“stood out from the shelter of the mountain-side, from which it ran and then returned again.”
This, in my mind that, is saying that the wall is part of the “mountain-side” in some areas and then it “stands out” and separates from the mountain to form its own wall until it “return[s] again” to become part of the mountain.
“the mountain-side, from which it ran and then returned again” is the key part here that proves that it joins the mountain, unless you can think of a different meaning.
Obviously this will take a fair bit of voxelling but I feel like the whole upper valley area will need it anyway to make the flooding actually feasible (which atm it isnt).
I think it can be carved out from the mountainside, but what I don’t want is the wall to just go straight into the cliff a la movie Helm’s Deep, because it would be a defensive weak point. What I think Tolkien meant to clarify with that quote is that the walls were right next to the mountainside, rather than the ring being in the middle of the valley (as you might otherwise picture it). When you say something “stands out” from something else, it is to say that it is distinct from it.
I see it as a cliff that runs down to the the base of the wall.
As for the flooding, that happened because the Ents channeled all the water from the river into the circle (instead of breaking a massive dam like in the films).
I can see what Ori and Ark are saying. But I can run a pavement away from a building and back around to the building without the pavement meeting the building’s side. The fault could be in us taking a poetic way of further identifying its circular nature too literally. If it was a perfect circle then of course you could follow the wall starting at the side of the mountain back around to the very side of the mountain where you started. I think Tolkien is being descriptive here, but redundantly so.
You could have Isengard on top of an impact crater. That’s one way to explain a sudden circular rock formation. Maybe have some/most of the crater walls eroded away and replaced by an artificial wall. This would go nicely with the bowl-like shape of the inner area, as well as hinting to the origin of the strange black stones. Or maybe have the crater “touch” the surrounding mountainside.
Just from the top of my head, I am neither a geologist nor an avid Tolkien reader. Great server you have there by the way, most impressive.
“After they had ridden for some miles, the highway became a wide street, paved with great flat stones, squared and laid with skill; no blade of grass was seen in any joint.”
Alright, @Daktubalan and I have determined it’s time for this project to go public. For now we are focusing on the valley around Isengard:
Farms/farmhouses (complete)
Dunlending villages (complete)
Coppices (complete)
Watermill (complete)
Mine (complete)
Lumber camps on the edge of Fangorn (complete)
Any of these mini projects is open for application. Just post your application in this thread.
Some Things to Keep in Mind:
Isengard is obviously much more advanced than Rohan, the most extreme example of this being the 1800s-era technology we will feature in the underground forges. At this point, I’m open to discussion about anything along this continuum. That being said, it still must be credible within the context of the world as a whole.
As for actual style, I would like there to be some visible resemblance to Rohan and (to an extent) the Beornings. However, the deforestation of Fangorn will be done by Orcs. Be sure to show this in your concepts.
Feel free to message Dak or me if you want to apply or if you have any questions.
We are now starting a second Dunlending village in the Nan Curunir. This one is quite a bit larger that the first, so we’ll need all the help we can get. The warp is DV1, and @matthewvp has graciously made a guide. You can also refer to the model village he made east of the Ring.
After a very productive build day, the Dunlending village is now complete! Thanks to everyone who helped out, and congratulations to @matthewvp on a successful first project. @Daktubalan and I will keep you informed as we finish off the rest of the valley and move into the Ring of Isengard itself.
At long last, the Ring of Isengard is now open to the public! The areas to claim are as follows:
Stables
Armory
Smithy
Glassblower
Leatherworker (no tannery in the fortress itself)
Winery
Cooper
Carpenter
Painter
Cobbler
Tailor
Weaver
Candlemaker
Potter
Ropemaker
Infirmary
Barber
Mess Hall
Kitchen
Main Food Storage
Bath House
There’s a guide for block usage, as well as an ingame list of items to be claimed, at /warp Isengard. My biggest concern is to keep the style from looking too Dwarven. That being said, the same general rules for making a Dwarven build apply here: make sure the ceiling is domed and that the walls are supported with columns. In larger, more richly decorated areas, you can include Byzantine lines in polished andesite. Examples of this style can be seen at the mess hall, the barracks, the prison, and the guard room just inside the gate.
As for technology, do some research on those professions in ancient Roman/Byzantine times, but you have some liberty to include more modern conventions (up to mid-1800s, no further). I hope this will prove to be a fun and unique building experience for everyone, and a little taste of what awaits us in Gondor.
Well folks, after fifteen months of obsessive research, planning, designing and re-re-designing, Isengard is finally finished!
There are so many people to thank, but mostly: @matthewvp for helming the two Dunlending villages and setting the precedent for an entire region, @danoir and @0kuhaku for their work on the wall, @mrbanana for his stunning gardens, @monsterfish for his magnificent Orthanc interior, @fornad and @wheellee for their constant advice and lore expertise, and lastly @daktubalan for superb co-leadership. This has been an incredible project, and despite the long, often grueling hours spent detailing various elements, I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it. The end result speaks for itself; again, fantastic work, everyone!
