Fantasy Cartography
A great work of fantasy would be incomplete without a map to guide us along the way. There are many avenues for
Fantasy Cartography
though many fantasy stories follow the same criteria for basic maps. Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Elder Scrolls and, Dungeons and Dragons put great efforts into ensuring the reader or player can follow the world by map.Fantasy Cartography
The Basics
In
Fantasy Cartography
, there are some basic map features that make the world feel full and lively. You can add extras to the maps for a well rounded finish and key areas in your story, but those would be lost without roads, mountains and coastline. Here are a few ideas for the basic map introductions:- Towns and Cities - even the remotest of places tend to have ruined villages or an inn. It is important to include key locations for adventurers to visit or settle. Some capital cities and minor trade towns often play important roles.
- Borders - as civilization grows, borders in the continent become more strict. It is natural to mark out significant realms and kingdoms to fill up the culture of the world.
- Biomes - you can have a flat world if you want, but a map with character includes mountains, forests, rivers, swamps, deserts and more. These biomes can alter the culture of the realm. On World of Legends, the 4 realms are marked for their distinct biomes. Akasuna, the desert and savannah. Eldathren, the woodlands, swamps and islands. Braitheld, the plains, forests and mountains. Delvheim, predominantly mountainous.
- Coastlines and Banks - unless your story is completely landlocked, you should expect to find coastlines. The coastlines may vary in size and shape as you move around the continent. Rivers and lakes are important for settlements to survive, and many villages and cities will likely be created on or near a river or the sea.
- Roads - How do the locations connect? Where are the important trade routes? What areas are more disconnected from the rest of the world. Roads are the best way to mark these connections. Alternatively, it can be ideal to outline trade routes across water.
Fantasy Cartography
World of Legends - The Making of Isilendor
Isilendor is the continent that World of Legends is based on. It is a world created by the people that put their heart and soul into the site. Incredible work went into the creation of Isilendor and Morrigan Darkwaters brought us a beautiful map. However, it didn't always look the way it does now. Let us take a quick journey through the progress of the Isilendor map:
In 2018, the initial map was hand drawn by our Overseer, Gilfrid Von Harrowfield, with the outline of the continent and rough idea of the realm borders. It took several rounds of brainstorming to come up with the names of the continent and the 4 realms. There were about 50 suggestions for the continent alone but Isilendor won the popular vote among the group. Then, after much deliberation, Delvheim, Akasuna, Braitheld and Eldathren were born. The capital cities moved around at first, with regular edits to the map. The hand drawn map was later digitised to generate this black and white version. No forests, no mountains, only the coastline, islands and capital cities.
As discussions progressed, Isilendor began to grow and change. Ashriel Fayre began mapping the roads ahead of the trade routes needed for lessons. The Rulers (Eirina Tremaris, Leander Kaeric, Syrus Bronzeblood, Arasne Anagonye) marked significant locations within foundations of their realms. Alliances and wars were planned and agreed upon. The Isle of Okleinheim was finally named, a perilous island only visited by Legends. Each founding member put their mark on the land. After the site launched in August 2019, new users added their own flair to the world.
Morrigan Darkwaters stepped forward with a grand idea to colourise the map. With the tools at her disposal, and ample lore developed by our citizens, she crafted the Isilendor Atlas Book, and the official map. This is the map we now all know and love hopefully placing ourselves on the
In 2018, the initial map was hand drawn by our Overseer, Gilfrid Von Harrowfield, with the outline of the continent and rough idea of the realm borders. It took several rounds of brainstorming to come up with the names of the continent and the 4 realms. There were about 50 suggestions for the continent alone but Isilendor won the popular vote among the group. Then, after much deliberation, Delvheim, Akasuna, Braitheld and Eldathren were born. The capital cities moved around at first, with regular edits to the map. The hand drawn map was later digitised to generate this black and white version. No forests, no mountains, only the coastline, islands and capital cities.
As discussions progressed, Isilendor began to grow and change. Ashriel Fayre began mapping the roads ahead of the trade routes needed for lessons. The Rulers (Eirina Tremaris, Leander Kaeric, Syrus Bronzeblood, Arasne Anagonye) marked significant locations within foundations of their realms. Alliances and wars were planned and agreed upon. The Isle of Okleinheim was finally named, a perilous island only visited by Legends. Each founding member put their mark on the land. After the site launched in August 2019, new users added their own flair to the world.Morrigan Darkwaters stepped forward with a grand idea to colourise the map. With the tools at her disposal, and ample lore developed by our citizens, she crafted the Isilendor Atlas Book, and the official map. This is the map we now all know and love hopefully placing ourselves on the
Fantasy Cartography
hall of fame some day. There is even a separate map to detail each realm.
Isilendor Atlas Book
Continued Updates
This may not be the final version of the map. With new events and world changes by the deities, we find new islands, underground cities and godly dimensions. Amana Falvin and her archivists occasionally craft new locations. After the WoLCraft Plot, an the island of Los Dáinn was added:
