Castle lore

[Jozeppi8706]

New guy- first time poster.

I have noticed a lot of debate over the lore or backstories of the various Classic Castle factions.  In an effort to create a story that incorporates several different ideas that I have seen mentioned, I have composed the following.  Of course, this is a work of fiction from my own headcanon but I am interested to know what others think.  This is by no means complete, and I apologize for the length, but I believe it is an enjoyable narrative if you are able to dedicate a few minutes to reading the whole thing:

 

Classic Lego Castle Lore

            Long had the Black Knights held the countryside in their grasp.  As the largest and most powerful faction in the land, they had consolidated their rule over the entire country, from the seas, to the mountains, to the plains.  After thirty long years of war, a tenuous peace had just been proclaimed with the neighboring kingdom’s Crusader knights, by which each adversary had agreed to a demarcation of the territory to which they had both laid claims. Finally, the Black Knights could cease warring with their neighbors, and focus on the enforcement of order within their own borders.  The outlaw Forestmen had long taken advantage of the too-thinly spread military, frequently raiding royal convoys and, in some respects, leading to the stalemate with the Crusaders due to their devastating impact on the kingdom’s coffers.  Meanwhile, the lawless band of highwaymen calling themselves the Wolfpack were apt to be encountered at any bend of any road, and no travelers were safe from their villainy, be they peasant or noble, military or civilian, merchant or clergy.  These internal threats needed to be addressed.

            Although the proclamation of the crime crackdown was made with flair and fanfare, and met with public accolade and aplomb, its implementation would have to wait.  The elderly king, Edwin the Black, or the “Black Monarch” as he was known throughout the land, died suddenly in his sleep.  His eighty-eight-year-old heart was simply too weak, and with the pleasance of peace finally achieved, it seemed as though he had chosen to let go his fight for life.  As the kingdom mourned, powerful men schemed in the shadows in their desires for power.

            Lord Hawkins, baron of Hawkshead and second cousin of King Edwin, had designs upon the throne.  Many times in the late years of the long war had his elite band of soldiers, the Black Falcons, turned the tide of battle in the Black Knights’ favor.  As such, he was revered among the peasantry as a hero, although his lavish lifestyle led him to be despised by the Knights and the rest of the nobility.  As Edwin had survived two wives and his two sons, who had both been slain in battle against the Crusaders, the Baron was his closest living relative.  It seemed all but certain his claim to the throne would be accepted and consecrated, and Baron Hawkins would soon choose a new name as King of the Black Knights.  But other men had other plans.

            Edwin’s third wife, Alena, was of the tender age of twenty-two, having been married to the king only a year before his death.  As the nobility loathed the Baron, they chose instead to support Elena’s ascension to the throne.  Further, in the days following Edwin’s demise, the nobility enlisted virile, young knights to discretely plant “seeds” to ensure an heir would be born, invalidating the Baron’s claim.  During the ensuing months, as the Baron made plans for his ascension and coronation, surprising news was proclaimed to the Kingdom: the widowed queen was with child!  She had lain with King Edwin in the days before his death, and posthumously, to the Black Monarch would be born an heir!  While the public accepted this news with joy, as their beloved King’s line would persist, Baron Hawkins balked in disbelief.  He decried the pregnancy as conspiracy: King Edwin was old and frail and could in no way have been healthy enough to sire an heir with his young wife, he claimed.  Though these statements were, in fact, very much true, his doubts were silenced as the rest of the Kingdom rushed to proclaim Alena the Queen Dowager and await the birth of a new King or Queen.

            The baron rode for Hawkshead Castle where he gathered his forces, the Black Falcons.  In the name of the late Black Monarch, he proclaimed himself King and marched his forces on the Black Knight capital.  The Black Falcons were strong- indeed, the most powerful fighting unit in the land.  But the Black Knights were many.  Further, the Falcons’ lack of siege weaponry made capturing the well-defended capital all but impossible.  After a week-long siege, the Baron’s men had suffered heavy casualties and were nowhere near breaching the walls.  Reluctantly, the baron retreated with his force to Hawkshead, defeated.  He was declared a traitor to the Black Knights Crown and stripped of his royal titles, and the Black Knight army, under the leadership of the Queen Dowager, was dispatched to capture Hawkshead Castle and return with the former Baron in chains.  However, they met with much the same result as had the Black Falcons during their siege: the fierce-fighting men loyal to the Baron were willing to lay down their lives to protect their Lord.  Additionally, during the siege, several knights and soldiers deserted the ranks of the Black Knights and joined the Falcons, heeding the Baron’s calls of the fraud of the fatherhood of the widowed queen’s unborn child.  The nobility, unwilling to be weakened to the point that the Crusaders could declare war and overpower them, persuaded the Queen Dowager to call off the siege of Hawkshead.  The baron and his loyal guardsmen were thus left in control of his small corner of the kingdom, at least for the moment.  The Baron, undaunted, continued to plot his return to glory, and ascension to the throne.

            Some years passed.  The Queen Dowager gave birth to a boy, the new King of the Black Knights, named Edwin II.  As he was but a lad, the Queen Dowager maintained de facto rule over the Black Knights, influenced heavily by the whispers of the nobility in her ear.  The borders had been secured, many of the Forestmen and Wolfpack gang members had been captured and either jailed or executed, Baron Hawkins and his force was rendered impotent by the capital’s stout walls and relegated to his distant corner of the land, and the Crusaders seemed content to maintain the recently negotiated peace.  Yet, in the shadows, men continued to scheme for opportunities to seize power.

            For many years, a royal scholar named Majisto had been studying ancient texts and conducting alchemical experiments in order to develop new ways for the Black Knights to wield supreme power.  Although Majisto had managed to master many basic forms of magic, nothing had come to light that would be sufficient to bring an enemy army to its knees.  Then one day, Majisto managed to finish translating an ancient scroll, the contents of which had eluded him for over twenty years.  To his delight, he had discovered the recipe and incantation needed to resurrect, and then tame, the Great Dragon Ogwen! 

            He immediately set about brewing the concoction necessary to imbue himself with the ability to command the beast and quaffed it in a single gulp.  It was only then, after imbibing the cocktail, that he informed the Queen Dowager and her ministers of his discovery of the summoning incantation in the scroll.  He cleverly omitted the information about the potion needed to control the breast.  Majisto then made a series of demands to the Queen Dowager: he would be compensated for his years of research with ten thousand gold coins, he would be relieved of his duties as royal scholar and live a life of decadence and relaxation, and he would have the Queen Dowager’s hand in marriage, in essence making him the most powerful man in the Kingdom.       

            The head minister motioned for a nearby guard to seize Majisto.  The elderly scholar was unable to put up much resistance, and he did not seem to offer any.  His long white beard was hiding a most devious smile.  He motioned to the simple leather pouch at his waist, indicating that the translation of the scroll was therein.  The chief minister greedily rifled through the sack before removing a sheet of freshly-inked parchment.  Having been misled by Majisto into believing that the summoning was all that was necessary to control the giant lizard, he read the translated incantation with all haste.  With a great crash, the dragon Ogwen appeared right before the group gathered in the throne room.  The beast roared and blasted fierce fire from its mouth and nostrils that singed rugs on the floor and tapestries hanging upon the wall.  As the startled onlookers reeled and fell, shocked and horrified at what they were witnessing, Majisto called out to Ogwen.  The dragon calmed, lowered its back, and seemed to wait patiently for Majisto’s next order.  The guard holding the scholar had long since released his grip and was cowering in fear in a corner.  Majisto walked over to the great beast and mounted it as one might mount a common horse.  He then proclaimed himself the great wizard Majisto, Mage and Dragon Master.  The mighty creature smashed a gaping hole in the nearby wall and, upon blood-red wings, flew from the castle under Majisto’s guidance.

            In the coming weeks, several nights and over a dozen soldiers deserted their posts, seeking to follow the newly empowered Majisto, who had taken up residence in an old abandoned and dilapidated castle.  To command such a powerful beast surely meant it was only a matter of time before Majisto was able to destroy any who stood against him.  With the mighty dragon Ogwen and a garrison of soldiers now at his command, Majisto was able to create an identity all his own.  Changing the colors on the Black Knights coat of arms, Majisto declared his army the Dragon Masters, and they set about scheming to gain allies in an attempt to realize ultimate power.

            Baron Hawkins, essentially exiled to Hawkshead Castle, was awoken by shouts of terror in the early hours of the morning.  Rising and peering from his window, he witnessed a mighty dragon standing in the courtyard of his fortress.  As he stared in disbelief, a man dismounted this dragon with his arms raised above his head.  The Baron watched as his guard captain approached the blue-robed old man who had been riding the creature and then took note as the expressions of his soldiers changed from those of terror to nonplussed awe.  He then watched as his guard captain escorted the dragon rider toward the keep and his chambers.  The baron clambered down the stairs, eager to meet his knight and determine precisely the purpose of this bizarre event.

            As a baron, Hawkins was in no shape to receive an important guest.  He was recently awakened and dressed in his nightclothes.  Nonetheless, he charged into the great hall where the man in the blue cowl stood and demanded to know his intention.  Majisto, without so much as pausing, extended his hand and spoke his name.  After a few interminable seconds, the mage withdrew his had and stated his offer.  Majisto explained to the Baron his recent discovery, and the group of mean who now swore fealty to him.  He assured the Baron that the two of them were not enemies, and that he was here to make a simple proposal.  Acknowledging the fighting ferocity and widespread fame of the Black Falcons, the wizened old wizard offered to use his own small army, and his large flying monster, to help the Baron claim his rightful spot on the throne.  In exchange, Majisto would be awarded the position of Court Wizard, and he would be provided with every luxury and extravagance befitting a kingmaker.  While not completely trusting his guest’s intention, the Baron agreed to discuss the matter further.  He instructed the mage to return the following day and offered his hand.  They shook hands, and Majisto walked back to Ogwen, mounted the beast, and the two flew off in the direction of the rising sun.

[Jozeppi8706]

And here is my first MOC... going to try and build a walled village as Hawkshead.

[Grover]

I was going to suggest posting some pictures, particularly of MOCs, to go with your story.  Usually people on here are looking for MOCS and will skip all text posts.  The story isn’t bad, and the Tudor style house looks pretty good.  Putting a white or gray sheet behind the build and getting more light on it can help with pics, too.  Overall nice little build!

[Jozeppi8706]

Thank you for the tips. I have a lot of parts on order from bricklink, a few of which are to upgrade this house (additional window, shutters, and a more appropriately colored hinge brick for the door). I will tale fresh pictures when those additions are made and hopefully as I add buildings too.

[Grover]

If you're looking for inspiration, the Historican Settlements Index from the Guilds of Historica subforum (a larger, rough storyline over a bunch of independent ones with custom builds) has a lot of interesting MOCs, ranging in size, setting, and quality.  If you're looking to pursue a storyline and not just building a number of historic MOCs, the Guilds may be a good place to go, with lots of good feedback.