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| Thread: Trolldaeron's Ashan-fitting Sylvan design | |
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matrix123mko
Hired Hero
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posted August 15, 2022 11:18 PM |
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Trolldaeron's Ashan-fitting Sylvan design
The intention of this thread is maybe not as much to imagine full gameplay of a faction. I am more of an artist and I usually think mostly in terms of appearances and flavours, with a bit of story here and there. For this reason, this will be mostly art showcase thread with a bit of storytelling where I find it fitting.
When I was doing this, I wanted to challenge myself to do something in style of Heroes 6. While, of course, designing a faction for a game that has a sequel is a folly, for sure it was a fun one. As you can clearly see, I took a lot of inspiration from scrapped concepts that Ubi used for Heroes 7.
My art style may not exactly fit in the game but I tried my best to at least have it a bit similar. My first goal in this was to keep a coherent colour scheme across the whole lineup. I also aimed to make sure that these new units look apart from other creatures in game in terms of silhouettes and their themes.
The flavour texts are mixtures of lore descriptions from various Heroes games and Ashan Compendium with some of my own additions. My English is not perfect.
So far they are quite rough and not well-rendered but I may clean them up more later, if I find enough people interested in seeing that. Yet then, maybe it would be more interesting to instead add might hero concepts and a townscreen. The latter would be a bit challenging because I have not drawn a townscreen for years. For sure, I will add some updates to this post later.
Let me start
SYLVAN
Might Heroes:
Rangers are the keepers of Irollan, Sylanna's chosen warriors. They are experts with the bow and the sword, wise in the ways of the forest, and able to commune with the beasts of the wild and the spirits of nature. They serve as warmasters, leaders and diplomats.
No atrocity commited against the land goes unpunished. Avengers are rangers who swore oath of vengeance against everyone who had stained their hands with blood of denizens of Irollan. They will not return to their glades until the blood of all enemies of Sylanna returns to the ground.
While other rangers command their armies to protect elven land or fight for vengeance outside of Irollan, Wardens defend those, who cannot defend themselves. They escort the young and the wounded, aswell as countless helpless animals to safety to ensure the future of Irollan and Ashan.
Magic Heroes:
Druid Elders have mastered the magic of the elements and have access to the secret knowledge kept within their caste. These powerful priests of Sylanna serve as pillars of Elven society and spirituality. In times of war, they guide elves, aswell as the forest itself, to defend Irollan.
When holy forests of Irollan are desecrated by profane invaders, Sylanna calls Wrath Heralds to bring justice and cleanse her land from anyone who cannot respect nature. Every tree becomes a deadly threat to anyone who stands against these merciless druids.
While all druids love nature, the deepest love towards all forms of life feel the Preservers. They are not only followers of Sylanna but also disciples of Asha, the mother of all life. On the battlefield, they can call the mighty Phoenix.
Core Units:
In times of peace, the Hunters supply the Elven communities with food, and they are respected for their skills and prowess. Wandering Irollan, they live in harmony with Nature and its unwritten laws. They will never kill a living being without purpose. In times of war, however, they have no compunction about using their talents to strike down enemies from afar.
Huntmasters are dedicated to the defense of the woodland realms and rise to protect them from any invader. Their enchanted bows allow them to shoot two targets before the enemy even knows they're there.
A is a spirit of nature born among flowers or leaves. The type of plant will determine the aspect, personality and powers of the Pixie. Pixies manifest as miniature, childish humanoids, no more than one foot in size. Elves enjoy the company of Pixies, and druids in particular are often attended by several of these puckish creatures.
Sprites have oddly coloured skin, hair and eyes, and they sport wings that look like a firefly’s but are in fact leaves or petals from their associated plant. These wings allow them to fly with great velocity and skill. In combat, Sprites can also spread “Pixie Dust”, a form of pollen that causes the enemy to itch, sneeze and cough, preventing him from retaliating.
Human eye cannot distinguish a root snake from a fallen branch or a vine hanging from a tree. Only after the victim gets into snake's range, it comes to life. It leaps at its prey with incredible speed to grab it with its teeth and entangle it until it loses its breath. Elven Rootweavers learned how to charm them to serve them as pets or loyal protectors.
Druids who dedicated their lifes to mastering their connection with root snakes gain a noble title of Thornweaver. Unlike younger druids, they tame far less obedient and much more dangerous specimens that are covered in poisonous thorns.
Elite Units:
The Wyverns are descendants of flying lizards whose bodies were mutated by Dragon blood during the wars of the Mythic Age. Though Wyverns are smaller than Dragons, they are still rather impressive animals. They have large, bat-like wings, and their body is covered with reptilian scales. The Forest Wyverns found in forests of Irollan are attuned to Earth magic, and possess regenerative abilities.
In the deepest heart of Irollan, due to magic of holy tree of Brythigga, some wyverns mutate further. Because of their golden scales, elves call them Royal Wyverns. Their connection to the element of earth granted them an ability to spit acid that can corrode even hardest armour.
Treants are rare and exceptional forest spirits that appear as large, walking trees. Living embodiments of the force of Nature and growth, they are the protectors and shepherds of all trees, plants and flowers. Their roots grow long and deep, through even the hardest rock.
The life of a Treant can span hundreds, even thousands, of years. Over centuries roots of Mother Treants have grown even longer and harder and their bodies became covered by toxic mushrooms, which poison both bodies and minds of all enemies of the forest.
The Unicorns are spirits of nature, and as such they are sacred to the Elves. They are considered as a totem animal for the whole of Irollan, and it is said that when the last Unicorn will die so will the Elven kingdom and all its people. While the truth of this legend is not known, the Unicorns' shimmering auras do have the ability to shield their allies from hostile spells.
Powerful allies of the Elves, the Ancient Unicorns appear from the heart of the woods to drive away any invaders. Their emerald aura protects friendly troops from enemy magic and their gleaming horns can emit flashes of verdant light that can temporarily petrify the enemy.
Mountain Spirits generally take the form of an animated mineral creature, as though rocks themselves pulled together to form a strange amalgam. These spirits are sometimes found rising up from the heart of Elven cities as they pay tribute to Sylanna, and sometimes accompany the Elves to war. The strongest of their kind can produce earthquakes powerful enough to damage even the most solid buildings and walls.
Mountain Giants are the most ancient of earth spirits. They have grown of emeralds - the most holy minerals of Sylanna's realm. Only the greatest champions of Irollan are able to convince these titans to fight for them but when they finally come to battle, no weapon nor wall nor spell can stop them.
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Alon
Known Hero
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posted August 16, 2022 01:07 AM |
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My big question is, what kind of aesthetic are you going for? For example, this is a faction that lives in the woods - how fashionable is it going to be? How are the unicorns and mountain giants going to look? - for example, I recently got a jigsaw puzzle ofthis unicorn pic and it's much more naturalistic-looking.
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MattII 
Legendary Hero
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posted August 16, 2022 01:13 PM |
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Alon said:
My big question is, what kind of aesthetic are you going for? For example, this is a faction that lives in the woods - how fashionable is it going to be? How are the unicorns and mountain giants going to look? - for example, I recently got a jigsaw puzzle ofthis unicorn pic and it's much more naturalistic-looking.
Oh yes, white horses with horns, like all unicorns in fiction.[/sarcasm]
Personally, I think the 'nature golem' look is actually kind of interesting.
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matrix123mko
Hired Hero
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posted August 16, 2022 02:27 PM |
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I have to agree. I know it is a bit of a retcon on my side but I did not like holy animals of Sylanna being white and using light magic. If they are connected to earth goddess, it is more logical to make them at least earth themed. I could have gone for a less radical move, like just making unicorns brown but I thought that stone horses would feel far more magical and kind of in line with these sun horses of Haven.
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NimoStar
Responsible
Legendary Hero
Modding the Unmoddable
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posted August 17, 2022 07:16 AM |
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Edited by NimoStar at 07:17, 17 Aug 2022.
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Level 6 creature is too close to level 7 creature in terms of aesthetic and colors. Personally I like to tell them apart at a glance.
Same upgraded and unupgraded.
There's a bit too many humanoids to my taste. In fact horse is the only non-anthropomorphic being. Even stone guy and tree girl are just "people but made of X".
Impressive work nontheless.
***
On the other hand I must say, "Ashan bad" 
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Never changing = never improving
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matrix123mko
Hired Hero
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posted August 17, 2022 10:59 AM |
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I think coherence of designs in terms of shape language and colours is fine as long as the silhouette is clearly distinguishable. Look at Inferno, where every single unit, aside from succubus is a red blob but thanks to different shapes they look apart.
I think shapes of my units are different enough. Even though the treant has humanoid top of the body, it has three legs and rather weird arms. The stone giant has silhouette of a gorilla, which also is something more than just stone human.
Having factions full of humanoids is normal in Heroes. For example, Bastion has: human with horse legs, short human, elf human, tree human, horse, human on flying horse and a dragon. Stronghold usually has very humanoid unit sets, with one place for roc of wyvern that is not a humanoid.
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MattII
Legendary Hero
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posted August 17, 2022 10:39 PM |
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NimoStar said:
Level 6 creature is too close to level 7 creature in terms of aesthetic and colors. Personally I like to tell them apart at a glance.
Same upgraded and unupgraded.
I can see that. There's certainly alternatives to the 'white horse with a horn' aesthetic, such as this:
Or this:
Quote:
There's a bit too many humanoids to my taste. In fact horse is the only non-anthropomorphic being. Even stone guy and tree girl are just "people but made of X".
And the Wyvern, you forgot the Wyvern. Oh, and the Pixie/Sprite isn't exactly 'humanoid', as it seems to lack arms.
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ArdentWyrm
Famous Hero
King of the Elder Dragons
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posted September 18, 2022 11:07 PM |
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I wonder if mountain giants are upgrades of mountain spirits.
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Torment is blinding. It lies. Its pollution steals my sense. It promises: destroy everything and the pain will cease.
- Kralkatorrik
https://dragcave.net/user/ArdentWyrm
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MattII
Legendary Hero
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posted September 19, 2022 11:15 AM |
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ArdentWyrm
Famous Hero
King of the Elder Dragons
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posted September 19, 2022 07:59 PM |
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Oh I see the upgrades are under the non-upgrades and look simialar
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Torment is blinding. It lies. Its pollution steals my sense. It promises: destroy everything and the pain will cease.
- Kralkatorrik
https://dragcave.net/user/ArdentWyrm
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MattII
Legendary Hero
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posted September 19, 2022 08:54 PM |
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Yeah, the description for the unit is almost always below the picture, except in that one case, where it's above it.
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matrix123mko
Hired Hero
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posted September 20, 2022 09:17 AM |
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Yes. The upgraded are posted below the unupgraded units.
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MattII
Legendary Hero
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posted September 20, 2022 09:54 AM |
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No, I meant the description for the Mountain Giant is posted above the picture, whereas for every other unit it's below.
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Imser1989
Tavern Dweller
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posted October 14, 2022 07:53 AM |
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MattII said:
NimoStar said:
Level 6 creature is too close to level 7 creature in terms of aesthetic and colors. Personally I like to tell them apart at a glance.
Same upgraded and unupgraded.
I can see that. There's certainly alternatives to the 'white horse with a horn' aesthetic, such as this:
Or this:
Quote:
There's a bit too many humanoids to my taste. In fact horse is the only non-anthropomorphic being. Even stone guy and tree girl are just "people but made of X".
And the Wyvern, you forgot the Wyvern. Oh, and the Pixie/Sprite isn't exactly 'humanoid', as it seems to lack arms.
Great look avtar
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ArdentWyrm
Famous Hero
King of the Elder Dragons
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posted October 27, 2022 10:29 PM |
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well here would be a more humanoid pixie/sprite
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Torment is blinding. It lies. Its pollution steals my sense. It promises: destroy everything and the pain will cease.
- Kralkatorrik
https://dragcave.net/user/ArdentWyrm
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