Grey Magistrate

For the first time ever in my long Lego history, at last I can say -- "DAY ONE PURCHASE".

Please do post more stuff like this -- there are many other holidays that could work in this theme!

I got my first Dreamzzz set last week, the Sandman's Tower. I really like it! Good colors, fun figures, nice height, interesting instructions. I don't know if I'll get any of the other Dreamzzz sets, but the tower is a winner! And the black-and-coral hairpiece is inspiring me to try to build something in those colors.

I'll cast my lonely vote for Nexo Knights! But I hafta allow that Adventurers would be a more appropriate choice, if we can only pick one. I mean, the Adventure name is right there in the forum title!

Wheels long held in check are violently lurching into motion. The dread Monstrox has escaped the chapterhouse prison and recruited a robotic fifth column. Queen Macy's crusader army is preparing to forcefully divest Axl of his control of the ancient capital. Jestro and Lavaria, stone Clay in tow, are on the run from a surge of killer bots. And Lance has become an unwitting pawn in Monstrox's scheme to paralyze the stone army of Ambassador Ava, who waits in her island temple of science and literacy. The traitorous Magmar fooled Lance into requesting an audience with Ava, deceiving him into thinking she had planted a spellbreaker cube in lava monster territory. Magmar urged him to keep the spellbreaker cube secret until Lance could confront her in person, so now he and his two Monstrox-controlled bots arrive by train at the imposing Geological Institute. The train ride across the water is unnerving -- Lance can see the sharks swimming under the tracks -- but the passengers arrive at the school safe and sound. Ava greets her old friend Lance with warmth and affection. Lance wants to begin discussions right away, but Ava insists first on a tour of the school, her proudest achievement. She has long been determined to educate and civilize the stone monsters she has come to lead. The bots, of course, will have to wait outside. A little hitch in the plan, but they can bide their time. The main hallway is teeming with activity. Students gather between classes, check lockers, and chat about the latest sports scores -- the Squids have won three in a row! The tour runs briskly. First, the kindergarten... Then the engineering class... The science lab... The dimly-lit computer lab... The well-stocked library... And the rock garden... Which overlooks statues carved by the school's own talented artists. And also overlooks a school of hungry sharks just below the surface, but then, the stone monsters aren't much for swimming. Lance is so overcome by Ava's scholastic achievement that he momentarily forgets why he came. The bots impatiently remind him and prod him to show the spellbreaker cube. Which he does. But the reaction is not anything he expected. Ava is shocked. A sense of panic chills the air. The terrifying spellbreaker cube sparkles with a sinister shine. Lance is perplexed and tries to explain...his lava monster allies found the cube and thought maybe she would know why it was there and his advisors told him to ask her about it directly and...now that he thinks about it maybe he was wrong about the situation and... In a flash, Ava's loyal retainers knock Lance to the ground. The bots seize the spellbreaker cube. The dread moment has come. The bots heft the spellbreaker cube high and prepare to unleash its awesome dissolutive power. The bots inform Lance that Monstrox has seized control of the lava monsters, and now both he and Ambassador Ava will be knocked off the chessboard. Nothing can stop Monstrox now. Except a shark. The shark dives deep with its prey. There is a muffled pop. A sickening silence. And then the remains bubble to the surface. Lance is crestfallen: betrayed, bankrupted, and barely alive. But now is no time for blame. Ava remembers the Lance from their years before the fall of Knighton, when he was heroic, confident, and noble. He has been ill-used, but he is still a worthy ally and friend. She invites him to join with her stone army against their common foe. It is not an offer he can refuse. The Fall of Knighton: #1 -- Ava's Stone Embassy #2 -- Lance's Lava Mine #3 -- Macy's Fortified Chapel #4 -- Jestro's Pandora Gate #5 -- Axl's Spider Foundry #6 -- King Halbert's Last Stand #7 -- Aaron's Club Absinthe #8 -- Robin's Vampirate Ship #9 -- Clay's Chapterhouse Vigil Spellbreaker: #1 -- Lance's Lava Train #2 -- Ava's Summer Home #3 -- Macy's Campaign Headquarters #4 -- Axl's Audience Chamber #5 -- Jestro's Final Chapter #6 -- Ava's Geological Institute

Knighton is in ruins, devastated by the dread brickpile that the vampirates summoned from the buckets beyond; only King Halbert's self-sacrifice interrupted the brickpile and drove it to the sea. So why is Robin now captaining a vampirate ship in the middle of the ocean? Well, it's kind of a long story... When last we saw Robin, he had reverse-engineered the vampirates' Pandora Gate to teleport the king and queen to safety to escape Axl's precipitous coup. Turns out that forbidden technology is forbidden for a reason, and Robin's desperate action unleashed the dread brickpile. Robin and Axl were knocked through the gate and tumbled into the southern swamps. Robin and Axl have some quality time to reconsider their ill-considered actions -- "act in haste, repent at leisure" -- and Axl resolves to return to Knighton to reconnect with his troops and make right what went wrong, unaware that the city has already been demolished. Robin stays behind to search for the queen, but instead he is discovered by a troop of vampirates. The situation looks grim... ...but the vampirates instead want to elect Robin as their new leader! It turns out that High Priestess Pola -- now gone -- had prophesied of "the ascent of black night, robbing our hope and light". A little emendation turns that to "the ascent of Black Knight Robin, our hope and light." It's a stretch, but hey, it'll work! And that's how Captain Robin finds himself in charge of a mighty vessel -- christened the "Halbert" in honor of the king who sacrificed himself to stop the brickpile -- and a force of loyal vampirates, all of whom are eager to undo the damage they wreaked on Knighton. Robin sets his crew to a dangerous task: recovering debris from the dread and terrible brickpile. The radar detects the proverbial white whale... ...and the bravest vampirates volunteer for the highly risky job of harvesting from the brickpile. The vampirates approach the menacing brickpile, one speedboat carrying a cybernet and the other prepared for emergency evacuation. The vampirates lay down the cybernet and watch in terror as the churning brickpile, destroyer of worlds, bubbles and groans to the surface. The brickpile slides across the cybernet. This is the moment of maximum danger...if the brickpile were to turn, the heaving pile of plastic could devour the sailors in a moment. But today the brickpile crunches past, leaving a random array of junk and treasure in its wake. The vampirates rush back to the main ship, artifacts in tow. These desperate dances with the brickpile are Robin's only hope of recovering Knighton's lost hardware. This risky but repeatable pattern continues until the day when the cybernet captures something -- or rather, someone -- unexpected. And that someone is alive! The sailors immediately fish him out of the water and rush back to the main vessel. Everyone is shocked. How could anyone survive the brickpile? And what is the survivor's unusual outfit? Robin takes the survivor back to his cabin and interviews him closely. The survivor is rattled and thoroughly confused, but when he learns the name of the ship -- the Halbert -- he immediately recognizes the name. The survivor reveals the terrifying truth -- King Halbert is still alive, and through sheer strength of will the king has somehow risen above the unrelenting madness and he is still restraining the brickpile. This changes everything. If King Halbert is still self-aware, at some level, then perhaps Robin can communicate with him -- or even rescue him from the brickpile. He writes a note and places it in a watertight box. The survivor, in his mumbling and uncertain way, insists on accompanying the vampirates with the letter. The sailors deposit the cybernet and wait for the brickpile to roll over the net and pick up the package. But then, to their shock, the survivor plunges into the water! He snatches the letter, and then before the vampirates can stop him... ...he dives into the groaning brickpile and disappears into its plastic depths. Robin stares out at the endless ocean, struggling to comprehend what he has learned and unable to decipher why the survivor would return to the brickpile. Did the survivor think this was the only way to get the letter to the king? Was he allied to the brickpile? Could there be some other, more inscrutable motive? If only Clay or Merlok were here -- they would understand. Indeed, as Knighton was ravaged and the knights dispersed, many have asked the same questions. Where is Clay? Where is Merlok? Why aren't they rescuing us? And far from the ocean, in an underground bunker, Clay prepares to make a decision that will change Knighton forever. The Fall of Knighton: #1 -- Ava's Stone Embassy #2 -- Lance's Lava Mine #3 -- Macy's Fortified Chapel #4 -- Jestro's Pandora Gate #5 -- Axl's Spider Foundry #6 -- King Halbert's Last Stand #7 -- Aaron's Club Absinthe #8 -- Robin's Vampirate Ship #9 -- Clay's Chapterhouse Vigil Spellbreaker: #1 -- Lance's Lava Train #2 -- Ava's Summer Home #3 -- Macy's Campaign Headquarters #4 -- Axl's Audience Chamber #5 -- Jestro's Final Chapter

Thanks, @Viper Knight! I'm really proud of this one -- I've demolished a lot of my other projects, but this one stays on the shelf.

Thanks, @Lemerbrix! There are three more chapters coming eventually...but...I got so caught up building the Geological Institute that I took a hiatus to build a giant tower for the school. And then I figured a campus needed food service, so I'm in the middle of building a huge food court ("Lithomancy Plaza") for those hungry students. Once that's done, I'll return to the main storyline. That is, unless I decide to start adding some dorms...and maybe a bookstore...

I can't say anything better than "amazing", so -- AMAZING!

2 -- 1 point 10 -- 1 point 1 -- point

18 -- 1 point 15 -- 1 point 8 -- 1 point

This looks absolutely lunatic. I love it!

Those evil aquatic villains are great! And that fishing village is fantastic. I love the snakeboat.

Gloam Centaurs

Nexo Knights and Hidden Side were my two favorite themes, so I combine the best of both for a new Nexo enemy faction -- the Gloam Centaurs. The Nexo Knights have beaten back the lava monsters (year 1), the stone army (year 2), and the vampirates (year 3) -- but now this evil equine enemy has emerged to challenge Queen Macy and her loyal Nexo inquisitors. These fearsome centaurs use sinister idols to summon unholy powers from long-dead themes (in this case, Hidden Side). The theme's main colors are black, olive green, and trans-neon green. First, the tiny $10 set, The Gloam Cannon: This contains two centaurs and a Nexo warrior -- "conflict in a box!" -- plus a centaur laser cannon and one of their dread idols. Creepy! On the pricier side ($119 because of the single-piece hull), here's the larger set, The Gloam Drifter. No, the boat doesn't actually float, but those centaurs are good swimmers so it all works out. (I only have one centaur in these pics, but the set also comes with another centaur and two Nexo opponents. There's conflict in this box too.) And here's the chorus line of high-stepping, green-glowing centaurs ready to challenge the Nexo Knights. They may be evil cultists, but they know how to dress up! What's not to love about a theme featuring a colorful centaur cult? Vote Gloam Centaurs today!

Brilliant idea! I was quite fond of Hidden Side so I would be happy to see its spiritual successor. I especially like the red light hidden behind the rock to give it an eerie red glow, coupled with the red-leaf tree. I'd buy that one for sure!

The world holds its breath as Queen Macy and Axl threaten to move to open warfare over the ruins of Knightonia. But the land's most experienced warchief, Jestro -- who shook kingdoms as lord of Monstrox's armies before betraying the evil Monstrox and rejoining the doomed King Halbert -- wants nothing more to do with war. He has retreated to a quiet home to write his memoirs in peace. But no one can hide forever from his past. Life is good for Jestro and his beloved Lavaria, who together have built a lovely and lonely home in the woods to raise their rambunctious triplets. Each day Jestro writes more of his bestselling memoirs. Sales of such volumes as "A Game of Stones" (about Jestro's command of Monstrox's stone army) and "A Splash of Kings" (the loss of King Halbert to the dread brickpile) give him the modest means to sustain his family. Lavaria has learned that parenting is far harder task than her former life as a deadly assassin for Monstrox's army. Even for a lava monster, being a mom is exhausting! Fortunately, Jestro recently scraped together enough free cash to buy a couple of bots, who now perform most of the chores. And then suddenly there is that magic moment when all the children are asleep at the same time. Lavaria immediately seizes the opportunity to nap. Jestro takes this rare chance to grab a book and step outside for a little light reading. Truly this is a perfect moment... ,,,a perfect moment for the bots to unleash their sinister design. It is time to reintroduce Jestro to his old acquaintance: Monstrox. Jestro is dumbfounded. Monstrox had been trapped in the chapterhouse -- why, Clay had turned to stone to keep the evil wizard locked away forever. How could the villainous Monstrox have escaped? And how did he find Jestro? But Monstrox isn't here to explain the past, but the present. The bots? They're all under Monstrox's control. The lava monsters? Magmar is ready to betray Lance and has sent him on a wild-goose chase to find the elusive Ambassador Ava. The stone army? Once Lance finds Ava's location, the bots will kill her and retake control of the stone army. And the impending war between Macy and Axl? The bots will hijack Macy's bases once her crusaders take the field. Everything is prepared -- except one thing. Monstrox needs a second-in-command. And that will be Jestro. Jestro screws up his courage and gives the only possible answer: NO. Never again. Even though it means death, he will not join Monstrox. Not this time. Oh really? Monstrox's cyclops mech seizes Jestro in its claws and slowly squeezes his plastic limbs. The choice is between power and death. Monstrox invites him to reconsider. If you will not join me, warns Monstrox, then you will be eliminated. My bots are invincible. My lava monsters are completely loyal. No one can stop me. Ten seconds later... Monstrox violently hurls Jestro aside and faces Lavaria. Et tu, Lavaria? You would betray me -- for this jester, these babies, this neon-orange picket fence? Evidently yes. With a vicious stab, Lavaria puts out the eye of the cyclops mech. The hologram cracks, sizzles, and fades. The happy couple is reunited -- but they have no time to lose. Monstrox now knows where they live and will return soon with a larger force. And they must warn their old colleagues of the trap that Monstrox has set. Lavaria goes to collect the children and whatever possessions they can fit into their vehicle. And Jestro enters his shed -- the shed that no one was ever permitted to enter, not even the bots -- to retrieve one last thing to take with them on their flight. It is Jestro's first and oldest friend, Clay, trapped in stone. Ava and Jestro together had rescued his paralyzed body from the chapterhouse and Jestro had been running fruitless experiments to reverse the curse. Now those experiments will have to wait. But will Macy wait before launching her attack on Axl? The Fall of Knighton: #1 -- Ava's Stone Embassy #2 -- Lance's Lava Mine #3 -- Macy's Fortified Chapel #4 -- Jestro's Pandora Gate #5 -- Axl's Spider Foundry #6 -- King Halbert's Last Stand #7 -- Aaron's Club Absinthe #8 -- Robin's Vampirate Ship #9 -- Clay's Chapterhouse Vigil Spellbreaker: #1 -- Lance's Lava Train #2 -- Ava's Summer Home #3 -- Macy's Campaign Headquarters #4 -- Axl's Audience Chamber #5 -- Jestro's Final Chapter #6 -- Ava's Geological Institute

This is AMAZING! I only just today discovered your series (thanks to a stray mention over at Brickset) and devoured it in one sitting. it reminds me of a Legofied version of the videogames 999 or Danganronpa. Looking forward to the next episode, however many Mondays it takes!

Love those trans-neon orange parts! I peeked on Flickr and saw you have a cool interior too with a little resting area, perfect for those long-distance voyages.

Delightful! I thought at first glance that it was only a facade -- how charming to find that you have a complete interior as well. Well done!

Really great! I like the cracked ground and the dry riverbed. Looks both festive and desolate.

There's one more completed episode after this -- "Ava's Geological Institute" -- and then there'll be three episodes after that to wrap up the nine-chapter storyline. I think I have all the pieces for episode #7, and I'm in the process of Bricklinking what I need for episode #8. Could be awhile!

Easily my favorite Monkie Kid set. Love that mech!

Just finished building the Mooncake Factory and the Galactic Explorer. They're both great -- I like the original Space Police vibes of the red-tinted spacecraft -- but the factory is my favorite. It's adorable to imagine these tiny bunnies piloting enormous mechs and running an interplanetary factory network. And now I have a use for those "Hares of Havoc" torsos that I'd collected from Hidden Side. I am half-tempted to take a brief Nexo break and create a larger factory vignette for the rabbits.

Oh, one other thing -- I'm not used to making roofs, and I hope my solution isn't too heavy for the one-thick walls. I guess I'll find out in a few months if the plastic buckles! The roof is a spread of thick 2x32 ribs resting on little arches in the side walls and linked by a spine of thin 2x8 plates. I didn't want central support pillars to block the main hallway. And then between the ribs are translucent light-blue panels on hinges. They give lots of light to the interior and make it easy to reach inside the hallway and reposition minifigs. But the weakest part is the front rib, where the bas-relief hollows out the center. It feels pretty fragile.