# Community Participation > Mapping Challenge Archive >  February 2019 Challenge: The Sundown Cities

## Diamond

Voolf gave me a great one!  Here's his brief:



I decided to go with this...

It is dusk.  It is _always_ dusk.  Long ago, the sun stopped moving in the sky.  Some say it was the result of a war between magi fought far to the west.  Some say it is a curse of the gods.  And some say it is the result of man meddling with things he was not meant to know, things from a dimension of horrors.  Whatever the reason, this land sits in a zone of perpetual twilight.  The sun is barely visible along the top of the western mountains; the sea to the east is a cold, dark, and stormy maelstrom that eats ships whole.  The land can still grow crops, after a fashion, but the yield is much less than in centuries past.  The people compensate by growing new crops more suited to the dark, like vast fungi farms.  A perpetual mist shrouds the coast, but cities still cling to life there, not only for the continued bounty of the sea hauled in by brave fishermen, but because the coast sits far enough away from the mountains to have the most amount of sunlight available... which is very important.

Because _things_ lurk in the darkness.  Vampires.  No one knows where they came from, but they are everywhere.  The religious thank their gods that the sun is not gone altogether, because then... well, that doesn't bear thinking about.  The priests and monks of the sun god, Ao, pray for His return, and in the meantime they fight the vampiric menace when and how they can.  Their fighting monks patrol the cities and the desolate roads and farms between.  In the cities, no one with any sense goes into the alleys and streets on the darkward side of buildings without being heavily armed and bearing fire and light.

So yeah.  Should be fun.   :Very Happy:

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## Naima

Pretty cool concept  :Smile: .

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## Kellerica

Oooh, way to go, Voolf! 

This should be a blast to follow. Take it away, D!

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## MistyBeee

That's what I call... a pop-corn time ! ^^

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## Voolf

Oh man, that is one hell of a story to the map. Can't wait to see this one progress.

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## PaperGriffin

That is quite some narrative. Looking forward to seeing the map develop.

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## Caenwyr

just replying here so I can follow this up. Awesome setup, Diamond! I'm sure you'll be able to create something wonderful out of it!

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## J.Edward

Hehe, and here I was thinking I was gonna make the first thread  :Very Happy: 
You get right down to business.
I like that color palette option. That's a good idea.

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## Diamond

Coastlines are done... finally.  That was a lot of work.   :Surprised: 

I'm picturing this as almost a Shadowfell type of place, with all kinds of unnatural creatures lurking in dark places.  Some starting lore (I'll add more as I go along):

VAMPIRES

No one knows where this curse originated, or how.  The only thing known for sure is that, while blood-drinkers may have been around before Sundown, they were never as wide-spread and deadly as they are now.  The bite of a vampire is not necessarily deadly - a vampire doesn't need to completely drain a victim to survive - less than half a pint is usually sufficient. (The human body contains between 9 and 12 pints.)  If a victim is completely drained, he or she dies the true death.  However, roughly 15% of the population is susceptible to turning from a vampire's bite.  The initial stages, which last about 48 to 72 hours, resemble a bad case of influenza, with nausea, vomiting, heavy sweating, dizziness, and the inability to keep food or liquids down common.  At the end of that period, a victim will either recover (suffering a slight light sensitivity for the rest of their lives), or turn.  Those that turn retain varying degrees of intelligence.  Most (75%) are ravenous beasts only interested in feeding from as many people as they can.  The rest are more cunning and in control, and those are the ones to be afraid of - the mindless vampires _can_ regain some intellect over the years, but most are so wild they are dispatched quickly - but the others learn to hide, survive, and grow ever stronger.

Vampires retain much of their human appearance, with some notable exceptions.  Their eyes become completely black, with no discernible whites, irises, or pupils.  Their skin becomes pallid and grayish, and their fingers and toes lengthen and develop claw-like talons.  Mouth structure and fangs vary from individual to individual; some have long canines, while others have a mouth full of jagged fangs.  Still others have lamprey-like mouths lined with small rows of saw-like teeth.  Despite popular legend, vampires cannot fly or change into bats or wolves or mist, but they _can_ distort their bodies to an unnatural degree, dislocating and shifting their bones so they can fit into tight spaces that no normal human ever could.  They are naturally stealthy and quiet, and they have a limited telepathic power that lets them charm or frighten their victims.  They are also very strong, and can use their talons to climb vertical surfaces or even across ceilings.

The weaknesses of vampires are few.  Fire will kill them, as will direct, prolonged sunlight.  Decapitation is a proven method, though one must make sure to burn the head afterwards.  Normal weapons do little damage, as vampires can regenerate from most wounds, but silvered weapons are effective.  The monks of Ao have also developed 'sunstones', magically-infused stones that emit sunlight, which will burn a vampire.

### Latest WIP ###

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## Diamond

Okay, I need opinions here.  Even though this is a pretty dark (literally) setting, I don't want to obscure the map.  I have two versions below, one with a darker, grungy outer edge, one without.  I'm kind of leaning towards the one without, but what do you all think?  Also, yes, the landmasses will be faded out at the edges eventually, instead of having that harsh edge.

And some more lore:

THE SUNDOWN

No one knows the exact causes of the event now called 'The Sundown', but on a late autumn day more than two centuries ago, the sun froze in the sky.  It was dusk, and it has stayed dusk ever since.  Temperatures began to drop in this once gentle (Mediterranean) climate, and winters lasted longer and became harsher.  Most crops either died off or produced much lower yields and harvests.  Livestock and people alike died from malnutrition until alternate crops, like the fungus farms, were developed some years later.  Many citizens of the Coastal Kingdoms fled westward, following the frozen sun, but few returned.  Those that did carried frightening tales - of anarchy in the plains kingdoms, where it seemed to be a permanent late afternoon; of chaos in the far west, where the summers now scorched the land for thousands of miles; and of... things.  Things of darkness dwelling in the mountain passes.  

The Coastal Kingdoms of the east fragmented and fell apart as the population shrunk.  After a decade or so, a loose federation of city states, with Caleah as its nominal capital, arose.  Focused merely on staying alive, the cities turned inward and grew to distrust outsiders.  Even folk from other coastal cities were suspect until proven otherwise.  It didn't help that around this time the vampires began to appear.  Now, two centuries on, the Cities are dank, decaying places, filled with a seemingly-perpetual fog rolling in off the ocean.  The priests of great Ao provide sunstones to those with critical need - the city watches, the farming communes on the plains, the waystations along the roads connecting the cities, the sturdy fishing boats that ply the coastal waters, and of course the rich.  Everyone else is welcome to buy a sunstone... if they can afford one.  Those who can't make do with lanterns, fire, and vigilance.

### Latest WIP ###

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## ladiestorm

I prefer the darker, grungier one.  It fits better with the mood you are setting for this map.  Plus, it gives it a more... authentic... feel to it.  And old world, antique feel that works well with the theme you are putting together.

Awesome concept by the way!!!  I'm looking forward to seeing how this develops!

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## Wingshaw

Personally, I prefer the darker one. But I also think it's a bit too early to be sure how it will affect the final map.

If I may make a suggestion: one thing you could try to evoke the sunset theme is not exactly make the map darker, but throw in some sunset-like hues: reds, oranges and purples. Like a sunset on the Serengeti.

Are you planning on showing light/darkness on the map (which areas are perpetually sunset, which are late afternoon, which are early night etc.)?

Overall, looking really good with some very interesting story-telling and lore  :Smile: 

Wingshaw

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## Voolf

OH MAN!, You are going fast with it. It is looking absolutely awesome already. I like the darker theme. Fits better with the lore, and it looks better imo.
And the lore... love it.

You said it will be unfinished at the beginning... keep that in mind would ya.... (haha i haven't even started mine yet ;(, just being sad and pathetic here)

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## Diamond

Okay, 2 votes for grunge so far.  Anyone else?  

@Wingshaw: I may add in some sunset hues, but probably not, since I want to use a lot of the palette Voolf gave me, which won't be too harmonious with a lot of red stuff.  We'll see.

edit: 3 votes   :Very Happy:  

@Voolf: I'm not working for two solid weeks, so most of that time will be devoted to this.  And sleeping.  And catching up on Netflix shows.   :Very Happy:

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## Domino44

I'm a vote for the grunge too... 
It's looking great! What a cool concept to work with! You are also getting it done so quickly, I feel like I've fallen behind and I just started working on mine...

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## Kellerica

THE. DARKER. ONE. 

Seriously, need you even ask?  :Very Happy:

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## MistyBeee

The lighter one for me. Yes. 'cause I'm crazy like that.

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## Diamond

Well, despite Beee's dissenting vote, I decided to go with the darker version, at least for now.  I did away with the coastal stroke/decoration, added some Kellerica-style waves instead, and did a crosshatch pattern along the shoreline (which may need to be lightened further).  Also added mountains, which will be blended more effectively with the ground - I'm going to add hills too, so that'll help.  Not happy with the rivers.  Will redo those for sure.  Also did a label/text test run...

I'm drifting away from Voolf's color palette, sorry!   :Frown: 

More lore:

GUILDS

During the Sundown and the years after, most of the nobility of the coastal kingdoms were deposed.  Many retained their wealth but gave up their titles, but many more were exiled or killed.  The cities of the region each have a Lord Protector, elected for a term of 10 years by each city's Guild Council.  The Guilds (along with the Church of Ao) are the true power in the region.  There are usually five Great Guilds in each city: those of the Arbiters (lawyers and judges), Moneychangers, Doctors and Alchemists, Farmers, and Furriers.  Among the lesser guilds are those for bakers, saddle makers, ironworkers and other artisans. They have sizable memberships, but lack the political and social standing necessary to influence city affairs.  Each guild holds a monopoly on trade in its craft within the city in which it operates: handicraft workers are forbidden by law to run any business if they are not members of a guild, and only those who can demonstrate journeyman status by a test of ability and documentation of their rank are allowed to be guild members.  Each city is run de facto by its Guild Council, a panel of the leaders of the Five Great Guilds, who 'advise' the Lord Protector.  Most guilds of rival cities are at least cordial to one another; the main exception is the Farmer's Guild, whose more radical members have been known to burn the fields and sabotage the farm sunstones of rival cities in times of political unrest.

### Latest WIP ###

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## Diamond

> THE. DARKER. ONE. 
> 
> Seriously, need you even ask?


 :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   You and your darkness.  Your maps, I mean!!

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## Kellerica

Not just the maps, necessarily...  :Very Happy:  

BOW BEFORE YOUR DARK MISTRESS, PUNY MORTAL!

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## Diamond

> Not just the maps, necessarily...  
> 
> BOW BEFORE YOUR DARK MISTRESS, PUNY MORTAL!


Sometimes you frighten me.   :Very Happy:

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## Kellerica

> Sometimes you frighten me.


Good!  :Very Happy: 

Say, D, a random question came to my mind just now: do you ever make city maps? I can't remember if I've ever seen you post one or not.

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## Caenwyr

> Not just the maps, necessarily...  
> 
> BOW BEFORE YOUR DARK MISTRESS, PUNY MORTAL!


You made me shoot coffee out of my nose, in a completely silent office. Imagine the stares!

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## Kellerica

> You made me shoot coffee out of my nose, in a completely silent office. Imagine the stares!


I thrive on the destruction I leave in my wake. My work here is done!

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## ladiestorm

getting back to the map... Diamond, I disagree with your assessment that you are getting away from the color palette.  Those mountains look very close to that darker brown, the lighter brown seems to be represented in the land, itself, and your rivers definitely look the right shade of blue.  I think the issue is you are still missing some colors... but then you aren't ready to add them yet, obviously  :Smile: .

I like the color for the land based text labels, but I'm not too sure about that blue for the water based labels.  That blue seems to light and cheery for the dark feel you are trying to give it.  Maybe a darker blue, or a muted purple would work better?

I do like the cross hatching on the lands.  That looks really good.  Over all, it's coming along great!  But coming from you, I'm not surprised  :Very Happy:

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## Voolf

You are doing really great job so far D.
Don't worry, if the palette won't work for you. I am not master of colours and sometimes the ones i choose just don't click at first. That is why i made that one optional.
Anyway, so far so good. really like the atmosphere you are making here. Kell added a little spin here too <BOW> .... (just in case, better safe than sorry, HAHA)

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## J.Edward

Hehe, love this Guild.  :Very Happy:  
I like the dark one, and seems appropriate for Sundown and all.
I'm trying to work at the same fast pace cus I have things coming up too.
But darn man, you are killing it. You'll be done before I even have my line work done.  :Surprised:

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## Ilanthar

It's already yummy yummy (Braiiinnnns!).
Love it.

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## Diamond

> Good! 
> 
> Say, D, a random question came to my mind just now: do you ever make city maps? I can't remember if I've ever seen you post one or not.


City maps intimidate the crap out of me, which is why I should do more of them.  I was half dreading/half hoping Voolf would give me one.   :Very Happy: 

I've posted one completed city map here when I first joined (so, 2009), started another one that I abandoned, and started a Guild City thread that is also dormant.  And I think that's it.  I've got about half a dozen more that I'll never post because they suck.  I do need to get better at them though; at some point I'll HAVE to map some cities for my conworld...

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## Diamond

Here's a small update.  Some hills put in, which I think look pretty good!  And some cities and villages, which are the same Lone Wolf-inspired ones I used in my Hurnic Horde map from years ago.  Probably need to tone down the drop shadow/outer glow, just like I did in that map.   :Very Happy: 

### Latest WIP ###

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## Domino44

I absolutely love the hatch work around the shoreline! The border also works perfectly for this challenge!

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## Naima

Very nice already , I like a lot the surrounding frames and the mini icons , remind me of old classic fantasy maps  :Smile: .

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## Diamond

Update time.  I ditched the old grunge overlay.  Sorry guys, I just wasn't feeling it.  But I did put in one that I think works better.  Also added more hills, put in the icons for all cities, towns, and monasteries.  Next up will be finishing off the hills and then starting on the forests.

And some more lore:

CHURCH OF AO

Though there are other faiths in the East, none is so predominant as the Church of Ao, God of the Sun.  In the days before the Sundown, Ao had a middling-sized congregation across the coastal kingdoms, one of a triune pantheon.  The other two gods were Mias, the sea goddess, and Hesh, god of the earth.  In the last two centuries, the temples of Mias and Hesh have been subsumed by those of Ao.  The two lesser gods are now viewed as subordinate to Ao, where once the three were equals.

Ao's priests form the backbone of power in the Coastal Cities, along with the Guilds.  Their influence is felt throughout the region, however, from Asturias and Tanza in the west, to the remnants of the old kingdom of Marovangia in the east.  Monasteries of Ao are scattered far and wide, many located in the mountain passes and near the desolate, abandoned areas that once were fertile lands.  The monks that train there act as guardians and watchers.  They patrol the major roads and maintain waystations for travelers, as well as checking in at the farm communes and isolated villages.

The main temple of Ao is located in the city of Caleah, which has become the de facto capital of the Coastal Cities since the Sundown.  The temple sits on the highest of the many hills of Caleah, and the Great Flame of Ao atop the temple can be seen for miles in the surrounding countryside.

Much of the Church's current power stems from its production of sunstones, the fabrication of which is a jealously guarded secret.  The sunstones vary in size, from around two inches all the way up to a foot or more in diameter.  They can be worn as a pendant, mounted in a staff or used as a lantern, and the larger ones are mounted on poles or on the sides of buildings in the farming communes and the cities.  The sunstones emit something that is either actual sunlight or something very like it.  It is just as harmful to vampires as actual sunlight, and no one in their right mind would be caught traveling without one.  The Church provides them at cost to such essential services as the farmsteads of each city, the city watches, and even to wealthy fishing captains, who mount as many as they can on their vessels.  Everyone else is welcome to purchase as many sunstones as they wish, if they have the funds.

### Latest WIP ###

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## J.Edward

That hatching look is quite interesting.
I like it. Oddly, I didn't notice that before.
I've been in front of screens too long.

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## Voolf

Great update and i haven't expected such detailed lore of the world. It brings the map to life, so to speak.
Can't wait for the forests update.

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## Kellerica

I just LOVE these new colors and textures. You're right, certainly an improvement. You rock, dude.

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## Domino44

You made the right choice, I thought that the old grunge looked fine but I opened up the new update and I was like 'Woah'.

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## Abu Lafia

Influenza...check, dizziness...check, suffering a slight light sensitivity...check ... OMG i think i'm turning into a vampire!  :Very Happy: 
Read the lore beginning with the last post and it became a wonderfully immersive arc with bits and pieces of your worldbuilding coming together. Great job Diamond! The map transports the dark/twilight atmosphere of the setting very nicely (and it already seems to rub off on some fellow guildmembers  :Wink:  ) 
I think i said it before: As much as i admire your signature style, your handdrawn mountains and the icons look just fantastic. You could do that more often in my opinion!  :Wink:  
Oh and btw. i agree with everyone, the new grungy texture looks perfect (less patchy than the old one).

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## Diamond

Oh good, I'm glad you guys like it!  So let's see: all the hills are done (finally!), just about everything is labeled, and next are forests and roads, and probably some really subtle linework on the wastelands and marshes.  I'm thinking about expanding the canvas a bit so I can move the key off to the side, and maybe put in the coats-of-arms of the various city states, etc.  But in case I run out of time, I'll concentrate on finishing the map itself first.   :Very Happy: 

FARMING

After the Sundown, farming changed substantially in the East.  In the first couple of decades, traditional crops such as wheat began to die off and return much smaller harvests as the sunlight faded.  Many farms built high walls around their lands and concentrated on growing crops such as beets, cabbage, carrots, and other vegetables that would grow in the lesser light available.  With the invention of sunstones, this has changed, but to be a farmer is to live a precarious, dangerous life.  Solitary farms are a rarity these days, and are generally the country estates of the rich, or the domains of retired soldiers.

Most farms have organized into communes, miles-wide stretches of farmland where each farmer owns their own fields, but all work together for defense and governance.  Each commune is run by a council of landowners, alongside a priest of Ao.  The communes are, in a broad sense, answerable to whichever city claims the territory, but the cities know how reliant they are on the farms... and so do the farmers.  So the priests keep the peace and mediate disputes, and life goes on.  The communes are guarded not only by their own militias, but by dozens (sometimes hundreds) of sunstones, mounted throughout the fields to assist with crop growing (the stones nourish plant life just as the actual sun does), and to keep the roving vampires that appear from time to time at bay.

In the cities, most households maintain their own root cellars and vegetable gardens - some quite extensive - a holdover from the long years of famine.  Each household must tithe a portion of their produce to the city stores in case of war or vampiric seige.  The stores consist mainly of long-lasting produce, such as potatoes, cabbage, garlic, and onions.

In the west, beyond the mountains, where the sun is stronger, farming continues much as it always has, though a wise farmer still maintains his sunstone array.  In Asturias, known for their cattle and horses, herdsmen generally carry a sunstone mounted on a long pole.  In addition, their outriders and even the herd dogs wear sunstones.  

### Latest WIP ###

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## ladiestorm

WOW... just wow... that's all I can manage... wow...

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## Diamond

Well, here's a first stab at forests.  Forests are my nemesis, they really are.  But I think I nailed the scale here in comparison to the mountains.  Tried to stay true to Voolf's color palette.

THE BARROW PLAIN

At the time of Sundown, the Kingdom of Ruan was one of the most prosperous of the old coastal kingdoms.  Its farmlands were bountiful and its prized stallions were the envy of the East.  But like every other land, it all fell apart at Sundown.  The farmlands slowly died, as did the cattle and horses.  Wolves from the Astur Ranges stalked and killed whole villages.  Great swathes of the countryside were dead and abandoned.  But the real end came for Ruan 14 years after Sundown.  At that time, the vampiric infestation was in full bloom, and a vampire warlord named Jesep Vaul led a horde across the once-fertile plain and laid siege to the capital city, Ruandah.  The siege was eventually broken some eight months later, when reinforcements from the north arrived.  The combined armies drove Jesep Vaul and his forces from the city and back west across the plains.  The entire heartland of Ruan became a huge graveyard; thousands of corpses, human and undead alike, were scattered everywhere.

After Vaul was eventually killed and the vampires retreated back into the mountains, the heartland of Ruan was a wasteland.  The earth and water were poisoned from the toxic fluids leaked into the soil by the vampire corpses.  The first winter after the war was horrific - thousands died of starvation, and eventually the northern armies returned home, leaving Ruandah and the coastal towns on their own.  Only the Church of Ao remained to help rebuild what they could, and to this day the city of Ruandah is one of the most devout followers of the sun god.  The fallen of the war were buried in a series of great barrows in the middle of the plain, and the vampires were burned in massive pyres.

Now, nothing lives on the Barrow Plain except isolated monk outposts, scavenging creatures, and some say, the restless ghosts of the dead...

### Latest WIP ###

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## ladiestorm

I really like the two tone coloring there!  Looks like a forest mix, evergreens and deciduous... just like a real forest would be!

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## Voolf

It looks quite nice. When you made the first lore post i thought you will not use the colour palette because it will not fit the sundown setting, but you are going for it anyway. I am happy you don't give up so easily.

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## Greason Wolfe

Yeesh! You and John are rocking it at flank speed here. And you both are creating masterpieces! Admittedly, I kinda liked the grungier version better, but the latest version still kicks butt.

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## - JO -

As usual, I am blown away by the quality and speed of your work! Barely begun, and the map, the border and all the atmosphere are already laid and are already beautiful. No problems for the forests, they are quite to scale! One question, however: are you going to reinforce the lighting effects that come from the geographical particularity of this world?

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## Naima

Looking Great , You are very fast ... I am in 24 h and still not even at half  :Frown:  ...

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## Diamond

Thanks for the encouragement!  I was afraid the forests would fail, but I like the way they're turning out.




> One question, however: are you going to reinforce the lighting effects that come from the geographical particularity of this world?


Maybe.  I'm going to finish the actual map first so I don't get distracted, then we'll see.  I sort of feel like it might be to overwhelming/distracting, but I'll run some tests and post 'em for you all to see.

Here's a small update.  I named the monasteries, because why not?  And added some more forests and scattered woodland.

### Latest WIP ###

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## Bogie

The map is great Diamond!  Love the frame with it's little broken parts!

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## Ramah

Not in love with the hatching tbh, but everything else about this map is just beautiful. I know I've missed a lot of your maps while I've been away but this could well become my favourite of yours.

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## - JO -

> Maybe.  I'm going to finish the actual map first so I don't get distracted, then we'll see.  I sort of feel like it might be to overwhelming/distracting, but I'll run some tests and post 'em for you all to see.


I'm looking forward to see your tests ! I don't know why, but in my mind, such effects could be really awsome ! (though I don't know how I would do that...)

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## Ilanthar

You already managed to do a great map in a week!
It's gonna be epic in the end. I love that broken frame, btw.

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## ladiestorm

This is turning out to be a stunning map, Diamond!  Of course, it could be nothing less coming from you  :Smile: .  I love the overall mood to it. I'll admit, I'm still not sure about the color choice for the text labels in the sea/ocean area... it's the only color in the map that doesn't fit, to me... but that's just my opinion.  This mapping is shaping up to epic proportions!

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## Diamond

Nearing completion.  I need to add in some more wooded areas and figure out what (if anything) to do with the barren/waste areas.  I lightened the text on the sea names slightly.

More lore:

Atan, the Shadow

One of the deities that had a respectable following before Sundown was Atan, the Lord of Shadow.  His portfolio included death, darkness, sorrow, and sometimes sleep and fright, depending on which temple one visited.  Atan was not part of the triune pantheon that included Ao; he was a holdover from a far older religion that held sway in these lands thousands of years ago.  It is believed that many other deities were subsumed by his religion over the centuries until only he was left, and he in turn lost a huge percentage of his worshipers when the Triune became popular.  After Sundown, Atan's worship dropped precipitously, as can be imagined, and after the Church of Ao really became powerful, Atan-worship was banned.  This hasn't stopped some from following his ways, however.  Many of the truly old peasant families and communities still worship him, more as appeasement to keep the darkness at bay than out of any evil intent.  In the cities, it is a different story.  There, underground Atan cults have come into vogue in the last few decades, made up of people who think to bargain or profit from dealing with vampires and other creatures who thrive in the dark.  With this underground resurgence, another dark remnant of history has also come back - the Shadowmen.  A cult of necromancers and assassins, the Shadowmen were thought eradicated at least a century before Sundown, but now they are back, and find work as hired killers throughout the East.

### Latest WIP ###

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## Voolf

You did well with the forests Diamond. I like them very much. Especially the southern part looks great on the darker texture.

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## - JO -

I really like this dark atmosphere, you can really feel the particularity of the light. I think you have rendered the atmosphere you described in the initial description very well. There is a beautiful cohesion of colors and textures on the whole. It's a beautiful map, executed in record time! Congratulations!

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## Amanda91

This map is so gorgeous I would date it, damn, love the colour scheme.

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## Diamond

Haha, thanks!   :Very Happy:

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## Naima

Very very nice ,I always liked that style reminds ne the nice old game book maps of the lone wolf books I used to play when little.

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## Amanda91

The marks near the coast are made with a brush? If so can you share them?

Btw: Are those mountains hand draw?

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## MapMappingMapped

Lovely! I really like it!

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## Diamond

> Very very nice ,I always liked that style reminds ne the nice old game book maps of the lone wolf books I used to play when little.


Thanks!  Yes, they are intentionally very similar to the Lone Wolf city icons; I tried to draw them as close to those as possible.



> The marks near the coast are made with a brush? If so can you share them?
> 
> Btw: Are those mountains hand draw?


The waves are made with a brush, yes.  It's from Kellerica; I'm sure if you ask really nice she'd share it with you.   :Very Happy: 
yes, mountains are hand drawn by me and converted to brushes.  Probably won't share those though, since I do use them quite a bit for personal stuff and the odd commission now and then.



> Lovely! I really like it!


Thank you sir.

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## Kellerica

> The waves are made with a brush, yes.  It's from Kellerica; I'm sure if you ask really nice she'd share it with you.


Sure, if I can still find it... xD I've updated mine quite a while ago.
I do have a feeling she might have been talking about the pattern inside the coastlines, the cross-hatch or whatever, rather than the wavelines though? Not certain. Which one did you mean, Amanda?

That aside, D, the map looks stunning! Has to be one of my faves from yours in a while. The colors are just glorious!

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## Domino44

This map is absolutely gorgeous and your forest are beautiful don't worry but everything is beautiful about this map!

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## Diamond

> I do have a feeling she might have been talking about the pattern inside the coastlines, the cross-hatch or whatever, rather than the wavelines though? Not certain. Which one did you mean, Amanda?


Oh, if it's the crosshatch pattern, here you go, I think this is the one.  (This _might_ have been created by someone here at the Guild, but I honestly don't remember.)

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## Jaxilon

Another fine Diamond piece here. 

Hehe, I almost forgot about it because you seemed to have finished it so long ago. I need to figure out a faster way to do mine. I prob have around 80-100 hours in at this point. (I don't count time very well when I'm listening to podcasts and being entertained while I draw or paint.)

This is very nice and quite pro. I do like the little city markers and the use of textures you went with. It's def more dark and grungy than you usually have. I like your broken border too.

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## Diamond

It's actually not done yet.  I still need to add the finishing touches to the forests, figure out what (if anything) to do icon-wise for wastes, swamps.  Then, if there's still time, I want to experiment with some lighting effects to show the perpetual twilight, and maybe put in some coats-of-arms for the cities too.  Heck, I've got almost 9 days.  Plenty of time.   :Very Happy:

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## Jaxilon

What a slacker....er, procrastinator  :Smile: 
And that's a pot calling the kettle black.

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## arsheesh

Those mountains are very attractive!  Nice work on the forests and icons as well, and the font really suits the piece.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

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## - JO -

I hope you'll find time : all of these ideas are really good !

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## Diamond

> What a slacker....er, procrastinator 
> And that's a pot calling the kettle black.


 :Very Happy:   :Very Happy:   :Very Happy: 



> Those mountains are very attractive!  Nice work on the forests and icons as well, and the font really suits the piece.
> 
> Cheers,
> -Arsheesh





> I hope you'll find time : all of these ideas are really good !


Thanks, guys!!

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## Diamond

I'm just not going to have time to do any experimenting with 'Sundown Shading' like I wanted to, so this will have to be the end.  I added in the few extra woodlands I wanted to, changed the roads, softened/blurred the cities and lightened their opacity just a bit to be more in line with the other elements, and added in a few pictures.

Credits for pictures:

Warriors: https://www.123rf.com/photo_61281542...ustration.html
Vampire: http://www.warehouse23.com/products/...estial-vampire

### Latest WIP ###

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## Domino44

As always amazing work Diamond! I love all the special illustrations you are using here with the knights/warriors throughout the map.

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## tainotim

Great work Diamond. This looks amazing. I especially like the minimalistic yet convincing way that you represented the forests  :Smile: 

Cheers,
Karl

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## Diamond

> As always amazing work Diamond! I love all the special illustrations you are using here with the knights/warriors throughout the map.


Thanks!  I always want to try and do my own artwork for stuff like that, but I never have time and just take the lazy way out.   :Frown:   Maybe someday...



> Great work Diamond. This looks amazing. I especially like the minimalistic yet convincing way that you represented the forests 
> 
> Cheers,
> Karl


Thank you.  Whew!  I'm glad someone liked the forests.  I HATE drawing them, but I was kinda pleased with the way these turned out.  It's not too far off from what I'd visualized in my head when I started, so I consider that a win.

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## MapMappingMapped

You always go on about eating other mappers' brains, but you sure have enough for yourself, it seems to be! Lovely map, awesome 100 %!

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## Chashio

Fantastic job on this, Diamond! Wonderful layout of all the details and rendering of them, I enjoyed exploring it...and the background image gave it an extra dark mood.

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