[HotW S2 Ep17] Shavronne's Hidden Runic Trove

"And upon the time Shavronne amassed ill-gotten wealth, she sought out a den for which, would shroud her spoils... ...especially from Malachai's gaze. There upon the gardens imperial has she and a select few stumbled upon such. Doedre's riddle held water, after all. Alas, for when she ordered her advocates to investigate, it was revealed the den has a towering custodian of stone surfacing from its pitch-black crevice. With but a flick of its wrist, it has flattened most of her men. The ground grumbles as it climbs out. Yet the golem has no wind in its throat. Infuriated, Shavronne unleashed her might and will, mortalizing the very floors of the precious den, crushing the colossus at its chest. But that seemed insufficient. Shavronne then summoned trees from the depths of Hel... the Zaqqum, to render the unstoppable juggernaut inert. Shavronne grins in arrogant triumph."

"After her spoils were secured, Shavronne lingered. What curiosity these markings on the floor are! Never has she seen such... runes? Utterly outlandish sigils! Have these any meaning? Are these wordings of warning from its true heritor? A sign of distant instance or existence, mayhap? Such, such bafflement..."

Youtube link:
https://youtu.be/q9QzGw4T9Vk

Higher resolution on link:
http://imgur.com/a/LoMzB

Initial entry frame.


The waypoint is fashioned to have a sealing lid mechanism. The crank to the left opens and closes it.


This is ground zero where Shavronne summoned the Zaqqum trees. The Zaqqum trees brought along tormented souls to fuel their potency.


The fallen colossal custodian in suspended animation. The path to the right leads into the workshop and portal room.


"Epilogue: ...little did Shavronne know that upon summoning the Zaqqum trees, that their corruption bleeds through over the years. They seek to engulf... burn... bend and choke everything they touch. They aid well in protecting the treasure from miscreants. But, when the time comes, how would Shavronne fare herself when she returns? It's been said they cannot be bound to any mortal's will with ease."

As you can see, the corrupted trees are propagating elsewhere in the hideout.


Portal device is encircled by sacred sigils of virtue, granting protection, strength, agility, luck and bounty to the traveler.


To use the device, one must offer some blood into the basin provided. The sword nearby is for bloodletting. Place other trinkets and offerings on the elevating pedestals surrounding the device.


The other path leads into Shavronne's spoils and treasure. Tall, damaged catacomb walls welcome the visitor. Her dead advocates lie mummified years after their ordeal.


To the left, we see a spiral staircase leading above ground. Some renovation scaffolding is situated near the columns as well.


The trove's archway was cracked and damaged from Shavronne's might.


Seems the trove has been compromised by corrupted tree growth as well...


Vorici may have been corrupted... or has he really? May be his usual self, torturing and mutilating Oriath henchmen.


The trees' trunks and roots were fashioned to be anthropomorphic, resembling arms and twisted hands, enhancing the sinister feel of the scene.


Unfortunately, Tora has truly succumbed to the trees' will.


"And to this day, the Zaqqum trees creep slowly to claim this place."


I've taken inspiration on Nordic runes. The map device is enclosed in an arrangement of rocks influenced by biogeometry, along with sigils that would (hopefully) aid in RNG. The idea of the trees comes from actual hellish trees described in Islamic lore, although my depiction is loosely based. They're meant to have fruit resembling demon heads. All I could muster was incorporate some severed heads around their outcropping. I also try to minimize lighting to emphasize more depth and to bring about selective illumination to certain subjects, or even lack thereof, to catch attention.

~

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Bex_GGG wrote:

This is nice! I look forward to seeing what you've done with it once it's completed.

Will do, ma'am! Thanks!

I've been in this hideout. I love the runes. Overall such a nice concept. Glad to see it posted.

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Paion wrote:

I've been in this hideout. I love the runes. Overall such a nice concept. Glad to see it posted.

Tyvm!

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First of all : Gz !!! Such amaziing HO
Second, how did you changed the orginal floor ? I mean, which are the decoration around the WP and on the rest of the HO ?
ty

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Tracabulhos wrote:

First of all : Gz !!! Such amaziing HO
Second, how did you changed the orginal floor ? I mean, which are the decoration around the WP and on the rest of the HO ?
ty

Thanks! Those come from Catarina and Tora's decorations. Namely Cat's tomb and Tora's path decos.

Hmm where did you get the gold piles? I like 'em!