Shape the ground

Mountains come from ranges, peaks and mountain zones; the gentler shape of the land, its hills, valleys and plateaus, you paint with the sculpting brushes.

Mountains first

Draw the big features as shapes, since they come with rock, snow and character of their own:

• Range (M): a chain of mountains along the ridge you draw. Pick rolling hills, rugged mountains or alpine peaks, and its rock colour.
• Peak (P) and Volcano (O): a single mountain.
• A Zone of mountain area or hilly ground for broad uplands, and cliffs for sheer drops.
• Pass (G) cuts a way through, so a road or river can cross.

Then sculpt

The four Sculpt brushes paint the ground's height directly:

• Raise (A): click for a hill, drag for a ridge. Another stroke builds it up further.
• Lower (D): takes raised ground down again, or rolling hills down to the plain for a valley floor.
• Flatten (F): levels the ground to the height where you start the stroke, for plateaus and terraces.
• Smooth (N): softens bumps and steps.

Each brush has a size ([ and ], or the slider under the tool) and a strength. Raise, Lower and Flatten reach each spot only once per stroke, so going back and forth doesn't pile the ground up; start a new stroke to build it higher. Smooth keeps working as long as you move over the ground.

What the ground always does

• It falls away to the coast, so land never ends in a wall at the sea (unless you draw cliffs).
• It lies level under lakes and towns.
• It never goes below the plain: Lower stops there.
• High ground lies under snow above the world's snow line, set in the World tab, whether it's a mountain or sculpted.

Rivers follow the ground

Traced rivers (River → Trace, W) and routed roads (Road → Route, E) work out their way from the heights: rivers run downhill, roads take the easiest ground. Shape the land first and they'll follow it.