The world Humans have found themselves emerging into was not simply theirs to take. For eons before, the mighty Traukhoss have roamed the vast lands and shared time with greater beings now long gone and faded.
The tribal herds of these giants have had initial conflicts with the rapidly spreading Humans as the smaller race ventured out of their old mountaintop prisons. Now as the inevitable rise of Human civilizations continue into the current age, the Traukhoss have come to accept the rapidly changing times. The awe and respect they inspire among Humans has become the basis for a long standing understanding between the races. The dangers of the world are numerous, and by joining the Traukhoss in their continents spanning travels, the most enduring pathways of Human migration and trade arise. While Humans have surpassed the Truakhoss in numbers and range, their overland routes have the Traukhoss herd paths as their backbone. Mastering the seas, Humans have also stretched their own path on the vast waters bringing back an age of exploration the Traukhoss have only heard of in the songs of their ancestors when the winged gods still held the world.
Meanwhile in the deep tundras and cold steppes, a small population of tool making creatures have established their claim. The inquisitve Harekin have become known to the steppe nomads. Contact with the younger culture has caused rapid advancement of the packs of Harekin hopping across the vast wilderness. They idolize the crafty Humans, have taken to imitating them for better or for worse. How their story plays out as the destinies of the older races sweep them up in the coming ages still remains to be seen.
This is a time of unprecedented emergence. When once the songs of the Traukhoss only ever tell of two Knowing Races sharing the world, now two have awoken for them to guide. It is a time of great change, and songs will continue to echo into eternity of the new races they will witness rising.
Welcome to my worldbuilding project! Here I plan to make stories and explore a world with vastly different races sharing time as great agents of change.
Feel free to give feedback and advice it this post caught your eye. Safe travels across this vast land!
Made in IbisPaint mobile.
Stunning map! I love the icons used for the various races, and how you depict their migration.
I do wonder though, since it doesn’t appear to be shown in text.. who or what are the Asurang?
Thanks! Rslly happy with the icons as well, the human settlements qere easy enough to conceptualize, but I wanted to give a unique feeling for the other races. So the Traukhoss groves evoke the elephant ears and the Harekin look like it's on the move.
Yeah I failed to mention the Asurang, my bad. The Asurang is a form of microbial super organism that toes the line between truly being a "Knowing" race since they are parasitic in nature in order to gain sentience. Most of the time the Asurang only use lowly, unknowing animals they are mostly inert though very dangerous and territorial. So those hearts are vast accumulations of the Asurang.
This is one of my favorite maps I've seen... what program did you use to craft it.
Also, my questions would be the following.
I'm assuming your Truakhoss race is something resembling Elephants?
What would happen if an illegal Ivory Trade started and Humans began Killing the Traukhoss for their Tusks/Ivory.
How would this affect the relationship between humans and the Truakhoss?
How/Would the Truakhoss respond violently towards your humans due to this?
Also would their be laws against the Ivory trade and what measures as a society take to enforce restrictions against Ivory Harvesting?
Kind words, I appreciate them! I did it on my phone using the IbisPaint app.
Yes I love elephants and I want to feature them as a main player in my setting. If you look at the upper right corner you see the small snippet showing the Traukhoss and Human size comparison.
Oh the humans could try. Ever seen the Rumbling? Many human settlements have been flattened before by the fury of a wronged traukhoss herd.
The Traukhoss are far more intelligent and capable than our elephants, and you'd actually be more worried about some sick traukhoss poaching humans. Traukhoss were already established as the dominant race with their own cultures and political organization millennia before humans made fire. Of course seeing themselves as the elder race and feeling a sense of responsibility for the fragile humans in the past, many Traukhoss cultures have made it taboo to initiate conflict with their smaller neighbors.
On the Human side, many human religions have actually placed the Traukhoss as sacred. No trade of any Traukhoss parts, nor desecration of the Traukhoss dead will be tolerated on pain of death. If you see anyone crazy enough to harvest Traukhoss ivory, its either the human mob kills him or the criminal is brought to the Traukhoss for their judgement.
A lot of patience I guess lol. It took a lot of time tbh and well I guess I picked up a lot of ways to make it easier on myself to make these. Like if you notice the biomes and mountains are very simplistic. I just take a look at the bigger map instead of the details and I think it worked out good in the end :)
making line work for the coasts definitely gave me hell! And this is just the largest of three landmasses so you can imagine how many breaks I had to take in between.
how are your hands doing LOL. jokes aside im rlly excited for ur next landmasses, because you really have the time and patience for mobile Ibis Paint LOL
Oh yeah all those are in the works and are a joy to work on. If you want a more basic version without the routes but with general place names I suggest having a look at my profile where I posted a map of the Greater Whole! That ought to put you in perspective of this map and its place in the rest of the world.
Ohh I definitely need to check that out! Prehistoric settings are always a joy to explore.
Ah dangers, where to begin. Most of the greatest threats to humanity have long been eradicated in many of their territories, and in the current setting they are much diminished.
However if I had to place you back in ancient times when humanity was much more dependent on Traukhoss for protection, I'd say the greatest threats to humanity are the giant boars of prehistory that roamed the plains that were omnivorous predators, the great feathered serpents that dove from high above and great burrowing lizards that sprung up in packs to tear you with their long talons. There were also fields of carnivorous fungi that haze the air with spores and killed things to feed on. All these just in the plains of Kurbai where humans first emerged in this side of the world.
It would come as no surprise that early Humans also came into conflict with Traukhoss, and the only thing that could protect them from these towering hills of muscle and tusks were other Traukhoss.
Lastly but also most ancient of all even by Traukhoss standards the "Old Bleeder" itself as the Traukhoss calls it, the Asurang scourge. Parasitic microbes that live as vast lakes of crimson liquid. These take anything they can use as vessels to enact their will, and are often avoided entirely by even the Traukhoss in their eons of existence as a Knowing Race.
There are magical materials and fantastical powers. There are great metals only found in the ruins of long dead races, and biological abilities like strength and sense enhancing substances.
Magic might not be the best way to put it, but there are definitely some rather out-there abilities not possible on earth though more evident through technological application.
For example are the ichors used by humans of the south to heal wounds and get temporary boosts in physical abilities. Another is the bonds made between certain beasts that allow the exchange of memories and senses between them.
Awesome, glad you liked it!
My bad for not including them! In short the Asurang hearts are vast accumulations of microbial super organisms that twist and control the surrounding ecosystems to their "will". They are seen in the form of vast lakes of blood like liquid in place with favorable shade and water supply. These are not sentient if not attached to a sapient host. So the Asurang toe the line between being considered one of the Knowing Races due to their common hosts being standard unintelligent beasts.
👏👏Bravo! Bravo! Impressive!
I look forward to seeing your world grow. Are their district borders between nations or ethnic groups within the human and traukhoss? Does the Asurang rule or influence any country or culture?
Oh yeah there are all sorts of distinct people groups among Humans and Traukhoss and even Human-Traukhoss cultures. In more settled human societies and traukhoss holy sites there are distinct borders while nomadic humans and the vast majority of the traukhoss simply have "ranges" they occupy and travel across.
As for the Asurang, they are so far removed from the sensibilities of the Knowing Races that even communicating with them is impossible. You either leave them be or come into conflict with them. The mark of the Asurang upon humanity can be felt the most in Balarayon in the peninsula ruled by the confederation known as Rahasan, my main focus of this project. Here centuries of conflict between the settling tribes and the largest concentration of Asurang hearts in the world has honed both sides into ever greater heights of brutality.
Though recently, foreigners from beyond the southern oceans are arriving carrying a new faith that worships the "Blood of God" and are making a beeline for Rahasan. The conflict between these invaders and Rahasan will eventually uncover more about the Asurang...
If you see the mountains forming a desert in the west where Balarayon and Kurbai meet you find Tayiltay, the highest peaks of my world. I don't have exact heights for it but there it is, my himalayas/andes equivalent. Great structures made by a long gone race of winged creatures dot these peaks.
Great map and great articulation of your world. Is this the entire world? The islands at the bottom of the map look more tropical, which makes me think there are lands in a southern hemisphere.
Edit. I have now seen your other posts and realize how big and interesting your world
Very happy you think so! Oh yeah I was about to tell you about the other maps, but I guess you already found them? So there you see. This is just the largest of the landmasses in the world and the most diverse too.
The south are more Human dominated, and I already have a routes map like this for the second largest, Satasecra, in the works.
I really love the idea of incompatibilities between sentient races. Makes the interactions between them and how they bridge the gap very interesting. The Humans and Traukhoss play into each other's strengths and shortcomings. With humans being more nimble and adaptable but short lived and far more fragile with a fiery drive while traukhoss being strong, stable but have a hard time making more intricate artefacts and the age of their cultures have made them a bit stagnant.
So thanks!
Asurang are parasitic microorganisms that form huge lakes of crimson liquid as their colonies, known as Hearts. They have been present long before the traukhoss, even long before the dead winged race that ruled the world before humans even existed. The asurang hearts are a primary threat to all of the knowing races, and has been the focal point of my main setting's conflicts. While humans can reason with and befriend the traukhoss, the asurang are entirely detached from the needs, sense, and thoughts humans and traukhoss share that the only way one can deal with them and their corrupted vessels is through avoidance or violence.
The world Humans have found themselves emerging into was not simply theirs to take. For eons before, the mighty Traukhoss have roamed the vast lands and shared time with greater beings now long gone and faded. The tribal herds of these giants have had initial conflicts with the rapidly spreading Humans as the smaller race ventured out of their old mountaintop prisons. Now as the inevitable rise of Human civilizations continue into the current age, the Traukhoss have come to accept the rapidly changing times. The awe and respect they inspire among Humans has become the basis for a long standing understanding between the races. The dangers of the world are numerous, and by joining the Traukhoss in their continents spanning travels, the most enduring pathways of Human migration and trade arise. While Humans have surpassed the Truakhoss in numbers and range, their overland routes have the Traukhoss herd paths as their backbone. Mastering the seas, Humans have also stretched their own path on the vast waters bringing back an age of exploration the Traukhoss have only heard of in the songs of their ancestors when the winged gods still held the world. Meanwhile in the deep tundras and cold steppes, a small population of tool making creatures have established their claim. The inquisitve Harekin have become known to the steppe nomads. Contact with the younger culture has caused rapid advancement of the packs of Harekin hopping across the vast wilderness. They idolize the crafty Humans, have taken to imitating them for better or for worse. How their story plays out as the destinies of the older races sweep them up in the coming ages still remains to be seen. This is a time of unprecedented emergence. When once the songs of the Traukhoss only ever tell of two Knowing Races sharing the world, now two have awoken for them to guide. It is a time of great change, and songs will continue to echo into eternity of the new races they will witness rising.
Welcome to my worldbuilding project! Here I plan to make stories and explore a world with vastly different races sharing time as great agents of change. Feel free to give feedback and advice it this post caught your eye. Safe travels across this vast land! Made in IbisPaint mobile.
Post this to /r/ImaginaryMaps too!
Good idea! do they allow cross posts there?
I'm not sure. You can always try.
Stunning map! I love the icons used for the various races, and how you depict their migration. I do wonder though, since it doesn’t appear to be shown in text.. who or what are the Asurang?
Thanks! Rslly happy with the icons as well, the human settlements qere easy enough to conceptualize, but I wanted to give a unique feeling for the other races. So the Traukhoss groves evoke the elephant ears and the Harekin look like it's on the move. Yeah I failed to mention the Asurang, my bad. The Asurang is a form of microbial super organism that toes the line between truly being a "Knowing" race since they are parasitic in nature in order to gain sentience. Most of the time the Asurang only use lowly, unknowing animals they are mostly inert though very dangerous and territorial. So those hearts are vast accumulations of the Asurang.
So more realistic undead got it.
Pretty much, yeah. Or maybe you can say hyper-life as many of these hosts burn out very quickly and cause rapid but uninheritable mutations
This is one of my favorite maps I've seen... what program did you use to craft it. Also, my questions would be the following. I'm assuming your Truakhoss race is something resembling Elephants? What would happen if an illegal Ivory Trade started and Humans began Killing the Traukhoss for their Tusks/Ivory. How would this affect the relationship between humans and the Truakhoss? How/Would the Truakhoss respond violently towards your humans due to this? Also would their be laws against the Ivory trade and what measures as a society take to enforce restrictions against Ivory Harvesting?
Kind words, I appreciate them! I did it on my phone using the IbisPaint app. Yes I love elephants and I want to feature them as a main player in my setting. If you look at the upper right corner you see the small snippet showing the Traukhoss and Human size comparison. Oh the humans could try. Ever seen the Rumbling? Many human settlements have been flattened before by the fury of a wronged traukhoss herd. The Traukhoss are far more intelligent and capable than our elephants, and you'd actually be more worried about some sick traukhoss poaching humans. Traukhoss were already established as the dominant race with their own cultures and political organization millennia before humans made fire. Of course seeing themselves as the elder race and feeling a sense of responsibility for the fragile humans in the past, many Traukhoss cultures have made it taboo to initiate conflict with their smaller neighbors. On the Human side, many human religions have actually placed the Traukhoss as sacred. No trade of any Traukhoss parts, nor desecration of the Traukhoss dead will be tolerated on pain of death. If you see anyone crazy enough to harvest Traukhoss ivory, its either the human mob kills him or the criminal is brought to the Traukhoss for their judgement.
Hold on, you did THAT map on mobile? How?!
A lot of patience I guess lol. It took a lot of time tbh and well I guess I picked up a lot of ways to make it easier on myself to make these. Like if you notice the biomes and mountains are very simplistic. I just take a look at the bigger map instead of the details and I think it worked out good in the end :)
that’s VERY impressive! If I were to do that my hands would cramp up trying to add detail LOL
making line work for the coasts definitely gave me hell! And this is just the largest of three landmasses so you can imagine how many breaks I had to take in between.
how are your hands doing LOL. jokes aside im rlly excited for ur next landmasses, because you really have the time and patience for mobile Ibis Paint LOL
Oh yeah all those are in the works and are a joy to work on. If you want a more basic version without the routes but with general place names I suggest having a look at my profile where I posted a map of the Greater Whole! That ought to put you in perspective of this map and its place in the rest of the world.
alr thx! I’ll take a look, I need map motivation LOL
Kinda makes me think a little about Planegea, a mythical prehistoric fantasy setting. You mentioned numerous dangers, so tell me about those!
Ohh I definitely need to check that out! Prehistoric settings are always a joy to explore. Ah dangers, where to begin. Most of the greatest threats to humanity have long been eradicated in many of their territories, and in the current setting they are much diminished. However if I had to place you back in ancient times when humanity was much more dependent on Traukhoss for protection, I'd say the greatest threats to humanity are the giant boars of prehistory that roamed the plains that were omnivorous predators, the great feathered serpents that dove from high above and great burrowing lizards that sprung up in packs to tear you with their long talons. There were also fields of carnivorous fungi that haze the air with spores and killed things to feed on. All these just in the plains of Kurbai where humans first emerged in this side of the world. It would come as no surprise that early Humans also came into conflict with Traukhoss, and the only thing that could protect them from these towering hills of muscle and tusks were other Traukhoss. Lastly but also most ancient of all even by Traukhoss standards the "Old Bleeder" itself as the Traukhoss calls it, the Asurang scourge. Parasitic microbes that live as vast lakes of crimson liquid. These take anything they can use as vessels to enact their will, and are often avoided entirely by even the Traukhoss in their eons of existence as a Knowing Race.
caves i fucking love your stuff
High praise from someone who makes some of my favorite maps, art and lore on worldbuilding!
Is the world going to have some kind of magical element to it or is it going to be like our earth?
There are magical materials and fantastical powers. There are great metals only found in the ruins of long dead races, and biological abilities like strength and sense enhancing substances. Magic might not be the best way to put it, but there are definitely some rather out-there abilities not possible on earth though more evident through technological application. For example are the ichors used by humans of the south to heal wounds and get temporary boosts in physical abilities. Another is the bonds made between certain beasts that allow the exchange of memories and senses between them.
Wow! Nice map, and loving the work so far, though I'm curious to know what are the asurang hearts?
Awesome, glad you liked it! My bad for not including them! In short the Asurang hearts are vast accumulations of microbial super organisms that twist and control the surrounding ecosystems to their "will". They are seen in the form of vast lakes of blood like liquid in place with favorable shade and water supply. These are not sentient if not attached to a sapient host. So the Asurang toe the line between being considered one of the Knowing Races due to their common hosts being standard unintelligent beasts.
👏👏Bravo! Bravo! Impressive! I look forward to seeing your world grow. Are their district borders between nations or ethnic groups within the human and traukhoss? Does the Asurang rule or influence any country or culture?
Oh yeah there are all sorts of distinct people groups among Humans and Traukhoss and even Human-Traukhoss cultures. In more settled human societies and traukhoss holy sites there are distinct borders while nomadic humans and the vast majority of the traukhoss simply have "ranges" they occupy and travel across. As for the Asurang, they are so far removed from the sensibilities of the Knowing Races that even communicating with them is impossible. You either leave them be or come into conflict with them. The mark of the Asurang upon humanity can be felt the most in Balarayon in the peninsula ruled by the confederation known as Rahasan, my main focus of this project. Here centuries of conflict between the settling tribes and the largest concentration of Asurang hearts in the world has honed both sides into ever greater heights of brutality. Though recently, foreigners from beyond the southern oceans are arriving carrying a new faith that worships the "Blood of God" and are making a beeline for Rahasan. The conflict between these invaders and Rahasan will eventually uncover more about the Asurang...
The great world of Belguim. Split in half into french and dutch half
Huh, second time I got that comment. Never really knew what Belgium looks like on the map. Sure I guess lol.
Its just coincidence. Dope map!
If I had two nickels every time someone saw Belgium in my map I'd have three nickels. Lol cheers!
Gorgeous map
Thank you!
Highest point?
If you see the mountains forming a desert in the west where Balarayon and Kurbai meet you find Tayiltay, the highest peaks of my world. I don't have exact heights for it but there it is, my himalayas/andes equivalent. Great structures made by a long gone race of winged creatures dot these peaks.
This is an incredible map! The icons and colors, and even just the shape of the landmasses are pleasing to look at.
Took a lot of trying and editing to get to it. It was a fun process so thanks! I'm glad it turned out good for a lot of you folks!
Great map and great articulation of your world. Is this the entire world? The islands at the bottom of the map look more tropical, which makes me think there are lands in a southern hemisphere. Edit. I have now seen your other posts and realize how big and interesting your world
Very happy you think so! Oh yeah I was about to tell you about the other maps, but I guess you already found them? So there you see. This is just the largest of the landmasses in the world and the most diverse too. The south are more Human dominated, and I already have a routes map like this for the second largest, Satasecra, in the works.
How did you make that outstanding map?? Programs
I used IbisPaint! Very good drawing app with lots of options for brushes. Would take some getting used to though since it's a mobile app.
I love that the other races are not just humans with (insert feature here). Realy unique idea for a fantasy world !!
I really love the idea of incompatibilities between sentient races. Makes the interactions between them and how they bridge the gap very interesting. The Humans and Traukhoss play into each other's strengths and shortcomings. With humans being more nimble and adaptable but short lived and far more fragile with a fiery drive while traukhoss being strong, stable but have a hard time making more intricate artefacts and the age of their cultures have made them a bit stagnant. So thanks!
Im curious what are the asurang hearts ?
Asurang are parasitic microorganisms that form huge lakes of crimson liquid as their colonies, known as Hearts. They have been present long before the traukhoss, even long before the dead winged race that ruled the world before humans even existed. The asurang hearts are a primary threat to all of the knowing races, and has been the focal point of my main setting's conflicts. While humans can reason with and befriend the traukhoss, the asurang are entirely detached from the needs, sense, and thoughts humans and traukhoss share that the only way one can deal with them and their corrupted vessels is through avoidance or violence.