Monday, August 11, 2008

Do you have an artistic side?

Allrighty, so EMPRESS it is... I have lots of ideas for this story that I am ready to get crackin on, but first I wanted to ask if you all might want to help out!?

Do you have any skill at drawing, or perhaps computer design, something like that? In every just about every fantasy novel (like Empress) set in a land you are unfamiliar with, and where the main characters go on a journey around that land, there is usually a map to reference, somewhere on the inside cover or in the first few pages. I would like to incorporate that sort of thing with this story, but my art skills are rather lacking.

If you would like to help, just email me @ cmcarr12@gmail.com, and we can commiserate about details, and you can get an opportunity to be part of my project! Rest assured you would receive credit! If you would like to make a preliminary drawing or would just like some more information about the land in question, here are some basic details, things that HAVE to be incorporated into the map to correspond to the story.

The Empire of the Silver Crescent is a large continent/island sandwiched between a larger landmass on this particular "planet". Long ago, fissures around this continent separated it from the rest of the land (think Pangaea), resulting in a crescent shaped country. Silver in this world is the most precious metal, and aside from small deposits in the rest of the land, all of the silver is concentrated in the mountains that bisect the country. Hence the name of the empire, and the reason it is so rich!
The main city where the empress resides lies in the center of the inner curve of the crescent, and the large gulf is protected by barrier islands at its opening. There are cities at either tip of the crescent as well. The mountains lie to the west of the city, about 3 days ride. There is only one mountain pass, accessible only for about 2 months in summer, and there is a large desert immediately on the other side that runs to the coast. A number of oases dot the desert. To the north, there is a large chain of lakes, to the south there is a thick and very nearly impenetrable forest. Caravans traverse the countryside, traveling from town to town, trading goods and providing entertainment. (These are the gypsies of this land, of course.)
The land is divided into 5 "states", each with a capital, and there are roads that lead from each of these cities to the main capital. The rest of the land is mainly rural countryside, filled with farms, streams, small ponds and such.

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