Assignment 3: Part 1
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So the following is what I received from Björn in terms of character background and instructions along with some image references.
Name Y’hrel Nickname Dryskin, Air Dweller Gender Male Age Young Adult Physical Characteristics Not as shiny as his fellow kinsmen, due to his body having learned to conserve moisture to a greater extent as he’s made his way on land. Movement As a Murloc, few things could match him under water. More than capable of hunting down schools of fish armed with little more than a net or spear. On land his balance is somewhat off, forced to plod forward as his weight becomes more of an issue. This does not mean that he lacks agility however. Combined with his relatively small size, he is more than capable of keeping up a sprint faster than most humans. With practice of course. Diet Mainly fish and smaller amphibians, although he has learned the nutritional value of various things further inland such as insects, rodents and other critters as well as some vegetation (he’s fond of apples in particular). Intelligence More or less capable of abstract thinking and social reading much like humans. However he does have different priorities from mammals. While having acquired a more omnivorous diet he is still very much a predator, more willing to chase something down than having to conduct tedious endeavours such as digging and climbing to get a hold of roots or fruits. Culture Y’hrel’s tribe is for all intents and purposes hunter-gatherers, as they’ve lived for countless generations. While they do have certain traditions, nothing is set in stone. More keen on a practical mindset, as circumstances require them to shift their schedules more than once. A Killer Whale might disrupt their hunting routine, yet it is not something to be faced. You have a better chance of survival by keeping low and waiting for the danger to pass. History Hatched and raised on the coast of the northern wetlands, Y’hrel was always considered the odd one among his tribesmen. Rather than spending his time honing his diving or heading out to find precious clams and other valuables out at sea, Y’hrel’s restless feet often lead him further inland. To the arid hills and plains where the bizarre dry-skins dwelled who abhorred water in any form. His curiosity often getting the better of him, the young Murloc journeyed deeper into the woods and highlands each day much to his kin’s dismay. Yet through either sheer luck or resilience he managed to survive this alien world and began learning of it. While reluctant at first, his tribe eventually allowed him to continue his ventures as they recognised the various items and oddities he managed to bring with him. Despite his accomplishments he was always treated as the oddball, borderline stranger at times. His folly, as it would turn out, would prove to be his saving grace. Without warning, massive scaled creatures emerged from the deep, creatures that Y’hrel thought were just stories: The Serpent Men. Towering over the Murloc huts armed with tridents and nets. Whoever resisted was slain, the rest were bound and dragged back into the dark depths. None were spared except for Y’hrel, who had been away collecting various plants. When he returned he witnessed the last of his tribe being led into the water. Whatever madness gripped him at that moment is unknown, as he rushed towards his captured kin and freeing them before the giant serpents could react, urging them to follow him into the woods. Most of them succeeded, the Serpent Men unwilling to chase after a mere handful of survivors. Their apathy was not unfounded: No one survived the Drylands. Now together with the remnants of his tribe, Y’hrel is forced to take up the mantle of leadership as he seeks to guide his kin through the unknown forests where your fins cannot help you in hopes of finding a new home, should they survive.
My thoughts on the character I think that I have a lot of background to work with and I have got a lot of inspiring ideas on how to shape Y’hrel based on his background and experiences. Technically speaking it is somewhat reassuring to know that this character or “species” has already been made in 3D by blizzard and I can look at how they modelled to get some direction if I should get lost.
What I need to know from Björn about the character is just how specific he is regarding the color scheme and texture, and how much I can add on my own accord by interpreting the backstory. Also I need help with determining the best way to go about doing all the little details like teeth and the sprouts that are on the creatures back, like if I should do them as planes with texture or if they need full volume. The biggest risk for me is that I make bad decisions early on and then just build a great big sand castle on top of that, which will later crash in my face and make it a resort where people fall asleep in the sun and get cancer. So to prevent that I will try to get as much input as possible from people with more experience than me early on. As far as visual style goes, Björn has not given me more than the reference images to go on, so I will have to ask him about it. But I assume he wanted me to go for the style that the murlocs are created in by blizzard. |
