In this triptych you see three versions of the map of Ravenland, which is the initial gaming area of the role playing game Forbidden Lands from Free League Publishing.
* To the left is my very first draft of the map, made with pencils on paper.
* In the middle you see the finalized black and white version that you'll find on the inside covers of the gaming books (there is also a separate, coloured version in poster format)
* To the right and below is a brand new wooden version made jointly by Samuel Nedergård Bergsten and Ronja Eriksson as a gift for a gaming friend. They have divided the map in three layers (mountains and forest, plains, water). These layers were then laser cut, engraved and lastly glued together yielding this piece of art.
Seeing their work really warmed my heart. It also gave me an opportunity to thank all fellow enthusiasts – gamers and creators alike – for all the collaboration and obscure discussions and projects we've had the pleasure of sharing during the years. Considering all the hate and lies and manipulation that goes on in the world today, I find that me and our community in some respect share what is actually the best features of humankind: passion, project cooperation, creativity, unselfish helpfulness and love! Some may call rpg gaming simply entertainment and escapism, and for sure there's room for that as well, but what counts for me is the practice of humanity and the warmth I encounter in doing so. I'm convinced that this type of shared enthusiasm makes the real world better. Thanks, my friends – let's keep doing this!
