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Defenders of Hla'ruhn: Unused Cover Art

This was an alternative cover that I designed for Defenders of Hla'ruhn that wasn't ever used. But it's my personal favorite. There are little details in the image that relate to the new follower's narrative arc.

"Nammu-ko is a disciplined and sharp-tongued Khajiit warrior raised by proud Dunmer parents. Fiercely loyal to House Hlaalu and the outpost of Hla’ruhn, she upholds a strict martial code while quietly struggling with the prejudice she has internalized and the self-doubt born from her unusual upbringing. Her journey to Skyrim begins as an official assignment to investigate the dragon threat, but traveling with her reveals the subtle tensions she carries, the biases she must confront, and the inner strength she has yet to fully claim."

She is a character split between two worlds. Between an Khajiit heritage and a Morrowind upbringing. And I really enjoyed how this version of the cover explored the idea of her being split. While I love the final cover that Mystic Madman ultimately chose, I still enjoy this reflective version.

Beyond the cover art, I was given so much creative responsibility, and it was a real joy to work on. I wore many hats throughout production:
• Project management
• Final script revision
• Narrative design & quest programming (Papyrus)
• 3d rigging/skinning
• 3d texturing (I was responsible for the Inquisitor and Liquidator skins)
• Video editing
• Game capture
• Graphic design
• Subtitling (in-game subtitles and the trailer), and
• Audio programming

You can find the Creation on Bethesda's Creation Store, or in Skyrim Creations Menu: https://creations.bethesda.net/en/skyrim/details/3c5c07ca-de6b-4833-ab2d-0a9ffd38ca83/Defenders_of_Hla__39_ruhn

If you wish to support MysticMadman's quest to create the most breathtaking mods possible, please consider joining the public Discord channel. https://discord.gg/fQhMu88Sqf

Unused cover art

Unused cover art

Render process. From the beginning, I planned to render two versions of the scene. One with the basket for the reflection, and one with the helmet above water. The goal was to composite the two at the end.

Render process.

From the beginning, I planned to render two versions of the scene. One with the basket for the reflection, and one with the helmet above water. The goal was to composite the two at the end.

I wanted this cover to look dream-like. One idea was to make the light rays appear to pass through the water, rather than reflect. It also helped to center focus on Nammu-ko, instead of a big distracting light bounce.

I wanted this cover to look dream-like. One idea was to make the light rays appear to pass through the water, rather than reflect. It also helped to center focus on Nammu-ko, instead of a big distracting light bounce.

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