BenA Posted November 14, 2020 (edited) Well, 2.5 years later it's *almost* finished! Here is our moc of Elvendale and the Dragon Sanctuary. What started off as a fairly simple moc of the village quickly got out of hand and grew to include a mountain, our version of the Dragon Sanctuary, a goblin village and more! We took inspiration from the Animated series and the original sets, but added our own twist. Elvendale village includes the bakery, a mining store and a little house. Behind stands the Elvenstar tree. The Dragon School can be found high up on a rocky outcrop, by a high waterfall The Elvenstar Tree Follow the road East of the village (past the mushroom stairs into the Elvenstar Tree) and you'll come to the old windmill that sits above Naida's cove: Take the path west up the mountain and you'll find the entrance to the crystal mine. If you don't like the look of that, cross the winding stream to reach the mountain meadow, but beware - you might be being watched! Look up and you'll see the floating islands... And reaching into the clouds, the Dragon Sanctuary itself... The sanctuary had stood empty for as long as any elf could remember, and a huge tree was taking over. But when the goblins were saved from Kronan, they came to work for the elves and they soon had it back up and running... A bit of plumbing here, a fire there... The queen egg sits on top of a magic pool. The water is piped over the water egg, collected and used to water the branches round the earth egg. The goblins collect the wood and use it to feed the fire under the fire egg, and the hot air rises to turn the fans by the wind egg. Keep going West, and you'll come down the other side of the mountain. Rosalyn's healing hideout stands by the beach, and a mysterious entrance... ...which leads into the underground goblin village! The plants look fearsome, but they're friendly really... Maybe stop for refreshments in the inn? Ah, so that's how they get in! Keep going and you'll find yourself right back where you started - back in Elvendale Village! Of course, walking is fine, but it's much quicker to go by dragon! And here are a couple of bonus pics: Whole thing from the front (sorry about the background, I don't have anywhere big enough to properly photograph it!) And the back: Thanks for looking! There are lots more photos on my Flickr, including WIP and comparisons of the original artwork/sets and our versions. https://www.flickr.com/gp/160994572@N02/535Fa1 Edited November 16, 2020 by BenA Fixed broken link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Henry Bricklider Posted November 14, 2020 Oh my goodness this is absolutely amazing. I am in love with this build. All the colors are great and blend well, and you definitely captured the feel of the Elves theme. This makes me wish I had gotten some of the sets when it came out. Absolutely great work! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lyichir Posted November 14, 2020 This is... incredible. Sorry, I usually have more to say than that, but I'm just awestruck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JintaiZ Posted November 14, 2020 Amazing build! I really like all the details! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
koalayummies Posted November 14, 2020 This is one of the most amazing elves builds ever and one of the most beautiful scenes constructed out of Lego. Seamless and continuous wonder from end to end. The level of detail in every nook and cranny is mind boggling. What a gorgeous and absolutely incredible MOC! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BenA Posted November 14, 2020 1 hour ago, Henry Bricklider said: Oh my goodness this is absolutely amazing. I am in love with this build. All the colors are great and blend well, and you definitely captured the feel of the Elves theme. This makes me wish I had gotten some of the sets when it came out. Absolutely great work! Thanks, really appreciate it. I wish we'd picked up more sets at the time - some of the minidolls are getting expensive now! 40 minutes ago, koalayummies said: This is one of the most amazing elves builds ever and one of the most beautiful scenes constructed out of Lego. Seamless and continuous wonder from end to end. The level of detail in every nook and cranny is mind boggling. What a gorgeous and absolutely incredible MOC! Thanks Koalayummies! Really kind. 1 hour ago, Lyichir said: This is... incredible. Sorry, I usually have more to say than that, but I'm just awestruck. 1 hour ago, JintaiZ said: Amazing build! I really like all the details! 24 minutes ago, Anak said: Magnificent. Thanks all. Glad you like it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
STHLM Posted November 14, 2020 Vivid colours, great textures and a lot of details! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheLegoDr Posted November 14, 2020 I hate you. I hate you for your creativity! This is incredible! I will echo what everyone else has said. I was awestruck by your earlier Elves inspired builds (like the university). This blows everything out of the water. Because of you I wanted to build something bigger Elves related and I kept planning and MOCing it up and it was getting too large for my ability, so I quickly got overwhelmed. Seeing this proves it can be done. It also proves I would have needed even more space than I originally thought, so again, overwhelmed. You don't see enough Elves related builds at conventions. I wanted to do this to bring something to the table for the other kids that aren't necessarily into spaceships or star wars (that seems to be the only thing I see at shows anymore). Maybe this will reignite the fire within me and I can create something a quarter as amazing. Honestly, you rocked it. Keep up the great work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peedeejay Posted November 14, 2020 Wow! So much creativity. I don‘t know where to look at. Every part of this build is so enjoyable! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Neighborhood Merchant Posted November 14, 2020 This is absolutely gorgeous and may be one of the most inspiring and creative builds I've ever seen. Every aspect is stunning. You've truly created a masterpiece. What a great display piece as well! AMAZING work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Peppermint_M Posted November 14, 2020 This is stupendous. Amazing. I do not think anyone can argue against me awarding you this: Thank you for sharing this fantastic creation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BenA Posted November 14, 2020 56 minutes ago, TheLegoDr said: Maybe this will reignite the fire within me Thank you for your comments - I really hope you do go back to it because I'd love to see what you were planning. If it makes you feel any better it's taken nearly 2 and half years to finish this, and there were definitely times when I didn't think I'd get there. I'd spend whole days building something then the next day tear it down and start again. Rosalyn's tree was a case in point - I must have used every swear word under the sun while getting that thing to hold together! If you do go back to it and get stuck, feel free to PM me here - happy to help if I can. 2 hours ago, Kristel said: This is stunning! Thanks - that means a lot! Your Elves builds inspired quite a bit of this. 30 minutes ago, Peppermint_M said: This is stupendous. Amazing. I do not think anyone can argue against me awarding you this: Thank you for sharing this fantastic creation. Don't know what to say - thank you! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arieben Posted November 15, 2020 Wow! I.. don't even know where to start. I'll just leave it at this - there are big builds for the sake of being big, and then there's this. It feels so cohesive and everything is just right. My favorite part is definitely the way you shaped the rocks. I never cared for the slope spam, but this is far beyond that. It's honestly on a whole new level. So inventive. Seriously. The rocks just do it for me. My goodness, that is some nice shaping. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pisces no Aphrodite Posted November 15, 2020 Fantastic homemade product ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mylenium Posted November 15, 2020 That is just plain awesome! :-) Mylenium Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sander1992 Posted November 15, 2020 This is amazing. Great details, nice mix of colors and the landscape is stunning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Nemo Posted November 15, 2020 Absolutely stunning! I couldn't help but audibly gasp numerous times while scrolling through these photos! There's so much character and style infused with this build and it makes every inch all the more mesmerizing. I love how dense the build feels, there's a visual weight to it (and presumably an actual weight! ) that just gives you the sense this is a real place, it actually exists, and all of these characters live here and can go anywhere because it's a fully realized location. The depth is also impressive--there's so much to explore from the shoreline to the deepest caves. And the quality throughout all of it is consistently amazing. I could mumble on forever after staring at it for an eternity, but my favorite bits are the the gorgeous waterfalls constructed in such an inspired way, and the breath of fresh air decision to include a comparatively plain rolling green hill between the Sanctuary and Rosalyn's. Just top notch composition on this thing! An Elvendale masterpiece! Great job! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BenA Posted November 15, 2020 10 hours ago, arieben said: My favorite part is definitely the way you shaped the rocks. Thanks. We made a decision early on to try and build each rock individually. Didn't quite manage it everywhere but overall I'm really pleased with the way it came out. Many, many mixel joints were used! 4 hours ago, Ragana9289 said: Fantastic homemade product ! 4 hours ago, Mylenium said: That is just plain awesome! :-) Mylenium 1 hour ago, sander1992 said: This is amazing. Great details, nice mix of colors and the landscape is stunning. Thanks all, much appreciated. 31 minutes ago, Captain Nemo said: My favorite bits are the the gorgeous waterfalls constructed in such an inspired way, and the breath of fresh air decision to include a comparatively plain rolling green hill between the Sanctuary and Rosalyn's. Thanks! I'm so glad you commented on the meadow area because that's my favourite part - we always wanted to have an open space, but as we built it was very hard to resist the temptation to fill it up! At one point the Starlight Inn was going to nestle in under the floating islands, but in the end I'm so glad we left it as-is. (And yes, it weighs a tonne! Thankfully it splits up into sections and the tower lifts off. When exhibitions are a thing again I might take it to one) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zoth33 Posted November 15, 2020 (edited) This is just insane. The whole scene is wonderful and has so many details. I love the way the pink tree looks like a wheeping willow. The rock work is great, the choice of colors really flows throughout the build. The trees are all different yet look cohesive to the build. I like the way you have the roots in the rock work, looks neat. The different roofs on all the buildings makes the build all more impressive. I also like how you incorporated some of the official Lego builds into the build itself. The elvenstar tree is a very nice build in itself but I like what you've done with it here. The way you made the goblin village in a cave is awesome. All the water features are great, and I like that they are different techniques. The windmill looks nice with the wings on the blades. Do you have more dragons in the build I only see the one? The floating islands are a nice touch too. Edited November 15, 2020 by zoth33 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Redhead1982 Posted November 15, 2020 This MOC really shows off all the best in the Elves theme. Just going through the post and admiring the photos made me want to build something like it. The Elves brought many interesting parts and colors, and the way you put together various sets and extended them further in a very harmonious landscape is amazing. I enjoyed watching the tv series, and I can recognize some parts. Naida's cave is my favourite part, but you did a great work on the rocks as well. Superb! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
soccerkid6 Posted November 15, 2020 Hard to even take in all of the amazing details and story telling incorporated here! I really enjoyed the Elves theme, so seeing a massive layout like this is absolutely incredible. Looked through some more of the photos in your Flickr stream, and love how you re-imagined some of the official sets into beautiful new models Top notch architecture for both the Elves and Goblins houses, but the beautiful landscape they are so seamlessly incorporated into is also stunning. The rockwork is unique and creates a great fantasy look, while the colorful trees also add to the atmosphere. Then there's waterfalls, paths, soaring sanctuary, plus a huge cavern for the goblins to live in... All the time and thought you poured into this paid off in a big way Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Elysiumfountain Posted November 15, 2020 Absolutely gorgeous! I always love seeing lots of photos and you don't disappoint! Just the amount of crazy detail that went into it is insane. I have to say my favorite bits were some of the landscaping designs and choices, like with the meadows and especially the caverns. Wonderful job. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
icm Posted November 15, 2020 What a gorgeous build in every detail. Simply breathtaking. I especially like the 4x4 round tiles giving side texture to the boulder work and the brick built white water of the stream and waterfall. The use of tensegrity to create actual floating islands is inspired, and the fact that there's an entire underground goblin village is amazing too. Thanks for posting! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
