You can skip to the end if you want. This next paragraph really goes nowhere :wacko
So, early this morning, about 2 AM, I was possessed of the notion that I should make a fictional map of a fictional journey called the Serpent. Serpens in Latin, I think. My original plan was to have the map be composed of 3 separate pieces, Serpens Caput (the Serpent's Head), Serpens Dorsa (the Serpent's Back) and Serpens Cauda (the Serpent's Tail). This would be done all Lord of the Rings style, old-world looking with annotations. After looking up old illustrations of the constellation 'The Serpent', I for some reason decided to make The Serpent Run a Firefly-styled space journey, a la The Kessell Run in Star Wars. I don't know why. It may have been lack of sleep.
Then I decided to redraw the map of the Verse. Also possibly due to lack of sleep...
Here is the end result: a 2' x 3' planar map of the Verse, in vector form, designed for RPG use. By which I mean I fitted the systems to a hexagonal grid. I don't know if the RPG books come with nice, big, fold-out maps, but they should.
You can take this file to your local copy shop and get it printed out at actual size for something like $30. The QMx map is actually cheaper.
Or you can try and break it up onto, say, four 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper and do it at home. Good luck with that. ((Support your local copy shop!))
I suppose you could use this for something besides RPG use, like a poster for your wall or something. Or a desktop background. It's kinda plain, cause all the planets aren't on there. Or any of the planets, really. If you want something super-detailed, buy the QMX map, please.
I just thought this would be nice for table-top gaming.
In case anyone is curious, my hypothetical Serpent's Run would start at the Red Sun, make an illegal gravity slingshot at one of the 'northward' cortex relay stations, avoid the deep space stations, and end up near the Blue Sun / Reaver territory. That's the Serpent's Head - the dangerous half.
Let me know what you think.
-Mike J.