[Master Post] A huge first: Sword Graveyard - HAND-DRAWN

Thick fog coils around the towering swords, their colossal hilts vanishing into the gloom. The rogue steps carefully over a shattered blade, its metal blackened as if scorched by ancient magic. A distant clang echoes—a sound too deliberate to be the wind. The fighter tightens their grip on their weapon, scanning the graveyard of steel. Then, from the mist, a deep voice rumbles like grinding stone: “Who disturbs the fallen?”—and the ground trembles as something massive begins to rise.

Hey awesome Patrons!

This is something massive for me. Up until now, all my battle maps have been rendered in Unreal Engine. But this time? I went fully hand-drawn. No 3D software —just me, a pen, and a blank canvas.

And here’s the thing… I haven’t drawn anything in 25 years. Despite having artistic talent in my blood (thanks, Mom and Dad), I never developed it. I always saw myself as someone who builds worlds through technology, not by hand. But I finally decided to break that mindset.

Sword Graveyard is the result. A battlefield of fallen warriors, where rusted weapons stand like gravestones, whispering of forgotten battles. It’s raw, detailed, and personal in a way no rendered map could ever be. It’s my first real drawing in decades, and I’m beyond proud of it.

You can grab both the static and animated versions right now—available to all Patrons.

Now I need to hear from you—do you feel the difference between hand-drawn and rendered maps? Would you like to see more of these?

Thank you for being here, for supporting me, and for pushing me to create in ways I never thought I would.

Cheers!

~dransky