Area Building - Tua'tha

With Mt. Fomhair done (and all the major story events covered), I've begun work on the next settlement you visit, Tua'tha.

Overview

Acting as one of the only operating mining towns in Anchbhaile, it is controlled by the molefolk who specialize in digging and have an understanding of the earth that they can manage their operations without much trouble. They act as a major supplier of Earth Manarium, which while can be mined in many areas with plentiful Earth Spirits, theirs is considered to be top quality due to being in close proximity to Gnome's Domain. The entire settlement, and subsequently their mine, is built around where the domain is, which is at the very center of the quarry. 

The livelihood of this town is in the various minerals they collect, which they either process for themselves or ship to other settlements in the world. As such, they installed many tracks around the quarry that move by magic artes that connect to a warehouse near a commuter station, that is used for those living in nearby settlements to easily come to and from the town. The railway is also used for shipping and receiving goods, which can go either to the southern port town of Modieus, or to Farraigaia close to the eastern-center side of Solais where it can be shipped overseas that way. Typically, because of the Spirit Pilgrimage, whenever Gnome's Trial is cleared it causes the central pit (embodying the perimeter of Gnome's Domain) and the surrounding areas to be replenished of mana, manarium, and even fresh earth for them to dig that would typically last for years. This on top of Gnome's mana spreading throughout the world, naturally. Beyond that, not many visitors come here save for traveling the main road and visiting the nearby mountain trail, which is considered hazardous and requires a guide to navigate.

Story

Because the last pilgrimage ended before it could reach Tua'tha, this left its people without a proper refresh and having to stretch their resources to fulfill demand. While fortunately, a new pilgrimage had begun, it had been about a decade they had to wait and they can't really afford to wait any longer. However, apart from an incident up on Mt. Fomhair, something else will happen that may complicate matters.

Design

The idea is that this town is built on the uppermost layer, which spans all around the quarry, before descending down toward the center. Through creative illusion, you would be going to some playable sections while implying it's much larger. One area that I may have trouble with is where you enter the dungeon itself. Because I'm afraid I might end up with too many maps I need to ensure that the essentials are there while also having some areas share a map if they're small enough to fit them, and without having too many events. But for what I have in mind for how the dungeon appears, I need to decide on how to transition from one area to the next. And with this post, I think I have a solution.

Wrap-Up

Tua'tha itself will likely be done this month, and then next month will be all about the next dungeon. Time has been kind to me and I felt very motivated toward working on this. I hope to keep it going.