Therafim Update

*NOTE: THIS IMAGE FILE IS EXTREMELY LARGE*
(I’ve posted such a large image file in order to send the highest resolution file I have to the commissioner.)

This is another map commission I took several months ago that has, unfortunately, taken far too long to really get underway. This is, in part, due to my lack of experience with CC3 (Campaign Cartographer 3), and partly due to my regular inability to overcome any failure I experience when using the program. It’s also frustrating that I have to place symbols “front to back” and it’s exceptionally difficult to select and send anything behind something else; there isn’t even an option to bring something forward! The lack of (good) documentation is also a serious problem for me, although the video tutorials on YouTube have been pretty helpful.

Setting aside that little rant, I have, fortunately, managed to reach a point where work on this map is going fairly smoothly, if a little slowly. In the interest of ensuring nothing is just slap-dash-edly placed in an effort to get things down “somewhere”, I confess to spending a fair amount of time laying down symbols and then deleting all or most and starting over again once I get the general layout and placement the way I want it.

So far no labels, but the entire northern ‘pole’ (“Rimevast”) is complete, and as you can see I’ve added in a single city on the northeastern-most continent (“Autumn Land”); it’s supposed to be due south from the city just north on Rimevast, so I thought I’d drop it in now.

Next step is Autumn Land, followed by … whatever continent/landmass I take a shine to after that. Labels will be added last since most of them are actually fairly easy to remember.

 

Language development

Today I’m working on my conlang, finally. I’ve redone the phonology (sounds) of the language, but still need to update the grammar PDF on the conlang page. I’m also modifying the name of the language slightly, to Mijanyu (from Mijanu). I’ve created the radicals for the semanto-phonetic writing system, which is supposed to look like the Chinese Seal script. I need to do some serious modification/editing of the glyphs I’ve roughed out, but now that I have them roughed out I have something to work with. I have also started translating a poem called “Upon the Tip of a Needle” (Guhatthaka – Suttaniddeso), a Buddhist text. I only have the first stanza right now, and I’m sure there’s quite a bit wrong with it, but it’s an interesting look at where Mijanyu is now. Here’s the stanza in the Latin alphabet:

Elun, eleau, sen, for mauna
ー Nena.ar.na lorai denyu manyu deni
Duyu aduyu kena ja
ー Meri.na kena laya.lan daleausu

The period in the text above indicates the connection between particles and words, where the particles mean nothing without the context of the word they’re attached to. At the moment, there’s a character for each word and particle, but I’m reconsidering that idea. I still want 3 writing systems, so I’m thinking it might be best to use the block alphabet for simpler parts of the language (particles, prepositions, and conjunctions).

Once I’m done translating the poem (there are 7 more stanzas), I hope to have the writing systems more or less completed, although I certainly won’t have all the semanto-phonetic characters done. I’d like to make a recording of the text as well, but I’m not sure yet.