Pimachiowin Aki Season 2

The birchbark canoe plays a central part in this narrative, and is the main method of transportation through the activity. As such, I decided early on to create a canoe that was as authentic looking as possible with all it's sleak lines and rounded edges included... and as a result of that decision, it was one of the most challenging entities I've ever worked on. I may have pulled it off. 

I don't often have the presence of mind to capture the constuction progress of my entities, but I remembered on this one. Here you can see the stages it went through before final assembly and texturing. 

Our welcome location for the start of the experience. Here you can see one of my redressed NPCs with the wigwam from Season 1. 

Our dogsled is back from Season 1, this time to help wisk you to the safety of a river village. Dodge wolves and ravines with your trusty husky dogs! 

At the river village, an elder will helpfully loan you a canoe in exchange from some local resources. Get gathering! You'll notice our birch tree from Season 1 is back, but this time with some leaves!

Various people at the village will warn you repeatadly not to take the canoe down the rapids, as you will more than likely end up wet and canoe-less if you try. Although it is possible, just like in real life, it's incredibly risky.  

A safer bet is to carry all your supplies and canoe down the portage trail past the rapids. Our moose friend is back from Season 1, but I can't guarantee however that he will be as welcoming as the local Anishinaabe... he will try and throw you in the river, so give him a wide berth. 

If you did decide to brave the rapids, you may have noticed pictographs along some of the rock faces. Pictographs serve as wayfinders, showing you the safe route. At the end of the rapids, you are given the opportunity to create your own on a large rock face. 

Just downstream of the rapids is an area for learning about petroforms, another method of wayfinding. Custom rocks allow you to create unique and interesting animal forms in the clearing. I created a series of custom rocks for this activity, as I felt that "vanilla" blocks just wouldn't do it justice.  

At the fishing village, you have the opportunity to add to your supplies by spearfishing. You'll also notice the red steaks of granite along the river which resemble blood... one of the ways in which the river may have received it's name. 

Once you're done fishing, take a walk through the forest and gather some traditional medicines along the way such as cedar, weekay and manoomin (a kind of wild rice). Here you can see some custom cedar trees, bulrushes, weekay (which look a little like bulrushes) and manoomin in one of the smaller marshy areas. 

At the end of the forest trail is a large marsh you mush make your way through. Easy and hard paths are marked by wayfinding petroforms, but if parkour isn't your thing, there is an option to skip ahead. 

After you successfully navigate the marsh, you will arrive at the Anishinaabe village which has been hardest hit by the winter. They will gratefully take the extra food and supplies you've gathered for them. Help them a little more by preparing some village defences against potential animal or human threats. 

Once you've completed your mission, you can show off your building, pictograph or petrofrom skills in this creative reflective space. Or just chill and admire the scenery or wildlife. 

Our NPC Elders are back from Season 1, but this time with a costume change. Season 1 was set during the winter in modern times, so for Season 2, I created some traditional summer clothing. 

While I was at it, we also gave our Season 1 NPCs a subtle stylistic makeover.