# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Regional/World Mapping >  World of Almaera

## Tiana

Personal work in progress. I did the outline months ago to assemble two continental maps I'd done, this is the first shot at assembling those regions and filling in the whole rest of the world. Mostly that middle bit is where the story tends to happen. The maelstroms might not even be real so much as just the propaganda reason why "we don't go overseas". A map of Estavin on the left there can be found somewhere on the guild, I think, and in my portfolio, and Almaera in the middle.

Feel free to borrow for your private non-profit gaming use if for some reason it inspires you.

No labels or fill yet, just got distracted by building up a decorative frame.

Personally, I think this one is shaping up to be a winner, and since it's for me and my co-writer, that's a nice feeling.  :Smile:

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## Tiana

Experimenting with some labels and trees in a more realistic style. And an iceberg texture.

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## Hermit

Those maelstroms are real if they're on the map, just like the sea monsters and dragons, right?  :Razz: 

I like the border colors and I think the forests/trees look really good. It gives the impression of forest, but keeps the "zoomed-out" look that pairs well with the rivers and lakes.

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## Tiana

Couple of small additions... I added country borders, some info to the legend, and I kinda hated the text on the mainland so I changed that. Still not sure I'm sold on it. Work in progress. Actually, I kinda prefer it without the trees, they were an experiment, mixed feelings. I'm glad you like them, Hermit. Yeah, the goal was like, a zoomed out look.

And I added a compass art and changed all of the English name labels into conlang labels.

I discussed it with my cowriter, and we determined that yes, the maelstroms are in fact real, but not in a physical whirlpool sense. They are a magic bypass into the Maelstrom plane, which is why they are represented by maelstroms, and if you sail into them, you might end up teleported on the other side, or you might end up dead. Both are known to happen.

Actually, every time I've added dragons to a map, it's been because the story has dragons in it! I don't know if this is the case for everyone, but usually the monsters I add are monsters from the story the map is for.  :Smile:  I always want the art to reflect the lore.

I really did just make the maelstroms up to look swanky but since you asked, I have now verified them as canon.

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## Hermit

With the labels and borders I can see why you prefer it without the forests. I like them, but they can be a little distracting or make it look a little too busy in spots with text. I'm glad the maelstroms are canon lol. I was really just poking fun, but I like the lore and use as a portal to another plane. Looking good, and I like the different continent/landmass labels.

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## KMAlexander

I quite like the shape of those landmasses.

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## Eowyn Cwper

Nice work! The Eloria icon troubles me though, as it reminds me of an emoji. I quite like the icebergs; is there any reason for their higher concentration close to lands?

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## Tiana

> With the labels and borders I can see why you prefer it without the forests. I like them, but they can be a little distracting or make it look a little too busy in spots with text. I'm glad the maelstroms are canon lol. I was really just poking fun, but I like the lore and use as a portal to another plane. Looking good, and I like the different continent/landmass labels.


Not only is it canon but it's canon only because you asked, LOL... co-creation! but it fit into the lore because there are 6 planes, and there are other points in the world that connect into some of them. I agree completely with your assessment of the text and forest interaction. Maybe this could be fixed by removing the forests around the text. Or more severe text outlines.




> I quite like the shape of those landmasses.


Thanks, man, me too. 




> Nice work! The Eloria icon troubles me though, as it reminds me of an emoji. I quite like the icebergs; is there any reason for their higher concentration close to lands?


I also am not a big fan of Eloria's icon and was thinking of replacing it with a flaggy type icon instead.

The icebergs are 50% likely to be not actually icebergs and actually a broken collective shapeshifting hive mind species native to the planet that dominants all of its life, that spends its time being whatever they want. They are not necessarily naturally formed, but these beings preventing movement into certain areas and inconveniencing man-shaped life. There isn't a thing on this planet that can't be one of these shapeshifters, and the oceans are thick with them. Their logic varies from being indescribably close to human-like... to, well... chunks of ice that want to inconvenience one of their least favourite things, shipping routes. Iceberg Malelri have congregated where they are most likely to inconvenience and outright stop shipping routes without, well, melting and reverting to their pre-shape-shifted form. The sea's outright lousy with them, and while that often results in them living in fish and large oceanic creature forms... not all of them are even that prone to what we'd deem as sense.

This applies to other terrains, for example caves that are infested, and you can't tell, because they're rocks that want to kill you. The rocks won't come after you, but they will kill you if you show up. Thanks.

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## Eowyn Cwper

Your type of lore definitely strikes me as unique, I hope you get the opportunity to publish it eventually!

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