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Done.Hi Finn,
Can you provide some tests for the castle? Like a mini and some facades (wall, towers, etc.)?
Ah okay, I think I'd go for the peat wash option as I'm looking to make the pool as dark as possible - so that the name makes sense and it is identifiable.While bog iron is something fun to include at the project, it should not be the namesake. For one, bog iron turns a pool red. Red silt, red clay-like soil. Black water is produced by a few things. Either there's dark loamy sediment or black peat washing into the water (like Blackpool in the UK), high levels of nutrients which is why the Arctic and Antarctic waters look dark, dense and opaque when compared to the tropics OR they're low in oxygen, going a black-brown colour.
The former and latter of these options make the most sense. The peat wash we can make using taiga biome colouring with a bit of Mesa and extreme hills imo and fits better than a blackwater event (the latter option), which are really bad events which lead to mass fish kills and loss of biodiversity. Now, peat cutting can yield some iron but imo, it'd be best to have some slate mines and maybe some vertical mine shafts and small delves around the place. Lead and tin will be something good to include in the local economy too.
Another reason I'm not a fan of bog iron is that its porous, soft and doesn't produce high quality steel for arms or industry. What it is good for is ships. It doesn't rust as easily. A single 'harvest' of a bog iron pond will produce nails for many longships. So its useful for trade and selling down the White Knife (around Slate or Condon would probably the highest navigable point before the rapids mentioned in Fire and Blood stop progress up river) but not what you want to have a blacksmith making horseshoes or hoes out of. Also, because of the generational nature of bog iron harvesting (you can only collect quantities worth the time approx. 30 years) it doesn't make sense to have settlements growing around it, especially as they aren't safe to drink from. the small pools next to each other on the eastern side of the ridge might be good for bog iron.
I wasn't sure how densely populated the area should be - as the North is usually sparse. I'll change that.The White Knife Basin is the North's most densely settled region which Manderlys can draw hundreds of knights from. I suggest you make the holdfasts into little knightly estates, towerhouse/bastlehouse + farm, stable and housing for servants. As well as several farmsteads for light horse that also joins Robb's army on the Kingsroad.
This brings me to another point. The map you've made doesn't feel much like a former kingdom. The castle and largest population centre seem to be aligned with the Kingsroad rather than the river and possible industry. The Kingsroad is younger than House Slate and the project should reflect that, not to mention that there'll be similar income from trade on the river as there is on the road. So I'd suggest moving your castle and main settlement closer to or into one of the three stream valleys you've got in your project. They're nicely shaped already and the northern two are not too steep or rocky for fields so would work nicely for settlements there. Also the road could wind up into the forest in parts.
Yeah, wasn't planning on nuking anything - just additive and creating a better transition into the moors.Adding some diversity to the forest would be fun too. But adding, rather than removing many trees. One or two, fine. Just don't nuke the forest.
However, I'd love to see how the heather turns out on the hills.
I was looking at shielings out amongst the heather hahah, that's what those tests are inspired by. Also similar to the houses at Wells.House wise, what kind of insp are you looking at? Your tests remind me of the two room cottages that are prevalent in Scotland but I was wondering whether you might put in some bothies in the forest and shielings in the heather, maybe? Having some old roundhouses and maybe some larger wooden halls would be fun too. You've got lots of wood, not just stone so experiment with how they work together. Also maybe try out having some bedrock and black stone brick rooves too? very slate-y
Yeah, I looked at an old thread a while ago hahah.Another reference; Dublin is named "Blackpool" as well, after the tidal pool that was located there.
Yeah, I built a mini earlier.Walls of text are good! Love these ideas so far and the update of the map is nice. Have you got a layout in mind for the castle? Having a mini model would be a great help.
Considering the road heading through, you could even do a ridge castle, meaning its got two main gates with the road passing through it. Maybe there could be some interior gates or outer baileys with low walls to help increase the defence of the castle. Regardless, I'd love to see your ideas.
I forgot to mention too - the reason why I want to add more forest - there are currently three patches of forest that are all distinct atm.There's an example of it at Knott too.
I'm liking that mini. Nice work. I think I've got some more feedback but I'll let you know soon.
Ye, the town will be slightly larger than Ashwood town (12-16 houses max), with appropriate outbuildings such as barns, granaries, etc.Hi Finn, just a few things from me!
Firstly, the town looks quite large on your map. I’m not sure if it’s the scaling of it, but I’d be careful not to make it too large or too urban.
Secondly, while the Slates are influenced by house Manderly, it’s important to note that the Northmen in general are very untrusting people and overall seem resistant to religious and political conventions in the south. As such, I don’t think the faith would have been adopted outside areas where it would be accepted (large trading towns, cities and major castles).
Lastly, I’d consider having sheep pastures in the area, as they’d be a food source and provide a potential for a wool-related industry. Additionally, sheep would be suited to the steeper slopes of the hills, so it would be lucrative for the locals to use the landscape to their advantage.
- Jake
Pretty much all the houses will have space for animals - a third probably of each house will have its own little part sectioned off for animals such as dogs, goats, sheep and cows.Also sheep can be ran through the forest as they'll eat pretty much anything they can digest. They particularly love flowers in my experience. In my little sheep distribution head canon, this is an area where you'd get a mixture of different breeds and specialisations.
Here you could have varieties of larger sheep like Lincolns, Clun forest and leicesters (wool sheep), Dorset (can lamb through the winter) etc, Finns, Tsigai and Zwartbles (milk sheep), katahdin, Romanov (meat and pelt sheep) with herds of smaller breeds like the Welsh Mountain, herdwick and hebridean sheep with coarser, hairier fleeces that are more water resistant. Basically, have some barns with only 1.5 blocks of head space or less while others have at least two. Many of these are legit the size of dogs and can be more agile. So have some small pens in houses.