Writing, Again: Part VI - Mapping

You know me, I love to make maps.

If I have a world-spanning story, it helps.  Because of the politics and cultures involved, Book Five spans the world moreso than any other LoK book I've written.

If you have not yet read the Lords of Kobol trilogy, go do so now.  I cannot further discuss anything without spoiling everything.

Click here for the trilogy.

Readers of the trilogy, click on the JUMP for some details of the newest map.




Let's take a look at the map for Kobol (from Book Three):

Three continents, some islands, some geographical features ...  It's safe to say that not much changed over the course of a few thousand years.

Now, here's a map of our world:

As you can see, it's centered on the Americas because that's where all the important stuff is, obviously.  Seriously, though, there are many maps like this.  They chop Asia in half to focus on the Americas.  Presumably, the map producers are North American and want that to be the focus.  (American producers aren't alone in this.  I found pictures online that center the map on Europe and Asia, too.)

In my Kobol map, the center is focused (somewhat) on the City of the Gods.  The home of the Olympians.  Since the book is about them and because and cartographer of Kobol would certainly want to honor the gods, well, of course their home would be the center.  I kept that in mind when I made the map of Larsa:

(Click to embiggen)

Because the focus of much of the story is Tiberia, the map is centered on it.  Likewise, because Tiberian influence has so permeated the world, they're the ones who named most features.  (The features on Larsa are named from Latin sources; the features on Kobol are named from Greek sources.)

Not every nation is named just yet.  I drew the lines many months ago with only Tiberia and Attica marked.  As I've written, I've named different countries from a list I collected of ancient city-states, cities and more from around the world.  If you Google some of them, you'll find that I added or removed a letter or two to make them "alien."

"3150 AI"?  It's the three thousand one hundred fiftieth year since the founding of the Tiberian Republic.  3150 Anno Imperii (year of the Empire).  Dates before are noted with "AR," Antequam Rempublicam.  (Latin teacher, feel free to correct me.)

I'll do a post later on the different nations and cultures ... it's a handful to keep things straight.  (It's important to remember: on Kobol, the gods influenced every nation and culture, keeping things very homogenized.  On Larsa, there is nothing like that.  Larsa is much more like our world today with dozens of natures, cultures, languages, etc.)