SANJIESAN LORE / Vertical maps
A layered city needs visible connections between levels
A city drawn on several terraces can be visually rich while leaving a character no clear way to move between them. For one original scene, map a connection between two levels. The exercise should show where somebody leaves one view and arrives in the next, without pretending the sketch is an architectural or access-safety plan.
Name the views before linking them
Use clear identifiers such as lower street and upper terrace, then mark the same stair or lift connection on both. Give the arrival points matching labels and show which direction a character moves in the intended scene. World Anvil’s map feature reference includes links between maps; the creative requirement here is that both ends of the link describe the same fictional place. A visually impressive floating walkway is not enough if the second map leaves its destination unexplained.
Walk one action through the transition
Start a fictional courier at a doorway, trace the stated connection and place them on the receiving level. Check whether the next scene’s first landmark is visible from that arrival or needs another turn. Keep a small section or diagram if the plan views alone confuse the relationship. Do not add extra passages merely to rescue a rushed scene without checking the rest of the setting. A new route can change who has access to a location and what a later pursuit means.
Keep the connection in both revisions
When moving the stair, update its matching point and any scene note that depends on the old position. Keep the labels readable in a small presentation, using a legend when symbols could be mistaken for ordinary doors. State what remains schematic, including height and distance. The result is a navigable fictional relationship between views, not an approved construction drawing or a promise that an imagined lift can be built.