# Community Participation > Mapping Challenge Archive >  February 2019 Challenge: Tuura City

## Kellerica

The start of this one wasn't as smooth as one could have hoped. This was the start of Daniel's original brief to me:

_So what you'll need to start with is drink a cup of coffee. When you're finished, take a picture of the cup. The stains on the inside will determine the primary shape of the map. This can either be a world or regional map, a city map, or even a dungeon or structure._ 

I always love using random shapes like this to create maps. The only problem being, I don't drink the brown p*** brewed by the bean demons. After consulting with Dan, we agreed I could use some other random natural-ish shapes instead.

For a bit, I considered using the gross food stains on my stove, but eventually decided nobody wanted to see that picture, and I sure as hell didn't want to look at it for even longer. So I cleaned the stove like a normal person for once and was still no closer to getting the map started. 

When trying to find something else to use, I suddenly remembered I had this.



This is frost on the balcony glass at my grandparents' place up in Kuusamo, taken last winter with my rather bad camera phone.
So I took the picture, and traced a shape alongside the frost patterns (I'm currently living separated from my Cintiq so I had to do this with my mouse, please excuse the fantastic quality of the mask).



This will serve as my starting point (unless Dan has any objections).



Dan's brief went on:

_However, for each style of map there are a couple of requirements and some bonus points to be scored. 

Main requirements:

World/regional map:
- There must be at least three distinct cultures visible on the map. How you decide to show that is up to you, but it must be clear that these are culturally different from each other.

City Map:
- There must be at least three ruling houses in the town or city. Again, how you decide to do that is up to you, but it must be shown visually. 

Dungeon/building
- Same as before, this dungeon or building must have at least three residents. These can be three individuals, three tribes, three bosses. Whatever you choose.

Bonus Points:

- Squeeze in references to guild members
- Use a colour palette that's bright and soft, contrary to what you usually do
- Finish this map before the end of the challenge _ 




Now, I figured I might actually travel beyond my comfort zone for a bit and, rather than the regional map my mind immediately goes to, drop the scale down and build a city on this broken coast.

Will I come to regret this decision, or will this be the best map ever made? Join Kell's wild frost mapping extravaganza and find out!

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## Domino44

I really like the concept picture! The shoreline looks pretty good so far, I’m excited to watch it develop!

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## Diamond

I will watch this develop eagerly, Dark Lady Kell.  I don't think I've ever seen _you_ do a city map either...

That starting point is great - for some reason my mind goes right to Fritz Lieber and Fafhrd & The Gray Mouser when I try to picture a city on that broken patch of land.

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## Wingshaw

I love the fact that, not only are we getting some fantastic maps out of this challenge, we're also getting some brilliant, peculiar and frankly flamboyant commission briefs.

This is off to a very nice start so far, Kell. I'm always excited to see a new city map taking shape.

Wingshaw

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## Onirian

I love this concept, and the starting picture is very cool (or... cold... You know, bad english, things like that, hard to makes jokes :-p).
Very great start !

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## MistyBeee

Kellerica on a city map ! He's late, but Santa finally listened to my Christmas wishes \o/
Can't wait to see it !!  :Smile:

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## Ilanthar

Whhaaaaat! How are you mapping without coffee  :Surprised: ??
*suddenly remembers to start the coffee machine again*

More seriously, very nice concept... and my hats off to you for being so bold and starting a city  :Smile: !

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## Voolf

> - Use a colour palette that's bright and soft, contrary to what you usually do


.....nah, make it BLACK... as the dark roasted coffee bea.... cough... as your SOUL!  :Very Happy:  :Very Happy: 

Ok but seriously, nice one. Go Kelleri !

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## Kellerica

> Whhaaaaat! How are you mapping without coffee ??
> *suddenly remembers to start the coffee machine again*


WE DO NOT TOLERATE THE BEAN DEMONS IN KELL CITY. BEGONE!




> .....nah, make it BLACK... as the dark roasted coffee bea.... cough... as your SOUL!


I'll try to limit my dark soul seeping into the map with this one. I have a feeling it won't be easy... xD

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## ladiestorm

I'm really curious to see what you are going to do with this one!

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## J.Edward

I need coffee just to sit and read posts on the guild.. yawns...
It's all that BLACK licorice she's eating... has corrupted her.  :Razz: 
I'm definitely eager to see you take on a city. It should be good.

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## - JO -

Oh, now you're really out of your comfort zone! Very good idea, that map made from the gel photo.... (I made my first map of a world from the spots on my dog's fur). I am very happy to see your work on this type of map, and I am sure it will be beautiful!!!!

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## Kellerica

Okay, I really need to get moving with this one, as I desperately want to enter the current Lite challenge as well...

I was originally going to go with a very southern, tropical setting for this, but as I was refining that sketch based on the frost shapes, it suddenly hit me... This ain't no tropical city. This here is shaping into no other place than Tuura. With just a few adjusted lines here and there, the shape suddenly became shockingly familiar, in that way it sometimes happens when you finally manage to visualize something your imagination created and yet you still haven't been able to quite put your finger on. 

Tuura, Tuuransilta by its official title ("Tuura's bridge", tuura itself is a word for an ice pick/tool of sorts) is one of the most iconic locations on Syr. It is an ancient city, built in a time when the humanity was a lot better off than they are now, in the days long before the drastic Fracture that released all sorts of magical anomalies into the world that were thought gone forever. Even with the return of the Witchblood that followed the Fracture, the art of building cities like this is lost to the ages - at least for now. 

Named after the Tuura family that originally settled the abandoned city after finding it again, Tuuransilta is a central hub of trade in all of Syr. The Bridge City is by far the only safe place to cross the Railo Sea on foot, and it also serves as a convenient docking place for the Islander traders sailing from their archipelago. It's still not a large city by modern or even medieval standards, as Syr is still living in fairly un-advanced times, but it is one of the largest settlements in the land. Not only does it have a large fishing community, but the nearby areas also provide quite a lot of ore, and the city is home to one of the most famous blacksmith families in Syr. 

### Latest WIP ###


I'm still very much in the planning stage for this one, as you can obviously see, but it does feel good to finally start fleshing out this place.

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## Kellerica

Hey, if any of you CL's happen to see this, could one of you be awesome and change the title of my thread to "Tuura City" from the vague placeholder it currently has?

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## Jaxilon

> Hey, if any of you CL's happen to see this, could one of you be awesome and change the title of my thread to "Tuura City" from the vague placeholder it currently has?


Glad to see you making progress and isn't it just the worst to have two challenges at the same time and you want to do them both? 

PS. Changed your title for ya 😂

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## Kellerica

> Glad to see you making progress and isn't it just the worst to have two challenges at the same time and you want to do them both? 
> 
> PS. Changed your title for ya


It is positively the worst. *somber nod*

And thanks, you're the best!

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## Kellerica

Some further planning...

This is about as hard as I thought it would be. There is a reason I haven't really done cities... The layout for this place most likely isn't as logical as it could be, but hey, maybe the simple folk of Syr aren't the brightest city planners either...  :Very Happy: 

### Latest WIP ###


I also don't know why the sketch has such a pink tone going for it. It just happened.

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## J.Edward

I like the layout.  :Smile: 
Seems like a fun, crazy plan.
Might be hectic on trading days, when all the merchants are trying to come and go.

Maybe you are developing a color short hand.
I do that with light blue for my early stage stuff.
I just go with a basic color to get going, knowing it will change later.
And it's usually I color I wouldn't keep.

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## DanielHasenbos

Oh wow, this is looking really cool Kel! I love the background of this and I really look forward to seeing it develop. As for the layout, I think it's pretty decent. I'm no expert when it comes to this myself, but to me it looks quite organic and there's no super odd streets or anything, at least not that I can see.  :Wink:

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## Kellerica

> I like the layout. 
> Seems like a fun, crazy plan.
> Might be hectic on trading days, when all the merchants are trying to come and go.
> 
> Maybe you are developing a color short hand.
> I do that with light blue for my early stage stuff.
> I just go with a basic color to get going, knowing it will change later.
> And it's usually I color I wouldn't keep.


Hehe, I can already imagine the insanity of a busy market day and the few odd travelers in the midst of it like "I JUST WANT TO CROSS THE BRIDGES LET ME THROUGH DAMNIT"  :Very Happy: 




> Oh wow, this is looking really cool Kel! I love the background of this and I really look forward to seeing it develop. As for the layout, I think it's pretty decent. I'm no expert when it comes to this myself, but to me it looks quite organic and there's no super odd streets or anything, at least not that I can see.


Glad to hear it! Now get busy with yours, chop chop!  :Razz:

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## Llannagh

> Hehe, I can already imagine the insanity of a busy market day and the few odd travelers in the midst of it like "I JUST WANT TO CROSS THE BRIDGES LET ME THROUGH DAMNIT"


... and this is why I think it's pretty realistic, actually!  :Smile:  From what I learned from looking at old cities all over Europe, nobody ever planned nothing. At least back in the really dark ages. If you visit any of the really old towns in southern Germany, you'll get exactly this kind of crazy. Really narrow alleyways, buildings plastered onto the city walls, etc.

Really looking forward to seeing how this'll turn out!

(I also seem to be using the word "really" really often. For real.)

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## Kellerica

> ... and this is why I think it's pretty realistic, actually!  From what I learned from looking at old cities all over Europe, nobody ever planned nothing. At least back in the really dark ages. If you visit any of the really old towns in southern Germany, you'll get exactly this kind of crazy. Really narrow alleyways, buildings plastered onto the city walls, etc.
> 
> Really looking forward to seeing how this'll turn out!


Hmm, that is actually a really good point. I'm probably not even that dumb by dark age standards, so if I can't figure out a smarter way to design things, chances are the people living in a world like this wouldn't have either. Interesting and a much needed perspective, thank you!




> (I also seem to be using the word "really" really often. For real.)


I do this too! *Really* often.  :Very Happy:  Must be a second language thing, yeah?

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## Llannagh

Glad to have been of help. Sorry, *really* glad.  :Wink:  And I agree on the second language thing. (Sorry, *really* agree, of course)

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## Kellerica

I really read you. Really loud and really clear. Really.

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## Voolf

This looks quite interesting. I like the layout. I am intrigued and wondering in what style you will make this.




> (I also seem to be using the word "really" really often. For real.)





> I do this too! Really often.


Really? Are you guys for real ?  :Razz:

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## Kellerica

> This looks quite interesting. I like the layout. I am intrigued and wondering in what style you will make this.


I'm not a 100% sure of that myself...  :Very Happy:  Most likely the answer will be "however I can get it done without going insane".




> Really? Are you guys for real ?


We really are.  :Razz:

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## Llannagh

I'm not sure if I am, really.  :Wink:

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## Voolf

> We really are.





> I'm not sure if I am, really.


Something dosen't quite click here... really.

Ok enough fooling around  :Very Happy: . <...sending some good energies to Kell, to make this map awesome...>

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## J.Edward

> I'm probably not even that dumb by dark age standards, ...


I got a good laugh from this, Kell  :Very Happy:  hehehe

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## - JO -

The layout of the buildings is very interesting, but what I like most of all is the idea of bridges: it gives a beautiful importance to the city, it inscribes it in the history and geography of the whole region, which, in turn, comes to life! Nice initiative! 
Now I'm waiting to see what your brushstroke will do! It's going to be beautiful!

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## Naima

> Some further planning...
> 
> This is about as hard as I thought it would be. There is a reason I haven't really done cities... The layout for this place most likely isn't as logical as it could be, but hey, maybe the simple folk of Syr aren't the brightest city planners either... 
> 
> ### Latest WIP ###
> Attachment 113673
> 
> I also don't know why the sketch has such a pink tone going for it. It just happened.


I like the layout and looking forward for more progress on this  :Smile:  .

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## arsheesh

Looks good to me, not that I'm an expert in medieval civil planning (or lack thereof) either.  It will be interesting to watch how the map develops.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

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## Kellerica

Agh.

I'm sure everyone can guess from the lack of activity here, I've ended up having one of the busiest months in a long time. I've been doing freelance work on top of doing an internship for 'regular' office hours so to speak (Mon-Fri, 8am-4pm), so things have been pretty damn hectic... Even though things have started to quiet down during this last week, I'm absolutely exhausted.

I don't mean to bug you guys with my personal life, the relevant point here being that I haven't had the time to work on this almost at all, and even now that I'm starting to have some again, I have serious difficulty finding the energy.

### Latest WIP ###


Here's where I'm at now, and I'm sure you can see how much there still is to do. I know I still have a few days to finish this, and I will try to, but I honestly doubt I'm going to hit that deadline.  

I really hate that all this stuff came down right now, considering how much I had been looking forward and how insanely excited I was for this. I'm sorry, everyone  :Frown:

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## Ilanthar

Looking good! And well, I'm sure your kind client will give you a delay (I do want to see this nice city finished at some point  :Wink: ).

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## Chashio

I hope you'll get to finish it at some point. I like the direction you took it and the balanced composition and layout of the city so far  :Smile:

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