Board Thread:Suggestions forum/@comment-34030170-20190723161132

Been a while since I've made one of these, but this is an idea I've had in my head for quite a while. I know there have been quite a few suggestions for Nurn improvements, but I want to try my own spin on it.

Note: throughout this suggestion, I'll be referring to what's currently called 'Núrn' in the mod as 'Nurn'. There's not many references to Nurn in the books, but it's never spelt with the accent to my knowledge (although it is included in Lake Núrnen).

Introduction
We don't know much about Nurn of course, but we do know a lot about Mordor — at least, the effects of Mordor in this case.

"'This is worse than Mordor!' said Sam. 'Much worse in a way. It comes home to you, as they say; because it is home, and you remember it before it was all ruined.'

'Yes, this is Mordor,' said Frodo. 'Just one of its works.'"

- Return of the King, The Scouring of the Shire

I'll be taking much inspiration from Saruman's work in the Shire, only here it'll be on a massive scale.

Landscape and Vegetation
Nurn was described as being the most fertile part of Mordor, and it definitely earns that title as it is in the mod. However, that doesn't necessarily mean it was full of plant-life in the same way a forest is. Like everything Sauron used, it should be harsh and without beauty. Plus, the Orcs tend to do as they will when left alone for even a minute.

So first off, except for the occasional lonely tree left untouched, all standing trees would be charred, there would be many fallen, rotten logs lying around, and there would be entire forests of tree stumps. The grass should be darker, deader than it is at the moment. Withered moss would be common, as would thorns.

For those who still want forests and life in Nurn, I was thinking that there could still be a large forest that Sauron hasn't finished with yet, spreading near the south or east of Nurn's borders at the base of the Ephel Dúath. If anyone has any ideas to expand this, feel free to give them.

There would be a dark fog throughout the land, and the sky would be as polluted as the rest of Mordor. Speaking of pollution, let's talk about the pollution. There would be pits of gravel and bared dirt scattering the ground, and huge mounds of ash near the northern border. The water in the rivers and swamps should remain the same colour it is at the moment, but I think the actual sea should be a dark blue. The rivers themselves would be thick with thorns, moss, and reeds, but also fouled with waste blocks and quagmire.

Finally, normal stone should spawn along with the Mordor rock.

Structures
Sadly, I don't think we can have enormous wheat farms like Dorwinion's vineyards. But I'll do my best to represent the endless toil of the Slaves of Nurn.

Most structures would be made of wood, rather than the stone that the rest of Mordor uses.

Note: I may try building some of these myself, in which case I'll add pictures.

Wheat Farms: These are already in the mod, but they could use an update. They'd be wide, square walls of wood, in which wheat would grow. As they currently are, Slaves often trample the crops, which is very annoying. They'd be completely flat on the inside. Chests full of wheat and maggoty bread would spawn in the middle, along with a scarecrow and crafting table. These farms would also spawn in Nurn towns, but smaller.

Grave-pits: This is more of an aesthetic (but very morbid) build than one with actual use. These are the pits where the Orcs bury the remains of anyone who's died under the burnt skies of Nurn. They would spawn uncommonly around Nurn, sizeable pits filled with skull and waste blocks. Occasionally, Mordor Orc Traders would spawn in them, searching for loot (and perhaps a scrap of flesh).

Mills: Large mills that would spawn around Nurn. They'd have a large, stone chimney attached to the side, spewing smoke into the sky. They'd have a millstone inside, along with chests of grain and seeds. Several slaves would spawn inside, along with an Orc farmhand.

Lockholes: Here's something directly from the Scouring of the Shire. These would be underground tunnels, with an above-ground entrance (similar in spawning to the Dwarven mines). They'd be cramped and dark, with stone walls and few torches, and filthy cells that disobedient slaves would be locked in to starve. Mordor slavers would spawn in these as well.

Nurn Towns: Busy towns, full of cramped huts, hay bales, stacks of waste, a well, and bundles of fallen logs to be shipped out for new building projects. As I said above, smaller farms would also spawn in these, and would have Orc farmhands and Mordor slavers to go along with them. Along with these would be barracks and mess halls for the soldiers of Lugbúrz. In the center of the town would be a huge, black chimney.

NPCs
There are a few new NPCs to go along with this suggestion, and a few of the old ones will be changed.

Slaves of Núrn: These would be renamed 'Slave farmers', and would only spawn in Nurn farms.

Slaves of Nurn: These new mobs would be the citizens of Nurn, spawning in mills and towns, and less-commonly in Lockholes. They'd look like the Slave farmers, but their clothes less ripped, and they wouldn't hold any items.

Nurn Prisoners: These would look like the Slave farmers but more ragged. They'd also be pale and thin, with bloodshot eyes. If a player goes near them, regardless of alignment, they'd have a chance of being attacked with a stone dagger. These prisoners would only spawn in the Lockholes.

Orc Farmhands: These would be a new trading NPC, which Mordor desparately needs. They'd be normal Orcs not dressed in armour or fur, but just regular clothes, more-or-less. Also, they'd wear straw hats. They'd buy and sell farming equipment, although they'd also love to get their hands on some fresh meat, which they'll pay good money for.

Mordor Slavers: These are just the old Orc Slavers with a new name and look. Rather than Orcs, they'd be Men, although they'd definitely have some Orc-blood in them.

Items and Blocks
Whip: These have been suggested so many times (including, very poorly, by me at one point), but I don't think I can exclude them. They'd be sold by Farmhands and when used they'd make a loud lashing sound, and all hired units within a small radius will gain a small speed boost.

Ash block: These would spawn in patches around certain parts of Nurn, and very commonly in Gorgoroth and (surprise, surprise) the Ash mountains. I don't have a function for them at the moment, so any ideas for them would be welcome.

Filthy Stone Brick: This would be a new variant of stone brick that can be crafted by putting stone bricks with dirt in a normal crafting table, or by putting stone bricks in any Orc crafting table. This would also work with Gondor and Mordor bricks.

There's not many new items in this suggestion, but one idea I had while writing it was for a new crop that replaces wheat. It wouldn't be able to craft un-maggoty bread, but I'm not sure what plant this could be.

That's everything for the suggestion. Thanks for reading this far, and make sure to give any feedback you have about it. 