“Oivalf’s Odyssey was my winning entry into the Cartographer’s Guild January/February 2013 Lite Challenge. The challenge was to depict a journey of some kind. I choose to illustrate a page from the diary of a ship-wrecked viking who has stumbled upon the desert region of my Al-Qadim campaign. The maps are rather minimalist, but I was still pretty pleased with the whole project.
The cryptic text found on his shield translates into “Awake so you may spread the light”. It is written in the language of an ancient elvish tribe who fled Manaff (My Al-Qadim Continent) centuries ago. The rough story is that evil forces (the Drow) forced their exile for the worship of more benevolent deities The symbol they have branded on his hand is a symbol of this deity (and will bestow his with special abilities to be determined).
I haven’t yet decided upon the details of what exactly happened in the temple, but for some reason Oivalf was spared, his recent memory erased, and sent down to Manaff to lead a struggle against these evil elves who are threatening the land once more.
Made with Photoshop
Drunken Nerdery 