2021-08-08 Meeting Summary (First Sundered Scar Template Meeting)

Proposed Agenda

Sundered Scar Template Meeting

While the usual agenda points are listed below as is tradition, this meeting will follow the template meeting format, focused on Sundered Scar, with an outlook on starting work on the region rework early, depending on how the discussion goes. It will take place at the pacific timeslot, 2 AM UTC.

Future Releases

  • Sorting out which cites have which guild halls
    • Thieves Guild
    • Morag Tong
    • How much do the Temple and Cult need this?
  • Resolving more Imperial Cult issues, perhaps up to a Template Meeting
    • IC shrines start appearing in Thirr Valley and need a better overarching characterisation
    • The faction endgame
  • Same thing for the Psijjic Order.
    • Requires Infragris and a whole lot of lore-aware people.
  • Thirr Valley NPCing preparations

Future Releases Part II

  • Where should the low/mid/high level quests go?

Tamriel Data

  • Discussing cross-province armor and weapon stats

Meeting Notes

Disclaimer: This meeting was used to propose content in Sundered Scar. The actual viability of this content as Sundered Scar will be discussed in the next template meeting.

First, quickly go over the current implementation of the region. This stage is about taking stock of what we have to work with.

1. what does it currently look like
Mostly Bitter Coast, Grazelands in the east, a patch of AI near Alt Orethan around Tilmeth manor, WG mountains on the border with some MA areas dotted around the border. There’s a large empty lake where Ruinous Keep was originally located before being moved east.

2. what is in it. (Settlements? Whose?)
The only town is Darvon. There is an Indoril manor, two Daedric ruins (only one with an extensive exterior), the planned player stronghold of Id Vano, three Dwemer ruins and some scattered shacks, an egg mine, and a few caves, one leading to an underground Chimer stronghold, Baan Urlai, which was discussed in a past meeting. There are some yurts in the eastern Grazelands area. In the top right there’s the Inn Between and two egg mines.

What is the general purpose of the region? Why does it/should it exist?

1. What is its narrative role?
Neglected Indoril territory, a lot of focus on the Velothi population left to themselves. A lot of ancient ruins like Idaverrano.

2. What is going on there? (ie. is it challenging wilderness, or does it play an important role in commerce, pilgrimage, etc.?)
Relatively challenging wilderness (less so than Mephalan Vales, at least with the current concept of that region). Not much commerce, might be some pilgrimage though nothing there at the moment.

What is the identity of the region? This stage is about establishing the general appearance of the region.

1. Who inhabits the region?
The main population would be Velothi, with a heavy Temple presence. There would initially be almost no Indoril presence.

2. What are they doing there?
It’s a backwater. Velothi are mainly just getting by as they do. They might enjoy a bit of the freedom of not having much authority overlooking them.

3. Who used to inhabit the region (especially before the War of the First Council)?
This used to be part of the Chimer heartland, with major houses like Mora, Raathim and Indoril having a greater or lesser degree of presence there. (Mora dominated the region under Nerevar). Dwemer also lived in the region, especially under the First Council while relations were (more) harmonious.

4. What did they do there?
The Chimer rallied partly in this region against the Nord occupiers and were joined by the Dwemer in that. There would have been a lot of trade and cooperation between Dwemer and Chimer in the region under the First Council until the war happened. There might also be some history with the Morag Tong that will need to be explored more.

5. How densely populated is the regionand how is the population distributed?
The region is not densely populated (but should be more populated than it currently is), but aside from the scathes in the southwest the population would be pretty evenly distributed along the roads and coast.

What is the layout of the region? This stage is about discussing the implementation of the region in broad strokes.

1. How would the things within the region (dungeons, settlements) be arranged?
Towns would be along roads and coasts, the Ashlander yurts will be cut, more Daedric ruins (including the suggestion of giving the large existing exterior ruin a more proportional interior), more Dwemer ruins but probably nothing big outside of the locations on the border. Ancestral tombs, which the region currently lacks, and a few egg mines. Grottos, caves etc. are lacking.
OM smaller town and scattered ruins mostly dating to Nerevar’s time. There will be one new Chimer stronghold in the east. Id Vano, the player stronghold, is in the west and will end up a large location.

2. How do we want the player to experience the region in-game?
There will be more settlements, with some opportunity for Temple questlines including dissident priests, possible Tong content and bounty quests (given by the hetman). There will also be major dungeons in the region, such as Idaverrano and the Mora Ancestral Tomb. The region will have trouble reaching its full potential until surrounding regions are redone.
Some Misc. quests can be used to entice the player to explore the region and its dungeons.


An overview of various ideas an proposals discussed in the meeting. Note that some like the Gorne relocation are just proposals.

Gorne

The topic of Gorne came up and was discussed for two hours, but with no final decision. It will likely be discussed at the tail end of the second template meeting planned for next week, as it is relevant to Sundered Scar implementation and depending on the decision could have an effect on the surrounding region.
The proposal is to leave the current island of Gorne in place as planned, with the exception of removing the 6th House content, renaming the island and moving Triffith off of it. What would happen to the current settlement (turned into an Indoril chapel, a Velothi town or left alone) wouldn’t be affected by the proposal.
A new island of Gorne would be added north of Idaverrano’s current location to reflect its position as implied in Poison Song and, evidently, concept maps Ted Peterson used as a reference while writing the book. The island would be quite far from Sundered Scar (so its territory wouldn’t extend to the region) while also not being too close to Vvardenfell (so that it makes sense that Indoril didn’t get involved there) or Ammar, the next nearest stronghold.
Other related plans that were discussed (removing the peninsula southwest of Ammar and relocating the Daedric ruin there and moving Idaverrano further west) don’t really hinge on the proposal one way or the other, and will probably be discussed further in the second template meeting.