Graphic Novels => Design
Earth Conduit City Design Notes
Earth City: Square. Earth, Green, Bull, stable, robust, heavy. Dwarven.
I want to create a distinct architecture style influenced by Ironforge (WoW), Erebor, and Moria. Real-world and fictional references:
Real-World References:
- Petra, Jordan – The ancient rock-carved city features grand structures hewn directly from cliffs, much like dwarven cities. Its red sandstone buildings could inspire detailed, monumental stone facades.
- Machu Picchu, Peru – The Incan architecture, built high in the mountains with terraced slopes and seamless stone masonry, provides inspiration for isolated, elevated cities that blend with their natural environment.
- Cappadocia, Turkey – This region is famous for its underground cities and homes carved into volcanic rock. It's a real-world parallel to dwarven subterranean architecture.
- Mont Saint-Michel, France – A towering medieval island city with multi-level structures, perfect for inspiring tiered, fortress-like cities with natural defenses.
- Romanesque or Gothic Cathedrals (Notre Dame, Cologne Cathedral) – These offer inspiration in terms of towering, monumental stone buildings with intricate carvings, arches, and immense, detailed interiors.
- Angkor Wat, Cambodia – Its sprawling temple complex and ancient stone carvings could inspire vast, temple-like spaces in your architectural designs.
Fictional References:
- Elder Scrolls: Dwemer Ruins – The Dwemer ruins in games like Skyrim and Morrowind have a unique, mechanical and ancient aesthetic, mixing metal and stone with advanced technology, offering a more industrial or steampunk take on dwarven architecture.
- The Deep Roads (Dragon Age) – These massive underground highways are lined with ancient dwarven architecture, giving a sense of sprawling, abandoned majesty.
- Skyrim’s Blackreach – The underground city features bioluminescent plants and eerie ruins, offering inspiration for a mix of organic and artificial elements.
- Giger’s Alien Design – Although more futuristic, H.R. Giger’s biomechanical designs from *Alien* could offer inspiration for an architecture that feels both organic and menacing, blending rock with alien, almost living shapes.
- Warhammer Fantasy: Dwarven Holds – These dwarven strongholds are defined by their massive, imposing structures, highly defensive, with ornate yet brutalist designs.
- Dune: Sietch Cities – The underground desert strongholds of the Fremen from *Dune* could inspire more minimalist, hidden cities designed for harsh environments.