The Undoing of Shriza the Spider

[jtooker]

The Undoing of Shriza the Spider

Legends tell of many monsters in the depths of the Wither Woods and it is unwise to stray off the path. But when such horrors grow bold enough, or desperate enough, to leave their shadows and venture among civilized dwellings they may not be ignored.

Such events led Aarash and the Batuhanian Guard deep into the forest to kill the terror which had plagued the farmsteads to the north. It was only a matter of time when it wouldn’t be a goat or calf that was taken, but a child.

Rumors described an eight-legged menace, a shadow that hunted silently in the dark hours of the night. Aarash clung to those rumors as he traversed the ever-darkening woods. Soon webs, the size of a man, could be seen amongst the trees. Torn and ragged they looked, but menacing. As the ground declined beneath their steps the forest became quiet. Only feet treading through the undergrowth made any sound. That is when snap was heard; not of twig, but of a branch up ahead.

 

Shriza Approaches

 

“Shriza, the Spider!” one soldier cried, pointing directly ahead. They had found themselves at the end a slight ravine, with a monster of a spider ahead.

“Hold!” Aarash cried out as Shriza approached, and then “Attack!".

 

Attack!

 

 

Archers

 

Thankfully, Aarash’s archers were flanking on the right and they had many spears at their disposal. But it would not be enough. Her hide was tough and she was nimble. Our blows were either deflected or missed entirely.

Just when the situation was looking grim, A group of centaurs rode in from the west.

 

Centaurs

 

Their arrows shot true and pierced the vulnerable parts of the spider menace. Once on the ground, the stabbing spears finished the job. Aarash turned to thank the centaurs, but they had already fled back into the forest. Despite the darkness of the forest, the return journey was merry knowing their people could sleep soundly tonight.

My entry into the Medieval Monster Menace category of the 2020 Colossal Castle Contest (CCC XVIII).

Spoiler

The Undoing of Shriba the Spider MOC

Shriza the Spider

I'm submitting this for Petraea University's DoH program:

 

 

• Agriculture and Zoology → brick-built animals
• Landscape Design → Flowers and dense Foliage

 

Website | Flickr | YouTube

 

 

[Kai NRG]

I love how dark the vegetation is here, it really helps make it look dangerous.  Great job on the spider itself, especially that face - hard to look away from!  +1 for the two credits you applied for!

[The Stad]

It's funny, I usually see a new Lego spider and have trouble distinguishing it from the last Lego spider I saw, but not this time.  This is a terrific, very distinct, spider, and you've placed it in some excellent trees and brush.  I love the story, and you've done great job with positioning your figs.  

[LordDan]

Thats one nasty spider! I like the use of the sword pieces for legs, and also the vegetation behind looks nice and adds to the scene.

[Grover]

That's a fun spider!  I think the first picture is the best.  It really conveys a sense of the jungle with the dense foliage and has a great perspective.  Some of the other pictures are a little too busy, in part due to the lighting I think.  The shot in the spoiler shows the color blocking much better and the entire scene becomes more clear.  If that lighting were combined with the perspectives from the other shots, I think it might help.  Very nice use of the technic gears on the mushrooms, the various greens and browns, and several trees leaning at askew angles.  It makes the scene feel organic.  One of my favorite aspects is the slight variation in terrain height.  It does a good job making the scene seem real, with some slight but noticeable elevation variation.  Great job!

[jtooker]

On 12/18/2020 at 12:33 PM, Kai NRG said:

I love how dark the vegetation is here, it really helps make it look dangerous.  Great job on the spider itself, especially that face - hard to look away from!  +1 for the two credits you applied for!

 

On 12/18/2020 at 1:27 PM, The Stad said:

It's funny, I usually see a new Lego spider and have trouble distinguishing it from the last Lego spider I saw, but not this time.  This is a terrific, very distinct, spider, and you've placed it in some excellent trees and brush.  I love the story, and you've done great job with positioning your figs.  

 

On 12/30/2020 at 2:39 PM, LordDan said:

Thats one nasty spider! I like the use of the sword pieces for legs, and also the vegetation behind looks nice and adds to the scene.

Thank you all for the feedback!  I'm happy with how the spider turned out. 

 

On 12/30/2020 at 11:49 PM, Grover said:

That's a fun spider!  I think the first picture is the best.  It really conveys a sense of the jungle with the dense foliage and has a great perspective.  Some of the other pictures are a little too busy, in part due to the lighting I think.  The shot in the spoiler shows the color blocking much better and the entire scene becomes more clear.  If that lighting were combined with the perspectives from the other shots, I think it might help.  Very nice use of the technic gears on the mushrooms, the various greens and browns, and several trees leaning at askew angles.  It makes the scene feel organic.  One of my favorite aspects is the slight variation in terrain height.  It does a good job making the scene seem real, with some slight but noticeable elevation variation.  Great job!

Looking at the photos together, I agree about the lighting.  Getting an interesting scene without being 'too busy' was a bit of a struggle with this MOC.  I have a problem with getting my photos too dark (I think partially my monitors on my PC are too light).  Thanks for the feedback!

[Grover]

Just now, jtooker said:

Looking at the photos together, I agree about the lighting.  Getting an interesting scene without being 'too busy' was a bit of a struggle with this MOC.  I have a problem with getting my photos too dark (I think partially my monitors on my PC are too light).  Thanks for the feedback!

I have struggled a lot with lighting myself.  It's a really hard thing to get just right without a professional setup, since as you say, there's all sorts of problems from monitor brightness to post editing color to trying to light the shot without glare on the polished plastic bricks initially... there's definitely an art form to it!

[Dutch Thriceman]

Fantastic MOC, I like how everything is in a close-up perspective, really helps with the immersion.

[TheLegoDr]

Very well done. Glad to see the final result of that spider. The bananas work well for the fangs.

Are the flex tubes on the trees official LEGO or do you have a source for various colors? I've been wanting more browns for trees myself.

[jtooker]

9 hours ago, Dutch Thriceman said:

Fantastic MOC, I like how everything is in a close-up perspective, really helps with the immersion.

Thanks!  That was the effect I was going for - I'm glad it came through.

 

8 hours ago, TheLegoDr said:

Very well done. Glad to see the final result of that spider. The bananas work well for the fangs.

Are the flex tubes on the trees official LEGO or do you have a source for various colors? I've been wanting more browns for trees myself.

They are official LEGO: Item 75c26 or similar.

[Louis of Nutwood]

Menacing, aye. 

That's why I do not wander through the Woods of Wither.

Fantastic monster, Sire Tooker. I love how it really seems to stare at me. With all four eyes!
Beautiful setting with a great bushy and distinctive forest. 

And great immersive shots!

Skol!

[mrcp6d]

I knew this MOC was going to be epic based on your WIP posts over on Discord of the spider, but you also totally nailed the landscaping/foliage here.  Really great work with the 3-leaf part and also with keeping things under control enough to not have the dio get away from you from a composition stance.