Dark Meeting....

[ruff]

DOH !!! Thanks for pointing that out. I'll fix it (that's what happens when your thinking about the next part of the story and not the map. )

Trust me I know all to well about that lol.. I have a large ice cavern I am working and I am finding problems each time I flatten the image.. Bad thing it takes 10 mins to flatten and another 10 mins to save it.. LOL yes its huge, I am at the top end of my computer..

[anomiecoalition]

Glad to see the saga continues. Love the map and your attention to detail.

[jtougas]

Calan Stonebridge could not remember a time when he had been more sore. He had spent the last few hours huddled under a foul smelling tarp in the back of a stolen grave diggers wagon. The rough planks of the floor of the wagon had dug into his flesh and the hard ride had given him bruises he was sure would never heal. The roads outside of Riverhewn had been hard packed due to a lack of rain and he swore the driver of the wagon had hit every bump and rut. Finally the wagon had come to a halt. He could hear the sound of rushing water and the rough voices of the driver and the other man. He poked his head out from under the tarp and saw that they had stopped next to a roughly built shack on the banks of the Fler river. Calan knew that this river fowed from the far north of the kingdom and emptied into the mighty Lake Quag to the South. Calan heard a third voice and saw a large man dressed in a dirty tunic and torn trousers exit the shack. He was about to lift his head further when the three men moved to stand next to the wagon. Calan fought mightily against his fear and curled back into the painful ball praying that the men did not discover him....

The 6th installment of the "Adventures of Calan Stonebridge" series. Young Calan finds himself along the banks of the Fler river and as always deep in danger....

I've started this map with the riverbank layout and the road and water. The ground texture is one that I created myself using Genetica as is the water. I've added some shadowing and am currently working on the details of the riverbank before I move on to the shack itself. As always feedback is requested and appreciated

Object Credits:
Rock: Kepli Greytales Nook

Glad to see the saga continues. Love the map and your attention to detail.

Thank you very much. I am glad you are enjoying the series.

[jtougas]

Calan Stonebridge released his held breath in a gasp. The men had decided to go into the shack for a drink before unloading the wagon. He had almost been caught and the gods only knew what these men would have dome to him. He slid over the side of the wagon and onto the ground. He could see the Fler River to one side of him and the rough shack to the other. The road was a narrow track here hard packed due to a lack of rain. He crouched low and moved off to kneel beside another wagon that was parked next to the shack. This wagon appeared equipped for a long road journey as it had stout springs on each axle. Calan could hear the men laughing in the shack and dared move closer for a look. He realized that he was very hungry and the sound of meat cooking was wafting up from somewhere inside the shack. He knew he had to eat, he also knew that he could not be caught. For a moment he was afraid he would starve to death before he saw the completion of this adventure. He shook that fear aside and gathered his courage. He moved quietly to a door in the back of the shack praying furiously that no one saw him...

Worked on this last night. I added some trees and the beginnings of the shack. I'm making more of my own elements in this one as they are things that I am comfortable making myself (IE the cot, the fire place, the dresser) I will of course continue to credit the authors of the pre-made objects that I use. As always feedback is requested and appreciated.

Object Credits:
Shelves: Greytale Greytales Nook
Barrels: r-kelleg Dundjinni
Chest: Greytale Greytales Nook

[jtougas]

I wanted to post an update on this even though my head feels like it weighs 25 lbs. I will update the story tomorrow after I get some sleep.

I added some more details and also added a roof on the shack (the opacity is very low so it is really just a "hint" of a roof for effect) The wagons are not mine but I did modify them to suit my needs. I made a "tarp" for the new wagon to cover something...
As always feedback is requested and appreciated.

Object Credits:
Table: dm142 Dundjinni
New Wagon: heruca Dundjinni
Horses: EvilEmpryss Dundjinni
Original Wagon: Alynnalizza Greytales Nook

[Bogie]

Looking good, the trees are especially nice. The shack is coming along good. If the rafters are not needed for the story line, I wonder if it wouldn't be better without them. If they are needed, then maybe narrower. They are kind of thick and heavy for such a small shack.

[jtougas]

Looking good, the trees are especially nice. The shack is coming along good. If the rafters are not needed for the story line, I wonder if it wouldn't be better without them. If they are needed, then maybe narrower. They are kind of thick and heavy for such a small shack.

Thanks You may be right about the rafters. I think I was going for a "rough hewn" look. Most of the smaller dwellings in the kingdom are made from the plentiful timber that grows along the river (as well as the plentiful rock that the river washes down from the north) The rafters aren't a part of the story (I think I've had Calan hiding in the rafters enough for now... ) So I could remove them. I'll take a look at that and see what it looks like. Thanks for the suggestion.
*EDIT* The one thing that bothers me is the horses. They are a great render but with their heads both pointing in the same direction it looks "off" Any suggestions on how I might be able to fix that?

[anomiecoalition]

Lookin good...I see what you mean with the horses. In CC3 there is a mirror option when placing options - not sure if there is something similar with other programs. Otherwise, I know I downloaded a slew of different horses from the Dunjinni forums. The only other suggestion i would offer is to maybe try to blend in the path with the grass a bit more

[jtougas]

Calan Stonebridge huddled in the shadow of a large tree and devoured a large hunk of bread he had taken from the inside of the shack. He watched and listened as the men loaded large boxes onto the wagon. The horses were fed from feed bags but Calan could tell they were not happy with being left harnessed to to the wagon. He strained to see what was in the boxes but couldn't. Gathering all of his courage he crept to the front of the shack and flattened himself against the rough timber wall. The men were grunting and swearing under the weight of the boxes. One of them spoke "Damn bit of smarts burying these like that." The other men grunted their agreement. The man who lived in the shack chuckled" The tax man don't come around often but it wouldn't do for him to find crates and crates of these weapons now would it?" Calan nearly jumped. "Weapons" he said to himself. What could these men be doing with them all? Calan was sure that their purpose was not an honorable one. He knew he had to be on that wagon when it left. He knew he couldn't hide in the back as the men had filled it to capacity. He crept under the wagon and saw an empty space just under the center spar. He wiggled into position and prayed the journey wouldn't be very long....

I think I'm done with this. I added a "hidey-hole" for the weapons boxes and fixed my horse problem by modifying a harness to fit these horses. I also removed the rafter layer and I think it made a big difference. Young Calan's adventure continues...

Lookin good...I see what you mean with the horses. In CC3 there is a mirror option when placing options - not sure if there is something similar with other programs. Otherwise, I know I downloaded a slew of different horses from the Dunjinni forums. The only other suggestion i would offer is to maybe try to blend in the path with the grass a bit more

Thanks for the suggestion. I fixed the horse problem after a bit of thought and I took your advice about blending the road to the ground.

Object Credits:
Horses: Alynnalizza Dundjinni
Harness: Raven_Starhawke Dundjinni
Sacks & Crates: Greytale Greytales Nook

[anomiecoalition]

really nice...especially like how you created an ever so subtle transparency of the thatched roof of the shack.