Cyrodiil Creatures

Any province related discussion not fitting into other categories
User avatar
R-Zero
PT Modder
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:50 pm

Post by R-Zero »

Infragris wrote: Can you see if the text says anything else about animal life or vegetation in weird-Cyrod (gilas)?
Quick search only shows gilas mentioned in passing:
The Governor tolerates the nomads, but not
only because he fears them. I have heard
that he fancies himself a hunter, and has
been seen traveling with their war parties
out in the jungles beyond the scrub plains.
Protected, of course, but there with the
Kothringi, hunting after glass chupacabras
or imported Gilas. The Governor admires
something about the nomads. Perhaps he
admires them because that they hate him so
much.
May a thousand Gilas take you.
So, Gilas are not a native species?

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

Could mean imported from Cyrod-prime or whatever that was all about.

User avatar
Saint_Jiub
P:C Council Member
Posts: 448
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:44 pm

Post by Saint_Jiub »

Infragris wrote:If the goblins were imported by Altmer, it would make sense for Durzog to be found in the Summerset Isles, not Cyrodiil. We've already replaced all goblin weapons and furniture statics for being too Morrowind-styled, so I don't see why the Durzog would be an exception just because it would be convenient to have an extra creature in the list (which already have more creatures in them than most vanilla lists). Tribunal features wild durzogs as well as trained ones, which implies that they are locally sourced. Besides, I don't think they fill a niche: with things like wolves, hawk-hounds, griffins and Land Dreugh, the market for quadruped aggressors is well-catered for.

I like the water-wolf concept, it fits well with the Niben riverlands environment and breaks the crab/reptile theme of most shore-based critters. Maybe something name it something like Marsh-Wolf or River-Wolf? The name doesn't feel right just yet. We would also have to take care that it does not look too otter-like, that might be weird.

Griffins should definitely be included, but maybe under a different name: Gryphon, Alphyn, Alce, or Keytongue are all traditional names for griffin-like creatures.

River Drakes: yes, definitely.

I always imagined Coutals looking like those wolf-hounds from Dishonored: hyena-like wolves with an almost crocodile-like face structure. We can take some inspiration from the old concept in fur patterns etc, but it shouldn't look too cat-like. According to their origin text, Kothringi nomads used them as mount, a bit like a Warg. The wild versions should be big enough to ride around on. Also, the same text makes mention of poisonous Gilas, which I am greatly in favor of including in the southern marshes.

Have you considered a kind of Echidna creature? As beaked mammals, they would the bird theme well. Maybe a low-level alternative for the rat.

Tantha, Wormtongue: are there concepts for these?

PS: we have a region discussion thread here. If you want to amends region names or descriptions, please bring it up here.

EDIT: we should also add snakes, I know of a couple of halfway decent models.
Oh yeah, the creature names aren't final by any means. Thank you for the link to the regions, I was going off of one of the older maps in the Cartography thread (for some reason I can't see the new ones) so I didn't realize the names were outdated. I'll fix that with the next version.

My thought with coutals is that we're going to have a lot of work ahead of us as far as modelling/animating creature goes, so I'm looking for ways to consolidate. Neofelis Cyrodii was one of the first critters that Revenant drew, IIRC, long before I joined the team, but it's always lacked a good "common" name, and coutal fits pretty well I think. Plus, the notion of the Kothringi milking giant domesticated leopardesses is exactly the kind of weird and off-kilter that I'm looking for in our creature design.

I wasn't sure about the name for the water wolves, I originally did have river wolves but it got monotonous with river-drakes IIRC, and the Spanish name for those otters is alternately perros del agua or lobos del rio. I'm not sure what I would change about their appearance tbh except for maybe fur colour/pattern (I like the idea of weird, bright furs for Nibenese creatures - Neofelis had a maroon/magenta hue to its fur in the original concepts and that's always stuck with me) - giant otters basically already look like something out of a fantasy game in my opinion lol.

The Tantha is another Revenant concept, though I think it originally came from TR's Hammerfell artbook (speaking of which, we really need to figure out if we're going to have the man-tiicor critter mentioned in this art as well):
Image

The Wormtongue is one of mine, letter E in this concept art:
Image

Built like a cross between a gazelle and a capybara, the Nibenese have domesticated them for use as lightweight pack beasts in the marshes where Colovian donkeys and horses would get mired. They eat the rust ants that build their nests along the riverbanks, so the largest plantations always have at least one, if not more, ant farms that they maintain on their properties.

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

Thinking about it, I'm not entirely sure I like the idea of mixing the Neofelis concept into the Coutal. First, the unchanged concept has merit: a hostile predator jungle cat is a logical addition to the jungle roster. As a domesticated creature, it doesn't fill that niche as well. Second, by mixing it into the Coutal we risk making another mix-n-match critter in which the discrete elements of each inspiration are very obvious (my problems with this approach have been discussed at length earlier in this thread). From a stylistic point of view, I think a camelloid horsedog would be preferable over a catlike one (though I admit that's subjective).

Wormtongue: this would also need a name change to avoid LOTR-themed shenanigans. I like the concept, but I think it might be better without the pack animal angle: the Coutal pretty much fills the same role, and it would be logistically difficult to feed such a creature. A domesticated ant-eater as a source of meat or milk, like other cattle, feels very fitting to the setting and would make their dependence on nearby ant hills a feature. Quest idea: a Niben noble asks you to destroy his neighbor's ant hills, in order to destroy his herd.

On a more general note, I think donkeys and horses should be about as common in the Nibenay as Colovia, similar to cows and bulls. It feels like tokenism to give the Nibenese a bizarre alternative to every Colovian creature. For the Nibenese, who depend on their waterways and tend to avoid land-based travel, to develop multiple pack-animals unique to their culture seems counter-intuitive. We also know from history that cows, horses and donkeys have no problem adapting to tropical ecosystems that are foreign to them (think of their role in South America, for instance), so it makes sense to have these versatile, domesticated creatures spread throughout the Imperial province. I also think it makes a thematic sense: the Colo-Niben split is not absolute, and both sides have more in common than what divides them. This should reflect in their material culture.

Rust ant/termite hills should definitely be harvestable containers in the Nibenay, by the way.

About the water-drakes: according to the PGE 1, Cyrodiil's dragons were imported as mounts by the Akaviri, which does kind of explain why First Empire and Ayleid stuff makes no mention of them.Would these be distinct creatures from the proposed water serpents inhabiting the Rumare, or do you see them as different beings?

User avatar
Saint_Jiub
P:C Council Member
Posts: 448
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:44 pm

Post by Saint_Jiub »

Just to clarify, I wasn't talking about mixing and matching it, but proposing that "coutal" would refer to a large predatory jungle cat, which has also been domesticated (I've messaged Revenant on his art blog to see if he still has those old concepts - he had drawn a domesticated/pet version as well). I'm just not super inspired by T:C-I and I'm not sure how much we should actually draw from it - MK, especially his more recent work, seems like he has a tendency to use non-western cultural markers as a way of quickly/conveniently conveying exoticism - instead of getting into all the ins and outs of Ashlander society, he puts them in yurts and calls their leaders khans and we basically get the gist - similarly, if I was a gambling man, I'd be willing to bet that he only described them as camel-like in order to make the reader think of images like this:
Image

If we're going to keep them in in whatever form we settle on, though, then I agree with you on the pack animal angle for the wormtongue. I don't personally agree on the LOTR angle, though, I just translated the latin name for anteaters - vermilingua, into English. Glad you like the rest of it though!

In general, I don't disagree with your third point generally speaking but horses aren't built very well for jungles and swamps - they're too big, too heavy, and too easily stuck - they're adapted for open plains and grasslands. Wild cows and domesticated pack mules are fine though, though they'll likely require additional texture work - it's not about making a weird equivalent to every critter for me, but for making sure that they and the world fit logically together.

We need at least one more birdlike creature I think - echidnas are a good inspiration, probably for the upper highlands, I'd also like to do something similar to a platypus to round out the river creatures for Nibenay (equivalent to an amphibious rat). On river-drakes, the PGE seems to make a distinction between the Red Dragons of Akavir and the river dragons of Rumare, so to me it seems like the river dragons are something native to Cyrodiil. Depending on the day, I flip flop between it being more similar to an alligator:
Image

Or a serpent:

Image

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

Honesty time: I feel incredibly disturbed by the idea of leopard milk and will protest any design that involves it. I see your point about the Coutal's inspiration. Perhaps we should just drop the camel angle entirely. In fact, let's put a pin in this concept for now: we have the basic gist of what this creature is and how we're going to use it, but its visual implementation is not a priority as of now.

Wormtongue: why not go for Vermilin or Virmilin in this case? Creative abuse of Latin is hardly a problem for the Imperials.

River-Drake: I would go serpent every time. A second, crocodile-like creature with an Argonian connection would be appropriate to haunt Blackwood.

User avatar
Saint_Jiub
P:C Council Member
Posts: 448
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:44 pm

Post by Saint_Jiub »

Hahaha okay I concede the point on leopard milk. For now :twisted:

Update time, I've added a "bestiary" section at the beginning with descriptions of some of the less obvious critters, also fixed the place-names and changed some of the creature names around, and added the Heartlands below:
Spoiler
Colovian:
=========
Fyn: A small, domesticated alphyn, serving as hunting dogs and companion animals for the Colovian nobility.
Image
Alphyn: Avian predator (top left in the below concept), primarily nests in the northwestern cliffs of the Highlands but can travel as far east as the Massiquerran Forests in search of prey and can easily fly carrying a full-grown deer.
Image
Tantha: A timid creature living in the Gold Coast and lower Highlands where it makes its nests underground. Primarily eats small insects, fruit, and leaves.
Image
Cardoon: Northern relative of the tantha, it has adapted to a relatively more dangerous environment by evolving a spiny hide and sharp claws with which to ward off would-be predators.

Nibenese:
=========
Virmilin: Domesticated farm-beast of Nibenay, it is well-adapted for traversing swamps and dense jungle and feeds on the rust-ants that build their nests in the rich red soil of the riverbanks. Most plantations will devote a corner, far from any inhabited structure, to these ant colonies in order to feed their livestock. Letter E in the below concept.
Image
Neofelis: Large jungle cat of Nibenay, though of no relation to the tigers. Prized as pets by the Nibenese nobility, though they can never be entirely tamed.
Koupi (plural "koupii"): Giant otters of Nibenay, colloquially referred to as "water wolves" by the locals for their tendency to prey on farmers' newt herds (and rarely, the farmers themselves).
Coutal: Pack-beast originally domesticated by the Kothringi, a practice which was taken over by the Nibenese peoples after the Knahaten Flu all but wiped out Cyrodiil's population of the tribe.
Makon: Eastern relative of the tantha, adapted for life in the rivers. A naturally powerful swimmer, when it is trapped or injured by predators like the koupii or river-drake, it can deliver a powerful toxin from its claws or barbed whiskers.
Domesticated (Colovian Settlements)
===================================
Cow/Bull
Horse
Goat
Donkey
Fyn

Gold Coast/Gilded Foothills
===========================
Dry, arid scrublands, primarily consists of small omnivores and aquatic life with sparse packs of mid-size predators. Herds of wild horses can be found around sources of fresh water, which draws the attention of larger wolf packs. The resource-parched wastes between major landmarks are dominated by the goblin tribes, whose squabbles for territory only draw Imperial ire when they come too close to a population center.

Tantha
Rat
Wolf
Seagull
Horse
Lamia
Passive fish
Moon Crab
Slaughterfish
Dreugh
Land Dreugh
Goblin
Durzog

Colovian Highlands/Barrowlands/Kvetchi Pass
==============================
Vast savannah, with herds of mid-size/large herbavores ranging for grazelands and fresh water, stalked by the apex predators that rely on them for sustenance. Further north, the landscape transitions to rocky cliffs more suited to sure-footed and hardy goats and donkeys than herds of wild horses. Minotaur clans are primarily clustered around the ruins of Sancre Tor, but scavenging and hunting parties can be found far to the south and west, and are best avoided by adventurers lest their remains be added to the clan-treasures.

Horse
Deer
Bull/Cow
Goat
Wolf
Mountain lion
Alphyn
Minotaur

West Weald
==========
This region shows the most Imperial influence on its landscape, leaving few untamed spaces for monsters to flourish. Packs of feral hawk-dogs, and disease-carrying rats and petty trolls are the worst nuisances on the surface, while the sewers have been all but overrun by one or two of the more ambitious goblin tribes.

Deer
Fyn
Rat
Petty Troll
Goblin
Durzog
Wolf
Passive Birds

Massiquerran Forests
================
Beneath the shade of the great oaks, a vibrancy of life and biodiversity flourishes. Deer and small game abound, as well as larger predators, and while the fauna is rarely desperate enough to come after humans, the ever-vigilant presence of the forest's spriggans still makes hunting a risky venture. The southern minotaur clans are less hostile than their northern cousins, and will even engage in trade with clan-friends, though their trust is hard-earned.

Deer
Rat
Boar
Squirrel
Petty Troll
Wolf
Fyn
Alphyn
Bear
Spriggan
Minotaur
Passive Birds

Domesticated (Nibenese settlements)
===================================
Newt
Vermilin
Carnelian Snail
Ancestor Moth
Neofelis (pet)
Donkey

Ruma Floodlands
===============
The marshes of Rumare are said to be the meeting point of Colovia and Nibenay, but the environment is decidedly Nibenese. Certain bold members of the Colovian fauna can still be found picking their way through the region's driest areas, as well as certain Nibenese predators willing to leave the shores, but the region's most successful wildlife are those adapted for both land and water.

Troll
Petty Troll
Deer
Vermilin
Bull/Cow
Boar
Bullfrog
Wolf
Newt
Water Wolf
Passive Birds
Passive Fish

Heartlands
==========
A discussion of Heartland ecology must begin with that old warning: "Here there be dragons." The serpentine river-drakes rule the Rumare even as the Emperor rules from his Isles, while Akaviri red dragons patrol the skies above. The wildlife here is adapted to surive in these conditions, either small enough and well-camoflagued to escape notice, or else nocturnal so as to go about their business unchallenged.

River Drake
Red Dragon
Bullfrog
Newt
Deer
Boar
Passive Birds
Passive Fish

Ora Demergatur
==============
The flood of the eastern shore did more than wipe out the Imperial villages there, it also devastated the natural ecosystem there in ways that it may never fully recover from. The odd scavenger can be seen picking through the ruins, and stick-legged birds hunt for what few fish can survive in the murky waters, but little else can survive here.

Troll
Petty Troll
Rat
Mud Crab
Slaughterfish
Passive birds

Serican Woods/Valley of Altars
=============================
The dense jungle is home to more species of bird and moth than one could count in an Altmer's lifetime - however, the rivers are home to Nibenay's true biodiversity. Shy plant and insect eaters dart to and from the water's edge, mindful of the predators who stalk both the treeline and water's edge.

Passive birds
Ancestor moth
Vermilin
Boar
Deer
Newt
Koupi
River-Drake
Moon Crab
Slaughterfish
Neofelis
Spriggan
Will-o-wisp
Troll
Petty Troll

Serican Woods (Interior)
=======================
The usual chatter of bird and petty troll fades away the moment one crosses into the dominion of the tigers. It is known that the dragon-cats cultivate populations of certain prey animals, but a complete listing of the species here is made impossible by the strict prohibition against entering these woods without the express permission of both Emperor and Elder Council.

Tiger
Deer
Cow/Bull
Ancestor Moth

User avatar
Ted
Forumite
Posts: 95
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2016 4:25 pm

Post by Ted »

Possible wolf can look like this
Image

User avatar
R-Zero
PT Modder
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:50 pm

Post by R-Zero »

Found a couple of Alter-Cyrod creatures mentioned in the Betrayal:
The southeastern Bogdom of Rogon and it's silver plated men have attempted to evade the Union with their saurian war-beasts numerous times, but have failed thanks to the will of the gods and Celediilon perseverance.
Silver plated men? Southeastern? Kothringi, perhaps?
Since the Celediilon woodlands are inhabited by a great deal of dangerous creatures (such as the dire wolf and the river salamander) that terrorize their kingdom, Cuhls are expert hunters and trackers.

User avatar
Saint_Jiub
P:C Council Member
Posts: 448
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:44 pm

Post by Saint_Jiub »

I feel like direwolves would be more appropriate for Skyrim honestly, they're rocking that prehistoric vibe with the mammoths and sabrecats. Predatory river salamanders are interesting, but they kinda fill the same niche as the otters we've been discussing, and with newts and bullfrogs, I think we might be good on amphibians.

The description of a "saurian war-beast" is good though - it fits right in with what Infragris was saying about a crocodile-like monster for Blackwood.

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

Predatory river salamander = Gila? Come to think of it, the crocodile and Gila concepts can probably be merged. They fill the same niche. Look at this hide, by the way.

User avatar
Saint_Jiub
P:C Council Member
Posts: 448
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:44 pm

Post by Saint_Jiub »

That's cool, we definitely need to use that patterning somewhere :mrgreen:

Infragris, what do you think of the name changes I proposed up above? I trust your instincts when it comes to the linguistic stuff more than I do myself.

User avatar
Saint_Jiub
P:C Council Member
Posts: 448
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:44 pm

Post by Saint_Jiub »

That's cool, we definitely need to use that patterning somewhere :mrgreen:

Infragris, what do you think of the name changes I proposed up above? I trust your instincts when it comes to the linguistic stuff more than I do myself.

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

About the names:
  • Fyn sound a bit flat, maybe consider something like Fynna or Fynneth? Also, what would the plural be?
  • Cardoon reminds me too much of Ayleidoon or Altadoon: high Ehlnofex is probably not the best language base for common creatures (except maybe as names for the tigers, have to remember that). Maybe replace it with Morla or Mortha? I like Makon, though.
  • I think we both agree that Neofelis has to go. I would propose something like Nefar, Nepher or Napher. We don't really have a Nibenese vocabulary yet, so anything goes.
  • Koupi: not sure. I think there is something missing in it, but I can't think of any suggestions. I would drop the Water-Wolves moniker, though. The double W makes it sound off, especially for a vernacular thing.

User avatar
R-Zero
PT Modder
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:50 pm

Post by R-Zero »

Speaking of Saurian War-Beasts, Morrowind Additions mod by Wormgod (Gary Noonan, a Bethesda employee) features these guys in the Battlespire:
Image ***DEAD LINK***

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

Ehhh. I can see where it's coming from, but Dinotopia is not really what we should be aiming for.

User avatar
R-Zero
PT Modder
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:50 pm

Post by R-Zero »

Infragris wrote:Ehhh. I can see where it's coming from, but Dinotopia is not really what we should be aiming for.
Yeah, I know, it's way too obviously a raptor of some kind. Still, thought it was worth mentioning.

User avatar
R-Zero
PT Modder
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:50 pm

Post by R-Zero »

Found a neat picture of quadruped avians and decided to post, just in case:

Image
I really dig how the forelimbs are done here.
Last edited by R-Zero on Tue May 09, 2017 2:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
TerrifyingDaedricFoe
PT Modder
Posts: 110
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 10:07 pm

Post by TerrifyingDaedricFoe »

That one on the left reminds me of a ground sloth, but obviously sleeker and meaner.
Image

User avatar
Saint_Jiub
P:C Council Member
Posts: 448
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:44 pm

Post by Saint_Jiub »

Image
Updated Minotaur and possible direction for the Minotaur lord - not really sure I like it, the fact that the textures are mirrored on both sides makes the scarring look more ritualistic versus battle-hardened. I'm curious to hear peoples' thoughts.

Had a blast of inspiration and knocked out a concept for a Minotaur chieftain - the Morihayn. Their lineage traces most directly to the Breath-of-Kyne, notably retaining vestigial wings. They adorn themselves with bronze rings and boast them to be heirlooms of Morihaus himself, and covet artefacts of Morihaus, like the Lord's Mail, above all else.
Image

User avatar
R-Zero
PT Modder
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:50 pm

Post by R-Zero »

Looks great! :) And this Morihayn idea is certainly interesting!
Saint_Jiub wrote: the fact that the textures are mirrored on both sides makes the scarring look more ritualistic versus battle-hardened
I think I can fix that. Either by splitting the UV or even better - adding a new texture layer, a detail or decal map specifically for scar texture.

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

These look very good. The winged chieftain is an excellent idea, and I love the way you've implemented it. Come to think of it, we should add a minotaur camp to the eastern Kvatch area.

User avatar
Saint_Jiub
P:C Council Member
Posts: 448
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:44 pm

Post by Saint_Jiub »

Cool, I'll be excited to see what you come up with R-Zero :)

As far as naming conventions go, I've been playing around with Hrafnir's languages and rather than "minotaur lord", what about trebataur, or battle-bull?

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

Trebataur sounds good. It also redefines them more as a warrior-caste, since the Morihayn would now serve as the actual "lord" within a tribe. Incidentally, I was thinking we could rename the red Akaviri dragons of the Heartlands to Rubicator or something like that - to distinguish them from native Nordic dragons and to stay in line with the Daggerfall-Redguard depiction of dragons being very rare, even mythical creatures.

User avatar
Saint_Jiub
P:C Council Member
Posts: 448
Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2015 5:44 pm

Post by Saint_Jiub »

I like Rubicators, you're right that we should differentiate them from the Nordic dragons.

A couple of ideas for more arcane denizens along the lines of minotaurs and spriggans:

Rusalka : Nymph-like spirit native to the Niben River. According to legend, when Alessia was bathing in the river one day, she cut her foot on a sharp rock. Impregnated with her holy blood, the river gave rise to myth-echos after she had moved on, beings of river-water and shore mud resembling beautiful women. Despite their association with the Paravant, they are typically killed on sight for their unfortunate tendency to drown those who get too near.

Man-tiicor : A woodland spirit resembling a black panther with a human head. Associated with Stendarr by the smallfolk, they make their lairs in deep forests and remote caves, though never too far from the farms and small communities where their presence is most needed, overlooked by the Legion's justice. Any villager accused of a crime may be staked outside of the man-tiicor's lair for a day and night holding a cup of wine - if he is innocent, the beast will drink of the wine but otherwise leave him unharmed. If he is guilty of a minor offense, it will spill the cup over his hands, permanently staining them red and marking him as a criminal from that day forth. If he is guilty of a cardinal offense, however, the man-tiicor will kill and devour him.

Ur-Fjyron : Guardian spirit found in Nibenese tombs and moth-cult monasteries, born from the collective will of a cloud of moths and causing them to act as one to deter threats. Through sheer weight of numbers it pins down burglars and other intruders, filling their eyes and mouths with hundreds of the insects until whatever threatened it has been smothered out. Immune to physical attacks, it can only be destroyed by burning or poisoning enough of the swarm that its will is broken, returning them to nothing more than individual moths.

User avatar
R-Zero
PT Modder
Posts: 331
Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 8:50 pm

Post by R-Zero »

Saint_Jiub wrote:Rusalka
This sounds a bit jarring to my Ruski ear :D Maybe if they had a suitable Imperial name instead of just Russian one.
Also, would probably clash with Selkie concept we already have.
Man-tiicor
The idea is great but this sounds more like a Valenwood type of creature.
Ur-Fjyron
Just plain awesome.

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

I like the Ur-Fjyron a lot. Have to agree with R0 though, the manticore seems unsuited to Cyrodiil and the Rusalka feels a bit too close to Lamia territory.

Anumaril
-Banned-
Posts: 81
Joined: Mon Mar 07, 2016 7:06 am

Post by Anumaril »

Love the Ur-Fjyron, perhaps gameplay regarding it may be mixed up with multiple Moth hives having to be destroyed to keep swarms from spawning; but I'm with R0 and Infragris on the Manticore, especially considering ESO has incorporated them with Craglorn already. As for the Rusalka, some alteration of the name may be necessary, but I like the overall concept of Alessia's blood acting as some medium for Cyrodiilic life. We may be able to link them with the Nereid of ESO, who I like to imagine are tied to the Ayleid in some manner, so may suit Cyrodiil rather well. In consideration of water being memory in TES lore, the Rusalka may act as the living memory of the Ayleid within flooded ruins of those who joined with Alessia.

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

I'd prefer not to have the player going around destroying moth nests unless if it results in an angry mob chasing them down. About the other stuff... It sounds really cool and interesting, but it's another one of these high-level beings with ties to the mythos left, right and center - not really part of an ecology, and not something that grounds the setting. In hindsight, Morrowind never really explained any of its creatures origins or nature, making them feel like real things that developed in response to the local biomes and conditions. Guars, Alit or Kagouti aren't descended spirits from the plane of Lem, they're just two-legged reptile freaks.

User avatar
Infragris
Project Administrator
Posts: 1396
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2015 7:51 pm

Post by Infragris »

Coming back to this from a short-term perspective, I'd like to open the the following designs in claims for the Gold Coast/Highlands region:
  • Muskrat: discussion of this was kind of forgotten, but it was a concept that always stayed by me. A bit of retex and slight mesh edits of the basic rat model would do. Normal rats can still be used in interior locations. Advantage: rats are cliche; muskrats would feel new and their fur would fit the GC color palette better.
  • Highlands Goat: I'll try to do those mesh edits, Saint_Jiub.
  • Tantha
  • Alphyn
  • Fyn
  • Deer
  • Minotaur variants: Saint_Jiub, could you post the Trebataur/Morihayn somewhere?
To contend (again) with the last posted bestiary, I argue strongly against including Durzogs and Mountain Lions. The former can be replaced by trained rats/muskrat, the latter by the Neofelis/Napher creature.

Post Reply

Return to “P:C Cyrodiil Discussion”