Creating Lands
When I say creating lands I mean a couple of things the first of which is the main land which countries are a part of, much like a continent. The second is the regions that the main piece of land is broken up into, the different countries that form up rival nations this also includes island nations (this will be covered in Part Deux). These countries then form towns and cities which I will discuss on another page.
Creating a Mainland/Continent
In fantasy there is always a mainland which is comprised of the main countries and regions. It is divided into smaller sections to form the countries with each region controlling a set of borders. There is usually one region that holds more land than the others and is quite a big nation. This land contains the greatest city and is the hub of all trade.
To create a land you need to decide on its general shape, it could be a vast continent that is wide and large or it could be thinner and longer or vice versa. The shape itself is not the most important feature but it helps to decide it because you can then begin to create features of the continent to give character to its shape. Cut out sections of the land and start to define areas. I'll have to put up some pictures to make this more clear but if you look at a map you should get an idea of what a large piece of land looks like. Look at the image below for an example off the kind of shape you could do.
To create a land you need to decide on its general shape, it could be a vast continent that is wide and large or it could be thinner and longer or vice versa. The shape itself is not the most important feature but it helps to decide it because you can then begin to create features of the continent to give character to its shape. Cut out sections of the land and start to define areas. I'll have to put up some pictures to make this more clear but if you look at a map you should get an idea of what a large piece of land looks like. Look at the image below for an example off the kind of shape you could do.
Once you have the main shape begin defining other features such as high- and lowlands such as mountains and valleys. You could define a coastal line so that it represents a shape, like a harpoon, and call it Harpoon Coast.
A frequent feature of fantasy lands is the Northern lands being cold and icy. In the Lord of the Rings the Northern lands were icy and barren, in Warhammer the Warriors of Chaos come from the Northern Wastes which are icy and in A Song of Ice and Fire, aka. Game of Thrones, the Northern regions are cold and become more icy and cold the further north you go. This does not have to be so, you could have the Southern lands icy if you wanted although you don't need any lands icy at all if you don't want to.
There are many features you could include in your fantasy world and you only need to look at our own world to see the different types of terrain that exist: large landmasses, islands, seas, rivers, oceans, tropical jungles, rain forests, icy regions, deserts, savannahs, marshlands, meadows, waterfalls, mountains, valleys, caves, cliffs, beaches and reefs. Quite a list isn't it? I bet there are more that I have failed to mention. You don't need to incorporate all of these features into your own land but a few can make a drastic change to your landscape. Volcanoes! That's another feature that I have just this second thought of. By adding interesting features you allow yourself to create a distinct and interesting landscape with the potential for some very unique inhabitants of certain regions.
Once again look at the image below and you can see that I have split up some sections and determined 2 main nations added some small islands and defined a beach where a coastal tribe will live. The lines represent the borders of the country, as we know borders are not straight lines, and we have 6 different sections.
A frequent feature of fantasy lands is the Northern lands being cold and icy. In the Lord of the Rings the Northern lands were icy and barren, in Warhammer the Warriors of Chaos come from the Northern Wastes which are icy and in A Song of Ice and Fire, aka. Game of Thrones, the Northern regions are cold and become more icy and cold the further north you go. This does not have to be so, you could have the Southern lands icy if you wanted although you don't need any lands icy at all if you don't want to.
There are many features you could include in your fantasy world and you only need to look at our own world to see the different types of terrain that exist: large landmasses, islands, seas, rivers, oceans, tropical jungles, rain forests, icy regions, deserts, savannahs, marshlands, meadows, waterfalls, mountains, valleys, caves, cliffs, beaches and reefs. Quite a list isn't it? I bet there are more that I have failed to mention. You don't need to incorporate all of these features into your own land but a few can make a drastic change to your landscape. Volcanoes! That's another feature that I have just this second thought of. By adding interesting features you allow yourself to create a distinct and interesting landscape with the potential for some very unique inhabitants of certain regions.
Once again look at the image below and you can see that I have split up some sections and determined 2 main nations added some small islands and defined a beach where a coastal tribe will live. The lines represent the borders of the country, as we know borders are not straight lines, and we have 6 different sections.
The next thing for any world creator is to map it out which is essential for stories and games. By deciding on the shape of your land(s) and the kinds of features you want it to include you can start drawing it out like a map. It doesn't have to be a perfect map but by mapping it out using simple images of trees and mountains etc. you can get a feel of how you want your land to look which will make it easier for planning the route your adventurer will take because you will know where he/she is going and the places they will have to pass to get there.
Again, look at the picture below and you can see a great example of a map. It is not complete and nor is it perfect but there are clearly defined forest areas, mountainous regions, more towns/villages, a river, marsh, volcano, desert and one main trade route. There are two harbours one at the top left near a small triangle which is a village and one in the port town at the bottom right. There are also one or two lakes and some open grassy areas.
It only took about an hour to get to this stage and have a map ready for use. It still needs refinement but you can clearly see the lay of land and if you wanted to you could blow-up a section and add more detail for each region.
Again, look at the picture below and you can see a great example of a map. It is not complete and nor is it perfect but there are clearly defined forest areas, mountainous regions, more towns/villages, a river, marsh, volcano, desert and one main trade route. There are two harbours one at the top left near a small triangle which is a village and one in the port town at the bottom right. There are also one or two lakes and some open grassy areas.
It only took about an hour to get to this stage and have a map ready for use. It still needs refinement but you can clearly see the lay of land and if you wanted to you could blow-up a section and add more detail for each region.