Basiliscus Posted January 30, 2019 (edited) Previously The regular squeak of the cart's axle had plagued them the entire way, and yet the driver seemed entirely oblivious. Meiyo thought it would be wise to stop off and get some fat to lubricate it before they got to the harder part of their journey, but she knew that'd be unlikely. Even though they were in friendly territory on the east side of the high ridge mountains the further west they went the less populated the land became. Her mind wandered back over the events of the past few days. After his father's orders to head west a few days ago, Mychel had wanted to take a strong force of 20 men with him to ensure their safety but Staffen would have none of it. Meiyo listened as Staffen told Mychel that he needed the men of the Conzaga private militia with him in case his enemies struck again, and he offhandedly remarked that "the bird" would keep him safe. Meiyo would miss the safety and comfort of the eastern lands, but getting some respite from Staffen's sharp tongue would be welcome. In the end Meiyo had gone to the barracks and asked for volunteers. There had been few hands raised, but when an old veteran came forward and declared he would accompany them some of the younger soldiers wanted to come along too. "What is your name soldier?" "It's Gineto. I served with Nestur in the wars against Ravaage." Meiyo examined him closely - he had a neatly trimmed goatee in the Varlyrian style and a well kept but well used chain mail shirt. But his eyes were dark and hard, just the kind of man they would need in the wastelands. "Very well Gineto, you are coming of your own free will mind." Meiyo didn't want anyone to abandon them when the going got tough. Gineto nodded. Meiyo continued, "Pick two of those who have volunteered and meet us at dusk." Travelling with a smaller escort had a number of advantages. For one, the cart and driver that Staffen had supplied his son was not large, and food would be hard to come by once they'd crossed the mountains. Carts would slow them down and become a liability if they were attacked. Additionally, the fewer men in their group meant easier access through the dwarven lands who, being wary of the humans inhabiting the eastern side of Varlyrio, might refuse them passage if they felt threatened. Once the soldiers were gathered and the cart loaded with ale, bread and a few of Mychel's essentials (he expected to travel in a certain manner) the group set off west. They travelled through the rolling green fields and since bandits were rare here the mood was light and conversation flowed. Gineto had an attentive audience for his war stories. The cart's squeak began to slow meaning the convoy was coming to a stop, and Meiyo's thoughts drifted back to the present. A small group of peasants were out picking grapes near the road side. They were using a small storage barn to store their produce before it was transported for sale. Mychel began to veer off the road to engage them in conversation and Meiyo stuck close by, just in case. After a brief chat, the group returned to the road and continued on their way. Meiyo realised she had forgotten to ask for fat for the cart axle, and it's renewed squeak reminded her of how far they still had to go. Edited January 30, 2019 by Basiliscus Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mccoyed Posted January 31, 2019 Great story and interesting base. I like the range of figs but my favorite part is the shed and wagon. Those pieces are bundles of wheat? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
de Gothia Posted January 31, 2019 Lovely little moc! The irregular base with all the earthy tones to it makes this one pops out! The wagon is my favourite part! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Servertijd Posted February 1, 2019 Excellent moc, I liked the story too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Muakhah Posted February 1, 2019 This is a great pastoral scene, reminds me of some paintings I've seen with farm workers and soldiers. The grape vines are really nice and the storage barn is lovely. It really has an italian vibe to it so its perfect for Varlyrio. I also like how the story is progressing. Want to see more of it! Its good to see Varlyrio get fleshed out more and this trip is a great way to do it! Very nice irregular base too! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grover Posted February 1, 2019 I really like this build. The color choices are fabulous. The olive green against the orange/brown road looks spectacular. The small structure looks great, too, and it took me a second to realize that you used the new pentagonal pieces for the roofing, which look great on the edge. The mini posing is very well done, and I am enjoying reading the story as they travel along. Great job! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Basiliscus Posted February 3, 2019 On 1/31/2019 at 6:21 PM, mccoyed said: Great story and interesting base. I like the range of figs but my favorite part is the shed and wagon. Those pieces are bundles of wheat? Thank you. I wondered if the base was a little monotone being entirely olive green? I wanted to mix in some sand green but it made it seem too cold for the warm Varlyrio climate. Yes, the cart beside the storage but uses droid arms and 1x1 clips to represent hay. It's supposed to be there for horses that work the nearby fields. On 1/31/2019 at 9:02 PM, de Gothia said: Lovely little moc! The irregular base with all the earthy tones to it makes this one pops out! The wagon is my favourite part! Thank you! I'll post some close ups of the wagon on Flickr as there's a harness around the ox which I think is worth sharing. On 2/1/2019 at 11:48 AM, Servertijd said: Excellent moc, I liked the story too. Cheers! On 2/1/2019 at 12:53 PM, Muakhah said: This is a great pastoral scene, reminds me of some paintings I've seen with farm workers and soldiers. The grape vines are really nice and the storage barn is lovely. It really has an italian vibe to it so its perfect for Varlyrio. I also like how the story is progressing. Want to see more of it! Its good to see Varlyrio get fleshed out more and this trip is a great way to do it! Very nice irregular base too! Thanks for the kind words! The vines were inspired by this scene and glad I managed to capture the Varlyrian aesthetic well. I primarily joined this guild because it needed fleshed out, it was less intimidating to do this than in a more established guild. I'm definitely enjoying writing Mychel and Meiyo's story and I hope to continue it in freebuilds and future challenges. On 2/1/2019 at 6:21 PM, Grover said: I really like this build. The color choices are fabulous. The olive green against the orange/brown road looks spectacular. The small structure looks great, too, and it took me a second to realize that you used the new pentagonal pieces for the roofing, which look great on the edge. The mini posing is very well done, and I am enjoying reading the story as they travel along. Great job! Thanks for all the kind words! It's hard to tell from this shot (but it's kinda the point) but the roof is main up of headlight bricks irregular spaced using plates and filled in with 1x1 tiles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
en_zoo Posted February 4, 2019 Well I really like the fact that you took the time to depict a scene from the trip, rather than jumping directly to the arrival or the 'big event' during the road. Doing so also shows us a bit of Valryan countryside, which is nice. For me the highlight here is the colour of the path - I never thought of it and the result is awesome. I wonder how it'd be with other shades of green. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
W Navarre Posted February 5, 2019 Excellent, very pretty and well balanced! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Last of Nergoue Posted February 6, 2019 great moc, the base is nice as well as the coloring in the path, but i think mixing another green in with the olive might have added to the it looks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spader Posted February 7, 2019 Now that is some creative roofing! Very nice! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Garmadon Posted February 13, 2019 Nice build, Bas, the colors on the road are great, but that roof is just fantastic! I do think that mixing in a little of the dark tan with the olive on top would have made that part of the scenery a bit more interesting and less monotone, but overall this is a very good little build to move your story along! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soccerkid6 Posted February 20, 2019 Unique choice to use dark red and dark orange for the path, and I like how it looks Beautiful roof technique using those minecraft elements It's great seeing more events through Meiyo's perspective too Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gideon Posted February 20, 2019 Nice landscaping and fig posing Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henjin_Quilones Posted March 5, 2019 I love that hay cart. The angled sides and the pile of droid arms look just perfect. I'm not a big fan of the bright green and olive green together, but it's not the worst. The bright green seems to stand out awkwardly from the otherwise muted color scheme. I like the posing and the structure of the figs and building. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
