Saga Mackenzie
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sagamack.bsky.social
Saga Mackenzie
@sagamack.bsky.social
1.7K followers 770 following 280 posts
Fantasy Cartographer, Illustrator and writer. Crit award nominee 2024, ENNIE Award Nominee & Winner (Gold - Uncaged: Goddesses) (she/her). , Discord sagamack

Tags: #cartography
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sagamack.bsky.social
Was reorganising my shelves the other week which naturally led to me giving my Fighting Fantasy books pride of place WHICH LED, naturally, to me feeling the urge to work on a revision/revamped version of a previous Firetop Mountain map I made. So....I did that.

I will probably do more! 🤷‍♀️
A map of the gamebook "warlock of Firetop mountain" showing all the rooms and connecting corridors that can be explored without any specific details to avoid spoiling anything. The border is colourful and decorative, showing an image of the warlock himself, and the red dragon that guards his hideout, curling around the edge of the map and blowing smoke to form part of the border. A decorative rose compass is top right next to a cutaway map of the 'maze of zagor' one of the more confusing and difficult sections of the book. Scattered across the entire map are the six important keys you can discover during the adventure. Finding the correct three will open the chest of treasures at the end of the book, and all of them are places roughly close to where they are found while playing the game.
October 24, 2025 at 8:35 AM
sagamack.bsky.social
My new crow friend (courtesy of The Crooked Moon and @avantris.bsky.social ) now sits behind me, silently looking down in angry judgement at my inability to complete Act 1 of Silksong... 😓
A very grumpy little crow plushy looking down on me and my laptop in silent judgement, perched on the top row of my TTRPG bookcase. (This section is mostly Free League games and stuff like City of Mist). There's also a very flat looking Ludo from Labyrinth plush with a somewhat disconcerted expression, none too sure about his new neighbour.
October 21, 2025 at 8:24 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
A little experiment outside my comfort zone - tried a lil' diorama in a picture frame! I don't think it turned out too badly for a first attempt. Definitely want to try to do some more of these.
The finished diorama sitting on my studio shelf. It's contained within a small shiny black picture frame with a thick simple border about half an inch wide. Full size it's about the size of an a5 piece of paper. The frame is deep and contains a small diorama depicting a ferocious minotaur emerging from some kind of labyrinth. The greek letters for "DEATH" are inscribed in blood above the entrance and surrounded by bloody hand prints. The labyrinth entrance is a flat 2d surface painted with a simple perspective trick for a 3d effect, although it's mostly obscured by the miniature. The minotaur is standing on a rocky base surrounded by grass, rubble and mushrooms as well as a discarded shield, painted with the symbol of a stylised Minoan Labrys. A close up of the same diorama in more artificial light so you can see the details up close, otherwise it's the same as the previous image content-wise.
June 22, 2025 at 9:20 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
My brain was having absolutely NO TRUCK with the idea of doing proper constructive work today, so it's been me and Ba'Lor here for the duration.

Just a wing, his two weapon arm choices and some random bits and bobs to go!
photograph against a white background showing my hand holding up Ba'Lor, an almost complete miniature (not really mini though) of a large demon lord with flesh-tone skin and bony extrusions and tail, and ragged red-black wing membranes. He's still missing one wing and his hand weapon choices which are still work in progress. Front view of the demon lord miniature held up against a white background. in the front view you can see a little bit of the painted lava i've attempted on the base, as well as an environmental orange glow that i've tried to apply to the volcanic rock on which the demon lord is posed.
June 13, 2025 at 3:11 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
it has, admittedly, been A LONG TIME since I've done any logo work but I do have a background in web design and visual communication so I'd be willing to take a crack at it! (even though these days the closest I get is usually character sheets)

smackfolio.wordpress.com
An image showing three different character sheets made as a fan requested project for the Apothecaria solo game. The left sheet contains character details, including a graphical image of a wand with custom parts. The second is a patient records sheet detailing the disease they have and what you need to cure them, and the third is for potions, with space for four different potions represented by illustrations and space for the details which you fill out by hand. they are all black and white line drawn. A patch I made for the game For Small Creatures Such As We. Designed in photoshop and illustrator then converted into a stitched patch. It depicts the arms of a tentacle creature and a human in a space suit grasping each other in solidarity, surrounded by a starscape. A poster I made as an honours degree project - a stylised selection of icons representing the items you should include in a vehicle safety kit, including things like a medical kit, phone charger, flares, warning triangle, pressure gauge, etc. The design is a simple three colour thing, with shades of dark grey, yellow and red. Character sheet designed for the Eldritch Sands 5e sourcebook. It's mostly the classic D&D style sheet but reorganised into a circular design to resemble the HUD of an armoured suit, with the main stats in the centre, fanning outwards to skills and then to tertiary things like HP, Armour class, saving throws, space for skills, etc.
June 11, 2025 at 9:17 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
there's...quite a lot to the 'Caves' package. Though admittedly most of it is terrain and scatter pieces, rather than character minis. Looking forward to getting stuck into this lot properly.
a box containing a whole lot of packaged miniatures from the Dungeons and Laser's 'Caves' crowdfunding project. Mostly these are various cavern terrain pieces, but there is a lot of stretch goal scatter terrain and miniatures included.
June 5, 2025 at 9:47 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
more minis, including the first of the...rather hefty 'Caves' package I just received from Archon!

Two more mimics from the Animal Companion pack, and the Dwarf Queen from Cave's Strech goals (who i've painted up as the main mastermind villain in my Keys from the Golden Vault campaign)
A painted miniature depicting a dwarven noble wearing blue and purple robes adorned with silvery jewellery and a silver crown. She is clutching an elaborate scroll in one hand, while another sits propped up on a stack of books. A classic treasure chest mimic, revealing itself with a large purple tongue, slimy innards and protruding teeth. rear view of a strongbox or safe mimic. From the rear it looks like a regular looking vault box with a combination lock and wheel, painted in a non-metallic blue-grey and gold. From the front the strong box is clearly a monster. A long purple tongue erupts from the container, surrounded by pointed teeth. It also propels itself along on several protruding tentacles.
June 5, 2025 at 9:44 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
also on the hunt for more commissions once again. If you need maps, character sheets or anything inbetween, drop me a PM or email [email protected] and we can work something out!
a non-official character sheet made for a fan of the game Apothecaria. It has spaces for tracking the year as it progresses around the border of the sheet, as well as for customising your witch with a wand, spaces for tools and equipment, upgrades and spare reagents. a 3d map of a mountain city called lichtberg. separated into distinct circular walled districts, the snow around the city is kept at bay by a series of powerful reflective mirrors that direct sunlight into each location, leaving room for farmland and civilisation to thrive. A 2d top down topographical map of a fictional loch in the highlands of scotland, surrounded by a small village made up of a dozen or so scattered houses and farmsteads, with the ruins of a castle looking down over the loch and village from on high. The region is named Auchenschuil. A 2d top down map of a sunken city, held within a dome that protects it from the sea beyond. The city is arranged like a cogwheel with branches in all major compass directions. It appears that the dome has shrunk over time, as the city continues past the magical barrier into abandoned and flooded ruins beyond.
June 4, 2025 at 8:15 AM
sagamack.bsky.social
First post-UKGE mini painted. An absolutely normal vending machine. (From the 'Animal Companions' pack from Archon's Dungeons & Lasers range).
A photo of a painted vending machine miniature with a red front casing. It's glass window is shattered, revealing tiny cans of Irn Bru, Pepsi, Coke and Red Bull. There is a massive purple tongue growing out of the collecting hatch, betraying that this is actually a hungry mimic in disguise! The rear of the vending machine is bright blue, apart from the heat coils that have been painted a hot looking orange.
June 3, 2025 at 4:44 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
I'd like to say I got away from UKGE without straining the ol' credit card over-much.

I'd LIKE to say that.

Buuuuuut....
A pile of goodies purchased at UK Games Expo 2025. Including : Daggerheart, Heart, Golf Quest, an expansion for the solo game Dead Air, An expansion for the solo game Delve called Biomes, two packs of character cards for COLOSTLE, and a whole bunch of miniatures to paint. My favourite being the 24 weird and wonderful animal companions.
June 2, 2025 at 8:47 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
good luck!

I can quit any time I want!
The profile page of my blue prince game, which shows 80+ hours played so far, and 220 days looped. (with some stuff blurred out for spoilers)
April 26, 2025 at 1:17 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
I MIGHT be a little obsessed...send help! 😱
A screen shot of my Blue Prince profile, where you can clearly see that i've played 220 in game days over a total of 80 hours total run realtime. I MIGHT be slightly obsessed with the game.
April 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
Been a rough week for multiple reasons, but putting the most unpleasant aside, I am once again in need of commissions! Anyone in need of cartography of all types, or maybe a character sheet or two, please feel free to get in touch here or email [email protected] for a quote!
A map of the various outer planes of the D&D world, after a vecna related apocalyptic event has struck. Five of the worlds are now void and open to space, while the rest are all either on fire or otherwise have distinctive appearances. A sample page from a custom non-official Apothecaria character sheet, with illustrated line drawings of potions that can be coloured in, with plenty of space for recording potion details. A colour map of the Sylvark Bloom - a dryad-style spelljammer ship made from several magically twisted trees, complete with sheltering canopys and tangled roots. The bottom half of the image is a 3d illustration of the ship, while the upper half has the four decks laid out in 2d. One of the Night Markets from Cyberpunk Red's Black Chrome Book. This one is the interior of an old computer parts shop with tables of retro electronics. A back room has a hacker setup style of computer desk and a grotty little side apartment.
April 23, 2025 at 12:52 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
Genuine question - I had someone suggest this idea to me earlier and was wondering: would there be any interest in a cartography colouring book? That you can both colour for fun, AND use as a functional game tool? (or, just use as B&W print friendly maps)?

Possible space-themed sample attached. 🤔
A black and white line drawing of the Sylvark Bloom - a spelljammer type fantasy space craft shaped out of several trees, with sheltered canopies and dangling roots around each deck. There is both a 3d illustration of the full ship, and several 2d deck plans for each level. A black and white line drawing of a horrible lump of floating space flesh, with a central 3d illustration and several small 2d map sections surrounding it. A few small separate lumps float around filling up some of the white space. The title is : Delve into the Diabolical Sloughed Flesh!
April 22, 2025 at 8:08 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
As much as I lack the enthusiasm right now, the show must go on - I've uploaded the second of my VTT sector map packs to Itch. This time there's 40 space station icons, and a few little extras included. Grab it for a 50% discount for the first week.

sagaillustrates.itch.io/modular-map-...
The contents of the sector map pack 2 are listed here, including 40 themed space stations, four new tech-infused planets and 4 new star sector background images. The title screen for the map pack : titled MODULAR SECTOR MAP Pack 2: Stations. 40 Space stations & Extras for your Sci-Fi TTRPG Games.
April 22, 2025 at 2:23 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
*looks up bleary eyed from laptop*

it is entirely possible Blue Prince has been my main coping mechanism for this last week...
A screen grab of my Blue Prince save file's progress. It shows I've played 154 loops of the game so far, at a run time of 63 real-time hours.
April 20, 2025 at 9:49 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
Arriving on the banks of the Chionthar river..
Esme kneeling, as she investigates an abandoned backpack on the shores of the Chionthar river. From the book of Umberlee prayers, likely one of the unfortunate fishermen lying dead nearby. Joining forces with Shadowheart, the duo take stock of a nearby sealed crypt. Esme surveys the locked entrance while Shadowheart is crouched, looking for a trail up the cliff side. Though it looks like the only way up for us is through the wrecked illithid craft. Taking a moment out of exporation, Esme and Shadowheart stand on a old rotting dock, and look out across the misty waters of the Chionthar into the distance. Somewhere downstream is Baldurs Gate and, hopefully, safety. Now at the top of where they found the crypt, Esme looks back down over the edge at their starting position, while Shadowheart and two more new allies - the suspiciously pale elf Astarion and overly cheery mage Gale discuss how to proceed in the background.
April 18, 2025 at 7:21 AM
sagamack.bsky.social
Well it's been a shitty couple of days but at least I remembered to order a fresh batch business cards in time for UKGE at the end of next month. Should hopefully keep me going for a while.
A selection of newly printed business cards with my details and a couple of character illustrations on one side in a 'hades' style cartoon style. The rear of the cards are all different and show various maps I've made over the past few years, 50 in total.
April 17, 2025 at 12:55 PM
sagamack.bsky.social
Last one for now, more to follow.
Solid ground underfoot again! And familiar territory - a sandy riverbank surrounded by reeds and basked in blue cloudless skies. If it wasn't for the writhing tentacles of the dying Nautaloid ship overhanging everything, it would be a normal summers day on the sword coast. Esme is up first of course, after our miraculous survival, and stands hands on hips surveying the terrain and trying to figure out just where exactly we are...
April 17, 2025 at 7:35 AM
sagamack.bsky.social
We meet a friend. Well...i guess more of a temporary ally. The lighting here was so good, with the dusty light of Avernus cast into this chamber that I couldn't resist taking a quick snap as Esme and our new Githyanki ally rush towards the next exit. Here' Esme can be seen overlooking another torn section of the ship, fleshy musculature hanging like vines and the great tendrils of the Natualoid moving to propel the craft through the sky. In the distance, Esme points out another dragon preparing for another attack. Esme seems quite taken with our second new companion, Shadowheart - rescued from an Illithid pod. Here I capture their first combat team-up where Esme is boosting the cleric's abilities with her paladin might. Shadowheart is surrounded by a swirling mass of magical energy, ready to strike out against some imps. Well, after a few more adventures we forced the ship back to faerun and...well as you can see we find ourselves plummeting to our doom after being sucked out of the craft. Notably we survive of course, but not before I managed to take a quick panicked dramatic image of Esme falling from the alien ship.
April 17, 2025 at 7:33 AM
sagamack.bsky.social
Distracting myself from yesterday's bullshit with a photo tour of the Forgotten Realms...

Accidentally embedded with notable Paladin Esme Fray, all this intrepid photographer can do is try to document the adventures of her and her crew as nonsense happens around them!
We wake up with a double whammy of horror, as Esme - an older ex noblewoman turned paladin - surveys her surroundings : both the interior biological horror of an illithid nautaloid, and the exterior terrors of Avernus, first level of the nine hells. Esme stands between the two, taking in the details with a lot more calm than I am! Here we find an unusual curiosity: viscous blue tendrils of energy that invigorate and renew on touch. A cool blue glow stands out against the intestine reds and browns of the interior of the ship. here, Esme ponders their use carefully before getting closer. A sphincter-like aperture gate slides open for us as we leave the initial chamber. Here Esme is shown for scale as even her stature is dwarfed by this fleshy orifice. The photo sadly can't capture either the quivering movement of the...opening, nor the smell. Oh gods the smell. A little outdoors excursion as we manoeuvre outside for a while, taking in a vista showing Avernus in its full terrible glory. Red Dragons soar through the sky, attacking both Nautioid and avernus natives. Energy weapons in return fire out from the alien craft, causing both of us to flinch. And as always, the smell of burning flesh is everywhere.
April 17, 2025 at 7:25 AM
sagamack.bsky.social
...descending deeper, one might discover the grisly fate of the keeper corpses, placed as part of some long finished ritual, or unearth an empty container that once held some long lost - or hidden - relic. Where these mysteries and clues lead is...well, that's for the players and your GM to decide!
A sample page of the finished adventure location, complete with inserted notes, diagrams of some sort of relic or trinket, and a faux-photograph of a cave system. Some of the actual adventure text is blurred out to avoid spoilers.
March 27, 2025 at 11:11 AM
sagamack.bsky.social
There's not much left of the lighthouse itself but rotten walls and mystery. Why does the blue spectral flame burn cold? Who dug up the corpses of the prior lighthouse keepers leaving only shallow graves behind? Perhaps only the nesting gulls know, and they aren't talking...
A map of the cold-light tower, split across two pages, showing several interconnected levels - the base rocky island leads to two surviving levels of lighthouse tower, and beneath lies a small complex of caves leading to thermal vents and acid pools far below.
March 27, 2025 at 11:11 AM
sagamack.bsky.social
The 'Cold-Light tower' is the nick-name given to what remains of the last crumbling lighthouse on the coastal shipping route known as the Dead Shore, where the great corpse ships of Moray ferry the dead to their final place of rest. The place is shunned now, emitting some odd spectral light...
A section of a larger map of the Inland Sea, showing the East Dales of the southern continent. The area covered by this journal is ringed in red as if someone has scribbled on the map directly, with the word "HERE" marked.
March 27, 2025 at 11:11 AM
sagamack.bsky.social
Got some space for commissions again. Anyone looking for maps, map-adjacent illustrations, character sheets, etc, in any genre, feel free to drop me a PM or email [email protected] for a quote! No project too weird...probably!
a black and white character sheet for The Innocuous. A player class in the game 'oops, all vampires'. It has a background of creepy grinning balloons and a sewn together teddy bear in the foreground. A desert city map in a pseudo isometric style. A green-blue river splits the city down the middle, with both sides nestled in the shadow of a deep ravine leading on to flat desert and spire-like rocks. A map key on the right declares it to be the city of Sombreport. A battle map depicting a ruined temple or chapel, inset with crumbling broken hexagonal cobblestones and intricate stained glass floors, surrounding a raised forge, with hints of molten metal burning beneath on a lower level. the chap is surrounded to the north by a stream or river. A top down map of a fictional Scottish village, Auchenschull, on the shores of Loch Schuil. The map is diegetic, appearing to be an unfolded map sitting on a wooden tabletop. An old fashioned one-handed sword hilt can be seen holding down one corner of the map.
March 26, 2025 at 12:56 PM