ABH Cartography

09/29/2024

Bilbo Baggins, in The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, expresses his fondness for maps when he says, “I do love maps. I have quite a collection of them.” Tolkien, with this line, reflected Bilbo's hidden curiosity and sense of adventure, despite his initial reluctance to leave the comforts of his home. Maps, in the context of The Hobbit, symbolize exploration, discovery, and the unknown — all of which cam tell an unforgettable story.

08/18/2024

A reproduction of the town of Stover, Missouri. Located in Morgan County, this is a representation of the town as it appeared nearly 110 years ago, complete with the identified locations of over 60 businesses.

07/29/2024

This was a random map. I think I might have used a map generator as a base...I'm uncertain. But I appreciate how well it came out.

07/29/2024

This was a regional map that focused on one of the main area of the Daladria Map where I intended to develop significant storylines. It was the first time I'd experienced with my own color pallet on the hills rather than the default color of Mike Schley's symbols.

07/29/2024

I created the Island of Daladria two years ago. I found the material on a flash drive that I had intended to turn into sort of a gazette that could be used for writing stories or creating modules. Then - as usual - life happened. Stay tuned. I'll post some more of the project shortly.

07/23/2024

I decided to give the Community Atlas over at ProFantasy a try. The final product is due by October 1. I shouldn't have any real trouble meeting that deadline. If it goes well, I might even map out one of the cities.

06/16/2024

A map of a historical location in Cooper County, Missouri. My mapping covers historical venues as well as the fantastical and other worldly.

06/02/2024

This is a finished project for my own world build. The continent's name is Vallyron. This particular map is part of the Western Realms which consists of three different governments: The Kingdom of Taborlund, the United Kingdom of Mydlund, and the Baronial Confederation of Arcondyr.

These three countries once were united in a great kingdom under the rule of the Legendary King Ambrosius. Following his death the lands eventually broke apart and descended into a civil war. East Vale was one of the scores of baronies that scattered the land. Today, it is a part of the Kingdom of Taborlund, the center of the three countries that have been reformed in the old Western Realms.

This map is a more localized breakdown than what appears on the original Taborlund and Western Realms Maps (to be shown at a later post). There are narrative focuses that appear on the map, as well as the outlining of some communities. I used a demographic generator to determine the community spread of the areas and have left a sufficient number nameless as stories and game sessions will undoubtedly lend a hand to their labeling.

Something like this has dozens of hours of work put into it, but I find it fun and rewarding to let my imagination run.

"Imagination governs the world." --Napoleon Bonaparte

05/31/2024

Many of my maps have a narrative segment of them. In this particular case, I detail the location of characters essential to the story of the fight against corruption in the Barony of East Vale.

05/29/2024

All parts of a map are important - even those that might not necessarily be part of the actual campaign. This is from my own personal "World of Vallyron" Campaign and Story setting (I hope to be writing at some point as well).

The part of the map you see with little to no labels - South of one river and west of another? That's where the actual campaign takes place. But details are crucial to a lot of people.

The bottom image is roughly the same area on a regional map.

05/27/2024

In February 2023 a random campaign map was chosen as a Map of the Month in the ProFantasy forums. This style of map, called Spectrum Overland - a Cartographer's Annual - is highly realistic and creates beautiful settings. The map is the fifth from the top of the page.

I’m excited to have another wonderful parade of user maps for you, this time from February of this year. If you like any of them (and I’m sure you will), head over to their respective p…

05/27/2024

In June 2023 a map from my own large world project called Vallyron was chosen. The map is of the Dwarven Kingdom of Naled-Zhar and is what I call a "Narrative Regional Map." There are elements of a story built into the map. I have developed this as an outlet for my imagination while I am designing and creating.

The image is the third map from the top.

Let’s enjoy another wonderful selection of user maps – all posted on the ProFantasy forum or the CC3+ Facebook group in June 2023. Dak’s Oriental Inn brings up wonderful memories …