Gragnak Gloryface - Ragged Flag Chieftan

Goblinoid boss from the Gabbler's Ford battle.
Thanks to +Gus L for the suggestion.

Location concepts

Nestlebrook, an elfkin hamlet.
Where Featherfoot and Toothskin spend their youth, until the events at Gabbler's Ford.


Gazgarth, the Smog Metropolis.
Where elfkin become seduced by a dark path.
 
Yurruq, the City of Mages
Home to the necromancer Dol Athar, and where our elfkin's fate is decided. 

 

Design notes for next iteration:

Nestlebrook: Make the setting more visually interesting, look at terrace farming for inspiration. The hamlet's name suggests it could be tucked into a valley so terrace farming makes perfect sense.

Gazgarth: Keep feel distinctly medieval, try not to get sucked too deeply into the steam punk aesthetic. Have avoided classic bird-beak plague masks but might relent.

Yurruq: The more powerful the wizard the more their physical appearance will have been ravaged/altered by exposure to magical energy. So Dol Athar, a once mighty sorcerer, would be incredibly disfigured/distorted - revisit the initial design!

Scene development: The battle for Gabbler's Ford

At Gabbler's Ford we met the foe,
The fearsome northern hordes,
They thought to feast upon our bones
But bit down on our swords.

Unknown Elfkin Bard

My unstructured scene development process
1. Read/develop/interpret basic script outline.
2. Rough out storyboards to identify key characters, objects, settings and action sequences. Opportunity to think about visual storytelling.
3. Develop characters, props and environment reference. Be prepared for production!
4. Enhance. How might one enrich the mood/purpose of the scene? with lighting, framing, etc..
5. Repeat/iterate. Destroy/create.


Initial sequence
 
Concept development

 

Original mood sketch

Design notes for next iteration:

I decided to make it snow! Weather will be used to visually differentiate past events from scenes set in the present day... but shouldn't characters now be dressed appropriately? Hats, scarves & elfkin mittens. Breath visible on cold air.

Goblinoid chieftain is boring/generic... make him memorable. What's his weak spot? Special weapon? Don't waste the creative opportunity. Any ideas guys?

Better integrate the environment into the scene. Use the setting, make it so the events could only happen in this specific location. Troops fighting in the icy water, the makeshift bridge should be a centerpiece for the sequence. Blood in the snow.

Goblin Glue

Goblin glue (goo or paste) is the viscous liquid resulting from the reduction of goblin blood. The glue intensifies the goblins remarkable ability to heal and fight infection. With a generous dollop of glue even severed limbs can be reattached and fully operational within minutes.

The Battle Butcher
The goblin battle butcher armed with only a cleaver, bucket of goblin glue and his superior anatomical knowledge (amounting to knowing how many limbs a goblin ought to have!) is able to splice together combat ready warriors from the recently dead and grievously wounded. The unpredictable shapes and awkward gaits of these abominations as they shamble into battle is such a perturbing sight it has even drawn comparison with the choreography of Dwarven ballet .

Human consumption
Goblin goo is not the exclusive preserve of goblinkind. Many seasoned dungeon delvers have prolonged their adventures by resorting to its incredible regenerative powers. Its over-use, however, can lead to some undesirable side effects (or goblinisms):

1) Dislike for bright light, compensated by superior darksight.
2) Ability (and desire!) to eat rotten meat/carrion/feces without ill effect.
3) Stench of the unwashed, the emission of the distinctive goblin odour (which attracts the unwanted attention of their natural predators... gulp worms et al)
4) Distortion of noses, ears, limbs and... other appendages.
5) Development of psychotic tendencies and/or malicious sense of humour.
6) Flatulence.

 

The Stadium of Strife

Dungeon delving can be a tedious, lonely occupation. Often with only an ancient map for guidance, would-be dungeoneers might spend a large portion of their careers wandering distant and treacherous locals in the hope of finding an untouched lair. So unlikely is it that these treasure maps ever bear fruit that it is now widely believed that their creation was simply a deception of an entire generation of pernicious cartographers.

This has lead to adventurous types seeking pursuits with more immediate rewards. The Stadium of Strife provides one such opportunity, allowing competitors to win fame and fortune in a single day.

One of the contest's delights is its ability to produce unexpected winners.

D&D illustration revisitation

Bitemites

Bitemites glide from branch to branch where they extract tree sap from the veteran trees of the forbidden forest. When their storage pouches are full they return to the nest with their harvest.

The bitemite's needle-like fangs secrete an anticoagulant to help extract the thick tar-like sap of the indigenous forest trees. This chemical converts the sap into a sweet energy drink, a rare source of nutrition in an environment where most biomatter is toxic or carnivorous. An adventurer in need of sustenance would do well to snare a 'loaded' bitemite and feast on its nutritious cargo. But beware, these insectoids are never far from their kin who will attack en masse if their is a perceived threat to the colony.

Once a firm bite has been established the mite injects the anticoagulant into its prey, the tar sucking reflex then kicks in. A latched mite will jettison its body (thus killing it) to prevent any previously collected sap being contaminated. A swarm of bitemites can drain humanoid sized prey of blood in a matter seconds.


Other bitemite bi-products
1) Needle teeth used for climbing claws.
2) Anticoagulant applied to stabbing/cutting weapons to spur blood loss from inflicted wounds (a fave of the death blossom clan).
3) Sap-juice can possess other beneficial/unexpected properties, depending on the source tree.
4) Chitin skulls can be fashioned into attractive ashtrays, lampshades or codpieces.

Work-in-progress...

Figuring out development/production process

Twine source file

Secret-sauce-conversion

Assets store

A cyclopian eye for lunch

Featherfoot - development sketches

Uncouth, impecunious, stubborn, spirited, humorous, direct, dexterous.