Fanart: Territory Banners

4/2/2014

I received these awesome pictures yesterday, but I couldn't post them because...you know, April Fools. Everyone would assume it was somehow a trap.

But now that it's April 2nd, I'm free to share this cool story with you: about six months ago, shortly after the release of Crimson Vault, I got an email from a fan named Aaron Hetherington. Aaron wondered if I could explain the different symbols/banners for the various Territories in more detail, since I only give a vague overview in Crimson Vault.

I described the banners as best I could, and then I didn't hear back from Aaron until yesterday. It turns out that he and a graphic artist friend of his, Sara Miller, had come up with banners for each of the eleven Territories in the Traveler's Gate Trilogy.

I'm not going to lie to you: they're pretty fantastic.

If these banners tickle your fancy, and you'd like to hit up Sara for some commission work, I hear she's available here: http://saraphimcreations.elance.com

This is one sample of her work, and you can hit the jump for the other ten:

Asphodel...

Avernus...

Endross...

Helgard...

Lirial...

Naraka...

Ornheim...

Ragnarus...

Tartarus...

...and Valinhall.

48 Comments

Sarah

4/2/2014 07:16:31 am

So cool! I especially like the frozen Helgard tower, but I'm from the frozen north and already partial to Helgard :-)

Will Wight link

4/2/2014 08:43:34 am

Helgard might be my favorite. It just...works.

Leanne

4/2/2014 07:22:22 am

Absolutely fantastic :D

4/2/2014 08:44:17 am

This was a great surprise. It's like a Christmas present, but on April Fools' Day.

Brett

4/2/2014 07:42:12 am

These are awesome! But is there anyway someone could now do some art of the Fang's, the Thunder Spear, and all that? That is what I'd like to see...

4/2/2014 08:43:00 am

Man, I'd like to see that.

Matt

4/2/2014 07:42:38 am

These are my new phone backgrounds

4/2/2014 08:42:25 am

I'm hoping to get them as actual banners. I'd hang them up in my house, no joke.

Aaron Hetherington

4/2/2014 10:38:04 am

It's gonna happen.

Hayden Desrosiers

4/2/2014 10:00:33 am

I'm going to college for graphic design later this year. Hopefully when I am there I will have time to do up something like this. Personally, I imagined the Dragon Fangs to be more like Katana. Really, really, really badass Katana.

4/2/2014 10:07:11 am

I had this exact conversation yesterday, actually:

All of the Fangs are Japanese-style swords, so the picture on this banner isn't exactly accurate. It still looks cool, though.

Azura and Mithra are katanas. I see Seijan (Andra's) as a wakizashi, and Aaron (the guy who commissioned the banners) made a good case for Vasha as a nodachi.

4/2/2014 10:40:11 am

I misunderstood when he described the banner as a "Dragon fang point up" to mean a dragon's fang, not one of the swords.

..Then I had to try to argue my way into not looking quite as foolish. But it was fun!

4/2/2014 10:53:49 am

Yeah, I enjoyed the conversation. I obviously have a very clear picture of Azura and Mithra, and Seijan's blade is significantly shorter.

For the others, I don't have a very specific picture. I could easily see them being different types of swords, though all related. Diava (Denner's), is a little bigger than Seijan and shaped slightly differently, and Vasha (Indirial's) is comparatively broad. It could easily end up as a nodachi.

Although Indirial fights quite a lot in City of Light, so my image of Vasha is becoming much clearer.

Mayra

4/3/2014 03:31:38 pm

I have been imagining Azura as a longer Skinner version of Inuyasha's Tessaiga (without the fluffy guard), while Mithra I have seen to be more like Ichigo's Zangetsu. Although the other swords I did imagine to be more like katanas.

4/3/2014 04:26:30 pm

Maybe Tensa Zangetsu, but definitely not meat-cleaver Zangetsu.

At least, that's not how I picture Mithra. You're more than welcome to picture her however you like :)

I could see the Tessaiga comparison, though. Minus the fur.

Mark jaeger

4/2/2014 02:21:39 pm

I'd like to get a look at more of the swords also kind of hope simon gets a smaller sword, azuras too impractical. Then again with his super powers it might not be.

I'm interested in how he's going to add the death touch sword to the house (the one he won from Leah's brother) can't wait!!!!

Tim K

4/3/2014 12:21:31 am

Yeah maybe you could summon the power into your sword like the frozen horn. Heh. UNFAaiR.

4/3/2014 12:47:13 am

There's a fight I've been trying to fit into City of Light, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen: I want Simon (or anyone with a large Dragon's Fang, really) to fight in a dense forest. And then, instead of dodging through the trees to get room to swing their swords, they just chop through everything in their way. So there are trees falling everywhere, debris flying through the air...it would be really cool.

Maybe in a future book. Or maybe I can fit it into another short story, I don't know.

As for the frozen horn...as I've said before: Valinhall OP, needs nerf. Blizzard pls.

Bryce

4/4/2014 05:44:40 am

Correct me if I'm wrong but Simon can gain access to a smaller sword by mastering the armory.

Yoshiyahu

4/8/2023 01:45:26 pm

He has access to all weapons from the armory opun mastering it

Ian Pape

4/2/2014 11:42:46 pm

Wow. Those are excellent. Sara, if you're reading this, I would love to get the Valinhall symbol you made as a tattoo with your permission.

Jack S

4/3/2014 12:08:42 am

I would totally get one or all of these on my sleave. They're great.

4/3/2014 12:50:31 am

I can't tell you how many people have suggested that I get a tattoo of a chain beginning on the back of my hand and snaking up my forearm. I get it, and I see why they think that would be neat, but, uh...

That would be PRETTY egotistical of me, I'm not going to lie. Getting a tattoo of a concept I designed myself? That seems...creepy, somehow.

Plus, I'm not in nearly good enough shape to be representing Valinhall. Naraka, maybe. They don't care what shape you're in.

Sara

4/7/2014 03:41:55 pm

Go for it! I'd be honored!

<3 Sara

4/7/2014 11:50:15 pm

Thanks so much Sara. I'll be sure to send in the pictures when it's done.

4/3/2014 12:20:07 am

Asphodel is the scariest to me. Heres a pretty flower! Of MADNESS. And mist. Blegh. Never going there.

4/3/2014 12:54:56 am

Fun fact: Asphodel is actually the most-Traveled Territory. It's huge, and unlike most Territories, it's a great source for valuable natural resources like food, water, and lumber.

And, you know...poison, madness, and death. But as long as you know what plants to avoid (the colorful ones) and which ones not to eat, you'll be okay. The Mist is pretty much manageable, as long as you don't A.) ever freak out, or B.) go outside at night.

Also, unlike most Territories, there is a day/night cycle in Asphodel. As there is in Avernus. But in both cases, there is no visible sun.

I really meant to show the non-combat side of the Travelers at some point in the trilogy, but somehow I never got far away from the fights. Even in the short stories, where I really wanted to show off a different side of the Territories, they somehow ended up all about battles. Shows you what I like to write, I guess.

But despite what it looks like in the books, most Travelers are non-combatants.

The more you know!

Incarnation

4/19/2014 10:05:49 am

I still think that Asphodel is scary as anything unless you are very well trained and skilled in handling something like that. You can fight against Tartarus, for example, with its tangible weapons more or less easier than something like Asphodel or Avernus with its almost psychic attacks and the like.(they are all pretty strong Territories, I'm just making an example using Tartarus)

Mesmerizing suggestion

4/3/2014 03:39:32 am

If my previous posts didn't work I will reiterate once again
(If they did work I am terribly sorry.)
You should make the death touch sword into a vial of poison.

4/3/2014 04:29:30 pm

Deathtouch WOULD make Simon into a great chump blocker.

Don't get your hopes too high for the Ragnarus blade, though. It does get used in CoL, obviously, but at the moment I leave its ultimate fate ambiguous. I might rewrite that--nothing is set in stone. It just wasn't an important enough detail for me to specifically include in scene.

Harlequin

4/3/2014 08:06:55 am

Like how Tartarus has 3 differently designed keys. Ornheim, Endross, and Asphodel are well done, and Lirial is pretty good, although i dunno it needs something....like maybe some contrast on those moons.

4/3/2014 04:31:33 pm

See, I like Lirial a lot. It's simple, straightforward, and the design suggests not only multiple moons changing phases at once, but also vaguely an eye. Perfect for the Territory.

Also, the landscape of Lirial is almost universally gray. Makes sense that the banner would be, too.

4/4/2014 04:22:50 am

hmm. I guess i missed the 'eye' imagery.

I think i just was more focused on 'sun and moon imagery' because of the Elysian flag being the first i saw.(city of Light's) I kept feeling like The Liral flag needed some gray 'glow/ray of light' thing too?

But then i was like Maybe Not maybe the moons just needs some contrast like the Narakan or Endross or Ornheim flags (only more subtle, like a pitted mooons surface or texture)

Now that i had a second look. I see the eye, but the slightly darker ring around the center moon is definitely a little wide, so i did not see it until you mentioned it. That ring cuts into the other two moons.

"shrugs" i have no problem with the gray.

Harry

4/3/2014 11:23:02 am

Real really glad these were made. Especially with the comments if the Valinhall swords. It completes the image I had of them.

4/3/2014 04:30:21 pm

I'm not going to lie: talking it out helped me to visualize the swords better, too. I had a very clear vision of Azura and Mithra, but the rest were all pretty broad, sketchy outlines. Talking about it has forced me to fill those outlines in.

Juan

4/4/2014 01:24:34 am

I am reading the Crimson Vault right now, and I had a quick question. Why are all of the grandmasters Enoshian? Or would "Grandmaster," be similar to the Damascan title,"Overlord?"

4/4/2014 02:13:03 am

Kind of. The Grandmasters are the council that runs Enosh, which is a small city state. The Damascan Overlords are each in charge of a region of Damasca, in addition to one of the Trees. But the Overlords still report to the Crown. They're more like Governors.

4/7/2014 03:15:12 am

Ian nailed it.

G.R

4/4/2014 04:08:22 am

I always imagined diava to be a scimitar, vasha as, quite literally, a chunk of pitted metal that has an edge. Azura, and Mithra were like FF7's sephiroth's absurdly long katana, seijan...I guess it fits a wakisashi considering it's owner is a kid..love the helgard, lirial, and ornheim banners too, maybe valinhall could have either Bernard or one of the nye in the background? eliarial could be a Sun-yellow bell also, imo

4/7/2014 03:16:24 am

I can see all of those sword descriptions, especially with the FF7 analogy. Seems solid.

Eliarial...I don't know if you meant "Lirial" or "Elysia," but either way, the word you made up is cool.

4/7/2014 05:39:21 pm

Haha yea I meant elysia, I mixed up both territory names...my bad

4/8/2014 04:31:39 am

Hey, I think Eliarial sounds neat. It sounds like an elvish lord.

Aaron J.E.

4/6/2014 01:10:59 am

Eagerly awaiting CoL. I know in the other blog you said you would have it finished within the next few days - (Though, honestly, whether it is finished or not, I have nothing but respect for the speed at which you get these out here, and I can continue waiting if need be). But lately I have been working nights, bored out of my mind and with only my kindle for company, and I have already read Word of Radiance three times in the past three weeks. I am definitely ready for something else to occupy my time for a bit. So, looking forward to when that is finished.

In terms of the banners - I am fond of the Avernus. I grew up in the Southwest, so I like the almost Native American feel to it. That, and I imagine that would be the territory I would most be home at. Coupled with the ancillary prescient benefits you get from Avernus, it certainly seems like the most... comfortable of the Territories.

Anywho, best of luck, don't work yourself to death, and look forward to the book when it is ready by your standards.

4/7/2014 03:14:47 am

A.) I, too, am fond of the Avernus banner. And the Avernus tribes ended up kind of Native American in style--I didn't really intend that, but they use feathers for decorating and live off the land in a North American style pine forest, so I guess it was inevitable--so that seemed appropriate.

B.) I am working myself to death. It's happening. I'm trying to get it ready by my standards within the next two days, so that I can upload it by the tenth, and I literally can't feel my typing fingers anymore.

Sara (Yes, THAT Sara!)

4/7/2014 03:50:50 pm

I'm glad to hear you guys like the banners! I haven't had time to read the books yet, so I did them to the best of what was described to me. What Aaron explained to me is definitely my kind of story, so I wanted to make them as awesome as possible. I was really surprised how well some of them turned out. I think some of my favorites were ones that I really had to think about to make them work visually like Helgard and Lirial.
Can't wait to actually have time to read about these awesome places!!! lol

I might redo Valinhall. Just for my own piece of mind. It was the last one I did and I was pretty pooped out artistically by then. :p
And hearing about all those other wicked cool swords... I will probably be inspired to do a lot more art.

Catherine

6/14/2014 04:30:49 pm

Ah, I love the Avernus one! Definitely my Territory, if I got to choose.

6/23/2014 09:28:27 am

Really? That's awesome to hear! Usually, people say Valinhall, Elysia, or Ragnarus, for obvious reasons.

Phillip link

1/14/2016 11:03:29 am

Cause Valinhall and the others are OP

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.