Wheel of Time - Morrowind Mod

General building guidelines

[Home] [Members] [Links and Downloads] [Forums] [Modder's Resource] [Files and Pictures] [Design Specs] [Project Plan] [What's New] [Issues] [Search]


Up

Table of Contents

What to build

     Marked towns, regions, and landmarks

     Picking an architecture and look for the landscape

     How to fill up the blank areas of the map

          Adding the filler around towns and villages

          Adding towns and villages

          Unpopulated areas

Building Structures

     Building Trades

     Clothing and Textile Trades

     Food Trades

     General Merchants

     Goods Supplier

     Healing Trades

     Household and Tradesman Supplies

     Legal and Military Trades

     Luxury Trades

     Metal Trades

     Service Merchants

     Transportation Trades

     Weapon Trades

     Buildings and Trades Outside the Towns

     Palace

     Inns Taverns

     Dwellings

     Library

     Public Building and Sites

     Schools

     Specialty Buildings

     Warehouse

     Temple

Town descriptions

     Large City

     City

     Large Town

     Town

     Small Town

     Large Village

     Village

     Small Village

     Large Site

     Site

     City-Fortress

     Hold

     Stedding 



What to build

Marked towns, regions, and landmarks

All of the known towns, cities, villages, etc are mapped on the grid.  Base_ESM_Build.htm.  Everything on the grid should be built in the location stated on the grid....although, if you find that you must move something, that is ok as well.  Just let us know so it can be replotted - for instance, I had to move two of the villages for Far Madding already since it just wasn't big enough for the lake.

All marked towns, regions, and landmarks come from something in the books.  The description of those may be detailed descriptions of parts of it in many books (Caemlyn for example.)  Or just a mention that something exists.  Use the links to the WOT Encyclopedia from the Regions.htm sheet to find the passages in the books that describe a location.


Picking an architecture and look for the landscape

Your architecture, plant life, animal life, and landscaping should match the description in the books.  If the town is just mentioned as existing you might have to "read between the lines" to get an idea of what it might look like.  For example, a village in Andor will look much like other villages surrounding that one.  Maybe other villages have a description.  A city in a nation we have never really been to or had descriptions of - say Kandor - will have to just be up to the artist/modder discretion.   Those cities may be more fun since the modder can just go with their gut or build what they think would be cool.


How to fill up the blank areas of the map

Much of the map is not plotted out.  We know of one town in all of Illian.  We know that cannot be the only town.  Therefore, the modder working in that area should use their discretion and artistic whims to create what is "between the lines." 

Adding the "filler" around towns and villages

Most towns and villages cannot support themselves with no reason for being.  Are they a trapper town?  A mining town?  Are there farms or pig/goat/cow ranches around? 

The unmarked areas in an occupied region should contain some of the following.  Also see Buildings_and_Trades_Outside_the_Towns for more ideas.

  • Farms and ranches
    Grain, vegetables, fruit orchards, nut orchards, cows, pigs, chickens, etc.
    Decide what products grow in that region and stick to those.  Don't throw everything in there.  Also don't just have one product - have several for an area.

    If the books don't tell you anything, look at the climate and landscape to decide if this area would grow grapes or rice or something else.  Ask the team if you don't know what would grow and we can do a quick debate on it.
    Communicate to the team what products will be produced in that area.  Other modders working in that area should follow suit.  Also, that will help make sure we spread out supplies over the areas.
     
  • Manor estates
    Leaders and nobles will have estates and small estate villages.

    One way to fill up Illian or Tear would be to split it into segments controlled by the high lords and have their estates and a village or town for each.  Let us know if you decided to do this.  Modify the grid or ask me (Kiriel) to help do that for you so we have a map of how you will plot this out.
     
  • Mines - metal, gems, rocks
    Mines are another good reason for towns to exist.  Especially in the areas that don't seem to support farming.  Some things like Alum we will have a limited region for since it is explicitly mentioned in the books.  Other things like gold, iron, copper, bronze, pewter, lead, precious gems, semi precious gems, and rock quarries, are found in certain geological locations.  I personally don't know what that is but if someone has an idea they can map out where we should find some mines. 
     
  • Fishing industry
    Coastal and some river trades might be based on fishing.
     
  • Trapping and other fur industry
    Forested regions might live more on trapping or raising animals for fur.
     
  • Processing buildings
    If you have decided what products your area will produce, make sure your towns support this. 
    See the table below to find buildings and trades that would process the raw materials.

    Some towns on the rivers might ship all their raw goods to larger towns that process that material.
     
  • Ruins and caves and treasure and items of power
    A good ruin is always a nice way to add something to an open stretch of area with nothing.  Maybe it has a secret door leading into some intact ruins or buried ruins.....

    You can also create caves in the area.  The caves may be hideouts for bandits.  They may also hold hidden treasure, maybe from the age of Legend.

    We will only have a few caches of angreal, sa'angreal, and ter'angreals found in caves or ruins that lead underground.  If you want to build one in the area, let us know.  We want treasure and magical items to be rare and only want to build a few.
     
  • Landmarks and known ruins

    Check the WOT Encyclopedia site for landmarks in your area.  They are not marked on the map...at least not yet.  Only things that would change the name of a cell are marked. 

Adding towns and villages

As mentioned before, we know there are more towns than those plotted and found in the books.  Feel free to create towns in those areas that the books indicate are populated.  Name them appropriately or ask for help in naming them.

Make sure they are on the main road or off the main roads along new, smaller, unplotted road.

Make sure the town has a reason for being.  Are there surrounding farms?  There should be at least one.  Most towns cannot support themselves solely on purchased goods.  Although, if they are a mining town, along a river, maybe they do.  But maybe there is at least a pig farm around.  Or townsmen have small gardens.  People have to eat.

Unpopulated areas

There are also areas such as the Caralain Grasses or most of the Mountains of Mist that seem to be almost completely unpopulated.   While we do want to put some items of interest on them, we also want to preserve the feel of emptiness and abandonment.

Here are some features you can put on those areas:

  • Caves
  • Ruins
  • Abandoned farms and towns
  • Tinkers
  • Wolf packs
  • Wild horse herds
  • Trollic camps
  • Dangerous animal life
  • Occasional camps or houses of hermits, the unwanted or criminal, travelers, etc.

Building/Structure

Description

Most people involved in the building of this mod will have read many fantasy novels and be familiar with these trades.  It is not intended to be a complete and inclusive list of all the structures found in the inhabited areas.  It is just a guideline to help the modder quickly build up any town that doesn't have exact book descriptions and maps. 

Building Trades

Any of the trades that support the construction of new buildings. 

Large towns will have many of these.
Small towns may only have access to new lumber or roofers.

Architect (designs buildings and other constructions)

Bricklayer

Cabinet maker

Carpenter

Glazier

Lumber mill

Mason

Millwright (designs and builds mills and mill equipment)

Roofer

Shingler (wooden roof tile)

Stonecarver
Stonecutter

Thatcher

Woodcarver

Clothing and Textile Trades

Any of the trades that support clothing, household goods such as table cloths, curtains, tapestry, and other items such as tents, anything to do with cloth.

Large towns will have many of these.
Small towns may only have several or someone may do the work out of their home.

Buckle/button maker

Clothier

Dyer
Embroiderer

Furrier (makes and repairs goods made of furs (esp.clothes)

Glover (a glove maker)

Harberdasher (seller of men's clothing)

Lacemaker

Linenspinner

Milliner (hatmaker)

Rug maker

Seamstress

Shoemaker

Skinner

Spinster

Tailor

Tanner (prepares leather goods)

Tapestrymaker

Weaver

 

Trade notes:  Many of these trades might be found in the same shop, especially in smaller cities. 

 

Housing notes:  As in most of the trades, owners usually live upstairs from the business or next door.  In larger cities, the more elite of each trade might live in a completely different area.  Journeyman and apprentices may also live with the owner.

Food Trades

Any of the trades that produce raw food goods or processed food goods.

Large towns will have many of these.
Small towns may only have several or combinations.

 

Baker

Beer seller

Brewer

Butcher

Cheesemaker

Confectioner (includes candy makers and pastry)

Dairy

Farms

Fishery

Fishmonger

Fruitier (fruitseller)

Grocer

Miller (grain)

Pie Seller

Pulter (seller of poultry)

Ranches

Spice Merchant

Vintner

Water Seller
Wine Seller

 

Trade notes:  Some of the food trades are the street peddlers.  In larger cities there will be specialty shops as well.

 

Housing notes:  As in most of the trades, owners usually live upstairs from the business or next door.  In larger cities, the more elite of each trade might live in a completely different area.  Journeyman and apprentices may also live with the owner.

General Merchants

Any kind of trader who sells a variety of goods.

 

Grocer
Importer

Pawnbroker
Peddler
Tavern keeper

 

Housing notes:  As in most of the trades, owners usually live upstairs from the business or next door.  In larger cities, the more elite of each trade might live in a completely different area. 

Goods Supplier

Charcoalburner

Feed/gardening supply

Hay merchant

Paper mill

Papermaker/parchment Maker

Healing Trades

Alchemist

Apothecary

Healers

Wisdoms

 

Housing:  Most apothecaries, herbalists, wisdoms, etc will have their home at the same place as their business.  They may have separate rooms for business or their home above the business.

Household and Tradesman Supplies

Arkwright (makes "arks" -- wooden chests or coffers)

Basketmaker

Cutler (makes and repairs cutlery)

Chandler (one who makes candles)

Glassblower
Lanternmaker

Locksmith (makes and repairs locks)

Mirrorer (makes mirrors)

Oilmaker

Netmaker

Pot Mender

Potter

Rope maker

Saltboiler (makes salt by boiling water)

Soap maker

 

Trade notes:  Many villages will have to wait for peddlers to get these supplies. 

 

Housing notes:  As in most of the trades, owners usually live upstairs from the business or next door.  In larger cities, the more elite of each trade might live in a completely different area. 

Legal and Military Trades

Guard Houses
Armory
Barracks
Jail
Courthouse/Magistrate
Guard Towers
Guard/City Gates
Training grounds
Dock master
Tax collector

Luxury Trades

Artisans (Limner, painters, sculptors)

Clockmaker

Bookbinder

Book sellers

Engraver (for printing, not to decorate items)

Gemcutter/Lapidary

Glazier (glassmaker)

Horner (works in horn -- spoons, combs, musical instruments)

Jeweler

Printers

Toy maker

 

Housing notes:  As in most of the trades, owners usually live upstairs from the business or next door.  In larger cities, the more elite of each trade might live in a completely different area. 

Metal Trades

Bellfounder (casts and creates city and church Bells)
Bell maker (makes little bells that go on sleighs and clothing)

Blacksmith

Brazier (makes brassware)

Bronzefounder

Chainmaker

Coppersmith

Founder/Foundryman

Goldbeater (makes gold leaf)
Goldsmith

Leadworker

Mintmaster (coin stamper)

Nailmaker
Needler (maker of needles)

Pewterer

Pinmaker

Silversmith

Smelting house/Ironworks
Tinsmith

Service Merchants

Bank/Lender

Gravedigger
Healer
Rat Catcher
 

Housing:  Most service merchants will have the owner's home either above the business or next door.  In small towns they are more likely next door.  In cities, above the business.  Apprentices may live there as well.

Transportation Trades

Cooper (one who makes and repairs barrels and tubs)

Cartwright

Farrier

Ferry

Harness maker

Horse trainer

Lorimer (maker of horse gear)

Mapmaker (also known as cartographer)

Ostler (cares for horses)

Saddler (maker of saddles)

Sailmaker

Shipwright

Stableyard

Wheelwright

Weapon Trades

Armorer

Blacksmith

Bowyer (makes bows & crossbows)

Fletcher

Scabbard maker

Buildings and Trades Outside the Towns

Mines
Farms
Ranches
Trapper

Manor houses and estates

Mills

Quarry

Beekeeper (also known as apiarist)
Dairy Farm (milks cows or goats)
Falconer (breeds, trains, hunts with falcons)
Fisherman
Forester (game warden or forest ranger)
Fowler (one who hunts for wildfowl)
Goatherd
Hawker (breeds, trains, hunts with hawks)
Hunter
Molecatcher
Shepherd/Shepherdess
Swineherd
Trapper/Wolf Hunter

Woodcutter
 

Palace

The palace will house many, many servants.  There are a wide variety of rooms.

 

Room Options:
Throne room
Private quarters
Guest quarters
Servant's quarters
Sitting rooms
Baths
Kitchens
Storage/cellar
Laundry
Linen closets
Supply closets
Dungeon
Courtyards
Gardens
Library
Counting room/Treasury
Armory
Stableyard
Training grounds
Barracks

Various servant offices:

Accountant

Gamekeeper

Housekeeper

Huntsman (in a noble's service)
Master of hounds

Messengers

Tutor

Inns/Taverns

The difference between and inn and tavern is that an inn has rooms for rent.  Both will serve food and drink.

 

Options:
Common room

Baths
Stableyard
Cellar/storerooms
Kitchen
Rooms for servants and proprietor
Private dining rooms
Guest rooms
Library/smoking room

Entertainment area - gleeman and singers may have a stage area or may perform atop tables.

Dwellings

Much of the population will live in dwellings that are attached to their place of business or very close.  More successful businesses may have homes in areas away from the business itself.  This is more common in the cities.

Apprentices and workers may live on the trade property along with the owner.  Sometimes in a small room attached to the shop.  Businesses with many workers will employ those from the area.  Those workers will live in their own houses.

Manors
Houses
Apartments
Hovels

Place of business

Library

Only within the private houses, inns, palaces, and schools, and steddings. 

Public Building and Sites

Town Hall

Festival Grounds

Squares, courts, circles, etc are normally public places where festivals occur.  Even the small villages will have some semblance of these.  Large cities may have many.

Docks

City gates and walls (palisades)

Department of Roads

Department of Taxes

Schools

There do not seem to be any school houses or universities except those set up by Rand,  Tar Valon and the Black Tower and in the steddings.  No one talks about going to school nor where they learned to read.  Please send me information on this if you find any quotes.  

 

Every stedding should have at least one school.

Specialty Buildings

Illuminator Chapter Houses

     Only certain cities have these chapter houses.  See WOT Encyclopedia website for a list.

 

Children of the Light Headquarters

     In regions that have CotL influence, the cites will have someplace they are using for headquarters.

 

Waygates

     See The Ways for location of the waygates.

 

Ogier Groves

     See Ogier Groves for location of the groves and their conditions.

Warehouse

Almost any kind of goods can be stored in warehouses.  Or it can store many different type of goods such as those near docks.

Temple

WoT world does not seem to have any organized religion, except for the Prophet and Children of the Light.  Therefore, no temples, shrines, or artifacts should be found anywhere.  Even the histories do not seem to talk of anything like a religion.

 


Town descriptions

All the towns in Wheel of Time are classified by the types below.  The actual named cities with the specific type and number of exterior cells used for each are found on the regions sheet:

Regions, Towns, Landmarks, Geography - html sheet
(Spreadsheet version)

Large city

Large cities would have multiple of each type of building.  For space sake, there may only be one or two in the mod per city.

Cities should have paved streets, street lighting, landscaping, fountains, statues, and generally look more put together than other types of towns.  At least in the richer areas.  The poorer areas will probably be more run down than any village and contain trash and broken items.

Many nobles will have a house in the large cities, as well as their country houses.

City and Large town

A large town and city will be about the same size.  The town will have all of the essentials and some specialty or luxury items.  For a towns prime economic trade, there will be several competing businesses.  There will also be several shopkeepers selling the essentials.

In reality, there would be about 100 or more residences.  In the mod, there will be a lot less, maybe a 1/5 of this.

A city or large town may support several nobles in the surrounding areas.

Town

Towns will have all the essentials and a few specialty shops.   The specialty shops may combine items so there are only two or three.  There may be a minor noble living nearby.

Small Town and Large Village

Small towns and large villages will have an inn and some shops and houses.  In reality, they may have up to 30 houses.  In the mod, it will probably be a lot less.  The village will have a number of services, usually out of people's houses.  There may be a blacksmith, a mill or mine nearby, an herbalist or wisdom, a mayor, town hall

Village

A village will have a few shops and some houses.  All should be common structures.  Shops may be combined.  They will not have full service.  For all luxury items the villagers wait for the peddlers.

Small Village

Small Villages have the barest of essentials.  Shops are combined.  There may be only one shop or none.  Villages many times must wait for peddlers or travel to the next town to purchase most items.

Large site

A large site is a known location that contains a ruin or something of interest.  A large site will take a cell or more.

Site

A site is any known location that contains an artifact, ruin, something of interest, usually man-made.

City-Fortress

Only the borderlands have city-fortresses.  These are cities that are built inside of heavily fortified walls with towers.  No one is allowed in after dark. 

Some towns in the 10 nations also have walled fortifications.  These are not considered city-fortresses though.

Hold

A hold is a settlement for the Aiel.  They are usually in cavern areas and built into the rocks of the hills and the cliffs.  At least those that we have heard of from the books.  There is a possibility that some are more tent-like, such as the Ashlanders in Morrowind - yet much bigger.  We are using 4 cells for a hold.

There should be a water source near.  No rivers, just water holes.

Gardens are common on the top of houses. 

Not sure of the trades of these towns.  We will have to brainstorm on this.

There should be some way of defending the hold.  Either by closed in cavern walls or rock structures.

Stedding

Steddings are currently 4 cells.  They should be similar to the landscape of the surrounding areas and have housing for the Ogiers who live there.  In mountain areas, the dwellings are probably stone and wood.  In forested areas they may be wood.  In grassland, not sure...maybe grass huts.

Steddings allow no magic.  The global scripting for magic usage will need a list of all cell names that contain steddings....or there will be some static in the area that runs a script to change the global variable for magic allowance.  Once this is known, it will be recorded so all modder's know if they need to add an item with a particular script.

Not sure of the trades of these towns.  We will have to brainstorm on this.

 

The Wheel of Time and all its subject matter is copyright by Robert Jordan.  Morrowind, the gaming engine, and the modules created for it are copyright by Bethesda.  This project is a not-for-profit endeavor.  It is done in homage to a great fantasy series.  It is not intended to be an official representation of the works of Robert Jordan.
For problems or questions regarding this web contact the webmaster: Kiriel@direcway.com.
Last updated: August 31, 2005.