First Map of the Lands under the Dying Sun

A setting with a game is a funny thing. Not "ha-ha" funny, but a tricky proposition. You are trying to provide a set of rules to allow someone to make their own world. And yet, without some example, without some colour of some kind, it's hard to figure out what kind of game you are trying to create. You don't want to limit people's imagination, but you do want to spark it.

Plus, people just dig maps.

So, I'm trying to walk the middle way with Under the Dying Sun: I want to be able to put in flavour text like my earlier post about the Desert Men. I also want to have some kind of a map. I'm going to call the setting info "A Sample Starting Setting" unless I think of a less alliterative label. I've been noodling around with it for a while now and here's my first stab at (an obviously incomplete) map:



I'm somewhat abashed to admit that the biggest single effort on this so far has been getting a symbol for cities that I like. What I have at this point is pretty good, although it could use some refining. I was largely inspired by the simple, flowing lines that Lin Carter used in his Thongor books. I loved those maps as a kid, especially the little doodles he drew for cities.

Thanks to Greyharp for the link.