Scouts 3D Render, Digital Artwork by DustRider

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Scouts

3D Render by DustRider

Story:
The late sun filtered through the canopy, casting fractured light across the stone ledge where two scouts crouched in silence. Kaela, her headdress fashioned from the skull of an ancient predator, kept her gaze fixed on the trail below. Beside her, Nira gripped her spear, the tension in her shoulders mirroring the unease in the air. To their left, the weasel Tikka crouched, his ears twitching with every distant footfall. Below them, a line of warriors moved through the ravine; uninvited, armored, and unaware they were being watched.

These men were not allies. Their shields bore no familiar symbols, and their gait spoke of conquest, not pilgrimage. Kaela and Nira had tracked them since dawn, slipping through the forest like smoke, careful to remain unseen. The rock ledge offered a vantage point, but no real safety. One wrong move, one glint of metal, and the illusion of silence would shatter. Tikka let out a soft chuff, signaling a shift in the wind. Kaela nodded, interpreting the weasel’s instincts as she would a scout’s report. The warriors were veering closer to the sacred grove.

Nira leaned forward, her voice barely a breath. “They don’t know what sleeps beneath.Kaela’s eyes narrowed. “Then they’ll learn.The women melted back into the shadows, shields slung and weapons ready—not to strike, but to warn. Their duty was not to fight unless forced. It was to protect the land and the stories etched into stone and bone. And if these strangers crossed the threshold of the grove, they would not find the glory they sought. They would find the watchers and their mystic powers.

Image Info:
The inspiration for this image was the scene/setting. I picked up the "Quick Rocky Vignette 5" from DAZ on a deep sale. It looked like it might be usable, and the I really like the feel and realism of the "photo-scanned" rock the figures are on. It is somewhat limited, especially for framing, due to it being only the rock, some 3D trees, and just a photo for the background (no ground or any other environment elements). But it seems to have worked out pretty well, the only real issue being the use of fog and DOF doesn't have the same effect from increasing distance that simply isn't there.

I also wanted to use some new characters I got in the anniversary sale. Kayla 9 Athletic HD is the closest character, and CJ Cleo 9 is the second character. Of course the both have several additional morphs to give them the look I wanted. The outfits are mixed from Strangefate and Roguey at DAZ. I used items from STF dForce Moonfeather Shaman Outfit for Genesis 9 and 8 Female, STF dForce Duskbound for Genesis 9 and Genesis 8 Female, STF Tribal Weapons and Poses (the shiels are from this too), and STF Tribal Armor for Genesis 9 and Genesis 8 Female. The two figures in the lower left are a single G8M figure that was instanced to give a second figure.

The lighting that came with the Rocky Vignette scene was a bit too harsh, so I tried the default DS HDRI and it worked very well with a couple of extra spotlights.

The scene was setup and rendered in Daz Studio Pro Beta 4.24.0.3 and rendered using Iray. Some minor post work was done in Gimp (levels, unsharp mask, vignette, and sig),

Please be sure to zoom to full resolution (4K) to see all the great details (right click on the image and select "open in new tab" or "open in new window").

Thanks for stopping by!!