Gabe

So i made a start on y challenge I build the other day... still at a bit of an undecided stage, despite the extensive tiling. It's going to be loosely based on an image of a Venetian shipyard that i found... plus some other bits and pieces. C&c welcome!

Another beautiful dragon! Despite belonging to the element of air, this is one solid looking beast! The colour scheme is magnificent too - the purple, white and gold of the dragon look perfect against the lime green and tan base. Feathers are very tricky to render in lego - although i think the wings still look good, the feathering still seems a little spindly to me. Did you consider using the chima wing peices at all? I have previously found them very useful to depict feathers. The hinge plate 1x8 with angled side extensions can also be useful, although maybe more so for larger models. I also recall that Cara made a brilliant dragon back in book I, with feathery wings made up of gold scimitars!

Looks like a very interesting build with a lot going on, i only wish i could see more! Adding larger, brighter images would be a great help. From what i can see, the broken tower corner and the helm set in the base really stand out. I am curious about whats going on with the cart as well.. it almost looks like it's tipping over?

Certainly a lot of variety in this garden! I love all the neat rows of crops contrasting with the wilder vegetation outside the garden walls. In a way, i wish the base was irregular rather than bordered, as this would enhance that contrast. Also, i wonder if butting the rocky outcrop in the corner hard up against the garden wall might have been a better choice than leaving a one stud gap? Finally, although your photos could be a bit brighter, the clean white background for your moc is very neat, and your photos are crisply in focus. Nice work!

Ok, i'll pay that... well played!

Nice! I quite like the grey window screen (?) on the upper floors, it looks unique and gives me ideas. I do have to wonder what would happen if two people tried to enter both doors on the ground floor at once though!

Mini horses! You can't mention mini horses and then not show them, i am so disappointed! For a minute i thought you meant the cat, and had visions of it loaded up with parcels. Having said that, it's a lovely compact build with some nice details. I do like the sheild on the corner and the offset half-timbering on the first floor. The statue looks great too, although i wish the plinth it stood on looked a bit more detailed or ornate. The two buildings look great together as well!

Yeah, i seem to remember doing that as well? But that was YEARS ago now and i wasn't sure if the culture of GoH had changed at all in that regard. Cheers, i'll post an update soon then! (Lol Issac calling yourself lazy... i don't think so!) Awesome! Look forward to seeing it!

Thanks Mccoyed! I've had a few people mention Skyrim, although i don't know the game myself - i must have picked it up from my reference pics. The water is really quite simple - trans light and dark blue tiles over various blue coloured plates, interspersed with some trans clear elements for foam and bubbles etc. I find it a nice mix for a flowing stream. There is another pic on my flickr which is slightly elevated on the water side and shows it a little more clearly. Thankyou Kai! I enjoyed making the sawblade section most of all i think. Not sure that it is 100% successful, but it gets the point across! Cheers Garmadon! The roof design is modified from Siercon and Coral's excellent tutorial, which you can watch here. I've used it before in my Mitgardian moc from a few years back, it's a fantastic technique! Thanks deGothia for your kind words! Thanks Zilmrud, glad you like it! Thanks Grover for your kind comments! I agree about the little pyramid peices, they work well for stonework as they aren't too bright. The trick to getting them to blend in with the grey, i think, is to not overuse them. The waterwheel was indeed a pain and is the part of the whole moc that i dislike the most! I had to build up the trans-clear 'foam' in that area just to make it look like it was actually being turned by the water at all.. I don't find it an altogether satisfactory solution, i think i will have to revisit it again in another build. Thanks mrcp6d, glad u like it! Thanks zoth33 for you kind comments! I'm glad that the concept of raw product going in one end of the mill and processed product emerging from the other comes across... i wanted to hammer that point home as i wasn't sure if the function of the building would be clear otherwise! I agree with you too, i love those Nexo knight shields and it's great to see them coming out in new colours too (Gotta get me some sand green ones now!). Thanks Titus for your comments! Haha i may very well - part of my motivation for sending my old character Erudhalion to wander round for a bit was so i could get to build more in each guild. I guess we shall see how that pans out..! Have to agree with you about the straight water edge on the left hand side - it is a bit odd sitting next to the irregular base like that, and doesn't do much to suggest the waters flow.

Just posted a freebuild that i'd forgotten about- yeah i know it's set in the land of green tights, pls don't hold that against me! I also have a little cog with Kaliphlin colours that i built around the same time, but i still need to swap out minifigs for that - i'll try to get that sorted over the next couple of days. Ooh nice, i'll be looking out for that! Good stuff! Hope the mail gods smile upon you... Btw, does anyone have any thoughts about posting challenge WIP's in this thread? I know some ppl prefer to keep things under wraps until they post, but i can't remember if there was a general rule about it or not. I quite like posting WIP's personally cause it helps me maintain momentum, and the feedback is often very useful.

Nice little build Issac! The corner pillars look great and the corners of the cheese slope roof provide simple yet effective ornamentation that feels very Dwarvish. I love the hinged feature splitting the house in half as well, i've always wanted to try my hand at that. I have to agree with The Stad about the chimney flue though, that would have been awesome to see. Lovely work!

Oh, that's brilliant work and will be a great resource. Thanks so much Titus for taking the time and effort to do this! Looks like i need to hold off on going to the library for a new book!

Nice! I do like the tan building with the corner balcony, it has lovely proportions. I also like the mix of buildings crammed side by side in the street, it looks quite realistic. If i were to make a suggestion, it might be to lose the big dark grey half arch covering the window on the ground floor of the medium nougat building - it pushes the dark grey from being a welcome accent to being a bit overpowering, and looks a little odd next to the arch of the doorway next to it. I would also think about adding some more texture on the walls of that building too - i feel like the neatness of the repeating brickwork pattern looks a bit modern. Nice to see your Varlyrian streetscape coming together!

Nice troops! I don't think i've seen armoured fauns before! The standards look great as well.

I'm really enjoying this story, i love the dialogue especially, you have a real knack for that. Looking forward to the next installment!

Your dragons are all beautiful, it's been a real treat to see them on Flickr and as part of the Summer Joust. The colour scheme on Maji is particularly striking and the base is lovely as well. Is it my imagination, or is Maji slightly smaller than your other dragons? The head construction is interesting... i do like it, but it also looks a little rodent-like with the 'ears' standing up like that!

Aw thanks Narbilu, glad u like my builds! The 1x1 round pillars would not have filled the gap, or given the nice octagonal shape to that section. I'm sure the jumper plates could have been detailed in some other way, but i happen to like my spikes. No regrets! Thanks for your kind comments Issac! I'm looking forward to building a lot more in both Kaliphin and Mitgardia!

Hey all; Who's planning to build something for challenge I? I am planning to be as predictable as possible and build a shipyard - our navy and merchant ships need rebuilding, especially in Peregrinus!

Thanks Titus! Funny, the horns on the tower seem quite divisive! I added them almost as an afterthought, as the tower needed an accent to break up the brown walls. I thought it called out to the horns on the helms as well (Not traditionally very Norse, i know!). Cheers, glad you like my builds! Thanks Henjin for your comments! Yeah, i can see the Orcish similarity now, although that wan't what i was going for at all! I like them too, i think it gives the tower quite a unique feel. I don't really want to stick too closely to one style of architecture or another either - this is a fantasy world after all. Thanks McCoyed! I'm glad to hear that you didn't think the palace interior looked too busy, i mucked around with the colours quite a bit in the hope of avoiding that outcome. Thanks for your kind words! Cheers CaptainAaron! Thankyou very much Nergoue! Cheers mate, good to see you've made your way to the guilds as well - welcome! Thankyou very much zoth for your kind words! Thanks Basiliscus! I think i have heard of Kagemusha, but am not too familiar with the story - i will check it out for sure. Thanks de Gothia, it feels great to be back again. Thanks for your lovely comment!

Such a cool microscale, the dome looks really stylish too. My favourite part would have to be the toolbox building - i've not seen that before! The Elves stickers on the sand green shields look great as well. Zamorah sounds like a fascinating place!

Lovely little build, adde, i really like the road spilling out of the black border. The loaded packhorse looks great and the brickbuilt plant makes a lovely highlight too. Welcome to the guilds, and welcome to Kaliphlin!

Thanks for the warm welcome fellows, glad to hear that my story sounds good to you! It feels so good to be back. :) I'll make a couple of separate introductory story posts later tonight, to kick things off.

Hey all; It's been a while, but i'm excited to be getting back into GoH again! I hope it's ok, but i'm wanting to run two characters - the reason for this is that they are connected. I still want to tell the story of Erudhalion/Erland's journey with Runa Hoskuldottir (for backstory, see this thread), but also introduce a new character to show how things are getting on at home in Erudhalion's absence. My new character is Anuar, Erudhalion's chief political decoy for years, but as unlike his lord in temperament as he is alike in appearance. Anuat has spent most of his adult life sequestered in Erudhalion's main palace in Peregrinus, where he has led a pampered life and has grown used to idleness. He is vacillating, retiring and philosophical in temperament, and would rather spend the day in the library than seeking action or adventure. Although trained in combat as part of his duties, he has no enthusiasm for the martial arts, and is a mediocre fighter at best. However, he is dutiful in carrying out his professional obligations, which have taken on a new seriousness since Erudhalion's disappearence during the Kaliphlin civil war. The high priestess Nammuat, who is a political power in Peregrinus in her own right, has persuaded Anuar to step into Erudhalion's persona on a more or less continuous basis, until he can be found. Nammuat fears that in the current climate of political instability, Peregrinus could easily become embroiled in destructive struggles for power without a strong, visible leader. The problem is, Anuar is none of those things, despite looking like his employer. Nammuat intends to do whatever it takes to ensure that Anuar becomes convincing enough in his new role to stave off political turmoil or worse - if he can survive long enough! Anyway, let me know what you think! Do you think it has potential as a storyline, or is just a bit trite? Just to clarify, i intend Anuar to become my main character for guild purposes, but i will not be abandoning Erudhalion just yet! Keen to hear your thoughts! :)

Built for the Summer Joust, Guild category, Team Kaliphlin. And also a free build! After the civil war in Kaliphlin ended in stalemate, the main concerns of it's leaders turned to how to rebuild their shattered economy. Marauding armies had raided and decimated farms throughout the land, leading to widespead hunger and deprivation. Peregrinus had fared somewhat better than it's neighbouring provinces, as most of it's battles had been fought against Ulandis on the sea. Although not blessed with much arable land, the locals have made do by cutting into the hillsides, creating terraces where produce can be grown. Soldiers from both sides of the conflict have found ready work on the land, finding a new common purpose after the exhaustion of war. Terraced Villa in Peregrinus - 1 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Terraced Villa in Peregrinus - 2 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Terraced Villa in Peregrinus - 4 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Many Ulandian personnel were washed ashore on Peregrinus during the fierce naval battles fought off the coast. Here a stranded Ulandian veteran is reduced to begging for alms on the street. A Peregrinian soldier on patrol is moved by his plight and helps him with money so he can buy his passage home. Terraced Villa in Peregrinus - 5 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] I feel like a bit of a fraud cause i didn't actually take part in the Kaliphlin civil war... (work was bonkers during that time), but at least i can play a role in showing the recovery afterwards! Anyway, i hope you have enjoyed looking at my build. C&c welcome as always.

Mitgardia5rs_140616 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Runa Hoskuldottir spoke the words of leaving with care and reverence, asking the gods and the ancestors to bless the journey they were about to embark upon. The man by her side stood silent, but he made the offerings at the right time, as she had instructed him, the coins of passage falling into the sacred bowl in a pattern that promised fair winds. The ritual over, she turned to look at him, smiling. “Well Erland, we shall have no trouble until we reach the mainland at least. A good start.” Erland lifted his careworn face to meet her eyes. “Perhaps I am the trouble on the road. I know your father doesn’t approve of our betrothal, and how can I blame him? He knows next to nothing of me, and I cannot remember enough to quell his fears. Perhaps Sigurd was right and they should have left me to be claimed by the waves, at least that way your family would not be deprived of you in this hour!” Runa snorted impatience. It was one of the things he loved about her, how little patience she had for his doubt and self-pity. “Don’t talk nonsense, betrothed. Do you think I could remain deceived about your true nature after months of nursing you back to health? You are a good man, I know it, and when we find your family, you will know it again too. As for Sigurd and Bjarke, they are superstitious fools to think that you are ill-omened just because they lost their best fishhook the day they found you floating in the wreckage of that ship. The gods are not responsible for their carelessness!” Erland smiled. “Well, perhaps it shall be as you say. But we certainly won’t have fair winds to the mainland unless we move soon, no matter what the gods say. Is Olaf ready to go?” Runa reached down to stroke the stocky grey cat at her feet. “Come then Olaf! I have packed a snack for you on the boat.” He miowed in response and trotted down the steps toward the jetty, with the couple following close behind him. To be continued… So i hope this will become a bit of a multi-build storyline... it started mainly cause i realised just how little of Historica i'd built in, and i wanted a reason to roam about a bit. I'd never built in Mitgardia before now either, so i just had to kick things off there. But i do want to build more in Peregrinus as well (which has been woefully neglected by me), so the story might become slow going! Mitgardia1.3rb_150616 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Mitgardia1.2r_150616 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Mitgardia1.7rs_150616 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Mitgardia1.6_150616 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Mitgardia7rs_140616 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Mitgardia6rs_140616 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Mitgardia10rs_140616 by Gabriel Thomson, on Flickr] Hope you have enjoyed my first foray into building north of the border... thanks for looking. C&c welcome as always!