Mangrove des Lueurs Perdues
(Mangrove of the Lost Gleams)
Concept Art - Customizable Card Game
This picture is part of the "Ashragors" world design project which can be found HERE
Territory Card
When I came to the "swamp-based" territory, I really wanted to induce the feeling of "hidden dangers under a deceiving appearance of innocuity" and play with a form of "spot the monster" principle.
Overall, I wanted to present a mangrove sinister enough as is ; that is why I mainly played on very dark green, brown and bluish tones to set a shadowy atmosphere, only illuminated by the few sources of light, hardly penetrating through the thick canopy, forming very small gleams of light (hence the name of the card).
To complete that idea of an "evil swamp", treacherous enough to swallow anyone foolish enough to put a foot in it, I added evil and distorted faces onto the bark of trees ; meaning that even the vegetation there was ill-intended… ready to trip, attack, strangle, catch or even devour the travelers. Evil "Ents", so to speak.
Then I imagined a fauna which would completely blend into the environment; their bodies, fur or scales having the appearance of the surrounding…. being completely hidden and unnoticed until it is too late. As there are actually 7 predators present in this picture.
Did you notice them? No?... Well…
Now you know.
Add to that treacherous quicksands and unexpected water holes and you will understand why "the gleams" are not the only things to be lost in this mangrove…
