Map work for the saga

I have gone with my original idea of Yolare being Meath on the map, situated north and central to the rest of the continent.

The whole continent of Culm, with Yolare added. It certainly leaves a lot of real estate to be developed on the map.

A closer view of Yolare with some of the major features shown. Ridges of higher ground run across from left to right near the top and bottom with higher peaks indicated. The red dotted line indicates the boundary of the region. The whole taking up just 6 x 3 squares.

Not the best and clearest photos, but here is Yolare on that 6 x 3 grid.

The coast line at the northern end with neighbouring regions named. Hopefully you can make out the raised area of land and peaks as well as see the path of the main rivers.

The southern section of Yolare.

Towns, roads and Fiefdoms still need to be added, but it should give me a reasonable map to work from to judge distances etc.

More early thoughts on the saga.

I am not really that great when it comes to creating fictional maps, not sure why, but I prefer to take an existing real piece of the globe and adapt it for my needs. This has a few advantages, for one it actually exists, though I have added or deleted minor parts. Secondly, the hills, rivers, lakes and mountains as well as logical pathways through the country are shown, I don't have to create them for these all formed naturally over millions of years.

As in my Imagi-Nations campaign I have gone for Ireland, it just lends itself as being a perfect continent, and continent it is going to be.

On my trusty A3 sketch pad I recreated my version, it has been rotated through ninety degrees, the outline of the coast and some lakes have been added so far. Most of the map, will for the moment, remain a blank canvas the details will only be added as and when needed.

Now the island is conveniently divided up into 32 counties, for my purposes each will be a different region/country in this vast continent. I will of course be changing all of the names, one of them will become Yolare. At the present time, the county of Meath is looking favourite. With the map flipped it will be located to the north of the continent in an almost central location. The whole continent will be named Culm.

So the Saga of Yolare will merely be a small part of the Chronicles of Culm.

I have a working list of alternative names, which may, or may not appear on the map.

I also have a list of towns/cities not too many yet and most are based on English place names, in this vast continent other more exotic names will need to be thought up.

So if indeed Meath becomes Yolare, a larger map of that area will be drawn out separately showing far more detail than the large map will show. I will of course draw other larger scale maps as other regions come into play. All the while keeping the physical map close by to show the major geographical features which can be added and altered as required.

So with magic and strange creatures afoot in a vast and so far hidden continent, this exercise should prove to be fun and interesting.

Everything changes, but stays the same?

It is almost three years since I last did an update on this blog. The ideas for the saga are still in my head, but have evolved somewhat over that time.
The existing characters are still alive and well, as are their kingdoms but now the continent of Yolare, will grow, the map is to be redrawn and more kingdoms will be added, along with new characters both good and evil.

I intend to do a complete rewrite, probably not including photographs of miniature troops, though that is not yet certain, they may appear again. I am looking at a more text based story rather than the comic book style formerly used. It gives me far more options as I only have limited figures, and they from the Wars of the Roses only.

I am even considering dipping into the realms of fantasy, yes shock horror! It would be something totally alien for me, but it offers so many possibilities to add to, and hopefully, make the saga better. Have no fear, there will not be any talking animals or zombies etc. I haven't slipped that far over to the dark side yet. But a little magic and possibly a different race of human like creatures will find a place in Yolare.

I blame it all on my good friends Kurtus and his fantasy role playing antics, as well as Alex and his excellent 'Rogues in the House' podcast which has become must listen to for me. The only fantasy I have ever read was Lord of the Rings, and that back in my teens, so I am unlikely to be corrupted or steal ideas already used by others in the genre. I will be coming to it with my own ideas, however foolish and absurd, but at least they will be my ideas.

Very early yet, but a map of the new Yolare is in the process of being created. I have a very rough sketch on paper, but am quite keen to try Inkarnate a map making software, to improve my map. I already have the names of all the kingdoms and regions and some of the cities and towns too, but there are many more details that need to be both thought through and created. A history of Yolare will be created too, or at least that is my current plan, so the events currently happening will make some kind of sense to the reader.

Hardly Tolkein, but we have to start somewhere and at least I do already have the basis of a story in these very blog pages...