[OL-FB] La Revenante

[Khorne]

Similar to the story I did last year (The Secret War), the tale of La Revenante will also be divided into different chapters with a corresponding build. For ease of navigation, I will once a again add a table of contents to the first post, with links to all chapters and builds:

Prologue - Fire and Brimstone

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

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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):

Spoiler

 

 

Edited June 9 by Khorne

[Khorne]

Chapter I. - Rocinante

Celeste jolted up from her hammock, nearly falling out in doing so. She woke from a deep slumber and felt as if crawling her way up from a dark chasm. There were trickles of sweat on her forehead - she was burning up and grasped her neck, taking in deep chugs of fresh air. It took her a moment to return to her senses and become aware of her surroundings: the hold of the ship Rocinante, together with other survivors of El Oleonda who were able to flee the island.

"So you finally awake, madonna", a young man remarked as he slurped his soup. "I wasn't sure if you wanted me to wake you up. We're nearly at the coast."

"A bad dream?", he queried, then looked up, wiped his mouth and asked in a more serious manner: "or a vision?"

"It's nothing of importance, Joseph", Celeste quickly replied and waved away his interest.

She rubbed her eyes. "When are we disembarking?"

"Tonight. The captain says it'll be safer if we use the rowing boats to make our way up to the smuggling caverns off the shore, instead of using the port to dock. The army has been put on high alert after our escape from El Oleonda. We need to lay low."

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "There are no smuggling caverns off the Granoleon coast, as far as I'm aware."

"We're not going to Granoleon, madonna. That's too dangerous now. We sailed south to Salinas-de-Sant'Arrys instead."

"But I need to go to Granoleon," Celeste protested. She let her hand slide over the scar on her cheek, a grim reminder of past events on El Oleonda.

"Oc, I understand. Don't worry. Me and the others, we're all with you. To the end, madonna. You saved us all. If it wasn't for you, we'd have never made it off that island. We'd never have made it through the patrols on the high seas. We owe you our lives."

Joseph paused for a second and then continued to lay out the plan. "From Sant'Arrys we'll slip into the Champs Fauves. I know some folks there. They'll help us out. We'll find a way to Granoleon."

-----

Since this chapter is closely connected to the prologue, I decided to post it today in a quick follow-up. Also, I won't have a lot of time the coming weeks and wanted to start the story already with a least a bit of character introduction and not just a vague prologue.

[NOD]

The prologue with the woman on the pyre was very realistic. Really very good photo editing. Luckily it was only a nightmare. I really like Chapter I and I'm excited to see what happens next. 

[Jeff of Clubs]

'The board is set. The pieces are moving' 

Great story so far! I do love the effect of the flames. Did you light the poor victim's eyes or was that a digital effect?

[Khorne]

On 11/24/2024 at 7:25 PM, NOD said:

The prologue with the woman on the pyre was very realistic. Really very good photo editing. Luckily it was only a nightmare. I really like Chapter I and I'm excited to see what happens next. 

Thanks! I'm glad with how the build and the photography came out, as well.

21 hours ago, Jeff of Clubs said:

'The board is set. The pieces are moving' 

Great story so far! I do love the effect of the flames. Did you light the poor victim's eyes or was that a digital effect?

No, the eyes are printed on the head. You can see a non-edited version in the spoiler tag. I bought the head off Bricklink, but I think it's originally a Jawa head. I like how the eyes added a touch of humanity over a completely black head piece.

[Keymonus]

Amazing set up and development! The story begins in a gruesome way but hey, BoBS is preparing for rough times in the third era! The two vignettes are amazingly well built, but the story is really stealing the scene! Well done, @Khorne, even if I fear that no good will come from giving the rebels/heretics/heretic rebels/free thinkers a martyr to mourn!

[Khorne]

On 12/2/2024 at 7:48 PM, Keymonus said:

Amazing set up and development! The story begins in a gruesome way but hey, BoBS is preparing for rough times in the third era! The two vignettes are amazingly well built, but the story is really stealing the scene! Well done, @Khorne, even if I fear that no good will come from giving the rebels/heretics/heretic rebels/free thinkers a martyr to mourn!

Thanks @Keymonus, glad you liked the short read so far. I'm looking forward to expand the story and hopefully have some free time soon to finish up some other MOCs for the next parts. The rough times in BOBS will surely get referenced in the story!

[Khorne]

Chapter II. - Salty Business

See spoiler below for a clearer, non-edited picture.

 

The Rocinante floated off the shores for some time, staying hidden between the rocky outcrops and coves until night had come. It would be safer to row ashore under the cover of darkness. Thankfully for Celeste and the rest of her party, rain had started to fall during the twilight hours, further diminishing the visibility. Celeste didn't know the area at all and peered out into the darkness to spot anything at all to help her get a lay of the land. Only in the distance could she make out the faint light of a lantern.

The crew made it to shore without incidents, where they quickly jumped off the rowboat with the remaining gear and packs that had survived their escape from El Oleonda. From the darkness, several figures emerged - their faces masked by neckerchiefs pulled up high. Joseph nodded as a way of greeting them and turned to Celeste.

"Smugglers", he explained. "Don't mind them, they're merely here to make use of the captain's ferrying service, as we did. We're getting off and they'll load their goods on the Rocinante, which'll then ship them to another port."

"What are they smuggling?", Celeste queried.

"Salt. It's the prime product of this region and source of most of Salinas-de-Sant'Arrys' income. They smuggle it from here to regions in Oléon or beyond where the tax rate on salt is higher. We have it in abundance here, so it's relatively easy to turn a profit. If you know what you're doing and willing to break the law, obviously. Punishments are hard."

Joseph pointed his lantern forward, towards a crevice or crack between the cliffs before them. If one didn't know what to look for, it was easy to miss. It looked like a natural crack later expanded by human hands.

He gestured Celeste to follow him. "Come, madonna. We'll use the same tunnel network as the smugglers. We'll be able to get into Sant'Arrys unnoticed this way."

"Oi, amic!", one of the smugglers shouted softly in a muffled voice. "Be careful in the city. The garrison is on high alert and the populace is restless. The governor is planning on raising the taxes and increasing the levy of men to bolster the army in El Oleonda. Needless to say, the people are having a hard time with those ideas. Last I heard, a priest got incarcerated during protests, further raising the tensions. Far mèfi."

Joseph nodded in acknowledgment. "Farà."

Then the party entered the darkness of the caves.

Spoiler

[Kai NRG]

Nice job on the lighting!  I like the rugged shape you've achieved on the rockwork too.

[NOD]

A great build, a tunnel network right on the coast! It is exciting and fun to read the story.

[Khorne]

On 12/24/2024 at 6:15 PM, Kai NRG said:

Nice job on the lighting!  I like the rugged shape you've achieved on the rockwork too.

Thanks! An easy edit, but it helps add atmosphere. I wanted to make the rock/cliff bigger, but apparently this is the extent of my dark grey slope pieces . Could've sworn I had more. Probably tied up in another build somewhere, I guess.

6 hours ago, NOD said:

A great build, a tunnel network right on the coast! It is exciting and fun to read the story.

Thanks! There is less action as of yet, compared to the start of the Secret War which had a clearer narrative from the beginning. I'm setting the scene first before we get to the juicy bits . It's Phantom Menace-esque politics and economics first, haha.

 

On to the next!

 

---

 

Chapter III. - Underground

Following a series of tunnels, some man-made while others were created by the course of ancient underground streams that had since dried up, Celeste and Joseph caught up with another of the smugglers also using the tunnels on his way back to the city. The local knew the underground network like the back of his hand and together the party inched closer towards the city, finally leaving the damp tunnels for the more civilized yet more pungent sewers.

Joseph was gagging at the stench and tried to cover his face with his sleeve. "We should've tried our luck above ground, I reckon."

The smuggler was quick to turn down that idea. "Non, amic. Marrida idéa - bad idea. The city is in turmoil since the governor announced they'd be raising the salt tax and levy more men for the wars in the colonies."

He turned to his accidental companions, to underscore the gravity of the situation. "The situation is bad, cresètz-me. Yesterday, they arrested père Verlaine. He's a popular fella 'round these parts. A Ferryman."

Celeste looked inquisitively at Joseph, in want of clarification. While Joseph was from around, Celeste used to live in the northern parts of Oléon and she had a hard time keeping up with both the dialect and the local idioms.

Jacques - the smuggler, noticed the glance and briefly explained. "A Ferryman is a member of the Stygian Poor Order. Traveling mendicant priests of Hades who help those who can't afford proper funerary services or live too far off in the wilderness to be serviced by the regular priests. There's many such communities here. Père Verlaine helped many people. He's a trusted fella and wanted to use his voice to appeal to the authorities."

The smuggler continued to drudge through the muck. "The bastards locked him up, though. No one knows what has happened to him since. Today, the Gendarmerie was out and about to arrest suspects of incitement of anti-royal sentiment."

"Not much further now. We're near to where the Forger lives. He'll fix you up with proper papers and documents to travel the country. You'll be model citizens again.", Jacques stated and slowed his pace.

"He's already dead.", Celeste said bluntly as she stared ahead into nothingness. She shook her head. "I have seen it."

Now it was Jacques who looked suspiciously at Celeste and then Joseph. "Your amigueta, she okay? Who is she talking about? The Forger?"

"Non. Père Verlaine. He is dead."

Jacques scoffed in disbelief. "How would you know? You barely got here. The garrison wouldn't do that. Especially now. I mean, they're not the brightest lot, but it would be like lighting the fuse to the bomb beneath their own position themselves."

Joseph's face turned white. "She... she just knows things...She sees things. It'd be safe to assume the worst. We need to leave the city."

[NOD]

Another exciting sequel! I notice that there is a red cloth hanging on the windowsill of the house, where the gendarmerie arrested someone. Is it a sign of the Brigade Rouge? The sewer and the house placed transversely is well built.

[Khorne]

7 hours ago, NOD said:

Another exciting sequel! I notice that there is a red cloth hanging on the windowsill of the house, where the gendarmerie arrested someone. Is it a sign of the Brigade Rouge? The sewer and the house placed transversely is well built.

Thanks, @NOD! The cloth may be a reference, but it wasn't 100% meant to be a literal one. More of a symbolic link to show the arrested man had revolutionary or at least anti-royal sympathies. Glad you caught up on that!

I like the diagonal house as well. The first iteration of the build was more "standard" and just plain frontal. I didn't really like it, so I reworked it so that the house was now diagonally placed. It adds an interesting visual dynamic.

[Khorne]

Chapter IV. - The Harvest

It took him some time, but eventually the Forger was able to create the necessary documents and travel papers for Celeste and Joseph. They had outstayed their welcome and remaining in Salinas-de-Sant-Arrys any longer was starting to become too great of a risk and could potentially endanger their host. It was time to leave. Five days had passed since Celeste's arrival on the shores of Oléon and the tense situating had been deteriorating by the hour. The talk of new taxes and levies is agitating the city and the capture of père Verlaine hardly alleviated the matter. Rumor was that more troops from up north were on the way to restore order. Celeste knew it was only a matter of time before things would explode. She knew the Ferryman was dead, even though she could not prove it to her comrades who didn't quite believe her. Celeste had seen it in her dream. The Lord of the Underworld had shown her, clear as day. He laid out the path for her to follow.

At the crack of dawn, under the cover of still dimly lit firmament, Celeste and Joseph left the Sant'Arrys. First on foot and later on horseback, courtesy of sympathizing Heraclian partisans, even though the Society of Heracles was only a shadow of its former self anymore, after the El Oleonda mess. Even then, the Society was never able to fully take root in Oléon's rural and more conservative deep south. The communities here were small and tight-knit and didn't care much for the political games of Granoleon. Sant'Arrys might be the largest city in the area, it'd considered a quaint and insignificant city by northern, richer standards. So the help of the partisan was a rare feat, but a welcome one nevertheless.

 By early noon, they had left Sant'Arrys largely behind. The temperature was starting to steadily rise as the beating sun crept to its zenith. In order to get to the infamous endless grasslands and plains of Eranos, where Celeste would be able to lay low and regroup, she and Joseph first had to traverse the marshes and floodlands in the area surrounding Sant'Arrys. As far as the eye could see, there were silted up stretches of land, diked off in rectangular flats of land. A patchwork of pink-hued lakes glistened in the sun - crickets chirping and birds fluttering about.

As Celeste rode her horse along the ridge of one of the dikes, following Joseph's lead, she was intrigued by the beauty of her surroundings. She looked upon the salt workers standing in the shallow lakes, sifting and shoveling the salt to the edges, where it was piled up for further containment and then transport. The clothes of the workers was caked in the white substance and under the warm sun quickly turned into coarse and stiff fabric.

The salt business was the lifeblood of Salinas-de-Sant'Arrys and the surrounding villages. Taxing the industry further to fund the colonial wars would be devastating. Celeste felt a sadness come over her as she contemplated the future and what she had seen in her dreams. Even in this idyllic south the age-old truth stands: you reap what you sow. And Hades would first reap souls, before any freedom would grow.

 

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Long time since the last update! I've had this scene (or something similar) in my mind for quite some time. Originally, I was going to add a build before this one (at the Forger's place) but I didn't feel it was necessary for the story and I wanted to advance the tale. Obviously based on salt flats in southern France and Spain. There's a lot of exposition, scene-setting and world building. I'll try and add in some more interaction in the next chapter. I don't know when that will be, though.

[Kai NRG]

That pink salt bog (or whatever it's called) looks fantastic.  Really neat idea for a build.

[Khorne]

8 hours ago, Kai NRG said:

That pink salt bog (or whatever it's called) looks fantastic.  Really neat idea for a build.

Thanks! I've had the idea for some time now, like I said. Glad it worked out like I wanted. In hindsight though, I should've built the dike higher so that there's more contrast between the "high" ground and the pond itself. Some reference pics had high dikes, other were just really low.

[_Salamander_]

I really like that salt flat build - reminds me of those on La Palma in the Canary Islands! Perfect choice of expression for the figure shovelling salt too 

[NOD]

Very well done, the way the worker stands knee-deep in the lake, shoveling salt.

[Khorne]

On 6/13/2025 at 11:52 AM, _Salamander_ said:

I really like that salt flat build - reminds me of those on La Palma in the Canary Islands! Perfect choice of expression for the figure shovelling salt too 

12 hours ago, NOD said:

Very well done, the way the worker stands knee-deep in the lake, shoveling salt.

Thanks, both! Glad you like it and also appreciate the worker. I used that head specifically because I wanted him to look tired or worn from having to spend his life shoveling salt, standing knee-deep in saline water under a very warm sun.

Apparently, the pink color is typical of salt ponds, both man-made and natural. I looked it up and apparently is has to do with algae or bacteria that grown in the salt water when exposed to the sun. A picturesque sight, for sure.