Avalonia GoT Mini-Challenge - An Elfin Claimant

[en_zoo]

Avalonia Mini-Challenge - Game of Thrones

An Elfin Claimant

 

 

A travelling minstrel lightly touches the chords of his lyre, addressing the passers-by. 

Hear ya! Hear ya! 

Yes, my Ladies, my Lords! Please approach! Your favourite troubadour's daily story is about to begin! This evening, my Ladies, my Lords, we have a special one! I will tell you the story of a clan of half-elves! Aren't you curious? Please approach, my dear guests and take your seat! The story is about to begin...

In the heart of Avalonia, in the fertile plains covered with lush forests, where scents of flowers fill up the nostrils while the fresh morning breeze competes with the warmth of the early sunbeams teasing the skin, lived once a clan of half-elves. Yes, you've heard it well, my Ladies, my Lords: a clan of half-elves! Unlike the majority of their kin – usually loners, indeed – this particular group was one of a kind! ... The history of the clan goes back for generations and fades into myth... The narration of the forefather's deeds... How did he meet his wife? How did they start the family? And where does that filosophy come from, my Ladies? They refused the idea of 'not-being-human-while-also-not-being-elves', my Lords! Yes! They made a point of having taken the best traits from both! Oh yes! An improvement! An enhancement! True half-elvish pride, it was! Even their architecture, an interesting mixture of both! ...

Ha! I can hear your whispers, my Ladies! My Lords! Your incredulous look, I can spot! But believe! The story is true! And hear, there is much more to come! 

The family thrived, among pointy ears and beards. They stuck with one another and set up many businesses - they spread their belief, the friends they made! Yes, friends, and allies too, my Ladies! For they did not fall prey of the pride, of the arrogance, they did not, my Lords! They fed the needy and helped the poor, they fought the unfairness, they did it just so, the words were equality and justice for all! 

Yes, my Ladies, on your face I can see, my Lords, even you! You start to recall this story after all! You heard it before, I warned it was true! The family existed and now exists even more! 

They grew their numbers, their riches, the reputation they got! They made friends everywhere, did ya' know? The elves to the West, the orcs to the East, the dwarves in the North... they have ships full of southern oil setting sail to long-forgotten islands... !

... They got themselves some enemies, oh sure they did, my Lord... That one at the bottom, yes, I can hear your voice... They got called promiscuous, mixed, heterogeneous... 'mixed-use' even! The elves of Hesperia, some high circles in Albion, in Cedrica...Yes, yes... That Lord there is right, many use the word with 'B', if you'll excuse your minstrel, my Ladies, my Lords! Yes... some even created the word 'half-dwarves'...

A shocked chorus among the crowd.

Let us not forget our story, my Ladies! My Lords! That is certainly true, that is how they advanced... and now a throne is empty and the land swarms with claimants! Everyone wants one of them on that throne! Yes, my Ladies, a King! And, my Lords, there's a Queen! 

They're elfin indeed, they're symbol of hope! Unity, warranty against racial wars! 

Let us be at peace and prosper and merge; cooperation is the future, let us welcome the exchange! 

You have to consider, they have lots of support – don't miss out, my guests, be part of the best! 

The story is now over, yet everyone knows, there's a claimant who's worth it for each of us all! 

Let us just unite and abandon the swords! For peace! For equality! My Ladies... my Lords!

The crowd shouts its approval. In a sudden cloud of smoke, the minstrel disappears. 

 

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Right on time!

I had this idea of 'half-elven' architecture and wanted to try it out. That bloody rounded roof with tiles requires a lot of attention, but I do like the look. This is the first time I go for a vignette - trying to get as much information as possible in a limited space was a nice challenge. I also wasn't too sure how to alternate it to the story, being only one pic. As for the story itself, I guess it might be a bit confusing not seeing any minstrel in the pic? I wanted to try that format though, just to add variety. I actually wanted the whole thing to rhyme and to have the same amount of syllables for every sentence (like the last part), but realised quickly that was a bit too much for my skills, so I left it kind of half-and-half C&C most welcome as usual, thanks for reading!

A photography note @Basiliscus

Spoiler

I borrowed this Reflex from a friend of mine. Together with the lights, I reckon it's getting better, though now I have to figure out how exactly the focus works. In fact, the fig at the very centre (the maid) is out of focus, while the rest isn't that bad Being a small build, it was also relatively easy, while it took me ages with a bigger one that is coming soon. Opinions? It also seems to be impossible to avoid creating shadows on the background - I thought maybe the lights were too close up? I hope that's not why as I haven't got any more space Finally, I've been reading around a bit and I'm surprised at how so many builders don't use artificial lights at all, they say

 

P.S.

Not sure why, but I have my comments aligned right (in the preview as well), yet when I post/edit they get moved to the centre like the rest of the post. If anyone has an idea why and/or how to avoid this, it'd be cool

 

Edited February 25, 2019 by en_zoo

[W Navarre]

That shield looks like a precarious perch!  Nice work, I think the building is a little too flat, but with the size I understand. Cool figs! 

[The Last of Nergoue]

Great moc although i feel it is altogether too flat with the building as well as the street

[kahir88]

I think the crowd compensates the flatness, of the build. The crowd really catches the feeling of a celebration, well done! 

Also, I bit lost in the lore, are they half-elf, and... half dwarf? o.O Shouldn't they be... a bit smaller then? :D

 

[derEselausErgste]

A nice crowd fitting into an even nice story. 

[Servertijd]

That roof is really nice, and I liked your story! Well done

[Henjin_Quilones]

A half-elf on the throne seems interesting. Does this mean we are getting closer to the backstory of our second-favorite half-elf (after Lord @Gideon of Barqa, of course ) and favorite amnesia-sufferer in the Guilds? The roof looks tricky and the figs look good. My only complaint is that there is too much red (and lion heraldry) for Avalonia...

[de Gothia]

Great idea with the shields, almost like Asterix and Obelix! I like the figs posings as well! 

[Grover]

Oh how delightful!  I love the overall colors and festive nature of the scene.  The tower is great, and I love the bright color choices.  The dark blue roof is really outstanding, too.  I love how the townsfolk are carrying the half elven lords on shields.  I love the writeup and get a very joyous feel out of the build.  Great job!

[en_zoo]

On 2/26/2019 at 1:05 AM, W Navarre said:

That shield looks like a precarious perch!  Nice work, I think the building is a little too flat, but with the size I understand. Cool figs! 

 

On 2/26/2019 at 4:56 AM, The Last of Nergoue said:

Great moc although i feel it is altogether too flat with the building as well as the street

haha 'precarious perch' (you're right though...) Thanks guys. As I mentioned, I'm not a vignette expert, I should try my hand at that a bit more often.

On 2/26/2019 at 8:15 AM, kahir88 said:

I think the crowd compensates the flatness, of the build. The crowd really catches the feeling of a celebration, well done! 

Also, I bit lost in the lore, are they half-elf, and... half dwarf? o.O Shouldn't they be... a bit smaller then? :D

haha thanks, Kahir. Though I can't tell if you're joking or if you didn't get my joke.. ? In case you didn't, half-dwarf was used as an insult by some 'pure race' supporters, you see

On 2/26/2019 at 9:35 AM, derEselausErgste said:

A nice crowd fitting into an even nice story. 

 

17 hours ago, Servertijd said:

That roof is really nice, and I liked your story! Well done

Thanks guys, I'm glad you liked it - can I count on your support then?

13 hours ago, Henjin_Quilones said:

A half-elf on the throne seems interesting. Does this mean we are getting closer to the backstory of our second-favorite half-elf (after Lord @Gideon of Barqa, of course ) and favorite amnesia-sufferer in the Guilds? The roof looks tricky and the figs look good. My only complaint is that there is too much red (and lion heraldry) for Avalonia...

hehe Lord @Gideon of Barqa is also the most famous, probably the wealthiest (and also oldest? ) half-elf in the whole of Historica, indeed. In fact, my elfin claimant is hoping to receive his support somehow, even though from outside Avalonia. He can organise some lobbies or something, I'm sure

And hey, you have a point about the heraldry, I didn't think about it I was just glad to have found a nice torso and chose everything else around it.. Oh well, I guess it can be changed, in case of victory The roof is kind of tricky, yes; I reckon if I make it bigger it might work better, at least for the lower sections, yet the top is probbaly gonna have to be the same. As for that backstory, who knows?

13 hours ago, de Gothia said:

Great idea with the shields, almost like Asterix and Obelix! I like the figs posings as well! 

Thanks dG! And yes, I thought of Asterix and Obelix too (plus with a shield it was easier to have them carried by the crowd.. )

5 hours ago, Grover said:

Oh how delightful!  I love the overall colors and festive nature of the scene.  The tower is great, and I love the bright color choices.  The dark blue roof is really outstanding, too.  I love how the townsfolk are carrying the half elven lords on shields.  I love the writeup and get a very joyous feel out of the build.  Great job!

Thanks Grover, really glad you like it, so that Lady Gwenllian might support the cause, right?

[soccerkid6]

Dark blue, white, and bley are a great color combo Pretty architecture, good cobblestone streets, and the thronging crowd all come together well.

[en_zoo]

On 3/11/2019 at 4:25 PM, soccerkid6 said:

Dark blue, white, and bley are a great color combo Pretty architecture, good cobblestone streets, and the thronging crowd all come together well.

Thank you, SK. It's good to hear that about my very first vignette, where the few element MUST come together well, given the size restriction