slug: "maps"
lang: en
title: The Cartothèque
pageCreated: "2024-02-24"
pageUpdated: "2026-03-07"
extends ../../views/layout.pug
append presets
- hasComments = true
- hasSidenotes = false
append cosmetics
link(href=("/maps/maproom.css"), rel="stylesheet")
block content
div#introduction
p From the moment i first picked up an atlas at school, cartography has been a persistent and particular fascination of mine. It is the gateway to the world, the closest i’ll ever get to taking in the terrain of so many far-away lands for myself — either because i have but a century in this life and only so much money to spend, or because they never existed in the first place.
p I’m not much for drawing, and can never make the time to practise. In writing i always mourn the inevitable dulling that occurs when one squeezes the vivid world of the imagination through the black lead of a pencil. Mapmaking, thus, is my chief artistic outlet, and i can only hope you enjoy the samples i’ve put forward here. Thank you for visiting.
div#map-grid
section#legend
h2 Legend (naturally)
div.table-container
table#legend-table
// OTL: blues, ATL: yellow-to-red
// would be nice to have some geometric symbols at the top too
thead
tr
td
th Our timeline
th Counterfactual
tbody
tr
th Raster
td.raster.otl
td.raster.atl
tr
th Vector
td.vector.otl
td.vector.atl
tr
th Not mine
td.not-mine.otl
td.not-mine.atl
p #[span.text-emoji 🖱️︎] #[i Click on a map to open it in full size.]
section.frame.vector.otl
h2 Metros and trains in Amsterdam
figure
a(href="/maps/Amsterdam.pdf")
img(src="/maps/Amsterdam.png")
figcaption
div.frame-time 2026
div.frame-size 2000×2000 px
section.frame.vector.atl
h2 #[a(href="/latbs") Looking at the Big Sky]: Mars in 32 #[+sc("AA")] / 2080 #[+sc("CE")]
figure
a(href="/maps/mars_2080.jpeg")
img(src="/maps/mars_2080_preview.png")
figcaption
div.frame-time 2024
div.frame-size 14,630×7030 px
div.frame-description
p This was meant to be #[a(href="https://satyrs.eu/maps/mars_old_raster.png") a quick raster-based map] i could knock out in a couple days to get to “the fun part” of the further future… reality conspired against me after switching from Windows to Linux and losing Paint.net, alas.
section.frame.raster.atl
h2 #[a(href="/latbs") Looking at the Big Sky]: The World in 2025
figure
a(href="/maps/LatBS_english_final.png")
img(src="/maps/LatBS_english_final.png")
figcaption
div.frame-time 2023
div.frame-size 3009×3279 px
div.frame-description
p I was trying to go for an “uncanny valley #[abbr.all-sc(title="Our timeline") OTL]” feeling with this one — where it’s #[em almost] recognisable, but not quite the world as we know it.
section.frame.vector.otl
h2 Paganism in England and Wales
figure
a(href="/maps/pagan_england.png")
img(src="/maps/pagan_england.png")
figcaption
div.frame-time 2024
div.frame-size 3000×2000 px
div.frame-description
p After switching to Linux and finding the raster image editing situation absolutely dire, and always having wanted to pick some skills up, i’ve been trying to learn vector mapmaking. Here’s an early attempt.
section.frame.raster.otl
h2 England’s most spoken languages other than English
figure
a(href="/maps/English_languages.png")
img(src="/maps/English_languages.png")
figcaption
div.frame-time 2023
div.frame-size 6000×4500 px
section.frame.raster.atl
h2 Pomeranian and neighbouring languages
figure
a(href="/maps/pumwani.png")
img(src="/maps/pumwani.png")
figcaption
div.frame-time 2018
div.frame-size 1783×1063 px
div.frame-description
p This was to go with an old conlang of mine — really must revive it one of these days…
section.frame.not-mine.atl
h2 Earth in 2022 #[small (for #[i Overheaven])]
figure
a(href="https://www.reddit.com/r/imaginarymaps/comments/ywrkqa/ovrhvn_e22_earth_in_2022_an_alternate_version_of/")
img(src="/maps/overheaven.webp")
figcaption
div.frame-time NK_Ryzov, 2022
div.frame-size 6710×6301 px
div.frame-description
p I’d been in a creative slump since the pandemic started, but this map, with its glorious attention to detail, optimistic tone, and #[a(href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Z7Y6-lOiD91tmAEWx6B7YcAU3YcVyubsVbv0J3iq-I/edit") ridiculously long lore doc] gave me the kick up the bum to start worldbuilding again.
section.frame.raster.atl
h2 Indigocraft Railways
figure
a(href="/maps/trainmap.jpg")
img(src="/maps/trainmap_small.webp")
figcaption
div.frame-time 2023
div.frame-size 8192×8192 px
div.frame-description
p I have served as the “rail dictator” for #[a(href="/christmas") a succession of creative #[i Minecraft] servers] and, as part of my duties, also make maps for the traveller’s benefit.
section.frame.raster.otl
h2 The 118#[sup th] U.S. House of Representatives
figure
a(href="/maps/USHoR.png")
img(src="/maps/USHoR.png")
figcaption
div.frame-time 2022
div.frame-size 5608×3950 px
section.frame.raster.otl
h2 #[a(href="/equala") EqualA]
figure
a(href="/equala/EqualA Toasted.png")
img(src="/equala/EqualA Toasted.png")
figcaption
div.frame-time 2020–23
div.frame-size 1802×878 px
section.frame.not-mine.atl
h2 A Wealth of Nations #[small (for #[a(href="https://www.atlasaltera.com/"): i Atlas Altera])]
figure
a(href="https://imgbb.com/DrFXr6G")
img(src="/maps/atlasaltera.jpg")
figcaption
div.frame-time Telamon Tabulicus, 2023
div.frame-size 26,703×19,714 px