SANJIESAN LORE / Reader maps
Keep a secret room out of the reader-map labels
Hiding a room drawing may not hide its name in the legend, a link label or the exported filename. For an original mystery location, prepare a reader-facing map deliberately. Keep the author’s full reference intact and inspect the information that accompanies the visible image, not only the room outlines.
State what this edition may reveal
Choose the story moment and list the rooms or relationships the reader already knows. Mark the secret material in the author’s working map, then prepare a separate presentation rather than deleting the full reference. World Anvil’s maps reference describes pins, layers and visibility controls, with availability depending on membership. Whether using a platform or a static image, the author must still decide the permitted reveal; a hidden layer name can itself be revealing.
Inspect information beyond the drawing
Read the legend, labels, captions, alternative text and any linked page titles. Keep accessibility descriptions useful while describing only what this edition is intended to reveal. Inspect the exported filename and thumbnail if they include a revealing internal name. Use a fresh viewing path when possible, because author familiarity makes it easy to overlook a clue that feels ordinary. Do not claim a platform’s private controls have been tested when the exercise only produced a static crop.
Keep the reveal decision with the edition
Save the reader edition with its story-time note and link it to the intact author reference. When the secret is revealed, decide whether to publish a later edition rather than replacing the early one everywhere. Check any article that reuses the old thumbnail. The goal is controlled storytelling, not a false claim that all hidden information is secure. A map edition should reveal what its audience needs while keeping production knowledge traceable in a separate place.