How to annotate the Kaethos overworld in the style of the Map of Edoran
Reference: Map of Edoran Analysis
The Map of Edoran (by iMaggus92) is our gold standard. Here’s exactly what makes it premium and how to replicate it for Kaethos.
Typography Hierarchy
| Element | Style | Color | Example (Edoran) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major Cities | ALL-CAPS, Bold Serif, large | Gold/cream with dark outline | EFENDIR, GORGOI |
| Minor Settlements | Mixed-case or small-caps, lighter weight | Cream/white | Fort Thana, Whidtown |
| Region Names | ALL-CAPS, WIDELY SPACED, curved | Subdued, semi-transparent | FERTONWOOD, THE BARRENS |
| Ocean/Sea/Bay Names | ALL-CAPS, WIDE LETTERSPACING, italicized, curved along water | Light blue-white | VILLION BAY, FROST SEA |
| Mountain Range Names | Curved along range, medium weight | Warm tan/beige | — |
| River Names | Flowing italic, small, follows river path | Blue | — |
Recommended fonts for Kaethos:
- Headers/Cities: Cinzel or Trajan Pro (free Google Font — closest to D&D PHB)
- Body/Regions: IM Fell English or Crimson Text (free Google Fonts — aged manuscript feel)
- Ocean text: Same as regions but italicized
Decorative Elements to Add
Compass Rose
- Position: Lower-left corner (matching Edoran convention)
- Style: Multi-pointed star with N, S, E, W — ornate, gold/copper
- Kaethos variant: Could incorporate the The Veil-Tear motif — a tear in the compass design
Title Cartouche
- Position: Lower-left, below compass rose OR upper-right corner
- Contents:
KOURÉAS The World of Echoes of ITYS ───────────────────────── Named after Zen au Kouréas, the Lich Year [campaign year] of the Second Age - Style: Ornate scroll banner with stone/ruin aesthetic
Scale Bar
- Below the cartouche
- Units: km or “leagues” for lore immersion
Settlement Icons
- Major city: Full illustrated fortress/city cluster (unique per city)
- Town: Small building cluster
- Village: Single building silhouette
- Ruins: Crumbled/broken icon variant
- Dungeon/Site: Skull or rune marker
- Church/Temple: Specific icon — The Church of ITYS should have a distinctive ITYS glyph
Sea Features
- Ship icons: 1–3 ships in major shipping lanes
- Sea creature: In the deep ocean zones — could be tied to known Kaethos monsters (Aboleth in deep trenches, etc.)
- Directional currents: Subtle arrow lines in ocean areas with known weather patterns
Kaethos-Specific Naming Conventions
The Island-Continent of Kouréas
Named after Zen au Kouréas (the Lich, formerly Zen au Lycoris). The name itself translates to “the barber” in the old tongue.
Region naming rules:
- Areas associated with The House of Lycoris → Lycorian naming convention (au [name])
- Areas associated with The Lashïngs → older, shorter place names (one syllable preferred)
- Swamp/southern regions → darker, foreboding names (reflect The Kouréas corruption)
- Northern/settled regions → more civilized, multi-syllable names
The Continent of Eritessa
Across the water, past the Lighthouse. Less explored — names should feel more alien and ancient.
Ocean / Water Body Naming
Follow the Edoran convention — wide-spaced italic serif text curved along the water body.
Suggested Kaethos ocean names to assign:
| Body of Water | Suggested Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sea between Kouréas and Eritessa | The Parted Sea or The Veil’s Wake | References the Veil-Tear above the island |
| Southern ocean | The Drowned Reaches | Where Oovuan’s influence spreads |
| Northern waters | The Lich’s Passage | Zen expected to return from the east |
| Bay near the Lighthouse | The Lantern Bay | Named for the Lighthouse beacon |
Phase Plan for Map Annotation
Phase 1 — Identify all existing markers (DONE ✅)
From the worldmarkers-names-v1.png overlay, the following names are confirmed on the Inkarnate map:
- ISHOI, EQUISPIRE, OKI, LISOS, THÜNOS, IALAS, AKI, CAYEDON, FALLSPIRE
- Additional names partially visible — need higher-res reading
Phase 2 — Cross-reference with Kaethos lore (IN PROGRESS)
Compare each marker name against known lore:
- Which are in Kouréas vs Eritessa vs other continents?
- Which match existing faction territories?
- Which need to be renamed to match established canon (Oovuan, Lashara, etc.)?
Phase 3 — AI-assisted annotation (NEXT)
Use ComfyUI (@comfy) to:
- Read the base map + reference Edoran style
- Generate a Kaethos-specific cartouche design
- Propose compass rose design incorporating Kaethos visual motifs
- Generate styled text overlays matching Edoran’s font hierarchy
Use @chaos to:
- Cross-reference all marker names against kaethos lore
- Propose new names for unnamed regions using Kaethos naming conventions
- Draft ocean/sea names for all major water bodies
Phase 4 — Final composite
Build the final annotated PNG in Inkarnate (if supported) or as a layered SVG/Photoshop/Affinity Publisher file with:
- All text layers styled to Edoran spec
- Compass rose + cartouche added
- Settlement icons differentiated by type
- Sea names curved and flowing
- At least 2–3 sea creatures/ships in ocean areas
Existing Kaethos Location Canon
These must appear on the final map. Position them using the zoom-map markers first, then finalize in Inkarnate.
Kouréas (Island-Continent)
- Oovuan — fiendish city in the Swamp of Souls, south
- The Pit — three doors, Spirit Engines, The Church of ITYS built over it
- The Bell Tower — teleportation network node
- The Oasis — teleportation network node
- The Veil-Tear — floating above the island (floating icon?)
- The Lighthouse — faces toward Eritessa
- Lashara — inventor and progressive leader’s domain (The Quiet Year)
- The Swamp of Souls — southern wetlands, The Kouréas corruption zone
- Choldrith Mountains — mentioned in The Quiet Year
- Pearl Dunes — mentioned in The Quiet Year
- The Pike Garden — mentioned in The Quiet Year
- The Greenhouse — mentioned in The Quiet Year
Eritessa (Main Continent)
- Second Veil-Tear location
- Unknown civilization (Jacques-Bjorn discovery)
- Eastern shore (Zen expected to return from here)
Campaign-Specific (Echoes of ITYS)
- Location of Battle of the Bands (current arc)
- Forbidden Fruits Tavern region (the Applebee’s of Kouréas — needs a town)
- The Splinters (Magus one-shot location)
- The House of Lycoris territory
Related
- kaethos-world-map — the interactive zoom-map note
- geography — full world geography notes
- the-quiet-year-world-building — source of original Quiet Year place names
- zen-au-koureas · oovuan · the-pit