Hello everyone! I hope you’ve all been well. It’s been just over a month since I last touched base so time to fill you in with how things are progressing.
First thing’s first – here is your obligatory photo of Miss Zoya:
Now that’s out of the way let’s move on to an update on Encyclopedia Sarcadia.
I took a break when I finished the first draft so I wouldn’t burn out. That idea didn’t last as I was keen to get back into more world building. This time, I wanted to bring Sarcadia to life.
I purchased a program called Campaign Cartographer 3+ which I’ve been using to create fully detailed maps of the lands of Sarcadia. I highly recommend the software for any fantasy author out there, or anyone looking to create worlds for their RPGs. I found it incredibly overwhelming when I first played around with CC3+. Thankfully there are some great tutorials on YouTube that’ll teach you how to use the program to its fullest extent.
After several hours of learning I found myself thoroughly enjoying my new God-like world creating powers! I’m happy to show you some progress I’ve made on Sarcadia’s atlas. These maps are not the final product as I’ll be making changes to my world as it continues to grow and evolve.
Stagnum
I mentioned in a previous update Stagnum is a swamp continent that sits in the middle of Sarcadia. This murky land of slimy green is home to the lizard humanoids Reptilian and Draconian races as well as Duchess Beatrice Ellsworth of the Cardinal.
I initially planned for Stagnum to be nothing more than a swamp wasteland. Since then I’ve added the volcanic, sulfuric region of Yekkalon. This area was going to be a poisonous marshland that would be fatal to all non-Reptilian and Draconian races. While it’s still highly toxic, I added the volcanic scorched lands of Yekkalon to bring a bit of variety to Stagnum.
I’ve also added some dangerous islands around the mainland, such as Kelkardar to the east and Claw Island to the south-east. Kelkardar is home to some of the most dangerous animals in Sarcadia and hunters from all over the realm go there to prove their greatness. Claw Island is home to Sarcadia’s most dangerous pirates and criminals. Anyone who is foolish to visit never return.
Un’Kabaal
Of all the maps so far, the desert continent of Un’Kabaal has been the easiest to design. Un’Kabaal’s design hasn’t changed a lot from my original plans. New additions to Un’Kabaal I didn’t initially have include the Great Kabaalist Mesa, which has some of the highest peaks in Sarcadia, and the Tethimite Tower, home to a mysterious group of mages. I think I will re-visit Un’Kabaal in the future though I’m happy with the simplicity of the map.
Tarana
At this stage Tarana has been my favourite map to create. I know, I shouldn’t play favourites with my continents, but I had a LOT of fun with Tarana’s creation. You’re probably thinking “Hey that kind of looks like a turtle”, and you’d be right to think that! The Taranese believe Tarana was once a gigantic white turtle before it turned into a continent.
Much like Un’Kabaal, the main design of Tarana hasn’t changed from what I originally envisioned. I always wanted it to be a turtle-shaped landmass. I planned to add only a few islands scattered around Tarana, but I went a little bit overboard when I started creating them. Regardless I think they’re great additions and will help enhance the history and geography of Tarana.
I’ll be also writing a few short stories on some key islands in the future, such as the island of Qui-Io that’s home to an ancient cannibalistic tribe of mystic creatures.
What’s next?
Starting this week I’ll begin work on Alibrium’s map, which is the second largest continent in Sarcadia. I’m anticipating this to take at least a few weeks as the design of this continent is a bit complex, though nowhere near as complicated as Rykhart will be. I wouldn’t worry about me slacking off as my “supervisor” has been making sure I’ve been doing my job…
That’s all for now! Thank you for reading and thank you for your continued support.
Until next time, be safe and take care!
W.F. Thorne
W.F. Thorne 