Right now, I just want people to look it over and see if you notice any spelling errors, or anything else thats seems a little 'funny'. Its not finished, but if you also happen to know of any settlements I missed let me know, and please provide a source.
The New Expanded Erlkazar map
This is the text included on my site, which I'm re-posting here because some people don't bother to read the notes I provide over there -
My latest Erlkazar WIP - I've greatly expanded the territory covered so as to include the stuff on the Old Valishar Map. Two things - The town of Elastam in Erlkazar was created by me, but the name comes from a local canon group called "Elestam's Crusaders". It was probably supposed to be a person's name, but I hate leaving crossroads without settlements so I found the closest thing I could to a canon one. The second thing is Redwater Lake; the name is mine, because I consulted at least a dozen sources with the lake, but none of them named it. On my original I called it the "East Lake of the Snake", but that was a mouthful. I took the name from the canon village sitting on it's shores. Everything else should be much closer to the original 2e maps then my last one, and I included many new locales I found. If you're not familiar with my map Symbols (they are slightly different then the official ones), refer to the Map Key also on my site.
Enjoy --- Mark.
LORD DELTA:D
Looking good Markus. I want to check up on your placements of a few locations first. But, for the most part, I didn't see any initial problems during my first scan.
After looking at your map, where is Mir from? What source is it in? I want to learn more ;p
The lands of Mir are detailed in the Lands of Intrigue boxed set.
As far as the ShadÃar is concerned, it actually includes some of the surrounding regions as well, like the Arnaden - Its fairly close to what I perceive to be the middle of that nomadic tribal region (considering the amount of area lost there with the 3e maps). The Arnaden itself is also larger then appearances - it is basically the entire coastal region of the Lake of Steam.
Mir was probably centered around the Omlarandin Mts, but I need to place the names where they are legible, and I wanted it fairly close to the Forest of Mir, which got its name from the Fallen Kingdom. There is also a Kingdom of Dark Elves within that forest, and a Starport - crazy, huh? :D
I moved the Dark Redout from the western grouping of the Tejarn Hills to the eastern one, because it fits better in relation to where 3e moved some of the other settlements, and should be fairly close to Shilmista. Also, the original placement had it falling out between Hillforts, which seemed a little strange.
Be advised - official maps are NOT always accurate - I strive to have my placements match source text over original maps when their is a conflict. For example, the map that came inside the Erlkazar booklet showed very different placements of towns from the large maps that came with the product (Lands of Intrigue). I will ALWAYS defer to text over previous official maps.
I just got home, so I'll be wrapping this up tonight, and hopefully the finished version will be up tomorrow at Candlekeep.
Edit: I just realized, the tiny Isle of Marcos was also my add - when I 'bent' the Lake of Steam to conform better to older maps, I wound up with an extra island! I was going to erase it, but I liked the way it looked - the name is a bit of a conceit.
Best regards!
I thought no one else remembered Erlkazar existed. I was so surprised they erased a whole nation in the 2e-3e change over.
Now I'm so cynical nothing in the 3e-4e switch could surprise me.
Your new map makes me want to start running another Lake of Steam game. I could start it at the point I ended my old game. If I do I'm using your map. :D
PS: I already use your Silver Marches map for my High Forest game. :D
Anyone interested in Erlkazar, it will be the focus of an upcoming novel, Obsidian Ridge.
"This time the castle is the monster!
Obsidian Ridge hasn't been seen in Faerun for hundreds of years. It's a legend, a fairy story--until it appears, silently and without warning over the kingdom of Erlkazar, blotting out the sun. Steered by the madness of a cunning wizard, the citadel and its vast array of shadowy monsters will destroy all of Erlkazar unless the wizard gets what he wants: the princess of Erlkazar as a bride. But he'll have to battle the king's personal assassin, a loyal courtier, a complicated killer, and the princess herself to bring his plan to bear."
Or, if you want to know what its about, rent the movie Krull. :P
I have two maps that show a city near the NE tip of land, across from Hlath, but I'm coming up with TWO spellings - either Aspla, or Asple.
Also found another ruin (Dajaan) for Erlkazar that I missed on the last one (it was on my original, and was part of the second Kingdom of Tathtar), and some other goodies. I hope Old Sage comes along again and points me in the right direction - There was a Turmish Map in Polyhedron #103 that might have helped, but I can't get my hands on that.
That helps a lot, because Torl was a little hard to make out as well. What page is the Asple reference on in The Vilhon Reach source - I couldn't find it?
The confusion came from This Map, which is a wonderful source for fiinding old, forgotten settlements, but isn't the most legible map in the world.
What edition was that from, anyway?
One more thing - on one map it shows someplace I think is called "Aelor", but its really hard to make out the second letter on either map. Also, on that one I link, it shows it as a setlement, but on the sourcebook map, it shows it as a ruin; is there a reference somewhere to that as well?
Anyway, usually I have the FRIA to back-up my research, but its pretty lousy where Turmish/Vilhon Reach is concerned.
Thanks so much - I should be able to finish this tonight now. :D
The map you linked to reminds me of that very old 1e map of the Realms that used to float around occasionally on the web. I don't immediately recall where it come from, but I'll check up on that.
Aelor is the appropriate name of the city/ruin. It's also referenced in Vilhon Reach -- pgs. 7, 42, and 50. These entries for Aelor note why the city is now deserted and in ruins.
EDIT: Have updated it - I think it's done.
I didn't realize that I didn't need all of those Turmish locations for this; I thought some of them would turn up in the Osraun Mountains, but there were none. Before I add the Scale and Compass Rose, does anyone notice anything else amiss?
18D
Specify, are you asking about Erlkazar or the Dungeon?=)
-Well...I know where Erlkazar is. So...it must be about the Dungeon. Thanks.
18D
-Well...I know where Erlkazar is. So...it must be about the Dungeon. Thanks.
18D
Just wondered as you italiced Erlkazar=)
Any towns near the Cellar?
-Hey guys/gals I finished reading Obsidian Ridge. I have a question about a place called the The Cellar. Its in the Nation of Erlkazar. Its some kind of Dungeon. So does anybody know anything about it. Thanks!
I don't immediately recall any particular pre-existing lore about 'The Cellar' -- 'tis more than likely it was a locale generated specifically for the novel.
Just wondered as you italiced Erlkazar=)
Any towns near the Cellar?
-No towns were mentioned near it.
Show
The main Character teleported in, and out. There was a Deepspawn named Clusterfang in it.
-No towns were mentioned near it.ShowThe main Character teleported in, and out. There was a Deepspawn named Clusterfang in it.
18DELTA, you may want to ask Jess Lebow over at Candlekeep about the locations detailed in Obsidian Ridge. He may have some info he can share with you.
-:lightbulb
!!! Thanks Sage. I am thinking that I can put it anywhere now.
:evillaugh 18D;)
--- Mark
If we can get any sort of official placement for this, I would be more then happy to update the map.
--- Mark
-I asked Jess about it in Candlekeep. But he hasn't answered yet!
:D -P.S. Good to see you around again!!!
18D;)
And did you get my update on Sunken Ajhuutal?
18D
Was directed at MT=)
-
18D;)
You've started replying exclusively with smileys, Delta.
-Its all part of the charm!!!:D
18D:P
What update?
Are you talking about that conversation we had about Ajhuutal awhile back? Since then, I've gotten nothing.
Unfortunetly, I forgot to check my maps after that conversation, and once again I'm not at home (which is pretty much why I'm posting regularly the past few days).
If you reference the Map Here, you will note that Ahjuutal is indeed in the sea southeast of Almraivan. It chnaged position slightly going from 2e to 3e, and I doubled the distance to 60 miles - that was 'artistic license' on my part, because it WAS on land at one point, but that entire region was dropped into the sea by the Djinni (and possibly Dao). I liked that particular spot as 'missing land', assuming that the two forks of water north of it were lakes at one point, but got connected to the Sea by the destructive forces. Like I said, its just my own imaginin of what occurred, and Steven Schend had no problem with it when he looked over the map.
"Lost Ahjuutal" is something else entirely, and confused the hell out of me when I first noticed there were two. It took me awhile to find the reference, but it is indeed located in the swamp. The name is a misnomer on the part of the locals - THEY think it is Ahjuutal, but it really is the ruins of something else; something much 'darker' and more ancient. I have NO sources where I am, but I believe (IIRC) the ruins actually belonged to the Aranea (spiderfolk) of the Swamp when they had a more advanced civilization, but you can say they are anything you want.
For what it's worth, I figure the Aranea actually just took over and added to the ruins of a Batrachi city they found, but thats not canon. That does give a DM all sorts of leeway as to what may be lurking in the depest levels of the Undercity - those places the Aranea themselves never dared enter. Whenever I read the little blurbs of lore written by Schend and Ed, my mind automatically fills in any blanks and adds to the 'mystique'.
Edit: Looking back at that, I would probably nudge Ahjuutal a little more north, closer to that little promintory of land jutting out. I think I didn't do that because then the ruins would be more west of Almraiven then south, and the location would then no longer match the descriptive text. Because the shape of the maps changed, I had to make a judgement call btween distance and direction. - I figure since all the distances got screwed up between editions anyway, direction was more important. Just assume that's an approximate location, and the ruins lie somewhere in that inlet.