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The “Trap” Map Challenge was rescheduled for this weekend. 

I won.

Wayfarer’s Respite

Deep within a sandstone canyon lies Wayfarer’s Respite, a sanctuary renowned among caravan masters, pilgrims, and desert wanderers. Here, weary travelers find cool water, simple meals, shaded courtyards, and a safe place to rest beyond the reach of the relentless sun.

The humble monks who maintain the refuge ask little of their guests beyond peace, courtesy, and respect for the sacred grounds. Many stay a night before continuing their journey. 

Some remain longer.

Whispers persist of hidden chambers beneath the sanctuary, where honored guests are granted access to ancient treasures, forgotten wisdom, and mysteries buried deep within the canyon stone. Most dismiss such tales as campfire stories.

Yet those who linger too long often find new reasons to stay.

Wayfarer’s Respite can serve as a desert monastery, caravan stop, oasis refuge, hidden temple, social intrigue location, mystery dungeon, or the entrance to a far darker adventure concealed beneath its welcoming halls.

Tyger Trap.

This is a Rakshasa Lair. 

Rakshasas are ancient, powerful tiger-headed fiends renowned for their cunning, illusion, and patience. Rather than relying on brute force, they prefer temptation over violence.

They tempt mortals with comfort, wealth, and desire, weaving elaborate schemes in which victims willingly walk into their own downfall. 

Masters of deception and hospitality, they offer weary souls exactly what they crave—comfort, safety, riches, or purpose—until their guests no longer wish to leave. Once their prey has been softened by luxury and stripped of suspicion, the feast begins. Patient predators, they regard mortals not merely as victims, but as delicacies best savored after temptation has done its work. 

Hopefully the lyrics make more sense now with the backstory.

The old 1st Edition AD&D Monster Manual Rakshasa illustration was a black-and-white pen-and-ink piece with a very distinctive style. This tiny little ink work got traced over and over again until I could draw it without the guides. This one image inspired my desire to work with INK.

I made a lair, that tiger with the smoking jacket would love.. (if fiends love…idk? Probably not.)

Trace Overlay is a feature in Dungeon Alchemist that allows cartographers to build on top of an image. I’ve shown you in my buttress laboratory, and applied it to 4 map entries so far.

It’s a bit easier for me to trace on the dark parchment (terrain biome option) with the grid on.  

😉 The trick for this one is that I wanted the Tyger Reveal to be sub level -1, not surface level 0.

The trace overlay is only visible on surface level 0.

That means selecting room area and changing levels before applying the fill. 

Select, move down, make room type. 

I built surface level to start and removed much of it after the sub level build was in place.

The manor portion of the map is 3 layers deep, so I was able to have rooms under rooms, making the maze that leads to the treasure room, throne room, and final feast room.

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