# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Building/Structure Mapping >  A Shrine

## Larb

For some of my world building stuff I have been making an effort to get certain things set in stone including the layout of typical religious and civic buildings and what kind of items of note are found in there.

This is a typical shrine in one of the nations. Eventually information on the numbered bits will go on the right hand side but I won't bore you with the details.

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## Domino44

Simple and fantastic!

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## waldronate

Lazy people, eh? Real religions remain standing during services. Or maybe they kneel. But sittin' on yer butt in the face of the almighty is downright disrespectful!

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## Larb

LORE STUFF (if it helps make sense of the numbers! Feel free to skip)

They don't really hold services. The benches are more for group gatherings when extended families or other groups are attempting to invoke the wisdom or the favour of Illeana. The two main religious festivals are processions that start and end at the grounds of the shrine. There is an altar for offerings (3). There is a "holy" text kept on another stone table at the back (4). The text though mostly deals with laws and philosophy and is the basis for the legal system. There is a big statue of Illeana that can be depicted in one of three aspects - a lawbringer/judge, a protector/conqueror, or a scholar/enlightener.

Most of the religious iconography is star-related too. A processional star is held in a big cabinet or box (5). It is claimed that the northern star was absent during her reign when she "civilised" the region and reappeared on her death or ascension. The surrounding stars form a constellation called the celestial court. So she is literally considered to be that star always looking over her people.

Marriages are held within the grounds of a shrine but not the shrine building itself. Only the happy (or unhappy) couple are present inside for a short ceremony. In essence the couple are being given permission to marry.

Funerals are not held in the shrine. But there is a crypt (6) for those considered to be paragons of loyalty and service. It's called an Ashen Crypt. Most people are cremated. Their ashes are then either scattered in a graveyard called an ash garden, or placed in an urn and buried there (or put in a mausoleum within the ash garden). The ash garden is not part of the shrine grounds - it is an entirely different place. Celebrated people get put in the ashen crypt instead.

Every shrine has a plaque on the front (that rectangle bit on the gable end) which describes the date it was constructed, it's dedication to Illeana, and the name of the person/family/individuals who helped pay for it. Because helping pay for one shows your loyalty and dedication!

The religion is a part of the state apparatus, not separate from it. Essentially it encourages loyalty and is an additional source of income in the way of offerings and funding for building projects.

Hope that wasn't too boring to read!

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## waldronate

I see that the imagery of the wizened old barbarian dressed in rotting skins and waving his stick as he loudly decried the softness of these civilized folks and their fancy permanent buildings with the foundations and the roofs and the plaques didn't quite come through there. "Back in my day, we had hilltops and stars and standing and killing! And it was good!"

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## Larb

I just finished a new drawing in this style. I thought I would post it here instead of cluttering up the forum with multiple posts. I intend to do more of these.

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## Domino44

I love this style, it's simple yet it has so much detail!

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## Bogie

The drawing of the tower side view is great!

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## Meriba

Great job!! I like the shadows of the tower.

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## Lyandra

I love both drawings and it was interesting to read the lore stuff. It made the maps feel like real places to me.  :Smile:

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## Larb

Thanks everyone for this comments so far!

This next one is a typical tribal chief's tower from a large hilly region in my world. It is a broch-inspired design (one of my favourite types of iron-age structure) but these are mortared buildings, not dry-stone.

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## Larb

This next one is a typical residence of a people with a partially clan or tribal structure (it's in a state of flux). The building takes some inspiration from a type of chinese communal dwelling called a Tulou - they are really interesting.

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## J.Edward

I watched a documentary about a multi-generational family living in one of these in China. They are tea farmers. It was pretty interesting.
Great work on these. I'm really enjoying your thread. These look excellent Larb.  :Very Happy:

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## Larb

I'd never heard of them until a few months ago when I was randomly looking up the more obscure chinese architecture. The conditions that led to their construction seemed to lend itself to some of the ideas around one of my more underdeveloped cultures which is basically a collection of many many tribes/clans who pay homage to a high king.

I also really like the donut shape. =P

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## Domino44

That is an awesome building!

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## Bogie

Cool Design, nice work.  I like the donut shape too,

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## Chris

This is by far the best building artwork I have seen so far. How and with which programm did you draw that? Could you do a short tutorium or explain your tricks?
That would be very kind and helpful!

Cheers, Chris

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## Larb

They are all drawn by hand in Paint Tool SAI using the pen tool. Sometimes I use a grid for guidlines, sometimes I make some basic shapes in Sketchup for guidelines.

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## Chris

Thanks Larb for the quick reply. Do you use the computer mouse or a graphics tablet?

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## Larb

Yes, I use a graphics tablet.

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## Chris

Thanks Larb, I'm still using a mouse but I ordered a graphics tablet which will arrive today. I'm looking forward to try drawing with the tablet. 

I'm also hoping that you will post some more of these wonderful buildings.

Best Chris

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## Green-Pilgrim

I love the Tulou shape that you used. The concept of an 'Apartment complex' where all of the homes are built within a single, unified shape, would make them collectively more defensible than they would ever be as individual structures. It's almost like someone combined the idea of a round keep and a village into a single structure.

I could totally see something like this being used in areas that are constantly under threat of attack by raiders. It probably wouldn't last long against a siege, but would probably give the hit-and-run tactics of a raider something to deal with.

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## Larb

I have actually done a bunch more buildings but for some of them I just haven't bothered with floor plans so they aren't very "mappy". My latest one I haven't done floor plans for yet either but I intend to - although I am just considering mapping the central keep.

This is Castle Galbrin. It sits on a rocky outcrop in the middle of a river which runs through an independent city (the City of Galbrin). The city is quite large now though so the castle is just used as a prison - the round keep part that is. Actual government has been moved to a palace elsewhere in the city. It is a WiP at the moment.

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## Bogie

Excellent castle, well done.  This looks like it could be easily converted to floorplans that would actually work.

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## Larb

I didn't do the floor plans for Galbrin Castle yet - I did a few other buildings including this next one.

This is Kallamway Keep - it is a toll castle. Travelers on foot can avoid it but anyone with a wagon or cart cannot.

This map was partly inspired by this one on Dyson's blog here which I suspect some of you may have already come across.

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## Galendae

@Larb
Wow!  Great stuff.  You ever do a whole village or town?  I would love to see it.

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## Falconius

Wow this thread is wonderful.  I particularly like the Clan roundhouse.

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