Underdark Shrine, Adept

This one is the Underdark Shrine/Platform (30x40), a strange little layout but certainly dramatic- now available both with and without the little tiered platform! Also, your alternate Volcanic version comes in both styles as well, so no worries there.

 1. A pretty simple layout, but a little tricky to execute. I wanted the little ledges leading up the main platform to feel scalable but also substantial (not sure that came across in the final version), and the platforms to feel high up as well. But, as you can see, I had intended on having some stalagmites alongside the walkway which would have been jutting out of some water, all of which would probably have been fairly effective at helping everything here feel huge and soaring. Why didn't I include any of that? Honestly, I forgot and started assuming this would be another bottomless pit map. It's been a long week, you know?

2. It was a very long week actually, in fact I worked on this map for 3 days longer than I had planned due to family events around mothers day (turns out there are a lot of mothers to celebrate in the family when you're married with kids and you have to ensure that each gets their time). On top of that I really did it to myself this time by drawing in lots and lots of ledges, so I suppose it was doomed to be a schedule-ruining week. Thankfully I can always rely on my stock of predrawn rocks and crystals to help keep things moving.

 3. Glowy, softly lit caves are starting to feel real good to me, which is a twist I wasn't expecting. I suppose it's due to all the extra cave shading practice I've been putting in, but this sort of map comes together really nicely once I'm past the outlines, it feel like I can get everything colored and shaded in a few hours if I don't get distracted (more difficult than it may sound).

The only concern I have these days is how I differentiate between Light and Dark versions. Caves are, of course, dark, so I've been sorta going with a pleasantly bright purplish palette for the Light versions and a somewhat subdued bluish one for Dark versions. This purple one (above) may not seem 'light' to anyone (at least compared to the Dark one), but somehow it does feel more.. 'daytime' than the alternative. Does any of that make sense? In short, it feels right, but maybe that's just me.