Ever since I read The Lord of the Rings as a kid and saw the beautiful maps inside and the languages described in the appendices, I have imagined creating my own world. I had created a few when I was much younger, but have since lost them. The first world was really only an island nation called Heathcliffia (yes, Heathcliff was my favorite comic strip and I did have a stuffed Heathcliff). I created a language for them using Tolkien’s dwarven runes and even, after finding some blank forms at the library, created tax return forms for the nation in their own tongue. I wish I still had those, but I can remember them clearly.

My second world was much larger. The map was so big I had to tape several sheets of computer paper (the kind used by old wide-format dot matrix printers) together and place them all on the floor of my bedroom (thank God for wood floors). That world still borrowed heavily from Tolkien for place names. Dagorthoria was my favorite nation (home of the Dagorthoron). If you’re familiar with Tolkien’s languages at all you can probably guess what that nation was all about. Sadly, those maps too were lost.

Since those early days I have still dreamt of new worlds, but have very rarely brought them to life. Until recently. I learned about Profantasy’s Campaign Cartographer not too long after the first version was released and purchased a copy. Over the years I have upgraded, but have never really learned how to use it or any of its sister programs.

But that has changed. Below are a few images from the world that I am working on in Fractal Terrains. Eventually this world will be exported into Campaign Cartographer 3 so regional and local maps can be created. And sometime down the road this world will be populated, but that’s another day.

Spinning globe made with frames from Fractal Terrains imported into Photoshop for animation.

The New World. Need to work on the large white mountains on the top right continent as well as improve the arid regions.

A quick export to Campaign Cartographer 3 showing climate.

Another quick export to CC3 showing basic altitude of the most populated area of the main continent.

Anyway, hope you like them. Until next time…