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vorropohaiah — ATLAS ELYDEN - #9: a map of Hololach

#cartography #fantasycartography #fantasymap #map #worldbuilding #elyden #atlaselyden #vorropohaiah
Published: 2016-06-28 18:25:07 +0000 UTC; Views: 4723; Favourites: 58; Downloads: 77
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Description

I hate this map so much! The topography took so long (especially in the south). The labeling took ages (largely as this was a region that I had not explored much previously, and all I knew was the coastline and mountains in the east and south and that the south was meant to be 'fjordy and Scandinavianish, but with a Mediterranean climate').

But I finally finished it, and I have to say it's one of my favourite maps now. I can technically do a lot more labelling in the south (and the labels in Aquariia to the NW and Ataraxia in the NE are still missing, mainly as those are also two regions I know very little about so I'll add those once I do the individual maps), but I'm so sick of this map for now that I'm calling it finished

C&C are more than welcome, and remember, you can follow my patreon for high-res maps, textless maps, more details on the world and other exclusive content , thanks

A key/legend to the map can be found here

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Hololach is very much a land out of time. It is dominated by two geographical features that separate it from the east – the Toliasor mountain chain that runs uninterrupted from north to south for 1,000-miles; and the Holiasor mountains, which dominate the southern coast for 520-miles and is very difficult to navigate due to the large number of lochs and undulating rises along its length (attributable to ancient glaciers, whose force can still be seen in the boulder-strewn plains of Saleb).

These features have left Hololach largely separated from the east of the Inner Sea and helped forge its relations with the west – Sagittaria, Gnoth, Aquariia, and, more recently, Parthis. Its separation from the west means that many features introduced through industrialisation are not at all common here. Nomads, descended from the first Volupis of Hololach remain common, travelling the lands of Hololach and beyond in a long circuit that can take as much as a decade to complete, in caravans of hundreds of individuals.

The land is still ruled by a Volupis – halfblooded descendant of the first ruler – who is recognised as a divine being and treated as such. Hololach is divided into eight prefectures, each of which is ruled by a docent: practitioners of the Volupis’ divine teachings and shapers of unparalleled success – a dubious honour for the art of shaping is forbidden outside the docent caste, who maintain a strict vigil over the demiurge’s old art due to the dangers of its use there. The region of Oghyathav, in the north of the nation is a twisted wasteland where the Atramenta manifests as tangible nightmares thought to be ancient remains of a demiurge’s presence there millennia past. The nightmares take the form of twisted blackened formations, vaguely reminiscent of humanoid shapes or evoking emotions. Atramentists and scholars have studied the region hoping to learn more on the art of Oneiromancy (divination through dreams) and the history and mythology of the area.

for more on the world of Elyden you can check out my blog at or you can become a patron for high-res and textless maps, more background and other exclusive things on my Patreon


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Comments: 16

Tullamareena [2016-07-01 05:09:21 +0000 UTC]

The sheer effort and quality invested in this work is amazing! I especially love the fiords in the south, I can't imagine the nightmare it would've been to draw all that out. But the map looks 100% realistic, as if from a real atlas. The fiords too! Even better than most Atlases I've seen.

I'll have to read more about this world. How many kilometres is an Imperial Mile? so I can get a sense of scale.

Keep up the great work! I hope to be this good one day.

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vorropohaiah In reply to Tullamareena [2016-07-01 05:51:31 +0000 UTC]

thanks for the kind words

an imperial mile is the same as a real mile (no point changing things just for the sake of changing them)

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Tonio103 [2016-06-29 08:08:14 +0000 UTC]

well even if it took you ages we can say that your fjord are quite successful. I wonder how you do it, you go by free hand or you help yourself with some photoshop filter or a program like wilbur ?

Also, are you into conlanging or the names you chose are pretty random ?

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vorropohaiah In reply to Tonio103 [2016-06-29 09:31:58 +0000 UTC]

thanks, well the map is all done freehand. i use a program (G projector) for the early work in converting the equirectanbgular map into a projection suitable for a map.

there's too many cultures with unique languages and mishmashes to actually effectively make up languages for each culture, though there is a vague aspect of conlanging at play (though i am slowly working on a language for the main nation). I come up with a palette of suitable words or prefixes or suffizes that awould be commonly seen in place names (things like -town, -ville, -wich, -shire, etc.) and use them in the naming. i scatter in a few more different etymologies and a few that are completely different to make them seem coherent but not too artificial (ie - i dont want them all to be the same)

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Tonio103 In reply to vorropohaiah [2016-07-03 07:37:06 +0000 UTC]

well then it means that the only solution for doing so well is 3 things : practice, practice and a bit more practice x)

Ah yes, well true that it would be complicated. Creating entire families of languages and all variations is a huge amount of work. Mmh, which nation is the main ? 
Ah yes good technique

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vorropohaiah In reply to Tonio103 [2016-07-03 08:31:57 +0000 UTC]

Thanks, the main nation is Korachan, which was the first map in the series

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Panzerbyte [2016-06-28 18:29:18 +0000 UTC]

These mountains, the coastline, they are so close to natural perfection.
This is a piece of art that you are still looking at after 5 minutes.

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vorropohaiah In reply to Panzerbyte [2016-06-28 18:44:00 +0000 UTC]

thanks so much. took quite a bit of effort though I think its my favourite map from this series so far

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Impesio In reply to vorropohaiah [2016-10-28 20:58:57 +0000 UTC]

Can you give us some advice on how did you reache this fantastic coastline and natural outlook of land? Didi you took inspiration from real maps?

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vorropohaiah In reply to Impesio [2016-10-29 09:56:47 +0000 UTC]

Oh yes. I look at a lot of real world maps and Atlases for inspiration. The Salish Sea and Cape Cod are some of my favourite ereas of real world maps

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Impesio In reply to vorropohaiah [2016-10-29 20:33:59 +0000 UTC]

Did you olny took inspiration or even "copied" the land assembling it with other land types?

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vorropohaiah In reply to Impesio [2016-10-30 06:01:46 +0000 UTC]

Never copied directly though I have been told that some parts of some maps resemble real-world areas.

Parts of the Almagest map look like the Baltic Sea, with was unintentional, though I can certainly see it.

The Korachani and Pelasgosi peninsulas look a bit like and Italy and Greece respectively, which was intentional, meant to remind viewers of the Mediterranean Sea, which the Inner Sea is based on

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Impesio In reply to vorropohaiah [2016-10-30 08:33:39 +0000 UTC]

I'm impressed indeed vorropohaiah-sensei.

What is the average time to make one of your maps?

And, if you want i'm vey interested in learnind the art and help in your work without any credit.

I made very few maps and in comparison are absolute shit.

Can I become your apprentice?

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vorropohaiah In reply to Impesio [2016-10-30 08:49:59 +0000 UTC]

So far this year I made 15 so that's about 1.5 a month so far, though the first maps required a lot of prep work and I was working on some commissions as well.

Thanks for the offer, but why not make your own world and create maps for it? It's a lot more rewarding

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Impesio In reply to vorropohaiah [2016-10-30 08:53:12 +0000 UTC]

I made it. But i am not capable of reaching what I want with my knowlendge.

So i beg you.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

vorropohaiah In reply to Impesio [2016-10-31 14:42:33 +0000 UTC]

is there anything in particular you;re looking for help with? 

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