The Greatwood - Voyagers of Nera
The Greatwood was the third biome developed for Voyagers of Nera. I loved the idea of a dense, overgrown ocean-forest, drawing from mangroves, coastal wetlands, and towering trees that rise directly from the sea. At its heart lies the remains of a colossal ancient tree, the Heartroot, which fell long ago and has since been reclaimed by new growth, becoming the sanctuary of an Elder Spirit.
I led the creative and art direction for the Greatwood, shaping its tone, core themes, visual language, resources, points of interest, and narrative framing to ensure the biome felt cohesive, distinctive, and meaningful within the broader world of Nera.
Shoutout to my art team for all the incredible work in realizing this biome!
https://www.artstation.com/waterproofjedi
https://www.kyleyoungblom.com/
https://www.artstation.com/dardostudios
Callout sketch for the Heartroot. I liked the idea of new growth coming from the remnants of the Heartroot, with roots and foliage bursting from it's stump.
Initial key sketch to capture the tone.
Key sketch for a Greatwood Hunter Nest. We went with a lot of spider and poison motifs in this biome.
Spread of the different unique resources to the Greatwood. Was always fun collaborating with design on what sorts of resources we'd want in the different biomes to push the crafting economy and reinforce the overall theme.
Callout sheet with some paintovers as an idea for the overall layout. The Heartroot changed a bunch, initially was going to be growing out of an Ancient, but wound up going with this biome being a bit more grim and destroyed.
Video of how it all came together.