Book 3 Challenge V Category B: The Downfall of the Rego

[Grover]

This is the collaboration between @LittleJohn, @Aurore, @Basiliscus and myself.  Our respective Flickr albums are below, so each of our entries can be teased apart for judging purposes, since this is one story with a combined (and one split) set of entries.
@Aurore:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/171544749@N03/albums/72157714434347186
@Basiliscus: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cuahchic/albums/72157714510756378
@Grover: https://www.flickr.com/photos/139107544@N04/albums/72157714519891132/with/49958080817/
@LittleJohn: https://www.flickr.com/photos/130093880@N02/albums/72157714511159513

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Varlyrio history recap

An assassination attempt was made on the life of Bernaldo Conzaga.  Since the employer of the assassin was unknown, the head of the Conzaga family, Staffen, sent most of his children away to different corners of Historica, each with their own bodyguard, to keep them safe from further possible assassination attempts.  Mychel went to western Varlyrio; Gisela went to Prenmôr, Avalonia; Poppa went to Kaliphlin; the rest of the family remained in Varlyrio.  Gisela accepted a position as the ambassador of the town of Prenmôr.  Little is known of the whereabouts of Poppa and Mychel.

Following the assassination attempt, Staffen realized that he needed to move up in the hierarchy of the Varylrian political establishment if he wanted his family to survive, so he conspired with the de Fiori and di Carlo families to try to remove the current Rego from power.

Unbeknownst to the conspirators, the de Fiori family met with Rego Amancio, threatening him.

Finally, Varlyrio had failed to answer the call of the Queen for elite troops to battle a threat to all Historica.  The reason for this is unknown.

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The Downfall of the Rego

Rego Suprano Amancio walked down the staircase of his home with his trusted consulente.  He surveyed his home with all the trappings of wealth and power, showcasing the spoils of his family's shipping trade: marble and gold everywhere, Kolgari slaves, exotic plants from the far reaches of Historica, and expensive statues.  He was concerned that all he had built was in jeopardy due to a growing sentiment in the populace that he was not effective in representing the interest of Varlyrio with the Queen of Historica (most notably in the recent failure of Varlyrio to send troops to the summons of the Queen).  The stupidity of his nephew Malco and a failed assassination attempt compounded these problems and weighed on his mind.

"The assassin failed to kill that wretch Bernaldo," he began.  "Remind me to drown the one who hired the killer."  His counselor nodded.  The Rego's face was tight with anger.  "It's not enough that a drunken son of a minor family managed to bed my nephew's wife while he slept in the next room, but the incompetent killer failed his task and now the Conzaga boy brags about his conquest to anyone who will listen.  Even worse, someone in this house has loose lips and the Conzagas have discovered that our family is responsible for the attempt on Bernaldo's life.  This lends veracity to the rumors spreading like wildfire around the country and makes us seem incompetent and foolish, especially after the success of the Queen against the Enlightened without Varlyrian troops."  If the Rego was concerned that such a minor family knew of his machinations, he did not show it.  "I would send another assassin, but it would only feed the conspiracy theory about our family."  The consulente thought a moment as they ended their walk near the fountain in the center of the room.

"I would advise that we do not acknowledge the rumors that are circulating," he said. "We may be able to start some rumors of our own about members of the Conzaga family.  It has been reported that Staffen's daughter Gisela recently relocated to a poor fledgling community in Avalonia.  It could be that she is fleeing some horrible crime or perhaps her family has some highly contagious disease.  That would prove disastrous for their wine business and turn attention away from our family."

The Rego nodded his assent.  "Make it happen," he said.  "I will be in my study."  With that, he turned on his heel, his dark red cape spinning behind him, and he stormed past the Kolgari slaves on his way out of the room.

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Following the attempt on his brother's life, Mychel Conzaga had been sent away to western Varylrio with his bodyguard, Meiyo, and three members of the private Conzaga militia.

As the family's lead vintner, Mychel was determined not to let his time away from the vines be unproductive, and so he dedicated himself to learning about the local horticulture on his way through the western lands of Varlyrio.  Through his travels to the mountains, he was very happy, but west of the mountains the lands were arid and poor for growing much of anything.  Meiyo watched as disappointment set in for Mychel as he looked at the barren landscape and he came to the realization that there would be little for him to learn.  He pulled his hat lower to keep the sun off his face and eventually quit scanning the horizon for new vegetation.

A few weeks later, Mychel's small caravan began to encounter a little more terrain than the flat, barren landscape he had been traveling through.  To be sure, it was still a desert wasteland, but at least now there were a few rocks and ravines that broke up the flat nothing of before.  As they pushed onward toward a huge dry riverbed, they walked through shallow gullies with steep washouts.  

Around a corner, Mychel immediately halted the caravan, causing Meiyo to start with surprise.  Her hand went to her sword on her back and loosened it in its sheath.  She was worried that she had missed an enemy, but then realized that Mychel had only stopped the caravan to examine an unusually colored bright blue bush and lavender leafed trees.  Maybe in a different life she would have relaxed and let Mychel have his fun with a new plant, but not now.  Her senses were on high alert after the assassination attempt on Bernaldo, and she scanned the area with her eagle eyes.  She didn't see anything, but something wasn't quite right.  They had been traveling for weeks with hardly a living plant in sight, and now, in the bottom of this washout, they had come across strange plants flourishing in the same inhospitable environment?  No, there had to be someone taking care of these plants.  

She looked around, now worried to be at the bottom of a gully with the high ground all around her, still keeping her hand on her sword.  "Look at these!" Mychel exclaimed as he grabbed a handful of the strange blue plant. "Amazing!  And in this desert!  If we could learn how this plant grows, we might be able to save our vines during severe drought."  Mychel, lost in thought, didn't hear the slithering motion as a large purple naga slid up behind him.

Meiyo, however, was not taken by surprise, drawing her sword and jumping between the naga and Mychel.

Immediately, she noticed an armored large cat-man carrying a crossbow appear from a camouflaged position on top of the nearest hill.  The rest of Mychel's caravan took up a defensive posture, protecting him.  Mychel looked up in surprise and turned to face the naga.

"I see you have found my garden," the naga said calmly.

Meiyo eyed the naga closely: her four arms held a shovel, gardening shears and a bucket.  Meiyo gauged that she could lop at least one of those arms off in the first attack to try and level the playing field somewhat, but was unsure of how to deal with the rest of her arms and her tail if it came to that.

"We are sorry to have intruded on your personal garden," Mychel said, never one for being afraid.  "It is very lovely.  Tell me, how do you manage to keep these plants watered here?  They are exquisite."  He stepped forward, putting his hand on Meiyo's armored shoulder.  Meiyo kept her sword in hand but allowed him to step to her side to see the naga better.

The naga smiled.  "I see you appreciate horticulture," she said.  She slithered to the nearby tree and set down her gardening implements, then waved off her guard at the top of the hill, who retreated down to join her, holding his crossbow in a non-threatening manner.  Meiyo still held her sword, but now in a non-threatening posture.  Making sure to keep in a position where she could throw herself between Mychel and the naga, she moved with them as they walked.  The naga gestured to a crude stone building cut in a rock, and another dark skinned somewhat elven looking figure clad in dark blue appeared.  Meiyo stiffened, but this figure appeared to be unarmed and more timid than the naga.

"This my friend Aiya who helps me tend the flowers," the naga explained.  "We are from the Kolgari tribes, deep below the earth."

Meiyo was a little surprised.  She had never met a Kolgari before and had only heard rumors.  Now she had met a naga and a Kolgari in the same day!

Mychel, the naga, and Aiya talked excitedly for an hour about plants, boring the Conzaga militia and exhausting Meiyo, who was determined not to let her guard down.

Satisfied that Mychel was not here on some mission to exterminate the Kolgari, and that he was indeed a skilled botanist, the naga and Aiya invited Mychel and his entourage to visit the Kolgari civilization and exchange cultivation ideas.  Mychel, of course, was thrilled.  The Conzaga militia were less so, and Meiyo was very dubious, thinking this would be a prime time for a kidnapping.  However, she was sworn to protect Mychel and follow his lead, so they were going to have to go below the surface.  She comforted herself with the notion of a resupply, since they were running low on food and particularly water, both of which the Kolgari offered.

She conferred briefly with Gineto, the leader of the Conzaga militia that served as Mychel's guards, and asked him and his men to carefully mark and remember the way down into the Kolgari settlement in the case that they needed to make a hasty escape back to the surface.  She similarly admonished the wagon driver to keep the horse ready for a quick trip out if needed.  She then returned to Mychel and they bid their farewell to the naga, following Aiya around a number of corners and then into a cave cunningly hidden by some dead bushes and rocks.  They were able to bring their horse only a short distance into the shallow cave before the passage became too narrow.  The wagoneer unsaddled Mychel's horse, then led them to a small pool of water formed naturally in the wall of the cave, where the thirsty animal happily drank.  Seeing that the wagoneer would stay with the horse, Aiya then led the group through the small fissure in the rear of the cave.

Meiyo was on her guard, but she had to admit, it felt nice to get out of the sun and heat.  The cool, damp air of the cave continued to feel cooler and more humid as they progressed down.  Mychel commented on how nice the air felt on his sunburn.  Aiya led them downward by lamplight for what seemed like most of the day, deep into the darkness, from one tunnel to another, until finally they reached a point where she extinguished the lamp.  Meiyo's feathers stood on end, and then her eyes adjusted.  What she saw before her was truly stunning.  A vast, underground cavern opened before the tunnel lit with the soft glow of various plants.  Mychel was beside himself, amazed at the glowing lichens and fungi.  A whole underground city was here, more incredible than anyone could have imagined.  This had to be the fabled sunken city of legend.

Aiya led them down into the city.  Tall white and gold structures could be seen in the center of the city, but it was surrounded by fields that appeared to be farms and orchards.  There were plants of colors rarely seen on the surface: strange blues and purples, pinks and magentas.  Mychel found the whole place fascinating.  They met various of the subterranean elves on their walk into the fields of fungi, flowers, trees, and other strange plants none of them had ever seen before.  After walking what seemed like a mile, Aiya stopped at a small house made from some sort of white rock.

"This is my family's house.  We are farmers," she said.  After showing the entourage into her rather small house, she introduced Mychel to her family and led the group onto the back patio where they looked out over the fields of strange plants that trailed off into the black darkness beyond.  "You are welcome to stay with us for the night," Aiya said, much to Meiyo's disappointment.  Mychel, of course, was thrilled.

"This is great!" Mychel said to Meiyo.  "We can learn from the Kolgari the ways of underground growing and use this to great effect on our vineyards!"

Mieyo pulled him aside.  "We should be wary that we are not being set up for an ambush," she said bluntly.

"Look around.  Do you think they'd attack us now?  They could have attacked us at any point in those dark tunnels and we would have been slaughtered.  Now they're going to invite us into their home to attack?  It doesn't make any sense, and besides, the Rego doesn't have any people down here!"

Meiyo had to admit that his logic made sense.  She shrugged.  At least she wasn't going to get sunburnt down here.  She talked to Gineto and the other guards.  "We will sleep in shifts so one of us is always on guard.  These elves seem all right, but there is much we do not know.  Stay alert."

Aiya came over to the group.  "I can show you your rooms in our guest house out back.  It might be a little tight for all of you, but hopefully you can manage."  She led them to the guest house that her parents were preparing dinner.  There were no shutters on the windows and everything was open air, presumably because there was no weather underground and the temperature was nearly constant.  The temperature was a little chilly, but the climate was nice otherwise.  

After settling in, they were invited to dine with Aiya's family.  The evening was pleasant, and the meal was surprisingly good for whatever the plants were.  Meiyo had some sort of sweetish blue paste and had to admit it was quite tasty.  Mychel, of course, could have no end to all the plant excitement, and seemed to get on quite well with Aiya.  That night, Mychel came to Meiyo before they went to sleep.

"Meiyo, this is where I need to be.  I can learn how to make our vines better in drought, bring in some exotic flavors, understand how they can cultivate without sunlight... and this is the place.  I expect to stay here for a couple of weeks at least."

Meiyo was not particularly happy about this, but Staffen's instructions were to take the boy west and keep him safe from harm, not to take him to a specific destination.  She was sure he had not intended to send the boy to the Sunken City, but that couldn't be helped right now.  She agreed, and Mychel headed to bed.

The next few days were interesting, learning of the surroundings and inhabitants.  The Kolgari were fairly reserved, probably having never seen outsiders before, but were hospitable and pleasant.  After a while, Meiyo had to admit that the Kolgari were not a threat, and although she never relaxed her guard, the time began to pass faster.  The horse, which had been brought down through a different passage after Mychel had decided to stay, didn't care much for the underground environment, but it was otherwise pleasant.

About two weeks into their stay underground, Mychel was out with Aiya tending to some weird light blue glowing plants when Meiyo felt her pocket getting warm.  She looked down and pulled out the small stone that Staffen had given her as a means of magical communication.  It was glowing.

She showed Mychel the stone.  "Your father sent a message."  Mychel nodded, and Meiyo activated the stone.  A shimmering blue version of Staffen's face appeared and it began to speak.

"Mychel, I have found the person responsible for the assassination attempt on your brother's life.  It was the Amancio family.  Return home at once."

Short and to the point.  Typical Staffen.  Mychel frowned.  "This is not good," he said.  "The Amancios are the most powerful family in Varlyrio.  What can we do if they tried to kill Bernaldo?"

Aiya looked at Mychel.  "The Amancios have a terrible reputation here.  They are known for having built their empire on the trade of Kolgari slaves.  They keep Kolgari slaves as servants even still."

"That's horrible.  I am not surprised, but it is still horrible."  He paused a moment in thought.  "Who is the ruler here?" he asked.

"His Majesty King Vizien," Aiya replied.  "Why?"

"I need to request an audience with the King," Mychel said with a sly look on his face.

Aiya looked taken aback.  "I don't know if that's possible," she started, "but we can go to the palace and see."

"Let's go!" Mychel said enthusiastically.  Meiyo looked surprised.  Mychel explained.  "If I can talk to the King and get support from the Kolgari, we might be able to build a force capable of overtaking the Amancios."

Meiyo was surprised at the audacity of the plan, but had to admit that it had merit: no one on the surface would ever expect an attack from Kolgari troops.  "It could work," she agreed.  "If your father can get a coalition of troops from various families together with the Kolgari, the Amancios might be vulnerable."

Mychel smiled.  Aiya led them to the palace at the heart of the city, where they had to convince the guards to let them have an audience with the King.  After some persuasion, the guards granted their request and stripped Meiyo and Mychel of all weapons.  Meiyo was unhappy with leaving her weapons behind, but took solace in the fact that she still had a dagger hidden in her boot that every search seemed to miss.

A royal herald ushered them into the palace to the throne room, while two guards followed behind.  Mychel stood agape at the amazing throne room.  Huge trees wound their roots downward around the throne, which was connected by a bridge to the main floor.  Light came into the round room through windows that were an organically interwoven mixture of stone and plant life.  Meiyo had never before seen such beauty.

Mychel and Meiyo bowed before the King, who listened to Mychel's story of the assassination attempt and his pitch to depose the rule of the Amancios once and for all.  The king thought silently for a moment, then spoke.

"The Amancios are a cruel and ruthless family.  They have enslaved the Kolgari and built their empire on the backs of our people.  Alone our people do not have the logistics on the surface to face the ruling family, as they could unite all of the families against us.  It is to our shame that we have not been able to help our people for decades.  If what you say is true, however, and families plot to overthrow the Rego, then we will stand with you and help to free our people by ridding Varlyrio of the Amancios once and for all.  I shall send a magical message to Staffen Conzaga telling him of our intent to provide troops in support of the overthrow of the Amancios and the freeing of our people."

Meiyo felt a shiver run down her spine.  This would be dangerous.  She was going to have her work cut out protecting him.  They left the throne room, headed back to Aiya's house.  Mychel thanked Aiya and her family, promising to return once they had rid the surface of the reign of the Amancios.

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The following weeks were a blur.  Mychel and his entourage sent magical word to Staffen, then quickly packed and left for home.  The trip back was with purpose and made at speed.  Upon arriving home, Mychel found the household swarming with activity.  His sister Gisela, now some sort of local ambassador in Avalonia, had returned with some Avalonian troops and mercenaries, and Staffen had arranged with the de Fiori and di Carlo families to coordinate an assault on the Amancio troops.  The Rego's failures in dealing with the Queen had brought about the cooperation of three families to depose him, while his enslavement of the Kolgari had ensured their participation.  The Conzagas had a personal score to settle for the attempt on Bernaldo's life, and so had been chosen to lead the assault.  His uncle Nestur was planning the attack, and Bernaldo was running about boasting of how many Amancios he was going to kill.  Mychel listened to Nestur explain the trap: the coalition of forces would attack the Amancio troops while they were in the open away from the manor house.  At the same time, a smaller group led by Mychel and Gisela would attack the manor house directly while it was less heavily defended.  Mychel and Meiyo left to prepare for the assault.

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Nestur had stopped in a small copse waiting for his scouts to return. In the distance he heard hoof beats, and approaching was one of his scouts, a boy younger than Bernaldo, riding hard towards him.

"Lord, we are only half a league away from the river, and I managed to approach without them noticing," the scout motioning behind him.

Nestur nodded. That was good. The Rego's troops would not be expecting an attack so deep in the heart of Varlyrio.

The scout continued, "It looks like most of the militia are there Lord, just as you said. Mainly pikemen and halberdiers."

Again Nestur nodded. This was going better than he thought. He waved the scout back into the column and signaled for the men to start marching again.

Meanwhile, near the river, the Rego's men started the day lazily. They were deep in Varlyrio and had no known enemies, and therefore had posted no sentries.  Foraging parties headed out to catch game to break their nightly fast, and guards milled about aimlessly. Suddenly, approaching the river came a marching column of unidentified soldiers.

Surprised, the foraging parties ran back across the bridge and raised the alarm. As the Conzaga militia marched into view, it still wasn't clear what their intentions were. Although startled from their early morning reverie, the Rego's soldiers assembled at the bridge. As their own halberdiers brought up the rear, the pikemen made an iron shield in their front. At the head stood the commander, an old veteran named Arturo that Nestur had known from the Ravaage wars. Beside him, ornately dressed, was the local tax official who took a coin from every traveler using this crossing.

As Nestur's men formed up on the opposite bank, the official shouted out, "State your business in the name of the Rego!" At that, Arturo whispered in the official's ear, presumably recognising Nestur astride his horse.

"I am Nestur of the house Conzaga, a loyal servant of Varlyrio," he said, producing a sneer from the official. "I come seeking justice for my nephew!" and Nestur pointed to Bernaldo. Really this was unnecessary. Atop a beautiful white stallion, clad in the best golden armour that money could buy, Bernaldo resembled something from a camp fire tale. There was no mistaking who Nestur meant, but for added effect Bernaldo waved his lance mockingly.

"Your nephew seems perfectly capable of enacting his own justice," the official retorted, drawing a few laughs from the Rego's troops. Nestur turned to look, and Bernaldo's face was flush red. He hoped he would not do anything rash.

He saw the boy dig his spurs in, lower his lance and charge across the bridge!

The fool! Nestur thought. No sane man would charge into pikemen while mounted. Nestur's plan had been to whittle down the pikemen with the Conzaga crossbowmen, and use the Avalonian infantry, kindly brought back by Gisela courtesy of Lady Gwenllian, to do most of the close quarters fighting.

It wouldn't do if Bernaldo was killed in the very battle where the Conzagas were enacting revenge for his attempted murder! Without any other choice, Nestur ordered a full out attack. The Conzaga crossbowmen shot accurately into the densely packed ranks of pikemen, and the halberdiers and Avalonians crossed the bridge to save Bernaldo. Nestur followed behind, keeping a commanding view of the carnage.

As Bernaldo crossed the bridge, lance couched, he struck the militia commander in the neck, the force of the blow knocking his helmet off. Arturo had no chance, and was dead before he struck the ground. Nestur saw Bernaldo shimmy his horse deftly past two raised pikes and chased down the routing militia. With their commander killed so suddenly, many had thrown down their weapons and run for their lives.

In the end it was more of a massacre than a battle, with the Rego's demoralised soldiers offering little resistance. The elite pikemen gave a good account of themselves, but isolated and leaderless, they quickly offered surrender rather than die pointlessly. In the end, the dejected prisoners were rounded up and accepted their fate.

Bernaldo returned from rounding up the enemy stragglers, a huge grin on his face. "Did you see that uncle! They'll fear us now!", Bernaldo exclaimed, pleased with his performance.

"Yes nephew, you did well.", Nestur said calmly. Inside he was angry that Bernaldo's recklessness almost got himself killed, but in the end, the result spoke for itself. The tax official had lost his tongue, and Bernaldo brandished his sword at him, mocking his defeat. Nestur pulled him away to look at the dead. These were ordinary men, who had little agency in the power plays of their masters. Meanwhile, the Conzaga troops raided the enemy stores - there would be a feast tonight.

The Conzagas had won this battle, but as Nestur surveyed the battlefield from the balcony of one the houses, he hoped that the second phase of the plan would go as smoothly.

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Mychel, Meiyo, Gisela, and her bodyguard Mohatu had all prepared the night before and barely slept.  They had waited in a neighboring warehouse until first light, then led their troops to fiercely assault the Amancio manor.  The defenders put up quite a fight, but only a skeleton crew had been left to guard the manor house.

Within an hour, the Conzaga, de Fiori, and di Carlo families supported by Kolgari troops had taken the manor.  Inside, the Rego was protected only by his last two bodyguards.  His manor house was half burnt, with broken marble and gold everywhere.  The normally impeccable Rego had lost his cape and his hair was tousled from the fighting. Mychel, Gisela, and their bodyguards confronted the Rego.  He was surrounded, out of options.  "Surrender!" Mychel cried.

Seeing his predicament, the Rego pulled a magical green gem out of his pocket.  Years ago, he had a wizard enchant it as a last resort for a situation like this.  He crushed it in his hand.  "You have not seen the last of me!" he shouted as the room began to shake.

A huge earth elemental appeared from the floor, throwing pieces of dirt and tile everywhere.

It grabbed the Rego and disappeared with him through the floor, carrying him away underground for his escape.  The wily Rego had saved one ace up his sleeve!

Seeing their master flee, his bodyguards dropped their swords and surrendered.  The coalition had won the day, and they bound the surrendered troops and led them off the property.  The Kolgari troops freed their enslaved kin, welcoming them back.  Of course, the Varlyrian families sacked the house for valuables.

Mychel and Gisela were left standing in the ruined foyer of the mansion in front of the broken fountain as looting and chaos reigned around them.

"We are entering a new era, brother," Gisela commented, looking about at the once grand seat of power of Varlyrio.

"Indeed, Ambassador," Mychel smiled.  "The rule of the Amancio family has come to an end!"

[socalbricks]

This collab turned out phenomenally! Everyone's builds were top-notch! As for the story, I can't wait to see what the future now holds for Valyrio (and the rest of Historica)!

[mrcp6d]

Aurore:  You are sooooooo good at creating new plants for Historica!  We should all be at least a little jealous of your skill in this regard.  Color choices here pop like crazy obviously too.

LJ:  Love all the twisting vines/trees and the airiness overall.  Very LotR inspired I think, and I like it.

Basiliscus:  Quite the build!  The tower grabs attention and the little farmhouse is perfectly quaint.  I think you really nailed the opposing troops though.  Colors and weapons of each make the sides obvious and the fig posing for the battle scenes is well executed.

Grover:  Wow dude.  Amazing interior on a small footprint.  The staircases are awesome but my favorite part is the burning vine, great detail that.

 

Oh, and a rock monster!  You guys worked in a rock monster!     Inspired bit of the story, reaching all the way back to the beginning of GoH and bringing an elemental back!

[Kai NRG]

Great job on this collab!  @Grover really neat idea to use plants on the back wall.  It looks great.  And then changing them to black was an even better idea!  In fact, great job showing different scenes of the story with your different placement.

@Aurore more great plants!  I love the purple ones especially.  Also great dual toned rocks.

@LittleJohn Beautiful elven build!  Love the walkway over a pit, brilliant mix of horns and whips, and a gorgeous choice of colors.  It's a bummer you had to end the stone part of the path within the frame, but this is still one of my favorites of your builds!

@Basiliscus I like how big your build is, it really makes it easy to feel like you're looking at a whole battleground.  I'm not sure about the way the border juts out in different directions, but it does add some visual interest.  And the tall tower is great, especially the roof!

[kahir88]

Indeed, the flora you created @Aurore is unbelievable! You should make a pop-up-book about them :D Really liked that scene. The Regos hall, the battle scene is really great, but the Kolgari throne room is the best! I don't know what to see on that build. :D

The story is great, simple enjoyable, filled with little details about this country. And Amanico's escape leaves the story open.

[Garmadon]

Nice job guys!  And posting the whole thing all at once was not a bad idea - definitely easier than having to have each person posting theirs in order in the same topic like we did!   I'm going to go ahead and follow the new trend of comment formatting here, 

@Aurore, Great job with that little cave tucked away underneath the mound/escarpment!  The others have already commented on the plants, but I'll also mention that I like how you managed to keep the terrace and signs of civilization hidden away until they were revealed in the story   And I'd never seen those double-arms before! - they seem to be from some SW minifig?

@LittleJohn, I'm loving those twisted trees, and the walkway and throne are fantastic as well!  Excellent use of whips and horns throughout (especially at the back of the throne ), and the trans-pinks and purples do a great job capturing the Kolgari atmosphere.  I do feel like the build/picture is a bit cramped though, and really wish you could have been able to make the scene wider and more full/with more depth between the foreground and the back wall, but obviously size limits were against you there.  Very nice job though, and very NPU with that printed winged part above the throne!

@Basiliscus, That tower and the minifigure posing are definitely the stand-outs of your build (no puns intended ), and you've done an excellent work with each of them.  The roof is fantastic in particular (and those are not easy to do) - I really like the fact that you went for anti-studs on the corners; they do the job very well!  I think I tend to agree with Kai that the in-and-out border is a tad distracting, and I probably would have gone for simple A roofs on the smaller buildings to avoid the gappiness (the colors are great on those though!), but the birch trees are spot-on, and the build and posing does a great job illustrating the story here  

@Grover, Nicely done!  The gold and white color-scheme definitely gives the build an extravagantly rich feeling (in fact, it's a little too much gold for my eyes  - I really do like those tassels and flags dangling from the ceiling though), and the curved staircase is great, especially where it opens up in front.  I'll echo the others re: the plants on the back wall and the change in colors there, and from my own experience, busting the build up for the story must have been pretty fun!   And the flamingos in the last picture are hilarious as well!

[Louis of Nutwood]

A well-paced story, balanced with action, plot-building, and anticipation. Characters are well explained and we follow a cohesive quest from the first line to the last. Kudos to world-building, both in bricks and in words, as the latter describes the former with photographic precision. As was mentioned above, great addition of the elemental crystal plot from years ago (from a time when I wasn't even around the guilds) that certainly add some nostalgia and wraps former elements that contribute greatly to the story.

I truly appreciate the balance between interior and exterior builds (2x2) and the fact that the first build shows as the last too, is an incredible storytelling wrap technique, very satisfactory to end this piece of tale where we began in the first place. I absolutely love the unexpected twists (last challenge was the Mitgardian Bear-cavalry), this time with the Rock Raider (oh, man! perfect addition of a non-castle creature) monster coming out of the marble. I'd say: very Grover-esque. Cheers!

For the builds:
@Grover astonishing interior and color scheme. The marble and golden bits are just what I imagine the halls in Varlyrio to be. The columns, the fountain, the balconies, and the foliage hanging from the back wall are simply exquisite. Plus, being able to put over 10 minifigs AND a monster in such a small space in certainly an achievement. 

@Aurore I knew it was yours the moment I saw it. You've been imprinting your own style since your first submission and it pays off to have a signature. I don't need to tell you how great and unique your foliage is, as I run the risk of getting repetitive. But if I'm not mistaken, I believe this is the first time you build something in a desert-like environment, am I right? Great to see you adventure, as personally I know how daunting it can be (heck, I went straight for the Ridge Mountains to embrace the Mitgardian cold, haha). Great addition of the hideout too. The only thing is that I feel the tan bush in front of the hideout's entrance (to the right), is a tad too high, and blocks too much of what's behind. I appreciate the fact you chose a tan background to mash with the ambiance, but the the texture on the cloth turns to be a bit distracting. Maybe adding a filter on GIMP. But really, absolutely minor things that don't compromise the building in any stance. 

@LittleJohn I'm slow clapping with a dropped jaw. This is a lesson on photography. Amazing work with the twisting trunks, the tangling roots and bits of trees. The brown details swirling around through the hall (especially the throne), covered by a net of foliage, plus the elevated staircase build such an amazing fantasy setting that I felt to be right there in the Kolgari Hall. The sense of depth is astonishing, and this was as unexpected as it is impressive. 

@Basiliscus A massive and imposing layout, that would easily impress if it were to be displayed on a convention. Nice choice for the unusual base formation. The long layout provided the necessary space to create a story with different scenarios in the same build, which is amazing. The architecture is very Varlyrianesque, and I like that the buildings are positioned in an angle. I see how challenging it is to build a large battle as you did, but you pulled that off with mastery. I do feel, however, that the green plains were a bit to flat. Adding some arrangements of sand green and dark green here and there, adding a bit more texture and depth would have made the broader parts more alive. To the far right side, a couple of trees (just like on the left side) would have added more attention to that area too (or even a well or a torn rock wall). And when I saw that gigantic tower, I immediately cheered in silence for it to fall over the guards. It didn't happen, but still we were left with an imposing and satisfying battle.

Final thoughts couldn't be different: amazing work, team Conzaga. 

Skol!

 

[Aurore]

Thank you all for reading and providing such constructive feedback!

@socalbricks I'm wondering too how things will go on for Varlyrio...Our four stories don't make it easy to understand who finally ends up as Rego! 

@mrcp6d Thank you very much, I'm really glad you like the plants!

@Kai NRG As I had never tried SNOT techniques before, those rocks were a nightmare to build. I'm really glad you appreciate them!

@kahir88 Thank you very much!

@Garmadon Yes, those double arms come from a SW minfig (Rio Durant). I'm gad you like the cave, it does not add to the story but I felt the build was...empty without it. 

@Louis of Nutwood Thank you so much for your detailed review! The cloth background was a degraded mode...The build ended up too big for my usual grey photo background, and with the stores closed and the postal service not working normally, I have not had the chance to get a bigger one. Now I need to practice my photoshop skills to be ready if something like that happens again!  

Edited June 5, 2020 by Aurore

[Grover]

I'm going to take the time to comment on my fellow builders' pieces here, so that the rest of the forums can share in thoughts of their excellent work.

@Aurore: You have a real gift for selecting colors.  The tans here work amazingly against the purple and blue, and the dark purple naga is a perfect juxtaposition of all of the colors.  The new figures, like Mychel, really stand out with their dark red as being 'foreign' to the scene, which works perfectly.  The idea of a naga in the first place is really fantastic!  Your plants are so creative, and their placement is very organic and realistic.  Love the friends icepack on the egg to make a unusual desert flower.  The coral piece blends so seamlessly into the other plants you don't even notice it at first, which is great.  I like the idea of the cave, too.  It adds a piece of height to the build as well as provides a place for some sort of shelter that makes a lot of sense.  Your builds are always so gorgeous, it's been a real pleasure working with you!

@LittleJohn: Wow.  All I can say is wow.  The throne room is really spectacular.  I think you have set a new standard for the Kolgari royalty, and the use of the trans colors mixed with the browns is stunning.  The level of detail you have put into the throne room with all the whips and horns is awesome.  I love how the scene really brings out the Kolgari mixture of organic flora and crafted elf-built structure, just as I would imagine from an elven building.  The background is nice, too, not the usual plain white or black.  I love how you get the sense that this throne room is cavernous, despite it being only on 32x32.  Fantastic work!

@Basiliscus: Love the huge open battle scene.  Portraying a battle cleanly is not easy, and you made it look easy here.  You did a great job spreading out the battle over a larger area and keeping consistent colors for troops to delineate the sides to the viewer.  I also like the sense of scale.  It makes a lot of sense that this more rural (compared to the capital) area would be spread out, and I like the various buildings you have here and there to draw the eye to different heights.  The birch trees are great, and your photography through them with the troops is perhaps one of my favorite photos!  The rooflines are great, and you do a good job showing off the various purposes of the buildings through the architecture.  The stone foot bridge over the stream is a very nice touch with good banks as well.  Great job!

Now the responses:

@socalbricks: Thank you very much!  I had a lot of fun building my part for this challenge!

@mrcp6d: Thank you!  When I realized that I was going to have to split my build from beginning to end, I wanted to find a way to differentiate the two times, so I junked up the shield and swords on the wall and set one of the vines on fire.  I was worried about how it would look, but it turned out OK since it's not entirely in focus in the shot.  Cramming everything into the interior was quite a challenge, though!  I wound up missing a lot of the details, especially on the second floor, so I may post some more shots a little later.

@Kai NRG: Thanks!  I'm glad you enjoyed the vines on the wall (the idea came from a previous build of @LittleJohn). 

@kahir88: Thank you!  I had fun with my part of the build, and we wanted to leave the story open for the Rego, deposing but not killing him directly.

@Garmadon: Thanks!  I'm glad that you found the gold a little too much: it's exactly what I was going for.  I figured rich jerks would not have not just an ornamented home, but that it would be gaudy.  I tried to overdo the gold, so I'm glad that it came across!  I built this with the staircase in mind originally, and wanting it to be the centerpiece, I wound up having to modify the fountain and its area several times (thanks to my teammates for helping with this!).  I'm glad you spotted the flamingos!  I threw in that guy looting in them in the background with a huge smile on his face for fun.

@Louis of Nutwood: Thank you, sir!  I had a blast with the rock creature.  I had one sitting around and wanted to use it for a long time, then tried to tie it back into Book I, so I'm glad people picked up on that.  I'm also happy to hear that the story was clear and well illustrated by the builds.  That required some modification to make it all smooth.  Thank you for the compliments on the build, too.  It was tricky getting all the figures in there, but it was worth it in the end, I think.  Keep your eyes peeled for the return of Bob the unemployed Avalonian plumber as he has to clean up the mess!

[Kai NRG]

3 hours ago, Aurore said:

those rocks were a nightmare to build.

They get easier! (a little  )