Knighting Ceremony - The Knights of Sana Argenta - Freebuild

[mccoyed]

Illaryian, Varlyrio

As Varlyrio puts itself back together and flourishes, peace has settled over the island. In times of peace, armies shrink and professional warriors find themselves with less to do. Many aren't suited for and do not desire a life of farming or trade. A great many become bandits or mercenaries which often takes them to other lands. If they're fortunate in birth, wealth, or fame they may be invited into one of the many Orders of knights that have risen in the East. Some are based around the old religions, no longer suppressed, while others found themselves on certain principles or even heroic figures. In general, these Orders are inspired by the culture of knighthood and chivalry that is a cornerstone of Avalonian society. Some Varlyrian knighthoods trace their routes to Avalonia or Avalonian expatriates who founded Orders in Varlyrio.

The Knights of Sana Argenta of the Sword and Cup (sometimes called the Silver Knights) are an interesting crossroads of different common themes in Varlyrian knighthoods. The deified legendary Sana Argenta is their patroness and subject of religious worship, meaning their holdings and fortresses often double as temples. Their ranks are made up of former soldiers and the sons and daughters of prominent families. Their headquarters in Illaryian were designed by a Mitgardian architect, favoring the dull gray stone and blunt, functionality of northern Historican fortresses. The stained glass is said to be imported all the way from Deydelon.The centerpiece of the temple is a large statue of Sana Argenta which serves as a meeting place and altar where new knights make their vows and are formally accepted into the ranks.

Ser Stena D'Gatto, Knight-Sergeant, officiates the ceremony and offers a salute as a new recruit is presented to a small gathering of family members and important Illaryian citizens who support the knighthood.

 

Builder's Notes:
 

Spoiler

 

-Side build I've been wanting to do for a while. I'll get back to The Lion's Eye soon.

-I wanted to say a bit more about knightly orders in Varlyrio and why they could be more prominent and common than previously, when Varlyrio was a proxy state of the Black Hand. I hope to inspire other builders to create mercenary companies, guilds, and knightly orders of their own so we can flesh out Varlyrio.

-I finally spelled Illaryian right! I was spelling it Illyrian in every other build.

-Looking at the statue now, I see the exposed bottom of the ramp brick on the left arm is a bit unsightly. Oh well. I'll watch for stuff like that next time.

-I wanted to do an "all brick" shot hence the close up at the end.

-One more kind of medium shot:

 

 

[zoth33]

Nice statue, I like the fountain out of the arm really nice touch.  The floor is nicely done.  I like the way you did the kneeling fig, and the figs are all pretty cool.  Good job.  

[Basiliscus]

Really nice work @mccoyed!

Love the white and blue stripes on the floor and the way they make their way round the edge of the build.

The statue is nicely done too, and while the exposed anti-studs on the arm are noticeable, I don't think it's as bad as you think. Maybe one of the new upside down 2x2 tiles would cover this up?

Enjoyed the story too and it's nice to see these knightly orders getting fleshed out!

It's good to see more Varlyrio freebuilds because right now we need the points!

[W Navarre]

The water fountain is really good!  I do think the trashcan is a bit too noticeable but nice idea there, and also nice stripes in the floor! 

[Muakhah]

Really nice statue that incorporates the symbols of the cult.  Knightly orders and brotherhoods allow a lot of scope for different factions and drama. I like the clear blue and white and the posing.  I hope we can hear more of the exploits of these knights in the future!

[MiloNelsiano]

Oh man, I’ve been trying to get my knightly order into the guild unsuccessfully for way too long now. Hopefully I can finally get that done soon. Very nice little build and story!

[mccoyed]

On 12/9/2018 at 5:48 PM, zoth33 said:

Nice statue, I like the fountain out of the arm really nice touch.  The floor is nicely done.  I like the way you did the kneeling fig, and the figs are all pretty cool.  Good job.  

Thanks zoth! The kneeling technique is actually my own invention, as far as I know. Used it a long while back for a Lands of Roawia build and I've never seen anyone else do it.

20 hours ago, Basiliscus said:

Really nice work @mccoyed!

Love the white and blue stripes on the floor and the way they make their way round the edge of the build.

The statue is nicely done too, and while the exposed anti-studs on the arm are noticeable, I don't think it's as bad as you think. Maybe one of the new upside down 2x2 tiles would cover this up?

Enjoyed the story too and it's nice to see these knightly orders getting fleshed out!

It's good to see more Varlyrio freebuilds because right now we need the points!

Thanks, Bas. I think a 2x2 upside down tile would work great but I actually don't think I have any in the right bley. I have some dark ones.

15 hours ago, W Navarre said:

The water fountain is really good!  I do think the trashcan is a bit too noticeable but nice idea there, and also nice stripes in the floor! 

Thanks. I agree about the trashcan but the barrel I was going to use was dark bley so I thought it would break up the color scheme. What I should have done is add something to the garbage can handles to make it look more like a giant water bucket.

13 hours ago, Muakhah said:

Really nice statue that incorporates the symbols of the cult.  Knightly orders and brotherhoods allow a lot of scope for different factions and drama. I like the clear blue and white and the posing.  I hope we can hear more of the exploits of these knights in the future!

Thanks Muakhah. I do have some plans for them.

9 hours ago, MiloNelsiano said:

Oh man, I’ve been trying to get my knightly order into the guild unsuccessfully for way too long now. Hopefully I can finally get that done soon. Very nice little build and story!

Thanks! What's holding you back, Milo?

[en_zoo]

really nice! I love the statue-fountain, the colours and especially the lore behind it. It's also nice to see one of your characters in action

[Henjin_Quilones]

Very nice! I like the blue motif you have throughout the build, in the stripes, the water, and the knights. The shrine itself is quite nice, and I do not mind the trashcan as a cup. I do think that the statue should be a brick or so higher, with the bottom dress part being extended a bit, because as it is now, the proportions are a bit off to my eye. I like the stained glass windows, but they might look better set into the wall a bit, rather than protruding out slightly as they are now. Finally, the decorative base makes the presentation nice and sharp! I like the notch running along it, giving it a subtle bit of visual interest. 

[Grover]

Nice build!  I like the build around a 'tradition' of Varlyrio, building up some lore.  I like the blue and white lines in the floor of the build, and the use of the trans blue pieces for water (from the Marvel Superheroes, right?) looks great!  The minifigure posing with the guards' crossed polearms is a nice touch.  At first I thought the statue and back wall were a bit blocky and utilitarian for what I thought of as a Varlyrian build, but then you mentioned that it was designed by a Mitgardian (probably with heavy dwarven influence), so it makes a lot more sense--a fortress, not an ornate delicate center of worship as it well.  Well done!

[MaasEffekt]

Very nice! Congrats!

[mccoyed]

On 12/11/2018 at 4:18 AM, en_zoo said:

really nice! I love the statue-fountain, the colours and especially the lore behind it. It's also nice to see one of your characters in action

Thanks! I plan to explore all the D'Gattos' lives.

22 hours ago, Henjin_Quilones said:

Very nice! I like the blue motif you have throughout the build, in the stripes, the water, and the knights. The shrine itself is quite nice, and I do not mind the trashcan as a cup. I do think that the statue should be a brick or so higher, with the bottom dress part being extended a bit, because as it is now, the proportions are a bit off to my eye. I like the stained glass windows, but they might look better set into the wall a bit, rather than protruding out slightly as they are now. Finally, the decorative base makes the presentation nice and sharp! I like the notch running along it, giving it a subtle bit of visual interest. 

Ah, good point about the proportions and stained glass windows. They aren't actually supposed to be protruding, but slipped a little when I was positioning the build for pics. I'll watch for that the next time I try the technique, though I think I'll rely less on pressure fitting the windows since that didn't work well this time.

13 hours ago, Grover said:

Nice build!  I like the build around a 'tradition' of Varlyrio, building up some lore.  I like the blue and white lines in the floor of the build, and the use of the trans blue pieces for water (from the Marvel Superheroes, right?) looks great!  The minifigure posing with the guards' crossed polearms is a nice touch.  At first I thought the statue and back wall were a bit blocky and utilitarian for what I thought of as a Varlyrian build, but then you mentioned that it was designed by a Mitgardian (probably with heavy dwarven influence), so it makes a lot more sense--a fortress, not an ornate delicate center of worship as it well.  Well done!

Yeah, I toyed with the idea of making it more Mediterranean but I had some thoughts about the Silver Knights being a little "traditional" in terms of their look and equipment. A different knightly order in Varlyrio could resemble some other historical elite warriors and I have some thoughts about that. I've been thinking, for instance, of an all-female mercenary company I created in Book 2 called the Goldpikes. I think their lore was that they are Varlyrian and I really like the design. I put one in my first Book 3 build.

3 hours ago, MaasEffekt said:

Very nice! Congrats!

Thanks, Maas.

[Rogue Angel]

Very nice, clean build. I really like how you are consistently adding to the lore and culture of Varlyrio.

[soccerkid6]

I'm amazed by how well the brick built legs convey a kneeling pose, and will have to remember that technique for my own future use
I like your base shape, and the use of blue and white tiles that match up with the actual base size. Well done!