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2007 : 14:27:02
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Excellent work Markustay. I really enjoy your maps.
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Brian R. James - Freelance Game Designer
Follow me on Twitter @brianrjames |
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Steven Schend
Forgotten Realms Designer & Author
USA
1725 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2007 : 15:03:36
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I concur--very nice work. It almost makes me want to add more villages and details  .....when I have time  .....in September  ....
Steven |
For current projects and general natter, see www.steveneschend.com
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Alaundo
Head Moderator
United Kingdom
5696 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2007 : 16:50:06
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
As with all my maps, they are considered the property of Wizards of the Coast, and Candlekeep is welcome to use any of them here in the map gallery.
Enjoy -- Mark
Well met
Splendid work indeed, Markustay. I'm sure thou hast made many people happy with this 
Aye, i'd gladly place this in the map gallery, thank ye |
Alaundo
Candlekeep Forums Head Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
An Introduction to Candlekeep - by Ed Greenwood
The Candlekeep Compendium - Tomes of Realmslore penned by Scribes of Candlekeep
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Asgetrion
Master of Realmslore
Finland
1564 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2007 : 17:24:53
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| Great work, Mark! It's fantastic that you share these maps with us - no more fanning through a myriad number of accessories to find all those villages/towns/ruins/landmarks in a region. |
"What am I doing today? Ask me tomorrow - I can be sure of giving you the right answer then."
-- Askarran of Selgaunt, Master Sage, speaking to a curious merchant, Year of the Helm |
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Mazrim_Taim
Learned Scribe
341 Posts |
Posted - 02 Apr 2007 : 22:03:11
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| Wow, excellent work. Looks just like the official maps! |
And if the PCs DO win their ways through all the liches to Larloch, “he” will almost certainly be just another lich (loaded with explosive spells) set up as a decoy, with dozens of hidden liches waiting to pounce on any surviving PCs who ‘celebrate’ after they take Larloch down. As the REAL Larloch watches (magical scrying) from afar. Myself, as DM, I’d be wondering: “Such a glorious game, so many opportunities laid out before your PCs to devote your time to, and THIS fixation is the best you can come up with? Are you SURE you’re adventurers?” -Ed Greenwood
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Lemernis
Senior Scribe
378 Posts |
Posted - 03 Apr 2007 : 01:49:55
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| Looks fantastic. Hmm. Mark would you be interested in making some very detailed maps like that for the Lands of Intrigue? I'd love to see something like that for the NWN2 project I'm working with. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 13 Apr 2007 : 04:00:03
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Thank you for all your praise, especially from the likes of Brian James and Mr. Steven Schend, the man who literally wrote the book. 
Without most of your background material, I would not be inspired to do these maps.
It took me awhile to respond because I had no Internet for three weeks, I posted that map from my son's computer.
Bear in mind everyone that I do not actually do most of the artwork - I'm just a wiz at copy-and-paste. I re-orient stuff, and color-correct the edges sometimes. maybe move a road here and nudge a river there, but for the most part everything I do is just corrections of property already owned by WotC. The only thing I have done from scratch was my Evermeet map, and even on that I 'borrowed' the mountains from elsewhere.
@Lemernis - Sure, I'm doing Tethyr and Amn right now anyway, thanks to Mr.Schend's incredibly rich history of the region I'm really into into it right now. I just have to put the finishing touches on my Hordelands map this weekend though...
@Mazrim_Taim - Cool name I do all my maps by using the existing maps as a starting point, so that they will mesh better with existing material. I look at it this way - the big Faerûn map is your general world map, but then the smaller areas I do have all the minute details and are 'corrected' do to the usual map-distortion always present on World maps. The idea is to not create something entirely new, but rather make it look as if I've done nothing at all. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 13 Apr 2007 04:06:31 |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 17 Apr 2007 : 21:09:49
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Sorry for the DP.
I have just put up a 2.0 version of the maps, with MANY more corrections and locales/place names. The map is also ever-so-slightly larger, to include a couple other cities/towns. Also, I needed to make the Lake of Steam region larger in order to fit a scale for the map, which was a rather stupid omission from my original. It started out with me just wanting to correct the location of Lachom by rotating the mountains, and I sort of re-did the whole thing again. My first one is still correct for the most part, but this newer one brings in many of the details and names from source material.
I also took the liberty of placing Nine Stars Towers as a 'current' church of Mystra, rather then a ruin. The source text made mention that several Counts have been actively working on it's restoration, and that Queen Rhinda of Tethyr spent part of her youth there. I would imagine that in the intervening five years much progress would have been made, and even if all nine towers were not rebuilt there would at least be a settlement of workers and at least one priest of Mystra on hand to oversee the work. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 17 Apr 2007 21:10:55 |
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Reefy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
892 Posts |
Posted - 17 Apr 2007 : 22:29:30
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| I meant to comment ages ago, but your maps are top drawer. The large scale ones of the North are getting a lot of use. Have you considered doing something similar with the Heartlands? I'm sure plenty of people would get a lot of mileage out of that too. |
Life is either daring adventure or nothing. |
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Steven Schend
Forgotten Realms Designer & Author
USA
1725 Posts |
Posted - 19 Apr 2007 : 05:06:55
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Very nice indeed, and I fully agree that the Star Towers are most likely rebuilt if not well on their way to being so.
Steven |
For current projects and general natter, see www.steveneschend.com
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 06:19:37
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Thank you Mr. Schend, it was your initial praise that had me go back and do a better job (plus I HATED where the Gorge wound up on the first one).
quote:
Originally posted by Reefy
I meant to comment ages ago, but your maps are top drawer. The large scale ones of the North are getting a lot of use. Have you considered doing something similar with the Heartlands? I'm sure plenty of people would get a lot of mileage out of that too.
I'm actually doing the ENTIRE continent. I just putting the finishing touches on the Hordelands, so that should be up in a day or so, then it's on to Kara-Tur. I even have a tiny bit of Zakhara done already, just because I needed to see how the four campaign maps were going to fit together.
Then from there it's on to Maztica, Anchorome, Katashake, Osse.... |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Reefy
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
892 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 08:54:18
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| Sounds ambitious, but given the quality of your work so far, I expect you'll pull it off nicely. |
Life is either daring adventure or nothing. |
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Mumadar Ibn Huzal
Master of Realmslore
1338 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 10:28:03
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Great maps – certainly will find use in my campaign (currently in Eshpurta). I do have some feedback though, mostly my opinion based on familiarity with the region, but by no means would I claim to be an authority on the matter
Mount Batyr – the line points to a symbol normally used for a hill. I would have expected the mountain to be part of the range itself rather than standing alone.
Fort Ilbratha – missing the ‘l’ in the name and located closer to the Wailing Dwarf than I would have expected, based on the lack of the mention of the dwarven monument/city in the sparse descriptions of the fort. The description mentions that it guards the easiest east-west pass through the Troll Mountains, and the location on the map makes sense, but I would then recommend placing the Wailing Dwarf a little further north, roughly under the ‘NT’ of the word Mountains. Since it is carved out of a mountainside (as opposed to a hill) it would still command the vision over the Giant’s Plain as per description of the site.
Toralth – nice location though perhaps a bit too close to the Wealdath. The limited write up in the 2E adventure the Wyrmskull Throne does not mention the proximity to the ancient forest as much
If you have access to the 2E adventure Castle Spulzeer (or someone who could make a quick scan for you), check out the map in there, it has some more references to use for a detailed Lands of Intrigue map, same goes for Volo’s Guide to Baldur’s Gate II for the west coast of Amn.
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 14:43:01
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| I believe the Castle Spulzeer module Mumadar mentioned is a free download from Wizards page. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36861 Posts |
Posted - 22 Apr 2007 : 15:36:33
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quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
I believe the Castle Spulzeer module Mumadar mentioned is a free download from Wizards page.
It is indeed one of the many freebies available on the the Wizards downloads page. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 24 Apr 2007 : 05:04:09
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quote:
Originally posted by Mumadar Ibn HuzalMount Batyr – the line points to a symbol normally used for a hill. I would have expected the mountain to be part of the range itself rather than standing alone.
Fort Ilbratha – missing the ‘l’ in the name and located closer to the Wailing Dwarf than I would have expected, based on the lack of the mention of the dwarven monument/city in the sparse descriptions of the fort. The description mentions that it guards the easiest east-west pass through the Troll Mountains, and the location on the map makes sense, but I would then recommend placing the Wailing Dwarf a little further north, roughly under the ‘NT’ of the word Mountains. Since it is carved out of a mountainside (as opposed to a hill) it would still command the vision over the Giant’s Plain as per description of the site.
LOL
That 'Valashar' map wasn't really done like I usually do my maps, hence I never announced it here or anywhere else. It was a quickie-job I did for a fellow-poster at WotC for an adeventure he was doing. He posted a tiny piece of the map that came with the LoI boxed set in his thread, and I noticed it was just off the top edge of my Erlkazar map.
I pasted a piece from the main campaign map and just filled in the sites as best they would fit on the 3.5 map. Basically, the whole thing took me about an hour. Anything above Eshpurta was just a fast paste job, and no amount of tinkering by me was done to the region. Someday I may 'fix-it', but basically that was the best I could manage using the existing maps; sorry about the mispelling, I will correct that. Also, it may seem a little 'self-indulgent' to some, but sometimes things move slightly apart just so the maps don't wind up looking to 'busy' in certain areas. I would have loved to have added the five other forts onto the Erlkazar map from the originals, but three of them were surrounding Riatavin and it would have looked like an ugly mess to include them (the same with the two further south). It is always reccomended to refer to the adventure maps that came with the original source material whenever possible for completeness.
I realize some cities/locations have moved closer/further away then before, and they have sometimes moved north or south as well. The main purposes of the maps I do is to reconcile 2e locations with the new maps, so I don't do any 'major' terrain changes, just minor adjustments like nudging a mountain range or rotating a forest slightly. I explain any problems/changes I had with the maps in the text below them. If you can, please take the time to read that so you know exactly why certain things were done and how.
I do not think I am improving on the official maps in any way - I'm just trying to help fellow gamers use the new maps with the older 2e source material.
Thanks - Mark
Edit: I decided that you are right, and something like the Realms deserves more then just a 'quickie treatment'. I did not refer to any of the source material the first time and only went by the original map, and now realize what a mistake that was. I left out the mountain containing Swordsmere because I hadn't realized it was important! I also mispelled the Gorge - I thought it was "Brigano's Gorge"! (These old eyes can't read the fine print too good any more), plus I added a small hill, because the Gorge didn't really make much sense before. I also used the wrong map icons for several sites as well; I created a new 'unofficial' map symbol just for this.
I extended the mountain range, so that the statue is placed properly, I hope it meets with your approval. If you spot any other errors please let me know and I will be more then happy to fix them. |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 24 Apr 2007 07:06:14 |
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BlackAce
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
358 Posts |
Posted - 03 May 2007 : 23:08:03
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| Great work, Markustay! You couldn't have done these a couple of years ago and saved me making my own! |
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Erlkazar Revisited
