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Captain Genaro

[OL Collab] Hotel Royal des Monnaies

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This is a royal collaborative build by (in order of appearance): @blackdeathgr, @Kolonialbeamter @robinnilsson403 @Captain Genaro, and @Brandon Stark. Comments and criticism are always welcome.

 

Riding a few dozen yards behind the rest of the convoy, partially for privacy but primarily to avoid the dust tossed up by the convoy of horses, men, and wagons, Lieutenant Wolfgang Hochstetter worried about his future. The unsigned letter, the cause of his worries, sat in the lieutenant’s saddlebag as he pondered every possible reason for the unexpected order to return to Breshaun and report to the Royal Mint. The lieutenant was in charge of overseeing the convoys of pure Belson silver that traveled from the isolated mines deep in the island’s untamed wilderness to the massive smelting operations, and finally at the Royal Mint, where the metal was turned into coins, bars, and whatever else the King desired before being placed on massive galleons destined for Granoleon.

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Sure, there had been delays, the young lieutenant knew. The natives were getting restless again and there were reports of robbers, possibly even pirates, ambushing travelers along the isolated island roads. But these weren’t his fault, Wolfgang told himself, he was simply in charge of ensuring the silver kept flowing, something that, despite a few delays, he did very well. Still, despite his near perfect record, that single piece of paper in his saddlebag consumed the young lieutenant’s mind more than hordes of cannibals or violent brigands could.

The sun was just beginning to set by the time the convoy arrived at the city gates. The convoy remained together for a few miles, but as they neared their destination, the wagon and guards took the right path which lead to the freight entrance behind the Mint, while Wolfgang took the left path to the front of the majestic building. The lieutenant rode on for a few hundred yards, the shadows growing longer, before finding a stable where he could keep his horse. Delaying only long enough to pay for his horses’ supper, Wolfgang continued down the winding roads before turning onto the tree lined boulevard which lead straight to the Mint’s main gate.

32735574114_3f637be852_c.jpg 

Despite seeing the building on multiple occasions, Wolfgang couldn’t help but be in awe of the building’s sublime splendor. But it was not the intricate stonework or gold-plated royal crest that Wolfgang reflected on; rather, it was the sheer size of the imposing structure. And as the last rays of the setting sun disappeared behind the Mint’s enormous roof, Wolfgang passed the black iron gates and into the dark foyer.

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Immediately upon entering, Wolfgang was approached by a porter who, upon seeing the letter instructed the officer to “follow.” The two quickly took off and within a few moments were completely lost in the labyrinth of halls, stairs, and rooms.

33038509151_03e3fe59d4_c.jpgP2280008 by Robin Nilsson, on Flickr

After countless turns and endless corridors, they arrived at a portion of the Mint Wolfgang had never seen before. A long simple hallway flanked the corridor, empty apart from two vigilant soldiers guarding a massive gold-plated vault. Like most visitors to the Mint, Wolfgang heard stories about the massive vaults deep within the building, but had never seen them. Walking past the guards, Wolfgang’s worries disappeared for a moment as he tried to imagine just how much wealth lay behind the massive iron door. But as imaginative as he was, Wolfgang couldn’t begin to fathom the plethora of chests filled with coins, the stacks of silver bars too heavy for the strongest draft horse to carry, and the long rods of pure silver destined to be melted down and turned into whatever the artisans (or more accurately, whatever the artisans’ customers) desired.

33124561876_983a4c94a7_c.jpgP2280016 by Robin Nilsson, on Flickr

They finally arrived in a rather large antechamber, empty apart from a few chairs and a secretary’s desk. After confirming that Wolfgang was ready to meet his host, the porter turned to the massive French doors and gave them two loud knocks. After a brief pause, a firm voice from within replied. “Enter,” the voice commanded, and the doors swung inwards revealing the immense office of le Intendant General des Finances d'Oleon. Realizing who sat before him, Wolfgang froze for a moment before walking forward. Reaching the Intendant’s desk, Wolfgang froze and, looking at the life-sized statue of Tyche that stood behind the Intendant’s desk, he clumsily blessed himself in the Oleander fashion. While he did this, the Intendant got up and proceeded to stand next to the young lieutenant who, upon finishing the blessing, turned, knelt on one knee, and kissed l'Anneau de Vele, the Ring of Vele, which rested upon the Intendant’s right middle finger.

33571110616_f6a10593e9_c.jpgP1110334 by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr

“Lieutenant Wolfgang Hochstetter, reporting as ordered, my lord” said Wolfgang as he stood up.

The Intendant stared for a moment before speaking in his firm, cold voice. “Fortuna iuvat pias [Fortuna favors the pious], Lieutenant. I have seen men greater than you, men of Oleander birth, who upon entering my office kneel before me before paying homage to the goddess,” replied the Intendant, his cold voice showing just a mere hint of kindness. “Those men have all failed. You, however, a foreigner no less, knows the proper order of things. I am pleased to see this. Sit,” the Intendant gestured toward two chairs.

Wolfgang bowed and thanked his lordship and walked towards the chairs while the Intendant walked towards a liquor cabinet and filled two glasses from separate bottles. Speechless, Wolfgang struggled to grasp his situation. Not only did he meet a Peer of Oleon, but he received some rather high praise and was now being served drinks by the same Peer.

33571102796_3f69f79a1f_c.jpgP1110341 by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr

“I believe you are found of raspberry schnapps” said the Intendant as he held out a glass to Wolfgang. Wolfgang nodded before the Intendant toasted “To the King” and they both took a long swig from their glasses.

“You must forgive the secrecy, but there are those that must not know of my presence in Breshaun and especially of my meeting you” stated the Intendant in a conversational tone. “You are aware of the fate of Major Leon?”

Wolfgang thought for a moment. “The RNTC officer who drowned in Lavalette?”

“No, the RNTC officer who was drowned in Lavalette. Make no mistake, Lieutenant, Major Leon was killed, and he was killed by the Order.”

“But how can you be so certain, my lord. I don’t mean to doubt your lordship, but these are serious accusations” a stunned Wolfgang replied.

“It’s all in a report I shall give you. But I did not order you here to explain my reasoning. No, I ordered you here because there is an opportunity you should accept.” The Intendant took a sip of his wine before continuing. “It appears that the RNTC is in need of an officer to command its forces in Lavalette. You are my primary candidate.”

Stunned, Wolfgang couldn’t believe his ears. “Me, sir, my lord?” stammered Wolfgang. “I don’t mean to question your lordship, but are you quite certain.”

“I have reviewed your record,” replied the Intendant. “Your intelligence and brutality, especially your unique methods of interrogation and native pacification, are in high demand in Lavalette. Better yet, as a foreigner, I have nothing to fear from you. It’s a miracle you made it to a lieutenant, but you won’t advance any further in the army. You need me if you hope to advance, so you can’t betray me.”  

“Your praise is too much, my lord. I simply served the Crown as best I could.” As he said this, Wolfgang reflected on the Intendant’s words. They were all true, and what choice did he have? As an exile, he could never return to his home country and his welcome in other lands wouldn’t be any warmer than Oleon.  With no skills other than his military knowledge, he couldn’t exactly change careers and he had no desire to spend the rest of his days as a lieutenant taking orders from men half his age. Besides, he had no family and the new settlements further east offered untold opportunities for fortune and fame. “What do you command of me, my lord?”

At this, the Intendant stood up, walked over to a smaller desk and pressed two seals onto a sheet of paper. “Your orders, Major Hochstetter, are quite simple. Restore order in Lavalette, check the spread of the Order’s authority, and find the assassin who killed Major Leon.”

33571100496_b1ba62fc31_c.jpgP1110344 by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr

“The assassin, my lord?”

“A cleric of Hades. I only know of two priests of Tyche in Lavalette right now, so the cleric has not decided to make his identity known. Your report includes a list of names, one of which is our cleric. You are to identify him, arrest him, and have him sent to me alive. Is that clear?” the Intendant asked with a threatening tone.

“My lord, I’m not sure I heard you correctly, sir, as I’m merely a lieutenant and the next rank is,”

“I am well aware of military ranks, Major, and I hope you are aware that in this matter my word is final.”

“Yes, my lord. Certainly, my lord, forgive me, I never meant to question you.” Wolfgang paused for a moment before continuing. “May I ask how you know so much about the assassin?”

The Intendant stared for a moment before continuing. “Your horse and personal affects have been loaded onto the Philip Roi, and you are expected onboard before the morning tide. Your uniform is in your cabin along with a tailor who can make the final adjustments. Congratulations on your promotion, Major,” said the Intendant as he stood. On que, two servants opened the massive French doors to the Intendant’s office.

Wolfgang stood, feelings of fear, pride, and confusion all competing inside him, took his leave, and began to exit when the Intendant interrupted.

“Major, the assassin shall be delivered to me alive. There is no debate on this point.”

33234106736_206bd83a39_c.jpgP1110315 by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr

 

Brandon Stark's Story: 

32749727293_0d94e5e63e.jpgBreshaun Collab 1 by Brandon Stark, on Flickr

33181021730_b0d950f7fb.jpgBreshaun Collab 2 by Brandon Stark, on Flickr

Brandon walked through the Royal Mint of Breshaun, on his way to a meeting with the Intendant General des Finances d'Oleon. It was two weeks ago when he had received a summons with the royal seal asking him to come to Breshaun for a meeting with the Intendant General. After a long journey and a brief stop in King's Port, Terraversa, Brandon arrived at the port of Breshaun. He had no time for a stop in Eltina.

As he walked through the halls of the large building, which reminded him so much of the palaces back home in Oleon, Brandon couldn't help but wonder why he needed to meet with one of the kingdom's top officials. He thought he was summoned to be reprimanded or punished for settling an island without the Crown's permission, but that meeting would've been with the Secretaire des Colonies. Maybe they were going to force him to pay a fine? 

As Brandon continued walking down the hall, he noticed a familiar young woman walking in his direction down the corridor. She also seemed to be wearing a very familiar dress. Brandon assumed it was just his eyes, but he decided to get a closer look. As he got closer, he immediately noticed the young woman. "Lady Maelynn of the House of Couture. What brings you to Breshaun?" Brandon said in a half joking manner. Brandon also saw she was wearing the silk dress he had sent her with the money he made from investments and mayor pay.

Maelynn responded with. "I'm not a lady yet, Mayor Lantell. And I'm following my father, who's helping run this mint for the crown" Brandon quickly bowed and kissed her hand. Maelynn Couture, the daughter of a prominent aristocrat back in Oleon, was Brandon's betrothed. He had gone so far in life since that day in the Juniper grove, he thought to himself. Though he and Maelynn were to marry soon, Brandon left for the colonies as part of a royal expeditionary force more than a year ago, though he stayed in the colonies even after his duties were done.

"It is pleasant to see you after a year of being apart. You've only grown more beautiful since then." Brandon then looked at his watch, then remembered the time of the meeting. "Apologies, Maelynn, but I must go now. I have to meet with the Intendant General des Finances, and he is one you don't want to make angry. Now, after I'm done, would you like to come with me to the mayor's mansion tonight? I hear he's hosting an event for nobles and other prestigious people like us."

"Brandon, I would be more than happy to go with you. Please meet me at the Poseidon Garden at 6 tonight. I have to go home first to prepare for the event. Just wait for me there. Until then, Brandon." Maelynn then begun walking down the corridor. Brandon then walked in the direction of the Intendant General's office, wondering what the meeting would be like. But Brandon had feelings of joy after meeting his betrothed after a year of being apart.

Edited by Captain Genaro

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Aha, I do believe that this plot will keep thickening forever!  So much for Eslandola being the faction all about intrigue! :laugh: :grin:  Excellent builds, guys, it's always great to see collaborations, but on this scale and between so many builders it's just taken a step farther!  Congrats to you all! :pir-sweet:

There's definitely far too many details to note them all, but some of my favorite parts are the epic front in KB's section (the front arch, balcony, and corners are particularly great), the floor mosaic on Robinnilson's, the lantern and use of a net to keep the chests down in Blackdeath's, and the bookshelves on BS's. :thumbup:  Excellent job yourself as well, Capt G, the furniture is superb as are the wall textures and windows, and the imposing look up towards the Intendant's desk conveys the feeling perfectly as well!  Oh, and add to that the little strip on both sides of the large center of the carpet - that's something I'm certainly going to try to keep in mind for the future myself!  

Great job, all, and keep up the blue builds and collabs! :pir-wink:

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Bah, give me 10.000 $ and 16 months and anyone could do the same! :pir-wink:

Very impressive collab, guys - you are starting to rival Elostirion in output! :tongue:

The greatest achievement of this is how you build a story around the build presentation. And a very well-written story at that, very well tied in to your ongoing RNTC story. The intrigues, love affairs, different factions, etc. reminds me of the Three Musketeers. The intendant is rather scupulous!

Good builds all around, with many good details. BD's wagon is great, although those two oxen might be a bit pressed towing all that silver! :pir-wink: KB's palace is fabulous, very reminiscent of French palaces. My only critisism is that it might actually be too large - would probably work just as well half that size and might thus be more fitting for the colonies. RN's vault is nice - I like the blue vault door, the little enclosures on the sides, and the fleur-de-lis on the floor. CG's office has many fantastic details like the cabinet with food, the lights on the wall and changing posing of the figs. BS's build is probably his best yet, and I like the bookshelves and the hanging flags.

Well done all around.

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 Nice to see you guys work together to bring us such beautiful mocs. The Royal Mint is magnificent, impressive with its size and all the details, through window, I can see you even built an interior.:wub: The first scene showing wagon and soldiers in a desert remind me the movie L'avare. :wink: L'antechambre and the vault are nice too, I can't stop contemplating them, good job guys.

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Great collab guys, some really impressive builds here!  Of course the massive size of KB's is jawdropping, with beautiful architecture styles too, but the interiors are also great especially Captain Genaro's! :thumbup:   Neat work on that wagon too!

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Excellent collab! I love the multiple interiors. There's good detail all around, even on the floors (love that red carpet in the Intendent's office, and nice tilework fleur de lis in the vault). KB's exterior is huge! Although it does look more like a palace than what I imagine a mint would look like, it's still too wonderful to complain about in any fashion. And the story to go along with it all is excellent! I do hope to read more of this story.

I really enjoy collaborative builds, and this is a great example! :thumbup:

What is the piece used for the handle of the vault door?

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I am quite envious of this collaborative you put together.  It is quite impressive. 

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Great job guys!!!

My first reaction was the same as @Bregir (about the money and time), but even if I had it, it would still be an incredible job creating this. Congratz with the result!

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