#CartAugust So the big bodies of water are the Dagger Sea, kind of a narrow bay if we’re being completely honest, and Mourn Lake to the south. The Dagger Sea continues further west off the page and eventually opens up to a vast ocean. The Alliance are not a particularly sea faring people, so they

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · yesterday

#CartAugust Still talking about the features of the terrain. Today: water! Where is it, and can we use it to get around! Is it fresh and life-giving or poisonous? If you don't have water, talk to me about navigable ways

#CartAugust Main navigable ways in the galaxy are the hyperlanes. Imaginable as smooth trodden paths through hyperspace. In general ships can fly anywhere within free space, but the less pre-mapped a sector the harder and slower hyperspatial navigation for the most common drive-types goes.

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · yesterday

#CartAugust Still talking about the features of the terrain. Today: water! Where is it, and can we use it to get around! Is it fresh and life-giving or poisonous? If you don't have water, talk to me about navigable ways

#CartAugust 5 Sun-Drop is an island nation so there’s the Sun-Drop Sea in which they’re found that’s navigable. As mentioned yesterday, Coral Island, although having three towns, has only one port due to the barrier coral that blocks ship access around most of the island. 🪡

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · yesterday

#CartAugust Still talking about the features of the terrain. Today: water! Where is it, and can we use it to get around! Is it fresh and life-giving or poisonous? If you don't have water, talk to me about navigable ways

#CartAugust Rivers are typically shallow and fordable, but some are quite deep. Most noteworthy is the Lake region and surrounding wetland. Navigable to the initiated, but a potent barrier to those who are not. This is where Rashiné settled his people. 1/6 #WritingCommunity

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · yesterday

#CartAugust Still talking about the features of the terrain. Today: water! Where is it, and can we use it to get around! Is it fresh and life-giving or poisonous? If you don't have water, talk to me about navigable ways

#CartAugust 5: Waterways Rivers, lakes, and oceans are all major players in the Triempery. Especially politics and economics. Sordan is a hub and has a massive lake... but it's key feature is the Rill. The god-machine dominates the water there. But Essera has the main waterway. The Dazun River. 🧵

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · yesterday

#CartAugust Still talking about the features of the terrain. Today: water! Where is it, and can we use it to get around! Is it fresh and life-giving or poisonous? If you don't have water, talk to me about navigable ways

#CartAugust 5: Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social) is surrounded by a saltwater sea on all sides, separating the mainland of the continent from the archipelago of Atmoriel and the lone island of Cyra to the north and Laecia far to the frozen south. On the mainland, Hroth...

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · yesterday

#CartAugust Still talking about the features of the terrain. Today: water! Where is it, and can we use it to get around! Is it fresh and life-giving or poisonous? If you don't have water, talk to me about navigable ways

#MythAugust 5: In the Valestral religion in Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social), there is a rough hierarchy that puts Graes (flora) as the highest ranking God(dess), with Draes (fire and sun) and Alaes (water and moon) close behind. Beneath them are Terratil (stone and dirt)...

🫜Prof Emily🫜@professoremily.bsky.social · yesterday

#MythAugust 5 Today is about hierarchy! Who ranks highest or lowest among your gods/spirits/whatever? Is there a consensus about this ranking? As usual, interpret the question as loosely as you need to to fit your specific worldbuilding, and feel free to skip if it's not relevant to you! 😊❤️

#Critteray 5: The vuleri in Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social) look essentially like small foxes, roughly the size of a kit fox, but covered in dark brown fur all over their bodies and with porcupine like quills all over their back. The spines have bioluminescent properties...

Serra Leta@serraleta.bsky.social · yesterday

Today we're talking appearance! What exactly does your creature(s) look like? Any variations/regional differences? #Writing #WritingPrompts #Critterary

#AugustWorldbuilders 5: For Karnassia stories (co-created in @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social), Rafaeliel Liberas-Faal is the Headmaster of the University of Freeport, a former scholar at the University of Atmoriel, and a character in The Great Famine and the Rise of Villainy series. He is the most...

Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle)@kiraofthewind.com · yesterday

Hello, #AugustWorldbuilders! What are the teachers like in your fictional school? Have you written one? What were they like, both as a person and as an educator?

I try to get into the habit of sharing the moments that I fall behind on a goal to catch back up to show that it's not just about being consistent but also sometimes its just about figuring out how to bounce back rather than throw up your hands. I will fall behind goals again, and I will catch up.

#CartAugust 4 Every island except Crystal has mountains or hills (see sanctuary islands). There are roads (not drawn) but on Big Island you can see the mountain separates Sanctuary Delta from East Bay in the north of the island 🪡

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 2d ago

You shall not pass! Hey #CartAugust crew, time to dive in and really start looking at your maps. Today, we're talking elevation: highs, lows, and if you have neither, barriers to movement. Tell me about the geology, the history, famous explorers who lost their lives there... What do I need to know?

#CartAugust Okay so it’s kind of hard to see because it’s hard to draw right, but Integris’s Crossing is a city sized bridge spanning the last few miles of the Gold River before it falls into a massive waterfall (think Niagara but *bigger*) So the whole of the Alliance is actually several hundred

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 2d ago

You shall not pass! Hey #CartAugust crew, time to dive in and really start looking at your maps. Today, we're talking elevation: highs, lows, and if you have neither, barriers to movement. Tell me about the geology, the history, famous explorers who lost their lives there... What do I need to know?

#MythAugust 4: While the Hrothian pantheon in Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social) has something like this, for the Valestrals, the main factions are just "Everybody Hates Aetal," with the other five deities being frequently at odds with the less than benevolent trickster god.

🫜Prof Emily🫜@professoremily.bsky.social · 2d ago

#MythAugust 4 Today, tell me about the different factions among your gods/spirits. Think like the Æsir & Vanir in Norse mythology, or angels & demons in Christianity. What's their relationship? Are they sworn enemies? Sometimes allies? Interpret the question however makes sense for your story!

#CartAugust 4: In Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social), the desert Nation of Avenad has the largest collection of these. It is surrounded on one side by the Errias Mountains and on the other by the Velas-gav Mountains, both of which present natural barriers from invasion by...

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 2d ago

You shall not pass! Hey #CartAugust crew, time to dive in and really start looking at your maps. Today, we're talking elevation: highs, lows, and if you have neither, barriers to movement. Tell me about the geology, the history, famous explorers who lost their lives there... What do I need to know?

#AugustWorldbuilders 4: For the two major universities in Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social), the general culture has a fair amount has a fair amount of overlap despite surface differences. The University of Atmoriel is an advanced research institution, rife with petty...

Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle)@kiraofthewind.com · 2d ago

#AugustWorldbuilders, hey there friends! What is the general vibe like at your world's school? Are the students polite and mature? Are there bullying problems? Do they do a lot of group work or is it more focused on individual study?

#MythAugust 3: The Valestral deities in Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social) morally align with the Valestrals for the most part (with Aetal representing on some level immoral tendencies that are meant to be kept at bay), though Valestral morality has some key distinctions...

🫜Prof Emily🫜@professoremily.bsky.social · 3d ago

#MythAugust 3 What kind of moral code do your fantasy gods or spirits follow, if any? Do they share similar moral values to the people, or is their sense of morality completely alien? Do they even do "morality" at all? As usual, interpret as you wish and don't forget to interact with others! ☺️

#Critterary 3: The Vuleri of Avenad in Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social) are one of several bioluminescent creatures that live under the tunnels of Avenad (though they are beyond a doubt the cutest) and are sometimes referred to as "spined fox(es)." It is likely that they...

Serra Leta@serraleta.bsky.social · 3d ago

Names, names, names... Starting off we're discussing if your creature(s) has any other names (in any language) they might go by in your story, categorization, and if there's any other family tree relations. #Writing #WritingPrompts #Critterary

#CartAugust 3: So for Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social), my long-term plan is to essentially make a different map for each book AND have each map be an in-universe document that reflects the biases (and borders) of the mapmaker and their culture. While the map stays fairly...

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 3d ago

#G'day #CartAugust crew! Today, we're living dangerously, brushing up close against the demon Spoilers. The question: if you made two maps, a prologue and an epilogue, would they be the same? And if not, how have the events of the story changed this world?

#AugustWorldbuilders 3: In Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social), specialized trade schooling exists in the Vizrani Empire, (particularly for those seeking the profession of barrister, though there is also specialized schooling for alchemists available for a handful), while...

Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle)@kiraofthewind.com · 3d ago

Good day, #AugustWorldbuilders! Today's Q: does your world have specialized schools for people seeking a specific job or trade? Or anything like a magic or military school?

#CartAugust 2 All of Sun-Drop has been explored, but there are some geological things that give the geologists a head scratch. Crystal Island, in the NorthWest is the only island of the four to have naturally formed crystal obelisks jutting out of the ground in the whole island chain. 🪡

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 4d ago

Hey #CartAugust crew! Still just broad-brushing the basics today. Tell me about the mysterious, unknown, and unexplored. Where in your world is giving cartographers horror vacui? Don't forget to share your map! Check out one another's worlds!

#CartAugust So, probably about 90% of the Alliance’s world is unexplored, for a few reasons: 1) The Alliance’s territory is rich in resources, and without the God of War and Conquest acting on the world, they feel no need to expand. 2) the Dragonspire and Star Reach Mountains to the North and East

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 4d ago

Hey #CartAugust crew! Still just broad-brushing the basics today. Tell me about the mysterious, unknown, and unexplored. Where in your world is giving cartographers horror vacui? Don't forget to share your map! Check out one another's worlds!

#CartAugust Hi, I'm Moth. I write working-class SFF. This month I'm working on an expansive sci-fi world - you'll learn about it too as I go. Welcome to the Orkanian Empire. It's a galaxy in the process of colonisation. The named planets are inhabited. #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 5d ago

Hey hey everyone, welcome to our awesome new map game! We're here to celebrate our love for fictional maps all month long! Before we start poring over details, let's start with the basics: tell us who you are and a little bit about your world. And don't forget to share your map! #Cartaugust 🪐 📚️

I know Emily Wilson didn’t like Nolan’s film, so I went back in time and showed it to Homer. Unfortunately, I think the modern movie storytelling and effects drove him into some kind of psychosis, he thinks muses are talking to him. He’s also blind, which I did not plan for.

#AugustWorldbuilders 2: For Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social), the across the board learning in most nations will include math and language (both spoken/heard and written/read). For places with more formal instruction, science is also commonly taught, though more advanced...

Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle)@kiraofthewind.com · 4d ago

Good morning, #AugustWorldbuilders! In your fictional settings, what subjects are taught in schools? Do they learn the usual history, math, language, science? Anything extra? Anything specifically removed because the powers-that-be don't want kids learning about it?👀

#Cartaugust Aloutia has been fully explored. However, one planet that has been a problem is Munil. First off, this is a 3D crescent shape floating in space, which means cartographers don't really know how to display it on a 2D map. Even this one is sorta just... symbolic? An approximation?

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 4d ago

Hey #CartAugust crew! Still just broad-brushing the basics today. Tell me about the mysterious, unknown, and unexplored. Where in your world is giving cartographers horror vacui? Don't forget to share your map! Check out one another's worlds!

#MythAugust 2: The Valestral Pantheon in Karnassia (co-created with @jmaxwell-author.bsky.social) is composed of a pantheon of six god(desse)s associated with elements of the natural world. They are (in rough order of importance): Graes (Allmother of Andos, the Wood and Flower, the Watchful Woman...

🫜Prof Emily🫜@professoremily.bsky.social · 4d ago

#MythAugust Day 2 Tell us about the major god(s) or spirit(s) in your fantasy religion! This is meant to be a broad overview - we'll have focused questions for specific gods later! Feel free to interpret the question as loosely as you need to if you aren't working with a traditional pantheon 😁

Theres the very obvious Void at the edge of the map. Neither our contemporay sensors not the ones in my setting can detect much in there. But there is something. Common hyperdrives stop being efficient too far from the edge. So flying in and looking is off the table. #CartAugust

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 4d ago

Hey #CartAugust crew! Still just broad-brushing the basics today. Tell me about the mysterious, unknown, and unexplored. Where in your world is giving cartographers horror vacui? Don't forget to share your map! Check out one another's worlds!

#CartAugust 2 As the name of the map in Day 1 indicates (The Eastern Continent), there is another major continent to the west. The peoples that founded the Kingdom of Gratia fled that continent as it was being ravaged by a terrible disease, so their options were leave or risk human extinction. 🧵1/3

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 4d ago

Hey #CartAugust crew! Still just broad-brushing the basics today. Tell me about the mysterious, unknown, and unexplored. Where in your world is giving cartographers horror vacui? Don't forget to share your map! Check out one another's worlds!

#CartAugust For the whole of the first story, only the northern island that contemplates the Eurasian landmass is known to the cast. The "South America" has a small roll as the location where the Steward ensconced a partially successful attempt to uplift hominins, and... 1/2

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 4d ago

Hey #CartAugust crew! Still just broad-brushing the basics today. Tell me about the mysterious, unknown, and unexplored. Where in your world is giving cartographers horror vacui? Don't forget to share your map! Check out one another's worlds!

#CartAugust day 2: Does the world stretch beyond the margins of the map? Yes! The Corodan lands (on the northern edge) are largely unexplored by humans. The dragon-kind were there long ago, but any maps they made can't be read by humans. There's also another continent across the eastern sea...

Pixies a/k/a Map Nerd@mcburnellauthor.bsky.social · 4d ago

Hey #CartAugust crew! Still just broad-brushing the basics today. Tell me about the mysterious, unknown, and unexplored. Where in your world is giving cartographers horror vacui? Don't forget to share your map! Check out one another's worlds!