Hail Elyrians!

So, I don't know if you noticed, but there's a lot going on in the studio lately! Domain & Settlement Selection is upon us and a lot of moving parts are coming together. I've actually been personally helping out with the effort where I can, which means I don't have any in-game stuff to share with you today; as one might say when they show up for a dungeon crawl with no gear: I'm woefully underprepared for shiny day!

But, thankfully, there are still examples in that there architecture series you all requested which we haven't gotten to. For example, I don't think we've shown any To'reshian architecture yet, have we? So, let's change that, shall we?

The To'resk have an interesting style, and in that image you can sort of see how Heat is expressing the dual themes of adapting to their biome and their focus on aesthetic. On the one hand, we want to show that the To'rek are artisans but, on the other, there are gameplay elements to building in the various wet biomes where you'll typically see To'resk that have to be shown as well.

So in that image you see the To'resk buildings along with their elevated "foundations" - the stilts or stonework that keep their structures above the waterline.

Of course another element that Heat had to show is the impact of their lifestyle on what they build and where. I sort of love that concept sketch, because it focuses on the fact that the To'resk have a relationship with the sea that very few tribes share.

That was something we needed to consider in our settlement generation algorithms as well. To'reshian ports are likely to be a lot more crowded than other ports, not so much because of the commerce (but that too), as due to the way the To'resk themselves would prefer a home on or near the water. In the biomes that let them build in the shallows, you'll find them there, plain and simple.

Before I go, a standard caveat: these are mostly old images I dredged up from our pre-production phase. That last blocking image is relatively recent though, having been made a few months back to give us a reference target for how to cluster structures when generating a settlement on the shore for To'resk. The materials used and a few impacting systems such as the construction mechanic do mean that the To'resk in game aren't going to live in houses that look exactly like this, but these images still convey pretty closely the aesthetic that Heat and the world building team are working with.

Stay shiny, Elyrians!