Dandelume [Avalonia]

[T-86(swe)]

Dandelume [Avalonia]

The city of Dandelume is located west of the great eastern plains of Avalonia, midway between Albion and Cedrica. The city and surrounding areas create a flourishing territory with great amounts of municipal farmlands and small-scaled villages, all loyal to Wifgrir- the duke of the city. 

Dandelume leadership: Court champion, Lady Alannais, Countess Arianne, Feudal duke Wifgrir, Trandill- mage, Court champion


The vast region moving from Dandelume all the way to the great mountains on the mitgardian border is more diverse. A landscape consisting of smaller woodlands, rivers and trading-routs.The population residing in and around Dandelume are humans, dwarves, fauns, elves and other creatures. Together they form an alliance under the reign of their feudal duke. Though first and foremost humble subjects of queen Ylspeth, ruling Avalonia from her throneroom in Cedrica.

 

 

History of Dandelume

The first settlers in the area were nomad gatherers trying to live out of the lands. It is said that they were following a herd of deers through the plains and woods. And in the fields they stumbled upon the eatable herb they named ’the red dawn’. They found that it could be harvested throughout all seasons do to its perennial abilities. In addition to a fertile soil, ’the red dawn’ made the nomads permanent residents, and thus the agriculture in the region was born.

Moving ahead, from the finding of ’the red dawn’ to present day, the city of Dandelume have been formed in a slow yet perpetual pace. Attracting different creatures and clans of Avalonia to the region, several meager power struggles have evolved during the years. However, during the rule of the first avalonian king, Artorious Rex, the line of feudal dukes of Dandelume began. Wifgrir is the direct descendant of the first appointed ruler of the city. He is continuing the heritage of wearing a stag or stag horns as coat of arms in memory of the first settlers.

In the great hall of duke Wifgrir the feudal city crest hangs on the eastern wall. A historic memento of the past but also a potential foreshadowing of future actions. The sword ‘The red dawn’ is depicted twined in the herb with the identical name. An homage to the first settlers finding the herb and therefore settling in the area.

The sword portrayed in the city crest belonged to the legendary heroine Dand El Alume. Her name was gifted to the city. Dand El Alume’s tale dates back to ancient times and is a living part of folklore in Avalonia in general, but in Dandelume in particular. 

Dand lived during one of the centuries of the first druids and mighty wizards. A time long before Avalonia formed as a realm under the first king Artorious Rex. In a turbulent era of mystic and great dangers. Her many heroic acts are written down in the chronicles ’Bringer of the red dawn’ but are also recited in poems and traditional storytelling. 

In the ‘horn-squadron’, the knights are taught the chronicles of Dand by feudal scholars. They all aspire to one day be able to become the new ‘bringer of red dawn’…..

Trade and crafts

Dandelumes brand of trade are the many different refined wines that the winery’s keep producing. The key spice-ingredient always being ‘the red dawn’. For many years the citizens throughout Avalonia have relished the bottles coming out of Dandelume. The municipal farm- and woodlands provide enough for the regional population and the feudal army, but can also be used as export goods.
 

The Dandelume-breed of cattle is said to be strong work-animals, and spiced with ‘the red dawn’ herb they even grant you pleasure in their afterlife. They are bred in certain dandelumian farmsteads spread over the area.

Besides the wine and cattle, the third brand of trade in Dandelume is the earthenware created by the dwarves in the Wendelin mudlands. Digging up the moist mud is a hard work, the opposite of the more delicate work that the kiln-runners and potters have mastered over the years. All to create the various earthenware to spread over Avalonia.

The oldest guild in Dandelume is the Wheelwright's guild. Formed by an alliance of skilled elves and humans. Due to the nearby trading routes and large population there is always recurrent labor for the guild members. Wheelbarrows, various carts and carriages in need of repairs or entirely new wheels keeps the guild busy. They are an important part for the export and import of goods in the trading in and around Dandelume.

Avalonia TASK 1-6

Task 1 Armed forces of Dandelume

All the different races from the population are represented in the regular army of Dandelume. Always ready to defend the city, its people and in extension answer potential call for aid from the queen regent. The armed forces are composed of six smaller legions:

Light footmen (swordsmen and spearmen)
Vanguard (Elite scouts, workmen and sappers)
Artillery (ballistas, scorpios)
Archery (bowmen, pavisors, crossbowmen)
Heavy footmen (the court champions and the 'Horn squadron')
Cavalry “Flight of the dragons” (a variety of mounted knights)

Task 2 Erdils crew/entourage

   
From left to right: Boroghan, Miadin, and Dweldin. In front: Erdil  

Being the youngest in the crew of comrades Boroghan is also the least experienced in fighting. He was born on the inside of the city walls of Dandelume, and therefore had the most priviliged upbringing in the crew. Due to his great ability to navigate, track and flawless orientation-skills he makes the perfect scout for the party.

Miadins lineage is rumored to go all the way back to the first nomads that settled in Dandelume. A small tribe of fauns that wielded long spears, twice as long as themselves, at least. And this legacy still lives on today via Miadin and his other kinsmen. 

Dweldin grew up as the sixth son of the leader of a hunters guild in the eastern plains of Avalonia. When all of his siblings followed in their fathers footsteps Dweldin chose otherwise. Instead he sought the glory of becoming an archer in the service of the Dandelumian duke.

Task 3 Territorial description of Dandelume

The city of Dandelume is located west of the great eastern plains of Avalonia, midway between Albion and Cedrica. The city and surrounding areas create a flourishing territory with great amounts of municipal farmlands and small-scaled villages. The vast region moving from Dandelume all the way to the great mountains on the mitgardian border is more diverse. A landscape consisting of smaller woodlands, rivers and trading-routs.

In the many farmlands and small-scaled villages the people of Dandelume go about their daily life-growing crops and keeping livestock. Some are cattle-breeders by trade and there are also some vineyards located in these parts of Dandelume. In the diverse area that constitute the Dandelume shire there's also 'the Wendelin mudlands', a very small and limited low-lying part of the region. 'Wendelin Mudlands' get flooded in wet seasons and stays in a marsh-like state all year, with a terrain consisting of cavities of moist mud. Parts of the dwarf-population living near this small area became potters and have specialized in digging the mud and creating all sorts of earthenware.

The 'Port of Dondess' is a busy avalonian port in the municipality of Dandelume. Wether it be smaller fishing boats or the larger frigates the port is very much alive when the watercrafts prepare to leave. A larger ship has just started to get caught in the wind and will be leaving with mighty power once the sails are set."

The Sanctuary of light is a mystical yet revered location in the Dandelumian folklore. Located somewhere south of the port city Dondess. The sanctum had a part to play in the great life of the heroine Dand El Alume.



Task 4 HSS

Current status and HSS -progress for Dandelume
 

Task 5 Keep

The feudal keep is located in the outer northern part of the city/municipality.

Task 6 Brand of trade

The dandelumians specialize in three greater brand of trades: wine, breeding of cattle and earthenware. The wine and earthenware would be transported from production locations around Dandelume to the large trading post by the riverside. Where the trading routes brought goods and merchants from near and far. The dandelumians could storage and bargain their notorious avalonian wine and earthenware for merchandise from all over Historica. 
 

I will update this thread as I go along building and have taken pictures of builds and minifigs!
 

The tale of Erdil


Prelude

A period with several years of drought and stunted growth have haunted Dandelume. Leaving the common folk suffering from severe famine and the storages to cry empty.
Marked by the absence of the labourers, the windmill was left to natural process. Overgrown with weeds and the infamous red herb called the red dawn-it was not in its finest state.
But when the avalonian rain threw itself down onto the crops once more, the windmill-workers were sent back. The abandoned mill in the outskirts of Duke Wifgrirs feudal dominions being re-established and the wheat growing again. A new beginning, and a possibility to once more become a prosperous and thriving east-avalonian farmland….

The abandoned windmill

Chapter 1 'The beginning'
Part 1: The fishmonger's cottage

Part 2: The old Inn at Nhymride

 

Erdils story began in a fishmonger’s tiny cottage near a small river. This was during the time of the new beginning of Dandelume. His mother died in childbirth and Erdil had no siblings.  Growing up with an aging father, Erdils childhood was therefore filled with much work and less play. His father could still get the fish out of the water but he was too weak to travel. Hence Erdil was forced to bring his fathers wheelbarrow with fish to the small crossroad-village of Nhymride. Erdil would bargain his fathers fish for other goods in the market outside the old inn. Or, in rare ocassions, earning a goldpiece or two. This was a lively place compared to the solitude fishmonger cottage. And the young Erdil was most found of the smell from the small bakery, housed in the same building as the noisy inn. It was on one of countless times visiting the market he first saw Dandelume swordsmen in real life. He had been brought up on legends of swords and heroes, and in that moment his dream to become one himself was born. The old Inn had been owned for generations by House Quilla.

Henry Quilla- Innkeeper and head of the family, a harsh and hardworking man.

Erynna Quilla- Wife of Henry and responsible for the small bakery housed in the old Inn.

Eireia Quilla- the innkeepers youngest boy and normally up to some daily mischief.

Hauder Quilla- Oldest son in the family and right hand man of the Inn.

Ceylir- A half-wit elven man that was left by his kin long ago visiting the crossroad market. Always jolly but perhaps not a contributor work-wise. A very close friend of the young Eireia.

Part 3: The house of proclamation

“Erdil travels to Cedrica to demonstrate official allegiance to Queen Ylspeth and to be acknowledged by royal decree as a swordsman in the service of the duke of Dandelume. He is accompanied by his comrades Dweldin (bowman), Boroghan (scout) and Miadin (spearman). The Queen herself, preoccupied with other more urgent business of the realm and foreign emissaries, confide the affirmation of new recruits to the Cedrican administrative partition.

Many of these administrative offices are located in houses down by the port of the capital. Along the port and the many small canals several houses of power share the wharf with other more dubious enterprises. A system of narrow alleyways and houses cramped together create a lively place during all hours. Rats and rogues lurk about to find scraps of all sorts. The city guard patrol the area to ensure law and order among citizens of Cedrica and the many travellers visiting the capital.

Erdil and his small entourage visit the house of proclamation, located down by the waterfront, to receive their official letters of affirmation.”

 

Chapter 2 'On patrol in the service of the duke'

After officially becoming a swordsman in the service of duke Wifgrir, Erdils early assignments consisted of patrol duty around the Dandelume area. Together with a small troop of fellow soldiers he would oversee the production of the dandelumian brand of trades. They would visit vineyards, pottery kilns and cattle breeders to make sure that everything was in order.

Part 1: Hillside pastures

Part 2: Vilohirs vineyard

Part 3: Kiln of wendelin

Edited March 10 by T-86(swe)

[Ecclesiastes]

Fun story and great work on that Inn. Especially the woodwork is very appealing.

[T-86(swe)]

5 hours ago, Ecclesiastes said:

Fun story and great work on that Inn. Especially the woodwork is very appealing.

Thanks I appreciate it a lot!

[Kai NRG]

Great textures and details on that inn, I especially like the way the olive and pink look next to each other!  The little vignette with the farmers is lovely too.

[Aurore]

That's a really nice way of introducing your little corner of Avalonia! The story sounds nice too. And the terrain of the windmill is particularly beautiful!

You also really have a talent when it comes to naming places. I absolutely love the sound of those names "Dandelume" and "Nhymride"!

[T-86(swe)]

On 2/21/2023 at 3:11 AM, Kai NRG said:

Great textures and details on that inn, I especially like the way the olive and pink look next to each other!  The little vignette with the farmers is lovely too.

Thanks! I also like the combination of olivegreen and pink. I think that olivegreen in general can be combined with a large quantity of colors!

19 hours ago, Aurore said:

That's a really nice way of introducing your little corner of Avalonia! The story sounds nice too. And the terrain of the windmill is particularly beautiful!

You also really have a talent when it comes to naming places. I absolutely love the sound of those names "Dandelume" and "Nhymride"!

Thank you for feedback and for taking your time to read the story! Im more satisfied with the terrain than the actual windmill actually, haha!

Edited February 22, 2023 by T-86(swe)

[NOD]

Very interesting story. The inn is beautiful!   Very nice architecture and I also like the landscape.

[LordDan]

Cool figs, and very nice inn! I especially like the wooden parts of the inn such as the window frames and dilapidated roof. It would be nice to have an overall picture of the inn showing the entire thing in one frame.

[T-86(swe)]

On 2/22/2023 at 9:54 AM, NOD said:

Very interesting story. The inn is beautiful!   Very nice architecture and I also like the landscape.

 

Thank you very much! Glad you like it =)

 

17 hours ago, LordDan said:

Cool figs, and very nice inn! I especially like the wooden parts of the inn such as the window frames and dilapidated roof. It would be nice to have an overall picture of the inn showing the entire thing in one frame.

Thanks Dan, on flickr I got the same feedback. Unfortunately I messed up and cropped the original photo too much, haha! lesson learned for coming builds. I need to practice taking better pictures and keep improving/evolving my building-skills as well, but I'm very glad i joined in on the fun ride that GoH truly is!

[Grover]

I think I've commented on the individual builds before, but it's great to have a thread where you can keep everything together and link builds.  I should probably do that for my town...

Great to have you on board and I look forward to your builds!

[T-86(swe)]

2 hours ago, Grover said:

I think I've commented on the individual builds before, but it's great to have a thread where you can keep everything together and link builds.  I should probably do that for my town...

Great to have you on board and I look forward to your builds!

Thanks Grover! Feels good to have gotten the snowball rolling with my (will become) town Dandelume. I really look forward to get deeper into my storyline and progress as a builder! 

[Zilmrud]

I'm a bit late to read about your place in Avalonia. I really like the story and your builds are great. And you have done some work in the HSS also. Great work. Keep on going! 

[T-86(swe)]

On 4/8/2023 at 10:33 PM, Zilmrud said:

I'm a bit late to read about your place in Avalonia. I really like the story and your builds are great. And you have done some work in the HSS also. Great work. Keep on going! 

Thanks Z, there’s much work ahead and hopefully I will progress as a builder and be able to deliver better creations!

[Gideon]

On 4/8/2023 at 10:33 PM, Zilmrud said:

I'm a bit late to read about your place in Avalonia. I really like the story and your builds are great. And you have done some work in the HSS also. Great work. Keep on going! 

I'm even more late to read about this... 

Great job so far, I really like the style you have established here and the story fits very well into the overall GoH setting!

The photos look stunning too  
What kind of backgrounds have you been using and what post-processing have you done to get the nice vignetting...?

[T-86(swe)]

2 hours ago, Gideon said:

I'm even more late to read about this... 

Great job so far, I really like the style you have established here and the story fits very well into the overall GoH setting!

The photos look stunning too  
What kind of backgrounds have you been using and what post-processing have you done to get the nice vignetting...?

Thank you very much Gideon, so glad you like the style and also the photography!

I actually just use some coloured sheets of paper (nothing fancy) I got from my colleague’s arts-class at the high school where I teach.
 

The vignetting is basically fooling around with the vignette-tool in the standard photos-app on my macbook until I like the result!

Edited May 20, 2023 by T-86(swe)