Silgrad Tower from the Ashes

Official 'Black Marsh' Claim for Dungeon Claim: Xarphyrial Marsh Elf Capital

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Xarphyrial Marsh Elf Capital
AVAILABILITY: Marked for Adaptation

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Description & Details

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Xarphyrial is a special claim and is likely to be connected with quests. If claiming this at present, work can take place on beginning levels but later levels will need to be adapted to fit in with quests.

Squatting in the centre of the Everglades, Xarphyrial is positioned in the beautiful Longharrow Lagoon, a place famed in local folklore for retaining its natural beauty throughout all of the many changes that the marshes bring. Even so many years later, distinctly different flora grows there than that which characterises the gloom of the surrounding region.

It is, however, an area often given a wide berth. Although many Argonians are likely to raid Barsaebic ruins, Xarphyrial remains relatively untouched due to its reputation. Locals will be able to inform the PC that it was once a Marsh Elf capital, if not THE Marsh Elf capital and that what the Marsh Elves did there resembled, to some extent, the magics usually attributed to those that worship the Hist. Of particular note is the symbol of the spider which occurs regularly throughout the ruin.

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At-a-glance Details

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Tileset: Mossy Ruin
Exterior cell coordinates: (-8,-5)
Cell Name: LongHarrowXarphyrial
Claim Difficulty: Hard.
Creatures: Creatures (Marsh Elves), Spiders & Ghosts / Undead. 8+ for hard levels.
Mission Connections: None as yet.
Amount of Loot: High (according to the above).
General Info: Check this space for a link to a thread detailing completed claims and future plans.

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Modding Directions

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You'll find the entrance for the ruin in the cell LongHarrowXarphyrial (-8,-5) of the BlackMarshes worldspace. Use the latest esm (v2.10) or a higher version. IMPORTANT NOTICE - As yet, this area has not undergone item replacement to create the Everglades as it shall appear. Therefore, please refrain from altering the exterior. No door has been added to the corner entrance and it is advised to avoid this entrance and clutter it with rocks, in favour of using the underwater entrance behind the main set of stairs to the Lagoon in the North Wall. Through this door, you reach an interior section cut off from the outside and inside there there should be a trapdoor to gain entry.

Don't forget to select snap to grid (32-64) and snap to angle, when creating the lay-out for your ruin.

You have to use the new Mossy Ruin tileset (Static>Blackmarsh>architecture>ruins>).

If plans for this Ruin extend, then it's fine to add more than the two levels as suggested. Just give the new cell the same name, except for the last part which should receive a suffix such as lvl1, lvl2 etc.

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Recommended Objects

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For any traps I recommend checking the original Ayleid Ruins and matching up the tileset items.
Just right-click on a trap and 'use info' to check the cell in question. Remember that Ayleid Ruins were excellent for traps so much fun can be had here.

For inspiration check people's favourite Ayleid Ruins such as Nenalata, Vindasel, Fanacasecul, Garlas Malatar and Miscarcand (used by the MQ) and, as the tileset names can be a little confusing and may need sorting, please report any problems to me.

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Cluttering your Dungeon

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You should use leveled lists for the loot but the ruin may be being used by some person or creature so you may wish to select accordingly. Ask around the forums for special loot if you wish to add some character to the ruin such as who once lived there and so on. As Xarphyrial is HUGE then it may contain more than one quest thread providing the additional quest is kept small or to the side.

There could possibly be some gems, armor, weapons, gold, and other loot from travelling adventurers. If magic-users have attempted to examine the ruins, then you’d find ingredients, books, potions, and other mage-related items. Some special items for Marsh Elves might also be found - for example, we have a nice range of specialist staffs.

The preferred type of enemy for this ruin is listed at the top of this thread. You might be able to do something else though if you want - just check with the core first and we'll discuss this. However, for the time being, please keep to the vanilla levelled lists which can later be replaced.

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Lighting up your Dungeon

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Please look in the object window for any of BM's own candles such as Glo-shrooms but probably not oilplants as, being underground, it is unrealistic considering the fact that underground gases would be likely to cause explosions....unless you can, of course, include this somehow =). But your tomb can be as dark or as light as you want it to be, probably depending on whether the separate areas were densely populated by Marsh Elves or not. For a good example of excellent use of light of the very, very dark variety which really improves the gameplay of a ruin or tomb, I would advise checking out the early sections of ‘Gates to Aesgaard’ by ThePriest909 which makes for a sensationally spooky and jumpy gaming experience.

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Making Enemies

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The function of this ruin is up to you but, so that we can adapt it in places where quests use this location, please stick to the levelled lists for now....unless you have cleared your plans for what to use with the core already by using the forums or a PM. Try to make it interesting for the player, of course. If you have any specific ideas then let the core know about it.

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Final Tasks

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Add a pathgrid to the ruins/tomb. Playtest the entire layout and make any necessary corrections before submitting it for review.

NB: - Thanks to the 'Silgrad Tower' team for pioneering the claims system and for being such excellent all-round good eggs around these forums.

This claim has been 'Marked for Adaptation' for use with Edolsian's dungeons. If anyone wishes to claim this, please let me know. Otherwise, Edolsian will be the contributor and the dungeon adapted.

I think as this is the capital, this must be a giant ruin, not even compared to Cyrodillic ones. Possibly this claim can be divided between several modders

Indeed, that's true...although I have been toying with the idea of having this as a significant ruin and perhaps moving the actual Marsh Elf capital to the Arnesian Jungle where we can make use of Helborne's completed ruin tileset to create a larger exterior. I haven't completely decided yet though....Nevertheless, a huge ruin would be a good idea with perhaps definite sections according to their functions within the Barsaebic culture that can be dealt with by different modders....if we have sufficient members available, of course.

I don't think the Barsaebic Ayleids made it as far as Arnesia. That's more like Velothi territory over there.

That's a bugger. I was considering the more lavish Barsaebic structures in that region...might have to restrict them to Western Arnesia then...Murkwood might be appropriate for a more lavish external structure. We could keep Xarphyrial as the capital, however, if needs be. The simple explanation would just be that it was more affected by flooding due to its location...hence the collapse of surrounding structures that might signify a more grandiose purpose.

I understand, but I really think if we have lavish Ayleid dungeons they should be firmly in the west. I've got all sorts of things planned for Arnesia which will help give the mod variety. The "theme" of the west is very much the successive waves of settlers who came to BM from the Cyrodiil heartland, hence the Ayleid ruins. Whereas in the north the story is all about the long grudge match between the Argonians and the Dunmer.

Fair enough. I have no objections. :check:

I have begun adapting this one. I will need to create my own entrance level, however, as I'd like the prospect of getting into Xarphyrial an extremely difficult one seeing as most entrances have collapsed.

Per IG's recommendation I would like to take a look at what's in there as of now (in the latest esm). Please don't assign the claim just yet.