Evil Stu Posted January 22, 2012 My Lord Ssilyrrlith, I trust these documents reach you safely and that they find you well. As per your request for more detailed information on the present condition of your territories, I have recently travelled to the Swamplands of Moruth to conduct a census and study of the area. A detailed report has been included in the pouch which my envoy was instructed to deliver, however for your consideration I have also prepared the following summary based on one of the typical fishing villages scattered throughout the Moruth Swamplands. As can be expected the local environment has a large effect on the lives of the local populace. The first thing which one notices is that the locals tend to elevate their structures by driving wooden poles deep within the sandy areas of the Swamplands, and building atop these. This serves two purposes. Firstly, it protects the dwellings and possessions of the inhabitants from the almost constant flooding which occurs within Moruth. Secondly, it also reduces the number of snakes which one may find in their bedroll in the morning. The buildings are built in an open manner to allow what little breeze exists within Moruth to pass through and provide some relief from the constant humidity. Fishing provides most of the food for the local inhabitants, and day and night an assortment of boats, rafts and other improvised vessels can be observed traversing the waterways. Boats, nets and fishing traps are highly prized possessions, and ownership of such objects is as much a symbol of status to these peoples as a pure-bred warhorse would be to an Avalonian. Such goods are always well maintained. The humid conditions and regular rainfall provide for an abundance of vegetation. Regrettably, the majority of this vegetation bears no fruit which can be consumed as foodstuff in the conventional sense. However, many of the elders within the communities are able to draw upon their knowledge of the local plants to produce a wide variety of balms, tonics and medicines which are employed to remedy numerous ailments. The sand which is carried along with the floods tends to bury introduced crops, making the lower lying areas unsuitable for employment for agricultural cultivation. The more highly elevated areas, such as they are, are too small to permit food crops to be grown in meaningful amounts. To prevent the spoiling of foodstuffs a number of preserving techniques are used by the locals, including pickling, salting and smoking of their catch for consumption in leaner times. Many of the villages have small trade posts where extra produce can be bartered with other nearby villages. Indeed, it is not uncommon for traders from distant Kaliphan to brave the long journey to these communities in search of medicines and plant extracts for trade. Such traders are warmly welcomed as the scented oils brought by the Kaliphan merchants are said to dissuade mosquitos and other insects which plague the local inhabitants. Representatives of the Avalonian Trading Company have been known to pass through on occasion, and infrequently, adventurers and treasure hunters from Mitgardia, who sometimes barter their mead and cured meats, both considered delicacies by the locals, for fresh provisions and supplies. As my Lord anticipated, the constant flooding has left the local roads in a severe state of disrepair. In some sections, the road has become so indistinguishable from the local swampland that travellers will know it by means of the slightly more elevated muddy embankment alone. While a case may be made for repairing and rebuilding the roads, I would humbly suggest caution at this time before committing to such a large capital undertaking. As my Lord would no doubt be aware, there are whispers of the possibility of hostilities in the coming months, and as such, major roadworks may place an unwanted strain on the treasury. I also note that with the roads in their present condition, encroaching armies would find their progress hampered should they seek to invade the ancestral homeland of our Lord. My Lord's Host, however, would obviously not be inhibited by the presence or absence of roads and thus would be able to redeploy in a more timely manner than any invaders. I trust that my Lord has found this study informative. Should you seek further clarification kindly send word and I shall make the journey to Abyssian to my Lord's court. Your faithful and most loyal servant, Stetson the Summoner Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kabel Posted January 22, 2012 Now this is what I expected Nocturnus always to look like and I really love it. It really has this swampy feel of Lousiana or places like this. It's quite a shame that people haven't commented on this, but somehow only the great builders like derfel, taz, z etc. here get a lot of feedback. I'm not being jealous or anything here, but I guess builders that are not the big masters yet sometimes also need feedback in order to improve their skills! So once again, nice MOC, great atmoshere, great looking swamp. What it still misses though are the one or the other liana here and there, and maybe one or two more trees. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NiceMarmot Posted January 22, 2012 Really love this MOC; it is exactly what I thought the inhabited parts of Moruth to be like. And the story really helps a lot. Great job! It's great all over, but two parts I think you nailed perfectly are the raised houses and the raised walkway. In the second to last photo one can really see how you used different color brown tiles for the walkway and made them uneven; it's perfect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Teh Stud Posted January 22, 2012 Very nice. This has a great swampy feel to it, and I love the fish turning colors as they are cooked/preserved. It would be cool to see some sort of critter sticking it's head out of the bog. Maybe the collectible mini figs Godzilla costume head? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeyB Posted January 22, 2012 Nicely done. I'M a bit jealous of your Series 6 CMF. I haven't even seen them yet. I also want a few of those mushrooms! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Creator Posted January 22, 2012 Great MOC! I love the atmosphere that's created here! Although not into any of the Guilds, I like to spent quite some time lurking on the Guilds' forum to stare at little gems like this one. Sure, more swampy foliage, a few frogs here and there and perhaps another two trees may improve this build, but yes this really captures the image of a (Nocturnus) Swamp Village. PS, great story too! It definitely kept me interested in the topic to check out all the accompanying photos! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cij Daoke Posted January 23, 2012 Really cool and definetely with the eerie tone that Nocturnus gotta have! Reminded me of the first city that is passed by in Act III of Diablo II Game! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brickmaestro Posted January 23, 2012 I also really like the authenticity of this MOC - like others have said, a wonderful dark swampy feel to it, like a medieval New Orleans. Very nice look on the raised walkways with the varying shades of brown tiles. Nice work! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Maxim I Posted January 23, 2012 I also really like the authenticity of this MOC - like others have said, a wonderful dark swampy feel to it, like a medieval New Orleans. Very nice look on the raised walkways with the varying shades of brown tiles. Nice work! medieval New Orleans??? :p I really like how you did the paths to the huts! Great job also adding a Kaliphlin merchant ^^ Also nice detailing and use of food! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ecclesiastes Posted January 26, 2012 Nice scene! Nice to see some "real people" in Nocturnus besides the drow! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain BeerBeard Posted January 27, 2012 This is awesome! I liked your story for it too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Balthasar Posted January 27, 2012 Great story and well thought through (elevated housing, raised walkway, etc). I always wondered what 'regular' life looked like in the swamps of the darklands. This makes it a lot easier to imagine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Evil Stu Posted January 27, 2012 Thanks all for the positive feedback! Cij Daoke, you are right about the D2 village, although I was actually using Elder Scrolls III - Morrowind more as a reference for the swamp and plants Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Niku Posted January 29, 2012 Great build, this is what I had in mind about you guys, living on places where other men or creatures would not dare, but you somehow achieve success. Good choose of colors and nice combination of characters too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Artanis I Posted January 29, 2012 I saw this last week and I really like it but forgot to post. The sand green plates look great for swampland! I would definitely use those, if I had any. I could order some I suppose. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gabe Posted January 29, 2012 Great work Evil Stu, i've been keen to see some Moruth builds for a while and this one paints a great little picture of ordinary day to day life in Nocturnus. I love the little backstory as well! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hyler Talliwell Posted January 30, 2012 (edited) This looks really great. It gives a good feel to the less evil side of the Guild. Edited January 30, 2012 by Hyler Talliwell Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rogue Angel Posted January 30, 2012 There is so much going on here, I love it! I really like these scenes with multiple buildings, and all the people going about their activities. The boardwalk is great, and I might borrow it in my next Moruth build. I also like the sand green water and the plants. Quality MOC! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
