What do you see when you look at the picture below? My wife said it looked like an amoeba. What it is, is a topographical map I drew of part of a world I’m creating. Here’s what I see:
- It’s a valley with steep mountains around it.
- This map was originally 16 pixels to a mile, so it’s about 35 miles across.
- Each elevation line is 1000′, so the highest peaks are about 16,000 feet off the valley floor.
- The darker areas are the mountains. The green areas in the middle are depressions in the valley floor.
- There are 137 mountain peaks, ranging from 3250′ to 16,340′ tall.
- The circular area on the right is a deep lake with high mountains all around it. There is a waterfall falling off the northern face.
This is why I love drawing topographical maps. I can look at them and see the places in my head. To some people, it may just be a bunch of lines, but for me, it’s truly inspiring.
The Green-Walled Tower 