Nestlands Clans Embassy in Nocturnus: Lord Vladivus' Visit, part 1

[gedren_y]

Nestlands Clans Embassy in Nocturnus:

~ A brief history ~

The ancient fortress, now rebuilt as the Nestlands Clans Embassy, was first built upon a wide, but low, plateau of granite at the edge of the Moruth Swamplands, along a major trade route. Immediately south was fertile farmland. Very quickly the initial walled fort became a great center of trade. Then everything got bloody.

The fortress was fought over countless times over centuries, and rebuilt after each engagement, often by those who conquered it. The place has had many names, given to it by the many different cultures that have occupied it, and with nearly as many different building styles.

The countless wars, though, had taken their toll on the land. The once fertile farmland, had become a wasteland so soaked with blood that even today it is a deep red color, and referred to as the Blood Sands. With the loss of farming, trade dried up. Eventually the fortress was abandoned, simply because its occupants couldn't afford to maintain it. Thus, the mighty place began to be eaten by the swamp.

The fortress had a minor resurgence about 300 years ago. A drow family built up the interior as a place to launch a major campaign of conquest. They renamed it Kas'ret Vud.

Their plans were all for naught, though, because not far to the southwest the Clawbreakers Clan of werewolves had claimed a large tract of territory. While they had no real interest in the old, moldering fortress, a drow stronghold so close could not be tolerated.

The war over Kas'ret Vud ended with the drow retreating back to the depths, but not before they befouled the place with their blood and other bodily fluids. The stench was so intolerable to the Clawbreakers that they demolished as much of the place as they had the energy to do so (mostly the drow construction). Then the werewolves left, allowing the swamp to reclaim the place once again.

Eventually control of the land where Kas'ret Vud once stood fell to Shadowmere, the current domain of Lord Vladivus. Lord Vladivus' friendship with the Nestlands clansman, and fleshmage, Neord Bloodmane allowed the man to use the old fortress as a base of operations, as he traveled Nocturnus. (This was long before the Nestlands Clans announced themselves to the rest of Historica. Shh!)

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~Today~

Currently the Fleshmage Neord Bloodmane is the Nestlands Clans Ambassador to Nocturnus, and Lord Vladivus has graciously allowed him to rebuild Kas'ret Vud into an embassy. Construction had taken far longer than anticipated, thanks to the Kaliphlin Civil War, but the place is far enough along that Neord has issued an invitation to Lord Vladivus, and a small number of his retinue.

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~In Lord Vladivus' study, shortly after the departure of Lord Mortis~

Lord Vladivus has been feeling the pressure for action against the Black Spire, but the business of governance had to be taken care of if Shadowmere were to prosper once the enemy falls. Lady Sithanna sits to his right, somewhat bored with the details.

A rap at the door comes.

Lord Vladivus: Enter.

The guard enters, carrying a fine scroll, wrapped in ribbon with gold end-caps.

Guard: Message from the Nestlands Ambassador.

Lady Sithanna perks up. Lord Vladivus is quick to remove the ribbon and read the ornate script.

Lord Vladivus: "Ambassador Neord Bloodmane, Fleshmage, formally invites Lord Vladivus, and a small number of his retinue, to enjoy the hospitality of the Nestlands Clans Embassy. There is fine 'drink' and great knowledge to be had as you view artisans at work, creating new grandeur."

Lady Sithanna: What is that supposed to mean?

Lord Vladivus: It means the place is livable, but still being renovated. Shh. "The Embassy can now boast a full copy of the Nestlands Clans Archive for your perusal. Come, learn, and prepare yourself for the days ahead."

Lady Sithanna: Are you going to go?

Lord Vladivus: Hmm, "knowledge to be had"? The man has some intelligence to share about the Spire. He just didn't want to state it outright, in case the message was intercepted.

Lady Sithanna begins to rush to her quarters to pack.

Lord Vladivus: Sithanna, wait.

She stops, and turns to glare at Lord Vladivus.

Lord Vladivus: I can only take a small party, and that means Krell will be staying here. I need to leave someone in command whom he can respect. That is you.

Lady Sithanna: But that 'neice' of yours gets to go, doesn't she?

Lord Vladivus: To study this "Nestlands Clans Archive". She will likely stay for quite some time. In any event, if this intelligence proves fruitful, we may be off to fight again ourselves.

Lady Sithanna leaves Lord Vladivus to prepare for his journey, still mildly upset, but willing to follow his plan.

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The passage through the Moruth Swamplands to the Nestlands Clans Embassy was uneventful, as if the swamps themselves wanted to hasten Lord Vladivus' trip. The mood was hushed, as all were always on the look out for Black Spire forces.

The worst that happened was a continuous heavy wind. This had Lord Vladivus irritated, as somehow in the rushed preparations he had left his helm behind.

Arrival at the main gate of the outer wall, at the south side of the Embassy, was anticlimactic. Some temporary fencing and signs directed the small group to the southwestern corner, where the new Embassy's main entrance lay.

Lord Vladivus, with his hair completely mussed and damp, is quite ready for this meeting. Librarian Kasalia, Lord Vladivus' neice by a half-brother, and Keeper of the Dark Library, is a little more reserved. She has rarely been seen outside of Shadowmere, and does not know Neord well enough, though she thinks he smells nice.

~About Kasalia~

Kasalia is the child of two half-vampires, and is actually more vampire than her uncle. Her father, Lord Vladivus' half-brother, is a great deal older than the Lord of Shadowmere. Kasalia herself is nearly a decade older than him, as well.

Kasalia's maternal grandfather, of which there is some record, is said to have been something other than human before becoming a vampire. His name isn't spoken aloud, for good reason, and hasn't been seen in years. Kasalia's mother is long dead, slain by some anti-vampire fanatic.

Thanks to her breeding, Kasalia is somewhat different than other born vampires. What is on her head is not hair, but a flap of bat hide that has bones, muscles and tendons. When stressed, or angered, she can splay it up into a wing-like halo. She is a bit jealous of those born vampires who have actual wings.

Another difference Kasalia has is her fangs, that while prominent, are strangely spaced and shaped like corkskrews. As a result, she doesn't like to display them. Kasalia has a greater bloodthirst than her uncle, but has the added benefit of gaining language skills (speech, reading and writing) from those whom she drinks, if the blood is coming from the brain.

Kasalia has only a little in the way of mage talents, which are somewhat amplified by her wand. With it she can call small magical flames, and levitate inanimate objects. The wand itself is a sturdy thing, made from the spine of something called an 'egnared'. The creature that sold it to her didn't know any more than that. In a pinch, Kasalia can beat someone's skull open with it.

Librarian Kasalia's mount is the zombified remains of a kelpie, brought to Shadowmere from the Mystic Isles at great expense, and raised by Krell.

How Kasalia came to meet her uncle, you can ask Lord Vladivus . . . if you dare.

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~Today~

Kasalia had been missing Lord Mortis since he had left with Lady Sonja. He had been quite a pleasure to have about the Dark Library, and a welcome distraction from the presence of Lord Anfauglir. Lord Anfauglir had done nothing untoward with his ally's neice, but his scent bothered Kasalia in a way she couldn't accurately explain. For the moment, she is glad to be away from him.

Holding tight to her wand as a wave of bloodlust struck her, Kasalia leaned over to whipser to Lord Vladivus.

Librarian Kasalia: He smells tasty. That blood, it comes from his brain?

Lord Vladivus: Easy, Kasalia. You wouldn't want to drink from him.

Librarian Kasalia: But I could learn so much. And he smells of power, like Krell.

Lord Vladivus: And that power would have you in drunken giggling fits for hours. I've seen pure blood vampires dancing on the ceiling for a week after a taste of his blood. My vampirism is thinner than yours, and I was barely able to ride home after a small taste of that.

Neord, dressed for combat, weilding his fleshblade and ruby shield, rushed to greet his friend, but gave him a moment to calm his neice. It also gave him time to catch his breath, since he had been heavily training with his 'men' as the group rode up.

Ambassador Bloodmane: Lord Vladivus, you have finally made it. And this must be that librarian neice your missives have extoled. Good lady, you may call me Neord. You two must be parched. Come in. I'll have some refreshments readied in my office. Your zombie guards can remain here?

Lord Vladivus nodded and dismounted, leaving his sword with his horse. Librarian Kasalia followed suit, though she kept ahold of her wand.

As Neord walked up the steps, the doors opened without even a motion from the Ambassador. He went in without even a pause, and Lord Vladivus followed suit.

Lord Vladivus paused to take in the details of the space, just as Kasalia passed the threshold, her wand flaring in power for some reason. (OOC: Too much light for photography.)

Ambassador Bloodmane: Well, now that is interesting. Yours is the first magical weapon, other than my own, to pass beyond that door. Huh? I really should commend the dwarf who installed it.

A calcualting gleam passed before Lord Vladivus' eyes as he watched Kasalia become a little unsteady with the gleaming wand.

Lord Vladivus: Do you think she will have more power now?

Ambassador Bloodmane: Most definitely. But for now I think she should set it in the mounting behind you.

Librarian Kasalia: Oh . . . uh? Hmm.

Neord set his weapon and shield in the mounting near his hand, and retrieved his magical staff.

Ambassador Bloodmane: It will be quite safe. The mountings are warded. Only the person who places something in them can retrieve it. Anyone else who tries will be paralyzed until someone else with enough power can revive them. One of the werewolves barely brushed it once while my sword was in it, and lost the use of his arm. I let it stay that way for a week to teach him, and others, a lesson. My staff has its own way of deterring unwanted touching.

Librarian Kasalia: Eer . . . uh, okay.

While Neord was convincing Kasalia to lay her wand down, Lord Vladivus became fascinated by the wall display.

Lord Vladivus: Is that living flesh you have stretched on the wall?

Ambassador Bloodmane: Correct. There is more of it as cushioning on the benches around my worldviewer in the courtyard. Shall we head to my office? I have found some information you may find useful.

Lord Vladivus and Ambassador Bloodmane head up a small incline, back to the east.

Librarian Kasalia, having placed her wand in the mounting, felt much better. She would have to feed before she held her wand again. Noting the others' absence, Kasalia sniffed the air and rushed after them.

The door closed on its own.

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The content of the office meeting is withheld. If Lord Vladivus deems it appropriate, he may discuss it with you.

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Some additional pics of the foyer, sans figs.

Some of the parts must have shifted during rotation (for better lighting).

Got a little too close with the close up.

A quick shot of the ceiling, which I had to remove for the interior shots. The look is a bit of a sacrifice for weight distribution.

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~Back outside~

Most of Lord Vladivus' zombie guards (not shown) position themselves along the walls between the outer gate and the Embassy door.

One very special zombie guard, Twali, positions herself in front of the door.

~About Twali~

Twali was once a water nymph. Under a magical compulsion she was forced to take part in the Siege of Shadowmere. She was slain, and then raised by Krell to fight for Shadowmere. Something about being what she was, and the compulsion she was under, made Twali a most unusual zombie. She is more aware, more of what she was in life than the others.

To maintain this aliveness, though, Twali needs to feed on some live freshwater creature once every three months. Most of the swamp-dwelling creatures count as 'freshwater', though, so there is no limited supply.

When Lord Vladivus found out about what had happened, he was sorry for it. The problem is that the only way to undo Twali's current existence would be to kill her again. Given her predicament, Lord Vladivus is quite generous in giving Twali the honor of being Librarian Kasalia's personal guard.

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~Today~

Twali has noticed something strange upon the battlements, and sighted her bow.

A werewolf and a minotaur are locked in combat. If their attention turns this way, Twali will loose her arrow. She needn't worry, though. Gurf Hossenstneed, the minotaur, and Zurk Narbark, the werewolf, are just testing their skills by sparring up high.

~About Gurf Hossenstneed~

Gurf talks about himself very little. We know that his mother has a sister that married a Kaliphlin minotaur, and that their son was last known to be a member of the Ruadhi Brute Squad. No one knows if this cousin has survived the Kaliphlin Civil War.

Gurf claims that he owes Ambassador Bloodmane some debt, but he won't say what it is. He has sworn himself to follow Neord into any danger.

The huge blade Gurf weilds (a gift from his father) is made of stone, but is enchanted with the strength of mithril.

~About Zurk Narbark~

Zurk is a member of the Kettlerowr Clan of werewolves. The Kettlerowr Clan is made up of scions of different werewolf clans. They are a motely group, but most are now related through blood or marriage. The Clan ranges throughout the southern Rakath, and have been trading mountain cat carcasses in Cobalt Vale for years.

Zurk is actually related to the great General Grimm, but no one is willing to explain exactly how. General Grimm has admitted the blood tie to his 'cousin', but if you press him any further you will be messily dismembered. Just leave the subject alone!

Zurk has known Neord since he was a pup, and when he was old enough, decided to follow the man on his many adventures. The two are close buddies now, and would lay down their lives for one another.

Zurk's weapon is made from the rib bone of a great sea dragon, and retains some of the magical properties of the creature. He has told many versions of how he came by this weapon, but only Neord knows which version is the truth, and he's not telling.

~Today~

This guard, who's name I can't pronounce, much less spell, is considering whether or not to take aim at the Shadowmere guard, who's bow is aimed at his(or her, not sure) superiors.

~Below~

Lord Vladivus' horse has decided to climb upon a low, nicely tiled catwalk. I have no idea why.

And, no, Lord Vladivus didn't leave his famous blade, Gurthanol, outside with his horse. This is just a reasonable facsimile, who's only job on this trip has been to cut through some more dense parts of the swamp.

Librarian Kasalia's zombie kelpie is actually succeeding in watching both Lord Vladivus' horse and the door at the same time.

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~On the western battlements~

A pair of twin orcs are being hounded by their sister to do their jobs.

Groumish and Gruomish don't really care what Phlechki says, though.

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~Below again~

Some Nestlands wares. A barrel of spring green paint, something that requires a tumbler lock to secure it, some plants for a special dish the Ambassador wants prepared (by a Nestlands cook), and . . .

WEAPONS!!!

Rowphf Pugnose wants one, but which one will the pup take?

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~About Rowphf~

Rowphf is also from the Kettlerowr Clan of werewolves, but he is definitely no relation to General Grimm. If you even suggest that to the general, he will messily dismember you. Especially since Rowphf's maternal grandmother, whom he looks so much like, is rumored to have been sired by an Avalonian border collie. I think I almost believe that.

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~Over in the alley~

What's going on here?

A Death's Head Commander is upset at some orc recruits.

Podnik One Eye: The instr'ctshuns said we is supposta meet at de Kurvus campsite. Duz it mean de campsite west of de Kurvus Tree?

Podnik Two Eye: Nah, it meanz de campsite east of de Kurvus Tree.

Death's Head Commander: Shut up! The Kurvus Tree was cut down three months ago! The instructions mean we camp where the Kurvus Tree used to be. Idiots.

Podnik One Eye: Sorry.

Podnik Two Eye: Yeah, sorry.

Death's Head Commander: Just get your empty heads to the campsite. And if it's not ready before I arrive, once it is done, I'll turn you two over to Lord Vladivus. He's got himself a dragon, and you two could be feeding him your flesh, a piece at a time, in turn with each other until there is no more left.

The orcs are thoroughly cowed by their commander's threat, and back away slowly, before turning to run.

The Death's Head Commander has a joyous grin on his face, under the mask. Thanks to Lord Vladivus' presence, he was finally able to use a threat he came up with months ago.

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~About the Death's Head Commander~

His name, written in the modern script, is a hard to pronounce string of consonants. I won't even try. It translates to Sunshine Daffodil, but if you try calling him that, you will be messily dismembered.

~About the Podniks~

One Eye and Two Eye are not related, they just have the same name. Nor are they related to the orcs on the battlements. The commander just needed a way of distinguishing the two. All those orcs look too much alike, don't they?

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~Upon the rooftop~

Check it. That rooster has himself a snake. Ooh a bright red one, trying to pretend he's poisonous. You are gonna get eaten. The rooster is safe, because there is no killing or eating of birds here.

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Look, a giant nest. Maybe someone's flying mount would like to land here, when they come to visit.

More detail pics.

The alley, sans figs.

The last remaining remnants of the drow construction. The werewolves say it doesn't stink now.

(Some wider roof images. Yeah, I had to blot out some of my yard in the second pic.)

A better look at the entrance. Yes, Neord still flies the High Council standard. You want to make somethin' of it? Also, you can see Twali's face.

Neords worldviewer. (I built this last year, and finally I got to use it.)

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(Some close up shots of the wall. Lots of detail here, but each wall is a physical palindrome, and they mirror each other. They're neat, but for all the time I put into them, they just weren't that important to the story.)

(The tower. I tried to give it some visual interest, but I don't think it's eyecatching enough. Hey it got a story mention, though)

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The swamp outside the Embassy. (20 images full of detail.)

This tree Neord planted from a Nestlands seedpod a few years ago. The plant grows tall quickly, but can take ten years to grow a seedpod. In the Nestlands, this tree's leaves grow white, and are only useful after they are boiled, to seal small cuts. Here the leaves have grown black, and are eddible right off of the tree. This old hawk has decided he will stay a while.

The edge of the Blood Sands. A place that a vampire might enjoy resting, if he can get himself burried for the day.

An old signpost? Maybe, but how old? Not 300 years, that's for sure.

This definitely signifies something, but it has been too long. Nobody remembers.

Do you see the mineral spring? (There is a small pond under there as well, but I made it, then disguised it, so long ago that I forgot to focus on it.)

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(Four overall shots, one from each side. Does it feel like a whole build now?)

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gedren_y's final notes:

OMG! Creating this thread took all day! This will be my biggest build for a long while.

I know that a number of the images are bad, and the build looks to have come apart during photography. It did, and I had to rebuild the center of the courtyard because one substructure brick got out of place.

I'll upload some better pics of the figs soon, but the build started to come apart just getting it back on my build table. It's a parts-hog anyway. Time to dismantle it.

My thanks to the Eurobricks members Jorrith, Lord Vladivus, and SarahJoy, who's builds I linked to as part of my story.

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CCC

Reserved for future fig pics.

(Edit: fixed some gramatical errors I missed)

Edited August 24, 2015 by gedren_y

[Exetrius]

Wow, I can see this must have taken all day indeed! Some interesting parts usage throughout the build, I like the use of that globe piece (though pink doesn't go along well with that colour scheme imo) and those wall sections made with tan (basket ball?) field pieces, just to name a few.

Some criticism: mind your use of contrasting colors/styles and custom pieces (which you've used extensively). I also think that this post needn't have this many pictures. I hope this is useful to you, happy building

[TitusV]

Such a brief history

Great build, my most favored details are the flying nest and the globe used in the courtyard.

The way things fit together are very Nice too

[Lord Vladivus]

Love the nest and the globe! Glad to see this finally posted, even if it took you all day!

[Jacob Nion]

That world viewer is an awesome feature. Great idea and very cleverly done. Thanks for expanding our guild!

[Bregir]

Woah - that was quite a read! Especially on a cell phone - I am glad to finally be able to see it on my computer!

My feedback: (This is just off the top of my head, so it isn't in any particular order! There is lots to comment on, so I will just take the most important )

Positive:

1. Your character descriptions are wonderful. I really like how you flesh out each character, and it makes me wonder, if we will see some of them in consecutive builds. It really shows how much thought you put into each fig. (And the same can be said for some of your detail descriptions)
   
2. You do a great job at "integrating" your build with the rest of Historica. It is very nice how you reference to other builders, events, characters, places, etc. including links to the relevant builds, and makes it easy to see how things fit together. Both the fact that you make an effort to make the connections, and the fact that you actually take the time to find the proper links!
   
3. Great colours and architecture! I really like the grey and black walls (fitting well with Shadowmerian architecture) with the colourful crenelations (which I see as a typical thing for the Nestlands Clans.) - The combination works great! I think your black tower fits well within the rest. The main building has a very nice composition, and I really like those outer walls.
   
4. Interior: I love the pattern on the floor, and the overall look of the room, although I do find the idea of living flesh on the walls a tad too Nocturnian for me!
   
5. Nest and world viewer: Both are really nice additions to the build, and I do not mind the colours. In fact, I like the untraditional use of colour! The nest is a great idea, and I would love to see the beasts and birds landing there!
   

Suggestions:

1. I would suggest limiting the number of photos - Going through the post, I was yearning for overview photos! I would have preferred fewer photos, each showing larger bits of the build.
   
2. I would also suggest leaving the detail pics for flickr, rather than posting them all here.
   
3. Start and end with an overview pic, so people know what they are looking at and get a nice wrap-up in the end
   
4. A few of your pics are a bit unclear, but you are already aware of that.
   

All in all a very cool build, and a nice (although long ) read! Looking forward for more from the Nestlands!

[Adair]

Wow, this is extensive.... awesome work, Gedren!

[LittleJohn]

Fantastic work, Gedren! The tower is superb and I really like the landscaping

[Blufiji]

There are parts of this I can definitely appreciate as being clever and unique: The World Viewer, the swamp and it's variation in plants (both in color and shape) and the minifig posing. I will however echo Bregir's suggestion of leaving the detailed pics on flickr. Great job overall!

[soccerkid6]

You packed plenty of detail into this build! The outer wall and tower are my favorite parts

Though the plants outside are really neat too