Angeli

Menzoberranzan

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Menzoberranzan is a dark elves city ("Drow"), located in the Underdark.

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A shining jewel of the Drow nation, Menzoberranzan is sparkling from spiderwebs. But nevertheless, The church of Lloth does not bear the spider symbol. It because "every Drow bears spider essence in his soul", she used to say.

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Tall, slim towers are reaching for the top layers of the caverns; these are homes of the numerous wizards and rich Drow from noble houses.

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City is famous by its bridges. Although every Drow city has its share of beautiful bridges (remember Ched Nasad? :)

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Menzoberranzan has the longest and tallest bridges in Underdark (although there are some whispers about two lost cities (yet to be seen in Lego;) that have even sumptuous and more glamorous bridges, but that is another story ;)

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Avanturists that travel to the Underdark know that pure water is hard to find here; but not in Menzoberranzan; there are waterfalls on almost every step that you made, and in the middle of the city there is beautiful square, filled with water. Do not forget, Drow are elves, and they do have that esthetic side.

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Heavily guarded, it is almost impossible to lay siege to the city and succeed: a long bridge is going over the lava flow, connecting rest of the world with great entrance fortress. Its angled walls are very hard to climb, and inner walls are impregnable. From there the longest bridge in known Underdark is connecting city and twin guarding towers

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"NO SUMMOING ON THE CITY SQUARE!" says the sign. With good reason, because someone summoned something and that something is not happy, not happy at all!

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If you look hard enough, you can find Solaufein (remember that Drow from Ust Natha, from Baldur's Gate 2? When he fled the city, he found save haven in Menzoberranzan. Little help: he is crossing one of the bridges.

Yup, Sisters-of-sword are here to! But they are not here to fight. This time, they came to shop, because Menzoberranzan has the tastiest mushrooms EVER :) but, old quarrels can not be forgotten so easily, and look, a mage is casting "nine-eyes" protection spell, under the bridge, trying to fight of that greater-troll. It is spell from Icewind Dale, originally called "seven-eyes", but paladins wouldn't be paladins if they did not put something of their on.

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You will notice that the highest tower has some kind of strange magic glow around itself: that is because, some time before he relocated to Ust Natha, it was home of Deirex the lich. Actually, he did not left by his own will, but the pressure of the hunting Drow parties was too much, even for a lich.

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Down-town is a place for castaways. Lot's of bars, cheep wine and suspiciously smiled women. Beneath down-town there is a low-town, full of castles Drow and slaves. Noble Drow like to hunt here when they are drunk. Under the low-town there are pits. Demons are known to come from there, and elementals.

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Somewhere in between there is a famous arena, where gladiator-like fights are every day entertainment. Monsters from all over the Underdark are brought here to fight, or just provide distraction between the matches, trying to escape beholders.

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It is rumored that a green dragon has his lair somewhere around the city, but few are the ones that saw that animal, and remained to talk about it.

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It is sad that famous Drow Valsharess stood on one of the bridges and told that Drow look like ants from there... also, it is sad she rhymed it, and that she was as good as poet as she was as cleric, but that is some other story.

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Drittz is also somewhere in the city, but I will not reveal where he is ;) this time he is not in fighting armor, with weapons, he is just enjoying the fact that he is in his hometown. Viconia (De'Vir) is also in her home town, she is also relaxing, playing fetch with axe and her pet beholder. Easy to find ;) You can't miss her blonde hair and brown ball with lot of eyes, asking for a axe-throw :)

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It is, by far, the tallest, widest, largest, sparklest Drow town that I've build ;)

Menzoberranzan is 2.5m x 2m x 2.5m high; it was build in 10 all-day-full-time-24-7 building; and again, it took nine hours just to assemble it for display ; also, it took three full days to disassemble, with sorting.

Parts of the city are "overflowing" over the edge of the table, and some structures are hanging holding only to the upper parts of the castles. 85% of the castle is made from 1x2 bricks, other 5% are 1x1; 9% are slopes, inverted slopes, arches and plates and only 1% are other bricks

Here's one photo with yours truly, for comparison (I'm 184cm high;)

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Check out the main castle gallery, for many additional details, like evil clerics, rogue dealing with sneaky ghosts, vortex, Viconia, Dritzz, many other Drow and their slaves and summoned demons, notice windows, secret passages, hidden balcony, hidden artifacts, and, of course, spiders. This time, they are not in the open. There are 40 spiders hidden in the castle, and they are hidden hard.

Thank you for spending so much time with me, and with pride and a smile, I present you: Menzoberranzan!

Main castle photographs

"Main"

Construction photographs (how it was build)

"construction"

Minifigures photographs (Drow rule supreme!)

"minifigs"

Here you can see some other Drow cities from me:

Ched Nasad

Ust Natha

Chaulssin

Eryndlyn

Maerimydra

Drow rule supreme! ;)

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Edited by I Scream Clone

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The city should be finished at the beginning of April ;) It should be the tallest castle in minifig scale, but that is yet to bee seen

Here are few construction pictures of the entrance to the city ;)

Entrance to the city is especially difficult, and any invading force will think twice before attacking Menzoberranzan: there is an entrance tower, and a bridge to the entrance keep. Somewhere on the middle of the bridge there is a branch going to the one of the houses; Drow wizards wanted to be near to the exit ;)

From the entrance keep there is a high bridge leading to the city; and I will not talk much about the city itself at this time, but I will show you few of the construction pictures of the arena and high towers :)

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This is just a construction

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The Arena

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The arena will be beneath city gates, beneath of city, under the table of display

http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-37.jpg [/img] http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-38.jpg [/img]

Here's some painting on the wall: winged demon; but my friends call him "muscle imp" :)

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I have a tendency to change buildings a lot during construction, so until it is final version, there is some place for surprises ;)i

Edited by Angeli

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Looking great so far Angeli! :thumbup: I've been a fan of your previous builds and this one looks really promising. That black arena is menacing! Can't wait to see how this project will turn out.

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Wow! KDM's right! It does look great! :thumbup:

Looking forward to what the final version looks like!

CF

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This'll look good when it's done. The walls are cool and I have never seen so many red bricks in my life! *huh*

By far the tallest castle i ever seen...

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Super excited to see you making another unbelievable creation. All your castles are just amazing. Are you planning on putting your castles together in a super MOC of all time?

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Thank you friends! ;)

Alas, when I want to build new castle, I have to tear the old one down ;) There is simply not enough bricks for all of them to stay built ;)

Some tower will be more then 3m high (this only depends on the height of the exhibit room :)

The castle will "overflow" over the edge of the table, and go down, pointing to the ground, like in Avatar (animated). Also, if a friend jump to help and borrow few thousand blue 1x2 bricks, everything is going to be interwoven with water streams (I do not know if you noticed in Ched Nasad , if you look at third and forth row of pictures, there is one stream, emerging in the wall, falling into a lake with a tree, and then again falling into the sewers. I do hope to integrate dozens of streams like that, and I do plan to waterfall-them over the edge of the table ;)

What I would REALLY like is few thousand of trans-orange cheese bricks :) and to make that first part of the city that you see on pictures, with bridges, to bi in lava :) but, this will happen only if TLG borrow me five, six thousand of these, and I am too embarrassed to ask :))))))))

On the exhibit, there will be two girls dress up as Drow, or just as warriors (we are still arguing, they want to be princess warriors, fairy like, and I am for leather and spikes and white hair;) and they will discuss the castle with visitors. But, they will make up stories from hart, talking everything fantasy that they can come up at the moment "See that tower? A lonely Drow priestess used to live there and she had a little spider pet, and after she left, the whole tower was called "Spider-nest"; "See that minifig? He is unofficial ruler of this city, look at his eyes and you will know the truth" etc :)

As always, I will enjoy so much making minifigs for this town ;)

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Menzobrrenzan is slowly growing ;) I'm already without bricks, and start the fun part, how to make it to look good, and use tires and windshields for construction ;)

This castle must be demountable, so some of the parts will be shipped like this (particularly the hanging ones)

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It is pretty big, and thumbnails can not show details

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From some reason, the more I build the more I am reminded about Orzammar (Dragon age:)

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If everything goes as planed, there should be a lake with great tree in the middle, from which all the waterfalls starts

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Edited by Angeli

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here are some of the actors ;)

Drow:

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High-elf

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Gnome

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Greater werewulf

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Seraphim

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Edit:

Made from 100% Lego parts :)

Gnome and smal myconid

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Seraphim lord

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Seraphim runner

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Seraphims

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Edited by Angeli

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Adventuress party, assembled on a short notice ;) on this castle there will be visible three or for parties like this (you who played FRP know what I am talking about, warrior, rogue, wizard, cleric :) I can make what ever I like, and everything fits

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She Drow and battle-formian; notice her shield; it will be wonderful in the hand of an elf

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And my favorite, wood-gnome

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Stroll trough everywere, but come to home ;o) If I had a Lego bottle of bear, I would give it to him ;)

All of these parts are genuine Lego parts

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Without much talking, this is how the castle is progressin ;)

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best seen if enlarged (click the pictures:);)

Edited by Angeli

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First part is finished :)

Menzoberranzan, the town:

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Guard Tower:

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Resting place of the wizards

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The pit (wouldn't want to bee thrown in there :)

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Entrance to the south (one good day I will but a TON of trans-orange parts and make some lava beneath that and similar bridges (one good day :))

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Only the most wealthy and important Drow get to pass trough here

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If you want to take your new girl on a date, this is a perfect place: great hall with lake

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But, if your girl is a Drow, maybe you would have more success if you take her to the arena:

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Of course, if that doesn't work, you can always go to church, summon a demon and lay waist to some town on the surface:

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The best wine is in lowtown, but, try not to get lost, many have not returned

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On this exhibit, where ever is infestation, there is one of those darned hazmat guys sticking their nose in it ;)

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best seen large ;) follow the links, click the pictures ;)

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I have a feeling that you don't like it ;)

anyhow, this will be official drow helmet of the new Drow city, which will start to grow today ;)

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(thnx to Woody for help:)

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This is great, I can tell you're having a lot of fun with it. The fantasy elements, the band-of-adventurers, and the whole series of buildings you have is incredible, and I'm definitely jealous :)

I assume you disassemble your old cities to make new ones?

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I just have to testify that this creation looks even more impressive when you see it live. I have visited Lego exhibition in Belgrade this weekend on which this creation was presented. What is for me personally really astonishing is that each figure is unique and that each part of castle has some kind of story connected with it :classic: .

I am just sad that I didn't met you Agneli personally but for sure there will be more opportunities on some of next Lego events in Serbia.

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Dude, that is some crazy-impressive stuff right there.

I was a big fan of R.A. Salvatore's books back in the day. A few years ago, I went to one of his book signings and got a couple of books autographed. He was very friendly and gracious, and told some hilarious stories to the crowd about his role-playing adventures.

I don't read his Drizzt books anymore, as they started to get REALLY repetitive, but when I was younger, I loved them. Your Lego Menzoberranzan is a really great rendition of Salvatore's creation. Very, very cool.

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Menzoberranzan: The birthplace of the legendary Drizzt Do'urden, friend of the elves, and Lolth, the wicked Spider Queen.

Amazing series, and even more amazing creation!

May Tempus be with you :tongue:

Edited by airsoftg36c

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Thank you, dear friends ;)

I am proud to tell you that I've edited first post at the first page of this thread; please go and take a look at the whole city ;)

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Edited by Angeli

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This is a seriously impressive building and I'm quite frankly amazed at how sturdy those sleek towers and the large hanging parts seem to be *huh*

It's a real shame that it - like its predecessors - will eventually get destroyed one day, but I can't even begin to imagine what space (and amount of pieces) you'd need to store all of your towns in their complete beauty :wub:

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Oh my, where to begin.... This is wonderful. I love the detail you have added. I love the color use, not the same old grey on grey. The red and black yell "other worldly" to me.

I love the life you gave it by having things happening within the walls. I love the fact that you did not limit yourself the the table top but thought in 3D, thus use of the side of the table etc.

I guess what I am trying to say is I love this creation very much and has become one of my personal favorites.

Well done! :classic:

Edited by Daniel's Dad

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Thank you, dear friends ;)

Your comments boost me to build more, and better ;)

I've repopulated "minifig" album on brickshelf, so feel free to browse

I've introduced some of the minifigs that are not easily seen on other photographs; for example, does anybody remember Isair and Madae, Masters of The Legion of the Chimera, from Icewind Dale 2? :)

They were passing trough Menzoberranzan, searching for other halfbreeds to recruit for their army. Trough appearance, you would say that they were half-dragons; actually, they were half-elf half-demons (nd we all now that name for that kind of offspring is cambion, don;t we? :) )

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One of the Legion of the Chimera soldiers: her mother was sirine, and mother would not talk about her father, but she is obviously halfbreed

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Id just liketo say that this is a fantastic build! Its just so different to most other castle mocs out there, which adds to its greatness. Everyone builds in greys, blacks and browns, its nice to see a change and the colour really stands out. I can see you have put a lot of time and thought into this, with all those different levels and towers. You have also put a lot of effort into your minifigs as well, which all look very original. Great work all round! In the world of Lego castles, this is one of the best original fantasy builds ive seen! Nice one :thumbup:

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