Welcome To Axelgard

I have created a map for my book Royal Blood of the Raven of Axelgard Trilogy, which features Axelgard, the nation where Raven the vampire king resides. I invite you to check it out and find out about my interest in creating maps, the creative process surrounding it, and my husband and I’s discoveries that inspired creating the map and more.

Welcome to My World

Here is my map for my book Royal Blood of the Raven of Axelgard Trilogy. The nation in which Raven the vampire king resides is named Axelgard and it is within the Middle Kingdom. 

As I made this map for my book it was a therapeutic process for me. I have been mentally envisioning what Axelgard and the other nations looked like in my mind for so long. It was a relief to finally reveal what was really going on in my mind through art. My mind is often a difficult place to navigate, and I have visions often which guide me through it.

A Fascination With Maps

I have always enjoyed drawing maps and first started doing it when I was in middle school in social studies. The idea of traveling to foreign destinations and becoming knowledgeable of these landscapes has always been intriguing to me. I found it fascinating how nations were created, all these invisible lines drawn across the land, that when crossed helps to bridge understanding and experience of one culture to another.

Maps and the creation of nations is fascinating. The boundaries that define them and are illustrated through maps are established in so many different ways. Some are created through alliances such as through marriage or legal arrangements, establishment of water rights or tribes, religion, or are even divided up due to the location of rivers. Crossing boundaries can, like I said, expose one to other cultures, but also can incite warfare or reshape history, such as when Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon.

Folie Deux, Conversations With Raven and Learning About Axelgard

I have learned a lot about Axelgard and its neighboring nations from my interactions with Raven, many of which were shared through Folie Deux with my husband Luke. There’s been many occasions where Luke and I would talk at night, looking at the moon and the stars, and have a lovely evening together. We would talk about our dreams, our books, and where the future may take us. It was often then that Raven would slip into the night, appear to us as a black robed figure, a mysterious and lanky spirit and join in our conversation. Raven would speak of his land languidly in an aloof manner as my husband and I sip on our wine. 

We often saw many things during these kinds of nights, as the paranormal would traverse through the “Spirit Highway,” in the backyard, and fortunately Luke has since put an end to this evil phenomenon. I’ve become apprehensive after we discovered that time and again Raven attracts the paranormal.

My dealings with Raven and his clan presents a double-edged sword that I am at times unsure how to wield. Although Raven is an intriguing member of the spiritual realm, and most importantly he is inspiring. I would not have created Royal Blood without my encounters with him. 

Vampires of course can be horribly draining, as he literally sucks the energy out of you when in his presence. It is like time spent with him is represented as an hourglass and you watch the sand trickle down and don’t want that last speck of sand to reach the bottom. That’s when you run out of time, energy, and likely your sanity. 

Fortunately Luke is wise in dealings with Raven and has a way to put an end to the vampiric conversations at the right time, where we can conserve our energy and avoid descending into the same dark place that Raven comes from.

It was during these times I learned about Raven’s world. Axelgard thrives almost entirely off of their trade by sea, with the lands of Baltizar and Andara. He shared how Titania is inhabited by daring priestesses while Thadon is a nation of wealthy mountain men. Caianna and Zenia are suffering from drought and starvation, making their people volatile and desperate for resources.

Visions of Axelgard

I have had many visions of Axelgard, where I find myself navigating Axelgard Citadel, seeing the royals lounging lazily about the castle, the women sipping wine in their corseted dresses. The men wear tunics, leather pants and riding boots doing sword play in preparation for future battles. Meanwhile there are the villagers that live in the area surrounding the castle, tending to their flocks and performing their professions from black smithing and weaving to alchemy.

More About the Map

In Royal Blood there are several other neighboring nations surrounding Axelgard. In the North East are the desert lands of Zenia and Caianna. Then there are the plains of Avelgrad also located North East of Axelgard. These three nations are directly accessed from Axelgard through the Elles Pass. Directly North is Titania, a rural village which is a spiritual haven known for its temples. Across the sea are the nations of Scad, Baltizar, and Andara.

A Time For Reflection

Looking back on all of these experiences and what I have learned about Axelgard and through my intriguing adventures in Folie Deux with Luke, I would have to say I wouldn’t have it any other way. His love and support holds me steady and I am so grateful for our love. 

The path at times seems daunting, hell scary even, but ‘tis the season I suppose to reflect on such adventures, with Halloween approaching. 

I welcome you to join this adventure with me, learn about the world of Axelgard and the mysterious Raven, and bear witness to Folie Deux with Luke and I.

Stay tuned for more updates about my journey and the Raven of Axelgard Trilogy. Until next time, I bid thee adieu.

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