Henjin_Quilones

What is your story doing? Building the next chapter in that would be my suggestion. Or else some sort of building; an inn, perhaps, as a place to get your story going.

This build is very nice! I like the fact that you made the base very subtly irregular with those green angled plates for a softer feel, and the varied sizes and textures of your stones in the pathway make it look very attractive. The minifigure posing is what really sells this one, though; good work with that. I appreciate the effort to make the vegetation look as natural as possible with the many shades of green, but I think that is the weakest part of the build by far (since the rest of it looks great). Perhaps some sort of elevation change or rock outcropping might make it better, and fewer of those grass stalks/flower stems (or at least denser clumps of them with some space taken up by rocks). More/larger trees might help, too.

Thanks, Maestro, I am glad you liked the story and the stained glass and the floor. The build started with the floor and then went to the stained glass, and it was only at a late stage that I decided to build some rafters. And as for the Spiderwitch and Raavage, I see them having a short and glorious future together... Thanks, Narbilu! Thank you, Fin! The wooden beam became the focal point at a late stage, but I am glad they are popular. The build was inspired in many ways by older churches, though obviously it has been modified significantly to make it fit the context. The rafters were inspired last Sunday as I was staring at my church's ceiling, actually. So thanks, Titus! Thanks, Kahir, I am glad you like the figures. I wanted a diverse range that could represent many of the Black Spire factions. As for the story, I was trying to keep it brief and limited to what I could show with the pictures, while emphasizing the character of the Spiderwitch. I am sorry that you found it boring.

Thanks, SK! I wanted to do more than just the figure, so I threw something together in a hurry and added some pumpkins... Thanks, Titus. The Spiderwitch is nothing if not despicable...endearing, perhaps, but despicable.

Looks good, Maestro! I can see some SK influences in the windows there, and probably in the snow as well. I like the use of minifig hands as little icicles dripping off of the leaves of the tree. This is also, in my opinion, some of your best stonework yet, with the limited use of textures and colors. It is very effective: interesting without being distracting. The cart is also impressive, as is the dragon head; I just wish I could see more of the dragon! Even the base/edging looks good, making it look sharp and clean. I do not have too much to say as far as ways to improve it, as it is very well done, but perhaps strengthen that crane a little as it seems a bit insufficient for the load...

Category A entry: Category B entry: Category C entry:

The build is great, very Black Spire-esque, clearly inspired and influenced by Z's builds on the subject. I have to say that I do not particularly like the gingerbread golem, and I think the reason must be the presence of so many studs (I've developed an aversion to them over the years) because truly the idea and the posing of it are top-notch. The milk mug is a nice touch, too. It is good to see that someone is getting the builds posted! (I should have mine up later today or tomorrow, if I can get the pictures taken.) Good work!

Great build, and very fun story! You did an excellent job of equipping a kitchen with all sorts of pots and pans and knives and ladles, but the rolling pin is the best. So much activity!

Very nice winter scene! (You must have watched SK's snow tutorial...) The sledge itself is great, filled with clever uses and nice details. The iced-over pond is a great detail, too. The man pulling the sledge must be a true Mitgardian, though, with ice flowing in his veins to withstand the cold with no shirt or pants on...

Great work! The story is fun, and the build is lovely! I enjoy the very nice hardwood floor and the drawers. The curved wall, though impressive and pretty, is not my favorite, just because it adds so many distracting details. The alcoves are my favorite part (besides the story) and the half-stud offset tan panels above them are also great. Spectacular job, LJ!

Great character introduction! And it is clear from the background of the picture that you have a kitchen in the works, too, for part B, which I look forward to seeing. I am sure that there will be those who would challenge the claim that this Igor fellow was the first in history to make a Nocturnian pumpkin pie, though...

Looks great, but sure makes me wish that I had some of those tooth/hanging snow parts (and more of those 2x6 curved and tapered bricks)! I especially like how the snow drift is hanging over the rocky face, as though it were wind sculpted.

What's wrong with the other guilds? We're people too...

The tree on this scale definitely looks more palm-tree-ish; I know some of the earlier iterations looked a bit like conifers, but this one is more convincingly tropical. I might suggest using brown vine pieces instead of the dark green, since (to my very limited knowledge of botany) the lower hanging things on palm trees are usually dead or dying palm branches. The dark green does not detract however. I like the varied sand colors and the stone path looks appropriately gravel-ish. Nice job!

I'm glad you like the details, Legofin! They are the fun part to add at the very end, filling out the space that has been created to bring it to life. And I love the Ursula minifig as the perfect evil witch character, together with the Maleficent one too. Thanks, Blufiji! I was initially sad that I did not have the pie piece, but then I realized that I could use those pieces and make massive pies instead! More pumpkin for everyone!

The Pies of the Spiderwitch (on behalf of the Resistance) Somewhere in southern Nocturnus, perhaps nestled into the tumbled foothills of the Rakath Mountains, or perhaps near the shores of the salty sea, dwells the Spiderwitch. No one quite knows where she came from, or what she is precisely, or even how long she has dwelt in her halls of weathered stone; but everyone knows to avoid the roads and paths that lead to her treacherous snares. That being said, it seems, for the unwary traveler, especially those merry men from Avalonia come to fight in the civil war, that all paths for miles around lead inexorably towards her tower, as though drawn to the center of a vast web, no matter which direction one turns or how quickly one runs. It is said that she prefers it when they run. She likes the excitement. It is also said about her that no one has ever tasted a pumpkin pie better than that of the Spiderwitch. The veracity of those accounts may be doubted, as no one has ever left from her den alive to spread the tale abroad, but those same rumor-mongers quickly add that no one leaves because they cannot bear to live without the pie. The pumpkin pie is so magical, so enchanted, that even the hideous form of the Spiderwitch is rapturous in its beauty and charm to those under its spell, and the men and elves, and everyone else, never leave because they are so in love with her. So love has blinded them. But who can truly say? If you ever care for a bite, stop by. You might just find yourself a permanent inhabitant. Or ingredient. Bon appétit! Occasionally the Spiderwitch has been known to forget the pumpkins altogether, substituting other, just as tasty, ingredients. But usually she just puts everything into the pie and says the right spells... Edit: In case anyone is wondering how to properly make a pie of this sort, here is the recipe: 6 Avalonian heads, drained 3 medium sized pumpkins, baked and blended 2 c. green slime 2 c. beer 3/4 c. dragon horn, powdered 6 c. shredded carrots 3 stewed orc tongues 5 c. fireweed stalks, diced and cooked 8 c. sugar 1 c. cobweb 2 medium dragon eggs 3 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. nutmeg 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pixy dust 1 pinch eye of newt Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix all the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and then gently mix into the wet, being careful to stir briskly to avoid clumps. Grease a large pie pan and pour in the pie mix while muttering the crust incantations. Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is firm. Allow to cool for several hours. Serving suggestion: Whipped Avalonian blood topping and a nice pumpkin spice beer to wash it down. Serves 10-15. __________________________________________________________________________________ .................................................................................................................................................................... Thanks for looking! C&C welcome. There are more pictures on Flickr, too, if you click on any of the pictures above. I do not have a light brick, but by shining a flashlight through the back of the oven I thought it created a nice fiery glow.

The top part of the tower looks great, but I am not sold on the bottom part. It seems like it does not quite fit with the top, and the curved roof (while impressive) doesn't work with everything else being square (in my opinion). It still looks good, though, and there is much to like about it. The crenelations at the top are the highlight for me.

Wow, I hope to see some close-up pics of that build when it is ready! It looks great!

You're welcome, Blufiji. It was too good not to be included...

Good looking group! The rearranged bits of scenery are well-done and effective. My only criticism is that the light cavalry should not have longbows, as they are impossible to use from the back of a horse due to the size of the bow--only a man on foot can use them--so the smaller bows would be a better choice; and perhaps they shouldn't have armored horses, either, to allow for faster riding. But other than that, this looks great!

Looks great! The Skravenport influences are easy to see, and I do not think that this would look out of place there. It is a great little scene of departure--I think the minifigure posing is the highlight here, with the soldier saying goodbye to his son, and the woman waving farewell from the gable window. Another positive is that your highly-textured walls, a bit of a signature for you, are looking better and better as you limit the textures to just a few of the myriad options that bricks give you (using SNOTed tiles and masonry bricks but excluding the log bricks and grill bricks, for example). A bit more simplification could help even more, but they look just fine now. I have only two minor criticisms: first, that the stained glass, while a nice touch, might look a bit better moved away from the roof edge a tad so that the wood is not obscuring part of it, and second, that perhaps a thicker wall (or just a second wall behind the first) would be better so that light cannot be seen passing through it. But those are minor, and the work as a whole is lovely. Good job!

Blufiji's build for the Resistance should be here (seeing that there are so many Black Spire builds):

Thanks!

Thank you, Z! When you say it, it means a great deal!

Resistance sympathizer King Zalgel has sent Urkan, his chief general, from his city of Griznâg in the depths of the Enchanted Forest of Avalonia to join with his royal cousin, Frykka the Brown, in Nocturnus in battle against the traitorous Black Spire. To get there, the band of orcish soldiers has had to brave many hazards, from fierce-eyed Elvish hunters, roaming human cavalry patrols, deserts, fell beasts, and now, at last, the towering Rakath Mountains. On the eastern side of those lofty peaks runs a river, red as freshly spilled human blood, called the Sayn Gwinos River by those who have made the maps. A single bridge crosses the that crimson stream, passing through the ensnaring webs of many deadly spiders. Will the orcs make it to Frykka's warband alive, to swell the ranks of the Resistance against Raavage's tyrannical reign, or will they perish in the mountains, struck down by noxious rivers and venomous arachnids? Time alone will tell... ___________________________________________________ ...................................................................................................... Introducing my second build for the Nocturnian Minichallenges. The photography hopefully looks quite a bit better for this one as I took some advice I was given and took the pictures outside in a shady spot with my old point-and-shoot digital camera. All the grey for the rocks makes me appreciate LittleJohn's Nordheim Fjall that much more...