[map] du Eustacia Gradibn

du Eustacia Gradibn was once a thriving, if small sanctuary on the route between two large cities and served not only as a way station roughly halfway between them but as a respite from the heat of the desert that covered the land between them. Decades ago the small spring that feed fresh water into the cavern that lay at the entrance to the temple proper dried up and the influence, and popularity, of the sanctuary began to wane.

One is correct in wondering the reason for the installation of the bars and large pit trap that block the entrance to the sanctuary. These were installed as precautions to protect the monks who used to live here and the visitors from the frequent raids by the Sandpeople© that frequently attack travelers en route to the cities.

Today the sanctuary lies in ruins with walls crumbling a complete passage blocked by a cave-in, and no living thing will be found within its gloomy passages. The last monks who lived here were slain in a mass self suicide, and attempt to gain favor with their patron and return the flow of the water. This failed to come to pass, the gods being the fickle bastards they are, and now the long rotting bodies of the monks will spring to life and attack those who dare interrupt their vigil of waiting for their patron to return.

Notes: Going back to a little old school mapping here. This one was created Friday morning as I waited for my flight back home after a quick business trip to a conference.

Full on old school:

And the funky blue:

[map redux] The Bridge of Sarladoune

This is another of the redux maps, this one from Sunday 30 December 2012! This map was draw in my old Arc notebook on graph paper I made and printed myself and I believe this was the map that I ran my first game using the excellent Barebones Fantasy RPG.

The blue version:

I remember having a great time running a few friends through this little dungeon. There was a massive creature trapped in the room on the bottom left that they set free - sure to bring doom upon the world.

A near-white version:

[map redux] The Wheatonian Caverns

Another redux from the past, drawn around the same timeframe as the previous throwback map, so around December 2012. This map, if I remember correctly was my version of a map Wil Wheaton posted. Here I have cleaned up and used my current format.

Blue tinted:

Another redux from the past, drawn around the same timeframe as the previous throwback map, so around December 2012. This map, if I remember correctly was my version of a map Wil Wheaton posted. Here I have cleaned up and used my current format.

[map redux] The Hypogeum at Reggalita

I decided to revisit an old map, in this case a map from about a year ago. The original can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/creation?hid=357139

I really like this map from last year. I prefer maps that are not only pleasing to look at but offer a GM ample opportunities to mess with their players. Maps that offer numerous places to enter and leave the cavern are among my favorites as well and this map boasts at least three different ways to enter the cavern, more if you count the many cave entrances off the large body of water.

Here is a blue-format version of the map

I liked the old map but I feel the new 'style' is cleaner than the formats I was using then. And I figure, what the heck.

Here is a nearly-white version, probably better for printing if you are so inclined.

What do you think? Should I revisit more of my older maps? I have probably well over two hundred maps floating around on my hard drive, some going back more than two years. Should I update some? If you think so, which would you like to see?

[map] The Last Dragonslayer Inn

This map was actually drawn weeks ago and I just today got around to scanning and cleaning the map up. A simple tavern, but really, who can have enough taverns?

The Last Dragonslayer Inn was built as a retirement opportunity for a gentleman adventurer named Gregor Thornbottom after he had slain what he believed to be the last free ranging dragon (not counting, of course, the free ranging dragons of Port O'Mardoun and their many colorful dragons). Sadly Gregor lived only a year after the inn was completed.

The previously unknown tribe of white dragons led by an ancient and large creature by the name Marzoulabatozz appeared and quickly surrounded the inn. After discovering that the forty foot tall rotunda at the front of the inn could sustain his considerable weight, Marzoulabatozz was marvelled by the exquisitely designed building and spared the inn. Gregor was another story however and Marzoulabatozz quickly swallowed the old chap up. In a loud boisterous voice he proclaim the inn was under his protection so long as no person ever claimed the title of dragonslayer. Thus the inn has stood for well over one-hundred and eighty years now, serving up delicious suppers and lagers of high quality.

Today the fine and well known establishment is managed by Lady Gerntuber (not royality, she just likes how it sounds). She runs a tidy but friendly inn with well portioned plates and ample mugs of ale and lagers to suit the most picky of customers. The sword and javelin of the late Gregor still adorn the wall behind the bar though they be covered with a thick layer of dust.

Twenty years ago Marzoulabatozz pain the inn a visit, proclaiming he was on his Death Flight, that being the last flight before he was to pass to the Golden Pastures Beyond. Impressed by Lady Gerntuber he immediately tore a large canine from his jaw and asked her to prominently display impressive tooth. Today the giant tooth hangs from the ceiling in the rotunda thirty feet above the floor. Visitors often swing by the inn simply to ooh and aah over the tooth, they promptly end up purchasing a meal and a souvenir or two. The most popular being the Mini-Pak backpack shaped like the large white tooth.

A few variations on the map:

[map] Tinymorphs 2

Been in a bit of a lull in creative juices lately but I managed to pull off another Tinymorph map sheet. Given their small size I can see a GM cutting these out and arranging them behind their screen as they toss together a quick random dungeon.

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend! Get out and enjoy the sun, dungeons can wait!