I Think I Dropped My Map...

10/12/2013

39 Comments

...has anybody seen it?

39 Comments

KB link

10/12/2013 01:32:38 pm

I knew I should have went south, not north, at Bel Calem

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 01:38:29 am

What you SHOULD have done is taken the left turn at Albuquerque. But nobody's perfect.

Harlequin

10/13/2013 03:29:17 pm

hmm...(know my opinion hardly matters) I dunno why, but I always pictured Cana on the shores of a sea. Actually i think i do, its that whole Morning and Evening Star bit. There never was an explanation for it so I assumed it meant something like the kingdom ended/began at either the eastern or western ends of the continent (maybe because its the first place to see the sun in the morning or something)

Anyways, I do think the map might need some minor improvement but my suggestions can basically be summed up pretty quick. 1) some roads are needed even if they are dotted lines, and maybe not even between all cities, just the ones that may have been mentioned previously. 2) Those mountains on the Right side of the map are begging for a name, and maybe that forest in the bottom left too.

But on the whole, I'm satisfied with it.

Orca

10/21/2013 02:33:49 pm

Most RL cities are on a trade route; a road, river, or coast. There aren't any coasts on this map, roads aren't shown, and for some reason the river must not be used for trade. Something to do with territories being preferable to medieval tech for moving goods, perhaps?

Harlequin

10/24/2013 10:18:36 am

Good Point. I missed that the whole river and trade bit.

Definitely one or more of the lager cities should border a river or lake. It just makes since because usually large cities have lager populations, and they need more food, so they need proportionally more farmland or need access to transport it from elsewhere. Farm land needs irrigation if its to be consistently fertile, so either rivers, dammed reservoirs, artifical lakes, or springs of some sort.

Additonally many rivers in real life flow down from the mountains, the elevation causes clouds to condense and rain as the air flows over them. So the map needs a stream or two flowing from the Mountains or hills. With the Desert in the North, maybe around alrin in the east, Enosh in the North-west and if you felt like it around Tar Canis in the west.

Just suggestions of course.

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 01:43:49 am

And I'm back!

There certainly are roads and bodies of water here, but the reason most of them aren't shown on the map is because of the Territories. Villagers and the poor almost never travel far from where they were born, and the rich/those with important business almost always Travel through one of the more popular Territories.

So I didn't label / draw them mainly because they're not particularly significant to those who want to travel around in this region. On another map, from another world, I would have made careful note of the roads and streams.

Also, my map designer assured me that it was better to label as few things as possible, and I agree with him. That way I can change what I want to, later.

Mark

10/14/2013 12:03:35 am

Very nice looking map, Will!

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 01:44:09 am

Thanks, Mark!

Ailema

10/14/2013 05:20:35 am

Love it! Thanks, Will!

Valerie

10/16/2013 12:23:04 am

I find the font hard to read where the letters are lifted up above a dot... And I can't tell what the little city/town icons mean--some are just slightly different from each other, with very small variation in size. I think it would be clearer if this were standardized per size of town. Or even simplified into stars and dots of various sizes.

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 01:48:26 am

Hm...that's a good point. Myria and Cana have special icons (to denote the fact that Myria's the only shown village, and Cana is the capitol), but I think all the rest only vary for the sake of variety.

As a side note, Damascan maps use icons that vary based on the authority of the ruler, not based on population size. That's why all the cities except Cana are the same size: because they're each ruled by an Overlord, and those are all supposed to be equal in power. Really, they wouldn't even show Myria or Orgrith Cave on this map, but since they're so relevant to the story in House of Blades...

Matt W link

10/16/2013 08:44:48 am

Wow just Wow! The maps look great btw but thats not why i came here.

I just bought HOB yesterday and finished it the same day. I immediately bought TCV and finished it this afternoon. I just wanted to stop by and say how impressed I am by your series. I am not usually a huge fantasy genre reader but your books really connected in a way that it is hard to describe. A couple quick things I wanted to say about the books.

1) I could not stop my self from imagining the whole series as a movie. The action sequences and world imagery just made me want to will it into existence.
2) I really found myself halfway through the second book starting to get a little sad that there would only be one more. It felt like there was too much to tell from these characters than could be done in one book.
3) Those dolls are could be their own short story.(Like why Valin made 50 to start with, was he crazier than KAI?)

Anyway, sorry to come off a bit strong but I really enjoyed the books and truly look forward to your next works!

Harlequin

10/17/2013 05:17:52 am

I think someone...maybe it was Kai said that they found the dolls in the Territory, here and there, and they just brought them all together. I don't think all the advisors were made by Valin, though it seems several of the ones revealed so far have been.

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 01:53:22 am

Don't praise me too much, Matt. If my head swells any more, I won't be able to fit into my hats.

And you know that my collection of cowboy hats is the stuff of legend.

1.) I'm glad to hear it! If I get a movie deal, though, I would eat every one of my cowboy hats. It's likely not in my future. But isn't it nice to dream?

2.) Agreed. I plan on returning to this world (and the surviving characters) at some point in the future. Even now, I'm trying to get a Kindle Serial going, with a bunch of short stories set in the Traveler's Gate universe.

3.) Valin's kind of crazy, I'm not going to lie. But he wasn't a bad guy, back in the day.

Also, I would like to point out that Simon's a little unclear on the exact number of dolls. Kai knows, of course, but every time Simon tries to count it seems that he gets the wrong number. Sometimes the dolls are missing from their shelves. Sometimes the shelves are packed. Sometimes he starts counting, only to find that dolls have gone missing before he can even finish.

He has since given up.

J. Moore

10/16/2013 09:43:28 am

Drop it like it's hawt. Never cared for maps, but good for those who do.

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 01:55:16 am

I'm not going to lie to you, J: I don't really care about maps either. I only drew one so I could keep everything straight. As a reader, I never look at the map, ESPECIALLY not in a series where practically every long journey is undertaken through a twisted otherworldly Territory rather than over land.

But enough people asked me for a map that I realized my desires were, in this case, not representative of everyone. I live only to serve.

Liam

10/17/2013 02:55:31 am

Nice, I personally think there should be more terrain and maybe some marks where battles occurred.
Ps. I always thought that Cana would be further away
Pps. Is there a scale and key?
Crimson vault certainly turned out well, didn't like the cliff hanger...(I cannot wait for the next book)

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 01:57:19 am

1.) Yeah, I left much of the map bare intentionally, because I can fill it in later if I need to. That was on the advice of my map designer, but I think he's correct.

2.) It's pretty far, which you would know if I had...

3.) ...included a scale. I intentionally chose not to include a scale, because the Territories render it almost pointless, but now I'm reconsidering.

4.) Good, good! Cling by your fingertips to my crumbling cliffside!

Will Wight link

10/19/2013 10:45:29 am

Hey, I'm in the mountains again, so no new blog post today.

Also, I've read your comments, but I'm on my phone in a three-foot square where I have service. I'll respond to you individually when I get service, I promise.

Fare thee well, friends.

Harlequin

10/24/2013 10:53:51 am

Hope your over the insidious bug you had. Sorry about nitpicking your map, ^^. Its a pretty map, but...Orca, Liam, Valerie, and I all had suggestions. Hope you've had a chance to review them. Enjoy the mountains.

(>0.0)>

Jim

10/25/2013 10:36:22 am

I am skeptical of this Will. The name is not highlighted. What is this?

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 01:58:33 am

IMPOSTER! Away with ye, and your un-highlighted chicanery!

Here's a secret: when I post from my phone, it doesn't log me in to Weebly, so my name isn't highlighted.

Liam

10/19/2013 05:26:54 pm

Our mountain warrior must do what he has too do
In CoL I think that you should involve the mountains or water, and have Simon having to face down a ninja like character in the hills.
It would be cool is all I'm saying
I think the mountain range should be called Paragon Range or the Finem range
And a Mt. Pistula
Nice map Will

Liam

10/19/2013 05:28:27 pm

No problem if you don't understand that... I was following my train of thought
Sorry about that

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 01:59:48 am

Are those names references to something specific? Because if so, I'm not sure that I've read it.

As it happens, I actually agree that there should be a fight on uneven and perhaps unusual terrain. I'm working on it.

mike

10/20/2013 07:59:17 am

hey i was thinking there are several series i would like continued but yours has jumped to the top ten and i had some ideas. The first two books have been all about Simon gaining experience and powers form Vallenhall but their are other main characters that you haven't had the time to invest in such as Leah. Maybe the mini series that you are working on can build on to those characters and how they gain powers or just travel in their territories.

Harlequin

10/20/2013 10:30:41 am

Hmm. speaking of Leah it is going to be interesting to see if she uses the Crimson Eye she received as her inheritance in Book 3. It seems like it will be a good supplementary artifact for her main territory Lirial.

mike

10/21/2013 08:17:18 am

I would also like to see her grow stronger in her main territory Lirial since she has a few full members of the dragon army she could probably gather several artifacts form tombs with their help.

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 02:03:31 am

Mike: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the series!

I do agree that I've given Leah somewhat the short end of the stick, because A.) I don't want the books to be too long, so someone has to suffer, and B.) because the books are mostly about Simon, but a certain amount of Alin is necessary.

But I really like Leah, and I enjoy writing her, so I need to do her justice one of these days.

In terms of watching other Travelers in their Territories, I'm doing my best to get the Traveler's Gate Chronicles underway. Kindle Serials, apparently, are strange voodoo. The writing is the easy part.

But yeah, I had considered maybe doing a Leah story. Or a Simon story. I'm not sure; most of my ideas involve characters that you've never met, demonstrating how Traveling normally works. But hey, who knows? I've got room to work.

Harlequin: I cannot comment. My lips are sealed!

mike

10/21/2013 08:32:11 am

I think one other map is needed especially if there is going to be a mini series since the main territory is Vallenhall i think there needs to be a rough map of the know rooms and the powers that are available it Vallenhall travelers.Such as what was that arrow of light that Vallen used In his first battle with simon is it a power or special summoned item. Man the ideas about this storyline just continue to fill my head. Plz let the story be as good as the first two books!

Harlquin

10/24/2013 10:35:26 am

Now this is just my take on it i guess, but when I read that battle, I thought the bow was probably just a bow from the Armory briefly shown in book 1. How to put it.........A summoned bow with unlimited ammo?, I mean all the other weapons that were seen summoned from the Armory in book 2 (Kai does so for example) were able to be used instantly so idk. Made sense to me that Vallenhall would have one energy/ranged weapon.

Lol i hope im not coming off as "that guy who reads a book twice and thinks he's knows more than anyone". I just love puzzling this out, and if Im wrong im wrong.

Liam

10/25/2013 06:03:26 pm

It also makes you wonder what other powers valinhall should have used...
Raganarus incarnation... How on any territory an incarnation of a territory can manage to give herself up? That means the territory gives over the fire as one of its main traits? It struck me as a little bizarre

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 02:20:48 am

I had planned to make it much, much worse, but your heartfelt entreaty has reached my ears.

Harlequin: You basically nailed it. It's got a long and storied history, but it's mostly a ranged/energy weapon from the armory. It has its limitations and drawbacks, but I felt they needed something other than big, metal weapons for hitting people with.

And I'm the one who knows more than anyone! Bwahahahahaha!

Liam:

I...can't actually make heads or tails of your comment. I'll do my best, though!

The Valinhall Incarnation, as you say, does have access to a lot of powers we didn't see used. But there are two reasons.

First, most of Valinhall's powers are internal. They're not very flashy. So even if he did use them, Simon wouldn't have seen much.

Second, many of Valinhall's powers are focused on fighting OTHER Territories. Since most of Valin's time onstage was spent fighting fellow Valinhall Travelers, he didn't get a chance to use some of his more exotic abilities.

In hindsight, I should have given Valin a scene in which he fought a bunch of Travelers from other Territories, just to show off some high-level Valinhall powers. But I didn't think of that.

I don't understand your other question regarding the Incarnations. Could you clarify?

mike

10/26/2013 10:02:59 am

will i have a question about the powers of valinhall do u have a rough list of the powers or do u add them in only as they're revealed. if you do have a list i would greatly appreciate if you would maybe include that in COL

Will Wight link

10/29/2013 03:25:22 am

I have a list, but I'm not going to include it in CoL. I might include a list of the powers discovered so far, though.

Liam

10/26/2013 02:37:29 am

Sorry, I retread and realized I had not made it clear... What I meant was at the end of the CV the raganarus incarnation makes the king a incarnation, but if u r an embodiment of a territory how could u ever want to pass power ? It makes no sense... It means that passing the torch is part of the territory

Will Wight link

10/26/2013 08:55:46 am

Ah, I see what you mean. In that particular case, it works a little differently for each Territory. She's not passing power so much as she is awakening his potential as an Incarnation. She can only do that with his consent.

Afterwards, as the previous Incarnation, she will cease to exist. Hopefully it will be more clear after you read City of Light.

S. Carig

3/26/2014 08:10:27 am

I love this series, I just picked t up and red the entire thing in a weekend. One thing I noticed is you don't mention a lot of the territories in the books very much. After you finish your miniseries you should take a look at making a guidebook of sorts to all the territories. This is an amazing series and I can't wait for the last book.

Will Wight link

3/27/2014 03:02:55 am

That's one of the things the Traveler's Gate Chronicles (short stories) were meant to do: fill in the blanks for some of the Territories that we didn't get to see much of in the main trilogy.

But you're right, I do need to come up with some sort of glossary/reference document for the various Territories. It'll happen eventually. I keep meaning to get around to it, but there always seems to be something more urgent I need to do...

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