Saan'seriat; Temple of the Winds

This open air platform is the remains of the antechamber that leads to the interior of the mountain and the forgotten sanctuary of Saan'seriat.....

Here are pics of a wargame model I am beginning which I intend to use in a D&D game using the Chainmail combat system.

 I will be uploading progress pics here at the blog from this humble beginning to...hopefully...a very realistically painted 3D model for D&D miniatures.

I was very inspired by one of the mountain top temple ruins in the Skyrim video game by Bethesda Works...what a lush gaming engine!

Anyway, I have for some time wanted to construct an open air, mountain top "dungeon" consisting of a series of stonework platforms and temple works connected by dizzying bridges, spiral staircases and crumbling spires.

I subsequently saw a styrofoam cooler in the trash and decided that it needed to live forever as a D&D terrain setting....

Saan'seriat will consist of several encounter areas of various elevations, nestled in a forbidding mountain range.

I will be adding these models to papermache mountain footings which should provide for two to three game sessions of dungeon exploration, skirmishes with various Temple guardians, and untold mysteries of the forgotten ruin of a once powerful religion.

I will be locating appropriate plastic figurines and toys such as are suitable for painting the same color and texture as the stone works so as to look like grotesque or elegant statuary. These will be affixed to the temple ruins for flavor, and carved faces will adorn the doors and passages of the ancient monument.

Aside from whatever weird (and patient) guardians remain at Saan'seriat, there will be the danger of falling and unsteady stone works to give any dwarf nightmares....but of course with treasures that cannot be resisted by brave heroes!

I have long wanted to run a D&D game that consisted of 3D models and miniatures that were centered in encounters and skirmishes. My reasoning is that in such a game, where lead-up to the dungeon is summarized to the players and every session of play ends up right at the adventure locale (be it a city, a ruin, or a wilderness), play will progress more quickly, breaks between games will not cause the usual annoying amnesia, and the DM need not focus on anything but the adventure itself.

Roleplaying things like character development, buying equipment and leveling will then be handled in a narrative turn that takes place before or after each game session.

To me, this would be the perfect game for people who love D&D but find life happening between sessions.....

Anyhow, I will continue working on the Temple of the Winds and upload pics in case anyone feels inspired to construct their own ruin....and who knows..once Saan'seriat is mapped and keyed it may end up on the Mazes as a complete adventure for other DM's to use to test the mettle of their players....:)

Another open air plaza nestled high in the windswept peaks of a forbidding mountain range that is the lost locale of the Temple of the Winds...I have it in mind to either fill in the cup impressions or turn them into ancient fountains or pools. The large resin figure is a stand in for whatever I decide to convert into a huge stone idol, beneath whose gaze the mighty heroes shall do battle with the Temple Guardians.....

Everything I needed I found in a single styrofoam cooler, though I will most likely add to it. The mountains will consist of piles of thickly wadded newspapers shaped with masking tape to provide a paper mache frame. The modular platforms will be staged upon these precipices and the highest point will be perhaps three feet off the table when I am finished. The beauty of it all is that this is how I relax after work come nights...it has been a blast so far to build, and I discovered that the grooves built into the cooler provided perfect architectural flavor for Saan'seriat.