Maps of Cariele, Caerlinien

[Jerrith]

Greetings all. My tabletop group has been adventuring in - and are now rulers of - the realm of Cariele. This campaign has been going on for over 3 years now, but alas, none of us are artists or terribly creative when it comes to making maps.

Caerlinien, by its description, is one of the most important cities in the north; it guards a critical trade highway, abuts goblin and elven realms, is the trade stronghold of the strongest guilder in the north, and has been a fortress for the Anuireans for millenia. I'm surprised, then, by the lack of maps or more detailed information on this city!

I was wondering if anyone, in their adventures in this area, had come up with maps of any of the important northern cities or a map of the region itself; and if so, if they would be willing to share. Thanks in advance; our campaign would be much enriched with some maps to build off of.

[AndrewTall]

Closest I have is a map of boeruine someone uploaded to the site, sorry. :(

[Jerrith]

While not the region I was looking for, that is still a very nice map! Thanks for sharing regardless, I've saved it in case we head in that direction at some point. That's not in the downloads section but probably should be.

I have seen Osoerde drawn in a style similar to that, do you have any others like this?

[Fabrice]

Hello Jerrith


I do not remember seeing anything developped about Cariele so far...

I could try to draw something, but I wouldn't know what to put on the map since this domain has only one page of description in the setting, and no special landmark on the Anuire map... If you have some ideas of what should be in the different provinces (based on your campaign) I could give it a try. Do not expect too much though, I am still a beginner at mapping stuff.

On the other hand, if you are looking for city maps to "recycle" for your campaign, I can suggest that you lurk at the Cartographers' Guild. This is a forum by and for map afficionados and is very Fantasy-oriented. There is a sub-forum focusing on city maps and most posters do not mind people using their creations for their games.

[AndrewTall]

While not the region I was looking for, that is still a very nice map! Thanks for sharing regardless, I've saved it in case we head in that direction at some point. That's not in the downloads section but probably should be.

I have seen Osoerde drawn in a style similar to that, do you have any others like this?

I had a quick look to find the thread that they were all listed on and failed - but it looks like it was drawn by 'Morg'.

Some maps were on:
http://www.birthright.net/forums/morgs-proudglaive-edited-map-t2954.html?t=2954&highlight=proudglaive

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mw/20040101a

The other similar maps I have are

[Thelandrin]

Excellent! Thank you, Andrew :)

[AndrewTall]

sorry I got cut off last night, some more maps.

[AndrewTall]

only one more, taeghas keeps failing and Kay's map of Cerilia is too big :(

[Jerrith]

Thanks for all those maps Andrew! Since bloodsilver.com is gone, those maps should definitely be archived in the downloads section for posterity, if possible. Most of the other sites linked to in the old maps threads no longer exist.



Hello Jerrith


I do not remember seeing anything developped about Cariele so far...

I could try to draw something, but I wouldn't know what to put on the map since this domain has only one page of description in the setting, and no special landmark on the Anuire map... If you have some ideas of what should be in the different provinces (based on your campaign) I could give it a try. Do not expect too much though, I am still a beginner at mapping stuff.

On the other hand, if you are looking for city maps to "recycle" for your campaign, I can suggest that you lurk at the Cartographers' Guild. This is a forum by and for map afficionados and is very Fantasy-oriented. There is a sub-forum focusing on city maps and most posters do not mind people using their creations for their games.

That's an incredibly generous offer, Fabrice! Let me fill you in as best as I can. As for the lack of details, that's the problem we are having; that there is so little information we don't even have a template to work with. Here's some of the facts known, along with assumptions of mine:

Basic Geography
It's part of the ancient Aelvinnwode, next to the Stonecrown Mountains. I imagine a lot of old-growth forests hidden away in the mountains, and the land has several hills throughout until it finally flattens past Caerlinien and the Ruide River, which is seeking the lowest point to flow through. There are probably some unmarked creeks and streams, considering the mountains and rivers abutting the territory. Most of the player's secrets seem to use smaller minor rivers as province borders, and I can easily imagine a small river coming down from the mountain and following the border of Mountainsedge north and then east. Perhaps a branch goes west as well, which might give Caerlinien either the river running through it, a defensive advantage of being flanked by the river on two sides, or even in the middle of the split, using it as a moat (with the use of some manmade alterations to the river's flow).

The player's secrets of Talinie shows off another Anuirean realm logging in the Aelvinnwode, and gives a good perspective about what the provinces might look like in greater detail.

Cities:
1) Caerlinien is in the exact center of Cariele, where the three provinces intersect. Given its name (Caer) and its long-term importance as protector of the northern roads and passes, I picture it as quite the bastion, with a central keep built on some manner of raised ground (since the area is still quite hilly, only slowly leveling off from the Stonecrowns).
1b) Cariele is the farthest north Anuirean duchy, and the only road into the old Rjurik territories and colonies (including Dhoesone). It's hard to adequately emphasize how important this bastion would have been to the Anuirean rulers throughout the period of the empire; a base, garrison, and waystation for imperial troops watching both the elves and the goblins on both sides, the rjurik to the north, and the vulnerable pass.
1c) It's also of central importance to trade. It's Bireon's base of operations, and all the source material has roads emanating out from Caerlinien directly. I imagine the city itself probably has an old middle surrounded by thick walls, with a large portion of it more recently built outside the walls.

2) No other cities are mentioned, but both Riverford and Mhelliviene are at a weighty population of 5. No other province in the north surpasses this, and only the capitals of the heartland nations of Mhoried and Ghoere can pass it with 6. Based on this, I imagine the provinces to be well-settled, with maintained roads and plentiful villages, especially thick along the main trade highway.

The Stonecrown Mountains
1) There's an important pass in the Stonecrown Mountains, Mhelliviene. It's described as a "small, hilly gap," a "narrow mountain pass," and a "gorge."
1b) What I always found odd was that throughout the millenia, Anuireans have put all their effort in this gap when the map of Anuire seems to show a large open area in the mountains just a few miles to the west, in Puinol. It might be a map error - the above description also mentions this narrow opening, when the main map seems to show the entire province opens up.

2) There will be ruins of walls/fortresses in the pass. The adventure Seeking Bloodsilver deals extensively with these ruins.

Roads
1) "Roads cross the land," probably for moving lumber. I imagine that there will be many fields of stumps and clearings when before it was all trees - Riverford should be the most cleared, as mentioned in the material, although it over 50% of the province should still be covered in a mix of old-growth forest and planted trees to match the province type.

2) The Dhoesone material describes "one of the largest roads in Anuire" that runs up through Cariele to Sonnelind.
2b) Bridges were never really described in the source material, but given the name 'Riverford,' I assume that the river is fairly shallow and/or narrow in at least one point. The player's secrets of Tuarhievel show a bridge crossing the Ruide river into Dhoesone, so I imagine the larger highway of Cariele would have one as well.

3) The highway that leads up to Sonnelind (and beyond?) also goes south through the mountains in the Mhelliviene pass.

4) The Tuarhievel material describes a road that leads from Caerlinien to Cwmbheir. In the player's secrets of Tuarhievel, a map shows a bridge crossing that river border, and the road on the Tuarhievel side follows the border between Avallaigh and Bhindraith. This bridge is called, in an epic moment of inspiration, "Cariele Bridge."

5) Birthright: The Gorgon's Alliance also has a road leading into Thurazor along the provinces adjacent to the river.

Ruide River
1) Here's what the atlas has on the Ruide River:
"Rising from the cold, clear waters of the Fhallaghlach, the Ruide River winds past the Gorgon's Crown and the northern reaches of the Aelvinnwode to the Tael Firth. The Ruide is swift and dangerous through the Giantdowns, and becomes navigable only under the eaves of the elven domain of Tuarhievel. The Anuirean merchants from Cariele and Dhoesone use the Ruide as a highway for trade, even though the goblins of Thurazor demand heavy tolls."

2) I'll be honest, the rivers of Birthright have always boggled me. I never know where there is a bridge if any, and how wide the rivers actually are. Some places are named after fords, while in the same breath describes using the river for trade. I imagine that there is at least one village along the river, where the highway crosses it. According to the information about using the river for trade, it probably has a mooring for boats too. If there's a ford, a ferry, or a bridge, I have NO idea. We have large trade ships docking there so our campaign is way off from the canon for this crazy river.

Potential Plot Hooks or Markers

There is a "group of nymphs whose leader has a fascination for humans" that dwell near Cariele Bridge in the Avallaigh province of Tuarhievel, luring away handsome caravan guards.

Tuarfaesting, an elven stronghold, is located in the southwestern corner of Bhindraith in Taurhievel, at the base of the northward-flowing river that separates Cariele and Tuarhievel. It's described as bordering both Cariele and Markazor.

[Jerrith]

sorry I got cut off last night, some more maps.

Do you have the key to that Proudglaive DM map, by chance?

[Fabrice]

Hello


I have started the map of Cariele based on your indications. I attached a scale down version. As you can see it is far from being finished.

Please let me know if the style is OK, or if you prefer something in black and white.

No more mapping for me tonight, it is getting late.

[Jerrith]

Hello


I have started the map of Cariele based on your indications. I attached a scale down version. As you can see it is far from being finished.

Please let me know if the style is OK, or if you prefer something in black and white.

No more mapping for me tonight, it is getting late.

What program are you using to make that?

I think the color style is great, but please, feel free to do it in whatever style you prefer and is easier. Thanks again.

[AndrewTall]

No key for the proudglaive map I'm afraid, just the map.

Re: Cariele
Whatever works in your campaign is right, but in general lumber is moved by river - logs are very heavy but float, so you cut them and float them down river to the settlements. Given Cariele is hilly and its location I'd expect many streams and rivers and plentiful water all year round from rain or spring melt so floating should be easy.

I expect heavy use of coppicing for lumber - see http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/index.php/Craft:_Wood_harvesting

I'd also expect roaming goblins and sidhe - neither race respects borders much which crteates abandoned villages and so on from raids or general wierdness. In the cities I'd expect much faded glory - Cariele was once the main route to the highlands and the trade is now mostly gone (anuireans weren't great sailors, so a fair amount of land trade is mentioned from recollection although I have my doubts).

I'd expect that at least part of the population is not so much more people, as just more people on the tax rolls and more efficient government - hilly/mountainous terrain is not conducive to high populations. It is possible though that the locals make heavy use of terracing to increase arable land - drystone walls or bamboo/wood channels can be used to channel the irrigation and artificial lakes used to store spring melt and control its release (look up http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banaue_Rice_Terraces if you don't think the technology is available in br)

[Fabrice]

Hello again Jerrith


To answer your question, I am using Campaign Cartographer 3 for most of the work, with some clean up and fine tuning done with the GIMP.

I have mostly finished the map (except for the aforementioned clean up job) and would like to send it to you before going to the final phase. I tried to follow your indications as far as I understood them (English is not my native language). I have included a random coat of arms as a placeholder and could easily replace it by one of your choosing if you can describe it or post a sketch of it.

Now the problem is that the png file, though not huge (3.3 Mb) is still too large compared to the size limits of the forum. How would you like me to send it to you?

[Jerrith]

I'd send you a private message but you have that option turned off. Enable it for a bit and I'll send you my email address. Also, I think my contact information is visible so you can see my email in there.

[Fabrice]

Sorry to raise this thread from the grave. Just a word to mention that I have uploaded the map that I drew for Jerrith following his indications into the download section.

[Jerrith]

Very nicely done map Fabrice, thank you.