I'm thinking of fleshing out Lastwall by simply taking maps of other campaign settings and dropping them into the area. The maps used will also be of other "knights and castles" style settings and I'm to suggestions of other area (campaign settings or real world settings) which might offer good ideas?
Suggestions?
NOTE: one area I'm looking at pretty strongly was Cormry from the Forgotten Realms.
NOTE II: This will not simply be reusing maps, but will borrow heavily from whatever resource to generate ideas for fleshing out the area.
When done Lastwall will be focused on a Lords / Castle / Holds type of set up all of whom answer to the Watcher-Lord of Vigil. There will be a good amount of open lands to support the heavily cavalry units of the Knights of Ozem. Velumis will need a well detailed map (suggestions on which map to use are welcome). An of course roads / trade routes set up.
If I can pull this off I'll post the image online somewhere and set up a link to it.
One thing I have figured out, Lastwall has about the same square mileage as South Carolina so it is NOT a small area. This means the initial roads and towns will be major trade routes and larger cities (probably designating the hold of high ranking hereditary lords who are sworn to serve the Watcher-Lord).
I've also realized that south of Castle Everstand there would have to be another (most likely two or three) large keeps along western border with Belkzen of Lastwall would be continuously loosing more territory to the orcs, not unlike when Trunau was lost.
Fangwood Forest I've decided there would be some areas that are more lightly wooded than others, and this allows for settlements of human, orc and elf settlements. The deeper woods however remain wild and inhabited by god only knows what. Perhaps a lake or two?
given that Lastwall borders Ustalav which is very swampy, maybe Virginia? The northern border is the Path river between them, kinda like the Potomac.
Good point on the swampy aspects of Ustalav, I'll also look at the terrain of Nirmathas to see how that compares.
Not sure if there are detailed maps available for this setting and all of my books are packed away so I cannot confirm what is available. I always get a slight Borderlands feel from the Wheel of Time series for both Lastwall, and Mendev for that matter, with the Hold being the Blight. Maybe have a look to see what if anything is available in the way of specific maps for the borderlands or even one of the kingdoms. I seem to remember that Shienar was the Borderland nation most associated with heavy cavalry so that could be a start. For historic references you could also look at what the English did to fortify their border with a and eventually conquer Wales. You could also look at Scotland but that played out in a completely different way and never truly ended the way that it did in Wales.
Thank you for the feedback. I have ultimately decided I am dividing the area up into feudal holds ruled by local hereditary lords (similar to Skyrim or Game of Thrones), all of whom answer to the Watcher Lord in Vigil.
I also decided that the Watcher-Lord as a more or less democratically elected official was too unwieldy for the campaign we are playing. Further it is a system which would have likely not have survived the 900 years of the region's history. As such the position of Watcher Lord was changed to "King" and the Precentors Martials were changed (ever so slightly) to more advisory positions staffed by military veterans. I am still considering making each of them come from a different hold as a form of "council of representatives". The Tribunes have been moved to Vellumis and became part of the Senate there.
Vellumis is now the political capital of Lastwall (its military capital is still Vigil) and is ruled by the Tribune Senate as mentioned above. They over see trade with other nations and help to regulate the economy of Lastwall by getting products out to foreign markets and bringing in supplies which Lastwall has problems manufacturing for themselves.
The former Watcher-Lord was the uncle of Ulthun II who had ruled in regency (perhaps this is where the term "Watcher-Lord" came from) until Ulthun came of age following the death of his father, King Ulthun. The former King was killed by a wraith who infiltrated Vigil during an orc raid. Once Ulthun II came of age, the King Regent / Watcher-Lord retired to Vellumis to sit on the Senate as Ulthun's eyes and ears where he remains today.
This change in Lastwall has opened up a lot of opportunity for developing noble families from the different holds and really flesh out who was doing what.
I'm currently working on a detailed (hand drawn) map of the area which I'll try to upload somewhere when I'm done with it. I'm no artist but I've done similar maps in the past and they all tend to come out pretty good.