Wednesday, June 8, 2011

New Greyhawk Map: South Seas

Okay Greymaniacs, it's here at last. My masterpiece of mappery! This is a map of the southern seas of the Flanaess and extended tropical bodies of water first seen in a 1st edition inset map. This area was later expanded upon in 2e's the Scarlet Brotherhood and Dungeon Magazine's Savage Tide adventure path. I've added some of my own flair to the map, to give it an "old nautical map" feel. Below are a few details of the map I'd like to point out for clarification since this project started as a map for my home campaign based out of the Hold of Sea Princes. Also, I'm not sure how the resolution on the map turned out. If anyone prints this out, let me know how it works.



Notes from Mike:
  • There is no hard canon date to this map. I tried to include as many proper names of seas and ports as I could. My own campaign is set in 576 CY but uses concepts from products set earlier and later along the timeline. 
  • For example, the "Scarlet Brotherhood" as commonly seen on most maps was once properly called the Kingdom of Shar. I like this name alot as it gives a good cover for the evil organization.
  • The full Great Kingdom is still seen here, as is lost lands like Medegia and Almor. It would not be hard to change these place names for later eras like the Greyhawk Wars.
  • For fun, I have deliberately blotted out the Spindrift Isles and made it a "mysterious place." I did this based on the 83 Guide's mention that the Olvenfolk of this chain capture and imprison any sailors who try to come there. Note however, the southernmost isle of the Spindrifts (Lendore Isle) is ruled by humans from the city of Lo Reltarma. The Guide says there is trade with the mainland from here, but we can ascertain from this "sailor's map" that they were never brave enough to test those waters. So the Spindrifts is a known destination, but for the purposes of this map it is a dangerous unknown place like the far south seas.
  • I have gone with the standard label of "The Pomarj" though in my campaign it is still nebulous who rules there; the Slavelords, Turrosh Mak's Orcish Empire or whatever pirates.
  •  I've seen the Pearl Sea and Vogan Sea used interchangeably on other maps. Spanning the Pearl Sea across the width of the Vohoun Ocean seemed odd to me, so I made the Pearl Sea be in the east and Vogan to the west (as it is named for a Touv god).
  • The Isle of Dread found in the SW corner is the one from Dungeon Mag's Savage Tide series. So is the city of Sasserine at the end of Jeklea Bay. Sasserine was founded by the Hold of Sea Princes but is now independent.
  • In all four corners and strewn about the map there are icons depicting dangers or cultures that the "maker of the map" may know of or heard rumors about. Always good for a hook.
  • I tried to only label port towns and deliberately didn't use any other geographic symbols other than the beginnings of river systems. While I researched hard, the map is not exhaustive in detail. I only used those ports I could find space for on the map. If I've made any glaring errors in spelling or omission, well chalk that up to a bad Gather Information or Knowledge Geography roll.
  • One feature of the map I'd like to add later is markers for unique aquatic locations. Things like the Jungle of Lost Ships or realms of Sahuagin and Sea Elves. I'll have to check with certain people I know about these places for next time. Until then, enjoy!
Update 4/12/2021: Not an update but a comment. If anyone has trouble downloading this map from the link provided, just email me at: mortellan@gmail.com and I will get you the map no worries! Enjoy.

33 comments:

Jason Zavoda said...

Man, that is a sweet map. My own mapping skills are of the square shapes on graph-paper variety. Excellent work!

mortellan said...

Thanks JZ! Modestly, I must say most of my skill comes from years of drawing comics not mapping.

Simon Forster said...

That's a very nice map. I can easily see this as being something a PC can buy, with just enough detail to show boundaries, but not to give anything away.

Mike Bridges said...

Simon: That's exactly the effect I was looking for. A bit of functionality for players instead of just a DM's tool.

scottsz said...

Gorgeous. Linking to this bad boy in the next C1 post.

Nice work!

Greyhawk Grognard said...

This is a thing of beauty.

Finsteel said...

Great work!
You seem to like astronomy too ;)

Mike Bridges said...

scott: Awesome!

Joseph: Thanks, that means alot to me!

Finsteel: You have a good eye! ;)

scottsz said...

@mort: Beautiful work. In light of my C1 work, this is the kind of thing that a sage could provide only for a small fortune to adventurers foolish enough to want to explore those terrible jungles.

If my reading of C1 is correct, you may have created the most accurate representation of the former Olman empire because Tamoachan isn't on the map... because it was destroyed long ago!

Anonymous said...

OMG!!!!!

Mort, that is just totally AWESOME! I'm drooling, my eyes are bulging out . . . the works!

Almost too good to be true. Love it man!

Mystic-Scholar

grodog said...

Great work Mike! The Tuov-namesake sea made me do a double-take: Vogons?!? :D

Allan.

Mike Bridges said...

scottsz: Yeah I was tempted to put ruins on there, I'm glad I didn't? :P

mystic: you crack me up. my eyes were bulging from stress of working on it.

malakor: thanks, now spread it around!

gordog: Thanks Allan, I appreciate it. If Vogons were anywhere near Oerth, we wouldn't be looking at this map. ;)

Valkaun_Dain said...

Mort, I'd like to change Cuahtemoc's home from the lake in the jungle to the Islands of Axuxal. If that works anyway...

Awesome work man, can't wait to see it plotted out on a giant sheet.

Anonymous said...

Wow! Your eyes were bulging too!? LOL

Well worth the effort, my friend!

And Valkaun, I like your thinking regarding Axuxal, looks like the perfect place for a "secret lair."

Mystic Scholar

Dethand said...

Great map! Love the detail and look!

Love the 'blot' over the Lendore Isles.

I am so stealing this map for my Greyhawk game!

Mike Bridges said...

Valkaun: Ditto that!

Dethand: Thanks! Any way I can contribute to your game is a good thing. p.s. I never liked the Lendore Isles anyway ;P

Anonymous said...

Mort you have outdone yourself! Im lucky i have a plotter to print it on.

Argon said...

Mort,
You multi-talented inn keeper. But I know this already keep up the good quality work as always. We know my take on the Lendore Isles. So I'm fine with it.

ironregime said...

Nice. I ran Savage Tide in Greyhawk a couple years ago (and a couple other campaigns in the Sea Princes area before that). Lots of fun!

Mike Bridges said...

ironregime: Very cool! I wish I had pieced together this map back when Scarlet Brotherhood first came out. I may have used it sooner than now. The addition of stuff from Savage Tide (which I played too) definitely made the south seas MORe intriguing to me.

T.R. said...

I stumbled upon this map while seeking maps for a 1st Ed AD&D seafaring campaign I am going to run. I have printed it our 24" x 28" and it is gorgeous! Thanks so much for making this map.

grodog said...

Mike---

It looks like the larger map image linked to Denis' site is 404ing. Can you please repost the full-sized map (or send it via email)? :D

Allan.

Vic said...

Cant' even get it to pop up correctly ....please reload !

W. Frazier said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
W. Frazier said...

That is an amazing map. any chance you ever did one like it of Ratik and the north east?

eLarson said...

I love this! Well done!

Unknown said...

This is so great for expanding on a ghosts of saltmarsh campaign with a party with a ship. Thank you so much!

Gary said...

I am loving this map! I have been researching potential regions for my next Greyhawk campaign and I think I may settle on the Yeomanry and the Hold of the Sea Princes > so much to do and explore pre or post wars. You can bet I will be using this map and letting my players know where it came from.
Good gaming!
~ Hedgeknight

GroudonMcL said...

It it still possible to download the higher resolution version??? I'd love to have it :)

Mike Bridges said...

The map download that is linked on dropbox there is the best version I have I'm fairly certain. If that link doesn't work for you let me know?

GroudonMcL said...

Yea the link sadly doesn't work for me!

Mike Bridges said...

Try to download the pic on the post this time. I replaced the map file with a 600 dpi version. Maybe should be better?

GroudonMcL said...

Beautiful, thank you! I'll be using this in my upcoming saltmarsh game for sure :)