Just something that very suddenly popped into my head a while ago, and the only way to get it out was to drop everything and make it. So there it is! Tried a few new things here, and they all worked great:
cloth-simulated leaves done entirely inside Max (only the ones on the characters) - I've been getting comfy with its physics engine
a different type of murky water
a different approach for wetness and mud on characters (fun fact: both versions use the same masks)
the horse is an improvised character (note the legs in the lower corners); sadly not reusable for very different scenarios, but at least it was quick, works well enough, and adds variety to my art