23 June 2012

Nations!



well not much to report unfortunately. I've been busy with that dreaded thing - real life - and have devoted much of my time at the moment to a contest entry on cartographersguild.com. The theme is 'Extremes' and here is my entry (still WIP and not related to Elyden in any way):









Muspelheim


The concept i went with was a geologically-active satellite, with metallic (and oxidised) plates akin to those on earth though far more active, with regions of lave between them where they push together, which has created a crust of various minerals and ores that are ripe for exploitation from greedy human colonists (of course)




With regards to Elyden, I've done little writing over the past week though have managed to transfer some details from the old map to the new one, with the hopes of having the major points marked on the map within a few weeks (then I'll probably decide to change the font and key marks again (with a rasterised text layer thats not going to be fun...). Though even once i get that done i wont consider the map 100% done until ive written a history for all of the extant nations. here's a brief list of the nations (ordered alphabetically) and where i stand with each at the moment:




Aethios: aiklah ruins. A central. mountain with radiating rivers. Thats it.

Ahrishen: done, though needs some updating

Alam Bethyl: some cities and areas have names, but little else. i have a very cold celtic-like theme in mind for this place with wooden demon-masks used by sorcerers (shamen).

Almagest: has a pretty detailed history though its a very old version that needs to be changed. its since become an independant entity (no longer part of Korachan) and the eponymous city - once a steampunky dystopian place of 8,000,000 bodies) has been toned down in size and scope and is now quite different.

Anubia: a vast desert region with little true backstory yet, though its few oasis cities are enticing and i look forward to detailing them

Aquariia: little more than the name exists for this region, and the name is likely to change slightly by the time i get round to it (though i do like it, particularly the double-i at the end)

Arkos: the most-recently detailed region, spanning 4 consecutive cultures of which Arkos is the latest, this region is fresh and needs little additions for now. a nobility that is descended from the first crude imperial clones (adonis-figures, with hairless alabaster skin) they now indulge in incest to keep their biology untainted. though the region recently fragmented.

Artalscelli: Like Hoamm, this region is an offshoot of Korachan and a recent addition to the world. history is largely complete though needs updating to reflect the Sundering of Korachan in 3075 RM.

Azazem: i just need to ollate the many bullet-points and snippets of history and expand them into a full history.

Ba'ath: once at one with Suma'ya i only recently divided the two. both are complete, history-wise -ba'ath has a history of penumbral corruption and culturally, hates it, giving rise to a caste of Set that use the penumbra to understand it and ultimately defeat it. a gross generalisation, of course.

the Broken Lands: the isles resulting froma cataclysmic devastation in Khamid in 101 RM, this region has little history following that point, so it will be interesting to create the various disparate cultures that evolved from the common ancestor (Khamid) and to see how they diverged since that time.

Cyhlagharr: oghur (ogre) lands. lots of cyclo/hydrocephaly. looking forward to fleshing this place out!

Erebeth: just a name for now!

the Growing Mountains (Mulciber): 30+disparate tribes of barbarians. most are little more than a name. a handful have a vague clichéd character that needs expanding. this will take a while to get done, though luckily their histories are localised.

the Hareshk: 8 closely-tied nations with roots in the genepools of many different ancient peoples, this will be time-consuming but interesting. i have little other than recent events and spattering of ancient history (initial settlement and colonisation etc).

Hoamm: a relatively-recent addition to the world, this was a natural offshoot of Kroachan. once used as a prison-island, it was largely forgotten with the meteoric rise of Korachan and became its own entity. history needs slight updating to bring it in line with the new Sundered empire.

Hololach: just a name, for now.

J'Thana: i recently tore this region away from N'rach and made it its own place. as both regions mentoned have no full history yet its pretty much a blank slate

Juras: i have very little done here, other than links with Korachan and Parthis.

Karakhas: one-barbarians, though still blood-moon worshipping culture, lots of riots under Korachan. I have lots of tidbits ready for this region and with the scattered encyclopaedia entries i have ready I have the basis for a strong history.

Kaspia: with a name that isnt even visible on the map yet, there is l;ittle history created from here, other than an angelic deity and a harsh scion leader.

Ketesh: the epicurean city. thats it, but a great start :p

Khamid: this is a leftover form an older world (Sola) that has lots of alternate history that i ported over from the old setting that needs to be retrofitted into the new world. this will be a fun one to do.

Khitai: little more than a name, this region is harsh; the north made up of jagged mountains and the south largely an iron (rust) wasteland. it is home to the abyssal templars. will be fun learning what this region brings to my world.

Khuraur: on part of Karakhas though since-sundered. thats all i have.

Kolchis: (aka the grey forest). now Kolchis (and Alam Bethyl, for that matter) are on the 70th parallel, i might have to reduce the forestyness of the place. obviously a harsh place to live. perhaps some geothermal vents to make climate a bit more manageable?

Korachan: the less i think about this place the better... the timeline of this nations also includes the timelines of those nations its subjugated or conquered over its 4-millenia existence... other than that i know more about Korachan than most

Laaskha: a decent timeline and history exists for here but for the time being its just bullet-points and snippets in various encyclopaedic entries.

Lidea: Next on the list to receive the history treatment. still not sure where to take this place, though i know the ancient history so ill just move from there and piece the tidbits of history i have to that.

Lyridia: needs little updating.

Lyridia Dhai: needs little updating

Mharokk: perhaps a name change is in order, though i still like the moroccan influence (stucco, domes, vaulted markets, hot climate, rich myth). thats about all i have so far.

Naareth: an interesting region - matriarchal society where men are little more than workers and sex-slaves to the monstrous breeding Maphrians (thing alien Queens, but evolved from humans) this femme-centric culture has lots of tidbits of history that I've yet to evolve into a full history.

Nakhe: the oriental place - a clichéd pastiche of Japanese, Thai and Chinese culture and myth, this needs a big update, though there's little written about it yet.

Narthel: the first nation to receive the updated history treatment, Narthels history is exhaustive and goes back to the previous age and 'forced' me to elaborate on the extinct cultures of this area -something ive done with all other regions to get the full history works since.

N'rach: the spider-man place. penumbral mutants stabilised into a 'race', of sorts. disfigured human slaves. one envisioned as a true nation, theyre now little more than degenerate savages, with a couple of 'cities' (gossamer fortresses built over expansive birthing pits)

New Pelasgos: brand new place. 0-history. likely needs a new name too

Ophiussa: much like most of the nations in the west of the map this region is little more than a name and a vague clichéd concept - snakes. much work needs to be done!

Paraiya: tribal people, 3-different regions. a rich monarchic history that is now shattered, they are a shadow of the kingdom that once was (like ethiopian empire)

Parthis (Parthia): lots of history detailed for here but its old and needs a big revision. this is one of my favourate regions and was, at one time (in-world) a rival of Korachan.

Pelasgos: one of the earliest places i named so it has quite a few snippets of history though nothing truly unifying or characterising, so ill need to brainstorm some ideas for this region.

Rhamia: an old imperial colony that was abandoned and became its own nation. needs little updating.

Rhinocoloura: massifs, rivers, ancient ruins, a harsh land and dour/stoic people. this is all i have for this region other than a kickass name (at least i think so :p)

Sabia: not even parked - one of the nations north of Temur. i have lots of cultural tidbits done for this region (and its neighbour Kaspia). but little history - they will be linked.

Sagittaria: links with Tahab, migration, slaves in exile. Thats about it.

Saragos: a reltively recent addition to the world - an offshoot of Venthir, following Hetepheres' exiling of technarcanists following her increasing paranoia. litle needs to be changed here (unless the forthcoming Naarethi history makes me)

Sarastro: alongside Venthir, one of my favourite nations with a detailed history to match (why is it i like the desrty places so much?)

Shotha: a new nation i added after coming up with a big civil war in the empire. needs history.

Siriphagos: started out (in my mind) as a bandit stronghold but evolved over time (in-world and in my head) into a tradeing powerhouse, forming the hub of trade in this arid region of Elyden - the backbone of the so-called salt-road. other than his it has little history and needs expanding.

Sour: pirates and traders. Thats about it.needs fleshing out some more!

Skaros: a vague timeline and historical outline exists for here, though needs collecting into a coherent format.

Soleyn Territories: nothing exists here but the name. suggestions? LOL!

Stolas: creepy emaciated birdmen (think tall gaunt skeletal-looking men with horrid beaky faces, disfigurement and spike-like feathers on their backs and heads and elbows. gross) that worship a totemic remnant of a long-dead demiurge. have a basic outline for this region though no true history. this will be a good one.

Suma'Ya: i recently created this region, sundering Ba'ath into two - Ba'ath in thenorth and Suma'ya in the south. both are up-to-date.

Tahab: i have some broad history done for this nation, but its old (both in-world and in real-life) so it needs updating

Tartak: horse riders that at some point was subjugated by Kroachan and Parthis.

Temuja (Temur): interestingly considering this was the first place i named and the one I've researched the most (heavy mongolian influences) I have very little history created for this region, but lots of cultural character (pretty much the opposite of many other regions). Ill enjoy this one as itll take me back to my first experiences in the world of Elyden.

Thrace: allie/vassal of Parthis. oghur wars and lots of hydro/cyclocephaly (please dont google those words if youre of a squeamish disposition!)

Tzallrach (Char Mathi): the savannah/lion place (many region names and cultural features here are derived from real-world leonine names, like Aslan).with this now located between the 35 - 25 parallel and in the rainshadow of a mountain, i either need to change the geography to keep the flavour or change the flavour to keep the geography. this region is linked with Venthir so anything i do here will likely impact that regions' history.

Vaalk: cultural links with Laaskha. all i know is that this is a militocratic culture.

Varr: history is ready for this region though I've since changed much of the grant history of this age (the largest change being the sundering of the Korachani empire into two around 300 years before the present,. plus on re-reading I've realised its lacking character, so needs more oomph, particularly in the antique ages.

Venthir: done, with one of the most expansive histories. One of my favourite regions with my favourite ruler - the ruthless sphinx queen Hetepheres, last of her kind.

Virahan: brand new - a nation splintered from ahrishen some time ago. i know little beyond the time of its fracturing form ahrishen. so what i come up with for here will likely impact neighbouring nations

Zion (sarastroan Zion): golems, lost magical lore, occupation and fragmentation. i like this region and it needs little updating for now.







as you can see a huge list and nowhere near close to done with them. keeping in mind that these are just the nations that feature on the map im currently working on (theres at least twice again as many that are named...) there a LONG way to go. it takes me at least 3 weeks (no less than 60 hours) to detail one of the above regions, assuming i have enough time to and that along with the regions history comes updating of the encyclopedia with the addition of dozens of new entries and revisions of old ones so there's a lot of back and forth when writing, taking notes, updating other entries for future revisions, new regions, groups, people, races etc, updating timelines... and you get an idea of the work that goes into just one nation (which almost invariably brings lots of editing work to be done to other (supposedly completed) regions. At best it makes the world that more real, at worst it gives me a big headache and results in things like the sundering of the Korachani empire that requires a big overhaul of all regions' histories.




well thats the hobby i chose :p

3 comments:

  1. Good luck with the guild entry. Please post a link here when you know what's what.
    I think anyone reading this blog and understanding worldbuilding knows full well the headache that is organization. I've been flip-flopping between my maps as much as any world leader :) Wouldn't it be great to be Dr Manhattan and just do this stuff on instinct?

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  2. thanks :)

    well it might be a headache, but I must say I do enjoy doing it. though the vagaries of digital storage can be a bitch at times, as i dont keep hard copies of anything anymore, I;e been on the receiving end of a system crash with all sorts of files and things lost (backups included)... though I've leant my lesson. everything is stored on cloud now, with weekly backups updated.

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  3. the map came 4th out of (i think) just over 10. could be better, but also could be a lot worse, though i did lose the psd in a ystem crash and had to carry on work off of the same jpg on this blog so that put me off.

    in hindsight, a bit too much green, i'd say :)

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