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Found 565 results

  1. jtooker

    [Free Build] Elf Delve

    Elf Delve Neddi was an elf who loved the sunlight and the soil. She tended to her garden with care and joy, using her knowledge of herbs and plants to create potions and remedies. But lately, her plants had been wilting and dying, afflicted by a mysterious blight. The only cure, she learned, was a rare ingredient: the luminaria fungus, a glowing organism that thrived in the darkest depths of the Nyx caves. Reluctantly, she agreed to venture into the underground realm, accompanied by her two acquaintances: Rhalyf, a curious wanderer from the south, and Folgaen, a clever and daring warrior. They made their way through the winding tunnels, facing dangers and wonders along the way. They reached a large cavern, where a small lake shimmered under the light of crystals. A water wheel turned slowly, powering a broken chain of gears. A wooden bridge spanned the lake, leading to a door on the other side. Folgaen was the first to cross the bridge, confident and curious. He stepped lightly on the planks, humming a tune. But halfway across, he heard a loud crack. He looked down and saw one of the boards break under his feet. As Folgaen falls towards the water, you hear him scream and see him grab the rope. You also see something else: a pair of yellow eyes emerging from the depths. Roll for initiative.
  2. The University of Petraea is pleased to announce the opening of its new Doctorate of Historica program! (The University would like to thank Erudhalion Sansael / Gabe for capturing this announcement in a picture) What is the University of Petraea's Doctorate of Historica program? The Doctorate of Historica program is a peer-reviewed, multi-disciplinary degree program designed to encourage you to advance your building skills across a number of different areas. By the time you have finished the program, you will be certified in most major historical building techniques and subject areas. The program consists of multiple Disciplines, each of which has several Subjects. Over the course of the program, you will build MOCs that cover these techniques and subjects. Disciplines: Technique-Related Disciplines Architecture Landscape Design Hydrology Other Techniques [*]Content-Related Disciplines History Military Science Trade and Law Agriculture and Zoology Anthropology Geography Subjects for each Discipline: Architecture roofing -- Demonstrate mastery of three roofing techniques, not including using standard LEGO slope bricks. Each technique is a separate certification. See examples here and here. wall techniques -- Demonstrate mastery of three advanced wall techniques. Standard, studs-up walls of bricks are not included. Each technique is a separate certification. Examples include (but are not limited to): 1x1 round plate walls (a la Derfel Cadarn) SNOTted tile stonework half-timbered Tudor style wooden walls [*]round walls and towers [*]roof rakes (the inclined end of the roof between the eaves and the ridge; see explanation and a great example from Derfel Cadarn) [*]advanced windows and window frames [*]advanced SNOT -- See question below for an explanation [*]Landscape Design trees (demonstrate mastery of at least three different tree building techniques; examples here and here) flowers and dense foliage landscaping studs up rocks and cliffs two of: sand dunes snow and ice extreme environments (lava, caves, acidic pools, etc) sideways rocks (studs horizontal) [*]Hydrology four of: still water (lakes, ponds, ocean without waves, etc) waves flowing water waterfalls underwater [*]General Building (Other Techniques) minifig posing interior design forced perspective microscale one of: lighted builds (e.g., light bricks, LEDs) movement-enabled (Power Functions, or manually operated via gears or other mechanisms) mosaics, stained glass, or complex SNOTted floor designs brick films [*]History A special discipline, wherein you must build three MOCs depicting significant events in Kaliphlin's history (you make up the events, or use whatever existing history there is). You must also supply a story of suitable length and quality describing the historical event pictured. At least two of the history builds must consist of at least three different pictures, either different scenes altogether, or the same scene at different moments in time, with changes to the scene such as figure movement. [*]Military Science battle scene siege fortifications military camp [*]Trade and Law marketplace manufacturing one of: caravan / shipping by land shipping by sea / water [*]two of: arresting criminals and/or jail courtroom governing body (king, council, etc) [*]Agriculture and Zoology three of: crop farming raising livestock fishing harvest time logging [*]brick-built animals -- Brick-built animals, birds, or fish, realistically rendered using advanced or innovative techniques. Number of animals should be commensurate with their scale -- three or more if they're approximately minifig sized. [*]Anthropology two of: city scene village life countryside scene tribal scene [*]life in Kaliphlin [*]two of: life in Avalonia life in Mitgardia life in Nocturnus life in Valyrio [*]Geography four of: mountains or cliffs oceanside or river scene forests swamp desert grasslands [*]Culture pick 2 of the following: Theater Music Art Current minimum subject count to graduate: 51 total, 24 technique-related, 27 content-related Cool. How do I get started? If you're a member of a Guild of Historica, just start building! If you're not, you'll need to join a guild first. See instructions in the first post of any of the guild threads. How do I post my MOCs? Post each MOC in its own thread. It would help if you prefixed the topic title with "UoP DoH"; also tag it with "Petraea University" and "Doctorate of Historica". In your post, be sure to indicate which subjects you would like this MOC to qualify for (up to a maximum of four). Then post a comment in this thread, with a link to your new topic. How does the Peer Review work? After you post an MOC, if four currently active Kaliphlin guildmembers approve of it, by posting comments stating "+1" or "I approve", then you're certified in that MOC's subjects. However, if three Kaliphlin guildmembers vote against certification, they can veto the approvals, even if four or more guildmembers approve. If someone posts a veto, they must also post a comment indicating why, and what you can do to improve the build so that it passes. I just built a great MOC (before DoH started) that covers some of the subjects; can I get credit for it? On joining the program, you may get four "advanced placement" credits for recently built MOCs. The MOCs must have been posted to Eurobricks on or after June 15th 2013. Just post a comment in this thread stating that you're joining the program, and you'd like credit for a previous build. Put in a link to the build (which must have been posted in GoH), and state which subjects you'd like credit for. It must go through the same peer review. Peer reviewers should post their comments in the MOC's topic, not this one. Can I use MOCs that I'm also building for another challenge or contest? Yes, you can. This program is all about improving your building skills, and if you do some great work for a challenge or contest or whatever, and want to get credit for it, that's fine. But make sure that it's really a good example of the subjects and techniques. Do I have to post the MOCs in the Guilds of Historica forum? Your MOCs must be posted in the Guilds of Historica forum or LEGO Historic Themes forum. It is OK if they have been posted somewhere else first. To ensure that most reviewers see your MOC, we recommend you post it in the Guilds of Historica forum. Can I just quickly build a bunch of mediocre MOCs and get my titles? You could, if you could convince the peer-reviewers to certify your builds. But you'd only be fooling yourself. And your mediocre builds would be up here for everyone to see. Is that worth a lousy title? This program is not about the titles, it's all about improving your techniques and styles, and getting you experience in building across a wide range of subjects. So I'm reviewing someone's build, and it's pretty good, but not stellar. Do I approve it? Tough call, right? Well, the goal of the program is that everyone who completes it will have demonstrated basic mastery of the techniques and subjects. That doesn't mean they have to be world-class in those techniques, but the quality should be high enough that you can say, "Yes, they know what they're doing when it comes to that technique." The key phrase is "basic mastery" -- you have to demonstrate mastery, not just crank out a small, mediocre MOC that checks the boxes, but on the other hand, that mastery is "basic", not amazing, or world-class, or even innovative. OK, basic mastery works for technique-related subjects, but how should I judge content-related subjects? When building for the content-related subjects, students should ensure that the build fully explores the subject. Since these subjects are not testing mastery of a building technique, students need to demonstrate instead that they can create a build that represents a well-thought-out and fully realized scene concerning the subject. Reviewers should expect that the build does not just present a small, standard representation of the subject. Let's take the example of the crop-farming subject. Is it enough to show a farmer tending to a single plant? Perhaps, if the plant and scene were really exceptional, but most likely not. How about a row of crops, with a farmer and a scarecrow? That's getting better, and if very well done, it could be approved. How about several rows of different types of crops, with several farmers doing different tasks (one weeding, one harvesting, one planting), a scarecrow, a farm cart and horse, a barn, and some good landscaping. Assuming the build quality is good, that is definitely a well-thought out build that well represents the subject, and would be easily approved. How long is the program? The program is currently open-ended. Work at your own pace. This is not a race, and you're not competing against anyone. It's about you advancing your building techniques and styles. I'm in a different guild; can I participate? Definitely! University of Petraea has a very diverse student body, from all over Historica. As long as you can pay tuition, you're welcome here. Speaking of tuition, what if I can't pay? No problem! See our financial aid office. You might want to bring a wagon to carry back all to forms you'll have to fill out. You may also pay in chickens, fresh salmon, and dark chocolate. How do we track who has been certified for which subjects and disciplines? You are responsible for tracking your own progress through the program. You should do this in the DoH Registrar's thread. Make one and only one post in this thread where you'll track your own progress. When you complete an MOC, edit your post and add the MOC. Once the MOC has been certified for its subjects, edit the post again, and update that MOC's entry to reflect the certifications. So your one post in that thread will have a list of your MOCs, and for each MOC, a list of the certifications achieved. You might want to keep a count of total certifications at the top or bottom of your post, along with any interim degrees you've achieved so far. What happens when I complete the entire program? You get the praise and admiration of your fellows! Plus, you receive the title of Professor of Historica, are qualified to lecture at the university, and can use the faculty lounge and golf course. Do I receive any titles after completing some of the program but not all of it? Various titles are granted or in common use for students in the program, although students generally don't use the lower-ranking titles (Apprentice, Novice) except in a derogatory fashion. Once you are certified in a subject, you're considered an Apprentice in that subject's discipline. If you meet all the requirements for a discipline, you are a Tradesman or Bachelor in that discipline. Once you acquire three Tradesman or Bachelor degrees, you attain the title of Master. Once you acquire two Masters (or six Tradesmans or Bachelors), you attain the title of Doctor. After three builds you're considered a Novice, regardless of whether you've completed any disciplines. After seven builds, you're considered an Adept, regardless of whether you've completed any disciplines. I have a great idea for a build; can I substitute this idea for a subject? Yes it is possible, although not common. You may apply for a substitution by sending a PM to the Assistant Dean for the DoH Program (NiceMarmot) or the University President (SkaForHire). Note that allowed substitutions are rare, and are mostly granted only for extreme shortage of bricks. What qualifies for the "Advanced SNOT" building subject? SNOT is Studs Not On Top, but you probably knew that. Advanced SNOT is a bit of a "I'll know it when I see it" subject. The reviewers should be flexible about techniques, but still hold students to a high standard. Recommended techniques and styles include having studs pointing in at least three different directions, using multiple types of SNOT bricks, and having studs at angles other than 90 and 180 degrees to horizontal. Using a few headlight bricks, Travis/Dalek bricks, or 1x1 bricks with stud on the side to put a few tiles or slopes at 90 degrees is not going to cut it. There are many good discussions of SNOT available on the InterScrolls; the University can recommend Didier Enjary's classic Advanced Building Techniques Guide. How do the roofing, wall, and tree subjects work exactly? Regarding the roofing and wall subjects: The text "Each technique is a separate certification" means that each technique can be separately judged -- a judge could approve one technique and deny another, even in the same build. They are each different subjects as it were, and count towards the maximum of four subjects per build. However, the trees subject is just one subject, as is the brick-built animals subject, and they only count as one subject each towards the maximum, even though you (may) have to build multiple trees / animals. In fact, it is acceptable to spread these subjects over multiple builds, acquiring partial credit with each build -- there is no need to have all the different types of trees in one build. Just make sure you ask in your final build for final certification, and reference the previous builds. If you do spread them over multiple builds, they only count towards the maximum per build in the final build. How big do my builds have to be? For most subjects, there is no minimum or maximum size. See subject definitions above, as some do specify a size. However, your builds should be large enough to clearly demonstrate your mastery of the technique or subject. In some cases this could be done with a very small build, but in most cases a larger build will be required. The University finds that most students have success with builds of 16x16 or larger. Remember the goal of the program is not to crank through the subjects with the minimum effort possible, but instead to push yourself and advance your own building styles and techniques. You should be pushing yourself outside your comfort zone. I built a huge MOC; can I get more certification in more than four subjects for it? Very large and diverse builds may request more than the standard maximum of four subjects. Each request will be reviewed individually by the Assistant Dean for the DoH Program (NiceMarmot) and/or the University President (SkaForHire), with input from the peer reviewers. Even if the build itself is huge, the area representing each subject must still be a decent size. In general, don't bother asking for an exception for builds that are smaller than two 32x32 baseplates. I spilled shadows all over my term paper, blurred it quite a bit, and wrote it on top of a picture of my bedroom; is that OK? The University is known throughout the world for its very high standards, both for its professors and its students. We expect the highest quality work from our students, and therefore will not accept work that is out-of-focus, dark, has distracting backgrounds, or is otherwise of low quality and care. Lousy photography is not subject at this university! Students are advised to take their time, get some good lighting, and at a minimum, put a sheet, towel, or posterboard/foamcore behind their builds. There is plenty of good advice on taking photos of builds on Eurobricks. Can I use an LDD build? The university prides itself on being on the leading edge of education technology! So LDD builds are acceptable for DoH credit. However, judging of LDD builds will be at a higher level, as you are not constrained by your brick collection. So the judges should have higher expectations and criteria for LDD builds. I don't like some decision made by the reviewers / the University / etc; can I appeal? We are working on developing a Board of Appeals for the program. More information to follow. Contact NiceMarmot or SkaForHire directly in the meantime. Or just revise your MOC and suck it up ;-) I posted a build, and requested certification in four subjects, but have been denied one of the subjects; can I ask for a certification in a new subject for the same build? You may retract a requested subject, even after it has been denied, and request certification in a different subject in the same build. For instance, if you requested certification in advanced SNOT for a build, along with three other subjects, but get feedback that your SNOT is not so advanced after all, you can retract it and request a different subject for the same build, e.g. roofing. You may do this twice per build. Can I build anything I want? Yes, but builds which bring the good name of Petraea University and its inestimable staff into disrepute are not permitted. Is hazing allowed? Absolutely. However, make sure you leave no permanent marks or damage. Will I be taught by Prof Frankenstein or Prof Leibniz? You should be so lucky! Faculty assignments are posted outside the Registrar's office. I'm a werewolf from Nocturnus; can I eat my fellow students during the full moon? Absolutely no consumption of fellow students, staff, or faculty allowed. Punishable by banishment to the Null Void. And believe us, we have professors who can definitely send you there! Is University of Petraea going to win the big game against Qarkyr Tech this year? Definitely! The Sand-Worms are going to stomp all over those lousy Miners! Go Worms!
  3. My plan for this challenge was a full-fledged elven merchant's guildhouse. Then life happened, and I realised I would never be able to finish it in time - even with the extended deadline. But I really wanted to participate; so here is an unassuming entry, just for the enjoyment of building and fleshing out Historica. PS. Of course, I couldn't help but write a short story. A story that would take place a few years before my main storyline in Embervale, but featuring the same main characters. Elmire's Couture House Meborin, Avalonia. The great merchant city of the High Elves. A place of awe and wonder, where only the finest was good enough. In the upper part of the city, Elmire’s couture house was the kind of confidential place where a few high-end, unique articles were offered to the admiration of selected guests. Trivial things such as prices were never, ever spoken. If gold ended up changing ownership, it was patronage of the Arts. A sign of recognition of Elmire’s talent – nothing to do with menial trade. When Lord Dresghar, Ambassador of the Dark Elves in Meborin, solicited an appointment, Elmire got a bad feeling. Yet the Ambassador himself was as fine as a Dark Elf could be: he had a charming smile, beautiful blue eyes and the refined manners expectable from a diplomat. Alas, he was also afflicted with a niece who had none of these things but needed a new ball gown. “What have you done to me? I can’t breathe anymore!” Alrune cried out, struggling to free herself from the garment that was crushing her ribs. “Get me out of here!” “You just need to stop panicking, honey, everything’s all right,” Dresghar placidly replied. “Really, that’s all you can come up with? I’ll stop panicking once I’ll be able to breathe again!” Ties. There were ties beneath Alrune’s fingers. If only she could loosen them up…She felt searing pain in her forefinger – but insisted. Hopefully those nasty strings would give up before her nails. “That dress of yours is an exquisite masterpiece, dear.” She heard Dresghar’s voice say in an insufferable worldly tone. “Youthful yet elegant, with just a hint of glamour. That’s how a proper elf maiden should look like.” What? To hell with elegance and glamour – she wanted to breathe! And now, from the corner of her tearful eye, she saw the dressmaker smile blissfully at her uncle. None of them seemed to intend to move even a little finger to save her. All right. Too bad for the dress – it did look good, she had to admit, but it was trying to kill her. Under the increasingly horrified gaze of the dressmaker, she created tiny, glowing darts of magical force from her bleeding fingertips. And then, unceremoniously, she sliced the back of the garment. -- Epilogue Smelling salts were needed to revive Elmire after the incident, and it took Dresghar an elaborate floral arrangement and two boxes of candied violets to obtain forgiveness for the affront to her creation. Alrune kept the dress. Even adjusted to a more sensible fit, it was still as mesmerizing as Elmire had imagined it. Two more pictures...
  4. Built for the SJ fantasy heights-category. Crossposting continues! "A nameless primeval seer have made her dwelling in a large ornamented stone tower.Wearing a hooded brown cloak she is seen walking around with her mysterious staff. A long time ago she left her order in the mystic isles and headed for the parts of Historica today known as Avalonia. As no others followed her, she established and built the great tower. The sheer hight of it makes it distinguishable all the way from the outskirts of Dandelume on a cloud-free day. The seer hold great magical power, guarding the four seasons. As a nameless being she is only known as she appears in respective season: ‘Summer’, ‘Autumn’, ‘Winter’ and ‘Spring’. Atop the tower she planted a magical seasonal tree that grew stronger and taller over the years. All types of creatures; from agricultural humans, wild forest beings to elves and fauns cherished the wisdom of the seer. Her magic controlled nature, animals and weather in the area. Many came to visit her, highborn and common folk, for an audience to maybe learn more from all the knowledge she had. The inhabitants can look to the sky to see the official changing of the seasons as the tree had a close connection to, and ruled all other nature in the area. The seer’s two peculiar birds residing in the tree will fly around but have their nest beneath the roots of the tree." Some closeup photos:
  5. The city of Barqa is one of the most significant trade hubs in Historica. It is located where the mighty Arkbri river meets the sea, after providing an artery of trade from the mountains of Mitgardia through much of central Historica. Barqa sits in the middle of the southwest coast, also making it a great place for seaborne trade between Avalonia, Varlyrio, and the southern parts of Historica. Sometimes, traders from the eastern side of the continent or the islands in the Great Southern Ocean also bring their goods here. All this trade passing through the city gives Barqa's authorities a chance to collect a small portion of the wealth. They do this at the city's grand toll houses, designed to impress travelers used to more modest towns. This building was recently rebuilt and extended, as much of the city of Barqa has been in this current era of peace out of the ruins and neglect from the Elemental and Civil Wars. Every morning, merchants queue up, anticipating the bell that signals the beginning of the day's trade at sunrise. Before long, the initial toll of the day will be gathered, and the coastal breeze will carry the distinctive sound of gold, silver, and copper coins—the quintessential commodities of Kaliphlin. Lines of merchants in front of the toll booths. To be bestowed with the duty of tolling the commerce bell is a noble distinction for a junior guardsman of the City Watch. They reassured him that the hearing loss is typically temporary, for most guardsmen. In the bustling crowd waiting for the toll booths to open, some merchants, instead of holding their place in line, are drawn to the street musician's melodies, perhaps seizing a moment for flirtation. Chancellor Gideon, chairman of the City Council, halts during his morning stroll to exchange greetings with the toll master. The toll master, on the balcony outside of the fiscal hall. One of Barqa's numerous alchemists, deeply engrossed in his arcane pursuits, goes about his own business. As crucial as the City Watch for order in the city, the renowned black cats of Barqa play a vital role in keeping the rodent population in check. More pictures:
  6. Batuhan Trading Post Located in the northwest of Kaliphlin, outside of Batuhan, is a bustling trading post. Positioned at the crossroads between Eastgate to the west, Barqa to the south, and Avalonia to the north, it is the ideal location for Kaliphlinians to acquire rare essential commodities, such as lumber. Today, the post is overrun with livestock, and the stable is full. Additional guards from Batuhan have been dispatched to ensure that all trade is legal and properly taxed. I created this trading post for the Guilds of Historica’s Challenge 11. It has been great developing the looks of this scrubland between Kaliphlin and Avalonia.
  7. You can find a not-so-small trading post, not far from the village, known as Owhur. The residents visit the post almost every week once or twice, to sell, buy, or just browse the goods. You can find more pictures, in the Album.
  8. My entry, as a team with @Sympatik Brick, for the collaborative category of Brickscalibur. Check his build here! And, also, a new episode in my main storyline the Chronicles of Embervale... THE BUILD My very first vehicle, and very first attempt at creating other Dark Elves than my main characters Alrune and Dresghar. I'm now very tempted to make a full-fleshed faction, Warhammer-miniatures-style, but I digresss. Here is a high-end but cumbersome carriage of the Dark Elves, traveling through the rugged mountains around Embervale and getting to know the local population... More details of the decor, minifigs and carriage in the spoiler section below. THE STORY Previously in the Chronicles of Embervale: a flashback brought us back when Embervale was ruled by a certain Governor Voronthir. Alrune had never set foot there, and Evrart was a sergeant for a neighbouring baron of the human Realms. As said baron was visiting Embervale to solve a minor conflict with the Governor, all of a sudden, the bell of the village made its ring heard… As the bell started to ring in Embervale, the quiet village became a hive of activity. Such a backwater corner of the Elven Empire hardly ever got visits from officials – even the local governor set foot outside of the castle only if he was really forced to do so. Imperial elves mingled as little as possible with the human populace of their most remote borders. But the bell was announcing imperials and rumours and contradictory information were spreading like wildfire. Who? Why? Good news, or bad omens for the villagers? The visiting baron was not the last to want to know more. Upon interrogation, the town crier explained him he had rung the bell because the miller’s son said there were imperial troops approaching. The boy had been warned by an adventurer. Who had heard it from one of the foresters. Who said a little bird had told him. At which point the baron’s sergeant had the greatest difficulty to prevent his liege from punching someone in the face. As the rest of the day passed on without any imperial elf showing up, most of the visitors from the Adventurers’ Guild left the village for places with more action and less damp squids. The baron, meanwhile, decided to stay. Partly because he had no intention to give up on talking to the Governor despite the hermetically closed gates of the castle, and partly because the local beer was excellent. And as he and his men were about to order their third round, a small black bird came to land on their table... “What the…? A crow?” One of the soldiers exclaimed with a large yet imprecise hand gesture intended to expel the intruder. “I’m not a crow,” the bird stated, scowling at the man. “Not everything that’s black and flies is a crow, you ignorant grunt. I’m an alpine chough!” An awkward silence was the only answer – during which the baron glanced at his beer with much suspicion. Yellow bill and red feet, you see,” the bird went on, unimpressed. “That’s an easy way to distinguish an alpine chough from a crow, which is all black. Anyways. If you get me a portion of this excellent roasted ham they serve here, I’ll tell you all you want to know about the elves who are approaching. Who were approaching – actually.” Perhaps it was the beer, perhaps it was curiosity, the fact remains that the baron ordered a portion of ham for this unusual informant. And, between two pecks at its lunch, the little bird told them about travellers it had seen in the mountains above Embervale. A big carriage and a handful of riders. They were what humans called dark elves, most probably, because they were clad in black and there were pointy bits on the (black) coach. The chough had spent some time perched on the carriage, and one of the elves had given it half of an excellent goat cheese. Then it had left them to tend to some important bird business, and the next time it had seen them, they were as good as dead. “What happened?” The baron snapped when the bird chose this precise moment to take the time to preen its feathers. "They were ambushed!” The chough answered with such a sudden wing gesture that the closest soldier spilled his beer. “Scary creatures! Cats and wargs! Claws and fangs – and weapons! They took the carriage!” "Any elf left alive?” The sergeant enquired. “Maybe. At least, I haven’t found the body of the nice one who gave me cheese.” “I would have expected the survivors to show up in Embervale cryin’ to their governor like little kids to their mama!” The baron sneered. “You dare to explain why you tell us rather than some pointy-eared rascal?” “You’re not even able to differentiate a chough from a crow! Don’t expect me to care for the differences between you primates,” the bird replied in the same tone. This time, the sergeant was not quick enough to prevent his liege from throwing a punch. But don’t you worry for the little chough! It dodged, and spent the rest of the evening enjoying roasted ham - while watching one of those classic tavern brawls that is bound to happen in any self-respecting fantasy story when someone loses their temper in a bar.
  9. THE BUILD The Adventurers' Guild and the workshop of Guillemin, the luthier of Embervale. As soon as that "double arrow" modified tile (3396) showed up, I knew I was going to use it for a timber-framed house inspired by the place I come from - Alsace. It took me a while to figure out the design (and choose the colour)...but here it is! The border is designed to be very easily removable to allow further expansion of the village. All custom printed parts are from Briquestore. More photos of the interior in the spoiler section below. THE STORY In the last episode we left Alrune unconscious, stunned by a banshee’s wailing, her spirit drifting away in the ethereal plane. Will she be alright? Will her devoted uncle find a way of healing her? What’s for dinner? Let’s just let those fundamental matters rest for now, dear reader, and let’s have a look about a year earlier. Let’s go back to a nice fall afternoon, in the mountains at the border between the Elven Empire and the Human Realms. Let’s focus on a castle surrounded by a picturesque wine village and deep, dark forests streaked with turbulent streams. This place is called Embervale – a phonetic and misleading transcription of Ombreval, its name in the local dialect – but you probably already figured that out. Embervale has a long and chaotic history. Over the past centuries, it had been besieged, captured, recaptured, occupied, and annexed by Elves or Humans, by one faction or another. At the time of our story, though, it had been under control of the Empire for a couple of decades. The Elves had expanded the castle, improved the battlements, appointed a governor, and then seemingly forgotten about it. Yet the dreadful reputation of the Empire and the strength of the fort were enough to ensure peace, and the place was enjoying quiet, prosperous days. Due to its location, the village attracted travellers of all stripes. Merchants, frequently, and many wanderers from the Human Realms coming to seek adventure in the mysterious mountains of the Elven Empire. And on this day, on this beautiful fall day when our story is about to begin, Asceline the Head of the Adventurers’ Guild was gleefully attributing quests, selling gear and having drinks served to a colourful bunch of guests. Her business was thriving. The story began with a handful of riders stopping by the Adventurers’ Guild of Embervale. Four men, wearing the dark red and silver colours of the closest Human barony. ne of them, as Asceline realised when he loudly demanded drinks for his retinue, was the Baron himself. “I sent three letters to Governor Voronthir, and he never replied,” he barked at Asceline – as if she could do anything. “Mind you, he never gave me back that mushroom knife I lent him last winter!” Adventurers were starting to pay attention, always on the lookout for quest opportunities. “I’m afraid he won’t be able to answer you anytime soon, sir,” Asceline said. “Everyone is sick in the castle, and they have closed the gates to all visitors until it gets better.” “What kind of disease?” The Baron’s sergeant enquired. Some of the adventurers were now taking notes. “The kind that, er – gives rash,” she replied. Neither the soldiers nor the adventurers looked impressed. “Very itchy? Extremely painful? Highly contagious?” Still no reaction. "Did people enter the castle and never came back?” one of the soldiers asked, and beamed when he received enthusiastic approbation from nearby adventurers. “Not really. Some did. It’s not the kind of serious epidemics that decimate populations, you see. Just a fleeting and very unpleasant inconvenience.” Disappointment loomed over her audience. There was nothing heroic in facing a mild infection to retrieve a mushroom knife, and no reward had even been mentioned. A few adventurers moved away. But the Baron was made of sterner stuff – and had subordinates to take care of the dirty work. “Evrart, you’ll be going,” he ordered his sergeant. Who was, literally, saved by the bell as the bell tower of Embervale chose this precise moment to start ringing the solemn pattern that announced the arrival of an Imperial visitor. THE CAST Front, from left to right: - Asceline, the Head of the Adventurers' Guild - Guillemin, her husband, luthier - Agnès, their housekeeper - Pernelle, Angès' granddaughter - Mahaut, the village elder - Urbain, the apothecary - Roland, Guillemin's cousin - Two visitors from below the mountains - Adventurers (bard, ranger, fighters, mages) Behind, on horseback: - The Baron d'Autours - Evrart, his sergeant - Two soldiers
  10. My entry for Brickscalibur's "Enchanted Forest" category. And a glimpse of how winter can look like deep in the Enchanted Forest of Avalonia, where the elusive Tellurites live peacefully in their crystal caves... Close-up photos in the hidden section below. The cast!
  11. The nights are getting longer, the air is getting colder, and it's even starting to snow here in France : time for fire in the fireplace, and time for an Advent Calendar! From tomorrow onwards, I'll update this topic with a small build or minifig per day.This year's theme will be winter nights in Embervale, with comments from my main GOH characters Alrune (elven mage and governor of Embervale), her uncle Dresghar and Evrart (the captain of the guards). Scene 1. Night Watch Scene 2. Embervale by Night Scene 3. At the Edge of the Woods Scene 4. Night Forest Scene 5. Stargazing Scene 6. Grandfather Frost and the Maiden of Light
  12. Saying that I was thrilled by this year's "Magical Minifigures" category of the Brickscalibur contest would be an understatement. So instead of five minifigs, as initially planned, I ended up with ten! From left to right... - From Avalonia: Farbauti, wild druid, and his faithful warg - From Mitgardia: Falmond Hoog, artificer, and his masterwork the Crystal Golem - From Avalonia: my sigfig herself, in a battle-ready outfit. Alrune d'Embervale, battlemage and necromander, animating a recruit - From Varlyrio: Bérangère de Belloy, enchantress, and her mighty familiar - From Kaliphlin: Sedri Raedh, demonologist, invoking a lesser demon - Last but not least, from Nocturnus: Amlach, wizardry researcher, and an experimental abomination
  13. The southeastern corner of the city wall of Cedrica near the large lake boasts an unusual green tower that the locals nicknamed 'The Jade Tower' due to its color. The color comes from a high olivine content of the sandstone used in the construction of the tower, not from real jade, but the name stuck. A small sally port is guarded by the Cedrica city guard, nicknamed 'the white helms' due to their signature white helmets. The gulls from the lake create a nuisance to the small merchant stands and guards there, and the small pier is a favorite fishing spot of the locals. It is rumored that less scrupulous guards take bribes to allow black market goods to enter the sally port at night... This was a fun collab with @Kai NRG. It actually has all the connections for the Ninjago City style base as a corner piece, but wound up being part of the outer city wall as we built rather than the usual 3 story housing, so if it needs to be moved to 10C due to not meeting requirements, go ahead. C&C welcome as usual!
  14. T-86(swe)

    Dandelume [Avalonia]

    Dandelume [Avalonia] The city of Dandelume is located west of the great eastern plains of Avalonia, midway between Albion and Cedrica. The city and surrounding areas create a flourishing territory with great amounts of municipal farmlands and small-scaled villages, all loyal to Wifgrir- the duke of the city. Dandelume leadership: Court champion, Lady Alannais, Countess Arianne, Feudal duke Wifgrir, Trandill- mage, Court champion The vast region moving from Dandelume all the way to the great mountains on the mitgardian border is more diverse. A landscape consisting of smaller woodlands, rivers and trading-routs.The population residing in and around Dandelume are humans, dwarves, fauns, elves and other creatures. Together they form an alliance under the reign of their feudal duke. Though first and foremost humble subjects of queen Ylspeth, ruling Avalonia from her throneroom in Cedrica. History of Dandelume The first settlers in the area were nomad gatherers trying to live out of the lands. It is said that they were following a herd of deers through the plains and woods. And in the fields they stumbled upon the eatable herb they named ’the red dawn’. They found that it could be harvested throughout all seasons do to its perennial abilities. In addition to a fertile soil, ’the red dawn’ made the nomads permanent residents, and thus the agriculture in the region was born. Moving ahead, from the finding of ’the red dawn’ to present day, the city of Dandelume have been formed in a slow yet perpetual pace. Attracting different creatures and clans of Avalonia to the region, several meager power struggles have evolved during the years. However, during the rule of the first avalonian king, Artorious Rex, the line of feudal dukes of Dandelume began. Wifgrir is the direct descendant of the first appointed ruler of the city. He is continuing the heritage of wearing a stag or stag horns as coat of arms in memory of the first settlers. In the great hall of duke Wifgrir the feudal city crest hangs on the eastern wall. A historic memento of the past but also a potential foreshadowing of future actions. The sword ‘The red dawn’ is depicted twined in the herb with the identical name. An homage to the first settlers finding the herb and therefore settling in the area. The sword portrayed in the city crest belonged to the legendary heroine Dand El Alume. Her name was gifted to the city. Dand El Alume’s tale dates back to ancient times and is a living part of folklore in Avalonia in general, but in Dandelume in particular. Dand lived during one of the centuries of the first druids and mighty wizards. A time long before Avalonia formed as a realm under the first king Artorious Rex. In a turbulent era of mystic and great dangers. Her many heroic acts are written down in the chronicles ’Bringer of the red dawn’ but are also recited in poems and traditional storytelling. In the ‘horn-squadron’, the knights are taught the chronicles of Dand by feudal scholars. They all aspire to one day be able to become the new ‘bringer of red dawn’….. Trade and crafts Dandelumes brand of trade are the many different refined wines that the winery’s keep producing. The key spice-ingredient always being ‘the red dawn’. For many years the citizens throughout Avalonia have relished the bottles coming out of Dandelume. The municipal farm- and woodlands provide enough for the regional population and the feudal army, but can also be used as export goods. The Dandelume-breed of cattle is said to be strong work-animals, and spiced with ‘the red dawn’ herb they even grant you pleasure in their afterlife. They are bred in certain dandelumian farmsteads spread over the area. Besides the wine and cattle, the third brand of trade in Dandelume is the earthenware created by the dwarves in the Wendelin mudlands. Digging up the moist mud is a hard work, the opposite of the more delicate work that the kiln-runners and potters have mastered over the years. All to create the various earthenware to spread over Avalonia. The oldest guild in Dandelume is the Wheelwright's guild. Formed by an alliance of skilled elves and humans. Due to the nearby trading routes and large population there is always recurrent labor for the guild members. Wheelbarrows, various carts and carriages in need of repairs or entirely new wheels keeps the guild busy. They are an important part for the export and import of goods in the trading in and around Dandelume. Avalonia TASK 1-6 Task 1 Armed forces of Dandelume All the different races from the population are represented in the regular army of Dandelume. Always ready to defend the city, its people and in extension answer potential call for aid from the queen regent. The armed forces are composed of six smaller legions: Light footmen (swordsmen and spearmen) Vanguard (Elite scouts, workmen and sappers) Artillery (ballistas, scorpios) Archery (bowmen, pavisors, crossbowmen) Heavy footmen (the court champions and the 'Horn squadron') Cavalry “Flight of the dragons” (a variety of mounted knights) Task 2 Erdils crew/entourage From left to right: Boroghan, Miadin, and Dweldin. In front: Erdil Being the youngest in the crew of comrades Boroghan is also the least experienced in fighting. He was born on the inside of the city walls of Dandelume, and therefore had the most priviliged upbringing in the crew. Due to his great ability to navigate, track and flawless orientation-skills he makes the perfect scout for the party. Miadins lineage is rumored to go all the way back to the first nomads that settled in Dandelume. A small tribe of fauns that wielded long spears, twice as long as themselves, at least. And this legacy still lives on today via Miadin and his other kinsmen. Dweldin grew up as the sixth son of the leader of a hunters guild in the eastern plains of Avalonia. When all of his siblings followed in their fathers footsteps Dweldin chose otherwise. Instead he sought the glory of becoming an archer in the service of the Dandelumian duke. Task 3 Territorial description of Dandelume The city of Dandelume is located west of the great eastern plains of Avalonia, midway between Albion and Cedrica. The city and surrounding areas create a flourishing territory with great amounts of municipal farmlands and small-scaled villages. The vast region moving from Dandelume all the way to the great mountains on the mitgardian border is more diverse. A landscape consisting of smaller woodlands, rivers and trading-routs. In the many farmlands and small-scaled villages the people of Dandelume go about their daily life-growing crops and keeping livestock. Some are cattle-breeders by trade and there are also some vineyards located in these parts of Dandelume. In the diverse area that constitute the Dandelume shire there's also 'the Wendelin mudlands', a very small and limited low-lying part of the region. 'Wendelin Mudlands' get flooded in wet seasons and stays in a marsh-like state all year, with a terrain consisting of cavities of moist mud. Parts of the dwarf-population living near this small area became potters and have specialized in digging the mud and creating all sorts of earthenware. The 'Port of Dondess' is a busy avalonian port in the municipality of Dandelume. Wether it be smaller fishing boats or the larger frigates the port is very much alive when the watercrafts prepare to leave. A larger ship has just started to get caught in the wind and will be leaving with mighty power once the sails are set." The Sanctuary of light is a mystical yet revered location in the Dandelumian folklore. Located somewhere south of the port city Dondess. The sanctum had a part to play in the great life of the heroine Dand El Alume. Task 4 HSS Current status and HSS -progress for Dandelume Task 5 Keep The feudal keep is located in the outer northern part of the city/municipality. Task 6 Brand of trade The dandelumians specialize in three greater brand of trades: wine, breeding of cattle and earthenware. The wine and earthenware would be transported from production locations around Dandelume to the large trading post by the riverside. Where the trading routes brought goods and merchants from near and far. The dandelumians could storage and bargain their notorious avalonian wine and earthenware for merchandise from all over Historica. I will update this thread as I go along building and have taken pictures of builds and minifigs! The tale of Erdil Prelude A period with several years of drought and stunted growth have haunted Dandelume. Leaving the common folk suffering from severe famine and the storages to cry empty. Marked by the absence of the labourers, the windmill was left to natural process. Overgrown with weeds and the infamous red herb called the red dawn-it was not in its finest state. But when the avalonian rain threw itself down onto the crops once more, the windmill-workers were sent back. The abandoned mill in the outskirts of Duke Wifgrirs feudal dominions being re-established and the wheat growing again. A new beginning, and a possibility to once more become a prosperous and thriving east-avalonian farmland…. The abandoned windmill Chapter 1 'The beginning' Part 1: The fishmonger's cottage Part 2: The old Inn at Nhymride Erdils story began in a fishmonger’s tiny cottage near a small river. This was during the time of the new beginning of Dandelume. His mother died in childbirth and Erdil had no siblings. Growing up with an aging father, Erdils childhood was therefore filled with much work and less play. His father could still get the fish out of the water but he was too weak to travel. Hence Erdil was forced to bring his fathers wheelbarrow with fish to the small crossroad-village of Nhymride. Erdil would bargain his fathers fish for other goods in the market outside the old inn. Or, in rare ocassions, earning a goldpiece or two. This was a lively place compared to the solitude fishmonger cottage. And the young Erdil was most found of the smell from the small bakery, housed in the same building as the noisy inn. It was on one of countless times visiting the market he first saw Dandelume swordsmen in real life. He had been brought up on legends of swords and heroes, and in that moment his dream to become one himself was born. The old Inn had been owned for generations by House Quilla. Henry Quilla- Innkeeper and head of the family, a harsh and hardworking man. Erynna Quilla- Wife of Henry and responsible for the small bakery housed in the old Inn. Eireia Quilla- the innkeepers youngest boy and normally up to some daily mischief. Hauder Quilla- Oldest son in the family and right hand man of the Inn. Ceylir- A half-wit elven man that was left by his kin long ago visiting the crossroad market. Always jolly but perhaps not a contributor work-wise. A very close friend of the young Eireia. Part 3: The house of proclamation “Erdil travels to Cedrica to demonstrate official allegiance to Queen Ylspeth and to be acknowledged by royal decree as a swordsman in the service of the duke of Dandelume. He is accompanied by his comrades Dweldin (bowman), Boroghan (scout) and Miadin (spearman). The Queen herself, preoccupied with other more urgent business of the realm and foreign emissaries, confide the affirmation of new recruits to the Cedrican administrative partition. Many of these administrative offices are located in houses down by the port of the capital. Along the port and the many small canals several houses of power share the wharf with other more dubious enterprises. A system of narrow alleyways and houses cramped together create a lively place during all hours. Rats and rogues lurk about to find scraps of all sorts. The city guard patrol the area to ensure law and order among citizens of Cedrica and the many travellers visiting the capital. Erdil and his small entourage visit the house of proclamation, located down by the waterfront, to receive their official letters of affirmation.” Chapter 2 'On patrol in the service of the duke' After officially becoming a swordsman in the service of duke Wifgrir, Erdils early assignments consisted of patrol duty around the Dandelume area. Together with a small troop of fellow soldiers he would oversee the production of the dandelumian brand of trades. They would visit vineyards, pottery kilns and cattle breeders to make sure that everything was in order. Part 1: Hillside pastures Part 2: Vilohirs vineyard Part 3: Kiln of wendelin
  15. The square of Rundolf Longspear. He was a hero a very long time ago. Now the only memory about him, he was a dragon slayer, and now he has a statue in this small square in Cedrica. The traffic isn't that big, but, it's good for the residents who live here. Maybe the most noteworthy stores are the Silver Scissors and the Basket O'Goods. A tailor shop and a bakery. A smaller watchtower erects next to an old, crumbing district wall. The next district is a boring place, like this one. The fish seller maybe the most recent change in the past three-four years. No one knows what was there before that time. Maybe someone: "- Yeehaa! Take that you filthy bandit!" - screamed the little boy, on a hobby-horse, while he swung wildly, with a stick. "- Slow down little buddy, that bandit is already trembling in fear." - smiled the old man, while turning the page. Yirroc corrected his grandfathers' helmet. He enjoyed staying with him, he had so many great stuff, and stories from the time, while he served in the army. "- Grandpa-Grandpa! Can you tell the story, of how you fight alongside Draconius?" "- Again, but you already heard it a thousand times." - he bends the corner of the page, and puts down the book. - "Okey, where should I start?" "- But!" - interrupted the tale Yirroc. " -can I have your mace while you tell the story?" "- Sure, but be careful, not like last time." The rattle wouldn't be heard, cause a lute started to play a melody, and a voice joined in. "- It's him!" - the young girl jumped up from the stool, and run out onto the balcony. Her makeup wasn't finished, and her hair was messy. "- It's him..." smiled the woman on her way to the fish vendor, and remembered what happened last night. It's him... The elf woman remembered the tune from last week. She turned her blushing head away, pretending like she is observing the tailor shop's window. "- It's him! Baldween! Give me the..." "- Here sire..." - the servant handled the crossbow to his master without a flinch. "- Thank you Baldween. You are a loyal servant. Now! - the nobleman cocked the crossbow. "- Go and tell the Citys Watch, do not worry, this is just a family matter." Both strings strummed at the same time. The last verse perfectly matched with the noble's "Die Bastard" warcry. The bard quickly throw away everything and made his escape before another crossbow bolt would hit him. On his run, he stumbled into a boy and a girl, coming from the baker with fresh pretzels. "- Oh no, my coin!" -screamed the boy, and dropped his wealth on the ground, while he tried to find his balance. The golden coin smoothly landed on stones, and with tinkling sounds, quickly approached the nearby sewers. The boy's effort was futile, to catch it. The sound of the rolling coin suddenly stopped and with a last golden shine, the darkness swallowed the coin. "- Oh darn! There goes my whole fortune!" - sobbed the boy. "- Can't we go after it?" - asked the girl, and gripped her coin more tightly "- No silly, there are alligators in the sewers!" And the boy wasn't wrong. And our little story would be ended here if he didn't drop his coin. So let us continue. Follow the money. Like thunder! The small coin, with a gleaming flash, impacted the planks. Next to a couple of dark elves. None of the flinched, they have some serious business to talk about. Maybe another plot? What people can tolerate this kind of scum in this city? The answer is the city's scum, like them. Welcome to The Shadow Tunnels. A city under a city. A connection of tunnels, sewers, pits, and coves, filled with filth, garbage, mud, debris, and gods knows what other things. The weak won't last here even for a minute. And those who choose this life, under a shining city of the realm. Both terrifying and miraculous. Let's meet them, but... keep a safe distance, and first only listen to them: "- HEY! How could you cheat and beat me, when first I cheated!" "- Ow.. sho! Sorry, Starry-eyed... I wasn't able to catch you a little friend..." - the boy threw back the old boot into the filth. The fish blinked with its three eyes, one after another. "- Here-here! Two amputations for the price of one! Just for now!" Can you smell it? Yes, that came from the Golden Ox. A well-known establishment from a kinder era. Maybe, Rundolf Longspear also had one or two meals here. "- What's that smell? Smells delicious!" "- Bat-stew!" - replied the cook. "- Wanna tasting?" "- Bat-stew? Never heard of it. Is it good?" "- This stew will be so famous, everybody will talk about it!" "- What're this ... Documents forgery?" "- I can fabricate you any kind of paper! Need to prove something, which you don't have? Find me! Need a diploma, so you can open a small surgery? Here I am! Want to deceive others and make a profit? Should we start now?" - rubbed the shady figure his hands together. "- Excuse me, but I didn't understand the second sentence. Someone screamed downstairs like a charlatan butchering his legs... And how good are you? Where did you learn this trade?" - asked shyly, and tired to not look down between the gaps. "- Here is my official document about it!" - and pulled out a dirty paper, with a wax seal. "- But... But.. You created your own document? But this is a crime!" "- Really?" "- What do you sell?" "- Mushrooms. Wanna try one?" - asked the vendor, and pulled out his cleaver, to take a slice. "- Whoa, not so fast!" - protested the man. "- Is it safe? Aren't those poisonous?" "- Nah... it just smacks you in the head a little." - nodded with his head, to the nearby guy, who sats near the counter. "- Here's my last customer. Let's ask him. HEY buddy! How do you feel?" The man was somewhere between this reality, and the next one. His mind slowly crawled back to his body. He looked around, trying to find the source of the questions. His pupils were wide, saliva ran down his chin in thick streaks. He opened his mouth to say something. "- Funny fish people! You can't talk!" - and with that, his mind was already lightyears away... "- See!" - smiled the vendor " - I told you, he is experiencing weird things! So... wanna find out?" And here is the full build: Both Closed and Opened: More pictures here:Beneath the shadow of the capital
  16. The creaking of the wheelchairs could be heard from miles away. "- Slow down apprentice! You will shake the little life out of me!" - scolded the old man his much younger companion. "- Bah, I don't remember these cobblestones on this road! Indeed. Deep Garden, the small town now has a pretty solid stone wall, to protect it. And not only the wall but now the roads are now covered with cobblestone. Some would call this, civilization. The old royal cartographer visited the place when the wall was erected. And he remembers it was built, from wood and planks. Much has changed. The town is now able to get quality stones from other lands, And they were able to improve their fortification. "- I remember when I was here, to re-design the area map, after the town built that wall, and now... I must come once again, to redraw it again. pointing out, the new stone wall!" His apprentice was a little disappointed. He joined the royal cartographer's guild, to see the world, meet interesting people, learn their stories, and their culture, and draw maps, about new places. And now, here is he, pushing an old man, in his last days, and only heard stories, about how the world was a better place, decades ago. "- We finally arrived. Now let's check what improvements have we here... Stone wall, gates, yes, the tower is also made out of stone. Armory, messenger birds..." - the old man stopped for a second, to smell something. "- Can you smell it? They are making stew. I wonder what stew they are making..." The apprentice's visage stopped on one of the soldiers, who was picking mushrooms. None of them were experts in mushroom picking, but the apprentice was sure If they stay for dinner, then this will be his master's last supper... Here is the original build: Also, you can find more pictures from the newer version, of Cat. B: here
  17. This is my modest entry for the GoH 10A-competition - “Life in Cedrica”. It was interesting to build on a time-limit for the first time. A very stressful one due to minimum time to spare but thanks to the extended deadline I finished it. I wanted to use different colours than from previous builds, but I was limited to the ones I actually own enough pieces of. It was fun yet challenging for me to do interiors which I have not done a lot. They are what they are even if Im not satisfied with the final result. I wanted to depict some kind of fun smaller theme in the scenes in the build. I went for ‘hunted rats and rogues’ for what the figs are up to. I also incorporated my sigfig’s storyline to the build! The tale of Erdil [Chapter 1, part 3] Erdil travels to Cedrica to demonstrate official allegiance to Queen Ylspeth and to be acknowledged by royal decree as a swordsman in the service of the duke of Dandelume. He is accompanied by his comrades Dweldin (bowman), Boroghan (scout) and Miadin (spearman). The Queen herself, preoccupied with other more urgent business of the realm and foreign emissaries, confide the affirmation of new recruits to the Cedrican administrative partition. Many of these administrative offices are located in houses down by the port of the capital. Along the port and the many small canals several houses of power share the wharf with other more dubious enterprises. A system of narrow alleyways and houses cramped together create a lively place during all hours. Rats and rogues lurk about to find scraps of all sorts. The city guard patrol the area to ensure law and order among citizens of Cedrica and the many travellers visiting the capital. Erdil and his small entourage visit the house of proclamation, located down by the waterfront, to receive their official letters of affirmation. More pictures: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAxUy6 House-descriptions: Cedrica general storage house First floor: Small nautical storage Second floor: Port guard’s storage Third floor: Homing pigeon service for royal port business. House of proclamation First floor: Entry hall for stating business of visit. Second floor: Master of decree’s office. Third floor: Office for the master of avalonian accounts.
  18. I’ve taken way too many roads to remember them all. I’ve ventured through the unknown, into the white horizon. Fearlessly, bravely. But once I stepped on this one road I knew so well... I shivered. “To move forward, you need first to face the demons of your past. It cannot be changed, forgotten, tossed in the wind, or buried in the snow. It can only be accepted”. I was not ready to come back. But destiny unraveled, and there I was. Looking for answers in the memories I tried to bury. Høydefür, as I remembered, was once an imposing fortress. A mixture of stone and timber, admired for its fortitude. Big and strong and solid. Thick walls and towers that could reach the skies stood vibrant amidst the white peaks and mountains of the North. ... But that was years ago. It’s funny how time plays its part. For in the distance, hidden in the bleak stillness of nature, a shy and lonely fort stood still. Høydefür, the strongest of the northern castles, remained untouched, unchanged. Just as I remembered. The cold wind tightened on my throat. And every step towards the wooden gates was a tough reminder of the years gone by. But the closer I got, clearer it became. The green boy I thought I killed, lived within me still. Inside the walls, the sound of metal clang and the crackling of wood resounded in my chest. Like a beast, opening its mouth to swallow the prey, the wooden gates yawned open, welcoming me to my own past. Høydefür was no more than a decaying shack. A hollow dump I used to call home. ________ Entry to the GoH 10 Challenge, Category C: Miscellaneous. I hope you all like it. Høydefür is a little story about going back to a familiar place, and finding it just as it was, but still completely different. It's funny how sometimes a little distance can change your whole perspective about a subject. It's not always comfortable to adventure through your own past. But it sure makes us grow. The green boy I thought I killed, lived within me still. Louis of Nutwood.
  19. This is my entry for Category 10 C of the Final Anniversary Contest: the castle of Embervale...or rather, one of its counterparts somewhere in a different plane of existence. THE BUILD Inspired by the excellent game Monument Valley, and by the no less excellent art of David Umemoto. THE STORY Warning : it's long. Very long. Way longer than the previous episodes. So long I'm thinking of putting it in a spoiler section. Previously, on the Chronicles of Embervale: Thyrulnë the Fair, court mage and mother of Alrune d’Embervale, sent a banshee to her daughter to deliver a macabre present. Scuffled ensued and Alrune ended up stunned by the banshee’s wailing. Days later, she is still unconscious. Chronicles of Embervale Ep.06 - Confusion Featuring… Alrune The Lady of Embervale, necromancer Other beings Alrune was confused. She could think, she could move, but she could not feel. She was wearing her lace nightgown, but she could not feel the usual itching of the collar. She was breathing, but she could not feel air in her nose. She could not even feel her own weight as she moved forward. Forward, but where? High spires, sleek arches, brightly-hued vines on grey stone walls – it looked like her castle. But something was off. She did not recognise this archway, precisely. She extended her hand to reach a nearby pillar, and touched it. It did not work the usual way. She could not pass her hand through it, but she did not feel the cold and roughness of the stone under her fingers either. Maybe it was a dream. She closed her eyes – which did not impair her vision – and tried to concentrate on the energy flow in her body…or rather, in her currently non-corporeal envelope. First observation: there actually was an energy flow. Second observation: she could manipulate it. Deduction: magic worked, it was not a dream. Yet it proved unusually tiresome to create a comforting little flame dancing in her palm. She realised there was no other usable energy than her own, as she could not draw anything from the world around her. Turn left. All right. First, she needed to keep her mind occupied. Occupied with some useful train of thought, that is – otherwise, it would soon trick her into panicking. Go up the stairs and turn right. She decided to task her mind with finding out where she was. Not from a geographical point of view, of course, but from a cosmological one. She reckoned she was in some kind of spirit state, in a plane of existence where she could manipulate her own energy, but that did not allowed magic in the same way the material plane did. Which left several plausible options as for which plane of existence this was. She was most probably merely disembodied and haunting her good old castle without being able to interact with it. She could have travelled a little farther, among hungry ghosts and restless spirits. There was also a slight chance she had ascended to a plane of enlightenment from where puzzled superior beings observed the deeds of humanity. Turn right again. And, of course, she could not rule out the possibility of being in a plane about which modern scholars had not even theorised yet – or that she had not heard of. Cross the bridge. She could also…wait, what bridge? There was no bridge in her castle of Embervale. It occurred to her she was following an irresistible urge to go on moving forwards, but she had no clue where she was heading for. Nor why. She forced herself to stop. There is something behind you! She quivered and looked back. There was nothing. Of course there is something! Still behind you – only, the other behind now. Before she could think about it, she was moving again. Faster. Now it is following you. And other things are flanking you. Flee! Great. Now she was scared, had invasive thoughts, and was chased by hungry beings. She forced herself to stop once again and did her best to maintain inner peace. She could see her chasers now, pallid humanoids with empty eyes and crooked mouths. She cast a shield, a translucent, opaline sphere glimmering around her. No! That silly shield is going to attract them like a beacon! You need to move forward – this is the only solution. The creatures around her hissed. Indistinct, larger figures were gathering behind them. She struggled with herself to disregard them, and to evaluate her situation as coldly as possible. Grey stone, grey arches, everywhere. And mist. A dense, opaque mist that was flooding the whole scenery and blocking the view. Forward! See the light over there? It means safety. There was indeed light, a clear, bright light that pierced the fog, and she was drawn to it like a moth to lamplight. Unfortunately, her chasers seemed to be attracted the same way. They were now a whole pack, surrounding her, and irremediably moving in the direction of the light. Go with the flow! Don’t worry, the light will take care of everything… She struggled to evade the crowd. Creatures screeched and yelped when the shield touched them, but there were so many moving in unison that she could not oppose them, no more than driftwood could oppose the rising tide in the material plane. The shield was standing firm, but her self-control was failing. The creatures terrified her. The inexorable movement terrified her. The light fascinated her. Come to the light. She focused her attention on the light. It was appealing, yet cold and harsh – not unlike the inner voice she was desperately trying to silence… Trust the light. It was so familiar... The light, the voice… Magic, it was magic! Cold-blooded magic. Or, more precisely: necromancy. From the other side. No! She was being invoked like the helpless errant spirit she currently was. But this shall not happen – she refused to end up possessing a corpse, subjected to the will of the invoker. She cleared her mind as best as she could and turned inwards. No! She gathered all her remaining energy. Lowered the shield. Took aim at the light. NO! And let everything go. … The world turned to a silent, endless, empty white.
  20. W Navarre

    GoH 10 C: Hearts United

    For this challenge, I decided to build Amalia and her favorite little brother, my main character Ásgeir Di Cioto, at a scale which we rarely see attempted in LEGO. It was a daunting endeavor, and one not to be entered upon lightly! I hope you like it, although I know it's flawed, and I welcome any advice or criticism :) . Ásgeir and Amalia Ásgeir Venerio Di Cioto The youngest child of a poor gentleman from the wasteland city of Ilesole, Ásgeir is a wild, impetuous boy, thoughtful and keen at times, but far too guided by his own rash impulses and his friends’ bad ways. Afraid of his father, fond of his sister, and condescending at best to his ailing brother, he is used to defying his father’s laws and bearing the consequences if he must, staying away from the house in spite of all his father has threatened and not daring to come back until is far into the night, hoping to sneak upstairs unnoticed although the darker it grows the angrier his father becomes. Ásgeir tries to “be good” as his sister entreats of him, but he cannot bear the poor and wretched hovel they live in and often slips unnoticed out from the upper floors where his father rarely comes. When he stumbles into a secret he never wanted to know, he pushes on with daring curiosity… never dreaming how far he would go for it in the end. Amalia Di Cioto Ásgeir’s only sister and the oldest child of the family, Amalia is a charming and strong-willed daughter and the only one who can stop her father in his wrath. She has always cared for Ásgeir since their mother died and loves him dearly, striving to bring him up in good ways, and willing to do anything in the world for him. Because her father dares not call a doctor, who would make them pay the last of all they have, she is left to tend her sick brother Horus almost night and day, while she waits and hopes that Ásgeir will come home safely. When she loses all of what she holds dearest she is driven to desperation and distrust, and perhaps in the end her own cleverness will be all that can save her heart’s treasure: and her own heart also. You can follow the Saga from its beginning here.
  21. My entry to the "Old but Gold" category of the final contest of the Guilds' Anniversary: an updated version of one of my very first GoH builds. Two years and a half have past since I posted the original, and time has flown by. I feel like my style and taste has evolved, both as a builder and a storyteller. Recreating a build designed for the Mitgardian wilderness in the more organised, refined surroundings of an elvish castle in Avalonia, and trying to translate its characteristics features, has been a lot of fun! ________ “Have you noticed, honey," Dresghar asked his niece as his eagle pinned the lure to the ground, "how the airspace above Embervale seems to be a very popular flight route among homing pigeons, lately? Well, my bird and I are only one training session away from finding out what’s it’s all about...” ________ Original version: ________ More photos of the new version: ________ And, of course, the recreation would not be complete a bit of information about the birds...
  22. Great Lighthouse of Barqa The Arkbri River has been a major trade route through the heart of Historica since ancient times. Where the great river meets the sea, the port city of Barqa is ideally positioned to connect the inland river shipping with the sea traders, making Barqa a major hub for trade between all corners of Historica. To ensure a safe haven for the valuable shipping, fortifications have been guarding the harbor of Barqa for centuries. Over time this has grown into a strong harbor citadel. To guide seafarers into the port, it has been a long tradition to keep a fire burning on the top of the citadel and this platform has been built higher and higher over the years, becoming one of Historica’s most prominent lighthouses. This lighthouse was however heavily damaged in the elemental attacks at the culmination of the Revolword war, and it also fell further into disrepair when the trade along the Arkbri river was disrupted by the Kaliphlin civil war. As the trade resumed when the hostilities ceased the prosperity returned to the city. The city council, led by chancellor Gideon, could therefore commission a major restoration and expansion of the lighthouse. Its peak now soars higher than ever before, dominating the Barqan skyline. In daytime, the new whitewashed upper section is the first thing seafarers spot sailing into the Arkbri estuary. When darkness falls, the fire - burning bright thanks to being fueled by Kaliphlin naphta - is now visible farther out to sea than ever before. Great Lighthouse of Barqa, as seen from the Arkbri estuary. Great Lighthouse of Barqa, as seen from inside the city. (To be continued...) The upper balcony of the lighthouse is an excellent platform to keep an eye on all maritime traffic passing in or out of the Arkbri estuary. The harbor side of the lighthouse, with some roofed stalls for storage or fishmongers, next to the docks. One of the main offices for the tax collectors of the port of Barqa is in this fortress, protecting the not insignificant share of the wealth passing through Barqa which is mandated to remain in the city. Chancellor Gideon, always in a hurry, has visited the fort. Probably for a meeting with some tax inspector manager or some other bureaucratic duties, quite far from the life of a wandering warrior he lived 10 years ago… As the citadel has been expanded over time, only some small portions of the original rock it is built on is still visible. Some persistent seagulls however still try to claim their ancestral home. This is a re-interpretation of the lighthouse I built for Challenge II of Book II: I also built the orginal lighthouse to display at Brickworld Chicago 2014, but since I had to dismantle it (to keep the bricks safe from losing clutch power in a hot parked car during our 2 week roadtrip following Brickworld ), it was one of my shortest-lived builds. However, that build is also one of the most special in my AFOL journey, since Brickworld 2014 was my first convention abroad and the first time I got to meet some other GoH builders in real life. Special thanks to @Rogue Angel who helped get my build a spot at the EB tables, where I had a great time haning out with the EB people there over the weekend! One of the reasons I chose to revisit this build was that I wanted to improve on the blocky “brick” arches over the windows. I also really wanted to try my hand at more advanced water building at a large scale, which I hope is an improvement over the original build’s poured round plate technique. The water in the new build is based on a 3-layered technique, with different shades of blue in the bottom layer, trans-dark blue/trans-light blue/trans-clear in a middle layer and finally trans-light blue on top. This enables both a better sense of depth of the water and mixing “new” colors, to achieve a better gradient. I also added some waves at the end, with trans-clear plates as foaming water next to the shore and a pattern of waves out on the open water, at an angle against the “grid”. Building several layers of small pieces creates quite a lot of stress on the plate, so as only building it on a baseplate creates a quite substantial “banana effect”. This was counteracted by having a full Moduverse plate underneath the water to provide additional rigidity to keep the water flat. The corner turrets were a particularly challenging part of this build, especially the domes. I borrowed the concept of using the dinosaur tails for a dome from @adde51, but figured out myself that if I staggered their mounting points it was possible to create such a dome with only 8 studs diameter. Thanks to the tile revolution in recent years (particularly the 3x3 curved tile finally filling the gap in the rounded tile lineup!) I also managed to completely tile the interior. Not that anyone will notice when exhibiting the build, but I know that it is there Interior of one of the corner turrets. This is also intended to be the first section of a long-term project with more parts of the maritime side of Barqa being built - and hopefully also being able to be integrated with some of my older builds for future exhibitions. While the original lighthouse basically exhausted my supply of tan and medium nougat, this only scratched the top of the tan bins in 2023… Lighting by LifeLites, “candle flicker” diodes by the entrance and a eLite Advanced kit (the size of a 2x4 brick) controlling 8 individual diodes in a fire pattern at the top. Film of the fire at the top of the lighthouse. The battery box is hidden inside the city wall for ease of access:
  23. Kaliphlin District of Cedrica Kaliphlin District of Cedrica Cedrica is a melting pot for all of Historica’s guilds. Life is busy on this warm day in the Kaliphlin district. Ladies enjoy drinks at the café while merchants haggle on the streets. Kaliphlin soldiers patrol these canals to make sure the right sort of justice is enforced. Merchants, Soldiers and Ladies I created this 32x32 module for the Guilds of Historica final 10th Anniversary Challenge: “Life in Cedrica” category. This was a great way to bring a Kaliphlinian look to another setting while building out a bit Cedrica’s lore outside the palace. View from Behind Roof Architecture
  24. After a few years of making custom minifigs, I have come to realise that minidolls are by far superior. The are way more realistic and expressive, and on top of that their elegant figures are a perfect match for the setting of my storyline. So here is an improved version of my main characters, from left to right: - Grog, Goblin Guard of Embervale - Evrart, Captain of the Guards of Embervale, - Alrune, Necromancer and Governor of Embervale, - Dresghar, Cultural Attaché of Embervale, with Rex the Tarasque Cub. Much better, right?
  25. It's not exactly a secret that I enjoy making minifigs, especially fantasy-themed ones. And unsurprisingly, I make minifigs way quicker than I build the MOCs they could populate. So why not have those minifigs take part in the Historican Adventure too - the ones that are neither tied to a build, nor to a contest? I'll share them regularly here, in this thread. And don't hesitate to join me! Now for the first issue, in the first comment below, I’ll go for a very seasonal theme and a recurring question! Index: #1 - How to win someone's heart? #2 - Carnival in Varlyrio