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"Du siehst, wohin du siehst, nur Eitelkeit auf Erden.

Was dieser heute baut, reißt jener morgen ein;"

(Andreas Gryphius, 1637)

in rough translation:

You see, wherever you watch out, on earth vanity only.

What someone builds today, the other one tears down tomorrow. :tongue:

:laugh:

Brilliant, Cristoph.

that is exactly why I chose the Leg of Legomandias as a watchtower. This is the central theme of Shelley`s poem. Just to spell it out, the closing lines are

"My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings:

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away". "

someone probably needed the bricks for their next project. Humanity, I guess...

I have just realised that in going for Frankenstein and Ozymandias in the watchtower round, I must have a secret obsession with Mrs and Mr Shelley!

:classic:

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I have just realised that in going for Frankenstein and Ozymandias in the watchtower round, I must have a secret obsession with Mrs and Mr Shelley!

Wow, I never realized that Percy and Mary Shelley were husband and wife! I can't believe I never made that connection. What an idiot I am. You learn something every day...

I'm not sure anyone saw my revision of Ozymandias earlier in the thread, so I'll repeat it again here:

I met a traveller from our old Guildland

Who said: "One vast and dark bley leg of stone

Stands in the desert. On top, high above the sand,

On an array of mirrors, the sun beams down

And sends via pulses our every command.

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.

And on the pedestal these words appear:

`My name is Legomandias, Builder of MOCs:

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of those colossal bricks, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

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I'm not sure anyone saw my revision of Ozymandias earlier in the thread, so I'll repeat it again here:

I met a traveller from our old Guildland

Who said: "One vast and dark bley leg of stone

Stands in the desert. On top, high above the sand,

On an array of mirrors, the sun beams down

And sends via pulses our every command.

Tell that its sculptor well those passions read

Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,

The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.

And on the pedestal these words appear:

`My name is Legomandias, Builder of MOCs:

Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'

Nothing beside remains. Round the decay

Of those colossal bricks, boundless and bare,

The lone and level sands stretch far away.

That's really good! Kudos to you.

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Kaliphlin Story Time: Myths, Legends and Lore mini Challenge.

Go forth and build a story, or a snapshot of your story*. It maybe be about some long lost myth of the creation of Petrea. Or a Legend of your SigFig's rise to power. Or about the Lore of Kaliphlin guild.

It can be from eons ago, or just last week's Tavern crawl.

*must actually write a 50 words or more story.

Judges: Kaliphlin guild - via poll (I'll create a separate thread later)

Open: to anyone, including foreign guilds. Though good luck convincing the judges :laugh:

Great ;)

Valsharess was not the toughest, or smartest or even the cruelest one of her sisters. But she had a lover, and that lover could breath underwater. And he fetched something for her (and that something was a big animal, but I will let the story to give you details (after I build the moc:)

...and if we do not convince the judges, we will simply invade them, eradicate them and appoint new ones ;)

Drow rule supreme! :)

ps: I will try to make a dragon for Sieron and Coral's dragon contest, and now, it must go underwater ;)

Great, a pair of wings are always welcomed ;)

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When is the deadline for the mini myth challenge?

Also, how flexible are the size restrictions? Instead of a 16x16 square could you have 8x32 rectangle? virtually the same, or other variations aslong as they total 256 studs or less?

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Just wanted to flag SoT's post in the Mitgardian topic, I know there was quite a lot of interest in this here. The scoring system seems pretty fair to me and I also like it that individual results stay secret.

@Flint: You ask a very valid question; the reason it hasn't been discussed how builds are scored is not because it's secret, but because it's something we Guild Leaders seem to take as part of the job and sometimes forget that people could be curious about. Here is how it was done, full disclosure:

Challenge 1: The top 5 watchtowers were picked out by Guild Leaders and then the towers were voted on. Winners were those towers that scored the highest score out of 50.

Challenge Scoring Table:

Represents/resembles your guild : 1-10 points/coins (If you build in Mitgardia we don't expect palm trees :wink:)

Realization/Build Quality: 10-30 points/coins (How well you depict the setting, theme of the challenge and how well you utilize techniques and challenge yourself)

Composition/photo quality: 1-10 points/coins (How well you present the MOC; a bad picture can ruin even the best MOC, and great picture can make regular MOC's look incredible)

(Minimum points possible 12, maximum possible 50)

(Individual results are confidential, please do not ask us to release them)

Challenge 2:

The same system was used, except all entrees were scored, not just the presumed top 5, this way everybody had equal chance to get evalutted and win a prize. (Scoring is pretty much finished, we are formulating a formal announcement)

For those of you (and there are a few) who are going a little nuts waiting for Challenge 3 to be released, let me ease your burden; it will be released officially in a post by Derfel tomorrow (Feb 24) at some point.

By my maths each guild got 600ish points, so if the max score from the Watchtowers was (5x50) 250 then the free builds were very big contributors for all the guilds. Something to keep in mind I guess.

DC has hinted that there will be no size restrictions for this one. Angeli will be happy! Looking forward to the Drow entry for the Kaliphlin lore!

CptMugwash, it is a 2 week deadline on the myth challenge, I'm not sure when that means exactly, but 2 weekends building time anyway.

NM, I really like your modern interpretation of Ozymandias, especially for some reason "vast and dark bley", it scans really well and has a sort of Coleridge sound to it :laugh:

The story of Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft is a real romantic tear-jerker. Married poet Shelley falls for the teenage daughter of his sponsor, his wife dies, he marries nineteen year old Mary who erupts with genius in the same year, writing Frankenstein while on holiday with Byron in Geneva, they are constantly on the move under a cloud of debt and scandal, Shelley drowns just a few years later. And their first 3 children died young. (I was reading Frankenstein while making the heliotrope, I think this is why the poor Doktor is so driven and melancholy, he reflects the sadness of both the Doktor and the poor creature in the book.)

Wow, sorry, this is a really long post already. Forgive me please for one more piece of musing. The ancient Greeks had technology that was probably better than medieval Europe or indeed nineteenth century Japan (steam engines, robots, calculators, probably a railway). It's incredible how much was lost. When we think of the level of technology in Historica being roughly constrained to the medieval or early modern period, could we go back to the Greek inventions which were more advanced? (There is a rather beautiful Mitgardian steamship, which would surpass the Greek level) There is also evidence that ancient India had very advanced metallurgy, and some not very well documented claims of it having nuclear bombs, mercury-driven flying machines etc. but I would consider those somewhat outside scope in this context! :tongue:

:classic:

Edited by robuko

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blablabla :laugh: (no disrespect, I just got a headache)

Wow, sorry, this is a really long post already. Forgive me please for one more piece of musing. The ancient Greeks had technology that was probably better than medieval Europe or indeed nineteenth century Japan (steam engines, robots, calculators, probably a railway). It's incredible how much was lost. When we think of the level of technology in Historica being roughly constrained to the medieval or early modern period, could we go back to the Greek inventions which were more advanced? (There is a rather beautiful Mitgardian steamship, which would surpass the Greek level) There is also evidence that ancient India had very advanced metallurgy, and some not very well documented claims of it having nuclear bombs, mercury-driven flying machines etc. but I would consider those somewhat outside scope in this context! :tongue:

:classic:

Robots, calculators, railways, steam engines, nuclear bombs, ...

I know they had some stuff like that (calculators and steam engines), but trust me it really looked prehistoric :laugh: , in Medieval times, they still used those things (think about alchemists), but neverthless we better don't use those things in Historica :tongue:

(Greek Steam Engine Wiki Link)

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My dear fellow Guildsmembers! I hope the sun in Kaliphlin still shine for you and that your traderoads still are a safe place!

I, Lord Damaximus, Duke of Mpya Stedor and loyal to the Guild Of Kaliphlin, invites you all to the FIRST ANNUAL EASTER ARCHERY TOURNAMENT OF MPYA STEDOR!!

Deadline for sending your archer: 8 April 2012

Place to be: Mpya Stedor Archery Tournament Topic

Prizes: Armoury made of Gold & Silver (by Chromebricks}

Only Allowed:

- Archers: Natural beings (no robots)

- Weapons: Bow or Crossbow (A little modified is welcome, but none automatic stuff! }

- 1 Archer / Historicamember

Max number of participants: NONE!

Well, I hope to see all of you!!!

Let us show them that we are more than excellent warriors!

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robuko - thanks for that information! That's very helpful as I would like to enter challenge 3 and the sooner I start thinking about it the better, particularly if there is no size limit!

At the start I was trawling through all the guild threads but as the number of posts has increased I no longer have time!

Good luck with the round 2 judgements! :thumbup:

A question for Simon: are the free builds being judged? If so, can you tell us anything about the points system for them? If so, can you tell me if my stained glass window was counted as a free-build? Thanks!

Edited by Basiliscus

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Desiring a greater knowledge at my fingertips of the Kaliphlin Guild, I have taken it upon myself to create A Backpackers Guide to the Greater Siccus Badlands, by Mikel Kalores

To begin with I have begun collecting information on the races and species that live in the Siccus Badlands. I have begun with the following list:

Beasts (this post) and Intelligent Species (here) of the Siccus Badlands. Later I plan on making a list of locations, but that won't be for a while.

EDIT: Thanks CptMugwash for the links. I will be updating this list with pictures and more detailed descriptions so I would appreciate all suggestions and info. More edits to come...

Beasts of the Siccus Badlands

Camel - The most common transportation of the Siccus Badlands. I have spotted two different breeds, a light haired and a darker haired one. Other than the color,the breeds look alike.

Chicken -

Crocodile - A common reptile residing along the waterways of the Siccus Badlands. Crododile hides are a staple in armour making in the south.

Cow - Grazing animal used for food. It is not thought that the cow is a native of the Siccus Badlands, however wild herds are sometimes seen wandering in the greener areas of the Siccus Badlands

Dragon - Not much is known at present.

Dune Worms - Discovered by Rasputin Jones

DuneWorms.jpg

Elemental - What more can be said? They come in all shapes and sizes but always remain the element that they belong to: water, fire, earth, and air. The most commonly known are respectively: nymphs (water), salamanders (fire), gnomes (earth), and sylphs (air).

Goat -

Golem -

Griffin - ("Painting" by Captain Hardiel)

Griffin.jpg

Common Griffin ("Painting" by Yakob the Red)

Griffin2.jpg

Horse -

Oliphant - Great animals of immense strength, oliphants have been used in the Siccus Badlands as beasts of burden and war from the beginning of time. However due to the relatively small number of oliphants existing in Historica, usually only the very wealthy own them.

("Painting" by Semiramis the Sand Queen)

Oliphant.jpg

Ostrich -

Parrot -

Pig -

Scarab -

Scorpion - Common predatory arachnid of various sizes and colors. Although poisonous,the most common breeds are of small threat if in small numbers. However there are rumors of scorpion pits where thousands of scorpions have gathered because of the moisture. These pits arefeared by travelers in the Siccus Badlands as it is lethal to fall into one. It has recetly been brought to my attention that certain residents of the Siccus Badlands have found a way to tame the large breed known as Giant Scorpions. It is in my plans to visit one of these such scorpion tamers to seek to learn how such a feat is possible.Giant Scorpion.

("Painting" by Kcaj Nosnikta)

GiantScorpions.jpg

Serpent- Common reptile of various sizes and colors. Most serpents of the Siccus Badlands are highly poisonous and their poison glands fetch a high price on the black market.

Spider- Common predatory arachnid of various sizes and colors. Although most spiders are highly poisonous, they are for the most part harmless if proper care is taken. However there are rumors of large breeds in the tunnels and caverns below the surface of the Siccus Badlands.

Unicorn -

Wolf -

Edited by Mikel Kalores

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Hey Mikel great idea, I always thought about some kind of Bestiary thing, there's also golems, gryphons, horses, elementals, scarabs and elephants.

Giant Scorpion

Giant Golden Scarab

Grpyhon by Waterbrick Down

and another Gryphon by J4ke

Elephant by Sandy

Dune Worms Robuko found these ones.

About advanced technology in historical times I dare say you could have fashioned an engine of sorts using ethanol from sugar and yeast, so there's cars and planes too.

Hope those links worked.

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Desiring a greater knowledge at my fingertips of the Kaliphlin Guild, I have taken it upon myself to create A Backpackers Guide to the Greater Siccus Badlands, by Mikel Kalores

Very awesome, great work.

It gives away what I am working on... but I am creating a whole new race for the badlands, to be unveiled soon as soon as I get enough pieces for them. They call themselves in their native tongue "The People of the Flame" we traders of Kaliphlin know them as indigenous peoples of the badlands, bandits, pests, evil-dwellers, devils, but most commonly we refer to them as Lerik'ai. They are humanoid, but have strange red, black, or gold skin colorings that set them apart from humans even from the farthest distance. They do not use animals for transportation, but can travel quickly over the desert sands. They live in small hobbles and in the rare cave or cavern within the badlands. They worship the black life force that the badlands provides, and hate that we traders take it from the ground. In fact, many a trader has lost their life to such a creature because they brought from the ground this crude. With the oil they tend to the ceremony of the flame - burning a vat throughout a ten day period in order to cleanse their souls. The Lerik'ai tend to be reclusive, and it is said if you see one, you know you will be attacked shortly. Oddly, Lerik'ai rarely leave their tribes - for they are hunted down and killed if they do. This has presented one of the few known instances of Lerik'ai entering a city or lands not parched like the badlands - as soon as the traitor has been dealt with, they return to the sands. They are a dangerous people, but just one of the many threats in the badlands. Beyond this, not much else is known about the People of the Flame... yet.

I am working on a Moc, where I am not only revealing my sig fig (finally!) but also showing the Lerik'ai attacking an oil field. I also have a back-story where their most hated enemies are the centaurs... I was thinking of making that story MOC for my myth MOC... but we will see.

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The Search For Truth: Prelude to challenge 3

The land of Historica is enjoying a time of peace and prosperity! New Embassies and fortifications have been built throughout the land and the High King can finally rest at ease, knowing his reign is at an all time high.

He knows that under his rule, Historica has indeed become a mighty realm. Now all it needs is something that will boost that claim-will; a talisman, something unique and special, that could become a true symbol of all that is just and good about Historica.

There is no shortage of Legends about treasure in Historica, and the High King has been showing an increased interest in whether or not there is really any truth behind the tales. One legend, in particular, has really caught his attention.

All children of Historica grow up with The Tale of the Lost Shrine Of The Druids. It is a tale about the first settlers of this mighty land; a powerful race of Druids who lived in harmony and were as one with the land. It is said that they built a sacred shrine, and within its walls they placed 'The Soul Of Historica'. This treasure is said to contain the power of the four Elder Druids who sacrificed their lives so that the land would forever be blessed. It is indeed, a treasure of extreme importance and power.

People have been searching for this treasure for centuries, but to no avail. Presently, the story is accepted as nothing more than a legend. But is it indeed just a legend? That's something which the High King is determined to find out.

Four warriors, one from each corner of Historica, have been assigned the task of tracking down a retired Historian; the only man in the Kingdom who may know the answer.

Lord Owain Of Avalonia, cousin of Artorius Rex

Ragnar'The Fearless' Nibelung, nephew of Jarl Nibelung

Kathyrin Flagg, slave sister to Dextrus Flagg

Kahzoul 'The Reaper', bodyguard and trained assassin of Lord Ssilyrrlith

After many weeks of ceaseless searching, the four finally track down the Historian to a dwelling in Nocturnus, a place known as Grim Hollow.......

6918101367_ed1bb08d33_z.jpg

Owain: "You sure this is the place?"

Kathyrin: "Why?" "Doubting my skills are you now?" she grinned.

Owain: "But look at it!" "Dark and dirty and falling to pieces, who lives like this?!"

Kahzoul: "Oh I am sorry, would you prefer it if we planted some lush green trees? Perhaps a nice row of flowers along the front, yes?" he asked sarcastically. He lowered his tone, "Fool, your not in Avalonia anymore!"

Owain: "Mores the pity" he grumbled.

The group took a moment to gaze upon their destination. Could the answer to the most sacred of treasures really be found in such a place?

6774245002_053d0c4214_z.jpg

Ragnar: "Enough time wasting, lets just do what we came here for and head back" he growled.

Kathyrin: "Agreed, after all, we are being watched."

Owain: "Watched?" he shouted. "By whom?"

Kahzoul: "Drow spies of course." he said casually. "They've been watching us ever since we set foot into Nocturnus." He seemed to find the situation amusing.

Kathyrin: "Then they know why we're here?" "They know of the Shrine and the Historian?"

Kahzoul: "Oh yes, they know alright." he smiled.

Ragnar: "If they know" he snarled, "then why haven't they already taken the Historian, learned his secrets and gone ofter the Shrine themselves?"

Kahzoul: "That's not their style." he said with a grin. "They find it far more fun to let us do all the hard work and find the treasure, then they can just come and take it from under our nose!"

Owain: "Not on my watch!" he roared.

Owain stepped out from the group, drew his sword and looked out towards the gloomy land of Nocturnus.

"COME OUT YOU COWARDS!" he shouted. "COME OUT AND FIGHT!"

He unbuckled the straps of his shield and threw it to the ground.

"I'll MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU, NO SHIELD, ONE HAND BEHIND MY BACK!.....COME OUT AND FIGHT!"

His shouts were greeted with nothing but silence. He spat on the floor in disgust, picked up his shield then turned to walk back to the others.

Kahzoul: "What a fine display." he mocked, clapping his hands.

Rangnar: "And what did that achieve?"

Owain: "Look, if they are out there, then at least they know that Avalonia is not afraid of a fight!"

Ragnar: "Nor is Mitgardia!" he stroked his hand across the blade of his axe. "And you would do well to remember that!" he said said dangerously.

Owain: "I'd end your life before you had time to swing that hedge cutter!"

Kathyrin: "I'll cut both your throats right now if you two don't pack it in!" she shouted, then smiled. "Come on, lets get this over with."

The group made they way to the main door. The stench of the overflowing sewers wasn't making this task any easier, but they knew they would soon be on their way home.

6918057281_1f5b36f856_z.jpg

Owain: "Right, I'll break down the door."

Kathyrin: "No!" she said shocked. "We're not thieves, we knock."

Owain looked bemused. 'Just kick the door in' he thought to himself, but nodded at Kathyrin, who went ahead and knocked.

And so they waited, and waited........and waited!

Owain: "What a surprise!"...."So now we kick the door down right?"

Karzoul: "Leave it to me, amateurs." he hissed. He made his way to the door, placed his hands on the lock and within a flash the door swung open.

Owain: "How did you do that?" he asked confused.

Karzoul: "Oh please, picking locks is child's play, we Nocturnian's know how to pick a lock from the day we can first stand!" "Not to mention a wealth of other tricks!" he boasted.

Kathyrin: "Lock picking?" she raised an eyebrow. "Whats that for then, thieving?"

Karzoul: "No...well, not as such" he grinned.

Owain: "More likely for when the imbeciles manage to lock themselves out their houses on a daily basis!" he chuckled.

Karzoul: "I'll ignore that comment Owain, besides, the door's open, so lets go."

Into the building they went, glad to be away from the harsh eyes of the watching Drow. Now to speak to this Historian!

6918046789_1f28dd8e96_z.jpg

Ragnar: "Strange place this." he looked around the lower floor, scouting for anything that may be threat. "Shall I stand and guard the door?" he snarled.

Karzoul: "No need, like I said, the Drow won't make a move yet." he spoke with a confidence that washed onto the others.

Kathyrin: "I guess your right, they wouldn't stand a chance anyways!"

Owain: "I'd kill them all before they even got through the door anyway, so its really not an issue is it?".......

Karzoul rolled his eyes and carried on searching the lower floor with the others. Owain decided to have a look around as well, until something caught his eye.

Owain: "Look at all those barrels of Mead!" he cried, "and they're full too, I knew this would be a worthwhile journey!" He raced over to the barrels.

Owain: "Perfect, now lets see, six full barrels....So, we're gonna need to find some sort of wagon to get these back to mine and..."

Ragnar: "Oi" he interrupted. "If anyone's having those barrels of Mead, its gonna be me!" "Besides, I don't need a wagon, I'll just carry them on my back like a real man!" he grinned.

Owain: "That's stealing!" he said.

Ragnar: "What?" he asked confused. "What's the difference with you taking them then?"

Owain: "I'm borrowing", he said with a smirk, "borrowing."

Kathyrin: "No one is stealing or borrowing anything." She spoke with a half smile while flicking her dagger in the air.

Owain: "Come on Kath, its a long journey back home you know!"

Ragnar: "Aye, journey goes a lot quicker with a barrel of Mead!"

Kathyrin: "Must I remind you two that we are on a mission for the High King? We are here in the hope that this Historian will give us some information regarding the Lost Shrine! Not only have we already broken into his house, now you want to take his supply of Mead as well?...What next?" she grinned, "I wouldn't tell us anything if I were him!"

Karzoul: "Hey, over here." he called the other three over and nodded towards the staircase. "Up the stairs, I hear movement coming from one of the rooms, that's probably our guy!"

Sure enough, the sound of somebody moving could be heard coming from the upper floor. They made their way up the stairs and pushed open the door. Someone was sitting at a table at the far end of the room. They had found the Historian.

6917991071_68b337eee3_z.jpg

Historian: "Ahhh, I've been expecting you."

Owain: "Expecting us?" he gasped. "Did you not hear us knocking? Four bloody hours we were waiting out there, FOUR!"

Kathyrin: "Oh shut up Owain!" she snapped. She turned towards the Historian. "I must apologize for his rudeness Mr...."

Victor: "Revolword, Victor Revolword" he smiled, "And don't worry about that business with the door; yes I heard your knocking, but you can't be too careful round here, likely to get dragged outside and robbed if you answer your door in this hamlet."

Kathyrin: "Well its good to know we have found you safe and sound." she smiled. "There's a matter we really could do with you expertise on, lets just say its historic." she smiled.

Victor: "Well you have come to the right place, but first let me get you all a drink, you must be thirsty?" he asked. "I have some very fine Mead downstairs, I'll go and fetch some for you all" he offered.

Owain: "Its ok, I know where it is, I'll get it."

Victor: "Oh...ok...splendid. Yes, that's very kind of you Sir"

Owain bounded off downstairs and appeared again ten minutes later. He had managed to haul and struggle a whole barrel of mead to the top. He stood exhausted, but looking very pleased with himself.

Kathyrin: "What are you doing?" she asked shocked. "You only had to fetch one beaker each!" she rolled her eyes shaking her head.

Ragnar: "You did well lad!"

Owain: "Yeah, I know."

The two of them stood there grinning, while Victor poured them all a drink. He seemed oblivious to what Owain had done.

Victor: "Right then, what is it that I can help you with?"

Kathyrin: "We need some information on a shrine; if it exists and where it can be found."

Victor: "There are plenty of old ruined shrines in Historica, are you looking for one in particular?" he asked.

Kathyrin: "The lost Shrine of the Druids." she watched for Victor's reaction.

Victor: "Ah yes, but of course." he calmly leaned back in his chair then looked up at them. "You're treasure hunters then?"

Kathyrin: "Not as such, the High King has shown an interest in the Shrine and would like to know whether it really exists?"

Victor: "Of course it does" he chuckled. "Legends don't just appear, they may grow and be exaggerated over the years, but they are all based on real events." he looked carefully at the group. "Yes it does exist, and it contains the greatest treasure in all of Historica. I have devoted a large part of my life to finding it, and through that journey I have learned much."

Owain: "Ok....So where is it, how do we get there?"

Victor: "I'm afraid its not that simple, you can't find the shrine until you have the keys."

Kathyrin: "Keys?"

Victor: "The keys open the shrine, and its the keys that, when found, reveal its location." he gave a sly smile. "So you can't find the shrine or open its door without the keys."

Ragnar: "Right then, so we need these "keys", fair enough." he scratched his beard and looked at Victor. "So where do we find them?"

Victor: "For years men have been searching, but nothing has ever been found. Why do you think that could be?"

Owain: "Because they've rusted away!Or better still, maybe they never existed at all!" he scorned, then got up and drowned another beaker of Mead.

Karzoul: "Perhaps...I've encountered most of Historica's sacred items on my travels, but never a Shrine key; I'm afraid that they may be lost forever. Or..."

Kathyrin: "Or maybe they aren't keys in the conventional sense?"

Victor: "Exactly my dear, the keys to the Shrine are not keys in the conventional sense, but something else entirely."

Kathyrin: "What exactly are they?" she asked.

Victor: "Crystals. Four Elemental Crystals; one for each of the ancient elements."

Karzoul: "Earth, Air, Fire and Water...?"

Victor: "That's correct, and when they are all found and brought together, they will reveal the location of the shrine."

Owain: "Crystals eh?" a look of interest crossed his face. "I bet they're worth a fair price?"

Kathyrin: "Don't even think it Owain!" she snapped.

Owain: "I know, I know, just jesting" he smiled.

Kathyrin: "Now then Victor, how exactly do these Crystals show the location of the Shrine?"

Victor: "On each Crystal there is an inscription that explains where the shrine is located, but this inscription does not become visible unless all four are brought together."

Kathyrin: "I see; so once we find them, how do we open the door of the Shrine?"

Victor: "According to an old manuscript I found, the Keys are placed in some sort of device, and their power unseals the door."

Ragnar: "Now we're getting somewhere!" he said excitedly.

Karzoul: "Well that explains why no one has ever found the keys, they've all been searching for the wrong thing." he smiled with amusement.

Owain: "Its just like what I've been saying all along" he proclaimed.

Ragnar: "What?"

Owain: "Nothing...never mind."

Kathyrin: "So, its just the location of these Crystals then, have you discovered any information on their whereabouts?"

Victor: "I'm afraid I do not know their exact locations, but I do know that they were hidden in each corner of Historica. The Earth Crystal is hidden in Avalonia, the Air Crystal can be found in Mitgardia, the Fire Crystal lies in the land of Nocturnus and the Water Crystal rests somewhere in Kaliphiln."

Owain: "Great, well that narrows it down, so somewhere in each land of Historica, there lies a Crystal hidden! All we need to do is spend the rest of our lives searching every inch of each land trying to find them!" he sighed and slumped down in a chair.

Kathyrin: "That's all the information we needed!" she exclaimed. "We now know the shrine and keys exist, we know that one is hidden in each realm, and we know what they do and how to use them! That's more than enough!"

Owain: "Yes but there's still the burden of trying to find them, it would be never ending!"

Kathyrin: "Not if the whole of Historica is looking for them! We'll find them!" she said enthusiastically.

Owain: "I'm sure your right."

Kathyrin: "Victor, if you knew all of this, why haven't you tried looking for them?"

Victor: "Ah therein lies the problem; you see, only a Mitgardian can find the Crystal in Mitgardia, just as only an Avalonian can find the Crystal in Avalonia.The same is true for every land, and alas it's one of the reasons I never bothered looking for them myself." he chuckled.

Kathyrin: "Thank you Victor, your information and help have been invaluable; we're in your debt. Is there anything we can do for you in return?"

Victor: "I just want to see the Shrine finally discovered, that's all." he smiled.

Kathyrin: "You shall see that happen, I promise! Its time for us to leave, there's lots to be done."

The group stood and said farewell to Victor. He seemed excited at the prospect of the Shrine finally being discovered, but why wouldn't he, after all, its the Shrine of Legend that countless men have searched for all their lives.

6917980051_fd6dee1061_z.jpg

The group headed outside into the darkness of night. Owain and Ragnar fetched the horses, then they all gazed out into the darkness.

Owain: "Whats our move now?"

Kathyrin: "We each head back to our leaders, report everything we have just heard and then, I expect, they will speak to the High King. A plan will likely be put into action to find the Crystals."

Ragnar: "So this is where we part ways then?"

Kathyrin: "Yes, we have done our part, whatever happens next is up to our leaders and the High King to decide."

Owain: "Fine with me, I just want to get back to Avalonia; its a long journey." he said with a sigh.

Karzoul: "Yes, I do feel for you guys." he grinned. "I expect I will be home in under an hour!"

Owain: "Yes, but then you've got to mess around trying to pick the lock to get in!" he laughed.

The group smiled and said farewell to one another. They were going home, successful in their mission and excited to finally be able to set foot back in their beloved lands after so long away.

So the stories were true. The shrine did exist and so too did the mysterious treasure hidden inside.

But before this treasure could be found, four Crystals must be located; and that will be no easy task. Objects of such great importance are bound to be hidden well, in treacherous places; bound to be guarded by all manner of unspeakable creatures and traps. One thing is for certain; they must be found! For the glory of the High King, and for the people and legacy of Historica!

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Looks like history went a bit sarcastic on Kaliphlin :D

When the druids put the Water Element stone somewhere in our lands, we were nice green place, with a lot of rain and WATER!

but now we are a desert without the water but the Water Element is still hidden somewhere here...

Edited by DaMaximus

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This is an awesome story (and those builds! :wub: ) and I'm really glad it came out now, I can incorporate a little bit into the myth MOC. I was wondering if the guild system was like Hogwarts or more like The Last Airbender. Now we know. The only surprise is that I thought it would be Mitgardia is Water, Kaliphlin is Air if we followed the film. We do have some mighty rivers and a very very very extensive coastline....but I don't think it will be there :wink:

Kathyrin comes out of this very well, we must free her Dextrus!

:classic:

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This is an awesome story (and those builds! :wub: ) and I'm really glad it came out now, I can incorporate a little bit into the myth MOC. I was wondering if the guild system was like Hogwarts or more like The Last Airbender. Now we know. The only surprise is that I thought it would be Mitgardia is Water, Kaliphlin is Air if we followed the film. We do have some mighty rivers and a very very very extensive coastline....but I don't think it will be there :wink:

Kathyrin comes out of this very well, we must free her Dextrus!

:classic:

I think it meant that she was not his sister by blood, but they were enslaved together. I assume she is now free. If not, GEAR Co is ready for some tough intimidation of her master.

As for water being here, it kind of makes sense if we look back to the ancient history when the whole continent was ruled by Kaligem, before the great sands came. We were a lush grassland where water was not coveted. We also have the finest ports in the world, and the greatest traders. Water, the most precious of the elements, clearly belongs to us.

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Contest Deadline

We announced on the 22nd... let's make it simple and give an additional weekend - so Sunday Feb 11th.

--

Belkar Docken Welcome new stranger. We are friends here. Please come sit down. Quick! This man need some Mead. Belkar, please relax and tell us your story.

Saladus I love the size and the crumbliness of it of Mägi Linnus?

The path is particularly nicely built.

Though I think you can maybe put a bit more variation into the dark bley wall. an occasional light bley brick - or old dark grey.

So... are you going to build some interior scenes from inside Mägi Linnus?

Mikel - let's stick with one entry per person.

Don't forget Challenge 3 is right around the corner.

As for LDD - Master Cartographer Gex was thinking the same thing I was - for the official challenges and freebuilds - I say we should stick to brick built - as you have proper time to plan accordingly - and part of the challenge is to work with what you actually have (or can acquire) - Innovation within your means is a great challenge and can lead to some awesome stuff. Just look at all those TFOLs out there that have small collections building great stuff. I find LDD gives a bit of unfair advantage as it gives you unlimited bricks essentially.

Though for Myth challenge - since there's a short timeline - let's let LDD usage this once - if you're absolutely stuck...

For the record I don't think we have officially said one way or the other... I know Mitgardia has banned it - and I think it was an unwritten rule/assumption that it would be all brick built.

Kcaj this is a Guild friendly challenge - it's for fun so I won't be counting studs... so as long as it's close I Think you'll be fine - but it's really up to the judges to decide: The Kaliphlin Guild

Rasputin &Tower Lord Wahil Yes that's what we did... though just to point out the Free builds have not been scored - we are scoring them now - and will do it every 2 challenges or so. Basically everyone can get a max 50 points for the guild - so yes - those free builds can be big points!

So yes Wahil your master piece will be counted and should do well :thumbup:

Though some might ask why we are capping things - that's to make sure that people create their best work.

It's better to build a few great things, than a ton of mediocre things. And the scoring system is designed to try to encourage that.

Lord Damaximus - Alas, the bow is not my strong suit... instead I shall send my Slave-Sister Kaythrin instead.

Rasputin & Lord Damaximus Yes ancient societies have some sophisticated technologies. While I wouldn't mind seeing more incorporated in mocs, let's keep in mind the reason we to are trying to shy away a bit from all this technology is to prevent a technological arms race between the guilds (though a Cold War between guilds would be interesting...)

Tower Lord Wahil I had the same problem - I used to read every thread - work and other business has essentially prevented me form continuing... though some day I will go through it all and bump month old threads :laugh:

Mikel & Kcaj Great guide! I added a link to it form the first page.

Dugal MacLean Very interesting backstory! I can't wait to see and hear about these "People of the Flame"

Lord Damaximus Water Element in Kaliphlin... I'm sure the story will make sense eventually....

Rasputin do not let the name fool you! Kathryin is as much a slave as I am. We both escaped together from the same camp... I call her my Slave-Sister, as we watched over each other like brother's and sister during our ordeal... but that is a Legend to be told at a different time. (What Dugal said... but before i turned the page)

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Can't wait for the next challenge; the backstory is great so far!

After the opening of the embassy in Valholl, her ladyship and I took a bit of a tour of Mitgardia. It's been a while since I'd been up there, and it was good to see old friends and revisit some old haunts and tour some areas we hadn't been to before. My old smuggling days used to take me up there quite a bit, especially to the Isles of Solitude and the desolate Great Elk coast. And I know well the area around Mt Mitgard and the Orcish Marches from my treasure hunting days. Luckily, we didn't see any of the dragons whose treasures we had confiscated back in the old days. Up in the mountains outside of Helgestorp, we indulged in the favorite pastime of some of the locals, attaching a plank of birch to our boots and riding down the snowy mountain slopes. What great fun! Roaring down the mountain faster than sand cobra strikes a desert rat, with the cold brisk air whistling by. Thought you all might like to see a scene from our vacation:

6784418252_3dff978d07.jpg

Anyway, it's good to be back home in the sunny southlands. The vineyards have been well tended to in my absence, and it's looking like a good vintage so far, although the lack of rain has me a bit worried.

I've sent word out to my clan and various adventurers I know that we've got some quest coming up, related to the Crystals. We'll be ready when the orders come through from the High King.

Yours in Kaliphlin,

Gex

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Instead of redesigning my teaching portfolio and employment packet, I spent the last half an hour goofing around on this :Kaliphlin Wiki We don't have to use it but I thought that perhaps it might be a good tool to have so that we don't have to search the thread for everything. That way SI Doesn't have to keep adding more and more links / text from the thread to the front page. Also, we could use it as a fast resource to look up information about Kaliphlin. As I mentioned on the Wiki, all discussion still has to go on here. But as we decided on important topics one of us can go update the wiki, or when we finish a moc and want to do a short write up, post a pic or two, and put down some links back to the forum we could do that also. I kind of see it as a large tome of knowledge about our guild that is easily available.

Now of course we don't have to use this at all, my feelings won't be hurt. I just was investigating some possibilities. Let me stress this is not my Wiki, but OUR wiki. Everyone is welcome to contribute.

I did not want to put up any pictures / maps / what not, because I have not heard what people think about the site yet and if we want to do it.

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We don't have to use it but I thought that perhaps it might be a good tool to have so that we don't have to search the thread for everything. That way SI Doesn't have to keep adding more and more links / text from the thread to the front page. Also, we could use it as a fast resource to look up information about Kaliphlin. As I mentioned on the Wiki, all discussion still has to go on here. But as we decided on important topics one of us can go update the wiki, or when we finish a moc and want to do a short write up, post a pic or two, and put down some links back to the forum we could do that also. I kind of see it as a large tome of knowledge about our guild that is easily available.

Interesting idea. Personally, I find discussion boards (like EB) to be great for discussions and hashing things out, but once a fairly solid, canonical set of information is agreed on, that info should really be stored in something else, like a wiki. That's because discussion boards are difficult to search and nearly impossible to organize information in. As you pointed out, the best you can do is edit first posts and pin topics.

I'd guess that the powers that be at EB wouldn't be thrilled with us storing all our important guild information on another site. The best solution would be if EB offered some sort of linked wiki. I'm sure the technology exists. Maybe storing info somewhere else will prompt some action on the EB side... :devil:

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Interesting idea. Personally, I find discussion boards (like EB) to be great for discussions and hashing things out, but once a fairly solid, canonical set of information is agreed on, that info should really be stored in something else, like a wiki. That's because discussion boards are difficult to search and nearly impossible to organize information in. As you pointed out, the best you can do is edit first posts and pin topics.

I'd guess that the powers that be at EB wouldn't be thrilled with us storing all our important guild information on another site. The best solution would be if EB offered some sort of linked wiki. I'm sure the technology exists. Maybe storing info somewhere else will prompt some action on the EB side... :devil:

IT is definitely a fine line to walk, but there comes a point -- especially for a project like this -- that there is just too much information. Although, as we said, discussion is here, we make all the decisions here, I kind of see the Wiki as a one stop reference tool. It is not alive like the forums, and we won't be doing much direct corresponding with one another there. That keeps us here, but using the outside source as a type of storage. I would say this is almost the equivalent of flickr.

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IT is definitely a fine line to walk, but there comes a point -- especially for a project like this -- that there is just too much information. Although, as we said, discussion is here, we make all the decisions here, I kind of see the Wiki as a one stop reference tool. It is not alive like the forums, and we won't be doing much direct corresponding with one another there. That keeps us here, but using the outside source as a type of storage. I would say this is almost the equivalent of flickr.

I am totally in for the Kaliphlin Library (read: Wiki)! I love Libraries (read: Wiki)! :laugh:

My historians will help with some stories and stuff like that, but as we come from another continent, we speak a dialect of your English, so you guys may have to corrigate the spelling sometimes :laugh:

(read: as I am from Belgium and English is something we learn at school as third language, I sometimes make mistakes :wink: )

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IT is definitely a fine line to walk, but there comes a point -- especially for a project like this -- that there is just too much information. Although, as we said, discussion is here, we make all the decisions here, I kind of see the Wiki as a one stop reference tool. It is not alive like the forums, and we won't be doing much direct corresponding with one another there. That keeps us here, but using the outside source as a type of storage. I would say this is almost the equivalent of flickr.

Agreed, the wiki wouldn't be a replacement for EB or anything like that, just a means of storage like Flickr to organise everything better. I definately support this idea, I don't think EB would mind if we used this as it would be a bit of work to make something similar for here and even if they did we could easily transfer it over.

Lord Flagg Thank you for clarifying, I thought there may have been some lenience about size, the progress of the myth is 1/5 done, once all information has been gathered there shall be a great tapestry depicting it.

Master Cartographer Gex Your travels are amusing especially the snowboarding, I have yet to try this delightful sport, however I hear your vines are suffering from drought, being an architect amongst other things I have discovered a way of transporting water for uses in agriculture with the purpose of irrigation, I call it a Noria, similar to a water mill wheel in design but with buckets attatched that pour water into a small aqueduct. You may use these blueprints if you wish, aswell as anyone else struggling with water problems.

articles_200801_Indusrty_Focus2_Figure1.gif

Belkar Welcome to the guild of Kaliphlin it is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance and I look forward to hearing your fine tales.

As for the prelude it has me tingling with anticipation of the next challenge.

DaMaximus when in doubt Google Translate

Edited by CptMugwash

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I am totally in for the Kaliphlin Library (read: Wiki)! I love Libraries (read: Wiki)! :laugh:

My historians will help with some stories and stuff like that, but as we come from another continent, we speak a dialect of your English, so you guys may have to corrigate the spelling sometimes :laugh:

(read: as I am from Belgium and English is something we learn at school as third language, I sometimes make mistakes :wink: )

Yeah, at 52 pages to go through, the thread is just a bit much for the newcomer. Although SI does a great job of keeping up the front page. I hope a resource like this would help the newer people get oriented, while helping us older members remember what has happened thus far!

Don't worry about the English as a second or third language, I think if anyone sees a mistake they can correct it.

As for pictures on the wiki, considering people actually own the copyright to their images, unless someone specifically says that their image can be used, I think we should let the original owner always upload it.

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