D&D maps are all young at heart.
Whew, first post in...hmm, about eight months. Blame life, laziness, and additional laziness. Let's do this!
And the best way to do this is by posting another old D&D map. I started this map maybe fifteen years ago, and only an unexpected gaming session motivated me to finish it up. The map is complete (more or less), but the history is still in the works; this is what I have so far. For now, I'm just working on #1, Nations.
Nations
Independent states
Races
Deities
Notable organizations
Notable phenomenon (Serpent Trench, the Lady of Bloodred Splendor, the Spirit of Ashen Smiles, the waking forest, the growing Iron Stronghold, etc.)
Nations
There are three nations on the continent, three independent states, and several areas that are (sometimes literally) no-man's-lands. In many ways this is a world in decline, one built on the bones of forgotten civilizations and poorly remembered lore. However, it is also a civilization on the rise, slowly reclaiming a knowledge thought to be lost to history. The people may reach too far and repeat the mistakes of the past; or they might find a new way forward using their own strength; or something entirely new and unexpected could come to pass. It's all up to the players.
This is a work in progress, so the details aren't all there, but I've got some starting points.
Ven-Al-Temera
The ancient land. Ven-Al-Temera was once part of a larger nation, and is now basically the Atlantas of the world, filled with legends of fallen civilizations and rumors of great power buried in the sands and sunk beneath the waves of Three Blessings. According to the few historical texts that remain, Ven-Al-Temera was a lush and prosperous land, until conflict erupted with unknown powers from the north. The ancients were able to seal the northern border, but not before sand swallowed the land. The simple struggle for survival robbed the remaining populace of their knowledge, and the ways of the old civilization was forgotten. What remains is cryptic at best, and dangerous when approached unwisely.
Still, even misunderstood lore provides a technological edge over the rest of the continent. Ven-Al-Temera remains a barren, harsh land, but society has slowly rebuilt itself, and the people there know many secrets of the world that they refuse to share. Three Blessings, the great lakes of the nation, cradles the capitol city of the same name, and provides a respite from the struggle for survival. That respite allows the many scholars of the region to focus on their studies: digging into the mysteries of the past. Aside from Gaine's Watch in the south, the cities of the country are all built on great ruins into which the inhabitants are methodically delving, and named, unknowing of the meaning, in the language of the ruins. The Frontier Guards, to the north, still stand as living stone wards protecting the nation from the ancient powers beyond the borders. But the secret of maintaining those wards was lost to history, and every year they weaken...
At a glance the citizenry of Ven-Al-Temera appear almost like barbarians; surviving in the desert has left its mark over the generations. Indeed, many of its traditions and rituals appear downright savage to outsiders. But it is a thoughtful savagery, the result of countless years of painful discovery, and what appears barbarous to outsiders is a matter of casual, calculated survival. Ven-Al-Temera is a land of scholars, but one that holds a pen in one hand and a well-worn axe in the other. When digging into the ruins, both are used in equal measure.
Aythen's Shade
Another land built on a forgotten history. There is a story told in the nation, of a group of adventurers who altered the course of history, although the specifics are not known. Still, the legend is built into the very stones of the cities dotting the nation, and each one tells a tale of a different adventurer. Each city is a chapter in the greater story, culminating in Dayne's Hope, the capitol of the nation. Now, if only anyone knew where the story began, who Aythen was, or why his shade falls over the entire country...
Regardless, the stories of Aythen's Shade have become a pseudo-religion at this point. The cities regard their namesakes as near-saints, and their exploits have been embellished to the point of impossibility. Something akin to competing knighthoods have been established in each city, each dedicated to the philosophies of their respective namesakes. Individually, they each make for a formidable fighting force; together, they could field a powerful army. That's unlikely, however; despite the fact that the legends say the heroes were fine friends, their philosophies are so wildly contradictory that the modern knights would almost certainly never band together. Only the master of Dayne's Hope holds the collective loyalty, and never has that master called those forces to arms.
Aythen's Shade is basically a campaign waiting to happen. Many historians have investigated the old legends, but so far none have gotten a handle on the truth behind them. All it would take is a single hint to find the beginning of the story, and the rest would fall into place...in theory. But is the story of Aythen's Shade one that needs to be retold? Or was it forgotten for a good reason? Certainly there have been several historians who abruptly abandoned their research, refusing to say why, and others who simply disappeared. Maybe the adventurers of yore aren't the heroes they're made out to be...or perhaps there are other forces determined to dull their luster.
Eld
Eld, despite its name, is actually the youngest of the three nations. Once, not long ago, Fell Harvest Reach covered the entirety of the southern half of the continent. None could live in the waking forest, but in recent history, and for reasons unknown, the trees have receded to their current borders. The resulting land rush populated Eld in short order, and it has become something of a melting pot for the other nations. It is also influenced by the nations to the south, and has established a brisk trade in exotic goods with the races beyond that border. Previously blocked by Fell Harvest Reach, many new southern ideas, philosophies, and technologies are slowly permeating the region, as well as races and peoples never heard of before.
Bordering Fell Harvest Reach is not for the faint of heart, and the people of Eld have embraced the adventurer's spirit as practically a national identity. Many of them are adventurers to the point of pathological obsession, diving into the unknown with a reckless abandon that leave many wondering how they've managed to survive as a nation to this point. There are guilds and clans dedicated to any number of adventurous disciplines, and what they lack in intra-organization they make up for in (often bloody) competition.
The government, such as it is, encourages this behavior, sponsoring exploration groups that show promise, to the point where a good portion of the economy is supported by the treasures found by adventurers. The receding forest revealed many ruins suspected to be linked to those found in Ven-Al-Temera, and there is constant friction between the two nations over Eld's treatment of those ruins. From Ven-Al-Temera's point of view, Eld is plundering history in the most reckless and dangerous ways, with no regard for the damage done to the ruins. Eld, on the other hand, prefers to live in the now, and expansion doesn't come cheap.
***
Enough to get started, at least. I'm putting the finishing touches on a map of Selene's Grace, the central hub of the three nations, which I hope to post soon. The waking forests on the continent are also critically important to the history of the world, and I plan to flesh that out next. First, though, are the independent states; they'll be posted soon!