These posts will feature digital artwork of fantasy maps created in Wonderdraft. Each post will present fantasy flash fiction inspired by the map, sometimes with commentary on the mapping elements. Stories may appear in a single post or be divided into multiple parts. All maps and stories are original creations of Ed R White. This piece is of a pirate fantasy world map.
Ahoy, me hearties! Today we explore a fantasy pirate world map exploring the battle for Bladewater Bay. I had a lot of fun doing this piece, particularly the ship battle with all the natural elements and sea creatures. I toyed with the mountain design a bit, and used a pirate map asset bundle from Fantasy Map Assets. The fonts were also an experiment, as size and color can create impressions of their own. As I build my map asset collection, the creative possibilities multiply. Very excited for further maps. See my last post on Murk Oak Vale, if interested.
Geography
Shaped by shifting tectonic plates and relentless sea erosion, the bay is a realm of wonder—home to ancient treasure and breathtaking coastlines. To the northwest rise the Bladewater Mountains, while the Tanza Jungle sprawls to the south. Swarms of gorb crabs migrate along the coast, drawing sea creatures and watchful tribesmen who hunt finned sea turtles and single-eyed octopuses. Tempests rage across the bay, with tornadoes spiraling from the magic of Oh’ka Shrine. In the north, a hidden cove shelters an oasis, where shipwrecks and battle-worn debris find their final rest.
Economy
The bay teems with bounty—fresh seafood, exotic fruits, and precious minerals from the mountains. Along its shores grows sea muck, a rare herb that, when blended with brandy, becomes a potent cure for Tanza Fever and the jungle’s many afflictions.
But riches attract rogues. Pirates prowl the waters, scavenging spoils from shattered ships. Some operate in the shadows, striking secret deals with Port Goldsworth, and blurring the line between outlaws and the port’s enforcers.
Settlements
The bay’s hook cradles the lands of the Tanza tribesmen, who have long defended their sacred shores. Their main settlement, Tika Village, nestled beside the Tanza Jungle, stands as a vigilant sentry against invaders. For millennia, they have safeguarded both the bay and the Skull Caves, where they entomb their dead alongside treasured relics.
Decades ago, Admiral Goldsworth sailed into the bay, seizing it in the name of King Terrimor. The Tanza, outraged by the defilement of their sacred waters—home to their god, Oh’ka, the phantasmal whale spirit—rose in defiance. After years of bloodshed, an uneasy peace was struck between settlers and natives.
But peace was no match for Terrimor’s greed. The bay lies at the heart of his naval ambitions, and the Skull Caves teem with riches he covets. As a symbol of conquest, Goldsworth raised the Crescent Tower, a fortress meant to drive back the Tanza. To the king, the tribesmen are nothing but savages, and he has ordered Goldsworth to pillage the caves and erase the Tanza from history.
Now, war looms. Though outmatched, the Tanza refuse to yield. They summon the wrath of Oh’ka, twisting the winds and waves into weapons, as Goldsworth’s fleet sails toward battle—into a storm of divine fury.
Lore
The Tanza believe Oh’ka descended from the stars in search of rest. With her massive fins, she shaped the bay, sculpting the land with the help of the elements. To the tribes, this sacred refuge is a gift—a sanctuary from the unforgiving sea, blessed with abundant food and fair weather, unless Oh’ka’s wrath is stirred.
High Priestess Zelimba communes with the whale spirit through nightly visions, seeking divine wisdom to guide her people. She has often parleyed with Admiral Goldsworth, their uneasy alliance shifting like the tides. Oh’ka has whispered to her of a path—turning the admiral against King Terrimor’s ambitions. Yet as war looms, her faith wavers on the edge of a knife. Will she sway Goldsworth before her people are lost to the tides of conquest?