# Mapmaking Discussion & Philosophy (WIP/Critique) > Building/Structure Mapping >  Dark Meeting....

## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge was very aware of the type of tavern the "Stabbed Soldier" was. Although he was only 13 years old, he had lived in Riverhewn long enough to know that the tavern was the meeting place for many of the cities seedier citizens. He hated living in the city. Especially in the area known as the "Common Ward" it was the poorest area of the city home to most of the working class. He and his mother had been forced to move here after the death of his father. Almon Stonebridge had fancied himself an "adventurer" and would disappear for months at a time in search of glory and fortune. Ultimately he found neither. Calan could remember the knock on the door of his parents farmhouse. The messenger had returned his fathers body. He had been found stabbed to death in the Docks area of RIverhewn. Calan had cried for hours while his mother and uncles buried his father. They had moved to Riverhewn a few weeks later. His job at the Stabbed Solider was a menial one. He mucked the run down stables and cleaned the run-down common room. He hated the job but it did afford him a opportunity to listen. This is what caused him to be hidden in the rafters of the one private room in the tavern. Below him three men huddled over a map and talked of a great fortune......_

Whew.. it's been a LONG time since I've been here. I'm amazed and happy to see all the talent and that the legends and friends are still here. It's great to be back and mapping again. This map is very simple and not technically brilliant but like ALL my work evokes a feeling or a story. (or perhaps an adventure hook?) I think this will be a series of small encounter styled maps that follow the adventures of young Calan Stonebridge. I present "The Dark Meeting"....

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## Lukc

He's looking down from the rafters on a hex map, isn't he? Now the seedy citizens will get out their dice and play God with dungeons and dragons, tsk tsk ...  :Very Happy:

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## maxsdaddy

I  expect Calan will meet an untimely end, just as his father did. That's what comes of listening in on clandestine meetings.
Great hook to add to your map :Smile:

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## Bogie

Nice encounter map and storyline.  I like what you did with my table and benches, how did you get them to look hand drawn?

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## Jaxilon

Hey, great to see you back again. I have been wondering what you got up to these days. Woohoo!

Plus, I feel like an assassin when I look at your image and I'm just waiting for my targets to settle down...

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge climbed down from the rafters quietly. He had heard a great deal and it would do him no good to be caught now. The men had discussed a great treasure hidden some where under the city of Riverhewn. He dodged away from the bustling kitchen where he knew his mother and their supervisor fat, old Menna would be looking for him. The men had headed in the direction of the stables and with the cover of falling night Calan once again found himself clinging to a wooden beam and looking down upon the dirty stables. Although there was very little light he could see a pack and some other gear half-buried in the hay. There was also a glint of metal it looked like a grate, also half-buried. Was this the way that the men planned to enter into the catacombs under the city? Calan Stonebridge knew he had to find out......_

Another long absence. I missed doing this sort of thing and am back at it again. I've decided to pick up where I left off with this "adventure hook series" following the adventures (or misadventures) of young Calan Stonebridge. These maps are set in the capital city of my Kingdom of Shendenflar Campaign setting. I am really enjoying getting back to mapping and to these style of maps specifically. I have always felt that a interesting encounter map can spark the imagination and that is my goal with these maps. This is about 75% complete I still have some lighting effects and some shadows to work on. As Always feedback is requested and appreciated  :Smile:

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## arsheesh

He lives! jtougas lives!  Great to see you back in action JT.  

Very nice stable map you've got there.  Sounds like a fun scenario for a rouge.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

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## Gidde

Hey hey, nice to see you again JT! And the map looks pretty darn cool too  :Smile:

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## jtougas

> He lives! jtougas lives!  Great to see you back in action JT.  
> 
> Very nice stable map you've got there.  Sounds like a fun scenario for a rouge.
> 
> Cheers,
> -Arsheesh


Thanks  :Smile:  It's Great to be back !!

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## jtougas

> Hey hey, nice to see you again JT! And the map looks pretty darn cool too


Thanks Gidde !!  :Smile:

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## eViLe_eAgLe

Glad to see you back Jtougas  :Smile:  I like what your doing so far!

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## jtougas

Here is the finished version of the "Stables" Encounter Map. I added a lighting effect below the grate to show that there was something down there. I am enjoying this little series so much that I have already started on the next "installment" which will feature a section of the Riverhewn sewers. Stay Tuned.  :Smile:

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## Jacktannery

Very nice - a lovely map. I really like the way you have shown the rafters. The only thing I'd say is that the light makes it very unclear the grate leads to a tunnel. Perhaps you could make the light look a bit more distant down the tunnel?

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## jtougas

> Very nice - a lovely map. I really like the way you have shown the rafters. The only thing I'd say is that the light makes it very unclear the grate leads to a tunnel. Perhaps you could make the light look a bit more distant down the tunnel?


Thank you  :Smile:  and I think your right. The light under the grate isn't quite doing what I want it to. I'll see what I can come up with.

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## jtougas

After Jacktannery's suggestion I went in and fiddled with the "grate lighting" a bit. This is closer to what I was originally looking for; a sort of "foggy distant" kind of effect. I also realized that (as I often do) I dropped the grid layer down on top of EVERYTHING which is fine if you plan on walking on top of a wheelbarrow or a water trough....  :Smile:  This is the newest version with those issues addressed.

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## Jacktannery

It's better, but I feel that the colour is off. The greeny-yellow light isn't working very well with your hay (which is lit beautifully by the way - the best lit hay I've ever seen). Have you considered going with a sinster rusty-coloured light inside the sewer, so that the dominant colours below the grate are reddish-orange and black? This might help to differentiate it from the yellow hay; you would probably want to change the orange colour of the light source to the right in that case however. 

In any case I love it, and i might even use it in my campaign next week!

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## jtougas

> It's better, but I feel that the colour is off. The greeny-yellow light isn't working very well with your hay (which is lit beautifully by the way - the best lit hay I've ever seen). Have you considered going with a sinster rusty-coloured light inside the sewer, so that the dominant colours below the grate are reddish-orange and black? This might help to differentiate it from the yellow hay; you would probably want to change the orange colour of the light source to the right in that case however. 
> 
> In any case I love it, and i might even use it in my campaign next week!


Thanks for the suggestion I'll give that a try. and please feel free to use this if you want.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge heaved at the rusty grate with all his might. He had watched the men climb down into the murky darkness below and now he was determined to follow them. With a loud squeal the grate gave way and swung open. Calan could see a wooden ladder and not much else. There was a flickering light source somewhere below him but he could not tell how far away it was. He swallowed back his fear and placed his foot on the first rung of the ladder. He knew there was no turning back now even though he was completely unarmed and carried only a small piece of cheese and a warm shirt in a pack on his back. He had told no one of his plans and was sure that fat Menna and his mother would not even miss him. He climbed down the ladder gripping each rung tightly enough to cause himself pain until he reached the bottom. The smell of the flowing sewer assaulted his senses. Everyone in Riverhewn knew of the sewers but very few ever came down to the dark and fetid depths. Calan stood on the rocky ground with his arm in front of his nose in a vain attempt to block the smell. He was standing in a circular chamber that seemed to be carved from the earth itself. In front of him like a vile river flowed the sewer. He could see crates and stacks of equipment. He nearly jumped out of his skin as a voice echoed from an unseen passageway. Trembling with fear he hid behind a stack of crates and begged his heart to stop beating so loudly......_

Here is the beginning of the next "episode" in the Calan Stonebridge series. "The Sewer" I didn't realize how hard it was to design an underground chamber until I went through four or five versions of this until I came up with something I liked. All the fundamentals are here and now I have some detailing and lighting to do. It will be much darker and of course there will be some sort of dim lighting effect. (possibly wall hung torches) I used a couple of pre-made objects and have included the credits and links below As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile: 

Floor Texture (Moss added by me) Greytale's Nook
Ladder Neyjour Deviantart
Packs & Gear Greytales Nook

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## jtougas

Worked a little more on this tonight. I added a passageway and what I am calling "The Chamber" I'm not 100% sure what "The Chamber" is going to be just yet but I'm sure it will come to me. Here's a little tip for everyone (I'm sure everyone knows this already but...) ALWAYS make a note of how you create things. Case in point; the "Sewer Water" I had a really cool effect for the first segment and then forgot how I did it for the next two. (I've always been a bit scatterbrained when it comes to that stuff...) I got lucky and came up with something pretty close that I can live with and of course it HAS to be a sickly green color what good would a fantasy sewer be if it wasn't green?  :Smile:  There is still lots to do on this such as adding the moss to Greytales excellent rocks and there is still the lighting as well. I think Calan Stonebridge is off on a most excellent adventure and I can't wait to see where he goes next.....

Crates By: r-kelleg and can be found HERE

Torches By: grimcatch and can be found HERE

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge walked cautiously down the dimly lit passageway. The foul odor was even more offensive here as there was less space for it to disperse. He could see things scurrying away out of the corner of his eye and was glad that they did scurry and not decide to investigate what a scared boy from the surface world was doing in their domain. The men that Calan followed had stuck torches in the occasional wall sconce and the pale light only made his surroundings more frightful. He came out of the narrow passageway into a large chamber that was also lit with the wall torches. More sounds of scurrying could be heard in the corners of this room. In one corner of the room there was a tall moss covered arched doorway in the other corner was a smaller doorway that led to a shaft inside which a ladder sat ready. Calan heard the sounds of footsteps and dashed behind the arch door. What he saw would haunt his dreams for the rest of his days. In the center of the small room sat a marble pool. This pool was filled with liquid of the purest black and on this liquid, seemingly suspended above it a arcane rune and leering skull glowed a sickly red. Calan Stonebridge felt the eyes of the skull boring into him as if it were reaching for his very soul...._

Well I figured out what to do with "The Chamber". I also added the moss and another ladder (every evil chamber needs an exit...  :Smile:  ) I think for the most part this is done and the next part of the adventure awaits.... As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile: 

Arched Doorway By Greytale and can be found HERE

Regular version with full lighting 


Version with no "dark" layer

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## greytale

Great story line and a wonderful series of maps. 
As always thank you so much for the credited links.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge huddled against the cold damp rock wall of the sewer for a very long time. The image of the glowing red skull seemed burned into his mind. What had he been thinking? chasing off after these unknown men and their unknown purpose. There had been no "great treasure" only the sickening sewers and the terrifying apparition. After what seemed like hours, Calan mustered the courage to climb up the ladder he had seen the men use earlier. At the very least he thought to himself he would out of the sewers and away from the stink and the burning eyes of the evil thing in the pool. Clinging to each rung Calan climbed up and out of sewers. He found himself in another room this one with a dirt floor and walls made from rough timber. He found that he was exhausted and very hungry. He huddled in a dark corner of the room and nibbled on his hunk of cheese. Although he fought it mightily his body ached for sleep and eventually he succumbed to the inviting darkness....._

The next encounter map of this series. Our young hero doesn't realize it yet but he is about to stumble across some information that will alter his life forever. This map will depict "Menna's Basement" (if you remember Menna is the fat old blustery kitchen head at the Stabbed Soldier tavern and a constant thorn in Young Calan's side...) At this stage I have drawn the layout of the basement, added a dirt floor and started the sewer entrance. As with all of these there is no pre-determined plan I come up with the details as I go and the story comes to me. I am planning on showing at least one other level of Menna's house in another installment. As always feedback is requested and appreciated  :Smile: 
And thank you very much Greytale  :Smile:  I love your objects !!

Ladder By Neyjour Deviantart
Rock Floor Texture By Greytale Greytales Nook

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## anomiecoalition

Really cool idea...not sure what details of the story you have peculating - but if they are entering from the sewer into a basement, is it safe to assume that that access point should be discrete?  If so, might be cool to have a trap door, false wall, or have that part of the basement separate from the rest of the layout (so that those in the basement are less likely to notice that there is likely a hidden room there - made a quick model of what i mean.)



Just a thought.  Look forward to seeing how this develops

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge awoke with a start He felt like he had only slept for minutes but had no idea how long he  had actually been asleep. He stood stiffly and realized he was still in the room that he had entered upon exiting the sewer. There was no sign of the men he had followed since the Stabbed Soldier and he could hear no noise. He cautiously moved to the door of the room and found it barred from the inside. He found that curious but could not afford to spend any time thinking about it. He had to regain the trail of the men. He moved the bolt from the door and moved out into what seemed like a narrow hallway. Across the hall were two other doors these were barred from the outside. Curiosity got the best of him and he slipped the bolt and opened the door. What he saw made him wish he had not. This room was obviously used to hold people against their will.  two small cots what seemed to be shackles and a pile of filthy hay were the only furnishings. There were no occupants in the room but Calan nearly vomited at the sight of what looked like fresh blood stains. Suddenly his great adventure didn't seem so fun anymore....._

Today's update: more work on the details of the basement. I've added a "cell" and am trying to make this as "scary" as possible (remember this is seen through the eyes of a 13 year old...)  :Smile:  Young Calan has surely got in over his head.....  :Smile: 




> anomiecoalition
> Really cool idea...not sure what details of the story you have peculating - but if they are entering from the sewer into a basement, is it safe to assume that that access point should be discrete? If so, might be cool to have a trap door, false wall, or have that part of the basement separate from the rest of the layout (so that those in the basement are less likely to notice that there is likely a hidden room there - made a quick model of what i mean.)


Thanks for the suggestion and it might be a good idea....  :Smile: 

*EDIT* Whoops...there I go with my complete disregard of scale again...The sewer entrance looks like it could be used by giants either that or the cell cots are for dwarven children..... I'll fix that  :Smile: 

Object Credits

Doors-Greytale Greytales Nook
Cots (modified from shelves) Greytale Greytales Nook
Stone Floor Texture (modified by me) Greytale Greytales Nook

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge was terrified. He couldn't remember why he had rushed off on this adventure and all of a sudden it didn't feel like the kind of adventure he had read about in his books. This was a real place with real danger and it was very very scary. He moved as quietly as he could up the dark hall until he could see a glint of light coming from an open door. He stood in the open doorway and nearly fainted. Inside the large room were two braziers both glowing red with fire. He was surprised to find there was no smoke nor smell. Entering the room he saw a large heavily pitted marble altar. The altar was surrounded in a sickly green glow and the same red glowing skull that he had seen in the sewers floated above it. He retched and dropped to his knees as he saw more fresh blood stains on this evil thing. He gathered up what tiny amount of courage he still possessed and ran from the room curling himself into a ball behind a set of stairs. He could not shake the image of the skull burning into his brain....._

Oh Calan what have you gotten yourself into.....

Today's update:
I added the altar and the details I also added my "gloom" layer so that I could work on the shadowing and lighting effects. I realize that I am using quite a few " pre-made" objects but for me the whole idea of this is to tell a story and because my skill level of making these types of things is basically zero it just makes sense for me to take advantage of the great stuff made by talented artists that is out there. I have modified most of these objects to suit my needs and I gladly credit the original creators.

Object Credits:
Shackles-Greytale Greytales Nook
Cell Floor (modified by me)-Greytale Greytales Nook
Doors (modified by me)-Greytale Greytales Nook
Altar(modified by me)- ProBono  Dundjinni
Braziers- Greytale Greytales Nook
Stairs- Greytale Greytales Nook
Skulls- Greytale  Dundjinni

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge forced himself to stand and leave the relative safety of the stairs. He had seen a glint of light coming from a doorway across the hall from him and for some reason he couldn't begin to understand he HAD to see what was in that room. He moved quietly across the hall and opened the door. Peeking inside he could see that it was dimly lit and smelled of dust. Moving a few steps inside he could make out the shapes of boxes and sacks. He took a few more steps and ended up on the ground with a grunt and a sharp intake of air. He wasn't certain what he had tripped over until he turned over. What he saw sent him running full speed to the top of the stairs where he hugged himself tightly to stop from shaking. His eyes hurt from him closing them so hard and he could not erase the image that seemed burned into them. He had found the occupant of the cell room. He lay dead on the storage room floor blood still leaking slowly from the horrible wound in his neck...._

The story was rattling around in my head so I HAD to finish it.  :Smile:  I think this is done. I added a few more details including a dead body (every adventure has to have a dead body or two...) I also finished the lighting and shadowing. I realize that this is mostly a collection of premade objects and some lighting and shadowing effects, but I really like how it turned out. I was looking for a certain feel and I think I achevied it. As always I'd love to hear what you think  :Smile:  Stay tuned as young Calan rushes headlong into adventure.....  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Containers-Greytale Greytales Nook
Bodies-Alynnalizza  Dundjinni
Webs-Surfbored Dundjinni

Original Version W/ Full Lighting Effects



Version W/No "Dark" Layer"

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## jtougas

You may have noticed my new signature. A year (or so) ago I was having an "artistic" crisis about being able to create my own mapping objects. I had entered a challenge and just "stamping" away didn't seem like the way to go. I've said this before and I'm going to say it again. YES these maps are mostly made with other artists objects. I've gotten over my "crisis" about them. I have always mapped what I "feel" the story is the most important thing to me. I always attempt to evoke a feeling and a sense of story in my maps. While I do still want to learn how to make these objects it isn't SUCH a priority for me that it will stop me from making maps of this type. There are truly talented artists out there making these wonderful objects for our use and it would be silly for me to create horrible ones just to satisfy my need to have done it all. I don't sell these maps nor do I print them out and use them for anything. As with most of my work it is simply an exercise in creativity and story-telling. (of course if anyone wishes to use them for their own personal use in VTT's or tabletop gaming that is fine with me) I want to thank ALL the artists that have created all the objects that I have used (and will use) in this series. You have helped me bring the story of Calan Stonebridge to life and I will continue to credit and link to your wonderful objects.  :Smile:

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## anomiecoalition

> While I do still want to learn how to make these objects it isn't SUCH a priority for me that it will stop me from making maps of this type. There are truly talented artists out there making these wonderful objects for our use and it would be silly for me to create horrible ones just to satisfy my need to have done it all.


Couldn't agree more.  I've never been much of a visual artist (music was always my thing) - but I love that these programs and the objects people have created for them allow me to finally do something visually that I can be somewhat proud of.  I also find that in the process of making maps new story ideas emerge and others are discarded because they no longer make sense - which I believe the players I DM for are quite happy about.  I think there is a clear visible difference between just "artfully stamping" objects into a map and using them to add character and detail to the story you are trying to convey (and if you're not trying to tell a story with the map then I don't know why you would put the time and effort into doing it in the first place).  

Having said that - I would like to try my hand at making objects - so if anyone knows of a good tutorial out there, i'm all ears.  

Look forward to your next installment in the adventures of Mr. Stonebridge.

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## Lukc

Hey! Welcome back!

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge ran up the stairs and out of the horrifying basement as fast as his legs would carry him. He found a door pulled it open and ran outside. He could hear the sound of footsteps and yelling behind him he ducked behind some crates and tried to sit very still. "What do you mean you didn't leave the bolt off?!" Calan heard the rough male voice ask someone. "I mean I didn't leave it off I'm not fogged ye know" Came the answer. "Well don't be givin' yeself credit for things now Yaro you be plenty fogged" There was a sound of a slap and a yelp and the two men went back inside. Calan stood and took stock of his surroundings. He knew immediately where he was. It was a little section of the Common Ward known as "Blackfire Court". Legend told that over a century ago some evil priest had summoned demons from this spot and on one fateful day the entire area had glowed with fire of the purest black. The legend went on to say that the priest had been consumed by his evil summonings and the fire burned down everything in it's path until reached the city wall. Today Blackfire Court was a busy collection of shops and taverns. Looming at the end of the court sat "Blackfire Gate" (although only the locals called it that to the government it was merely a city watch post) Calan found himself thinking about old Menna she lived in this area somewhere his mother had told him. The thought of his mother brought a small pang of guilt. He had been gone for over a day. Did she miss him? He wondered. He steeled himself to the fact that he MUST see this adventure to the end and sat back down behind the crates to wait....._

Blackfire Court. Young Calan finds himself deeper and deeper in this adventure. This map depicts a small section of the "Common Ward" of the City of Riverhewn. It is where most of the "working class" of the city live and is home to our young hero. I've started the city wall and the guard gate layout. I'm not 100% sure about the dirt texture I think I want something a little more "gritty". The black "boxes" are temporary so that I can finalize the layouts of the court's buildings. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile: 




> Lukc
> Hey! Welcome back!


Thanks !!  :Smile:

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## jtougas

Another long absence and I'm back  :Smile:  I guess I need the break once in a while to "recharge" and find my inspiration. The adventures of Calan Stonebridge continue to evolve as does this latest installment. This is an updated version of the "Blackfire Cut" encounter map WIP. I have changed the guard post and started the building walls. I hope to continue to work on this as time allows. Thank you all for all the feedback, kind words and patience with me during this  :Smile: 

Fountain By Greytale

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge sat huddled among the crates and barrels and listened to the bustle of the city around him. It was comforting after all the horror he had witnessed, to be surrounded once again by the familiar. He could hear the shops owners haggling and the early morning tavern patrons arguing there were the sounds of horses hooves in the hard packed dirt of the street and the jingling of city guards swords against their legs as they walked. Calan couldn't help but notice the smells either. He had always thought that the Common Ward had a particular odor, something akin to sweat mixed with the smells of cooking meat. He had always found it repulsive but today after his journey in the sewers he found it magical. He was surrounded by things he knew and understood. After a few minutes of relaxation he could hear the rough voices of the men he had been following. The voices came from the stairs of the building he had just left. He also noticed that a wagon and a single horse had come to a stop in front of the building and that the men were eagerly talking to this new arrival. Calan leaned out from his hiding spot to be able to hear better. The adventure would continue. He had started on this path and there was nothing for it but to continue down it....._

I've looked at this map over and over and I just don't like it. SO I present version 3  :Smile:  This version is more of what I see in my head when I think of this story. I decided after actually looking at some old notes that I hadn't ever drawn in where "Blackfire Court" or Blackfire gate were in my city of Riverhewn. (aside from the fact that they were in the Common Ward) I decided that I would make the scene the focus and not the gate. There are quite a lot of small gates that pierce the city wall and this is just another of them. As with all these maps it's about the "atmosphere" and "feel" of it. I have begun here with the street and building layouts and have begun to work on the "details" (shadowing and stains etc...) I plan on adding lots of little details to this scene to hopefully bring it to life. As always feedback is requested and appreciated  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Rooftops & Chimneys: Aegean Greytales Nook

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge had lived in the Common Ward area of Riverhewn long enough to know that things were done differently here. Like most of the streets in Riverhewn, The Common Ward streets were paved with a rough cobblestone. His mother had told him that the stones came from the banks and beds of the two rivers that cut the city into an island. They had been plentiful and cheap. Calan knew that in the few areas of the city not paved with these stones the mud and the dust could be almost unbearable. He also knew that the street repair was much better in the richer wards of the city. One learned quickly to watch their step on the broken and uneven stones. Whenever a section wore away (or was pried away) that the city felt was big enough to warrant attention they simply  filled it with a thick mixture of dirt and water. This hardened into an uneven clump that was actually worse than the original hole. Calan had turned an ankle many times while rushing to and fro across the ward. The city watch for the most part was very present in this ward and Calan had never really (until recently) felt unsafe. The watchmen here generally lived in the ward and knew mostly everybody. They had always been nice to Calan and had often saved him from injury at the hands of older boys. The Common Ward was the most insular ward of the city. Most people knew each other and were very aware when strangers entered their midst. It was a bustling busy ,dirty, aromatic section of the city that many said kept the foundations of the kingdom from crumbling. Calan didn't know anything about that but he dearly hoped that he would return to his normal dull life when this adventure finally ended...._

I thought you might enjoy a glimpse into the "Common Ward" as seen through Calan's eyes.  :Smile: 

A small update: I started to add the "details" that I hope will bring this scene to life. Some weeds here some dirt here a few boxes etc... much more to come.  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Sewer Grates: Greytale
Market Stalls: Lancer X Dundjinni
Crates: Greytale

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## jtougas

_People riding horses were a rare enough occurrence in the Common Ward to draw attention. The ward was for the most part too crowded to navigate a horse. The streets were narrow and twisting and except for the very dead of night usually far too busy for a horse's liking. The fact that two men now approached the building that Calan was watching and they both were astride horses piqued his interest. He could see the horses clearly. Tall and dark of coat they pranced nervously as the crush of people ebbed around them. Calan had tended enough horses to recognize the signs of exertion. Where ever these horses and riders had come from it had been far and the journey swift. The two men dismounted and climbed the steps into the building. The horses were tied to the stair railing and they were not happy about it. Calan could hear them nickering and whinnying against their bonds. Calan could sympathize with them. He wondered if they too just wanted this adventure to be over....._

Last update for the evening. (and a little more story)  :Smile:  I'm still working on the "details" and I changed the look of the cobbles making them (hopefully) blend in a little more with the underlying dirt. 

Object Credits: Cobblestones Greytale

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## Mateus090985

It looks VERY nice to me. I have nothing to add on it. Really nice work.

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## ravells

Good to see you back in the saddle JT - the map is coming along really nicely too! Lovely rooftile textures.  One tiny crit - where you've erased the cobbles, there are some partly erased cobbles which look partly erased rather than like broken cobbles...might be worth erasing them entirely.

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## jtougas

> Good to see you back in the saddle JT - the map is coming along really nicely too! Lovely rooftile textures.  One tiny crit - where you've erased the cobbles, there are some partly erased cobbles which look partly erased rather than like broken cobbles...might be worth erasing them entirely.


Thanks it's good to be back. I see what you mean about the cobbles. I thought I had caught them all but I guess not.  :Smile:  I'll be fixing that on my next update.

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge heard the sounds of rough voices arguing above him. "Are ye daft? that's a GRAVE DIGGERS wagon !" Another voice answered after spitting loudly. "Aye. it is a diggers cart. Best kind too there's hundreds of them no one will be missing it. I had to steal a wagon mistress left no money to buy one." The first voice grunted. "Rough as gravel these things are, not made for a long road journey." The second voice answered." Aye, but we'll not be needing it over long now will we? We can boot another better one once we get to Northrun." Calan nearly jumped. These men meant to travel to Northrun, a small town on the banks of the Fler River. He knew it well even though he had not seen it since he was very young. He knew he needed to stow away on that wagon. He cautiously looked over the stack of crates that he was hiding behind and saw his opportunity. The men had loaded the wagon and covered it with a rough tarp. Calan sprinted across the street and crawled under the tarp curling himself into a tight ball. It was then that he heard a very familiar voice. "Don't you be giving me no lip about my being late. I couldn't get away from the Stabbed Soldier. That little fool boy that works there has gone missing and his mother is smacked with worry." One of the rough male voices chuckled." Probably stolen by slavers or eaten by orcs." The three had a loud laugh about that." Calan nearly cried as he realized who the female voice belonged to. It was Menna ! the fat blustery kitchen boss of the Stabbed Soldier. He felt a pang of guilt for his mother who was obviously worried about him. He knew now that Menna was involved in this somehow and he grew even more determined to see it through....._

I managed to "finish" this last night. The last of the details were added. I didn't fill the scene up with charecters as I had originally planned to for the sake of anyone that may want to use this in their own games. The adventure continues !!  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Horses: Alynnalizza Dundjinni
Wagon: Alynnalizza Greytales Nook

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## ruff

Hey Jtougas,

Excellent map but something stuck out at me you want to fix.. Here is your map with the error pointed out.. It looks like there was a line somewhere on  your shadow layer that caused it to stick out..

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## jtougas

> Hey Jtougas,
> 
> Excellent map but something stuck out at me you want to fix.. Here is your map with the error pointed out.. It looks like there was a line somewhere on  your shadow layer that caused it to stick out..


DOH !!! Thanks for pointing that out. I'll fix it (that's what happens when your thinking about the next part of the story and not the map.  :Smile:  )

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## ruff

> DOH !!! Thanks for pointing that out. I'll fix it (that's what happens when your thinking about the next part of the story and not the map.  )



Trust me I know all to well about that lol.. I have a large ice cavern I am working and I am finding problems each time I flatten the image.. Bad thing it takes 10 mins to flatten and another 10 mins to save it.. LOL yes its huge, I am at the top end of my computer..

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## anomiecoalition

Glad to see the saga continues.  Love the map and your attention to detail.

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge could not remember a time when he had been more sore. He had spent the last few hours huddled under a foul smelling tarp in the back of a stolen grave diggers wagon. The rough planks of the floor of the wagon had dug into his flesh and the hard ride had given him bruises he was sure would never heal. The roads outside of Riverhewn had been hard packed due to a lack of rain and he swore the driver of the wagon had hit every bump and rut. Finally the wagon had come to a halt. He could hear the sound of rushing water and the rough voices of the driver and the other man. He poked his head out from under the tarp and saw that they had stopped next to a roughly built shack on the banks of the Fler river. Calan knew that this river fowed from the far north of the kingdom and emptied into the mighty Lake Quag to the South. Calan heard a third voice and saw a large man dressed in a dirty tunic and torn trousers exit the shack. He was about to lift his head further when the three men moved to stand next to the wagon. Calan fought mightily against his fear and curled back into the painful ball praying that the men did not discover him...._

The 6th installment of the "Adventures of Calan Stonebridge" series. Young Calan finds himself along the banks of the Fler river and as always deep in danger....

I've started this map with the riverbank layout and the road and water. The ground texture is one that I created myself using Genetica as is the water. I've added some shadowing and am currently working on the details of the riverbank before I move on to the shack itself. As always feedback is requested and appreciated  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Rock: Kepli Greytales Nook





> Glad to see the saga continues.  Love the map and your attention to detail.


Thank you very much. I am glad you are enjoying the series.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge released his held breath in a gasp. The men had decided to go into the shack for a drink before unloading the wagon. He had almost been caught and the gods only knew what these men would have dome to him. He slid over the side of the wagon and onto the ground. He could see the Fler River to one side of him and the rough shack to the other. The road was a narrow track here hard packed due to a lack of rain. He crouched low and moved off to kneel beside another wagon that was parked next to the shack. This wagon appeared equipped for a long road journey as it had stout springs on each axle. Calan could hear the men laughing in the shack and dared move closer for a look. He realized that he was very hungry and the sound of meat cooking was wafting up from somewhere inside the shack. He knew he had to eat, he also knew that he could not be caught. For a moment he was afraid he would starve to death before he saw the completion of this adventure. He shook that fear aside and gathered his courage. He moved quietly to a door in the back of the shack praying furiously that no one saw him..._

Worked on this last night. I added some trees and the beginnings of the shack. I'm making more of my own elements in this one as they are things that I am comfortable making myself (IE the cot, the fire place, the dresser) I will of course continue to credit the authors of the pre-made objects that I use. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Shelves: Greytale Greytales Nook
Barrels: r-kelleg Dundjinni
Chest: Greytale Greytales Nook

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## jtougas

I wanted to post an update on this even though my head feels like it weighs 25 lbs.  :Smile:  I will update the story tomorrow after I get some sleep.

I added some more details and also added a roof on the shack (the opacity is very low so it is really just a "hint" of a roof for effect) The wagons are not mine but I did modify them to suit my needs. I made a "tarp" for the new wagon to cover something...  :Smile:  
As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Table: dm142 Dundjinni
New Wagon: heruca Dundjinni
Horses: EvilEmpryss Dundjinni
Original Wagon: Alynnalizza Greytales Nook

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## Bogie

Looking good, the trees are especially nice.  The shack is coming along good.  If the rafters are not needed for the story line, I wonder if it wouldn't be better without them.  If they are needed, then maybe narrower.  They are kind of thick and heavy for such a small shack.

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## jtougas

> Looking good, the trees are especially nice.  The shack is coming along good.  If the rafters are not needed for the story line, I wonder if it wouldn't be better without them.  If they are needed, then maybe narrower.  They are kind of thick and heavy for such a small shack.


Thanks  :Smile:  You may be right about the rafters. I think I was going for a "rough hewn" look. Most of the smaller dwellings in the kingdom are made from the plentiful timber that grows along the river (as well as the plentiful rock that the river washes down from the north) The rafters aren't a part of the story (I think I've had Calan hiding in the rafters enough for now... :Smile:  ) So I could remove them. I'll take a look at that and see what it looks like. Thanks for the suggestion.  :Smile: 
*EDIT* The one thing that bothers me is the horses. They are a great render but with their heads both pointing in the same direction it looks "off" Any suggestions on how I might be able to fix that?

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## anomiecoalition

Lookin good...I see what you mean with the horses.  In CC3 there is a mirror option when placing options - not sure if there is something similar with other programs.  Otherwise, I know I downloaded a slew of different horses from the Dunjinni forums.  The only other suggestion i would offer is to maybe try to blend in the path with the grass a bit more

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge huddled in the shadow of a large tree and devoured a large hunk of bread he had taken from the inside of the shack. He watched and listened as the men loaded large boxes onto the wagon. The horses were fed from feed bags but Calan could tell they were not happy with being left harnessed to to the wagon. He strained to see what was in the boxes but couldn't. Gathering all of his courage he crept to the front of the shack and flattened himself against the rough timber wall. The men were grunting and swearing under the weight of the boxes. One of them spoke "Damn bit of smarts burying these like that." The other men grunted their agreement. The man who lived in the shack chuckled" The tax man don't come around often but it wouldn't do for him to find crates and crates of these weapons now would it?" Calan nearly jumped. "Weapons" he said to himself. What could these men be doing with them all? Calan was sure that their purpose was not an honorable one. He knew he had to be on that wagon when it left. He knew he couldn't hide in the back as the men had filled it to capacity. He crept under the wagon and saw an empty space just under the center spar. He wiggled into position and prayed the journey wouldn't be very long...._

I think I'm done with this. I added a "hidey-hole" for the weapons boxes and fixed my horse problem by modifying a harness to fit these horses. I also removed the rafter layer and I think it made a big difference. Young Calan's adventure continues...  :Smile: 




> Lookin good...I see what you mean with the horses.  In CC3 there is a mirror option when placing options - not sure if there is something similar with other programs.  Otherwise, I know I downloaded a slew of different horses from the Dunjinni forums.  The only other suggestion i would offer is to maybe try to blend in the path with the grass a bit more


Thanks for the suggestion. I fixed the horse problem after a bit of thought and I took your advice about blending the road to the ground.  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Horses: Alynnalizza Dundjinni
Harness: Raven_Starhawke Dundjinni
Sacks & Crates: Greytale Greytales Nook

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## anomiecoalition

really nice...especially like how you created an ever so subtle transparency of the thatched roof of the shack.

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## jtougas

> really nice...especially like how you created an ever so subtle transparency of the thatched roof of the shack.


Thanks for the kind words and the feedback  :Smile:

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## Bogie

Excellent final map.  blending the road and grass textures helped a lot and I like how you used a transparent thatch roof.

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## jtougas

> Excellent final map.  blending the road and grass textures helped a lot and I like how you used a transparent thatch roof.


Thanks so much  :Smile:

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## Jacktannery

I also like this. The composition is very pleasing, the colouring is superb, the thatched effect is very well done. The foliage is magnificent.

However I feel the horses are too sharp (perhaps ran a gaussian blur 2 or 5 pixels on them to break up that black outline) and I don't like your grid much. But overall this is a fitting finale to a great series, and a good map to finish Calan's story on. Good job jtougas.

(EDIT: also your water texture looks over-stretched to me, but now I'm just nit-picking.)

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## arsheesh

That turned out really nicely JT, looks like a polished battle map.

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

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## jtougas

> I also like this. The composition is very pleasing, the colouring is superb, the thatched effect is very well done. The foliage is magnificent.
> 
> However I feel the horses are too sharp (perhaps ran a gaussian blur 2 or 5 pixels on them to break up that black outline) and I don't like your grid much. But overall this is a fitting finale to a great series, and a good map to finish Calan's story on. Good job jtougas.
> 
> (EDIT: also your water texture looks over-stretched to me, but now I'm just nit-picking.)


Because I admire your work so much and respect your opinion and advice, I decided to make the changes you suggested. I lowered the opacity of the grid but because I have placed a grid on all the other maps I have to stay consistent. I appreciate your comments and your feedback  :Smile:  Oh and The Adventure is far from over.....  :Smile: 

Attachment 48665

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## jtougas

> That turned out really nicely JT, looks like a polished battle map.
> 
> Cheers,
> -Arsheesh


Thanks my friend  :Smile:

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## Jacktannery

> ... I decided to make the changes you suggested. ... Oh and The Adventure is far from over.....


Well, I think the horses are too blurry now and on second thoughts I preferred your earlier water. But I do prefer this grid. And I'm glad to hear Calan continues - I don't know where I got that idea.

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## jtougas

> Well, I think the horses are too blurry now and on second thoughts I preferred your earlier water. But I do prefer this grid. And I'm glad to hear Calan continues - I don't know where I got that idea.


Just when you think it's done....  :Smile:  You were right about the horses I sharpened them up a bit. I'll split the difference with you on the water as I think I really like this version. Thanks for the feedback I really appreciate it.  :Smile:

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## Jacktannery

Excellent.

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## jtougas

> Excellent.


Thanks again for all your ideas  :Smile:

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## Bogie

Definitely like the finished map, can't find fault with anything, Excellent!

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## jtougas

> Definitely like the finished map, can't find fault with anything, Excellent!


Thanks !!  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge wondered how much pain the human body could endure before it simply quit. He had spent the last unknown amount of hours cramped into an uncomfortable shape clinging to the bottom of a wagon as it sped along a rough dirt track. The sun had begun to set as finally the wagon groaned to a halt. He fell with ah grunt to the hard earth and scurried behind a small building. He had no idea where he was. He could see that he was in the center of what must have been a small town. There were people moving about and he could smell meat cooking. The wagon's drivers stepped off of the wagon and made a great show of stretching. After tying the horses to a post they entered a squat stone and timber building with a sign that read" The Axe & Stump" Calan knew with a name like that the building had to be a tavern. He moved cautiously across the street and took a up a position on the side of the building facing away from the street. He craned his neck and peered into a dirty window...._

The next installment of the Calan Stonebridge Series. This map will depict the "Axe & Stump" Tavern a seedy and dangerous tavern in the Northern Shendenflar town of Lodge. Lodge is far enough North to be almost autonomous although the majority of it's citizens work in either the timber or service trades. Lodge has long been a haven for fugitives and naer do wells. The little town also harbors a dark secret that young Calan will soon discover....

I've started this map with the ground layers and added the exterior and interior walls. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge had practically grown up in a tavern. He and his mother had lived and worked in one in the city of Riverhewn. While The Stabbed Soldier was a rough and seedy place it was a palace compared to the Axe & Stump. Calan peered through the window in disbelief. The common row was filled with drunken men sitting at long rough hewn tables. Although the sun had barely begun it's descent through the sky these men were already very drunk. Tired looking serving girls navigated between the tables fighting off the rough advances of the patrons as often as serving drinks. Calan spotted a vicious fight going on in one corner of the room. The entire place was lit by torches it seemed and they let off a hellish glow that did little to brighten the mood of this dark place. Calan spotted the wagon drivers sitting at one of the long tables in what appeared to be a intense conversation with two other men. After a while the group rose and moved towards the back of the tavern. Calan followed moving along the outside of the tavern which he discovered was very large. He flattened himself up against the back wall and looked through a partially open door. What he saw both fascinated and sickened him. In the center of the large shadow filled room sat an octagon made from giant wooden beams. Tall thin logs had been affixed to form a grid around it's outside. on these hung more torches that lit the scene with an almost evil glow. In the center of the structure two men were fighting. Calan had seen men fight before of course but never like this. The ferocity and brutality of the fight terrified him. These men were trying to kill each other. Around the outside of the octagon a crowd had formed cheering and booing and betting. The room was dark except for the octagon and the air was heavy with the smell of unwashed bodies and split liquor. There was a great cheer from the crowd and Calan watched as one of the men landed a brutal blow on the other. The struck man fell like a tree in the forest and laid still. The other man raised his hands in victory and let out a massive roar. Tavern workers entered the octagon and dragged the lifeless body of the loser away. Fresh dirt was sprinkled over the blood stains and two more men readied themselves to enter the pit. Calan was about to turn away when a strong hand clamped down on his shoulder and a voice rough with drink said " Now what do we have here?....."_

Oh Calan What will happen to you now.....

More work on the "Axe & Stump" The center piece of the tavern the "fighting pit" I had to try to make this myself and I have to say I'm pretty proud of it. (so much so that I'll make it available in the "Mapping Resources" section of the forum.) I was going for a dark and scary atmosphere here and I think I'm getting there. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge nearly fainted as he was roughly pulled to a standing position. The man that had grabbed him was tall and muscular. Calan struggled out of instinct knowing that he had no hope of escaping this brute. "Put me down !" he tried to shout but fear made his words come out in a squeak. The large man laughed and began to carry Calan towards the open door. Calan tried again in vain to wriggle free and was delivered a cuff on the face for his trouble. He was carried past the fighting pit where two more men had taken their place for the entertainment of the wildly cheering crowd. Calan screamed for help but either the people in the crowd could not hear him or merely didn't care. The large man stopped in front of a large heavy door. He reached for a iron key and unlocked the door shoving it open with a grunt. He then tossed Calan inside. Calan hit the hard dirt floor with a rush of escaping breath. As the giant man was closing the door, Calan heard him say: " Make a crown or two from him...Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll live long enough to be profitable" With that the massive door was slammed shut and Calan found himself in the darkness once more...._

Work continues on the Axe & Stump. I've started the common room by adding my new tables and benches. I've also added torches and some lighting effects. I made some small changes to the walls of the tavern as well. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## anomiecoalition

Love the map and the story.  Couple things you might want to try (if you agree and its not too much of a pain): maybe create more disarray in the bar area by having the tables and benches at slightly off angles from each other.  Also might want to shrink the fighting pit just a tad so that people would have room to walk around it.

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## jtougas

_Clan Stonebridge sat still for a moment and let his eyes adjust to the gloom. He had seen two bodies lying on the dirt floor as he was being tossed into the room. He could hear labored breathing from one and a soft moan from the other. He was relieved to find that neither were dead. He had had quite enough of dead bodies for one lifetime. He sat in the cell and pondered what the large man had said "Live long enough to be profitable?" Were the mans words. What did that mean? Calan puzzled over it for a few more minutes until the answer hit him like lightning. SLAVERS ! He had heard rumors in the dock ward of Riverhewn that there were still groups of people that made money by kidnapping and selling human beings. It was highly illegal and worth the instant death penalty if one was caught. Most times the rumors spoke of people spirited away aboard ships fast departing from Riverhewn Harbor to lands far away from the justice of the king. To know that it was happening in the kingdom shocked Calan. What was even more shocking was that now he would find out if these rumors were true first hand. He prayed that he would live to find out....._

Young Calan Stonebridge's adventure has turned for the worse wouldn't you agree?....




> Love the map and the story.  Couple things you might want to try (if you agree and its not too much of a pain): maybe create more disarray in the bar area by having the tables and benches at slightly off angles from each other.  Also might want to shrink the fighting pit just a tad so that people would have room to walk around it.


That's not a bad idea and I had actually thought of it but I didn't make the common room big enough to make that effective and still have enough room for more than just a couple of tables. As far as the fighting pit goes I was going for a closed in cramped "atmosphere" there's about 2 feet of space on the narrow ends of the room it is in. Just enough for trouble...  :Smile:  Thanks for the kind words as well. I hope people are enjoying the story (and of course the maps) as much as I am enjoying writing and making them.  I stretched myself a bit with this map making more of my own objects. I really like this one and the "feel" of it. Stay Tuned for more of Young Calan's adventures...  :Smile: 
*EDIT* After looking at this for a while I decided that I didn't like the bodies in the cell. They are great objects but just didn't "fit" in my opinion. I removed them and updated the image  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Spilt ale mug: ProBono Dundjinni
Mugs: Bogie Dundjinni
Bottles: Bogie Dundjinni
Shackles: Greytale Greytales Nook

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## Bogie

Looking good.  
One minor detail with the wall torches in the bar.  The light from the torches should not extend thru the wall into the next room.

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## jtougas

> Looking good.  
> One minor detail with the wall torches in the bar.  The light from the torches should not extend thru the wall into the next room.


Another case of looking but not seeing  :Smile:  Thanks for pointing that out. Here is an updated version with that fixed.

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge was shoved towards the large dock. He was chained to a large man in front of him and a tall woman behind him. His captors stood on the dock wearing looks of annoyance. "Is this the best you could do? A farmer a boy and a woman? The master will not be pleased" The man who had shoved Calan snorted. Gesturing towards the large man he said "This one is strong as an ox. Killed 2 men in the pit last night barely raised a breath. The woman well you know what they fetch in the right place." He gestured toward Calan. "This little one was in the wrong place at the wrong time sneaking around the Axe and Stump. He won't bring much but better that then the wrong eyes" The men on the dock didn't look any less unhappy but both nodded their agreement. Calan had used the exchange to study their destination. Moored against the dock sat a large boat. She sported two masts and bobbed in the water like a horse eager for the gallop. Calan had seen ships before on the docks of Riverhewn but he had never been on one. He knew that ships of this size sometimes navigated the Fler River due to it's wide calm waters. He couldn't help but feel at bit of excitement until he caught a glimpse of the ships name engraved on a plaque and painted blood red. "The Promise of Fire" Calan was harshly reminded he was about to be sold into slavery....._

The adventure continues. This is an idea I've had for quite a while and decided to get on with it. I've never done a ship of this style before so I thought it would make an interesting project. As you can see I've started with the basic hull shape and the deck rails and planks. I've added the masts as well. The water is just a placeholder for now. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Menna shuffled towards the docks flanked by her two sons. They were large men possessing an excess of muscle and a minimum of brain. They carried their father's size and their mother's ruthlessness. Menna had led the smuggling and slaving operation her husband had started since his death at the hands of the Riverhewn watch. She hated and blamed both the watch and the king. Her "job" at the Stabbed Soldier tavern was merely a front. A way to keep suspicions off of her. It had worked too for many years. She rarely traveled out of Riverhewn anymore but this trip was special. It was the largest shipment of weapons to come from the North yet. She would make a fortune selling these to the criminal element of Riverhewn. The slave trade was far more risky and often less rewarding. Slavery was illegal in most kingdoms of the Flanaess. This of course didn't stop those so inclined to participate in it. There were still lands where slaves brought a tidy profit. She stopped at the foot of the dock to look at the ship moored there. She was first hesitant to use the "Promise of Fire" as she was a big ship made to run the coast of Lake Quag. Menna had been afraid that a ship of her size would attract attention along the river but because of the low currents and deep water, more and more large boats were navigating the river and she drew no unwanted eyes. Menna scowled as she corrected herself. "One set of unwanted eyes" she muttered to herself. The Stonebridge boy had followed her sons to the Northern town of Lodge. The captain of the "Promise" had caught him sneaking around the Axe and Stump Tavern, Menna's Northern base of operations. She knew that the boys mother was beside herself with worry for her son and was mildly concerned that she might somehow find out where he was. She knew that to be unlikely. Children went missing all the time and were rarely found. She would make sure that Calan Stonebridge was never found......_

I worked some on this today while taking a break from working on a commission. I'm really focusing on making as many of my own elements for this as I can. Everything was created by me except the crates which are from Greytales Nook. I realize that a boat moored at a dock wouldn't have her sails up but I wanted to try and create a sail. I'll probably change it to show her with her sails furled. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## Jacktannery

Coming together JT. Some of those lines are very sharp - consider running a very slight gaussian blur (1-2pix) on your drawn rope lines and on the crow's nest.

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge was so shocked to see Menna standing on the docks that he stopped walking causing the woman behind him to crash into him. He had known Menna was somehow involved with all of this but until now he didn't grasp the full situation. He remembered back to his life at the Stabbed Soldier. He had always disliked Menna she was loud and often mean. To find out she was some kind of criminal mastermind shouldn't have come as a shock to Calan. Menna gestured for the guards to stop and she approached Calan. "Well boy you ain't at the Soldier no more. No momma to protect you now." Calan grimaced at the old woman. " Don't think you'll get away with this you hag" His words were cut off by a slap from Menna. "Get away with it?" she almost shrieked moving in closer so that Calan could smell her fetid breath. "I always get away with it you little fool. No one cares about run away little boys. They go missing every day it is just the way of things. Oh to be sure your momma will miss you and drop her tears in the kitchens of that stinking hole but soon she will forget she will go on as they all do. Who knows she is still young and fair of face she might meet someone and make a little replacement for you" Calan lunged at the old woman only to be brought up short by the unmoving bulk of the large man he was chained to. Menna laughed "See, little fool. Even the giant accepts his fate. You should too. Soon you will be gone from this kingdom and from it's memory" With that she turned and moved down the dock. Calan Stonebridge watched her walk away with hatred burning in his eyes. He vowed that he would kill the evil old woman and destroy all she ever stood for no matter how long it might take....."_




> Coming together JT. Some of those lines are very sharp - consider running a very slight gaussian blur (1-2pix) on your drawn rope lines and on the crow's nest.


Thanks. And thanks for the tip I was looking at those ropes trying to figure out how to make them look more like rope. That did the trick. 

I think I might be just about done with this now. I added a dock and some texture for the water. I will be doing the below deck layout next. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Merlan Seascar stood on the deck of his ship and watched as the cargo was loaded. He was very proud of the "Promise of Fire" and had every right to be. She was a large coastal freighter designed to haul cargo along the coast of Lake Quag. She spent most of her time ferrying cargo from the docks of Riverhewn to Perrenland on the south coast of the giant lake. Her mundane purpose kept Seascar comfortable but her other duties made him rich. He had no moral compunction against hauling illegal cargo as long as it could be secured and hidden and was not overly dangerous. He loved two things in the world: Money and his ship. He would not let either come to harm. The cargo for this trip was worth the slightly difficult passage North on the Fler river. The currents were low and the water deep but there were still places along the river where he had been forced to pay a team of men and horses to tow the "Promise" until the wind came up and the current subsided. He was a man enamored of luxury and the little village of Lodge held nothing of the sort. The one tavern and inn were desperately plain and depressingly functional. He was very glad that his small cabin on the "Promise" was outfitted to his decadent tastes. This cargo would make him rich yet again even the sight of the slaves didn't bother him overmuch. He had carried slaves before and the profit was always worth the risk. He had built a small hold under the stern of the ship to conceal them during transport. It was not comfortable but then it didn't need to be. Only security and concealment mattered. He watched as the stevedores loaded the "legitimate" cargo and lashed it to the deck. He had ordered that the "other" cargo be mixed with the legal so that it looked as if he was merely carrying a very large load that wouldn't all fit in the "Promise's" holds. He was eager to be off. The wind was coming up and the currents would be as well. If he was lucky he would reach Riverhewn early the next day. He was already fantasizing about how he would spend his new fortune....._

Spent a little time on this this morning while working on a commission. I envision this ship to be just over 100' long and 40' wide across the rails. There will be three decks (one of which will be only a half deck for slaves) I did a little research and every vessel that I saw had more than one mast. It makes sense. The more sail the more speed. Even though this is a "coaster" and occasional river sloop I would think her owner would want her to be fast. So I added another mast and the rigging to go with it. I also worked on some shadowing and added "cargo nets" that I created to the crates on deck. A new gangplank was added as the stevedores would need some way to load the ship. I think she is nearly done unless I think of any other details to add. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## ruff

If its over 100' feet long you may want to lengthen it some.. Seeing it is about twice as wide..

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## atpollard

I think that a length of three times the width is more typical. 
At any event, tacking requires more space between the masts - say one about 25 feet back from the front, then a 50 foot gap and the second mast about 25 feet from the rear.

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## jtougas

> If its over 100' feet long you may want to lengthen it some.. Seeing it is about twice as wide..


There goes my "scaleitis" again.... Your right of course she's far too "fat"  :Smile: 




> I think that a length of three times the width is more typical. 
> At any event, tacking requires more space between the masts - say one about 25 feet back from the front, then a 50 foot gap and the second mast about 25 feet from the rear.


Thanks for the suggestion. I realized that I really know NOTHING about ships. I looked up some quick information on the internet and off I went. As you posted there isn't enough room between the masts to make them usable and she's far too wide for her length (although the river ships that I have found tend to be fairly wide proportional to their length) Seeing as how I'm calling this a "coaster" It makes sense that she'd be a bit narrower. I really appreciate the feedback.  :Smile: 

Here is the new "Promise of Fire" a bit narrower and with more room for her masts. As always feedback is requested and appreciated  :Smile:

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## jtougas

Here is the new "thinner" and longer "Promise of Fire" smuggling ship. Following the great feedback I received on the original post I decided to re-do her to more scale proportions. She is now 120 feet long and 30 feet wide. I forgot to add my "cargo nets" but I'll do that for the final update. I had a lot of fun with this one as I stretched myself to make most of the elements myself. As always feedback is requested and appreciated  :Smile:

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## atpollard

It looks great!

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## jtougas

> It looks great!


Thanks. And thanks to everyone for all the feedback. Here is the "completed" version. This was a lot of fun and I learned a lot and got to create some more elements. As always feedback is requested and appreciated  :Smile:

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## rdanhenry

Left side text issues: "The" on the first line and "To" on the second line should not be capitalized. There is no closing quote mark around the ship's name. A ship's name should not be in quotation marks, however, but rather in italics (or underlined should italics not be available). On the fourth line, there should be no apostrophe in "its", but there should be a comma before "however".

Right side text issue: You again have an opening quotation mark with no closing quotation mark.

The ship itself is pretty nice. Possibly a bit sparse, perhaps, but to be functional, it is better to underdetail than overdetail the map.

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## jtougas

> Left side text issues: "The" on the first line and "To" on the second line should not be capitalized. There is no closing quote mark around the ship's name. A ship's name should not be in quotation marks, however, but rather in italics (or underlined should italics not be available). On the fourth line, there should be no apostrophe in "its", but there should be a comma before "however".
> 
> Right side text issue: You again have an opening quotation mark with no closing quotation mark.
> 
> The ship itself is pretty nice. Possibly a bit sparse, perhaps, but to be functional, it is better to underdetail than overdetail the map.


Ah, the perils of punctuation....  :Smile:  I rushed through that and I didn't take the time to proofread what I had written. Thanks for the corrections. I fixed my wonky text and now I think she's "completed"  :Smile:  *EDIT* wow... It's amazing how you can look at something for HOURS and not see what it wrong. I had placed the grid over the water layer (fine if your players are planning on walking on it....) I fixed that and updated the image.  :Smile:  *EDIT* I realized that I hadn't shown any "air vents" obviously a ship this big would have at least two decks below the main one and they would need ventilation. The image has been updated

Object Credits: Crates: Greytale Greytales Nook
Barrels: r-kelleg Dundjinni

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## jtougas

_Merlan Seascar sat at his large oak desk scribbling numbers into a ledger. He kept track of every single piece of cargo that came aboard the_  Promise of Fire._He was very glad to be back aboard and was anxious to be off. The river currents were favorable and the winds were blowing in the right direction for the moment. He had hired a team of horses to pull the Promise from the dock where he would turn her in the middle of the river by dropping anchor behind the ship and making sail to turn the ship on her center There was a knock on the door of his office he looked up to see one of his crew with the human cargo in tow. He stood and straightened his tunic. "Listen to me for I will only say this once. You are aboard my vessel now. I will brook no disobedience nor attempts to escape. Your owner would be very cross with me if I let you all run away." He could see the young boy that Menna had called Stonebridge strain at his bonds. He chuckled as he  pulled the boys face up to make eye contact. "Good spirit for a boy. If I were you I would save my strength you will need it." With that he gestured to the crew member to lead the slaves away. He would have to keep an eye on the Stonebridge boy he thought to himself. That one had a bit too much fight in him....._

The adventure continues aboard the smuggling ship _The Promise of Fire_. This map will depict the captains quarters of the _Promise_. One half of the area will serve as Merlan Seascar's office and the other half his personal cabin. Seascar is a man of some wealth and little taste liking anything that makes him look rich. As you can see the floor in his cabin is laid with planks of bamboo. Not native to Shendenflar and imported at great cost from the south. The box in the middle of the area is for the steering mechanism for the ship. The ship's wheel is directly above the captains suite I used a piece of chain from Sketchup to simulate the rudder chain passing through the suite. I am trying to make as many elements for this as I can. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Merlan Seascar stood from behind his desk and stretched. He took a deep breath of fresh air from the open window. He would be glad to be off. This trip was becoming dull and Merlan Seascar despised dullness. He took a small sip of the brandy that sat on the map table along with a chart of the mouth of the Fler river. He knew he would have to navigate the tricky passage at the Southern terminus of the river before making port at the Riverhewn docks. He was not worried about being boarded. The dock was a busy place with ships arriving and leaving almost constantly. No one would pay any attention to the Promise of Fire and even if they did, Menna had assured him that her contacts in the docks would take care of any suspicions. He could hear his crew making the final preparations for departure on the deck above him. He couldn't help but smile at the prospect of smooth water and fair winds...._

Last update for today. I've been working on lighting and details. I added the captains desk and a map table. I also added "windows" although I'm not 100% certain they look like I want them to. Any feedback on how to depict windows better would be appreciated as any general feedback would be.  :Smile:

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## Bogie

looking good!

The wood for the shutters is to thick.  2 inches would be a good thickness but these are over a foot thick.

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge found himself sitting on the deck of the Promise of Fire chained as he had been to the other two captives. The large man had said nothing and had hardly moved. The woman had started crying and was sobbing softly next to him. He felt a pang of remorse for her. He was young but he knew what could happen to a pretty girl in a strange land. He was also scared for himself. He had no idea where that old hag Menna would send him. He doubted that he would stay in Shendenflar as the risk of being caught selling slaves was far too great. He would find himself in a far off land doing only the gods knew what. He would find his way back and avenge himself no matter what it took...._




> looking good! The wood for the shutters is to thick.  2 inches would be a good thickness but these are over a foot thick.


Thanks Bogie. That's what I thought too. The windows are just too thick. I'll have to re work that idea. I added a few new pieces of furniture and am working on detailing the captains sleeping cabin now. I'm trying to make as many pieces as I can but because the captain is such a "dandy" (a ruthless dandy but a dandy none the less...) I know my skills aren't up to making the kind of fancy bed that he would sleep in so I used this one instead. It's very good. I am going to make a table for this room as well. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile: 

Object Credits
Rug: Bogie Dundjinni
Bed: supercaptain Dundjinni
Captains Chair: Bogie Cartographer's Guild

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## Bogie

That bed Supercaptain made is great, it is way out of my league to.  

I did work on some windows for you.  I combined some shutters made by Heruca ( the owner of Battlegrounds VTT ) with some window special effects I made and came up with these windows:
Here are 2 of them painted onto your ship walls.

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## jtougas

Those are perfect Bogie !! I was going round and round trying to make something that looked decent. Thanks so much. Have some rep  :Smile:

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## Bogie

Glad you can use them, thanks for the rep!

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## jtougas

_The Promise of Fire was ready to depart. Merlan Seascar stood on the deck with both hands on the ships wheel. He would manuver the ship away from the dock and into the river where men in a small boat would drop an anchor down river from the Promise and other men aboard the ship would bend their backs to a capstan and pull the ship around to face the right direction. Merlan Seascar had been happy to save the coin on the horse team when it was decided that the method of turning the Promise wouldn't work. Seacars first officer was aboard the boat giving orders to the crew on where and how to drop the anchor. This was always Seascar's favorite part. The cargo was secured the ship was orderly and fit for passage and he had his hands on the wheel. The only thing he would enjoy more was counting the money the trip would bring..._

Thanks to Bogie the _Promise of Fire_ now has real windows. I also modified one of Bogies excellent doors by adding some of his "glass" to make a sort of "french door". I think I'm just about done with this. I "dandied" up the sleeping cabin as much as I could and all the little details are there. I will add a border next. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile: 

Object Credits:
Books W/Bookends: Greytale Greytales Nook
Doors: Bogie Dundjinni
Tea Pot & Holder: Kepli Dundjinni

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## Jacktannery

Looks good. Love the windows.

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## jtougas

> Looks good. Love the windows.


Thanks  :Smile:  and those windows are awesome. Thanks again Bogie !!

Here is the "completed" version with my standard black border and a little text blurb. As always feedback is requested and appreciated  :Smile:

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## Bogie

You are welcome, it looks Wonderful!!

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge climbed down the rough wooden ladder cautiously. He was still chained to the large man and the tall woman who had stopped crying but was now staring blankly ahead. The deck he stepped down upon was dark and gloomy. The only light source was the grates built into the ceiling. His guard shoved him roughly in the direction of the rear of the ship. He could see large stacks of crates and barrels filling the space. Along the walls suspended by long beams, were hammocks the sleeping quarters of the ships crew. As Calan stumbled forward he knew he wouldn't be spending the night in a hammock. It would be a rough cold deck and another long terrifying night...._




> You are welcome, it looks Wonderful!!


Thanks Bogie !! I couldn't have done it without your help.  :Smile: 

This is the next installment of the series. This map will depict the crew quarters/cargo hold of the _Promise of Fire_ smuggling ship. I am going for a dark and gloomy feel to this. I also am firmly committed to making all of my own elements so there may be several "re-works" of this. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_The captives were made to sit on the rough deck among the swaying hammocks and the creaking cargo. Calan was mildly surprised that they weren't locked in a cell of some sort. Not that he was complaining. He felt like he had spent the last year of his life either locked away or hiding in some tiny space. He looked around at his surroundings. There were crates stacked neatly reaching the ceiling of the deck. Calan was surprised at the order of it all. He wouldn't of thought the kind of man that would transport illegal cargo and worst yet, slaves would worry about neatness. There were barrels lining the back wall of the deck also neatly arranged and securely tied down with cargo nets. Calan realized that even evil sometimes had order...._

I have created the hammocks and the crates in this update. The crates aren't really anything special but because they are underneath cargo nets I didn't put a lot of detail into them. Next up will be barrels and lighting. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## anomiecoalition

Really like it (particularly the nets)...the only broad suggestion I might make is to consider altering the size of the map.  In other words, rather than have that large area of blue all around the ship, maybe zoom in a bit more, so that there is more ship and less blue.  This way the detail of your layout and objects really shines through.

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## jtougas

> Really like it (particularly the nets)...the only broad suggestion I might make is to consider altering the size of the map.  In other words, rather than have that large area of blue all around the ship, maybe zoom in a bit more, so that there is more ship and less blue.  This way the detail of your layout and objects really shines through.


Thanks. I actually cropped quite a bit of the water off of the map but I uploaded the wrong image. I'm going to change that for the next update.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Merlan Seascar watched as his human cargo was led down the ladder into the special hold he had built on the lowest level of the ship. It was strong and well secured. It was also deep enough in the bowels of the ship to be nearly soundproof. Of course he knew that sound traveled very well in water and anyone banging at the hull might be heard by anyone close enough to the ship. This is why he had installed shackles. His captives couldn't bang on the hull if they couldn't use their hands or their feet...._

I finished the barrels and started on the lighting. I'm not 100% sure it's what I was looking for. The idea is that the light is coming from the grates above. Maybe the light shouldn't be yellow but white instead. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## Jacktannery

With the lighting, I get what you are doing but I don't think it's working. Its very yellow. Lighting like this is tricky and there are lots of possible approaches - one approach to simulate daylight might be:

1)The wood colour of your deck is very rich dark red. Experiment with the Hue/contrast/saturation sliders until it looks like very pale pine wood. Remember these exact settings.
2) Make a new layer 'new from visible', and change the entire hue/saturation/contrast so the deck is lovely pale pine. Delete everything EXCEPT for a grid of squares in two places where you want your light to be. 
3) should look a little like my window on BIG CASTLE planks POST 75 (note - this isn't how I did it but your deck is so dark and rich I think you'll have to do it this way).

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge had never been on a large boat before. Although he was uncomfortable and still very scared he found himself fascinated by his surroundings. It was dark and cold but it seemed as if the ship around him was a living breathing thing. It's hull creaked and moaned and rose and fell as it moved over the water. Cracks of light shone through into the holding cell bringing an occasional gust of fresh cold air. Calan Stonebridge knew he was headed for a fate of unknown horror but just for this moment he was enjoying himself...._

Thanks for the tip Jacktannery. I had a "happy" accident while applying your suggestion. It is no secret that I like "dark and gloomy" I also like textures and contrast. During the saturation and hue adjustment pass I landed on this. It's not exactly what you had laid out for me but I have to admit I LOVE it. It's rough and dark and there is the splash of light that contrasts the darkness. I probably would have not found this without your help. Thanks SO much.  :Smile:

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## jtougas

_Calan Stonebridge was no longer enjoying himself. The ship had taken to rocking violently and he could hear the sound of rain and wind lashing the deck. Although the Fler river was wide and usually calm, he had heard stories of freak storms raging down river from the North and wreaking havoc on ship traffic. It seemed as though the Promise of Fire was in the grip of one of those storms. He heard the sounds of retching and saw the large silent man and the woman both vomiting. He himself felt only slightly nauseous and was briefly proud of that. He braced himself as best he could against the movement of the ship and prayed that they ship was stout and could ride out the storm...._

I think I'm done with this. I have a tendency to "dawdle" over a map and fuss with it for too long. I like the way this turned out. It conveys the "feeling" that I had in my head when I was thinking about the next chapter in Calan's adventure. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile:

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## Bogie

Nice work JT, and I like the new avatar, very stylish / classy!

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## Jacktannery

Agree - very nice and love the lighting now. The only thing I don't like are the rectangular things along the side of the boat - the reason I don't like these is their colour: the sickly greeny-yellow of snot. Love the new avatar too - maybe I'll adopt the same one and we can confuse everybody.

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## jtougas

> Nice work JT, and I like the new avatar, very stylish / classy!


Thanks Bogie. The new avatar was a long time coming. I kind of feel like I "graduated" or something (or at the very least grew up...  :Smile:  )




> Agree - very nice and love the lighting now. The only thing I don't like are the rectangular things along the side of the boat - the reason I don't like these is their colour: the sickly greeny-yellow of snot. Love the new avatar too - maybe I'll adopt the same one and we can confuse everybody.


Thanks !! I think the hammocks came out pretty badly too. I've been looking at this (It's my desktop wallpaper) and I just can't seem to make decent hammocks. The color was an attempt to show a "well used" hammock fabric but your right it just doesn't look very good. I think I'll have a go a fixing that and a couple of other little issues before I call this "completed". As for the avatar thanks and that would be pretty funny but you don't want your excellent work mistaken for mine...  :Smile:

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## jtougas

Here is (I think  :Smile:  ) the "completed" version of the _Promise of Fire_ smuggling ship cargo hold and crew quarters. I removed the awful hammocks and replaced them with these very good ones from r-kelleg at Dundjinni. I also expanded on the storm theme I started in the story blurb by adding some items bobbing in the water. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.  :Smile: 

Object Credits
Hammocks: r-kelleg Dundjinni

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## arsheesh

Ooh, looks dark and foreboding... I like it!

Cheers,
-Arsheesh

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## Jacktannery

Very nice.

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## jtougas

Thanks Guys !!  :Smile:

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