ERA III will be coming Summer 2024! 2025 !

The new era will feature an interactive hexagonal map where players can explore and fight (using LEGO of course!).

More details to come regarding the map gameplay, but to celebrate this new mechanism, the Brethren Court will be publishing one build a day in this thread for the next few weeks featuring different terrain types that will appear on the new hexagonal map.

Stay tuned for more details!

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Forest Terrain:

(via @evancelt)

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Desert Terrain:

(via @Ayrlego)

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Deep Sea "Terrain":

(via @Bricksbypidy)

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Beach Terrain:

(via @LM71Blackbird)

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Swamp Terrain:

(via @Kai NRG)

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Mangrove Forest Terrain:

(via @Bricksbypidy)

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Bushland Terrain:

(via @Ayrlego)

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Jungle Terrain:

(via @Garmadon)

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Hills Terrain:

(via @evancelt)

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River Terrain:

(via @Bricksbypidy)

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Glacier Terrain:

(via @Kai NRG)

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Prairie Terrain:

(via @Bricksbypidy)

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Sonoran Terrain:

(via @Bricksbypidy)

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Coral Reef:

(via @Bricksbypidy)

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Bamboo Forest Terrain:

(via @Ayrlego)

The Marquis: Origins - Chapter 5 - The Poker Game

The story so far:

Chapter 1 - The Interrogation
Chapter 2 - Early Days
Chapter 3 - The First Mate
Chapter 4 - The Storm
Chapter 5 - The Poker Game (you are here)

The First Mate stepped in, looking as if he would like to join the game.

Slightly frowning, the Nobleman accepted the blade. And so, the game began.

After a slow start, where he obviously had to orient himself and was playing very cautiously, the First Mate started to win small sums.
He was becoming more and more confident. As if he could memorize where every card was that he had seen before.

The new Marquis celebrated.

Lady Bonny: What he soon learned was that he had got nothing more than the title. The previous Marquis had lost all his wealth and fortune before – he obviously was a frequent but not such a good poker player

    But the new Marquis seemed determined to restore the pride of his old title!

(to be continued)

The monkeys have begged me to release this next chapter earlier than usual - to get over the sad last chapter. 

The Empire of Corrington
Nickname: The Scientific Kingdom
Colors: Red and Black
Flag:

Quick Glance

Compared to the other nations, Corrington is a highly scientific empire characteristic for order, consensus and firm principles. The Corlander Navy is relatively large and the empire boasts extensive, but sparsely populated, colonial possessions. Historically, most wealth have been generated through shipping, although property investment has been helped along by the large wealth brought in by its traders. During the first era, the legendary Corlander convoys were incredibly successful, and its escorts scoured the waters for any privateer daring to cross their paths.

Corlanders typically make their carreer as scientists or inventors, naval or army officers, or civil servants, although several significant Corlanders have made their fortune in trade. All vocations are welcome, although staying on the right side of the law (and our beloved Queen's orders) makes for the most harmony amongst our ranks. As a Corlander, there are many ways to advance in Society! (See "The Government of Corrington" below")

Signing up
All Corlander citizens are welcomed to join Corrington's colonial efforts. To join, sign up in this thread with an introduction post that shows your sigfig. We encourage you to present your sig fig with a back story, but a few sentences are sufficient.

(Check out this quick start guide)

The Government of Corrington

Three generations ago the monarchy instituted a new reform – representative government. Although the Queen is popular, she does not rule over the kingdom with absolute power. She shares it with the House of Representatives, the Noble Parliament, and the Parliament of Science. To ensure the safety of the Monarchy, the fourth branch of government, the Queen's Executive House commands the Royal Guard. Corlanders can pursue careers in all four branches of government, although it requires unquestionable loyalty and ability to reach the highest position of power. During the first era of colonial ventures, most positions have been filled by the old world elite (NPC's), but with the growing importance of the colonial possessions, this is like to change.

Noble Parliament

The Noble Parliament consists of the nobility of Corrington and is led by the Prime Minister. It directly commands the Royal Navy and the Royal Armed Forces, and controls all diplomatic relations, as well as upholds the law.

House of Representatives

The House of Representatives ensures broad representation in government, as all tax paying citizens are eligible for election. It controls the finances, taxes, industry, and commerce of the nation, as well as the colonial posessions.

Parliament of Science

The Parliament of Science consists of the most prominent scientists of Corrington and acts as an advisory institution for the Queen and the other branches of government.

Queen's Executive House

The Queen's Executive House ensures the safety of the Monarchy, and thus commands the Royal Guards. Further, the constabulary, Belson's famous patrolling policeforce, is under direct control of the Queen.

(For more on the four branches of Government and how to advance, follow the links. All Corlanders are invited to pursue a career in government, either for their sig fig or another character. It will take both efforts and loyalty to advance, and progressively more so the higher the position, and positions may hold actual in game responsibility, but most active players will be able to advance to lower positions quite easily. If you are interested but in doubt how to advance, ask in this thread.) 

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Leadership

Queen Annetta (NPC)

Queen Annetta

Queen Annetta - Every Corlander would die for Queen Annetta, the heart of the empire. Because she has yet to find an equal mate, the Queen is the most popular person in the realm by far – suitors come from around the world to attempt to woo her. At 25, she is rich from the taxation on trade throughout the empire, and she is loved enough to have her own personal army – The Queen’s Guard. This unit is considered to be the crack troops of the empire, and all important campaigns include at least a company of these soldiers. Rumours in era I had her pregnant with someone's love child, but no baby was ever seen, and every loyal Corlander will tell you that it is nothing but vile slander by the enemies of the Crown.

Admiral Woodbrose (SkaForHire, Co-Leader)

As minister of the Colonies, he oversees the administrative aspects of expansion. A hard-nosed old sea buzzard who looks to please his niece (the Queen) by expanding trading policies in the New World. Although he sometimes wishes he was still a naval commander, he often turns to diplomacy to avoid major conflict. This is not to say that he doesn’t crush a rebellion or two, every once in a while. Technically, the Minister of the Colonies is the overseer of the Conquered Isles as well. However, the administrative duties as minister of the colonies have kept the good admiral from partaking as actively in the colonial ventures as he had hoped.

Rear-Admiral Fletcher (Bregir, Co-Leader), Commander of the Terra Novan Fleet

Commanding the Terra Novan Fleet, Rear-admiral Fletcher has had the responsibility for keeping the colonial possessions safe in close cooperation with the army ressources stationed there. He has functioned as chief military commander for all Corlander assets in Terra Nova during most of the first era, but now has a counterpart in Colonel Howe to take over command of all army assets. Under his, and his predecessors, rule, the Terra Novan fleet has been massively successful in keeping Corlander merchant shipping safe, taking prize after prize filling up the dockyards of Terra Nova. Middle-aged and unremarkable, Fletcher is an effective but discreet commander.

Brigadier Howe (Ayrlego, Co-Leader), Commander of the Colonial Army Headquarters

Brigadier Sir Andrew Howe and Captain Bertram Rickard Wolf inspect troops in Arlinsport.

Commanding the Corlander Colonial Army, Brigadier Sir Andrew Howe is responsible for the land component of Corlander defences in Terra Nova and works in close cooperation with his Naval superior, Rear Admiral Fletcher. Brigadier Howe has over 30 years service in the Corlander Army, most with the elite Queen's Own Foot Guard Regiment, whose uniform he still wears. As a Colonel he gained a reputation as the Queen's hatchet man in the Terra Nova, executing important missions directly on behalf of Her Majesties Government. Notably he commanded the first Corlander expedition to Isla de Victoria at the time of the Eslandolan Operation KMA. A master strategist and excellent tactician, Howe is known as a somewhat distant and stern commander who nevertheless inspires great confidence in the men under his command.  

Assisting Brigadier Sir Andrew Howe is Aide de Camp Captain Bertram Rickard Wolf.
Captain Wolf is a descendant of the Wolf Clan, one of the Clans of northern Corrington. Previously he served in the Queen´s Rifles Regiment, a unit known for its unorthodox tactics. With his Rifles platoon he became the hero of the Battle of Golden Bay on Serentia, which secured Serentia for the Crown. His accomplishnents were noted by the High Command and he was chosen to serve as Brigadier Howe´s aide.

Landscape

Corrington has two administrative sections.

The Mainland
The mainland is mostly rolling hills with a small mountain chain running down the middle of the country. It is the northernmost country in Eastern Halos, and the winters in the North are often unbearable to many outsiders. Most of the freeholders grow potatoes, wheat, or cabbage, and raise livestock. Cows and pigs are plentiful, and the countryside is dotted with many small hamlets. However, the cities are bustling places that never sleep. The cities are well planned, kept clean, and order is maintained at all times. The largest city, and capital of the empire is Belson. Belson is home to one of the world’s foremost universities: Archeon College, the premier navigation school of the known world. Many other science fraternities and explorers clubs call the capital home. The public buildings within Bellson are immense in size, and command respect from even the greatest architect. Careful study of city planning, public function, and defense is second nature to a Corlander bureaucrat, noble, or adventurer.


The Colonies
The Colonies Administrative division oversees both The Conquered Isles, Tiberia, and any future colonies.

The Conquered Isles
The Conquered Isles were once four different countries, three of which were island nations; Belondia, Peppin, Myrph, and the Isle of Tam. However, all of these countries sided with Oleon in a series of conflicts over the last 200 years. The final territory was gained in the 49 Years War, the last major uprising and war with Oleon. Upon defeating Oleon, the last of the isles were taken to safeguard navigation routes into the Great Northern Ocean. Although now integrated into the culture of Corriginton, the Isles were once a rebellious people, and the source of many civil wars. Still separatists attempt to raise trouble so far away from the capital.

Nova Terra

A typical townhouse of Arlinsport - by @Mike S

Corrington’s first colony in the Sea of Storms is Tiberia. Its provincial capital is Arlinsport, named after Queen Annetta’s father, King Arlin II. Arlinsport is known for its robust defenses and deep harbor, but it is the only such port on all of Tiberia. The city is the most developed colony of the nation, characterised by pretty townhouses placed in perfect order.

The majority of the island is still not tamed by Corlanders, but the island is already home to a makeshift rum industry, thanks to sugar smuggling from LeBellan to the south. The national drink of Corrington has become rum quite quickly. Some traces of gold have been found on Tiberia, but not enough to be a fully functional mining economy. Because it is one of the only Sea of Storms islands that lie outside of the warm temperate zone, it cannot grow cash crops. This means that Arlinsport is mostly a trading post between the old world of Halos and the richer, foreign and colonial ports to the south and east. Arlinsport resembles a typical, orderly Corlander city.

Corlanders tend to build in British or Scandinavian styles. They are diversified in their interests, but science and order governs all work. As such, Corlander cities are orderly and relatively clean. Many science fraternities are interested in what the New World has to offer, so new expeditions with a scientific premise are leaving for Terraversa, and Terra Nova, often. Corlanders have generally taken an anthropological interest towards natives, which has resulted in amiable relations to the new people encountered.

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History and Culture:

Brief: Life is dominated by the concept of order. Science is valued, and has led to the best sea charts (also secret) in the world. The Queen is the most important person - she has a private army. There are four branches of government, and Corrington has claimed the largest landmasses during era I.

Detailed: The Corlanders are a people who pride themselves on civilization and class above anything else. They look to further their lot in life through trade, and believe that order is more important than might, although they are not shy about utilizing might to establish order. The Royal Army wears red, but auxiliary units and private armies of this nation have been known to wear all sorts of different uniforms. Their building style tends to be mostly British and Scandinavian, and the capital is considered one of the most orderly and planned cities in the world (in fact they tore down the original capital 300 years ago to install a new grid system that the city followed.)

Department of Time in King's Harbour by @Captain Dee

Corlanders like to stick to a schedule, and this translates to their lives both on sea and land. As excellent navigators, they have charted and timed most of the sea routes, calculating averages for every point of the year. Corrington’s merchant marine is one of the best organized in the world, and it is said that their secret charts keep them always “on time” when trading. Beyond charts, Corlanders believe that science will help them establish further order, so there are many universities and “science fraternities” throughout Corrington.

Corrington holds the largest colonial territories, but they are sparsely populated. Many islands are home to nothing but a small trading post, and some are as of yet unsettled. All colonial territories were claimed during the first era of colonial expansion, so they are still in their infancy. The most developed region is the Southern Isles, home to a thriving industry and culture. The Northern Reaches is mainly known for its horses, although the island of Serentia may hold many unsolved mysteries. In the far east, the Paradise Isles are of great scientific interest harbouring some of the most fascinating flora and fauna of the Brick Seas, as well as the remnants of an ancient civilisation.

Corrington and Oleon have constantly fought wars since their founding in 106AE. Some were as long as a century, others were a few months. The constant warfare has militarized both societies. The last major war was the 49 Years War. Ending in 590AE, that war was won by Corrington. (Although it lost to Oleon in the 8 month Juniper War just seven years ago). The 49 Years War secured the Isle of Tam, the last of the rebellious Conquered Isles, but cost the kingdom much of its treasure. For this reason, the people of Corrington have been taxed heavily over the last 25 years. Finally, as a present to her people on her 25^th birthday, Queen Annetta has lowered the tax rate back to the traditional level. For some time now, however, Oleon and Corrington has been neutral.

Corrington in the first era

In Era I, Corrington quickly mastered the seas and perfected her methods of managing trade routes. The legendary convoys brought in exceptional profits to all who cooperated, and swiftly dealt with all who threatened its success, sweeping national and independent privateers and pirates from before them. With minimal losses, her convoys and escorts captured pirate ships at such an extraordinary rate that the shipyards are still working to repair all the ships. As a result, there are so many ships in drydock that the queen offers those who helps the Crown build ships full rights to the first prize captured.

The explorers of the empire fanned out across the newly discovered areas in search of land and scientific discoveries. They traveled more extensively than all the other empires, and added massive numbers of new islands to the empire. Corrington claimed more islands than any other nation in both the Sea of Thieves and the Prio Seas. 

The government of Corrington was stable throughout the first era which is more than can be said of all the other nations in the region. There were periods of slowness in government decisions being made, but that is rumoured to be due to the fact that the empire was expanding faster than the information could be kept current. The expansion also prevented the scientists and cartographers from keeping up with the new discoveries which left some confusion for new settlers attempting to join the new colonies to the east. This slowed down the growth of the towns, which proved detrimental as shipping slowed down in the second half of Era I. However, due to the great profits of the first half of the Era, Corrington's citizens invested deeply in properties and business ventures in other nations and the slowed income from the lacklustre shipping acitivity was not detrimental to the citizens who stayed active in colonial ventures. 

In short, Corrington outpaced all her neighbors on the seas and in discoveries. Her shipyards are still humming away furthering her power on the seas, and it will take another era before any nation can rival the landmasses acquired by Corrington in the first era.

Operation Pax Corlandia

At the end of the first era, Eslandola declared war on Mardier and ousted them from Isla de Medio. This left uncertainty amongst inhabitants of the formerly Mardierien settlements, particularly in Matlo in the north, where fear of Eslandian prosecution and criminal plunder was widespread. To protect the rights of these citizens, Corrington magnanimously launched Operation Pax Corlandia. This lead to a diplomatic incident with Eslandola, who proved to be dead-set on securing the whole island in an aggressive expansion of their empire. The tension rose to new limits, and at one point, was was threatening. After tough negotiations, Corrington agreed to evacuate the city and its inhabitants to safeguard their rights on Corlander territory. This evacuation is currently in progress, marking a change in relations with Eslandola...

For more on Corrington’s history, and that of its rivals, please see the History and Background thread.

By Garmadon

The Brethren of the Off Topic

Arr ye landlubbers, come in and have one of my Second Best! All chattin' is fine chattin' in 'ere. Don't ye pick a fight though, or Ol' Bubba has to throw ya out. Other than that everybody is welcome as long as ye keep payin' ya tab...

Welcome to the off topic thread for everything even slightly related to "Brethren of the Brick Seas"! This should be a place to be for chatting about the game in general, grand plans of world domination, the latest idea you might have with this or that build or just random off topic stuff fitting nowhere else. While the Intro Thread is still the place to be for everything concerning rules debates, IC or OOC stuff of importance or all the other things it has proven useful for, this thread is meant to be an informal space for whatever you have on your mind at the time of posting.

If you wonder whether something is worth posting here: feel free to just bring it up. The forum rules still apply, but other than that anything goes.

Moving to the inside, we can see part of his house. On the first floor is a sitting room, and the second has his drafting table.

The guest seems not thrilled at the moment. Perhaps he needs wine!

I didn't want to make a full mansion, but wanted to show part of the elegance a house in Nouveau Oleandia might have, inspired heavily by the exterior of this Italianate Victorian here.  The table for cartography was taken from Marin Brick Design's Cartography table, with a little less accoutrements. Enjoy!

Please post any suggestions, feedback and questions in the Intro Thread.

Index - Click on the nation name to read more

Madrice Peninsula

Altonia At the North eastern tip of the Madrice peninsula, Altonia is dominated by high mountain ranges and harsh winters.

Carno Pragmatic and honest traders, the city states of Carno are located in the south-east of the Madrice peninsula.

Garvey Tough seafarers, the people of Garvey are very active in the new world amassing wealth as both traders and smugglers.

Mardier Former leading power of the peninsula and new world, Mardier looks to recover their past glory.

Namere Chaotic

Madrice Borderlands

Pontilla A cold land of mountains, deep forests and plains, the passes of Pontilla form a bridge between Halos and the Madrice Peninsula.

Varcoast Land of forests, bogs and swirling mists, Varcoast forms the southern buffer between Halos and the Madrice Peninsula.

Northern Halos

Great Alliance States A powerful and rapidly modernising confederation of states dominating Northern Halos.

Kingdom of the Great Raider Nomadic horse borne tribes that roam the vast north eastern steppes of Halos.

Middle Kingdoms Successor to a once great empire, the Heptarchy is still a powerful presence in Central Halos.

Mokolei Empire A huge and diverse Empire that spans the continent.

Pan Pearl of the Guelph Peninsula, dominated by the coastal stronghold of Hassana.

Salleek The rugged desert coasts of Salleek shelter vast numbers of corsairs preying on shipping in the Rogian Sea.

Tellvok Home to both nomadic desert tribes and sophisticated urban cities, trade flourishes in Tellvok.

Southern Halos

The Lotus Empire Placeholder for text

The Monomonto Shogunate placeholder for text

The New World

Prio placeholder for text

Terraversa Gateway to the New world, independence from Mardier didn't last for long before the island was partitioned into four zones.

Ownership: Nation of Oleon

Location: île Dionysus, Crocodile Island

Mayor: Emile Perrault

Who can own property in Nouveau Oleandia: Anyone

Who can freebuild in Nouveau Oleandia: Anyone

Coat-of-Arms:

Geographical Features: A long, thin island situated in-between the larger island of ‘Arlintina’ and the ‘Lowers’ archipelago, this island is dominated by a central mountain range. A number of medium to large size natural harbours exist, mostly on the western shoreline. Numerous streams and inlets flow into the ocean from the central range and much of the island is covered in jungle. The eastern shoreline is dominated by thick mangroves and swamps.

Rumours: Several native tribes inhabit the northern part of the island although the southern end is mostly abandoned due to constant raiding from nearby islands. Large numbers of freshwater crocodiles of several different species are said to inhabit the swamps and waterways of this island.

A New Home, a New Town | Small residence

“Captain Petrik Voss” the stranger announced, extending his hand before adding “sorry for me manner earlier - I bear ye no ill will, but there be all manner of marauders round these parts so it pays to be cautious. Any ship ferrying booze is no threat to me.”

“Understandable. Welcome aboard The Golden Frog, Captain Voss… I’m Corliss Freeman - Captain - and this is my first mate, Jacqueline Morel-Benoîte. Sadly we’re… well, a little lost. Again.”

“Ye say ye be bound for Hellion; I reckon I can be helping ye - in return for passage, of course”

“Passage?” 

“Aye, for me an’ me crew. We been stranded here for some months now, and I’d be liking to put this rotten isle astern. We have maps and charts, but no means o’ makin’ sail.”

“We’d like to help, but as you can see The Golden Frog is… compact. I doubt we could accommodate your whole crew. I saw no wrecks around here… tell me, how did you come to be stranded?”

Voss inhaled through his teeth. “Ah, a rare misfortune for sure. I chartered a party raft for me crew, so as we might celebrate the anniversary of our first voyage with some drinkin’ and bein’ merry out on the water - but a sudden storm arose an’ we had to lash the sail for shelter. After the storm, the sail were all but destroyed an’ we were left adrift, ‘til we made land here.”

“Does the raft still float?” Jacqueline asked.

Voss cast her a sideways glance, “I reckon so. Seems a hardy thing. We hid it for safety.”

“I was just thinking, Corliss,” Jacqueline continued, “that we could spare a sail or two.”

…

Voss’ crew retrieved the party raft from its hiding place, and after several hours of enthusiastic carpentry, The Golden Frog’s studding sails had been removed and repurposed, rendering the party raft seaworthy once more.

“Captain Voss, it would be my pleasure to escort you to Hellion” shouted Corliss. 

And with that, the party raft set out into the waves, leading The Golden Frog on its way.

…

The atmosphere in Hellion was jubilant, with Oktoberfest well underway. 

The Octan Tanker had already arrived, of course, and the crew were busy extolling the virtues of something called ‘Phlogiston’ to any and all who would listen.

Having organised the supply of beer and sausages for the event, the renowned Dr. Thaum could be found at the centre of the festivities, congratulating the crews who had completed the run. 

Minor celebrities such as Pirate influencer Findus R. Swagg could also be seen pushing their latest collab deals. Oktoberfest maybe wasn’t the best pitch for the Portable Parallel Parrot Perch (compatible with all major Psittacines), and sales pleas fell on disinterested ears. 

For his part though, Corliss enjoyed some success in finding buyers for his tavern’s ales (Oktoberfest being a decidedly good market for this sort of trade) and was able to strike a number of supply deals, with his ‚Weiß Not?‘ wheat beer proving particularly popular. Once the selling was done, he and Jacqueline joined in with the celebrations. 

Many hours and many drinks later, they returned to The Golden Frog. 

“You know Jacqui… *hic*… with all these supply deals we’ve struck… *hic*… we’re gonna need a bigger boat…”

___________________________________________________

The final entry into The Route du Rhum from me.  
It’s late, and the challenge has ended… but I’ve built it, so I’ll post it!
Thanks for looking!

Ahoy, you, comrades Seamen.

This year, let it be known, the Oktoberfest will be held at the pearl of Raiders' Haven :

namely Hellion !

This trading post, flourishing thanks to its silver mines, intends to make a name for itself among the Brick Seas, by organizing the most beautiful, festive and decadent Oktoberfest.

However, although in full swing, this trading post suffers from its isolation and sorely lacks the basic elements that make a great Oktoberfest. Local pâtés, sausages, beers and rums are just enough for the daily consumption of the locals.

To remedy this problem, I, Dr. Thaum, spokesperson for the Sea Rats, have decided to organize an offshore race to resupply Hellion and prepare for Oktoberfest.

Are you already a seasoned sailor? Are you just starting to hear the call of the open sea ? Are you thirsty for adventure ? Do you want to challenge the New Haven Sea ? Do you want to become an old salt !

Everyone who wants to try their luck are cordially invited to join me in Tortuga and register for

the Route du Rhum... , beer and sausages.

There are no registration fees or boat licensing fees, the FTA, which sponsors the race, will cover these costs.

Departure from Tortuga, set the course to Hellion with a first load of meat and cochonaille, then return with holds fed up with silver ingots, and finally the last sprint with holds full of booze.

Help the Sea Rats to make the Oktoberfest great again ! Join the Race !

Rest assured all participants, apart from the dangers inherent to the sea, you risk no bad encounters. The safety of the race is guaranteed by the deployment of 4 fleets of Sea Rats warships along the course and 2 checkpoints: the north checkpoint on the Twins (zone 41), the south checkpoint on Avestia (zone 43). To be absolutely sure, the Andromeda fleet will accompany the competitors who attempt the southern route, while the Magnetic North fleet will accompany the competitors who attempt the northern route. The Black Rock pilots service nevertheless draws your attention to the extreme danger of the entire area southeast of Maldria between El Oleonda and Calinstock. It is obvious that the sea is dangerous in this area, this is in no way due to bad encounters.

The 2 checkpoints are not to be neglected (Dr. Thaum will be grateful to any competitors who bring him Gloogloos or other exotic birds to Tortuga) and make sure you research your trip well, all information can count. Information on New Haven Sea and its islands, HERE

*********

This challenge goes from March the 10th to October the 31st of 2025 (625 for the game timeline)

It is supposed to be the last challenge of BoBS Era II and to open onto Era III.

The race will be managed like a MRCA with monthly results and update, BUT, you won’t submit any form for that, all will be fixed with PM. And as I will be the Gamemaster, all PM are for me.

The boats will hoist their sails on April 1st for a 6 month race. Yeah, you counted well. The final arrival will be celebrated in grand style by the most beautiful of Oktoberfests. Let's spread the word !

There are 6 categories for this challenge, 6 MOCs. All categories are obviously independent of each other and the fact of not participating in 1 or more categories will not end the race for you (even if you might not benefit from certain bonuses).

So let’s go :

The MOCs

CATEGORY A : THE SHIP

Probably the queen category (or the most important) - well yeah, to race offshore, you need a boat, right ?

Present us your boat for the race, all classes are acceptable (according to the rules still in force) and you will also have to give the characteristics of your creation (R M G C $ H). Don't worry about the costs, as already specified, the FTA, the Route du Rhum's major sponsor, will foot the bill.

Beware : every characteritics may be important, as you will have to move bunches of piglets or barrels of booze, on high seas, as fast as possible, but you will not be the only one to race and the organizing committee does not in any way guarantee the absence of clashes between competitors.

Deadline for this first one, May the 1st (anywhere in the world – as far as there is still a 1st of May somewhere, you may still enter)

CATEGORY B : THE BONUS

According to the rules, a ship (whatever the class) is allowed a precise number of points to be distributed among the different characteristics. But you're a sly one, aren't you? Tell us then how you bent the rules to get a faster or more resistant ship, ... In short, your boat can benefit from a bonus point on one of the characteristics, so show us how you did it. Be creative. Minimum MOC size 16x16, but no maximum size.

Deadline for this one, May the 15th (anywhere in the world – as far as there is still a 15th of May somewhere, you may still enter)

CATEGORY C1 and C2 : THE CHECKPOINTS

2 MOCs possible here.

It all depends on how you planned your route. There are two checkpoints for the race, to rest and refuel along the way depending on whether you bypass Maldria to the north or south. Show us the passage of the checkpoints. How are you going to pass the Twins ? Will you track down the Gloogloo on Avestia ? Will you avoid these checkpoints altogether ? And for the return trip ?

This is the most open of the categories, neither minimal size nor maximum here

Deadline for the first build : June the 15th (anywhere, etc)

Deadline for the second one : September the 15th

CATEGORY D : THE RACE

You wanted offshore racing ? Well, here it is ! You suddenly find yourself side by side with another competitor, you see its sails, over there, to starboard... how are you going to handle that?

Show us two micro ships racing each other. Will you tack to increase your lead ? Will you settle the matter with a heavy hand (and heavy guns) ? Unless you decide for a state-of-the-art boarding ?

This is a micro-build category, 16x16 as a minimal size and 32x32 as a maximum seems to be fair.

Deadline for this one : August the 1st

CATEGORY E : THE OKTOBERFEST (Of course)

All competitors are at Hellion, congratulations to the winner ! Well, now that there's booze and meat, it's time to throw a hell of a party ! WELCOME TO HELLION'S OKTOBERFEST !

Let’s celebrate the winner of the Route du Rhum, the silver mines of Hellion, the end of the Era II of BoBS, the...

MOC the fest, 20x20 to 48x48 size scale. Be exuberant !

Deadline : Oktober the 31st

THE RACE (and the mechanics of the race)

The race will be run in MRCA laps, 6 MRCA laps to be precise. The planning is rough, but it breaks down as follows:

Departure on April 1st from Tortuga - zone 32 - (with food in the holds) to Hellion - zone 50 - the first month should take the competitors who pass north of Maldria towards the Twins and those who go south should be around Avestia.

The second round of MRCA should have the competitors making their way to Hellion for the first time.

The round 3 and 4 will be the return to Tortuga with the silver.

The round 5 and 6 are the final rush to Hellion (the booze, the sausages, the Oktoberfest)

A race log will be issued at the end of the each month with the positions of the competitors and any race events (like for a KPA at the end of a MRCA).

How it will be dealt with :

Each month, the competitors have to choose their course (with the zones like a classical MRCA) but no form will be filled. Each competitors will send a PM to me with the chosen route.

The competitors will have a 15 days time to think about their race. All PM with the routes should be in my PMbox the 15 of each month, then I will have 15 more days to finalise the round and publish the results.

The results could lead to some troubles ( leak, severed ship, lost sail, etc, etc) each trouble could lead to a disadvantage, but each disadvantage could be cancelled with an appropriate MOC ( which will be asked by PM back )

Days pass without sight of another vessel - or anything even remotely dry - until at last;

“Captain! Land, dead ahead!”

“Furl the mainsail… and thank Poseidon! I was beginning to worry this ocean was nothing but water from one side to the other!”

”Seems to be inhabited Captain, but I don’t see any obvious signs of allegiance. We can’t be sure that whoever calls this home will be friendly.”

“Well, I think anyone who goes to the effort of carving a giant smiley face into the rock is probably friendly enough, don’t you? Look, there’s someone on the shore...”

”Erm…”

“…Hello there!! Ever so sorry to bother you, but we were wondering if you might be able to provide some assistance?”

The figure on the shore casts his gaze toward The Golden Frog, waiting a moment before offering a response.

“Ye speak in the way of a Corlander, yet ye sail under the flag of Oleon. Whatever it is ye be seeking… I be certain ye’ll be findin’ it elsewhere.”

”Well yes, actually. We’ve got a hold full of booze and we’re trying to get to Hellion for Oktoberfest.”

”Ye be a long way from Hellion here… and I wager a long way from any that’ll miss ye, aye?”

”A curious thing to assert, but yes I suppose so.”

“Hold full of booze, ye say…”

“… per’aps I oughta come aboard, for a little chat.”

___________________________________________________
Very late (even more so than last time), but thanks for looking!

Having resupplied, The Golden Frog once more sets sail, with not much to navigate by but a vague heading…

“Ship ahead, Captain!!  It’s the Octan Tanker!”

“A Corrington vessel! Excellent! Let’s get abeam of her and ask very nicely if we can borrow a good quality map!!” 

“Aye Captain!”

___________________________________________________
Very late, but thanks for looking!

In the New Haven Sea:

"Ship on starboard!"

"It´s the Golden Frog under full sail! And that is a lot of sail! "

"Gentlemen start the engine!"

The plan had been to resupply in Spudkirk, but over the course of the journey it had become clear that the special offer map and compass set bought from Dodgy John’s Discount Cartography perhaps wasn’t the great money saving deal it had appeared to be, and now the crew find themselves Somewhere Else Entirely.

Having made it here though - wherever Here is - at least there are folks willing to trade Rum for provisions, so all is not lost!

___________________________________________________
Thanks for looking!

The clerics of Hades discussing their next move.

This cleric decided taking time to breathe and be calm might be best.

On the return trip to Tortuga the Octan Tanker 2 stops at Wullham. The local ETTC representative is greeting the crew.

Class 2 Fast Merchant R4 M3 G0 C1 $3 H1

The original:

A few month ago in Arlinsport:

"Gentlemen, let me introduce the future of seafaring: the Super Phlogiston Engine. No more  have you to wait for good winds to get you were you want to go.

A triumph of Corrington´s scientific advancement, the Super Phlogiston Engine will provide weather-independent propulsion for your ship. "

Prologue - Fire and Brimstone

Chapter I. - Rocinante
Chapter II. - Salty Business
Chapter III. - Underground
Chapter IV. - The Harvest
 

Prologue - Fire and Brimstone

The flames wrapped around the woman's body and clawed their way up, spurred on by the fresh air. The chains which held her to the stake rattled as her body contorted in a deadly struggle against the heat and fumes. Yet still, she hardly made a sound.

Annoyed, the priest of Zeus continued to spat out the sentence of condemnation. The crowd was ecstatic at the sight of such a spectacle. It had been a while since they had a good burning.

"For defying the King's Royal and Absolute Authority: Death", the priest exclaimed as the crowd started to roar. The soldiers were vigilant as to not let any peasant come too close, every now and then violently shoving one away with a hard butt of the musket.

"For standing up to a tyrant", the woman transformed the priest's words in her mind. It took most of her remaining life energy and vestige of sanity to form any thoughts in the face of immolation. Defiant to the end, as the flames licked her clothes and hair and burned her skin.

The cleric waved his hand to calm down the crowd. He grinned sadistically as he continued the follow-up of his plea.

"For challenging the base principles of the Faith and its representative here in the Realm: Lord Calida, for this Heresy", the priest made sure to accentuate the last word, "death by burning at the stake!"

Her mind crawled up from the abyss once more: "For showing the people the Truth."

"In Death, punishment. An end to your miserable short-lived life, rat," the priest looked at his victim. The flames reflected in his black beady hate-filled eyes.

The smoke filled her lungs. Coughing violently and through excruciating pain, the end had come.

"In Death, Absolution and equality. Death is the beginning. Ideas are immortal."

A chilling scream. And then total darkness.

-----

The start of a new story series. Could be handy if you read the Secret War, but not completely necessary. I think in terms of length, it might be somewhat similar. I'll try to make the builds bigger this time (12x12).

I hope you all come along for the ride and will enjoy the story. As always, comments and criticism are welcome.

And for those who know where this is headed: no spoilers 

Extra pictures (with unedited one):

Thomas hurried himself to the offices of the formidable Essian New World Trade Company, known in Carnite as the 'Essener Ostterra Handelsbund', but more commonly referred to internationally as the 'Ravenclaw Company'  - named after one of the powerful and wealthy ancient First Families who were co-founders of the company and whose sigil now served as the ubiquitous mark of the company.

The Raven on a checkered blue background also embellished the office of Herr Knock, a mid-ranking clerk in the Company. Unlike the sailors, tradesmen and soldiers in its private company who were often of non-Essian origins and who were recruited either in other parts of Carno or abroad from places like Altonia and Balondia, most of the office clerks, bookkeepers and officers were Essian. Either from the city itself like Thomas, or very likely from Essen's seaside exclave of Karnemünde.

Thomas quickly wiped the sweat from his brow as he entered the office. He was anxious to meet his new employer and was keen to make a proper, disciplined, first impression. A solid composure goes a long way in the Raven City, after all.

"You called for me, Herr Knock?", Thomas queried.
"Ah, yes. Herr Wagner. Do come in and have a seat," Herr Knock motioned the young Thomas towards a seat. Pulling some paperwork from a drawer behind him, the clerk turned his attention back to Thomas.
"As you may, or may not, have heard there is a race being organized in the New Haven Sea in the New World. In order to establish its presence further and gain more recognition, especially in the eyes of the competition supported by the other Great Powers, the Board has decided to enter with a token vessel. A ship and crew are waiting in the harbor of Karnemünde, from whence they will sail towards Tortuga, where the race will start. You have been selected as the representative of the Company on this journey."

Herr Knock handed over a series of paperwork to Thomas, who was now glowing with pride at the thought of being chosen for such an endeavour, however small it might be in the greater scheme of things.

"D-danke, Herr Knock, for this grand opportunity," Thomas stuttered to thank the clerk. "I am honoured that the Company has chosen me for this task. I will not disappoint!", the young man continued and he jolted up from his seat and sternly saluted Herr Knock, who was somewhat surprised by the gesture. He nodded in appreciation, but replied sternly.
"At ease, mein Junge. Keep your calm. You will be responsible for the adequate course of this journey and will keep tabs on the cargo. A great future awaits you, if you can bring this to a good ending. Like I said, you will find your ship and crew in Karnemünde. Make haste now. May the All-Father watch over you."

-----

Saying goodbye to his wife, Thomas made his way from Essen to Karnemünde to find the ship he was assigned to and to meet the captain and its crew. After inquiring with the port authorities, he was told the way to the specific dock. There, he laid his eyes upon the Birger Jung. A small, but sleek sloop in all black, headed by a grim effigy of its namesake, the Essian dissident preacher and publisher of the infamous Reinland Theses, an important foundation in Essian religious life and general culture. To be named after such a grand figure was an honour.

The captain of the ship was a man named Harald Fischer. In contrast to the stature of his ship, he was a rather large and intimidating man himself with a fiery beard and adventurous aura surrounding him. Something about the way he moved himself belied his Karnemündian background, compared to the more stoic nature of Essians from the City.

The last bits of cargo were ported onto the ship and they it set off towards Tortuga.

The Birger Jung

Stats: Class 2, R3 M3 G2 C1 $2 H1

-----

So, this is the first time ever that I've built a ship. I have no idea if the masts are positioned correctly or if the shape makes sense, but I like it. Since I have no experience building ships, I also lack the parts to build it IRL, but it can be build. There are no non-existing or rare parts used to design it in Studio.

Birger Jung (the person) is an important historical Essian figure, whom I have written some story about, which fits into a grander historical background info dump that I've been working and that I'll be able to post sometime in the future, for those who like that kind of stuff and still visit this sub forum .

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and I hope I got the stats right. Thanks @Professor Thaum for organizing. I'll send my route later, but I wanted to make sure I had posted the actual ship first.

Among them the "Sunset over the Empires"

Designed by the young Iauln, with onboard the Doctor Thaum and the Garret twins

Designed to be swift and maneuvering, this ship rounded the west cape of Tortuga and hoisted a Spitting Snake like acre wide huge foresail and made is course.

C&C welcome

more better pics as soon as possible

Out on the open water, the crew of The Golden Frog have hoisted a set of studding sails, greatly increasing the ship’s maximum speed!

___________________________________________________

Not entirely happy with how the studding sails turned out.  I’d intended to make them from the same material as the main sail, and although I recall keeping some aside with that intention, can’t now find where I’ve put it… hence, they’ve ended up being made from paper.

If I find the material I’ll refine them.

Thanks for looking!

The Golden Frog departs to sail the Route du Rhum!
Aye, a day late… but, better late than never!

Class 2 Merchant

R3 M3 G1 C1 $2 H2

___________________________________________________

This is the first time I’ve created a ship for BoBS so hopefully the stats are ok.

It was The Caribbean Clipper that got me into Lego Pirates back in 1991, so it felt right to pay homage with my first BoBS vessel.

Use of the medium hull inspired by Legostein’s Caribbean Ribbit, which I saw on these pages some years back. 

Nickname
The Kingdom of Light

Colors
Medium Blue and Dark Blue

Flag

Royal Banner

Quick Glance
Life in Oleon centers around traditional values. Oleanders are generally pious people, loyal to their Monarch, and take pride in their vast cultural heritage. Owning land defines one’s standing in the social hierarchy, and the rural nobility - which you can be a part of - has ever since been regarded Oleon's elite.
Following her claim for superiority, Oleon today has the largest warships, fields a powerful army, and has already established a moderate colonial presence, which she is eager to expand.
Oleon accepts new members, especially craftsmen, artists, agriculturalists, seamen, and entrepreneurs of all kinds, as long as they are loyal to the Monarch.

Membership
Oleon is open for members. If you would like to add to Oleon's grandeur, and to spread the influence and glory of the empire - join today!
To do so, just sign up in this thread with an introduction post that shows your sigfig. A little background goes a long way, and we appreciate any story you would like to present with your character!

If you'd like to join in The Monthly Raiding and Commerce Action, send Oleon Leadership a private message to get added to the latest "Private Message Thread" and coordinate our efforts.

Index
Honorable Citizens of Oleon
Colonial Possessions
The Royal New Terra Company
Army Units stationed in New Terra
Royal Naval Units in New Terra
Quick Start Guide
The Builders' Bulletin Board
Recurring Story Characters
Noble Houses of Oleon
    - Nobles of Oleon
Medals and Decorations

A DETAILED LOOK at the EMPIRE OF OLEON

Leadership

King Philip I and Queen Beatrice (NPC)

After the sudden passing of his elder brother - the late King Stéphan II - Philip was crowned in April 616.
Whereas the late Monarch was a great admirer of the occult, driven by all things mythical, which allowed the Order of the Faith to spread its influence into almost every niche of Oleander society, Philip follows in the footsteps of his father Stéphan I. Noble and almost idealistic, with a broad education, and – growing up in the Royal Palaces of Granoleon – naturally provided with a passion for the arts, he now has to prove that he can prevail on the political stage as the absolute Monarch that he will need to be. With his beloved wife Queen Beatrice by his side he rules over the empire in a crucial time. He tasks himself with nothing less than challenging the mighty Order of the Faith, and reducing the influence of its destructive elements, especially that of the Clerics of Hades, to rebuild Oleon's reputation as the predominating cultural beacon it once was adored for.

Lord Chancellor Calida (NPC)

Lucier Henri Calida was born into the House of Courtia - already one of the most influential Oleander noble families - and he soon saw the potential the Faith offered him for his political ambitions. He rose to power as a clergyman, but his organizational talents were soon discovered by the Royal Court. He was appointed Adviser to the King, and excelled in various tasks, foremost the introduction of a naval focus to Oleon, and the consequent buildup of La Royale prior to the Juniper War.
Today he is not only Chancelier d'Oleon – the highest administrative position in Oleon – he is also Supreme High Priest of the Clerics of Zeus, making him de facto leader of the Order of the Faith, which has blossomed under his regime. Under King Stéphan II he controlled the High Council and was First Adviser to the King, answering only to him. And as the King shared his beliefs, his authority was unchallenged. Some even say Stéphan II was a mere puppet, and that Calida was Oleon's true regent.
Now, with Philip I as King, his universal authority might be challenged for the first time. Nobody can tell how Calida is likely to react to this, since his agenda remains unclear to everyone. He is feared by many, and often described as a devious schemer who will do anything to tighten the Order's grasp on Oleon. Others see in him a savior and believe him to be the only guarantor for upholding the Empire's domestic order.
One thing is for sure, though, he is more likely to prepare for a war with Corrington than to read mass in a temple.

Structure of State

Oleon is an absolute Monarchy. The King has always been the central authority, ruling over the land with a wise and strong hand since the days of King Arltrees.
Oleon is the King – and the King is Oleon.

Wise Monarchs govern for the well-being of their loyal subjects, taking paternal care of them. That is the natural order of all things under the sun. So there is no need for 'representation', for 'parliaments' even, or other unsacred institutions in Oleon.
But wise Monarchs also listen to advice. That is the reason why the High Council supports the King in his rule, and advises him with expertise in all matters of state. The various branches of Oleon's administration then answer to the High Council and his chairman, the Lord Chancellor of Oleon, who traditionally is the first and most important adviser to His Majesty.

Members of the High Council

Pierre Lavalette Genaro, Duc de Vele et Pair d’Oleon, Intendant Général des Finances, Grand’Croix de l’Ordre Royal de Saint-Arltrees. Captain Genaro  @Thomas Waagenaar

Pierre Lavalette Genaro is the current Duke of Vele - a booming coastal region East of Granoleon - and General Intendant of Finances at His Majesty’s Royal Court. Using his formidable fiscal talent and economic expertise, the Duke of Vele has consolidated the royal treasury, and reformed Oleon’s taxation system. By many, he is regarded as the Royal Court’s rising star. Some even go as far as saying Genaro’s influence on His Majesty has already surpassed that of Lord Chancellor Calida.

Berart Mazan, Duc de Boussac, Secrétaire d’État des Colonies, Grand Officier de l’Ordre Royal de Saint-Arltrees. Phred Bodi  @Keymonus

The Lion of Boussac is one of the most important advisors to His Majesty, and as Secretary of State of the Colonies responsible for Oleon’s fate beyond the line. Traditionalists grumble that the task of protecting the nation from her hereditary northern enemy and controlling Oleon’s overseas expansion shouldn’t go hand in hand. But the Lion of Boussac is an able man, and where better to keep Oleon’s foes at bay than in the waters of New Terra.

Guiscard Emery de Beauregard, Duc de Corban, Secrétaire d’État de la Marine, Commandeur de l’Ordre Royal et Militaire de l’Étoile d’Ardros, Commandeur de l’Ordre Royal de Saint-Arltrees, Grand-Amiral d’Oleon. Kolonialbeamter @CapOnBOBS

Growing up in chateau Sans-Nuage-sur-Maine - located in the hills just outside the harbor-city of Quilbignon - the young Lord almost naturally acquired a taste for saltwater, and soon was sent to pursue a career in His Majesty’s Royal Navy. Towards the end of the Forty-Nine Years War he was promoted to Grand Admiral of Oleon, and although unsuccessful in preventing Corrington from taking the Isle of Tam, he - under the direction of the Lord Chancellor - managed the rebuild of La Royale, which ultimately gained the upper hand over her Corrish counterpart in the following Juniper War. Today the Secretary’s attention shifts towards the eastern seas as the race for New Terra is speeding up. Oleon’s fate depends on La Royale - and on the salt in the Secretary’s veins.

Guérin Godefry de Tourment - nicknamed Le Doublonoi - Duc d’Eranos, Connétable d’Oleon, Grand’Croix de l’Ordre Royal et Militaire de l’Étoile d’Ardros, Maréchal d’Oleon blackdeathgr @Jeff of Clubs

Ever since official records first appeared, there has been a de Tourment holding the ‘Southern Key’ and shielding Oleon from the perils of Halos. Traditionally, the de Tourments also hold the title and position of Connétable d’Oleon, providing able commanders for Oleon’s armies who have proven their loyalty in every single conflict in Oleander history. But the house is not only a source of military genius for the Crown. Over the last decades they have also grown rich as prime suppliers of the Royal Army - a development that isn’t to the liking of all at the Royal Court.

Robert Perrault, Duke of Vitoria @KotZ

Robert Perrault, II, Duke of Vitoria His grandfather Bernard had three children, Robert, Sophie, and Camille. Being the first child, and male, of his family, Robert, I, went on great expeditions and acquired a great amount of wealth. His sister Sophie died in childbirth, but his youngest sister Camille had a child, Emile, who now is married to Elise and runs a successful alcohol business.

Robert, I, after one expedition led to him needing to amputate a leg, retired from the life of the sea and turned his sights on moving up in the world. Robert, I became the leader of a trading company, getting friends in high circles. Unfortunately, Robert I died before he reached his dream of being granted a duchy. His only child Robert Perrault, II completed that goal. He continued his trading through the homeland of Oleon, expanding it as he could. But his true test of valor came on the field of battle, by wiping out a small uprising with only himself, a maid, and the gods he prayed too. It was the two (or three, depending on the stories if you believe in the gods) of them against ten.

Here, you can see Robert, II, in his library, just before he gets his duchy granted.

The Order of the Faith

The Order of the Faith is a secretive band of highly influential clerics that is heavily involved in Oleander politics.
As little is known fact about the Order and its agenda and ways, there are plenty of rumors out on the streets. Some see the Order's influence as a danger to the Monarchy, some even go as far as saying the Order already holds the true power over Oleon, with the Monarch acting only as a puppet. Others counter, pointing out that Oleon is free of dissidents, highlighting the Orders alleged importance for Oleon's inner stability and military might.
Wherever the truth lies, fact is that disagreeing with the Order is a good way to get into serious trouble!

The Order of the Faith can be read about in greater detail here.
 

The Land


Oleon is the largest country on the peninsula, and its land is naturally an important economic factor. Wealth is usually measured in land holdings, and hereditary grants pass on from father to son for generations.
In the interior, the rural nobility traditionally resides in prestigious chateaus, and peasants live in little hamlets, and work for their lords as they have for ages. There are few large cities in the interior, but towards the coast things are beginning to change as innovations are developed. Passing from a rural hamlet with the lord's impressive manor towering over it, to a bustling port town is like going from one world to another. A multitude of coastal hubs have begun to spring up.
With oceans bordering Oleon on either side, these towns have become quite numerous, and have contributed to a new emphasis on seafaring. The Order of the Faith has encouraged this emphasis, but is still eager to preserve the traditional social ways by keeping its mystical hold on the people. With its support, Oleon's navy has boomed. Her merchant fleet is growing by the day, and the Royal Navy is famous for large battleships and highly efficient gun crews, securing Oleon’s influence on the waves.

A fine example of an increasingly important city is Breshaun on Le Bellan. Founded not long ago, it has turned into a sparkling and ambitious regional centre.

Society and Culture


Traditionally, a typical Oleander's life centers around the values of – traditions. Considering themselves the most culturally advanced people, Oleanders take great pride in their rich heritage of arts and literature. They are generally pious people, living in accordance with the divine rules of the Gods. But temples are visited more for social reasons than out of religious zeal.



It is true that the Order of the Faith holds its sway over the people, but that doesn't refrain Oleanders from enjoying life. And especially the aristocracy is known throughout Halos for celebrating the most glittering balls and festivities.
Oleon's cities are well organized and planned, their silhouettes often dominated by impressive temples erected in honor of the Gods. The architectural style is mostly a mix of renaissance and baroque western European, dominant among secular buildings – especially among the many aristocratic and royal chateaus and palaces that are in constant competition to outshine each other – and classic Mediterranean influences, which are preferred for religious buildings.
L'Aile du Pontis (The Pontis Wing) of the Royal Palace in Granoleon is a great example for the supremacy of Oleander architects and craftsmen.

The Military

Oleanders are known to be fierce warriors if necessary. Military might is of paramount significance, as land is the defining social factor in society. Honor and bravery are values that every Oleander holds in high esteem, sacrificial soldiering on the fields of battle is every Oleander's duty, to die for the nation is considered the highest honor.

War Banner and Naval Ensign

The Army

Ever since the days of King Arltrees the color blue is prominent in the uniforms and flags of the royal military. 
The standard military uniform always includes a blue coat, often but not always accompanied by white cross belts. A fleur-de-lys is not uncommon on the uniforms and flags either.
As presented above, the standard military flag is a white cross on a blue background with a crown over crossed cannons, but there are numerous deviations from these standards. In every case, however, the color blue must be present!

(some conventional flags)

As a result of a history of warfare, mostly with Corrington, many cities and ports are fortified with large walls and impressive fortresses to protect the citizens in case of an invasion.

The Navy

Oleon's Royal Navy – or La Royale as she is affectionately called by the people – is among the finest and largest in all of the known world.
Heavily expanded after the Forty-Nine Years War at the instigation of the Order of the Faith, La Royale managed to have the edge over Corrington's navy during the following Juniper War, but has since then been locked in a stalemate with her biggest rival.
Oleon's master shipwrights are considered leading in the construction of heavy warships, and the emphasis on constant training and education has lead Oleander gun crews to become the most efficient in the known world.

Here you can see a fine example of Oleander ship building, the glorious HRS Pride of Oleon.

Ranking System

If you create your sigfig you are - of course - free to give it any rank you wish. So if you want - for example - a Captain to sail your ship through the waters of New Terra - create a Captain. If you want a Major fighting off Oleon's enemies on the fields of battle - create a Major. However, we would ask you not to start out too high up in rank right away. There are certain official ranks that can be earned, and they bring in-game benefits and lots of prestige - not to mention the awe of your foes.

So fight for your own and Oleon's glory and rise through the ranks - do you have what it takes?

Army Ranks:

• Maréchal (Marshal)
• Général d'Armée (Army General)
• Général de Division (Division General)
• Général de Régiment (Regiment General)
• Colonel (Colonel)
• Lieutenant Colonel (Lieutenant Colonel)

Naval Ranks:

• Grand-Amiral d'Oleon (Grand Admiral of Oleon)
• Amiral (Admiral)
• Vice-Amiral (Vice Admiral)
• Contre-Amiral (Rear Admiral)
• Chef d'Escadre (Commodore)
• Capitaine de Vaisseau (Ship-of-the-Line Captain)

Rank Requirements and Benefits:

Promotions can be earned through military contributions, means through repeated and active participation in war campaigns, fleet actions, through acts of bravery, and - as a base requirement - you need to loyally follow orders.

For promotions to High Command - Général de Régiment respectively Contre-Amiral and higher - a noble title of at least Marquis is required - to make sure only the best of the best command Oleon's finest.

'But where's the beef?' - you may ask. Well, excelling in military actions is a profound way to boost your social standing in Oleon. It will lead to some shiny medals and ribbons, can contribute to your house's growing reputation, and might eventually get you His Majesty's attention - which can open doors you didn't even believe existed. And - who knows - maybe one day you'll end up commanding the unit you were once fighting alongside with - or determine the fate of a whole royal fleet in the vast waters of New Terra.

The Gran Military Encyclopedia of Oleon

Oleon's long military tradition has resulted in units ranging from line infantry regiments to specialized units trained to excel in one area. This diversity is all captured in the Gran Military Encyclopedia. This detailed book houses a unit's description, pictures, and history. All Oleanders are invited to review or add to this collection. 

Diplomacy

Oleon has a hostile history with Corrington, and during the last war the two factions proved to be an even match.
Officially there is no direct trade with Corrington, but various goods do make there way around via Eslandola and smugglers of all sorts.
Pirates are tolerated as long as they don't operate within Oleon claimed waters, piracy is a crime and offenders will be brought to justice when they are caught.

(Note: Relationships are judged on a 1 to 5 scale; Very Friendly, Friendly, Indifferent, Unfriendly, Hostile)

Oleon's relationship with...
Sea-Rats: Indifferent
Eslandola: Unfriendly
Corrington: Unfriendly

Membership

To sign up, post a picture of your signature figure, preferably accompanied by Oleon's formal flag colors. You are welcome to include a bit of a description as well. 
Your signature figure, or sigfig, will represent your character throughout your MOCs within Brethren of the Brick Seas. (That does not mean that your sigfig has to be in every MOC you make)
Although this is the “Bluecoat” faction, that does not mean that everyone should have a bluecoat soldier as sigfig.

Within BoBS there are many possibilities. Build your own story – for example, your sigfig could start out as a carpenter that decides to work on a ship. Via battle experiences he ends up getting his own ship, eventually becoming a privateer in His Majesty's service, etc.

For those still uncertain of what faction to chose or how to sign up in a minute, we have some simple instructions here, which pretty much sum up everything.

Vive le Roi!

"And it isn't just the works here along the Breshaun waterfront," he turned sharply back to the group, his speed had returned, as had the color in his face, but in truth, neither to the level they had been just months ago. "We had to build a plantation to procure masts, build a carpenter school to train the work force, every time I saw a gap, I found myself having to personally step in to fill it. Now we have a sawmill, iron mine, coal mine, rope factory. And not just building ships, we needed a drydock to repair." 

Which has all led to the need for a brain stem to control this monster. That is why we have now had to expand our administration, logistics, sales, contracts, supply, etc. into this "large commercial" build we are standing in today. 

At least from here, I have the best seat in the house for watching the ongoing construction. He turned back to the balcony and looked down into the yard where Master Shipwright Jean Benoît had cleared everyone away to personally guide the crane for the placement of a new mast. 

This is why Beauchamp had been so enthusiastic that Benoit join the team... he was always personally supervising the most difficult, dangerous, important, and critical elements of the build. His reward for all this was an expanded office space and the lion's share of the first floor in the new building to meet clients, manage the yard, and keep his volumes of old ship designs. 

As for managing the most important/dangerous detail of each build, today, it was not only the placement of the mast, but a chance to watch the new heavy crane team in action. So far... so good... but the gears, levers, counterweights, and bearings that brought the machine to life represented a huge investment and risk. 

Meanwhile, all around him, the normal buzz of the yard continued. A shipment of coal coming into the loading docks with the guards quickly locking the gates behind them. None of this distracts Benoit from the mast hovering over his head and the precariously perched crane team. 

The yard continues to expand. This section will be licensed as a large commercial build despite even though I added the new crane. 

Part 1: The Day the World Stood Still

Part 2: Heretic!

Part 3: Baptism of Fire

Part 4: Casting a Wide Net

Part 5: Ghosts of Days Past

Part 6: A Blood Soaked Symphony <--- You are here

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A desolate un-named island in the frigid North Sea

A bone chilling wind cut through the air. Cleric Bertrand, stripped down to bare skin, had long lost feeling of his arms and chest. He was laying on his knees, arms spread wide, tied to two posts. "What kind of pagan devilry is this?"  he thought. For a man who live his whole life controlling others, being tied up and helpless was a foreign feeling to him.

Seeing the mental cracks starting to form, Corwin finally spoke to the man. "I see you have questions Cleric.....let me enlighten you. You see Bertrand, you took my parents away from me using the practices of your Order of the Faith, and I intend to do the same to you, as the Old Northern gods demand. Now, if you were an honorable man....you would have the courtesy of a swift and painless death by the sword. But for a morally devoid snake such as you, a more sacred ceremony is allowed...the Blood Eagle."

Upon hearing those words uttered, Bertrand trembled with fear. He had never seen a Blood Eagle, but had read a few accounts in the old texts in his studies to become a cleric. Many nations had tried to subdue the wild northern lands, but all had failed. While still stuck in a feudal clan system, the Northerners were renowned for the penchant for violence and savagery. Chief among them being the Blood Eagle ceremony, in which the prisoner (often a leader, or especially vile person) had his back hacked open, and his lungs pulled out and draped over his shoulders like wings.  Bertrand slumped to the ground as the full realization of his fate came to him.

Seeing the cleric despondent before him, Ragnarrson continued "You will have wings dear Cleric, but cannot fly. Your body will become a feast for the crows, and your flightless soul dam*ed to wander this desolate island for all eternity. You will NEVER find peace. That is my gift to you....eternal life, and eternal suffering." 

With that, Ragnarrson raised his axe, and began his bloody work of giving the Cleric his wings. Bertrand was conscious through the whole thing, but unable to move as he had near frozen in artic weather. All that escaped his lips were faint cries at every strike of the axe. As his body drained itself of its life-force, the world began to fade as he met his fate. 

His quest for revenge completed, Corwin Ragnarrson found himself for the first time in 25 years without a driving purpose in his life. As he boarded his ship and returned to New Nassau, he contemplated this new chapter  before him. While the need for revenge was no longer there, he was not the same man he was before. These events had changed him. Gone were any remaining traces of softness and compassion. In its place was an iron will and ruthless determination to succeed at all costs.

The Black Wolf has risen, conquered his enemy, exacted his revenge, and his time to rule is NOW.

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That concludes this series. With Era III coming soon, and the pivot in direction to focus more on characters, I wanted to set the groundwork for a new direction when the update happens. And since I missed the first few transition challenges, I figured this story arc would be the perfect way to do so. Hope you all enjoyed it, and here's to the upcoming change!

Part 1: The Day the World Stood Still

Part 2: Heretic!

Part 3: Baptism of Fire

Part 4: Casting a Wide Net

Part 5: Ghosts of Days Past <--- You are here

Part 6: A Blood Soaked Symphony

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Charlatan Bay

Aldric Buchannon had a million things on his mind as he walked back home from his late night meeting. The last year had been tumultuous to say the least.....ships were disappearing into thin air with more frequency, there were sights of strange creatures and beasts through the islands. Storms ripped across the water with no mercy. The islands were abuzz with speculation of the root cause of these events. Aldric normally would pay no mind to such rumors and gossip, but as the owner of a successful Import & Export Company, these happenings directly affected his livelihood. Buchannon had been more fortunate than most....he had lost only one small ship, but had narrowly avoided losing many others. With so many ships disappearing, the time was now to expand his reach and fill the vacancies left by the lost ships. 

To any potential customer looking for goods, his business looked 100% legitimate, his storefronts in the various islands were professional, clean, and well stocked. What the customers did not know, what that his goods were not purchased from the various countries of Halos.....they were sourced from Black Flag pirates ( his "suppliers"), repacked in his warehouses in Sea Rat controlled ports with his branded markings, and then often sold right back to the merchants they were stolen from (at a hefty mark up of course). His unscrupulous suppliers loved him....as he paid more than other black market vendors, and would buy their whole stock. 

Buchannon disliked travelling to Sea Rat Ports, as their filth, chaos, and unpredictability put him out of his comfort zone. But striking deals with new "suppliers" meant he himself must broker the deal. With a successful pact negotiated, all he wanted to do was get back home, open a bottle of his best brandy to celebrate. He planned on making as much money as possible in this next year, then selling everything, and heading south to purchase a plantation to retire on. Buchannon had a deeper, darker secret....he was formerly a Cleric of the Order of the Faith, but had been excommunicated for fraud and theft. His past was hidden well, but the Order was slowly growing its presence across the islands, he knew at some point, he may be found out.

As Aldric was enjoying his first glass of brandy, a match struck in the dark corner of his room. A lantern spilled light across the room, illuminating a menacing figure draped in a dark cloak. Without turning around, Buchannon said "you can tell your Captain my price is final, he agreed to it in writing, and I do not break written contracts." This wasn't the first time a greedy pirate Captain had tried to intimidate him.

The shadowy figure replied: " I'm not here about any contracts Mr. Aldric Buchannon.....or should I say Cleric Gerard Bertrand?!? Don't even try and deny it, I know it is you."

All the blood drained from Bertrand's face, as he heard his true name aloud, one he had not used in over 15 years. His mind raced as he stood still in shock. "Who could possibly know his real identity? Did someone sell him out? But no....the two people he had known from his past life as a cleric that he had met again out here were sitting at the bottom of the ocean, nothing but bones now"  he thought to himself. 

The cloaked figure (Corwin Ragnarrson) stepped forward into the center of the room, sword in one hand, shackles in the other. "Turn and face me" commanded Corwin, and Bertrand complied. The younger man standing in front of him was a stranger, but something about him nagged at the back of Bertrand's mind that he couldn't quite decipher. Before he could think of what to say Ragnarrson spoke again "The sins of your past have come back to haunt you this day Bertrand. You may be asking yourself who I am....I'll clear that up for you. I am the one who got away. You may not remember my dear parents, but you took them from me, and almost took me as well. I swore the day of their burning that revenge would one day be mine......today is that day. As he heard these words, it all came flooding back to him...a young boy who vanished into thin air at his parents execution, in a small country village in rural Oleon. He had looked high and low for that boy to no avail, and never figured the means by which he had escaped. 

"Put on these shackles" commanded Corwin. As Bertrand obliged, Ragnarrson pushed him towards the door. "Don't even bother trying to alert your crew once we get outside and near the docks. They are sound asleep courtesy of some very special rum my men gave them. We are going on a journey Bertrand....if you still believe in your gods, pray to them now. Because were we are going....they can't help you."

For the first time he could recall in recent memory, Bertrand felt the cold rush of fear and uncertainty envelop him. 

The Final Chapter will be dropping soon. How will it end? 

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Some full lighted shots of the build. I picked up some lighted brick elements from Brickstuff a while back and wanted to use them for a night build such as this. They work great, and even have built in flickering into the lights. I also wanted to practice some furniture and tile design for this build. Pretty happy overall. 

Long had he been gone, it was time to return home. Emile Perrault had gone quiet for awhile and having purchased a new ship, Le Retour, he reasoned it was time to return to Nouveau Oleandia and Oleon at large. Hopefully he still had coin in his coffers to pay for this frigate.

He needed to check in with his close friends and crew, hopefully they would be back there, along with his wife, Elise.

Cannons were to be loaded before setting sail, and the sails needed to be unfurled.

Oh look, there are some cannons!

The crew was efficient, even if Emile was not used to them and needed to learn their names.

It was time to go home.

So it's been a looooong time since I've built for BotBS and Oleon, and I want to get back in it. I had the base of this ship sitting around for awhile and the past week I just went in and built this to get it done. I'm definitely a little rusty when it comes to shipbuilding, but I think it's not too bad. It's essentially a longer, modified version of the Pirates of Barracuda Bay ship for the broadsides and stern, and then kind of... I have no clue. I think this would be classified as a frigate. And of course to make things harder for me, I decided to do string rigging, which I haven't attempted in maybe 10+ years. I guess my fingers are too large for the ratlines, so I didn't even attempt those ! Overall, I'm pretty happy with this one and it's given me some ideas for other ships or parts of ships I want to do for more BotBS MOCs, as well as diving into more builds for the game in general and the story of Emile and co. I still need to register this (I think we're still registering builds, right?)

Side note, somehow I do not have single version of Emile's faceprint in my apartment I built this in, and the multiple copies I have are back at my parent's house, but this face was close enough. I'll do some digging to see if I do have one hidden somewhere in my unsorted bins, but for now this face will work.

Hope you all enjoy, and of course comments and criticism are always welcome. Long live Oleon!

The Archbishop François knelt in vigil. His older brother's coffin rested on the floor before him. He would rather be doing this at the family crypt in the countryside. But ever since Hercule had died a war hero, the nation had laid claim to him. People who had never even heard of the man while he was alive were singing songs about him now.

So now, in the vaults of Granoleon's Grand Mausoleum, he was having to collect his thoughts, make peace with a fresh mortality among his kin, and prepare to hand over responsibility to more important and less familiar persons.

He heard a noise beside him, and subtly glanced at the intruder. His sister. Celeste had been spending a lot of time at the Chateau Guemain recently; working to establish a guardianship until young Hercule Junior came of age.

Of course there were some kinks still to work out with establishing the succession. His Majesty had been all in favour of it when Hercule was alive. Now, there was a sudden reluctance. Of course, the right application of pressure in the right ears might speed things up again, but that was Celeste's arena, not his.

"Sorry to interrupt, Jules..." she whispered.

"Hmm?" he replied, standing, and straightening his cassock. He looked over his sister, but spotted figures behind her.

"We have guests."

And they did. Four of them. Monsignor Orfeo, the Nuncio, was the most familiar to him.
Matriarch Melodia he knew vaguely, she led the Silent Sisters; the nuns who washed and prepared every body for the grave.

There was a shorter man. The Archbishop had a feeling he might represent the Grand Master of the Knights Irrevenant; the "gravekeepers". The highest ranking layman in the Church.

And then there was a masked figure. Wearing a broad-brimmed hat, and bearing an idol of Hades, this was the leader of the Shadow Council; "He who walks in shadow"; Hades' own representative in the mortal realm. To many he was pure myth. His true identity was supposedly forgotten the day he put on the mask.

The Archbishop, however, had resources. He had a good idea just whose face sat behind the mask. A time might come when that information might prove valuable. But not today.
He knelt again before the dark figure, and kissed an onyx ring.

"Holy Father, Brothers, Sister, you honour us with your presence."

"As does the late Général François with his." answered Matriarch Melodia.

"It is an honour to be in the presence of so great a man, so recently deceased," added Orfeo.

"Indeed, the newly departed may intercede on our behalf with those in the world below," added the Knight. "Glory be to Him."

They all echoed the catechism.

"Was there any particular prayer that a devout man should ask of his brother?" François asked. It was about as delicate a way of phrasing it as he could manage under the circumstances.
The councillors all looked to the masked man.

"Pray that Jean-Luc Montcalm returns to Granoleon in health. Many fates depend on it." The masked man intoned the words, but Jules thought he detected a slight northern twang to them.

He inclined his head towards his sister. "Montcalm?"

"One of Pierre's old set. But where Pierre fell from favour, Jean-Luc waltzed into the crown apartments with panache. He was last seen heading north, I believe?"

"Yes, there was a Royal Charter granted for an expedition to journey north. You may have heard rumours of a 'Northern Passage'?" asked the Knight.

The Archbishop shook his head. "I have been mainly concerned with the East these last few years."

"It was speculation, but it seems Montcalm managed to persuade His Majesty to invest heavily in a voyage to discover this Northern Passage. If they found it, they were to map it, claim it, and fortify it against all comers. You see, such a route, to lands unknown, might prove valuable beyond all measures in the game of nations."

"And if he doesn't return?"

"Then either he has met a terrible fate, and all of the royal investments are wasted, or he has taken that money, and abandoned his nation and his senses. Either way, it could be highly embarrassing for His Majesty, as well as anyone else who lent him money towards this venture."

"And if that included the Church of Hades?" François ventured.

"Then they would not be alone. The amount leant to Montcalm was significant. Multiple colonies were to be established."

"Then it certainly seems like a worthy subject to ask for intercession on," he replied. But in his head he was considering the cost of chartering a ship. He was pretty confident he could sense the same thoughts crossing Celeste's mind, too.

Part 1: The Day the World Stood Still

Part 2: Heretic!

Part 3: Baptism of Fire

Part 4: Casting a Wide Net  <--- You are here

Part 5: Ghosts of Days Past

Part 6: A Blood Soaked Symphony

_______________________________________________________________

For this next chapter in the series, we jump forward in time to the present day, 25 years after the events in Parts 1-3. 

_______________________________________________________________

January 13, 625AE

Maldria, the interior

For the last two years, Corwin and his finest intelligence agents had been scouring every corner of Halos for information regarding the Cleric of the Order responsible for his parents death. The search so far had turned up nothing but false leads, dead ends, and disappointment. Until last month, when a local black market rum-runner was bribed to reveal that he had delivered a shipment of rum to Maldria, to a lonely old hermit, rumored to be a former cleric. They immediately set out for the island, and after 2 weeks trekking through the interior, located the old hermit's camp. 

"Good evening to you old man" said Corwin, as he walked up to the hermit's fire. The hermit, slowly looked up from his bottle of rum.....his eyes glazed over with drunken stupor. He slowly glanced around at the stern figure in front of him, and then men surrounding his camp, and it came into his foggy brain that he was being robbed. "Pleaaaasththh" he stammered....."jushhht leave me my rum, and you can have everything elsth."

Corwin glanced at the sparse camp with its few remaining supplies "we aren't here for your things old man, we are here for YOU". Those words cut through the hermit's rum-fog like a hot knife, he instantly woke up, as fear washed over him. "Me? Why in the blazes would you want a poor old man wishing to be left alone? 

"We have it on good authority that you were once a Cleric of the Order of the faith. And that you participated in and were responsible for the deaths of dozens of poor Citizens" stated Corwin.

The old man replied...."while it is true I was a cleric, I despised those burnings....the head cleric above me was an extremist and forced us to execute those poor people!"

"Still!" continued Corwin, "you were complicit in the deaths of those people, whether you like it or not. I'm going to ask you this once, and answer me honestly old man. Was your master Gerard Bertrand?"

"h-h-how did you kn-" stammered the man.

"Look at me" said Ragnarrson. Do you remember....25 years ago. A man and his wife burned to death in a small villlage. They had a son, and-"

"You're the boy that got away!" cried the old man. "Cleric Bertrand rained holy hellfire on us for letting you escape. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was there that day."

"I know you were. The moment I set eyes on you, I knew you were not Bertrand. I assumed correctly that you were associated with him though. Which leads me to ask...where is that ill-gotten excuse for a priest?" inquired Corwin.

The old man paused, trying to remember through his soupy rum-laden memory..."Bertrand was excommunicated about 15 years ago....long before I left the order. As it turns out, the only thing he loves more than burning heretics is stealing their wealth. The church caught wind that he was taking almost half of all of the gold, jewels, and money that his victims possessed. And for that, he was summarily kicked out and excommunicated from the Order. I can't say for certain, but I heard some rumors that he has setup shops in a few Sea Rat ports....acting as middleman for Black Flagged Pirates and selling their stolen wares back to the very people they stole them from! I would start your search there."

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you old man?" asked Ragnarrson. 

"Never! Cried the old man......"please have mercy on me!"

Corwin looked over the old man for a minute, before saying "I had in my mind to kill you where you stand....but it appears the rum is already doing that. I pity you.....and the Old Gods will judge you according to your actions." 

With that, the group of men set back off into the jungle towards their ship, to continue their search for the infamous Cleric Bertrand. The old man cracked open another bottle, intent on drowning the memories of the past in the euphoric embrace of rum.

Stay tuned for Part 5 next!

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Some top-down pics of the scene:

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A Tale of Revenge:

Part 1: The Day the World Stood Still

Part 2: Heretic!

Part 3: Baptism of Fire  <--- You are here

Part 4: Casting a Wide Net

Part 5: Ghosts of Days Past

Part 6: A Blood Soaked Symphony

_______________________________________________________________________________

The day was here...execution day. Two pyres were erected in the town square, kindling was laid out, and the prisoners were brought out and tied up. Cleric Bertrand and his aide arrived, gleeful sneers plastered to their faces. 

The cleric raised his hand, which grasped a document...."in my hand is the writ of execution for Ragnar Halfdan and his wife Patricia. By the power given me by the Order and the King of Oleon, you are sentenced to death, by way of Baptism of Fire." He turned to Ragnar, and said, Any last words, heathen?"

Ragnar turned to little Corwin and simply said "Remember who you are. We love you and will be with you always."

The other cleric lit both pyres, and they were quickly engulfed in flames. 

As young Corwin watched in horror as his parents burned, a stranger walked up behind him. "Come with me son, I'm going to get you out of here, Magistrate Dumond sent me to help you escape the order"." Young Corwin quietly left with the stranger, as the Clerics reveled in delight at their work. 

That concludes the portion of the story from the past, and the final few episodes will take place in present times. Stay tuned!

As Jiangkai slowly but surely started to grow again, royal authorities had decided it was time to open a small police station in the city to ensure the King’s justice and provide the stability and peace Oléon had promised the people there, when they joined the Empire.

An added advantage was that the soldiers stationed there, could be relieved of their sentry duties and sent to the frontlines to mop up remaining Lotii resistance and bring an end to the drawn-out conflict on El Oleonda.

Because of Jiangkai special semi-autonomous statute within the larger realm of Oléon, it was allowed to raise its own policing unit called the Garde Municipale, or Municipal Guard - their own petite equivalent of Oléon’s Force Publique. Members of this token police force were mostly drawn from Monomontachi commoners, with the handful of officers coming from a higher class.

While the personnel was locally recruited, the police station was headed by an Oléonder officer sent from the Old Country, in this case Armand DeWitt. A veteran of Guelphian conflicts and a catalyst in the transformation and organization of the Gendarmerie Royale, he was the ideal candidate to bring the King’s Law to the outskirts of the Empire and train a local police force, under trying circumstances.

As a representative of Royal Justice and as officer in the Gendarmerie, Lysandre saw it fitting to visit his old acquaintance in Jiangkai and discuss the situation on the island, before departing once again.

“Seems like there’s just no end to this war”, Armand sighed. He watched the bustling street below them and eyed how his freshly recruited police officers patrolled the nascent city. “I’ll be glad to do my part here and help rebuild the city in the name of Oléon. For too long these people spent their lives in darkness. It is high time they can bathe in the King’s Light.”

“What word can you share about the frontlines, Lysandre?”

Lysandre mulled his thoughts for some time before answering. It was a difficult question with no clear answer, as the fog of war was thick and muddled things, even for him.

“It seems like Lotii resistance has largely broken down. There are still pockets of resistance, though. They’re a stubborn bunch, largely loyal to a fault.”

“And what of the rebels I heard were fighting on their side?”, DeWitt queried inquisitively.

Lysandre’s face lightened up and he smirked. “We broke that pack of flea-ridden red dogs. They started falling apart once the Lotii’s lines started crumbling. Their leadership is gone and according to rumors, there is internal dissent. The bastards are eating themselves up from the inside.”

DeWitt nodded acknowledgingly. “Good riddance. Speaking of internal dissent, a wounded Brigade Rouge prisoner passed through my prison cell and had quite an interesting tale to tell. My chief officer is compiling the report as we speak. I had preferred to have been able to sent it sooner, but the bureaucracy is still rather slow here. Most of my men are still learning Oléonese, so I have to triple-check everything.”

Lysandre eyed his compatriot and raised a curious eyebrow. “Do go on. Something I don’t know yet?”

“I wouldn’t dare claim you don’t know anything yet. Given your connections to the more … darker agencies of our Royal administration. Still, I found it compelling. It might corroborate other musings you heard already.”

“Like you already said, most of the Brigade Rouge has been destroyed or captured on El Oleonda. Others have fled and formed their own sub factions. This prisoner vehemently claimed he had witnessed a miracle on the island and that apparently a number of mercenaries was able to flee the island, back to home.”

“Do go on”, the Captain urged his friend.

“According to the prisoner, one of their own was shot. Mortally so. Apparently a rather young girl. A plebe from the Eranos region that joined the Heraclians out of youthful spite and rebellious spirit. She volunteered to fight here, but like I said: she was killed. Or at least it seems that way. Here’s where the tale gets interesting. The prisoner claims the girl was dead - stone-cold dead -, but as they brought her back to camp in order to bury her, she mysteriously came back to life.”

Lysandre laughed. “Hah, this dog was just playing you. A fool’s tale. A heretic thought in the very least.”

“Believe what you will, it all seemed very real to this prisoner. He said her soul was returned to this world by Hades himself. Brought back to right the wrongs. She claimed to have received visions and instructions to cleanse the world of its sins. To stop the coming Apocalypse. She prophesied that the Brigade Rouge was about to be ended and fled with a large group of believers. Apparently, she was able to guide the party through all of over patrols, as if guided by forces unknown. From what I gathered, they fled back to Oléon to strengthen their numbers there.”

While Bernadotte was still laughing a minute ago, his face had gotten more stern now. “While the story in itself seems very implausible, but if there is truly a large group of enemies that was able to make its way out of here, I will have to check into that.”

“Put some haste into that report and be sure to directly send lieutenant-colonel Andromeda a copy. She’ll want to hear of this.”

Another addition to my Jiangkai Market Street. I have another one built and photographed, ready to be posted. I was waiting until I could make a picture with all buildings combined, but my lightbox is too small and the weather has turned bad and winter-y (YUCK), so it's difficult to use real daylight to light the full scene.

More images here:

The Sea Rats
Nickname: Pirates
Colors: Black, Yellow, Medium Blue



Quick Glance:
The Sea Rats are a rag tag group of scoundrels and rogues, who have found true freedom on the open sea. United under the common cause of self-determination, and defiance of Imperial rule, these folk heed no laws but those of the Pirate Code. (Which is really more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules, rather loose-like, you know.) These men and women are pirates, smugglers, con-men, and any kind of lawless scallywag which you can conceive of, but there are also rebel leaders, defectors from decadence, dispossessed traders and explorers, members of conquered nations, and any who find themselves disenfranchised from their societies. There are those who take advantage of the lawlessness to conduct crimes with impunity. well, actually that later category would likely count for most people.

Membership:
Sea Rats is open for members. Any man, woman, child, or what-have-you can be a sea rat! You needn't make your den in the Nest of Thieves, nor need you affiliate with other sea rats at all! We're the scourge of these seas, and swear fealty to no nation! If you'd like to captain a pirate ship and pillage and plunder, and riffle and loot the trade routes of the Empires, then join the Sea Rats! If you wish to take your crew on a roaring rampage of revenge against those nations that betrayed you, or perhaps your Quartermaster who led a mutiny against you, then join the Sea Rats! If you wish to swindle and connive, and con your way up in the world, then join the Sea Rats! If you've tired of oppressive reign of Kings and Queens and wish to make your own way in the world, then join the Sea Rats! Have adventure in your heart, a sword in your hands, and the salt wind in your hair? Then you're a Sea Rat, me hearty!

To join, just sign up in this thread with an introduction post that shows your sigfig. A little background goes a long way, so we appreciate any backstory you would like to present with the fig!

Reasons to Join:
Sea Rats have a number of unique rules that other factions don't, some which are centered specifically around player piracy (known as 'black flagging'):

1) Under the Table: Sea Rats only pay 70% of a ship license and 50% of land property costs (except mines and forts).
2) Looters: Sea Rats are always managing to scrounge up valuable bits to sell for a coin or two. Upon capture, Sea Rats receive 20 DBs per cargo point of the captured ship as loot. Players from other factions do not gain any value for a capture beyond the ship itself. This replaces previous looting rules.
3) Results Driven: The black flag pirate crews of the Sea Rats often find provisions and supplies by... alternative means. Sea Rats pay no upkeep for black-flagged ships. 
4) Underground Economy: All un-MOC'd ships captured by NPC Pirates and Black Flag players can now be condemned (i.e. sold) to the Prize Court for a value of 50%-75% of their regular license value.  The rules for non-black flag players selling to the prize court remains unchanged.
5) Sea Rats earn an extra 30% yield on Artisan businesses. <- under review
6) No taxes!

For those still uncertain of what faction to chose or how to sign up in a minute, we have some simple instructions here, which pretty much sum up everything

Index
A Detailed Look at the Sea Rats (this post)
Settlements (second post)
Membership (second post)

A DETAILED LOOK at the SEA RATS

1. Leadership

Susieh Cheng (@dr_spock, Co-Leader)


Susieh Cheng loves sharp pointy objects. She doesn't like talking about her past like that incident with her eye. Rumours have it that she was kidnapped as a child by pirates. Having been raised by pirates, she developed a taste for gold and booty. Whatever you do, do not cross her. Those who do end up as shark bait after seasoned with 14 spices and stuffed with stale bread.

Doctor Thaum - (@Professor Thaum, Co-Leader)

The Pirate Council is a group of influential captains and business folk, and here they hold their kangaroo courts. There is a certain honor among the thieves, and the most prominent business owners and pirates meet to discuss how best to conduct business and keep the people happy. Whenever there are enough issues the Council reconvenes to discuss them, but apart from that everyone does their own thing, and the most notorious pirate amongst them (currently Captain Reynard le Roublard) collects tithes for the greater good of them all... incase Corrington or Oleon comes knocking at their ports and they need a show of force to defend their freedom. These are the free folk, bound to no master but those they chose, and they do as they please, when they please to whomever or with whomever they please. Kind of anarchic-like.

2. Landscape

The Port of Bastion
MOC by Commander Red Hat

Bastion is a town on the rocky shores of the Nest of Thieves populated by vagabonds and rogues, as well as the staunchly independent and dispossessed, the chaotic town is where the pirates have free port and may sell their ill begotten loot. There is not much of an organized structure to things on The Nest of Thieves, so Bastion grew without ordinance, leading to shoddy construction in some parts, and a lot of crime in the streets - but the people are tough, so they don’t really mind all that much.

MOC by Darkdragon

3. Military

Army:
Sea Rats have no uniforms, so they wear whatever they see fit in the morning or nothing. It is recommended that you sail under a black flag, but if that is somehow not possible any other color will do the job!

Navy:
The Sea Rats have many ships in their fleet, which they rent out to their members for dastardly activities on the high seas. Apply for permission to use them in the Sea Rat group PM.

Active Faction Ships Are:

Corporal Milton - Class 5 warship
Misfortune's Doom - Class 5 warship
Hades' Tuba - Class 5 warship
HMS Pendragon - Class 5 warship
Godfreed Faulk - Class 2 trader

MOC by Captain Braunsfeld

4. History and Culture

Brief:
The Sea Rats are a mixed bunch, but for the most part they consist of pirates, rogues, and thieves. Discovering the island soon afterwards to be known as The Nest of Thieves, the Sea Rats settled down and made its rocky shores their home, building the stronghold of Bastion on its nearly impregnable rocky eminences. Since then the Sea Rats have thrived in their new home, and piratical and other business is at its finest!

Detailed:
Unlike the Kings and Queens of the old world, Pirate leadership is dynamic, and mercurial – it is anarchistic, not dynastic. The top pirate or individual with the most personal influence gets to boss the others around until they themselves are deposed. The Sea Rats are comprised of a true hodge-podge of peoples from a variety of Nations, all of whom have forsworn their prior allegiances in favor of a free life of self-determination and self-reliance. Many of the original Sea Rats were those dispossessed by their nations during the first great rush for the new world. These betrayed sailors, clinging to the promise of wealth and glory, turned south from the closed gates of Nelissa, and, along with many old rogues who had earned their salt in the old world by piratical activities and such-like, settled the rocky shores of the island that would become "The Nest of Thieves." The city of Bastion was founded here on the skeleton of a former Eslandolan fishing village. With the great diversity of newcomers, no one nation could hold dominance here, and instead, a council was formed of the most prominent captains amongst them, many former Privateers and pirates of the Old World. This was the first Pirate High Council, where they determined that Bastion would remain forever free of the influence of the tyrannical empires, and that no one person could be their master! This pact laid the groundwork for Bastion to become the wretched hive of scum and villainy it has become, and united the Sea Rats as a people. In the absence of law and order, the streets of Bastion are in a constant state of chaos, with infamous pirate lords freely roaming the street, and pickpockets on every corner... but the people are a tough, resolute bunch, and despite the anarchy, business booms from the riches brought in by the pirates, and a healthy – if you like that kind of healthiness – economy of pirate raids, and smugglers has formed.

Diplomacy:
The Sea Rats are pretty indifferent when it comes to other factions. Of course, this type of indifference means something more like, "They see a ship and attack, without bothering to check whose flag waves from the mast head," rather than an indifferent kind of indifference. Neither do the Sea Rats particularly relish the idea of hanging by their necks until they be dead, so they naturally study to avoid any such unappetizing contingencies resulting from getting caught by a different faction which they had been preying on.

(Note: Relationships are judged on a 1 to 5 scale; Very Friendly, Friendly, Indifferent, Unfriendly, Hostile)

Sea Rat's relationship with:
Corrington: Indifferent
Eslandola: Indifferent
Oleon: Indifferent

Other nations relationship with Sea Rats:
Corrington: Indifferent
Eslandola: Indifferent
Oleon: Indifferent

5. Membership
To sign up, post a post a picture of your signature figure. You are welcome to include a bit of a description or backstory.
Your signature figure, or sigfig, will represent your character throughout your MOCs within Brethren of the Brick Seas.
(That does not mean that your sigfig has to be in every MOC you make).

Within BoBS there are many possibilities. Build your own story, and since you're a Sea Rat, feel free to plunder and search the seas for treasure!

Tristan walked into the cargo hold of the Meduse. He had little time, and a fundamental decision to take.
After days of exhausting marching in the jungle and a few skirmishes with the Daca warriors, Tristan and his men had finally reached the Southern Coast of El Oleonda, where the Meduse was waiting for them. For some reason, the natives seemed to be afraid of the Ocean: the sight of the sea put an end to their chase, allowing the Oleonese to safely board the rescue ship. Now that the danger had ended, the captain would soon have asked where to set sail... and Tristan's answer could have changed the future of El Oleonda.

Konrad, the only survivor of the Carnite expedition, was waiting for him... and basically represented the source of Tristan's problems.
The young Carnite explorer, together with the maps and diaries from his unfortunate adventure, could lead to a fabulous treasure: gold and silver, jade and other gems, sunk with the old Lotii fleet and dozens of its sailors... a treasure worth thousands and thousands of doubloons, enough to make an empire move.
At this point, Tristan could order the captain to sail west, to Neuburg, and return Konrad to his nation. This, however, would have surely renewed the interest of Carno for El Oleonda, inducing them to organize a new expedition to the shipwrecks... in other words, Tristan would have thrown a huge pile of hay on the embers of the war.
On the other hand, he could order him to sail east, to Jiangkai. The military intelligence would have acquired the documents, and Tristan would have likely received a medal. Then, Oleon would have tried its luck with those cursed shipwrecks, angering both Carno and the Lotii. The war would have likely started again, and many more would have died.

There was, however, a third possibility. The mysterious Cypher could open the route to unknown islands, to the discovery of a mint-new part of the World and its wonders... even if the very existence of that object proved that "discovery" was not the right word at all!
Before the unfortunate expedition, Konrad had spent years studying the artifacts of the ancient civilization of El Oleonda, and could represent a valuable help to decode that unusual, ancient map. Moreover, that task would have kept him safely far from both the Carnite and the Oleonese authorities... definitely better than "just shooting that Carnite dude and throwing him in a pond", as one of the scouts had suggested!
Many questions remained, and the answer was probably out there, somewhere in the Southern New Haven Seas. Who had built the Labyrinth? What had caused their end? Did something survive of them, apart from old ruins and a few tribes of barbarized descendants?  
Well, someone might have complained, and he might have received an angry letter from a ministry or two... but the decision was taken. The Meduse would have sailed neither to Neuburg nor to Jiangkai, but southbound, towards the unknown!

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Unfortunately, I will be away from most of my bricks for a while, but I wanted to provide a proper conclusion also for my main character arc in this long storyline! There is not much to say about the MOC itself. The shiphold comes from another storyline (the Tale of the Charon), even if I refurnished it. Chronologically, this part comes before "Aftermath", and is still set in May, immediately after the escape from von Undingen's ambush.

Matthias walked into his room, staggering a little. At that hour of the night, it was hard to remember that he was Major von Stern, the Stonewall, the Hero of Seawatch. It was hard shutting down the voices of the men he had killed and of the ones who had died under his command, mercilessly accusing him… only whisky seemed to work.
He threw his black officer coat on a chair, stumbling against the low table. He was pathetic, but he didn’t care much: that night, he was alone with his ghosts… many more than the previous time.

He poured himself a glass, then he immediately gulped it. That awful man had deceived them all, and many good soldiers had died for nothing… for nothing but his greed, and Matthias’ own foolishness! He poured a second glass, but this time he only took a short sip… he had planned to get terribly drunk, but that excellent Essian whisky deserved some more attention!

The audacity of von Undingen’s plan amazed and disgusted him. That man had fooled everyone: the Governor’s orders had been forged, and nobody in Neustadt seemed to know anything about their expedition, nor about Professor Wagner’s one; the Perseus, who should have collected the salvaged treasures, didn’t exist in any register, and was probably nothing but a Garvyan privateer. The whole expedition, prepared in plain sight, was only an elaborate ruse: von Undingen had planned to use the Essians for his own purposes, just to abandon them and disappear with the gold. 

Now Matthias was back in Seawatch, along with his personal ghosts. They had given him a medal for bringing part of his men back “despite continuous attacks from overwhelming enemy forces”… something he couldn’t accept. Too many of his jaegers had fallen for nothing, and now were looking at him from the corners of the room. Von Undingen had also died: Matthias had seen him falling, surrounded by the Daca warriors. That scoundrel had received what he deserved, at last. Matthias raised his glass in a spiteful toast: “May you burn in the Tartarus, miserable bastard!”

In that moment, the shadows in a distant corner of the room seemed to take form. A man in a black cloak, who until then had remained still, was lighting an oil lamp. “Always a nice thought for an old friend, I hear. But I fear you’ll be there before me.” Said the man, with a creepily friendly voice. It was impossible! Matthias rushed for his pistol, but suddenly he felt terribly tired, and fell heavily back on his chair. “Oh, don’t bother to try.” The man continued, friendly as before. “It was in your whisky. One part of stramonium, two of foxglove, and one of belladonna. I’m surprised your heart is still working, but it won’t last long.”

Matthias looked with hatred at the man who had just killed him, then at his pistol again… it was on the other side of the table, but it seemed miles away. “Scourge!  My men were killed because of you!” He whispered. If only he could have reached his pistol…

“Yes, and you left me behind to die. We are even then. Or maybe not, I don’t care much!” Matthias would have loved to remove that hateful smile with a cobblestone, a sharp detail in a face that was starting to fade. “But you also did me a favor, in a certain sense. Now that I’m dead, nobody will look for me. There’s a little island where I had started some fruitful activities, during the war… but before that, you are not the only friend I plan to visit. My best regards, Major von Stern! I hope to see you again as late as possible!” With these words, von Undingen left the room, two fingers raised to the brim of an imaginary hat in a last, mocking salute.

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Overall view:

Details of the furniture:

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This will probably be the penultimate part of my storyline, with the last one focusing on my main character. I hadn't planned it, but I didn't want to leave von Undingen "dead" for too long, and I still have to think a little more about where Tristan will be sailing to next. The story is dark, way darker than usual... I hope you still like it!

The votes are in from the court for Transition Challenge II!

Apologies for the delay. Thank you to all our participants, there were many excellent submissions!

Category A:

1st: 'Ada' by @Bricksbypidy

2nd: 'All the Parties Involved' by @Keymonus

Category B:

1st: 'Captain Lysandre Bernadotte' by @Khorne

2nd: 'Captain Jno. Cooke, RN' by @Bregir

Thanks to all involved! There were many a great entry.

To those who have won, your prizes are to be starting options/bonuses for era 3. These options are still in the works as we are still tinkering with the new mechanics but we will remind you of them and have a list to choose from at launch!

Keep your eyes peeled for Transition Challenge III landing in a few months as this will herald the beginning of BoBS Era III!

There was a little shrine, somewhere in the jungle of El Oleonda. A dozen miles East of the mysterious Dead City, it was probably built by the same ancient civilization, centuries before. The old building had almost completely disappeared in the undergrowth, crumbling under the weight of time... impossible to say whether it originally was a temple to some pagan deity, the mausoleum of a forgotten chief, or something else.
For Commander Lei Feng, these old ruins had represented a fundamental waypoint during the exhausting guerrilla campaigns against the Carnite. That day, they also seemed a good place for what he had to do.

Lei had received one last chance to escape the deadly trap set up by his enemies in Oryant, and he had lost it.
In a normal situation, he should have been proud of saving his soldiers from the double ambush in the Dead City: he didn't manage to capture the three Carnite explorers, but those men had most likely been slaughtered by the Daca natives; the Carnite attempts to find the shipwrecks of the old Lotii fleet had been thwarted again, and the Oleonese seemed to have completely different objectives... for sure it wasn't a victory, but it wasn't a complete defeat, either. However, it was not a normal situation: his enemies in the army had chosen to use him as a scapegoat getting rid of him once and for all. 

In Oryant he could only expect an execution, and surrendering to the enemies of the Empire was out of question. 
Lei unsheathed his dagger: he still had one honorable way out. Following an ancient ritual, he would soon have stabbed himself in the abdomen; then, a loyal assistant would have beheaded him with a sword.
It would have been a gruesome end, and the result of a terrible injustice, but it was the only way for Lei and his clan to retain their honor. Maybe he could become a yurei, a specter, to haunt forever the nights of his enemies... the High General Wang, coward and traitor, deserved never to sleep a quiet night again!

Lei was ready. He made a nod to his assistant and hardened his grip on the dagger... then, he noticed something.

There was a pile of rubble, in the far corner of the little shrine. Nothing too weird by itself in a ruined building, but something looked out of place. There were several ceramic artifacts, scattered all around, and they looked surprisingly well... they had been exposed to the weather for ages, not for centuries. He looked better: the pile contained also some tiles from the pavement, and was topped with bricks from the nearby pillar. Someone had likely dug a hole in that place, and then he had covered it carefully… but why?

Well, Lei’s honorable death could wait for a while…

Within a hour, the rubbles had been completely removed, revealing a little niche. That hole was probably an ancient native tomb, similar to many others he had seen on Jinzi: his men had sacked many of them, usually finding nothing but old bones, ceramics, an occasional golden trinket.

This time, however, they were far luckier: someone had replaced the original content of the grave (including the ceramics scattered all around) with Lotii coins, gold bars and, even more importantly, old maps and documents! The objects had been for sure left there by the first Lotii expedition, marooned on the island years before: nothing, compared to the treasures still laying on the bottom of the Southern Bay, but still a considerable fortune!

Lei looked at the documents. They were exactly what he had hoped, and even more: maps of the archipelago and of islands he couldn’t recognise, the log of one of the ships, the precise route of the first expedition… something the Empire had looked for ages! With those, he could now return to Oryant as a hero… and provide some annoyances to General Wang even without becoming a vengeful ghost!
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Overall view of the build:

After a long delay, here you can see the aftermath of my challenge storyline from the point of view of the Lotii officer. I plan one more MOC (the one about my main character) before moving to something different! I hope you enjoyed this part and this storyline in general!

Open Entry from May 17th - August 16th

As events continue to spiral out of hand in the world of Halos, several intrepid souls from across the globe set out to sea. Be it for fortune, mercy, salvation, boredom, or curiosity, that is for the players to decide.

In the new Era, factions will be determined by player to player interactions in-game rather than by fixed nationalities. This means players may create and play as new characters from anywhere in the rich world of Halos! You can now play as a Lotii Pirate, A Naturalist from the Isle of Tam, a Monomonto Ronin, a Mokolei Physician, a Great Alliance Cossack, an Altonian Whaler, or whatever else may tickle you fancy! For inspiration and to learn more about the various lands and peoples of Halos, consult 'Jameis Farstrider's Guide to Halos'.

Voting and Prizes:

-1st and 2nd place winners for each category will be selected by the BoBS Brethren Court. The selection will be based on quality of the builds and story-telling rather than quantity of MOCs. Prizes for these players will be in-game starting bonuses for Era 3 and maybe a little something extra as logistics are worked out in the next few weeks.

Category A: 'Old Scores and New Blood'

Wrap up your Era 2 character's storyline and/or introduce your new Era 3 character's storyline with one 20x20 MOC and an attendant story explaining what they are doing in the waning days of Era 2. Additional 20×20 entries may be made to expand the story. The entry must end with the character setting out to sea for whatever reason you deem appropriate for them!

Note: this doesn't mean your Era 2 character's story has to end. If a player wishes to use their Era 2 character in Era 3, then they simply need to explain why they are setting out to sea at the end of Era 2.

Category B: 'The Rogues Gallery'

MOC your new Era 3 character or your retiring or recycled Era 2 character in the fashion of an 18th Century Portrait. No story is necessary for this category, just the character's name and titles.

This is where you show us who will function as your Main Character in Era 3 or your retiring Era 2 character. Surrounded by the tools of their trade, members of their retinue, fly furniture, lots of marble for some reason, beloved pets and the like. Photo effects are permitted for the Portrait however contestants must also show us the MOC they used to make this portrait with a second photo.

(fig.a An example portrait)

(fig.b The MOC used to make said portrait. This example is acceptable, though it would likely lose to more determined builders)

How to Participate:

-In order to make a submittal for any of the categories, please post your entries in the BotBS forum page here with the appropriate prefix of [TC2] and then link that post in a reply here!

-A participant may make any number of submissions for each Category. Multiple MOCs for a single entry may be posted within a 'Category A' submission. If you elect to make more than one MOC for a single 'Category A' submission, please keep them in the same entry topic.

Disclaimer: Because so many of the Era 3 rules are still in developement, none of the decisions made during this challenge are binding to the participants. You may change your mind about who you want as your Main Character later.

3 months leaves a lot of time for high quality builds and allows contestants to make several MOCs, detailing their stories for 'Category A'. We also want to encourage new players to join. This will provide ample time for someone to hear about BoBS, read a little lore and join in!

Category A Index of Entries:

The Cypher (See Spoiler) - @Keymonus

Ada - @Bricksbypidy

The Pirates Awaken - @NOD

The Reef - @Professor Thaum

De Royne's Return - @Ross Fisher

Flying the Jolly Long-Johns - @Bregir

Category B Index of Entries:

Killian Goodwill - @lmcpicture

The Doctor Thaum - @Professor Thaum

Commodore Kane - @NOD

A Feast Fit For A King - @SevenDeadlyStreamers

LT Thomas Palmer, RN - @DeathCap

Captain Jno. Cooke, RN - @Bregir

Portrait of a Cannibal and Jaguar - @Tezclatipoca

The Investiture of Giefaux - @Ross Fisher

Captain Lysandre Bernadotte - @Khorne

"Orders Arrive at the Mondrie Inn"

While stationed in Seawatch, most of the officers of the Corlander expeditionary forces stayed at the Mondrie Inn. Major Brickleton enjoyed the breakfast puddings, which reminded him of meals he'd enjoyed as a child at his home in northern Corrington.

After finishing his morning meal, Brickleton headed out to the street, thinking he would head on to the camp where most of his soldiers of the 26th Foot were tented up. Phillipe, the small schnauzer dog, rose and ran after him. Since arriving at Seawatch, the miniature dog had glommed onto Brickleton.

Outside the inn, Brickleton spotted a soldier of the 20th Foot. The black epaulettes were the giveaway. The soldier walked toward him, saluted, and offered up a letter.

"Orders from Colonel Wolf, sir!"

Brickleton thanked the trooper and headed back inside to read his orders.

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Figures from Rocky Mountain Minifigs

Table of content

I. Overview

II. A Look at the Armed Forces

III. The People and Politics

Raise the Raven Banner - A Guide to the Free City of Essen

Quote

"There's always smoke rising from Essen, its insatiable furnaces hungry and its people industrious as ever. Some say that's why it's called 'the Black City'. I just think it's because of their nature. Brooding and gloomy sods, the lot of 'em."

-- George Chatham, Corrish trader visiting the Raven City

Description
The Free City of Essen - the Raven City, the Black City and home of the Ever-Oak - is nested in the upper bend of the mighty river Karn, near the Iron Hills. Once a powerful and high-standing duchy, it lost most of its might and territory during the Dance of Dukes: a dynastic dispute with its rival Aden that saw the death of all of Essen’s von Helborg rulers and thus their claim to the Carnite throne.

Despite its historical misfortunes and loss of the ducal titles and territories, Essen still remains one of the strongest city-states of Carno, backed by a powerful economy that thrives on metalworking, forging and arms manufacturing, which have earned the city the title of Carno’s Armory.

Nickname
Essen has several monikers, but the most common ones are the Raven City or Carno’s Armory.

Colors
Predominantly black, accompanied by shades of dark grey and odd traces of white.

Flag

The historic flag of Essen was yellow and black (figure I). However this flag is rarely used nowadays and is known as die Fahne der Grossmachtzeit, or the Flag of Great Power (Times). It was the flag flown during the heyday of the city, when its was part, and capital, of the duchy ruled by the von Helborg dynasty - before it was defeated during the Dance of Dukes.

As a sign of the great wealth they lost and the ushering into a new era, the Essians since decided to discard the yellow-gold from their flag and now fly a stark solemn black and white banner instead (figure II).
 

Iconography

• Der Rabe, or the Raven (figure III) - the Raven is the symbol of Wotan, chief god of the Essian pantheon. Legend says Hraban the Founder settled his people after following a raven to the location of what was to be Essen. Essen's riches are said to have been a gift from the gods themselves.
• Der Totenkopf, or the Skull (figure IV) - the Skull was added to Essian uniforms and general iconography after the Dance of Dukes. It is the symbol of the nation's perpetual mourning for the loss of their dukes and the city's prestige and stands as a reminder of what once was and should be re-won. It was also chosen as a means to strike fear in the hearts of opponents. It has since become ubiquitous throughout Essian society, so much that it is now as much synonymous with the city as the iconic Raven. The Skull reminds the Essians of "memento mori", or "keep Death in mind" and thus make most of every day and make your name and city proud.
• Die Eiche, or the Oak Tree (figure V) - while not as often used as the Raven and Skull, Oak iconography still forms a major part of Essian symbolism. The oak is the tree to which Wotan speared himself in search of greater understanding of the world. As such a great oak tree was planted at the city's founding in his honor. The tree was later burned down with the rest of the city in the aftermath of the civil war, but has since slowly started to regrow. Many Essians see this as the symbol for things to come and believe one day, they will be the ruling city-state of Carno once more. Oaks and oak leaves also form an integral part of Essian religion and places for contemplation are often centered around ancient oaks. Laurels made of oak leaves are bestowed upon those who have performed great features or deeds for the city.

A DETAILED LOOK at the FREE CITY OF ESSEN

Leadership

Stadtrat or Senate
The Free City is governed by the Stadtrat, literally 'city council' but in essence a Senate populated by a number of representatives elected from the burghers of the city. These comprise of mostly wealthy merchants and bankers, those chosen to voice the woes of Essen’s dependencies and ranking figures of the military. While anyone holding citizenship in Essen can be elected to the Stadtrat, a number of seats are always reserved for members of the First Families: Grand Burghers of immeasurable wealth and influence who can trace their lineage back to the early days of the city's founding.

Burgomaster and Stadtholder
The Senate is presided by the Burgomaster, who is also the ruler of the city. In the aftermath of the civil war, royal forces in Aden also demanded a symbolic seat for the King in the Senate in order to show royal power and keep an eye on things. The Carnite King is thus represented by the Stadtholder or Steward, from outside of Essen. In the wake of the war the office of Steward held much power and often vetoed decisions of the Senate in spite, but over time it has faded to irrelevancy and is now simply a glorified title, bribed to turn a blind eye in favor of Essen's interests. 

Location

The Free City of Essen and its surrounding territories are located in the upper bend of the river Karn. Upstream to the west of its rival - and the nation’s capital - of Aden. In the past, the great power and western location of its ruling ducal dynasty gave rise to the nickname 'Grand Duchy of the West', with the von Helborg dukes referred to as 'Grand Dukes of the West'.

Open spoiler to see map:

Fiefs and dependencies

Quote

"While the Raven City is nestled on the shores of the mighty river Karn, it is the heart of the region called the Black Country - its hinterland beyond. Originally referring only to a stretch of land dominated by grand surface-level coal seams that blackened the soil and powered the myriad of ironworks, coalworks, furnaces, brickworks and other manufactories which spewed its dark smoke into the sky, darkening the days and lighting the nights with fire. Together with the mercantile and artisanal prowess of the Essen, the region formed the backbone of its economical might. Over time the term came to cover all of the lands owned by the Free City, regardless of its geographical or economical characteristics, rather being named thusly due to Essen's heraldic association with the color black."

-- Excerpt from 'Carno, Its Land And People' by Fritz Lorensen

The dominion of Essen not only controls the Free City itself, but also holds sway over vast farmlands and smaller villages and hamlets outside of the city’s walls. Collectively this area is called the Black Country, literally referring to its coal-rich dark soil, many iron ore deposits and smoking chimneys of manufactories and in a symbolic sense referencing the land's ties to the city of Essen.

The original territory owned by the von Helborg Duchy was once much larger, stretching even further west, and consisted of a patchwork of lands and cities gained by conquering or marriage politics. Despite the loss of the duchy and the greatly diminished size of Essen’s territory since its heyday, it is still large enough to make Essen one of Carno’s powerhouse city-states.

Points of interest:

• In the Old World:
  • Drakenberg - A small mining village in the Iron Hills, mostly known as the place of origin of the Karsten family.
  • Karlsbad - A spa town founded on natural springs in the Iron Hills. A luxurious place where many of Essen's elite come to relax and spend their weekends.
  • Kärnitz - A rural village located on the fertile plains around Essen. A farming and husbandry community, Kärnitz supplies Essen army with a unit of Kärnitzer Ulanen.
  • Wiesenborg
  • Karnemünde - An exclave of the Free City situated at the mouth of the river Karn, on the Carnite coast. It was acquired by Essen via marriage politics and was once the capital of a larger strip of land along the coast. After the war Aden gifted most of Karnemünde's territory to its own allies, leaving only the city in Essen's control.
• In the New World:
  • Treesborg - The Carnite name for 'Fort Arltrees'. It is not truly a proper colony, but rather a joint settlement with Oléon on El Oleonda. It has grown out of a regiment of soldiers stationed there in the aftermath of the Lotti conflict.

History
To be updated, currently a copy-paste from Flickr. Updated 03.05.'25

Essen was founded a long time ago by Hraban the Founder. Legend has it he followed a couple of ravens who led him to a bend of the great river Karn. There they nested upon black rock, which Hraban took as a sign of Wotan, the All-Father. Thus he settled his people - descendants of Garveyan stock, migrating northwards - there. In honor of the gods, Hraban planted a mighty oak, a holy tree that would become a symbol for Essen.

Over time the city grew, thanks to its ideal trading position. Originally a commercial center for textile trade and manufacturing, Essen was granted city and market rights, further stimulating the growth of its economic base. It was during this time the city started to exploit the natural resources of its region and lay the foundation for Essen's future and started to shift from mostly a trade hub into a manufacturing center. Hraban's black rock turned out to be only the tip of large stretches of seams of coal and coupled with an abundance of metal ore in the surroundings hills Essen's economy was propelled forward in unprecedented ways, transforming it into the metalworking and arms forging capital of Carno.

How or when the Free City was acquired by the von Helborg dukes is vague, but its inclusion into their territories and subsequently becoming the very capital of the Duchy proved a further catalyst for the power of Essen and the Duchy as a whole, which came to dominate the southern banks of the Karn - rivaling and perhaps even outshining Aden.

Under the guidance of the von Helborg dukes, first Wilhelm and then his son Karl, Essen clashed with Aden over control of the Kingdom of Carno after a supposed dispute during the new King's election. The clashed turned into a bitter-fought civil war that ravaged the country and saw both von Helborg dukes killed, with Essen and its allies on the losing side. The end of the war saw the Raven City razed and its mighty oak put to the torch. In revenge, royalist forces put many of Essen's ancient and noble families to the sword, with only a few making it out alive. Thus, Aden remained the prime city state of Carno. In order to further secure its power, a royal decree was drafted up abolishing the Helborg Duchy, recanting its ducal titles and partitioning most of its territories to either the King or his allies.

However, Essen and its people are resilient and just like the oak started to regrow over time, so did the city and its people spring back up with an iron resolve. Some of the Grand Burghers that had been able to escape the war - some abroad - with most of their fortune returned to the city, investing heavily and rekindling the fire of Essen's economical might which once again started to flourish. Not looking for another war, the King compromised and restored some of Essen's privileges making it a Free City in the Kingdom, ruled by a Stadtholder appointed by the King.

Essen begrudgingly accepted the terms. In an act of defiance, however, they decided to change their uniforms to black in honor of their late rebellious dukes and added the skull and crossbones to their caps, so their deaths and the once great power of the Duchy would never be forgotten.

Society and Culture

A Mercantile Nature
The Essians are very mercantile in nature and belief that hard work pays off eventually. Unlike most other great city-states, duchies or fiefs in Carno, Essen does not have a noble landed class of Junkers in the strict sense of the notion. Founded and expanded as a Free City, Essians have always been proud of their independence and have held their republican system in high regard. It is true that its untraditional non-feudal nature with relatively free mobility and entrepreneurial spirit has most likely been a key factor in the resurgence of the city in the aftermath of the civil war.

Despite its meritocratic nature, it does however have an upper patrician class of wealthy ancient merchant and banking families called the Grand Burghers. These are burghers of exceptional wealth or contributions to the city, who dominate economical and political life. The pinnacle of these Grand Burghers are a select few families called the First Families of Essen, who have been part of its social and mercantile fabric for ages. Representatives of these families form the nucleas of the Stadtrat.

Many of true noble families, or Junkers, of the Helborg duchy were outsiders and not true burghers of the City. Most lost their lives either during the civil war or were put to death afterwards as a reprisal measure to ensure no other claimant could rise up to defy Aden - a fate that also befell several families of the Grand Burghers.

As such, the divide between commoners and upper class is less rigid in Essen and a strong mercantile middle class has sprung up. Indeed, the city’s wealth has come from its merchants and artisans for ages. Thus, it is no surprise they hold much of the city’s power. Many powerful merchant families have worked their way up into highest echelons of Essian power over time and large conglomerates control much of Essen’s economic and political life. 

The merchant families of Essen form the catalyst for its economical power and many outsiders flock to the city looking for work in one of their many workshops, factories or forges or the mines outside the city walls, spread all over the Black Country. One of the most well-known and mightiest of families is that of Karsten. Originally from Drakenberg, they moved to Essen some generations ago and first made their money in the mining business, which later expanded to forging and metalworking, eventually leading to them even opening a banking system and operating a wagonway in the countryside, amassing great wealth and land in the process.

Religion
As is common amongst the Madrice Peninsula, Essen too knows the Faith. However, only a minority of its subjects follow the Faith in its traditional sense. Carno in general, just as Garvey, mostly has its own unique versions of the Faith, its gods and its customs and Essen is no exception.

Slightly deviating from standard Carnite practice, most people of Essen practice a very naturalistic and spiritual approach to the Faith called Wotanism. Wotanism focuses on the purity of the mind, body and the surrounding world through contemplation and finding solace in work and understand one’s surroundings.

Wotanism has no real rigid structure and is more of a collection of customs and beliefs than an actual religion as such.

Like the Faith, it knows many deities and spirits, but as its name implies Wotan is the chief god: the One-Eyed Allfather who speared himself to the World Tree in search of understanding of the world. It is known some radical Rune priests follow his example and take their eye, hoping to unlock the secrets of the world, just like the All-Father. A key belief of Wotanism is that everything has its own Spirit that can lead to bad things when not properly appeased, which also partly explains the tradition and folklore of maintaining the Great Oak - if it were to die or fall, ill omens will come to the City.

Ironically, the Wotanist faith has also led to a slight dichotomy in Essian society, with some wanting to strongly preserve nature in all its aspects and others steadfastly pursuing all means of understanding the world around them and thus furthering the path of scientific and mechanical progress.

Fondness of Science
Perhaps a combination of the Essian mercantile instincts and an influence of its naturalistic Wotanist ways of finding enlightenment have led to a great scientific interest. Essians are thoroughly intrigued by all things technological and mechanical and have amassed vast knowledge in the field of metallurgy and ballistics over time. Many rich families send their children to famed Corrish universities so they can learn from the best there.

Values and Traditions
After their defeat at the hands of Aden and its allies, Essen lost most of its power base and prestige and was stripped of virtually all privileges it had obtained over time. Its people were at a loss, the city had lost its leadership and income. However, diligent as any Carnite, the Essians doubled down on their values and traditions and somewhat secluded themselves from the outside world, working on rebuilding their city and recovering its former glory.

While most Carnites are know to be disciplined and industrious, the Essians are double so, making them seem detached, overtly serious and distant to many outsiders. The society of Essen became geared towards one purpose: showing their adversaries that despite their defeat during the Dance of Dukes, Essen was and still is the beacon of Carno.

Essians are proud of their independence and are known for their austerity, determination, discipline and extreme industriousness and punctuality. A strong sense of loyalty, obedience and respect is instilled from an early age on and one is heavily frowned upon when neglecting these values.

The Military

The army is the pride of Essen and the reflection of its might. Like all Carnite city-states, Essen controls several of its own units, next to the tithe of men they are obliged to send the crown for the nation’s unified royal army.

Essen’s soldiers are famous for they black uniforms and aggressive tactics, whereas many other Carnites prefer to be cautious and tactically defensive. While the infantry forms the largest part of Essen’s army, there are also small yet effective cavalry units, drawn from the surrounding rural villages.

Characteristics of the Free City of Essen

Overall when part of the Carnite nation proper, Essen will follow Carno's general values. However, in terms of Essen's specific background or for actions concerning Essen specifically, some values differ from those of Carno.

   Naval Power • • • • • • • • • •
As a largely landlocked state, Essen holds little naval power. It upholds a minor fleet of military ocean-going vessels to protect its trade posts, which are mostly stationed in the Essian exclave of Karnemünde. However, as a commercial hub connected to other cities there is always a steady stream of privately-owned commercial ships and barges entering and leaving the city. In extremely dire times, these could be commandeered to build up a fleet.

   Military Power • • • • • • • • • •
Essen is renowned for its disciplined infantry and agile combat doctrines. In the military field, Essians tend to be less conservative than other Carnite states and more easily adopt new strategies and armaments. Essen's combat stratagems emphasize speed, surprise and psychological warfare.

   Science • • • • • • • • • •
Like most Carnites, Essians are quick to accept tried-and-tested advances. However, unlike most other Carnites, Essians themselves also search for scientific insights, especially in the fields of metallurgy and engineering.

   Diplomacy • • • • • • • • • •
Essen lost most of its diplomatic autonomy after the civil war and as such holds little official diplomatic influence outside of Carno. Over the years and with the memories of the war waning, its influence has been on the rise again. Behind the scenes, it still has considerable sway over lesser city-states it once dominated.

   Inner Stability • • • • • • • • • •
The society of Essen runs like a clockwork and is geared towards one purpose: the greater good of the city and restoring the honor and power it lost.

   Treasury / Coffers • • • • • • • • • •
Essen's role as prime metallurgical and arms manufacturing center of Carno have given it considerable wealth, despite having been ravaged in the past. This, coupled with its strategic location perfect for trade with Carnite interior and other Madrician nations, has made the city one of the most wealthy and powerful in Carno, rivaling Aden itself.

   Exploration • • • • • • • • • •
While Essians have always been intrigued by the world surrounding them and try to learn and understand as much about it as possible, state-sponsored exploration and colonization has never been a prime objective. Most explorative enterprises are undertaken by private individuals.

   Culture • • • • • • • • • •
Essians are considered dour by most and their cultural exploits are often put away as "archaic", "gothic" and "passé". It is true that the pragmatic Essians are rather conservative in terms of art, but they still love artistic fields such as architecture, painting, theatre and poetry. They are romanticists at heart somewhat stuck in an idealized past.

Known Essians

   Maximilian Coehoorn, Chief of Essen's military on El Oleonda

   Helmut Von Braun, Knights Treasurer Chapter Master in Terraversa [OL - @Ross Fisher]

   Rupprecht Ravenclauwe, head of the Ravenclauwe First Family and key founder of Ravenclaw Company

Sources

A collection of links and posts containing RP'ed information pertaining to Essen and its background:

• The results of the Battle for El Oleonda - Here you can find out about Carno and Essen's involvement in the conflict, plus the aftermath.
• Advent calendar MOC -  Here you can find an in-game MOC pertaining to Essen's religious customs.
• Fort Arltrees Carnite house, by @CapOnBOBS - Following the Essians' footsteps, other Carnites too have come to Fort Arltrees to make a profit off close Carnite-Oléonder relations in the area.

You can also check out the post below to find more MOCs with their own topics.

Inspiration

The Free City of Essen draws inspiration from many sources, both fantasy and real-world.

Key elements of its lore can be found in following real-world influences:

• Brick gothic architecture and art of Northern Germany and the Low Countries
• Economic and societal aspects found in Hanseatic city-states such as Hamburg, Lübeck, Duisberg, etc.
• The militaristic traditions of the Kingdom of Prussia
• An economy of manufacturing and a hotbed for ironworking innovations as in Birmingham (UK), Manchester (UK), Essen (GER) and similar

You can view an architectural mood board I put together here.

Essians are down-to-earth, pragmatic, militaristic and conservative which is reflected in their sparsely decorated (neo) Gothic brick buildings, the likes of which you would see along the Baltic Sea among various Hanseatic cities.

The real-world influences translate into the names of its citizens, which are mostly Low German or Old Dutch (comparable to Afrikaans).

De Royne leant nonchalantly on the quarter deck rail - for all the world like a man who hadn't led a thorough debauchery the night before, and was, instead simply out for a pleasant jaunt this fine Sunday morning. 
He inclined himself towards the younger man;
"It occurs to me that you may have a bigger problem once I make landfall." He offered.
"Oh?" asked Giefaux. He didn't trust himself to open his mouth any further without voiding his stomach. 
"I don't know what your allowance is like, but I imagine your dear father might cut you off after a stunt like this? You'll need an income. One won't keep a ship and crew like this for long if one can't afford their maintenance."
"Huh." he replied. He had never earned a penny in his life. The romantic dreams of the night before were meeting the cold light of day. Was this all going to be short-lived?
"I have an offer. Of course, you're welcome to refuse - it does come with a degree of danger. You'd be smuggling an item to a certain gentleman on Oleon."
André's head snapped towards de Royne. The Margraves of Giefaux had spent much of their history trying to wipe out smuggling between Hernsey and mainland Corrington. Was the man he admired just so much sea scum?
"Oh don't look at me like that," de Royne observed. "It's nothing illegal. There's no crimes being committed here."
"Then why is it smuggling?"
"It's like this;" he struggled, "Certain privileged individuals have exclusive knowledge. Other individuals need access to that knowledge. They pay me to provide that. But it involves a degree of discretion. Even after the secrets are exposed, no-one can suspect my involvement."
"So you're a spy."
"Ungh!" de Royne tensed up with frustration. "I am a gentleman. I work to ensure conflicts are resolved long before they cause issues for the parties involved."
"And which nation are you currently betraying, cousin?" he felt so stupid for having come on this boat ride. He was going to have to find his own way home somehow. And he had been so excited at this chance. 
"I'm not betraying *any* nation. I work freelance for private individuals. On this occasion I'm working for a businessman based out of Durmont sur Doix. I gathered together some information on one of his rivals in Carno - trade secrets, client lists, bidding strategies, that sort of thing - honestly it's better if you don't know specifics."
"And, what, you're going to sell these secrets?"
"No. You're going to sell them."
"Me?"
"Less my 10% finders' fee, of course. You'll act as my agent, so I'll let you keep another 10% cut. You'll put the rest into keeping the Thessalonike running."
"So businesslike," answered Giefaux, unsure of whether he was impressed with the organised thought behind this, or whether he was put off by the way a dashing nobleman (and one he admired) could act like such a tradesman when it came to subterfuge.

"I mean it," de Royne continued. "Don't think you can gamble this and come away with a bigger pot. Made that mistake once or twice at the start of my own voyage and it nearly cost me everything. Since the main thing you have to lose is actually mine, this is one lesson I'd prefer you didn't learn for yourself."
"This all seems a little overwhelming."
"You didn't imagine setting out on your own would be easy? The world would just fall in your lap like - do they still have strumpets in Hernsey? 
Life is hard - even for those of us lucky enough to be born to silk sheets. If you want to build a fortune of your own you're going to have to work bloody hard for it. There will be times when you'll doubt yourself. You'll be tempted to give it all up and run back to the shadow of mummy's skirts, but you mustn't. 
Stay the course! Fortify yourself with the joys of independence; emancipation; freedom. Take satisfaction in working hard and with cunning. And when you do earn your reward, by all that is holy, put it to good use!"
"You really ought to go into speech writing, William." answered André.
"You think?" He replied. "I'll look into it."
And as they skimmed along, the two men settled into a relaxed quiet. 

They had snatched the prize out of his hands! But it was not over, not yet. He would have put his hands on that treasure, in one way or another. A warrior appeared in front of him, the face horribly painted. The Daca raised his wooden spear, but he was a second too slow: Frederick von Undingen cut him down with his sword, without even slowing down. He would have returned, he swore. He would have returned with more men and some good cannons, maybe a company of Namerian mercenaries... and he would have wiped out those savages from El Oleonda, he would have killed them all! Then, the treasure of the Lotii fleet would have become the key to a new life of wealth and, even more importantly, power! 

Frederick only needed to reach Seawatch alive, and the cards would have turned in his favor again. Some would have been angered with him for his failures, but nothing he couldn't handle. Professor Wagner's group had been massacred, leaving no useful notes behind. In their abandoned camp, however, Frederick had found a little booty of Lotii gold: not much, but enough to convince his friends in Aden to forget some little things and support his future endeavors. They had little time to lose, however, since the Oleonese seemed to have captured a survivor of Wagner's expedition... if he only had ordered Kurt to shoot that man first, he would have felt safer about his plans.
The bushes in front of Frederick disappeared, suddenly replaced by a small clearing. Somehow, he managed to stop his run, just a few steps before a cliff and the violent rapids below.

Frederick realized immediately that he was in deadly danger: his little group had been cut out from von Stern's column, which was now on the opposite side of the stream.
The Daca, instead, were all around them again. The Essians jaegers were fighting fiercely -they were excellent soldiers, he had to recognize that- but the warriors seemed just too many. 

His loyal Kurt shot a warrior at point blank, killing him on the spot. A second and a third one were already running towards him, spear in hand... with no time to reload, his musket was now nothing more than a robust club.

Two warriors were almost upon him. There were no battle cries, as usual... only the low, menacing hiss anticipated the attack of the Daca, together with their hellish drums. Frederick raised his sword in a high guard, bracing for their attack. He deflected a spear lunge directed at his face, then turned to his right, aiming for the chest of the incoming warrior... but his right foot found nothing but air. Before he could even realize it, Frederick was falling.

Frederick tried desperately to recover his balance, but the dirt at the edge of the cliff was too slippery. For a moment he remained almost still over the roaring water, staring at the triumph on his enemies' face. Then, the bag with the gold dragged him behind, towards the rapids and a watery grave. He was still holding it, he realized. His ticket towards wealth and power. Ironic.

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This MOC, as you can see, represents the aftermath of my TC2 storyline, from the Carno point of view. I plan to publish a conclusion scene also for the other parties involved, that is the Lotii and Oleon, before moving to my future plans. Since I really liked this storyline, the setting, and the characters I had created, I thought they deserved a proper conclusion for their journeys. I hope you liked my storyline and these conclusive scenes too!
For possible newcomers, Frederick von Undingen, graf von (Count of) Wiesemberg, is a borderline psychopath, a villain in my storylines, and probably a sort of loose cannon also for his nation. This should explain his very questionable points about massacring all the natives of El Oleonda, the complete disinterest in his comrades dying, and similar amenities. Here he receives what he deserves, but there will be no body available for burial... if this is really von Undingen's end, or if you'll see this character again, remains to be seen!
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The Lotii gold falling into the river from a different angle. A better angle, in my opinion, but the MOC was too small to show the scene from this point of view. Since I like the result, I'll attempt something similar in the future.

Overall view:

ACT I: The End of an Easy Life

1. De Royne's Return 

2. The Thessalonike 

...

? The Investiture of Giefaux 

Captain Lysandre Bernadotte in the streets of Qasr Abbad, symbolically crushing a scorpion in the aftermath of the quelling of the bloody Maimakterion Uprising.
- Kornelius Nagye. Brick on pixel, AE624

A peculiar branch of Oléonder art is the so-called Guelphian exotic style. As its name indicates, this art style features its subjects in exotic dress in mostly Guelphian settings. Often these artworks focus on the exotic life in Oléon's oldest overseas province, with subjects ranging from trade in spices or colorful clothwork to bacchanalia at the lush courts and sensual odalisques.

Often, the portraits are commissioned by benefactors of the arts wishing to parade with their cosmopolitan senses and well-traveled life, having spent a period abroad in Guelph to indulge in life there.

However, others are simple memorabilia of events that have occurred. Such is the case with 'Captain Lysandre Bernadotte in the streets of Qasr Abbad'. Commissioned by the captain's family, it commemorates Lyandre's part in the quelling of the bloody Maimakterion Uprising in southern Guelph. This is symbolized by his crushing of a scorpion underneath his boot. Despite being a military man, Lysandre is nevertheless portrayed in Guelphian dress instead of uniform, for further exoticness - which will surely impress any visitor of the Bernadotte's estate.

I was doubting for a very long time which character to pick for the challenge. I was playing with the idea for a new character and came up with several new ones, but I also didn't want to discard the current one yet. I feel like I've only hit my stride with Lysandre and I still have plenty to tell, so there you have it: Lysandre will remain my main character as of yet.

I'm curious to see what the new rules will bring. Perhaps I might still discard him in the future, if I feel another character would fit the game mechanics better.

I wanted to expand upon Lysandre's Guelphian back story, plus I like Lord Byron's Greek painting and the orientalist movement, so I knew I wanted to build something along those lines.

Here's the BTS (different figure with Lysandre in military dress, but the backdrop is the same) :

Dear mother,

I have had commissioned my official portrait, which has hopefully arrived unscathed with this letter. I hope this will be something to remember me by, as I am unlikely to be able to return home in the near future. I know Rosie was bursting with pride when I was knighted, and I regret not having been able to visit home to show her the medal.

Unfortunately, the artist had very little concept of naval warfare, and anyone with a lick of common sense will be appalled by the mistakes. The poor wretch absolutely insisted on portraying me in my parade uniform, saying something about 'official policy'. I was adamant at least to use my proper boarding sword rather than the flimsy golden thing he suggested.

Despite these shortcomings, I hope it can still bring some consolation for my long absence.

With all my love

Jno. Cooke, RN

Here the setup I used. In reality it was just a test picture, but I was so happy with the result I decided to use this setup.

For weeks, Cooke's resourcefulness had kept them alive, and even made their existence somewhat comfortable, while Montoya's knowledge of flora and fauna kept them well fed.

However, Cooke had not been entirely successful in hiding his concern about their rescue, and had it not been for Baker's endless optimism, even our valiant captain may have turned bleak and apathetic.

Nonetheless, every morning, Captain Cooke would make the perilous climb to the highest point of the island to scan the horizon for a sight of a sail.

And then, one morning, as the morning fogs lifted, their luck turned - within a few miles, a ship was sighted. Although clearly battered by the recent storms, she would be their best chance of a rescue, and Cooke raised their signal for distress: A flag fashioned from Montoya's pink long-johns.

After a few minutes of furious waving of the flag pole, Cooke spotted activity on the ship, which then fired a signal gun and turned towards the island. It seems the Corlander trio will live to see another day!

___________

Summer turned more busy than expected, but I wanted to get something in for the challenge :) Not near as ambitious as I had dreamt of, but it should wrap up my Era II and start Era III

A strange oil on canvas arrived at the court of Eslandola sent by a certain Felipe de la Manzana; supposed to be lost at sea in his impossible quest of the Golden Apple...

The note associated with the painting was saying :

"Pray for us and for the soul of our painter ! Tezclatipoca the cannibal of the Ténotlaxcans is going to eat everything !"

It was so strange, nobody wanted to keep the painting. It finally ended hanged on a secondary corridor leading to the Royal Kitchen...

Here is my participation for this little challenge !

Hope you like !

The pictures of the MOC I've made for the portrait view :

The Empire of Eslandola 
Nicknames: Cash Empire, Eslandrama
Colors: Green, Gold
Flag: Although this is the official flag, you are welcome to create your own variations or stick with purist flags.

Eslandola Summarized: Compared to the other nations, Eslandola boasts the best merchants, the most heavily laden treasure ships, and - they will contend - the largest and richest colonial possessions.  Eslandolans hold hard to their individualism and profit making, and those have not let them down!  They are adventurers and explorers, business folk, merchant sailors, agriculturalists, and artists.

Membership: Fancy yourself as a tradesperson and want to join a trading company to extend our wealth? Or aspire to make a name for yourself in New Terra and explore the islands and start a colony to expand our empire? Want to pick up arms and join the army or navy to expand our control? We welcome anybody who will be loyal to the cause. For gold and country!

Good Eslandolans strive to show their pride by including one or more of the nation’s colors in each build, but if they slip up, certainly no one will track them down.

If you choose to be a member, there is a lot in store for you! Your first task will be to create your signature figure (sig-fig) and sign up in this thread with an intro post. Your intro post should include a picture of your sigfig and a bit of a description and background as well. Your sigfig will represent your character throughout your MOCs within Brethren of the Brick Seas. (That does not mean that your sigfig has to be in every MOC you make.) There are some simple instructions here that sum up the sign-up process.

Eslandola currently has three main trading companies. If you'd like, you are quite welcome to affiliate yourself with one of them. This affiliation may be changed at any time, but you are responsible to make sure leaders are notified of any changes. You are not required to join one of the trade groups and may even start your own; however, there are a few economic benefits which come with joining a Trade Company. More information about the trade groups can be found under point 5 below.

Eslandola has a republican system of government, with a figurehead monarchy.  More information about the government can be found under points 1 and 2 below.

Did you get that far? If so, you’ve read all that you really need to know. The rest is just icing on the cake, so take it at your leisure, and enjoy the MOCs!

A Detailed Look at the Empire of Eslandola (government, geography, military, history): (below)
Trade Companies: (second post)
Colonies: (third post)
Members: (fourth post)

A Detailed Look at the Empire of Eslandola
1 – Leadership
King Fernando - Augusto VII (NPC)
Thanks to the independent minded merchants of Eslandola, the realm is fairly decentralized.  The real power lies in the hands of the Continental Council and its daughter council, the Colonial Council. King Fernando used to command the empire through a High Council, but a bad political move led to his power being curtailed with the signing of the Magna Charta.  Since then, he's been variously reported as begging in the backstreets, throwing nightcaps, gormandizing, or plotting a dramatic revenge...

Continental Council
The Continental Council consists of the leaders of Eslandola.  The Continental Council grants charters, signs treaties, and supervises elections.  Honorary members are members that have previously served in the Continental Council, but now take no part in its usual deliberations.

Governor Willem Guilder (@Capt Wolf) and the Merchant's Colonial Trading Company (MCTC)

Willem Guilder is a career member of the Merchant’s Colonial Trading Company, rising from dock agent to regional manager to mayor of the MCTC’s Weelond settlement to governor of the island of An Holli. With the retirement of Guy Wyndzon, Guilder now takes over as director of the MCTC. Guilder has continually sought ways to expand the MCTC’s trading base and influence, forging new trade relationships and aggressively defending Eslandolan (and the MCTC’s) interests across the seas. Quick to join the push to get the king to sign the Magna Charta, Guilder hopes to help lead the MCTC (and thus Eslandola) to new heights in this blossoming era of colonial power!

Captain Jerome Monezterrell (@Legostone) and the Mpya-Stedor All-Encompassing Science, Trade & Resources Organisation (MAESTRO)

Captain Jerome Monezterrell grew up in a community of merchants, and, since joining the at the time newly-formed MAESTRO trade company, has risen to the rank of accountant and second-in-lead of the trade company, as well as Governor of Eslandola's recently conquered Isla de la Victoria.  Influential in the founding of the settlement of Fuerte Unido and famous as the owner of the splendid Monezterrell shipyards, Captain Jerome's focus on a strong national and private navy has also resulted in his promotion to Secretary of the Navy in Eslandola.  On entering Era II, his goals are to further propel his nation and trade company on to victory!

Viceroy Renato Filamento (@kabel) and the Royal Colonies

After his fortunate discovery of the island of Nelissa, Renato Filamento was knighted by King Fernando and proceeded to construct Nova Terreli as a royal colony. Sir Renato was kept home in Eslandola for some time, and earned the King’s trust.  Now, he has been made Viceroy of all the royal colonies and is supposed to do his best to bring down the East Trade-Wind Company. Unfortunately for him, the ETWC capitalized on his discoveries and now controls the rest of the east coast of Nelissa. Sir Renato, even after all the recent occurrences, still deeply respects King Fernando and wants to carry out his job well, but he is forced to comply with many of ETWC’s demands. His exasperation with the state of affairs leads him to take frequent therapeutic jungle expeditions, and he spends a good deal of his time lost in the woods.  Since the king's fall in public favor, little has been heard of his viceroy...

Honorary Members: 

Sir Edward Thomas Wilkinson de Chauncourtois (@Garmadon) and the East Trade-Wind Company (ETWC)

Sir E. T. Wilkinson de Chauncourtois has headed the East Trade-Wind Company for, well, just about forever!  Under his leadership, the elite trade company has greatly consolidated power, and ever since the colonizing move to the New World, it has had a virtual monopoly in Eslandola proper.  Although it made an early start on the island of Nelissa, after it got a good hold there, the ETWC began to lay back and became somewhat complacent about New World expansion.  In Era I it has fallen somewhat behind the other two large companies in Nova Terra, but now, while Wilkinson still enjoys more-or-less ignoring his competitors, it is said that plans are afoot that will propel the ETWC back into its place as the number one trading company.

Guy K. Wyndzon (@Kai NRG) of the MCTC

After the death of his wealthy father, young Guy took over leadership of the Merchant’s Colonial Trading Company’s Board. Energetic and sometimes a little too reckless, he often has trouble getting the other merchants to agree with his expansionistic schemes and would have been deposed long ago but for the influence of his Uncle. Under Guy’s leadership, the Merchant’s Colonial Trading Company stopped playing its losing game on the mainland with the ETWC and started planting dozens of new colonies in the New World.  However, when Guy's Uncle took a voyage to who knows where, Guy decided that being leader of the MCTC was too much for him and stepped down.  Well, that was his given reason, but rumor has it that he found a secret treasure map.

2 – Colonial Council

Background: After the King's erratic temperament got him into trouble with Eslandola's powerful trade companies, the powerhouse of Eslandola was moved from the monarchy - now pretty much nothing but a figurehead - to the Continental Council and its newly formed Colonial counterpart. Update: After the Colonial Council was usurped by Count Lewisham, King Fernando returned to power in September 622 and dissolved the Colonial Council.

Council Hall, Weelond:

A republican body elected by the members of Eslandola, this latter consists of eight members - three appointed by the Trade Companies, three elected regionally, one elected by members not affiliated with a Trade Company, and one, the Admius Legistrad, elected by Eslandola at large. The Colonial Council handles just about all the day-to-day decisions of Eslandola, and makes sure that everything runs smoothly and to the liking of the people.  More information on all the particulars of how the Colonial Council and Eslandolan government works can be found here (first post only).

Eslandola Colonial Council - First Cycle, 617, In Session

Eslandola Colonial Council - Second Cycle, 618, In Session

Eslandola Colonial Council - 620, In Session

Eslandola Colonial Council - 621, In Session

3 – Geography
The Southeastern Coast: Major Ports and Capital

This is where Eslandola's capital, Terreli, is located. This is the wealthiest region of the world, thus giving it the nickname Diamond Coast. It boasts the world's largest ports, with Terreli being the biggest. Most people live in the ports and towns, but some reside in the beautiful isolated countryside. The southeastern coast of Eslandola is the most populated region of with most citizens being traders, merchants, sailors, or nobles. Terreli is also the headquarters of the East Trade-Wind Company. Generally, buildings resemble Mediterranean and Western European styles. Eslandians generally prefer mud, brick, or rock structures over wood.

The Northwestern Coast: Smaller Ports and Coastal Towns

The northwestern coast is a quite different place. With the royal government and both trade companies focusing their effort on the eastern coast and the colonies, the western coast has been historically neglected – making it a hot spot for smugglers and the occasional pirate. Every man on the northwestern coast fends for himself, as the army's presence is virtually nil.

The Colonies

Since the signing of the Magna Charta, the colonies have been mostly left to govern themselves with the Colonial Council.  The largest city in the New World, Nova Terreli, was established as a crown colony but took a leading part in dethroning the King.  In size, it rivals most of the ports of the Old World.  Its mayor sides with the MCTC and in good MCTC tradition is always ready to expand influence on the island, but the ETWC controls its own settlement here too.  A couple other islands are in the hands of MAESTRO, but the majority are settled by the Merchant’s Colonial Trading Company.

Adventurers head for the colonies to find income through trade and commerce or resource factories such as plantations, mining, or tanneries.  Given the diverse backgrounds of settlers, just about every architectural style has been allowed to flourish in the colonies, with preference being given to those that are the simplest and quickest to build.

4 – Military
Continental Army

These men are directly loyal to the Councils and have no affiliation with the trade companies. Some regiments and commanding officers still wear armor, which they believe is a symbol of might, and it is not a rarity to see officers on horseback. The standard uniform color is green.

Militias
The majority of the troops of Eslandola are militia, financed and trained by the trade companies or local leaders. Their uniforms are usually quite diverse and depend mainly on the region they are in and their leader - though green is generally used as it is one of the official colors.

East Trade-Wind Company

These elite, elusive troops are fielded by the ETWC whenever the need arises - which it doesn't happen very often.  By the law of the land, they are not a standing army, but they've still helped the nation out various times in a pinch.  Among other things, they were sent out in the battles against Mardier on Isla de Victoria, and were instrumental in taking down the enemy forts on the island. Their colors are green and dark green.

Nova Terreli

The Golden Nellisei are elite troops and Román Fontonajo's personal guard unit in Nova Terreli

MAESTRO

MAESTRO maintains several militia units. Here are Royal MAESTRO Engineers under the command of General Whitedragon.

Merchant's Colonial Trading Company (MCTC)
White Glove Order

The White Glove Order, headquartered in the MCTC settlement of Bardo, maintains its own troops. Here they are seen marching into Nova Malto.

The Governor's Musketeers

Willem Guilder, director of the MCTC and governor of An Holli, maintains an elite unit of musketeers, capable with musket and sword, on horse and on foot. Here they are seen on parade in front of Weelond's local militia unit.

Others

There are many other militia units in Eslandola. As you can see, some of these units can be very individualistic.

Navy (Grande y Felicísima Armada Eslandola)
While the trade companies maintain a few heavily armed ships for escort duty, the majority of Eslandola's warships are owned and operated by the Councils. These ships have been used most often in the past for escort duty with large merchant convoys. Eslandola's navy currently consists of the following ships (ownership, if by someone other than the faction, in parentheses):

Active un-MOC'd ships:
Argenta - Class 5
El Dorado - Class 5
Verde Oro - Class 5

Active MOC'd ships:
Pride of Pontelli - Class 8
La Comete III - Class 7
White Rabbit - Class 7
Oscuridad IV - Class 6
La Raya Venenosa III - Class 6
Golden Grasshopper - Class 6
Sleeping Siren II - Class 5 (Weelond)
Asesino II - Class 4 (Nova Terreli)
Midas Touch II - Class 4 (Nova Terreli)
Blood Diamond - Class 4 (Weelond)
Long Beard IV - Class 4 (Puerto Desafio)
Clearance - Class 4 (Salida Este)

Auxiliary MOC'd ships:
Princesse Margot - Class 8 (Maxim I)
Margot - Class 7 (Trador)
Beluga - Class 5 (Maxim I)

Lost MOC'd ships eligible to be sistershipped:
Thunderer - Class 6
Firefly - Class 5 [also, name to be changed]
The Gallant - Class 4 (Bardo)
Victoria II - Class 4 (Fuerte Unido)
Peregrine II - Class 4 (Fuerte Unido)
La Salamandra - Class 3

5 – History and Foreign Relations
Eslandola before Era I
Almost all Eslandians like having a monarch, but they don’t like him bothering them. They are individualistic, and, especially in the colonies, they have always tended to ignore royal orders. However, when the nation needs to defend itself, its large sprawling noble class is eager to respond, along with the powerful trade lords and privateers, who are always looking for somewhere to use their expertise. Honor is found in both war and business – but business is preferred.

Fifty years ago the East Trade Wind Company foreclosed on much of the royal possessions due to excessive debt levels.  To get them off his back, the King established Renato Filamento, a newly knighted explorer, as Viceroy of all the royal ports.  Renato arrived and had to try to curb the ETWC’s power, no easy task!  The ETWC dominated the High Council, and the aims of the empire were divided between the monarch’s ambitions and desires of those who control the purse strings.  Recently, however, the fairly conservative and slow-to-expand ETWC has been challenged by the rapidly exploding Merchant’s Colonial Trading Company, which has also managed to grab several seats in the council.  For this reason, much of the foreign policy of Eslandola has been to acquire as many new territories in the resource rich New World as possible.  Despite the large trading companies, smuggling is rampant and small competition abounds.

The Eslandians are a romantic and freedom loving people, cherishing long and winding stories.  Nobility still loves to dress in armor, even though the days of its practicality are over.  The horse is also a useful tool, especially when dealing with natives, and most Eslandians know how to ride a horse and shoot at the same time.  Eslandola has no state religion, but leaves such matters entirely to the desires of its people.

Eslandola in Era I
Right with the onset of Era I, Eslandola burst out in rapid expansion and development in the New World, using its valuable island of Nelissa as a launching pad for operations in the newly discovered islands to the east.  Soon after the discovery of the island of Berelli by the famed Eslandolan explorer, Ivo Fortesque, MAESTRO's settlement of Elysabethtown was founded there, where the new trade company was not only instrumental in keeping the island from falling completely into the hands of the redcoats, but almost managed to keep up a good relationship with Corrington and the natives of the island as well.  Although the ETWC mostly concentrated on consolidating its power on Nelissa's east coast and building up its settlement of Pontelli, the poor viceroy, Renato Filamento, was nevertheless not particularly successful in his mission on behalf of the king - just how not-particularly-successful future events would show - and he often solaced himself with long expeditions into the jungle, where he would disappear for weeks or months at a time.  Rumors that the good viceroy had gone mad were sometimes to be heard whispered in the large city of Nova Terelli...  

At any rate, things seemed to be progressing fairly normal - the MCTC building settlements and expanding like nobody's business, MAESTRO, and especially Mr. Jerome Monezterell's shipyard, providing both the crown and the trade company with an abundance of ships, and Nova Terelli bustling with the trade of the nations under its new mayor, Román Esteban Fontonajo - when it suddenly occurred to the good old king that a convoy of treasure ships bringing the newfound gold of the colonies to Eslandola's Old World capital would be the very thing to set him up for life.  This turned out to be not the greatest idea, though, for while some ships' escorts managed to defend their charges from assault, a considerable number were lost to pirates and other villains of the high seas, despite the ingenuity of the Eslandolans in defense of their gold.  Some time ago King Stéphan II of Oleon had died and been succeeded by his younger brother, the new King Philip I, but Eslandola's King Fernando Augusto VII had always pondered how it was that that brother should become the new king instead of himself, the old king's cousin.  At any rate, he figured he had a fine claim to the throne of Oleon, and for some time previously, curious affairs had been going on under the surface...

Meanwhile, however, other things were also going on in Eslandola!  An outrageous and unwarranted attack on Eslandola's shipping by the nation of Mardier brought on a court case, and after the infamous travesty which resulted in the supposed vindication of the privateer, l'Ollius, Eslandola's declaration of war.  This did not result in much action, however, until Operation KMA and the Eslandolan attack on Isla de Victoria, a strategic piece of land which Mardier had claimed under the name of "Isla del Medio," located right between two of Eslandola's newest acquisitions.  This daring action put all doubts about Eslandola's intention to see to the safety and protection of its citizens from foreign attacks at rest forever.  

It was just now, however, that the king also saw fit to put into action the plan which he had been concocting ever since the death of his unfortunate cousin in Granoleon.  The king's battle plan, codenamed, En Contra Oleon put the relation between that nation and Eslandola very much on edge - but worse, for him, it practically signaled the knell for his active rule as monarch of Eslandola.  Popular outrage was everywhere.  The leaders in the colonies decided that something must be done.  The result?  Well, poor King Fernando was forced to very peacefully decided to sign away all his powers in the Eslandolan Magna Charta, and by the resulting Constitution, a Colonial Council - the counterpart of the also newly formed Continental one - was formed, and became, de facto, the ruling force in Eslandola's colonies.  

What was going on with the war against Mardier all this time, you ask?  Well, Eslandola issued a Letter of Marque against all Mardierian warships to counter a similar offer from their enemy, and the war proceeded both on the Isla and on the seas!  After a gruelingly long war, during which Eslandola formed a league with the nation of Garvey, helped in the succession and independence of Terraversa from its mother country, wrested fort after fort and position after position from Mardier on Isla de Victoria, though unfortunately at the price of many courageous members of the heroic Brickwall family, devastated its enemy's shipping, and chased them to the fabled kingdom of gold, Eslandola ended up in sole possession of the contested island, and forced Mardier to come to fair terms.  Although it has looked askance on the Sea Rats ever since their devious attack on Eslandolan ships in the Battle of the Five Fleets, it embarks upon this next era at peace with all the other nations, and looking to trade and exploration for the future glory of the nation!

The jungle calls! - for gold and country, for Eslandola!

Foreign Relations
Eslandola has cordial relationships with other nations both because it provides big trading partners and because it is not militaristic. After Operation Pax Corlandia and the subsequent Malto Peace Talks, it kept a wary eye on Corrington. More recently, Oleon's secretive nature and semi-closed port policies has caused Eslandola to be wary of them as well.
(Note: Relationships are judged on a 1 to 5 scale; Very Friendly, Friendly, Indifferent, Unfriendly, Very Unfriendly)

Eslandola's relationship with...
Sea Rats: Indifferent
Corrington: Indifferent
Oleon: Unfriendly
Mardier (NPC): Very Unfriendly
Garvey (NPC): Very Friendly

Other nation’s relationship with Eslandola...
Sea Rats: Indifferent
Corrington: Indifferent
Oleon: Unfriendly
Mardier (NPC): Very Unfriendly
Garvey (NPC): Very Friendly

Ready to expand Eslandola’s land and extend Eslandola’s wealth? Go ahead, let’s get bricking!

Konrad was exhausted. He hadn't eaten anything in days, and for sure he hadn't slept at all... not after what he had seen.
The previous days were only incoherent flashes for him, but that was enough to keep him walking: the bivouac with Hans and Professor Wagner, somewhere in the Labyrinth. Hans shooting his musket to scare a jaguar away. The drums, those damned drums in the darkness, getting closer and closer. The javelin piercing Hans' chest. The guards trying to run away, just to fall after a few steps. Professor Wagner placing a backpack on his shoulders, pushing the cipher in his hands, and yelling him to run away. Then everything he could remember was jungle, ruins, and jungle again... and the parrots, repeating Professor Wagner's last words, again and again.

He tripped into something and almost fell. It would have been so easy... falling, and then just lying down to rest. But Konrad had something important to do: he had to bring the cipher to someone, but at the moment he couldn't remember to whom. What he knew for sure, however, was that the cipher was actually something else, something that could change their understanding of the New World... but he was too tired to remember exactly why. He was so tired... but he had to keep walking. In a corner of his mind, Konrad noticed that the ground was scattered with countless artifacts: style B terracotta bowls, and a jasper statuette of the same age... probably lying there since the fall of the ancient city.

Finding so many objects from the old times was extremely unusual, even in the Labyrinth. For some reason, the modern natives must have avoided that place, out of fear or respect. But where was he? Konrad had never been there, he was sure. The palace was incredibly well-preserved, despite the plants growing out of every crack.

However, it was the first time Konrad had ever seen a building retaining so well the original decorations. If it had been possible, that place almost seemed... alive?

The walls seemed freshly painted. There were bright curtains at every window, and Konrad even saw a bird feeder for the parrots.

Then Konrad saw that there were people all around him. How was it possible? How could have not noticed them before? They were clearly natives, and their paintings resembled the ones of the savage Daca who had slaughtered his friends... but everybody seemed friendly, and Konrad couldn't see any weapon.

Konrad realized he was in the middle of a marketplace: people were selling fruits, fish, and wonderful terracotta objects...

...but also corn, spices, and the huge eggs of birds that -Konrad was sure- didn't live on El Oleonda. Native merchants from all over the New Haven Seas, or even further, must have gathered there to sell their wares! Looking better, Konrad thought to recognize some of their tribes: a man from Salida Este, with his bright cotton jacket, and a woman from Fatu Hiva, with her peculiar scarf....

...even a Myzec from Cascadia, wrapped in a jaguar skin. However, there was something strange: that place, the way those people dressed and behaved... everything seemed different from the native settlements Konrad had seen around the archipelago. Everything seemed at the same time more ancient, but more advanced and civilized.

Konrad roused himself. All of a sudden, he realized that he was hungry, thirsty, and shaking from the fever. He tried to ask for help, for food and water, but nobody seemed to hear him. He tried in Carnite, in Tyree'De, and even in Lotii. Desperate, he even tried to barter the cipher for some food, but the merchants didn't even notice him... as if he wasn't really there, or as if they were only shadows of a distant past.

All of a sudden, Konrad was alone again, back in the jungle. Back to his time, and his desperate situation. He started crying. The natives, the market, the colors on the building... everybody had disappeared, and he was probably going to die. But... but there was still someone! A man in a blue tunic, coming in his direction!

That man had come for him, he was sure... to bring him back to the city, to that wonderful market, out of that damned jungle! He started thanking him in tears. Maybe that place was the afterlife, but it didn't seem bad at all!

Konrad was outmost surprised when the man answered, in a stumbling Carnite: "Mon ami, I have no idea of what you are talking about... but we'll bring you out of these damned ruins, you have my word!"

--------------------------------

Overall view:

Note: I planned two more parts after this, but probably (due to the deadline approaching), I will probably only publish a conclusive part.
As you can see, here I decided to join two different "versions" of the same build in a single 20x20 build. The use of the medium nougat limited me a lot in the part choice, but I really like this color... and I hope you'll enjoy the result!