House Crest
There is some discussion that the Skyrender symbol should be changed to something not-a-bug. The TESO manacles was decided against because it’s just plain silly. There was also some discussion on whether the minor houses within House Dres would fly their own crests in lieu of the Skyrender on, perhaps as a collection of pikes and banners on display in their clansteads. Suggestions for alternate crests:
*ancestor ghost in profile
*crop motifs
*blight moth perched on marshmerrow stalk
*ear of saltrice
*livestock (including slaves)
*a wheel of six spokes (for the Tribunal and the Good Daedra), with symbols for the Dunmer at the center
*triangular Waiting Door, with ancestor bones making the frames
*three spears stuck in an Argonian skull
Source: http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24955
Sload in Tear, Sload Skyports
The Sload sometimes came to Tear to buy slaves. Suggestion of Soad NPCs walking about, perhaps even a Sload embassy. The Sload may also have an airport of sorts for their skyships somewhere near Tear. This skyport could perhaps be combined with a stable/hive for Skyrenders. Much concept art in source thread: http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24957
Another thread with some concept art for skyports: http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=23936
Dres Vampirism
Some ways to differentiate them from normal vampires have been suggested:
*They feed on dreams (slight reference to Dagoth Ur)
*They’re some kind of bonelord or ancestral guardian, only mistaken as a vampire by outsiders.
*They are mabrigash in some fashion.
The council members all share this unique kind of vampirism, a deal made in order to get out of their deals with the Sload as well as ensure spiritual guides for their clans into the rest of whenever. This was a one-time deal, very secret, and only these councillors and possibly some close advisors know of it and have this kind of vampirism. All of these council members are women, the wise women of the ancient Ashlanders tribes. They wear ritual masks to hide their faces (and their disease).
If /anyone/ found out, this would be considered a terrible heresy. So the Dres vampirism is secret, only revealed very carefully to the player through the course of the faction questline.
Culture and Political Structure
The varying clans of House Dres are knit together by deals made, debts owed, etc. Some of these debts are so ancient that the actual terms are forgotten, and it’s a source of myth why the clans are allies (or enemies). “Dres” may actually be an ancient clan (now defunct? question mark) in which all the other clans are indebted to, rather than a name given to the body as a whole.
Quests with the Dres can be understood as making deals with the questgiver. Hence, in the beginning the Dres are leery about offering any quests, for it puts them in debt to the player.
The Dres started out as bugherders often at war with each other. The strongholds (hexagonal clansteads) were built for defense, and later as trading outposts. Finally, after the deals with the Sload were made, the Dres turned to agriculture, and plantations grew up around these strongholds. The bug herders still drive their beasties on the land in between these.
These bugherders live in close relation with their Skyrenders, who serve as mounts (and possibly shepherd dogs?) for their herds of other bug species. They may even take shelter in the nests of the Skyrenders, with some of the Dunmer tending directly to the Queen. (IMO, too similar to kwama, and I would suggest keeping wild Skyrenders and tame Skyrenders as two separate breeds, comparable to dogs and wolves. Dres could still take refuge in the abandoned nests however. One could of these could serve as a “town” in game terms.)
The councilmembers are the wise woman vampires (as described above). Though they likely serve as the real power behind the House, they are known as advisors. The House is led by a male Hortator or Ashkhan like figure. They exist to draw attention away from the vampires, to provide the House with a sense of unity, and the position would go to the player as being the highest obtainable rank in the House Dres faction.
Outside Relations
Dres are not xenophobic in such a way that they refuse to associate with outsiders. Instead, it is the Dres way to embroil outsiders into their schemes and exploit them.
Dres and Twin Lamps interacting (in particular, in the Deshaan region) may be a big focus in one or both of the faction questlines (more Twin Lamps than Dres). However, Twin Lamps taking on the Dres would be a big operation and full of dangers. This conflict would also probably see the more extreme elements of the Twin Lamps coming to play, with Argonians seeking to slaughter Dres slavemasters rather than the careful Underground Railroad as presented in vanilla.
Religion
They worship the Good Daedra alongside the Tribunal, which the Temple is okay with. Whether they worship other Daedra is up for debate, but such heretics would be frowned on by the Temple still. The Dres would be very cautious in following the Temple’s edicts, as a war between them would end up in the Dres losing.
Other References not previously linked:
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24957
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/node/726/edit?destination=node/726
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24033
2016-01-19 19:35
3 weeks 4 days ago
Half done, most of what still needs to be transferred is in this monster:
http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24033
I’m taking a break.
2015-12-12 23:47
3 years 2 months ago
As a reminder (to people reading this thread) our mostly done planning doc is here: http://www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/content/state-house-dres
Does: concepts, textures, youtube vids, admin stuff e.g. PR, handbook, assets, small website things. Activity level: wildly unpredictable. Still active. Find me on Discord.
2016-01-19 19:35
3 weeks 4 days ago
Yup, I’m trying not to repost ideas that are already contained in the planning document. More stuff today:
Architectural Design
Dres will be based out of hexagonal cantons reminscent of Vivec’s cantons and the old Dunmer fortresses as presented in vanilla.The higher a person lives on the cantons, the more power and prestige they have. The very top level may be dominated by the palace of the ruling clanleader and/or a temple.
Clansteads are built upon hills rising out of the Deshaan plains. These are to resemble foreboding manmade spires or mountains. On these are also built the lofts for skyrenders and ports for sloadships. Slave breeding pens and factories are based in the mountains ringing northern Deshaan, a complex system of tunnels and pits.
Dres do not typically keep gardens in the traditional sense (it’s thought this would interfere with the foreboding feeling we want for the Dres). Instead of planters, ashpits bearing the bones of honored ancestors may be found, with plants adapted to ash being planted in these. Rock or salt gardens may also be common.
Statues and glyphs are common on the sides of Dres dwellings, symbolizing such things as the Tribunal, exploits of honored ancestors, the Daedra as guardian spirits, etc.
Tear and other major outposts have great slavepits. These are suggested to be square rather than hexagonal, as hexagonal is a sacred number for the Tribunal and Good Daedra, while square represents the House of Troubles: more fit for beastfolk and outsiders. These can be multi-leveled, with stairways along the edges leading down to the lower levels.
Tear itself may be built around a great chasm, with Dres towers posted on the rims.
Some dwellings, particular in rural areas or where the bugherders frequent, are instead carved out of old Skyrender nests. These resemble giant termite mounds riddled with windows and doors.
Lots of concept art and discussion on the particulars in this thread: http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=25146
Agriculture
Saltrice is assumed to grow like normal rice, in which it first must be planted in a water-logged paddy. Instead of fresh water, this water needs to be salty. Dres then need an irrigation system to support this.
Dres may have rakes or picks for breaking apart salt chunks.
Walkways may overlook the paddies. A visual indicator of status, as overseers look down on their slaves from above.
Dres are assumed to have other crops besides saltrice. Suggestions:
*Hamum Root (currently in TR?)
*Hardy thorny tree that produces resin. Resin is classic embalming fluid, has other useful achemical properties.
*Deshaan Nettle. Originally developed by the Telvanni? A thorny vine that is encouraged to grow into hedge barriers around plantations, keeping slaves in. Deals fire or poison damage when touched.
Dres may keep their slaves confined in two ways on the plantations: slave totems that deal damage to slaves going too far from them, as well as the Deshaan Nettles.
Old discussion here: http://tamriel-rebuilt.org/old_forum/viewtopic.php?t=24055
2016-01-19 19:35
3 weeks 4 days ago
Tentatively calling this finished. I encourage anyone finding stuff not mentioned here to go ahead and post it to this thread, HOWEVER please only do this for OLD stuff as found in the forum archive or outdated planning documents.
New ideas or continuing discussions should instead be put into the House Dres brainstorming thread on this forum: http://www.tamriel-rebuilt.org/forum/house-dres-brainstorming