Unveiling a Land of Dragons: A New Fantasy World-Map for 'The Farmer and the Fald'

Exploring the Lands Beyond Farmer Bundon's Island Home of Rhothodân

“I thought all farmers were yeomen on Rhothodân,” the knight said. “Did our King not grant you that?”
“Aye, of a sort. But our freedom is tied to this rock, here.”
Bundon scuffed the dry earth with his toe, kicking up a small cloud of dust.  “So long as we till her soil, we shall wear no chains and name none as masters. Those were his words— or at least as close as my pa could recall, anyways. My Alaria, though… she had seen the world, travelling the seas with her pa when they lost her mam to the rot. She’d been all over. Thrice around the Ravenous, she said. Seeing them grand old cities of Autreville, Bollverk, and Kriscany, the haunted forests of the Vildermark and the half-sunken mires that were Old Sathilia over east, past the Wending Waters. All quiet there, she said. Eerie. As though ghosts yet watched from them half-drowned towers.
”She’d sailed the waters of the Brennermun, too, trading salt with the Brens of Brenlund and spices with the dwarves of Kopperlee. Peculiar little fellas, she said. Secretive, like. With their mountain halls filled with their fabled bronzed steel. She’d seen wild manticores too—and great shaggy unicorns twenty hands high. She’d supped with Lords and Ladies and danced with Merchant Princes. Imagine that. All them choices, and she chose to settle here… with me.”
Bundon grew bashful, suddenly aware of the knight’s growing pity.
“I sure as eggs can’t explain it, Sir. Can you?”

I hope this missive finds ye well.

As I may have mentioned, I've been hard at work crafting the second edition of "The Farmer and the Fald.”

But the journey has not been without its tribulations.

Apple is a cruel mistress. And as she giveth, so must she taketh away.

An iCloud syncing hiccup stole away an entire week's worth of progress that left me, alas, in the clutches of writer's block.

I moped about for the better part of two weeks, but, silver linings, I chose to focus on some illustration while ‘the block’ was on me and managed to finish something I’ve been working on for quite a while.

A finished ‘world map’ for The Farmer and the Fald’s second edition.

I used a very cute fantasy brush set for most of the icons. I purchased them here.

It was a pleasure to piece together, and I hope it brings further depth to the story, knowing that these grand cities, such as Autreville and Kopperlee that Bundon and others mention in passing, have a firmer foundation now, rooted in the reality of the map.

It also shows places of significance that will be fleshed out come future stories. Such as on the southern continent of Arencia, where King Doryn wages his ‘most glorious’ crusade against the Rynthian Empire.

Anyways. That’s enough writing now. I can’t afford to waste the words at the moment.

J R

I am a fantasy author, illustrator and aspiring poet. Thanks for reading Greenjack's Journal! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.