Maps, maps, and more maps! Chespel’s battlefields have leveled up. This installment is a breakdown of each of the 10 maps and how they add strategic wrinkles to the game.
All maps are created through the platform Inkarnate, which is where I have made all my maps for Hailgalad!
Fields of Aeros
These fields cover the vast majority of the Hailgaladrian Kingdom. It is fertile land that has fed their great steeds for over a thousand years.
This battlefield is unique in that there is a wet and dry season. Every turn, the marsh squares move from wet, which is impassable, to dry, which is difficult to pass. If your unit is left on the square when it turns to wet, your unit is swallowed by the marsh and destroyed.
Use this changing terrain to your advantage to conquer the battlefield.
Borderlands Ruined Battlefield
The borderlands are constantly under contention between Vaelor and Hailgalad. These battlefields are filled with old weapons caches, swamps, and even forgotten companies of units. These armies no longer fight for any banner but their own.
The Wayward Barbarians will attack any unit in their path and may be the decider between victory and defeat.
Taeros River Crossing
The Taeros River rages through Vaelor with deep icy currents. This field is unique in that there are always only two ways over the river.
These bridges are the chock points that your army must control to conquer the opposing army.
Goblin Country
Goblin Country is a wasteland with deadly pits of lava and old forges with lost treasures.
If you send your armies to these fields of battle, be careful to steer clear of the lava. The pits gurgle and spray, sending searing fire onto any nearby troops.
White Mountain Valley
The White Mountains are a vast tundra home to the Northfolk. These lands are covered in snow drifts, frozen lakes, and mountains.
Be wary of spontaneous blizzards that devastate the land. If one descends on your field of battle, ranged units are useless, and troops slow.
The Guilded Basin
Nestled amongst the sands of Sarisa lies the Guilded Basin. These expansive gold mines are the wealth of the desert, and the nomads who call this place home defend them with their lives.
Armies should keep an eye on the sand. It is always shifting and may change the tide of battle in an instant.
Valley of Giants
The Valley of Giants is a sacred place in Kaboutia. With ruins more ancient than the halls of Harunifeld, old outposts, and sheer cliffs cover the landscape.
Careful for falling rocks. Avalanches have been known to wipe grand armies from the board in an instant.
Ashshadow Rainforest
Far south of the White Mountains, the hot and humid Ashshadow Rainforest lies. The red-glowing fauna sit in the shadow of the Infiertree.
Lava Caves are useful terrains to boost your troops at a potential cost to their health. Tremors constantly shake the land, breaking up formations and attacks on the battlefield. Hold fast and keep your units in order if you are to survive.
Forgotten Dungeon
There are deep places of the Known World where ancient cities lie in slumber and evil broods. Here the Spider Mother spins her webs and spreads her children.
If one travels to the Forgotten Dungeons, they best take care to avoid the multiplying webs. Once caught, it might prove your doom.
Izerholt Valley
In the northeast of the Known World, one can find the Ironwood Kindred. These reclusive people are the sole cultivators of a scientific resource: ironwood. Trees here grow as strong as steel while being as shapeable as wood.
The Izerholt Valley is known to have spreading thorns made of the same material. Be careful as you navigate your army through this region. If you are caught in the embrace of thorns, it may be your ruin.
Harrison DeVries Writing 
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