Jinshu the Golden Dragonrealm, Map by Catilus – Explorer’s Map Version (Patreon)

So, here my very first map: Jinshu the Golden Dragonrealm, as voted by YOU in this month’s “you choose, I draw” poll!

I’ve made two versions of this map: a lineart version and an exclusive illustrated version for Patreon supporters that I made to look like it was drawn by an adventurer who explored Jinshu!

Jinshu is inspired by Chinese mythology and folklore. Feel free to use this map however you see fit in your games. When I visited Jinshu, I played Miyuki, the Half Elf Kensei Monk, which you might recognize from her shrine maiden illustrations I’ve made!

Here’s some background about Jinshu as it originally appears in Theomachy, a setting I am playing in:

When the dragonmother, Mironde, created the dragonborn to serve the dragons in their war against the vengeful gods of Naam, she divided them into ten nations, according to their draconic heritage. The first of the golden dragonborn became the founders of Jinshu, the Golden Dragonrealm.

Led by the 99 Sages, Jinshu is an extraordinarily rich and magical dragonrealm. Jinshu’s mountains and cliffs hide numerous dragon lairs, and golden dragonborn thrive in the clay city, the stone city, and the sparkling city, as well as the numerous villages that dot Jinshu’s enchanted landscape. 

The roads that lead in and out of the realm are guarded by four ancient Qilin, magical beings the gold dragons befriended ages ago. Each Qilin guards one of the four passes: Nanhuoyan, pass of the south flame; Dong Shi, pass of the east stone; Xiquin, pass of the west wind; and Bei Shuang, pass of the north frost.

To the west, Taoqi, the Clay City is a major trading port in the dragonrealms. Taoqi is famous for its population of animated clay workers and terracotta soldiers that are built to serve and protect its citizens. Taoqi is also home to the Oracle of the Three Dragons, where three ancient female gold dragons give cryptic advice and glimpses of wisdom to mortals and other dragons alike.

In the heart of Jinshu lie the Eleven Sisters, a magnificent formation of rock pillars. Built across several pillars, Shanguang, the Sparkling City, is the political center of Jinshu. This resplendent city is home to many of the 99 sages, as well as several gold dragons who enjoy spending time in mortal forms. The Enlightened Sister to the northeast of the city is a sanctuary for scholars, diplomats, and dignitaries who visit Jinshu from distant lands.

To the east, Shicheng, the Stone City is a mystery that predates the arrival of the gold dragons in the realm. Built by the ancient inhabitants of Jinshu, millennia before the first dragonborn hatched, the hollowed out monoliths of Shicheng obey mortal commands to move, rotate, and reconfigure themselves, revealing forgotten chambers carved into sold stone and ancient passages that go deep into the earth. Several dragon sages have devoted centuries in uncovering the secrets of Shicheng, but the stone city’s most crucial mysteries, including its origins, still elude them.

The four monasteries, Zhenxing, Zuigao, Chunjing, and Liudong, are each attuned to one of the four elements, and pilgrims who manage to reach one of them can learn secrets of elemental mastery. Legends speak of a secret fifth monastery, Yin Cang, where monks of the fabled order of Guang Tayang meditate to channel the eternal light shed by the soul of every living creature.

To the north, Richusan, the Sunrise Twins dominate the landscape as Jinshu’s tallest mountain peaks. This is where Shengu, the golden dragonfather rests between his titanic fights with the vengeful gods of Naam, and the mating duels for Mironde the dragonmoher’s favor. Ancient fables say that Shengu challenged the sun itself to claim Richusan as his lair. Since then, every time the sun rises exactly between the two mountains, Shengu spreads his wings and flies up to duel the sun again.

Legends say that hidden among impassable canyons and pristine mountain peaks, somewhere east of Zhenxing Monstery and south of the Clay City, lies Hua-La, the Secret Valley of Flowers. Sages believe Hua-La is one of the few places on Naam where the flower of Amaranth bears fruit that is said to bestow immortality. Immeasurable fortunes have been lost in expeditions to find Hua-La, and countless pilgrims and brave adventurers have lost their lives on quests to reach it.

Jinshu is a land of mystery, dragonmagic, and ancient wisdom. Where will you go? Will you ascend the thousand steps to Shanguang, the Sparkling City; learn the secrets of elemental air at Zuigao Monastery; dare to glimpse Shengu, the golden dragonfather as he rests on Richusan, the Sunrise Twins; or perhaps set out to discover Hua-La, the fabled Secret Valley of Flowers?

You can download the map of Jinshu, the Golden Dragonrealm, from the attachment below!

If you like what you see, maybe YOU can be my next patron? :)