# Gallery > Cartographers Choice >  Voradin - by Tom Cardin

## Gandwarf

*Map* (Click to enlarge)




*Created in:* Photoshop

*Review*

Voradin is a young empire, recently visited by Guild cartographer Tom Cardin. He has made a great and realistic looking map. The mountains and forested hills look fantastic and give the map a feeling of depth. Places of interest are mostly depicted sattelite style as well, with walls and houses showing. There's some great textures in there, like the farmland and wasteland.

Tom Cardin says:Though Voradin is young, the empires' strength lies in ancient roots, for both the dwarven home of the Red Peaks and the famous college of Ganlan are united under the banner of the Emperor. Voradin City, seat of the Empire, is a small sparkling jewel. It's magic and strengths are impressive sights to all free peoples who travel through its gates. Artistry and strength show in the towering, iron girded buildings and the walls upon which massive guardian defenders stand.

For all the Empires' power, there are still many dark dangers lying wait in the vast forest wildernesses and among the heavy earthen roots of the Starfall Mountains. The cursed lord of the forest, Timberjaw, still prowls among the great trees. Meanwhile, a mysterious evil is also roaming the land, growing in strength, whispering many lies and striking with great subtlety... 
*Original Thread*
To go to the original thread click here.

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## mearrin69

Awesome map, Tom. Recognition well deserved.
M

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## Gidde

Great map, Tom. Grats on the CC  :Smile:

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## Immolate

Lovely map Tom, and a good example of someone who listened to critical commentary and has a better map for it. Congratulations!

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## Ramah

A wonderful map Tom and congratulations on it being picked, it sure deserved it.  :Smile:

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## Tom_Cardin

Thank you all, I am honored. Everyone gave me wonderful feedback and really helped push me to where I needed to go.
This is a really wonderful community to be part of.

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## Sapiento

Congrats. I would like to rep you, but can't at the moment.

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## Aenigma

Wonderful map. I quite like it  :Smile:

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## Gandwarf

I have looked at this map a couple of times and only just now I realised there's bridges in there too. Very nice  :Smile:

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## Pruneau

Gasp.  That's a wonderful map, with a fantastic level of detail and TLC put in there.  I love the mountains and the woods particularly, but I am also impressed with the finesses like the name of the woods in wood green.  A lot of thought and work went in this map, and you may be very proud of the result, Tom Cardin! :Compass Rose:

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## Absinth

This is a great map! Nearly perfect! This award is well deserved!

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## Fjodin

I like you love to detaild. GREAT MAP!

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## Jaxilon

I love the lightly drawn cities and towns. It looks fabulous!

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## GygaxLives

Great looking map.  Love the mountains

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## Schley

Nice work! I particularly like your forest texture.

Mike

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## matt_s

Very nice, really love the trees!

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## Ander

Truly awesome. I want my forests to look like yours!

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## sensawunda

The mountains are out of bounds.  Some of the best I've seen.

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## damirith

Nice top-down look, I like the rivers!

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## Neorael

Gorgeous work ! Congrats.

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## korric

Really nice  :Very Happy:  Like the style alot  :Smile:  have some Rep (Im new here, but guess rep is views..?)

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## jbgibson

Thanks for revisiting the thread korric - I wasn't here first time it showed up.

Rep, which I agree is warranted, is a system of recognition for a job well done.  It shows up n the little bar under one's name on posts.  You're starting with none, so your single pip is gray, and early on rep you give will not 'count', except as a declaration of appreciation.  You give it by clicking on the little six-point star under the intended recipient's name on the post being awarded kudos for.  As you gain rep yourself, the rep you bestow goes up.  It also goes up for other conditions - just being around a long time, posts made, etc.   Hover over other guildmembers' green bars and a tooltip will tell their current rep value.  Rep is for YOU to decide why to give - a particularly helpful post, something that made you laugh, or an amazing map are good reasons.

This thread is a special case in that a community leader posts the award of a cartographer's choice - so don't award rep to Gandwarf (for this :-) ... there's other repworthy stuff HE has done!) rather go to the original thread where Tom_Cardin built or presented the map.

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## korric

Thanks for the very elaborate answer. I figured it out yesterday, but not to the extend that you explain it  :Smile:  now I have given a few people rep, but more is to come  :Smile:

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