I am currently working on a Morrowind mod called 'Berjon's Blade'. This is your typically over-ambitious, large-scale mod that will take a long time to complete.
Why not investigate those tales of a magical weapon hidden somewhere in a region far to the north of Vvardenfell. Swing by the shipmaster at Khuul and book passage over to Wessan Cove. Listen in on the locals' gossip and try to pick up clues about this powerful weapon.
Sounds like a nice little diversion, scouting through new territory. Others have tried to find the truth behind the tales, only to come away empty-handed. But it shouldn't be hard for someone of your experience. Nothing much could go wrong ...could it?
| Wessan Cove is your first stop after coming over from Vvardenfell. The town has 30 buildings, many along the main street visible behind the tree. All exteriors plus 29 interiors have been completed. |
| The sloping main street can provide a bit of a challenge for some patrons of the Landfall Tavern on the right. The local Guild of Mages is on the left and the Fighters' Guild is up and around a corner. |
| Fort Seamoth is on a wind-swept bluff overlooking Wessan Cove. The fort is pretty much finished, including six interior cells, but some landscaping in the area is still needed. |
| Eyeguard Tower is the Imperial Legion's forward observation post. It's a rather lonely spot and guards who pull duty there tend to grumble about it. |
| Here's a night shot of the open-air bazaar in Wessan Cove's town square. It looks like one of the Imperial Guards is trying to mooch a free drink from Tak Obreen, the local vendor of ales and spirits. |
| You're on the road from Wessan Cove to the Klosath Estate, about to cross the Tolmaar river. The river continues south down to the coast, and has farmers' fields with crops of saltrice and such along its banks. |
| We've reached the entrance to the Klosath Estate just as the sun is setting. Hopan Klosath is a wealthy land owner in the area, with a number of locals working in his fields and mines. |
| Some rapids on the Tolmaar river. They look better when animated in-game. Hmmm, you don't suppose they emerge from an interesting location, do you? Well, there's only one way you'll know for sure... |
| Sneaking a peek at the 'back-side' of the Arbos farm. Normally one would reach the farmhouse by a dirt path on the other side of the river. Yiltunn Arbos is one of several farmers employed by Hopan Klosath. |
| If you thought Fort Seamoth was built in an imposing location, check out the spot the Tribunal Temple decided to call home. Obviously the priests don't suffer from vertigo. |
| A panoramic shot of the Floating Gardens. Now known for their blissful serenity, the Gardens have a troubled past. Many exotic plants not normally found in this region somehow flourish within these walls. |
| As you travel northeast of Wessan Cove the Dwemer ruins of Nchuagthzed come into view. Long abandoned, they seem peaceful enough. But appearances can be deceiving. |
| You may first venture to Nchuagthzed following discussions with Barlu Aramot, a local priest and scholar. Will you accompany him into the ruins to search for valuable artifacts, or plunder the site on your own? |
| On the north-east shores of Norval is the spiritual retreat of Rhaptic. Nestled within some rough terrain, the complex is composed of two sections, the main meditation centre and the residential quarters. |
| Although regarded as a bit 'flakey' by outsiders, you may find that the monks and other residents of Rhaptic may be able to provide insightful clues about Berjon's Blade. |
| Time for an interior shot, this is part of a gloomy pirates' cave. The pirates are disrupting a merchant's business and he asks your help. But the merchant himself seems rather disreputable. Decisions, decisions. |
Naturally, there are many areas that have been completed but can't be shown in screen shots. After all, I wouldn't want to spoil all the surprises.
I expect the total land area in the mod to run about 8 x 8 cells. So far I've worked on 47 of them and 'finished' 13. I'm putting that in quotes because it seems I always want to add 'just one more thing' to cells that are essentially complete. I try to stop before the frame rate sinks below 15 FPS on my modest system. In addition, 120 interior cells have been completed, ranging from simple fishing shacks and shops in Wessan Cove to twisty caves and partially collapsed shrines.
There are 96 new NPCs, with more to come, plus a smattering of generic guards. Most creatures are levelled to match the player's abilities, but there are a couple of nasty ones. Three side quests have been completed at the moment, plus 11 segments of the main quest. Just a couple more segments to go. Several other side quests have been laid out, they are just waiting for the territory they occupy to be built. There's still a lot of 'infrastructure' that must be created before all the stories of the Norval region can be told. Speaking of which, there are now 20,036 words of dialogue and journal entries. Many of them vaguely coherent.
