I actually added some screens to this over the last couple of days - first time in a while, I admit, but at least it's something. Only thing is, it took a couple of hours to add about 4 screens. Maybe I'm just really out of practice, or maybe it's a combination of a complex tileset, convoluted use of overlays and shifts, trying to use the hologram (ugh, why did you do this to me 2010-self?!) and making effective use another feature that really changes gameplay that I discovered for KS+ and stole plagiarised made homage of from someone else's sections of 'For Egomassive'. So I've not made things easy for myself! But hopefully it'll provide some fun gameplay to make my efforts worthwhile.
As for the dragon, I really need to have something drawn specifically for my use - using someone else's art isn't really feasible. I had a friend who said she'd give it a go but I don't think she'll be able to now, so I don't know what I'm gonna do. If anyone can draw and would be willing'n'able to make a few-panels-long cutscene for me, I would be extemely grateful and would look for opportunities to repay them (such as a big mention woven into the plot of this level or a short level made in their honour, or something...)
Otherwise I'll have to think of another idea. I guess I could do it showing the barest minimum of the dragon maybe (make the cutscene from its perspective, à la Jaws?), but I'd be disappointed not to put a picture of a dragon in my level called 'Dragon Myth' which is about slaying a dragon.
In other news...
I have a thing about secret hunting - I really don't like games that depend on it over-much. Fubaka's 'Cosmic Meltdown' being an example - no offence to him and I'm sure it's fantastic (everyone else says so) but it's not for me. The amount of bonus hidden stuff in 'Knytt Underground' is also an irritant.
On the other hand, I really like how 'Night Sky' handles secrets as easy to find and with clear rewards for doing so (aka. access to the bonus level). It maybe made the locations of the secrets more apparent than was entirely necessary but none-the-less it worked for me.
Two factors have come together in this level - one is that, ages ago, I spontaneously added a secret area into one of the earlier locations simply because the way I had designed the screen made it look like there may be a secret area where I hadn't planned on putting one, so I stuck in a hidden room with a couple of guys chatting about the plot. Second is that, intending to put in a bonus ending, I introduced a subplot early into the level intending that a sufficiently determined player who remembered this plot would be able to access the area much later in the story. Since coming back to this and converting it to KS+, I've struck upon the idea of adding in a few other secret areas throughout the level and sticking a golden creature in each. Introducing the treasure hunt besides making the subplot more memorable should give a satisfying objective and reward for the lovers of secret-hunting.
A bonus challenge, a subplot, and a finite and quantifyable supply of secrets makes me happy and hopefully will make secret hunting enjoyable and not onerous.