AtaraxianBear
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My first hand-drawn region map and six battlemaps of locations on it!
🕑 Added 2025-09-08 12:31:12 +0000 UTCSorry about the long wait. I've been sick for a while and am currently finishing my degree. So I'm even more proud to present my first self-drawn map to you. It's a first attempt; I still have a lot to learn and would appreciate some productive feedback :)
My partner is also working on her own hand-drawn maps, which might appear here soon (and she's at a much higher level than me :)
As for the maps, I've written a little philosophy-related mini-adventure around them. Nothing elaborate, but hopefully you can use it well in conjunction with the maps!
Thank you for all your support and I hope you enjoy my work!
-AtaraxianBear
Size of the maps:
- The Thinker (stone on a cliff) [20x25]
- The Wanderer (stone circle) [25x30]
- The pillar prophet [25x30]
- Lady of the lake [34x34]
- The Oracle [30x37]
- [Patreon-Extra] Two Bridges [48x32]
The Valley of Prophecies
You can either use this valley and its prophets to integrate it into your main story, or you can create a separate quest branch where they help a young prince find understanding and happiness.
The king ordered this adventure after his recent escapades and fits of rage. The prince also possesses unbridled magical power, which he cannot control, and which sometimes takes over. The king fears that he will become a mad tyrant or worse. But no harm must come to him!
The prince is a deeply dissatisfied and angry person (and secretly, he is sad about the fate of the world and injustice, despite being a winner in injustice. He is unhappy about the evil of humanity and his existence inside it, which he canβt escape.) Since the journey to and the Valley of Prophecies itself are not without danger, heroes are hired to protect him. This also opens the possibility that not only does the prince gain insights in the valley, but also that player characters experience new developments.
Each of the prophets contains a combat encounter, which can be fought depending on the circumstances, but is not mandatory. If the heroes support the prince on his journey and he gains sufficient insight and self-reflection, then a final battle can be waged against the magical and evil power within him, which is slowly losing control over him.
1. The Thinker
An ancient lady sits on the chair, staring into the distance. Her voice is clear and somber. She possesses an eternal scroll in which she writes down everything she thinks without looking. She asks the prince and the heroes about the knowledge they have brought with them. Reason and thought represent the highest of all goods for her. When the prince or the heroes speak of any pleasures, she calls it philosophy for pigs. Even the saddest thinker is happier than the happiest hedonist.
Possible combat encounter: If the heroes or the prince provokes her too much, she will think darker thoughts. And things connected with strong emotions that she writes down can come true. There are no limits to her imagination.
2. The Wanderer
The Wanderer continually walks in spirals within his stone circle. He is known for imparting profound insights into mortality. He dispels the fear of death with references such as that death doesn't concern one, since it is in the nature of death that one no longer feels anything. But this is only the story of those who returned from him because he didn't sense a tasty offering within them. If he senses a vulnerable soul, his hunger is ignited, and he will want to make them sacrifice themselves here on the stones. He speaks of a certain reincarnation, which he can provide (which is actually true). A fresh start. Depending on the prince's condition, he might consider it.
Potential Combat Encounter: If the Wanderer's intentions are recognized or a fight otherwise breaks out, he can draw on powerful blood magic that has accumulated in these stones over the centuries. Undead rise from the surrounding areas and those who do not kill themselves voluntarily are politely helped to do so.
3. The Pillar Saint
He has realized that all politeness and etiquette are merely meaningless constructs. People believe him to be an ascetic, always pondering important matters on his pillar and living a humble life of restraint. They bring him food and drink. What they don't know is that he cheats on them and also likes to come down from his pillar and enjoy a carefree life. Lying, rudeness, public sexual gratification, and more are his insights, because there is no reason not to do it other than imagined social rules.
The prince is very taken with this wisdom.
Possible Battle Encounter: The Pillar Saint's lies have been exposed. Villagers saw him climb down from his pillar. Now a mob has come here to punish him for his years of exploitation. If a fight breaks out, the Pillar Saint will urinate and throw feces from his pillar. His fighting style is reminiscent of the unhinged movements of a monkey.
4. The Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake mostly sits on a stone during the day, sunning herself. She is the daughter of a human and a dryad, and her green, plant-like skin allows her to photosynthesize. Her feet dangle in the water, absorbing water for her while she smokes a pipe given to her by one of her lovers. She is deeply relaxed, sitting on the stone all day. The wisdom she imparts is that happiness comes from enjoying what you have and not what it could be. She almost never leaves this place, even though she could. She has everything she needs, and other things like travel, possessions, and the like are nice, but don't increase her happiness.
Possible Combat Encounter: The prince doesn't understand how one can lead such a boring life and does not want to try out every opportunity offered to one (even if it comes at the expense of others). The evil power within the prince takes over at this point. "What happens if your simple life is taken away from you?" He begins to poison the lake, and if he touches her, he will cause the lady's leaves to turn yellow. She will fight back with magical power, and the heroes must resolve the situation without seriously injuring the prince. Even if she is seriously injured and loses her simple life, she will not despair but will appreciate the beauty of her live while it lasted.
5. The Oracle
Four figures of indeterminate gender dance a veiled dance in the ruins of the ancient oracle. They speak and sing of the future in a strange language. It is only a veil that separates the present from the future, and the oracles pull this veil aside slightly. The prince takes the view that one can hardly be responsible for the future, and one is guided by fate, and sees the oracles as proof of this. Strange invisible vapors escape from crevices in the ground.
Possible combat encounter: Suddenly, shadowy versions of our heroes and the prince appear in the fog, as they might be in the future. Great and cruel warriors and rulers. They demand that their past selves bend their knees and accept their fate. If they refuse to do so and fight, the heroes and prince are supported by other, weaker versions of themselves. What if someone of them had become a farmer or a poet instead of a hero? Not particularly useful in battle, but they still help with all their courage.
The End
What beliefs and philosophies the prince ultimately adopts aren't necessarily important. What matters is that he recognizes the relative importance of wisdom and that everyone can define their own happiness. With this newfound power, the prince will be able to challenge the power within him, and a final boss battle can be staged.
At the end of the adventure, perhaps not only the prince but also the heroes will have changed a little and can look back on this adventure with joy.
-AtaraxianBear
