January Entry: Thannergos azan kel-Telormar !

[Redrobes]

This Dwarven metal merchant wants to impress. A marble tablet with lapis lazuli and malechite inlaid with gold and mithral with a few precious gems to add spice and show that he lives beneath the fiery mountain where the forges melt and the hammers toll.

The road leads from the lapis inlaid sea, beyond the human city marked with the sapphire and turn left at the black obelisk.

Its a well known fact that all Dwarven roads are paved in gold but this one ends in Mithral doors with emerald handles.

[Gamerprinter]

Great idea! A stone invitation seems very appropriate - I just feel sorry for the delivery boy carrying the invitations!

3Dish - cool stuff.

[Redrobes]

He would send one invitation per messenger... and a trusted one at that ! I would think it would actually be a small band with each invite heading towards the other Dwarven kings and warlords who no doubt would return with a contingent of their best warriors. So he would probably only need a dozen or so in total, giving him a chance to go a bit overkill on each.

[The Cartographist]

Redrobes - Great entry. I especially like the fact that you've attempted to depict an actual object. The 3D aspect is really cool.

Don't know if you consider this a WIP or not, but I would suggest a couple of things:

1. The tecture of the various materials look good, but the gemstones (particularly the dark gray stone) seem to float above the tablet vice being embedded in or placed on it. If there is a way to fix that, I think that it would be worth your time.

2. To my eye, everything looks "real" as if I could reach out and touch it--with the exception of the marble itself around the edges. It looks less than real. Again, if there is a way to fix that, I think that it would be worth your time.

With both of those being said, even if you didn't make either change, it is a tremendous entry.

One question: Does the text translate? I assume that it does, since it looks like you've used Norse runes. Care to translate for us, or do we need to do it ourselves?

[ravells]

Really clever and well executed concept, Red Robes! I too would like to know the translation of the invite!

[Redrobes]

1. The tecture of the various materials look good, but the gemstones (particularly the dark gray stone) seem to float above the tablet vice being embedded in or placed on it. If there is a way to fix that, I think that it would be worth your time.

Very astute ! The whole thing was rendered in a 3D package except the gemstones which were from a collection of icons so I just nicked them and put them on top. You can also tell because the specular highlight is in different directions. So your are right they are floating ! I probably have the originals in the 3D format so I'll have to see whether I can stick them on top in the 3D app and rerender it. I was going to have a little movie of it tilting and sparkling like Robs avatars but because of the gems I could not so if I do this then I could try that.

2. To my eye, everything looks "real" as if I could reach out and touch it--with the exception of the marble itself around the edges. It looks less than real. Again, if there is a way to fix that, I think that it would be worth your time.

That might be the lighting. I'm using many lights with soft shadows for an outdoor look but it might work better with harder shadows. Perhaps it needs some bump mapping to bring out the texture of it. Because its perfectly flat the steps all render to exactly the same shades and then you cant see those steps so well. Maybe ill pick a different marble texture too. Something stronger with white and black seams running through it.

With both of those being said, even if you didn't make either change, it is a tremendous entry.

Thanks, I thought my last one was too dull so I brightened it up a bit this time.

One question: Does the text translate? I assume that it does, since it looks like you've used Norse runes. Care to translate for us, or do we need to do it ourselves?

Oh its just English done in runes. I reckon it would spoil the fun if I translated it too early !

[Robbie]

Another nice entry yay! I like the colors a lot...I agree with the comments on the gemstones though...If you need any gemstones modelled, I have a bunch that I've already done...But I don't know if that would be considered cheating...hehehe, never considered that.

I also think the gold roads don't look as gold as it should...I think its probably like a rippled effect? maybe you should change it to more of a polished gold to get the effect across better.

[RPMiller]

The doors make the mountain look like a face with a long beard.

[Redrobes]

Couldn't find those gem models or the site that I got the original shapes from so I added some retaining nibs to hold the gems. Also changed marble and light sources to enhance the shadows. I lowered the bump mapping on the gold. I kinda liked the original one. It looked very archaic but it was a little coarse.

[Redrobes]

The doors make the mountain look like a face with a long beard.

Orco from He Man ?