The name
castellan (noun): the keeper of a castle. The one who actually held it, whoever claimed to own it.
That gap between who claims a place and who holds it is what the maps here are about. The official border is one line. Where control really sits is often another, and that's the line we draw, with a source for each part of it.
The shop is stocked like the keeper's war room: maps on the wall, banners on the shelf, pieces on the table and dispatches coming in.
Who makes this
I'm Owen Rudman. I study finance and political science at SMU in Dallas, and most of my free time goes to reading about defense, borders and who controls what. I also study Russian. This started as a map I wanted for my own wall.
What the shop sells and why
Maps first. Every line on them has a source you can check, because a map of contested ground isn't worth much if you can't see where it came from. Around the maps there's apparel, a calendar of what's coming up and a daily game, for people who read the foreign pages before the sports section.
For creators
If you write, post or podcast about this stuff, I'm happy to send a print for review. Every map comes with its source sheet, so you can check it and cite it. You can show the maps in a video or a post as long as you credit Castellan Supply Co. Email me with what you're working on.