Underrealm

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Underrealm node concept art.[1]

One of the aspects of the Lore behind the Tulnar was that in the pantheon of gods that exist- having foretold the future through the Goddess of Fate to the Goddess of Creation- these areas in the Underrealm were created in to allow for refuge for which the gods knew would be left behind that couldn't make it to Sanctus. So that was a pre-thought there in the creation of the Underrealm to facilitate that realm where refugees could seek.[2]Steven Sharif

Alpha-0 Underrealm Sharptooth cat mob concept art.[3]

We plan to have the Underrealm really pervasive throughout the game itself, a part of the open world. It will introduce some unique elements such as the type of monsters you see, the type of crops you can grow and houses you can have.[4]Steven Sharif

The Underrealm is a rich environment where bio-luminescence abounds in the fauna and flora that exist here. These deep caverns and underground valleys provide new destinations for civilization to develop. Bringing the node system into the depths of the world may awaken darker creatures than the surface.[5]

  • The Underrealm is estimated to be not too much bigger than 100 km2 in area.[6][7] It is not contiguous space across the entire map. There will be areas that are obstructed by chasms or other features.[8][9]
The expansiveness of the Underrealm itself is quite large. It does persist across across a lot of the playable game area that's above ground. So there are alternatives in the Underrealm for passages and traversal throughout the world.[10]Steven Sharif
  • The location of Underrealm entrances throughout the world is focused around natural geographic choke-points that exist above ground. This provides alternate subterranean routes that can be used by caravans, raids, and other player activities.[6][8][9]
The Underrealm is intending to be bespoke segments of Underrealm territory that are available around areas of choke-point in the world map that are above ground, which are provided for caravan transit across the world. So those caravans as they're approaching these choke-points on land, they will have alternate route options to go down into the Underrealm and to try to traverse that space, as opposed to the choke-points.[8]Steven Sharif
  • Not all entrances to the Underrealm will be open at the same time. This can shift dynamically (based on node states) that cause different routes to open up, which may be more or less advantageous than other routes.[9]
  • There will be bodies of water such as rivers and lakes in the Underrealm that house unique species of fish.[11][12]
    • There won't be boats and other water vehicles in the Underrealm.[11]
There will absolutely be Underrealm lakes and rivers. Those will be locations and very important ones for unique material goods like certain types of fish that players will be able to go down and fish with. But there will not be the use of boats and vehicles within the water- water vehicles of the Underrealm, at least not for launch.[11]Steven Sharif

Bosses at this location

Mobs at this location

NPCs at this location

Quests at this location

- None -

Dungeons at this location

- None -

Underrealm environment

Alpha-0 Underrealm environment.[3]

Underrealm environments are vast.[13]

  • Caravans should be able to operate as they do above ground.[13]
  • If there's insufficient room for Dragons, another mount type may be utilized.[13]
  • Burrowing mounts are being considered as an alternative to flying mounts in the Underrealm.[14]

One of the important aspects of color play is going to be the distinguishing factor between different Underrealms and the regions that exist in the world: Their color influences set them apart from different regions.[15]Steven Sharif

Seasons above ground will affect the Underrealm.[13]

  • This will not be a one-to-one correlation: for example, it won't snow in the Underrealm.
  • Tunnel flooding and other effects will be related to the weather above ground.

The seasons above ground will inform what happens underneath. I mean, it's not going to be a direct one-to-one correlation right, not like it's going to be raining in the underworld, but you will see the effects from above happen down below: You might find tunnels being flooded.[13]Jeffrey Bard

Underrealm resources

Resources will be different in the Underrealm, including unique species of fish.[11][12][13]

Underrealm nodes

Underrealm nodes and nodes directly above them are considered adjacent but do not exist in the same ZOI.[16][17][18]

  • There will be "bleed over" between underrealm nodes and surface nodes in terms of influence and interaction.[17]
    • There may be visual cues above ground that indicate influence from underrealm nodes in that area.[17]

That might be a little bit of a departure from our design in the past. I know originally like two-plus years ago we were discussing how those would be independent of each other, but I think as we further defined the layout of the world map itself it made more sense for those to have some interaction and influence that's combined.[17]Steven Sharif

Roads

Road blocked by an environmental hazard due to a caravan event in Alpha-2.[22]

Our road system in-game is essentially driven by pre-placed routes that lead to this main artery of what was once the ancient highway system of Verra; and from there there are roads that become exposed when nodes advance; and we call those veins. They come off the main artery and then as nodes advance there are points of interest as Jeff was discussing earlier. These POIs that exist around the world and some of them share coverage with multiple nodes, but depending on which node advances to the stage that activates the point of interest it'll create these capillary roads so to speak that then stem off of the node itself. So you go from the main artery ancient road that's large- that runs through different zones and whatnot- and that breaks down into the veins that lead to the specific encampments and villages and towns that then spawn off separate capillaries that lead to the points of interest in these areas that are hunting grounds. Those are not exposed initially and they come online as players advance the world.[23]Steven Sharif

Roads adjusting to adjacent node progression.[24]

As nodes advance, these pre-laid road spots that exist connecting every possible route between certain node structures is going to adjust and adapt, both its material presentation, the type of roadwork that's present: It'll move from dirt road type, to perhaps a brick road, to perhaps some super ornate beautiful metropolis style road that will adjust around the world according to how these node structures begin to populate and advance.[24]Steven Sharif

Roads in Verra are both pre-generated and player influenced.[23]

  • The largest roads are referred to as arteries. These are remnants of what was once the ancient highway system of Verra.[23]
  • As nodes advance smaller roads, referred to as veins, connect the arteries to the nodes.[23]
  • Depending on the stages of node advancement, capillary roads will stem off the node to connect to points of interest.[23]
  • Roads or pathways are not worn into the landscape by repeated traffic over the same area.[23]
  • The quality, safety, and maximum transportation speed of roads is influenced by node building upgrades, policies, relics, and the level of nearby nodes.[25][26][27]
Q: Could you upgrade roads in the node to upgrade the roads and speeds of caravans?
A: Absolutely. So that buff that you saw is a buff that can be changed in the world based on the world state. Some of those world state interactions include certain types of relics that the nodes which govern your area might have access to and might be actively employing. Some of it might have to do with policies: You might be able to extend the guard influences across the road radius further out for certain nodes if you have certain policies. You might be able to enhance and empower those guards through itemization choices that are granted by building upgrades that the node selects to build.[25]Steven Sharif

Different seasons and events may affect access to various roads.[28][29][30][31]

  • Pathways that are open during summer may be closed during winter.[28][31]
  • Seasonal affects may cause obstacles or blockages to the transit of goods via caravan.[28][29][30][32]
  • Caravan events can cause roadways to be blocked off or hostile mobs to spawn to attack the caravan.[22][29]
    • Obstacles may present barriers on roads that players must remove or bypass to allow transit of goods.[22][28][31]
  • Water turning to ice in winter, enabling players to walk over the water but blocking access to what is underneath.[31]
    • Ice will make roads bumpy and slippery.[33]

Underrealm routes will open or close dynamically (based on node states).[9]

  • The location of Underrealm entrances throughout the world is focused around natural geographic choke-points that exist above ground. This provides alternate subterranean routes that can be used by caravans, raids, and other player activities.[8][9]
  • Not all entrances to the Underrealm will be open at the same time. This can shift dynamically (based on node states) that cause different routes to open up, which may be more or less advantageous than other routes.[9]

Caravan components can be utilized to improve on-road or off-road speeds of caravans.[34]

You will travel faster over roads, but that obviously comes with the increased risk of running into other players or monsters that are blocking the road.[34]Chris Justo

Freeholds may not be placed in close proximity to roads.[35]

Tulnar

Tulnar character model concept art of the three base influences.[36]

The Tulnar society has more of a caste like system, where based on what physical features you show, based on where your ancestry and lineage lie between the races that came together to make the Tulnar, determines your order in that caste system to a degree. So when players get to create their characters and determine whether they are going to have heavy influences of reptilian, mammalian, humanoid; that's going to determine their reception from NPCs as well when they interact with those Tulnar PCs.[37]Steven Sharif

Underrealm concept art.[5]

How will the Tulnar perceive their ancestors, the children's, children's, children, of their ancestors returning back to Verra? I think majority of the disposition is going to be, these are the descendants of those responsible for the tragedy that befell our world... And I think that you'll see a disparity between the younger Tulnar and the older Tulnar and their reception to those who are coming new. I think that's normal. I think that's expected. I think that creates an interesting tension; and I think that is a nice contextualization to some of the stories that might be told and interfacing between the Tulnar cultures and those of the returning descendants.[38]Steven Sharif

TulnarAlpha.png Tulnar (pronounced Tull-nar[39][40]) is a playable race in Ashes of Creation.[41][42] The (ancestors of) the Tulnar fled to the Underrealm to escape the Corruption that befell Verra.[43] The Tulnar is a combination of four major races and many minor races that were left behind on Verra after the apocalypse.[44][45][46][42]

They're a combination of the leftover races, not just the leftover major race populations, but the leftover minor races as well; and that's what gives them their attributes that are bestial, or reptilian, humanoid; and that players can use sliders to influence the visual representation of. But in a similar fashion, their cultural markers are also going to be a combination of different influences, so they're very differently constructed culture than what is found in the other eight races.[44]Steven Sharif
Were the Tulnar a result of corruption in their creation, or was it purely a crossbreeding between the multiple minor and major races that existed in the Underrealm during the after the apocalypse? They are not a result of corruption. So there is no corruption that was that was taken into account during their creation.[52]Steven Sharif

The Tulnar race is expected to be in place for Alpha-2.[53]

Tulnar starting area

Points of interest will exist that represent Tulnar npc structures. In the similar fashion that the starting areas around divine gateways will include expeditionary npc settlements not tied to the node structures but serve as initial quest origination points.[56]Steven Sharif

Tulnar have a starting area that does not involve a divine gateway.[57]

  • Points of interest exist that represent Tulnar NPC structures in a similar fashion to the starting areas around divine gateways.[56]
Tulnar have the same option of starting at any of the divine gateways. Their civilization, though within the underrealm, has also begun to explore the surface.[58]Steven Sharif

Unlike the other races, the Tulnar won’t be returning to Verra. Instead they will be returning to the surface from the Underrealm for the first time in generations.[43]

Lore

Concept art showing the citizens of Verra escaping a besieged city through a divine gateway.[60]

In Ashes of Creation there is a primary antagonist that exists within the overarching storyline and these antagonists are The Ancients. When the Apocalypse occurred and the Harbingers arrived in on Verra and those conduits opened from the center of those Harbingers, the Ancients flowed out of these Harbingers and started really conquering the Verran planet. But more importantly their desire was to essentially manipulate and pervert the creation of the gods as an affront to their endeavors; and in doing so they created monstrosities essentially any portion of nature just was completely manipulated by their corruption, which is the negative aspect of Essence.[61]Steven Sharif

Long ago, the world of Verra was besieged by a great calamity (also called the Fall, the Apocalypse, and the Exodus), brought about by the primary antagonists of the world: The Ancients and The Others.[61][62]

  • The apocalypse began with comet-like celestial bodies called Harbingers arriving on Verra. The Ancients flowed out of the conduits that opened at the center of the Harbingers and started conquering the planet.[61]
  • Their desire was to pervert the creation of the gods (the Seven) as an affront to their endeavors; and in doing so they created monstrosities by manipulating nature with corruption, which is the negative aspect of The Essence.[61][63]

Granted by divine intervention from the Goddess of Creation[64], much of the population fled Verra through towering gateways, seeking refuge in a world void of magic.[60] The world of Sanctus.[65]

Soon after the exodus, the gateways dimmed and became dormant. Centuries turned to millennia, burying them beneath myriad calamities. Over eons, history became legend, then even the great legends were at last forgotten.[60]

The Tulnar is a combination of four major races and many minor races that were left behind on Verra after the apocalypse.[45][46][42]

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World size

1,200 km2 (square kilometers) is the expected total world size of Verra at launch, including land (480 km2) and water/ocean (750 km2), but excluding the size of the Underrealm.[68]

  • This has increased from the previously stated total size of 480 km2 including land and water/ocean[69][70][71]; but excluding an additional ~100 km2 of Underrealm.[7]
    • The Underrealm did not increase "too much" in size.[6]
  • The reason given for expanding the map size was to better accommodate Naval content and to reduce the overall content density in the world.[68]
The purpose of it becoming bigger is as I said to make sure that density isn't overwhelming: that it isn't everywhere I look there is immediately something. I have no opportunity to see areas of the world that are expansive and are just wanderlust adventure feeling. Everything was sitting on top of you, POIs and nodes and houses and everything. It was like an urban area everywhere. But we wanted to expand that because a large portion of the game is a sandbox element; it's coupled with a lot of curated content but it's that sandbox element.[68]Steven Sharif
  • The shape of the continents has also changed and two new large islands have been introduced.[68]

Visuals

See also

References

  1. Forums: Dev Discussion - Dream Nodes.
  2. Interview, October 31, 2018 (6:00).
  3. 3.0 3.1 Ashes of Creation - The visuals.
  4. A chat with Ashes of Creation's Steven Sharif, 2017-06-7.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Kickstarter $1,750,000 Stretch Goal Unlocked, 13 May 2017.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Livestream, April 7, 2023 (22:48).
  7. 7.0 7.1 Interview, August 17, 2018 (10:43).
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Livestream, August 26, 2022 (53:26).
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 Livestream, October 30, 2020 (1:19:13).
  10. Interview, October 31, 2018 (5:43).
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Livestream, April 7, 2023 (27:30).
  12. 12.0 12.1 Transcript, November 5, 2022 (10:46:47).
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 Livestream, June 1, 2017 (24:30).
  14. Interview, August 17, 2018 (8:57).
  15. Livestream, January 18, 2018 (14:00).
  16. Livestream, March 29, 2019 (58:14).
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Livestream, March 29, 2019 (29:17).
  18. Livestream, May 5, 2017 (37:52).
  19. Livestream, May 26, 2017 (31:44).
  20. Livestream, May 26, 2017 (42:45).
  21. Livestream, May 24, 2017 (31:39).
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 Video, October 31, 2023 (34:12).
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 Livestream, January 29, 2021 (1:13:04).
  24. 24.0 24.1 Livestream, January 28, 2022 (33:25).
  25. 25.0 25.1 Livestream, October 31, 2023 (1:16:34).
  26. Video, October 31, 2023 (28:06).
  27. Livestream, February 9, 2018 (45:48).
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Video, May 27, 2022 (15:50).
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 Podcast, April 11, 2021 (23:36).
  30. 30.0 30.1 Livestream, June 26, 2020 (1:29:06).
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 Livestream, May 8, 2017 (20:27).
  32. Our immersive world - Environments.
  33. frosty-roads.png
  34. 34.0 34.1 Video, October 31, 2023 (20:17).
  35. Livestream, May 19, 2017 (32:23).
  36. Livestream, July 29, 2022 (59:00).
  37. Interview, October 31, 2018 (5:03).
  38. Livestream, April 7, 2023 (1:17:59).
  39. RacePronunciation.png
  40. Livestream, March 31, 2022 (1:06:54).
  41. Livestream, May 30, 2017 (16:51).
  42. 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 Kickstarter $2,500,000 New Player Race Achieved.
  43. 43.0 43.1 Livestream, May 17, 2017 (5:49).
  44. 44.0 44.1 Podcast, September 29, 2021 (16:51).
  45. 45.0 45.1 Interview, July 20, 2020 (15:18).
  46. 46.0 46.1 Livestream, April 8, 2018 (23:04).
  47. Livestream, May 26, 2017 (39:34).
  48. tulnar-eats.png
  49. Podcast, November 15, 2020 (31:13).
  50. Livestream, April 28, 2023 (1:23:33).
  51. Podcast, November 15, 2020 (40:24).
  52. 52.0 52.1 Livestream, November 22, 2019 (24:33).
  53. Livestream, 2018-04-8 (AM) (2:17).
  54. Livestream, July 29, 2022 (59:00).
  55. Interview, July 9, 2023 (1:06:53).
  56. 56.0 56.1 steven-tulnar-pois.png
  57. Livestream, October 16, 2017 (53:58).
  58. 58.0 58.1 tulnar-gateway.png
  59. underrealm-gateway.png
  60. 60.0 60.1 60.2 Unreal Engine Interview, 23 May 2017.
  61. 61.0 61.1 61.2 61.3 Livestream, November 8, 2020 (9:51).
  62. Interview, July 19, 2020 (50:10).
  63. Ashes of Creation - A world with consequences.
  64. Interview, July 20, 2020 (13:33).
  65. Interview, April 20, 2018 (5:46).
  66. Livestream, September 27, 2018 (6:22).
  67. Livestream, October 31, 2018 (36:59).
  68. 68.0 68.1 68.2 68.3 Livestream, August 26, 2022 (46:52).
  69. Livestream, January 30, 2020 (1:18:12).
  70. world size.png
  71. waterlandsize.png