Quartz 4

Isaac Knapp

2 min read

Isaac Knapp

A meticulous observer of streets, towers, and tides—who insists maps are only as honest as the people who draw them.

What People Know

Isaac Knapp is the founder and sole proprietor of Knapp’s Maps, a small but well-regarded cartography and survey shop in Valinport. He is best known for producing the most accurate public maps of the city in circulation—clear, practical works that are favored by merchants, sailors, and travelers alike.

He is also the author of the widely circulated Valinport city folio, considered by many to be the definitive guide to the city’s districts, roads, and landmarks.

Reputation

  • Methodical, precise, and quietly opinionated

  • Known for accuracy over artistry

  • Respected by professionals, ignored by politicians

Isaac’s maps rarely flatter anyone—and that is exactly why they are trusted.

Knapp’s Maps

Knapp’s workshop smells of ink, parchment, and salt air. Shelves are stacked with rolled charts, tide tables, and revisions marked in careful hand. He updates maps constantly, noting:

  • Shifting docks and reclaimed shoreline

  • Newly erected walls, towers, and barriers

  • Streets that no longer exist—officially or otherwise

Isaac believes a city is alive, and maps should reflect that.

Personality

  • Dry, observant, and softly sarcastic

  • Intensely curious, but not reckless

  • Dislikes propaganda disguised as geography

He has little patience for exaggeration and none for deliberate omission.

Relationship with Power

Isaac maintains polite distance from:

  • The Crown

  • The Merchants Consortium

  • The High Seeker’s office

He sells maps to all of them—and edits none of them to suit their narratives.

This neutrality has earned him protection… and scrutiny.

Relationship with the Party

  • Will speak openly if treated respectfully

  • Appreciates intelligent questions

  • Notices when people care about details

If asked, he can point out places “the map doesn’t explain.”

Rumors

  • Isaac keeps private versions of his maps

  • He has charted routes not meant to be known

  • His Valinport folio omits exactly one location—on purpose

Player Notes

Isaac Knapp draws what exists.

Not what should exist.

Not what authorities wish existed.

If a place is missing from his maps,

it is because someone worked very hard to make it so.

Graph View