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Dramatis Personae: Previously, https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/158698-sr-mrca-welcome-to-the-jungle-part-1/.... Near Fuerte Unido, Isla de Victoria, Eslandola... Did I mention I hate you all?! And did I mention I hate this jungle?! Anyways, are we done, yet?! My mosquito bites have mosquito bites! Almost, Lucy. We just need to check out that clearing up ahead. I've never seen a plant like this before. I think we've discovered a new species. Indeed. I shall name it Minifigurous failurous. I believe we have the scientific responsibility to bring it back. Once we've noted the characteristics and made an illustration, standard scientific protocol tells us that we must ferment, distill, and consume it. What scientific protocol?!?! Are you nuts?!?! Spoken by someone who spends all day listening to unhappy couples whine about their problems as part of her so-called science education. Tell me, do you ever offer any real advice or do you just nod your head, say mm-hmm, do nothing but ask questions, and always answer their questions with more questions? It's called active listening! It's called active B.S.. They came to you for answers not more questions. That's not how it works! Anyways, sorry to interrupt, but do we have a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that we'd like to use in the fermentation? BAKER'S YEAST!!! Okay, you are all stupid or something! Yeast has not been discovered as part of the fermentation process, yet! Nobody in BoBS is supposed to know that the reason they get the booze they love so much is because little microbes fall out of the air into their ingredients and produce ethanol as a metabolic byproduct! Lucy, I think you need to relax a bit. TO BE CONTINUED!!! Comments and criticisms are all welcome!

"Look! There it is!", exclaimed Hugo as he has just seen the object of everybody's in the expedition desire. Mr B had given him the right directions after all. And the natives in their turn, had given him the right directions as well. Perched at a steep cliff by a waterfall, he was by no means there. He had to tackle the fast water that moved down the river and climb for quite some time. Not a small feat for anyone. But Hugo's eyes had focused on the exotic flower... About an hour later, he was finally holding the rarest flower of all. A true beauty, worthy of it's name. "Celestia’s Superb Orchid" ! It's scarlet colors, Its bushy appearance, all attributed to its beauty. But above all, its smell, was like incense to the pious. Something completely out of this world. And Hugo was holding it in his hands. He was to immediately put it in a glass full of water, for the natives explained Mr B that each branch you cut from this flower, grows roots almost immediately. Maybe this characteristic, always coupled with its smell, was the cause of its illustrious name. The King will be really happy upon his return! As I couldn't build a bigger moc in time for the competition, I decided to participate, simply for the fun of it. And since a flower is first and foremost a woman's subject, I asked my wife to help me The general idea is mostly hers, but it needed my touch mostly for stability reasons. Still, no matter how I've tried, it still remains a bit fragile as we speak. Anyway, thanks for watching and good luck to everybody!

Buying A new Ship Licence Felipe de la Manazana being absent during his Pirate chase to obtain the second half of his treasure map, It was the captain of the Lady Hawk, el Senor Oliveira Da Manzao, who was commissioned by the fleet to buy more space for new ships. El Senor Oliveira Da Manzao used his stop by Elisabethtown to get an appointment in the Shipyards office. - Hello my dear Senor. Welcomed the shipyard master. - Hello, I am here to buy you a new spot to licence The Messenger and our next ships for felipe de la Manzana's fleet. - Alright, my dear senor,it will cost you 250 Dbs. - Here there are. And Oliveira Da Manzao paid the officer. - OK, Thank you ! Let's do this paperwork then... Here is just a little build in order to open me more ship space. Hope you'll like it.

Every time there is a build needed to fill an awkward void in my pirate layout, this warehouse design is my fall back option, again. My large fort was originally supposed to be along a side of the layout, but now I want it in the corner. This build allows me to convert the fort into a corner module and maintain my collaborative standard for joining modules. Thanks for looking.

The small coastal village of Bertelshafn was still half asleep when young Magnus softly closed the door behind him. The early morning fog rising from the water coupled with small flecks of snow falling from the sky gave the village a serene feeling, fit for the time of the year. The closed door was symbolic in a way, as Magnus had chosen to give his life a new direction. The typical Garvian village life was not enough for him. He wanted more. More adventure. See more of the world. Sure, he could become a rum runner, rogue or sail the seas as a smuggler, but at what risk? Where were the heroics in that? The steady pay to support his family? No, young Magnus Erikssen had made a decision: he had gathered his belongings and would now travel to Oleon and volunteer in its legendary Légion étrangère, a military formation open to men of all backgrounds, professions and nationalities. Famed for its courage, battle prowess and iron discipline. His adventure was just beginning, the time had come to leave rugged Garveig behind and serve a new King. For Oléon! --- A rather simple build of mine to introduce Magnus. I never really knew where to take the previous character I had made for Era I of BoBS or how to tie him in to other ideas or storylines I wanted to portray. Therefore I made a new character, way lower on the social ladder which makes it (in my eyes) easier for me to include him in builds. Will I completely ditch Henri? Definitely not. I will try to reference him or cameo him from time to time, but my focus will be on Magnus from now on. Concerning the MOC: at first I only built the house on the left as a backdrop to introduce Magnus, but I quickly expanded upon it and made it a larger scene. There's really nothing much to it, since it's just a simple backdrop, but I do like the white-dark red-darkgreen color combo. I was inspired by a picture from a link in the Garvey description in Jameis Farstrider's Guide. I tried to recreate the peat roof, but perhaps I should've used some more grass stalks to give it more of that grassy feeling. I'd really like to build more in this style, but I already depleted practically all of my dark red for this simple backdrop, so I doubt I'll build anything more complex anytime soon . Again, sorry for the quality of the photo. The lighting was really dark and I had to Photoshop it quite a bit to get it somewhat decent, but I lost a lot of detail. Any tips on decent photography? Like, what lamps I should use to light the scene?

Prior builds: In the Captains Cabin (Bregir) Pieces Of A Puzzle (Ayrlego) Arriving at Mooreton Bay (Bregir) Dirk, Davy and Sergeant Gowan weren’t the only new crewman the Black Oak had taken on of late, and soon after boarding they were assigned various tasks and duties. It was not long before they turned up good intelligence on the privateer either. The crew were more than willing to talk of the rumoured Eslandolan treasure fleet they were going after and there was much speculation on how they would take prizes from the fleet. Dirk also discovered that on the way to Leopoldis the Oak had taken a Corlander merchantman and that deep in the hold approximately half a dozen Corlander prisoners were being kept in captivity. In Dirk’s mind, this fact, more than any other made the Oak a legitimate target for Captain Cooke and the Ironsides. Further evidence was uncovered when a ship named Shareka arrived in the bay with supplies for the Oak. The captain of the Shareka, Corvus Rohgert, came aboard briefly with a load of cannonballs for the frigate. He disappeared into the Captain's cabin with the Captain of the Black Oak, Hendrick Janszoon and the quartermaster. The trio emerged after an hour or so and Rohgert returned to his vessel. Of course the plan upon boarding the Oak had always been to conduct a quick reconnaissance, gather any information they could glean, and then sneak off as soon as possible. Unfortunately however that wasn’t quite how it worked out… Janszoon, now fully re-crewed and resupplied, had decided to quietly slip out of Leopoldis that very night. With no chance to sneak ashore, Dirk and his companions had little choice but to put to sea with the privateer with the hope that the Ironsides would catch up with them before too long. The three meet on the upper decks to conduct a whispered conversation. “Well a fine pickle we find ourselves in now isn’t it” declared Davy “Indeed.” answered Dirk, “The plan was always going to be for Cooke and the Ironsides to intercept the Oak after she left Leopoldis… of course we were supposed to be aboard the Ironsides and not the Oak!” “Aye well, when the Ironsides turns up we’ll swap sides I imagine” injected the Sergeant Gowan nonchalantly . “Yes, and if we can free the prisoners in the hold it will bolster our force – hopefully we can give Cooke the advantage he needs.” continued Dirk. "Some gossip you may be interested in Major, it appears that Rohgert bought the Captain some interesting news" said Davy. Apparently a portion of the greenback treasure will be disguised as cannonballs...." “Oi, you three, back to work you lubbers” screamed the quartermaster, spying the trio talking. With that the three men went back to their tasking. After three days sailing the Oak had spotted the sails of the treasure fleet on the horizon, but there was still no sign of the Ironsides. The next days were spent stalking the fleet from a distance. Janszoon was confident that a chance would arrive to pick off vessels one at a time. On the forth day cannon shot could be heard over the horizon, and it was assumed that the fleet had engaged other pirates somewhere to the north. The Oak’s chance came shortly thereafter. During a small squall that night, one of the fleet’s galleons became separated from the rest of the fleet and lagged behind. Janszoon took his chance and pounced, at full sail the Oak surged through the waves and gave chase. Dirk and Davy observed the Galleon from the deck. “Rather old fashioned looking” commented Dirk “An older galleon” stated Davy. “The greenbacks have been using them to transport their wealth back to the mainland since men first sailed out here.” “So the pirate’s confidence in taking her easily is well founded?” asked Dirk. “Nay,” answered Davy, “Don’t be fooled by her gaudy colours and stubby old fashioned appearance, the greenbacks still use them for a reason – they are strong and extremely tough and well armed for a merchantman. Also her decks are higher than ours, which makes her less manoeuvrable, but also means we will be at a disadvantage when boarding.” Davy pondered the situation some more. “This crew we find ourselves part of is new and has been hastily thrown together. Most of the men have never worked together before, although there are a sprinkling of old salts through the crew and most have had individual experience at sea actions.” “The notable expectation being me of course” quipped Dirk. Although an experienced army officer he had never fought on the high seas before. “Aye, except for you and the good Sergeant, landlubbers you are” replied Davy. “If we catch her it will be a close thing I predict. Her crew will be good and they know there will be no mercy from pirates – they’ll fight hard. I suspect that the Captain knows it too, that’s why he beefed up the crew in Leopoldis. The question I have for you Major Allcock, is what do we do in a boarding action” Both men pondered that for a while. While Dirk was still silent Davy added, “If things don’t go well for us we’ll never convince the greenbacks we are Corrie spies, they’ll execute us as pirates – if they even allow us to surrender… and even if the Oak gets away, the pirates here will know we didn’t fight and we will probably meet the same fate… or worse…” Dirk look up. “Then we hope that we don’t catch her… but if we do….” This next part came hard for the usually law abiding Major. “… then I guess we fight as pirates and hope Cooke catches up with us soon.” There really wasn’t any other alternative. Unfortunately for Dirk, a few hours later it seemed inevitable they would catch the smaller vessel. As the first cannon crashed out Dirk found himself crewing one of the cannons on the gun deck of the frigate. Thus Major Dirk Allcock, temporary military commander of the Corlander colony of Alicentia and Secretary of the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy reluctantly became a pirate. The two ships exchanged fire for only a short time. Janszoon closed in on the galleon, who was revealed to have the name Alejandro de Vargas. The approach was made as fast as possible as to not overly damage his potential prize. A lucky cannon ball from the Oak knocked out the Alejandro’s rudder meaning the Oak was able to rapidly approach alongside for boarding. The men abandoned the cannons and Dirk found himself with Davy and Sergeant Gowan forming up with the aft attack party on the main deck. Small arms fire began to ring out as the Eslandolan Marines opened fire with their muskets. Sharp shooters from both ships masts began their own deadly duel. Sergeant Gowan, the best shot of the trio, joined in the shooting, and to the delight of the nearby pirates managed to hit a marine perched in the galleon’s main mast. The first grappling hooks were thrown across from the Oak and men heaved the two ships closer together. It was now, with the two vessels locked in a deadly embrace that disaster struck for the pirates. Just as the men were about to surge forward and leap onto the galleon, a wave lifted her out of the water enough to give one of her forward guns a clear shot of the deck. The Eslandolans manning the gun had been waiting for just such an opportunity, and had charged the gun with a musket balls and metal scraps. The deadly grape shot crashed across the forecastle of the Oak, cutting down most of the waiting forward boarding party, including the ship’s Quartermaster. Before Dirk had time to fully comprehend this event, the ships crashed together with a terrifying crack of timber and Dirk stumbled and was pushed forward with the rest of the aft boarding party. He leaped up onto the deck of the galleon and had barely scrambled to his feet before being knocked back down by the body of the pirate before him. A group of Eslandolan marines, led by a Sergeant in an old fashioned breastplate, polished to a gleaming silver and carrying a wicked looking poleaxe. The marines charged. Dirk just had time to lift his pistol and dispatch one before the lines crashed together. Hastily discarding the pistol, his sword came up desperately to parry an attack from an Eslandolan sailor. In those first minutes of the melee, the greater numbers of pirates began to slowly overcome the defenders. However this ended when a party of Eslandolan marines and sailors who were stationed forward to repel boarders rushed aft to join the battle. They were no longer required forward due to the fact the survivors of the Oak’s forward boarding party remained onboard the Oak. Now evenly matched, things were becoming desperate for the attacking pirates. Dirk found himself alongside his trusted Sergeant and the two fought together as they had many times on land. Dirk found himself facing the Marine Sergeant with the breastplate and poleaxe. He was able to somehow parry the first two crushing blows, but was completely off balance for the third. It was then a pistol ball struck the marine’s breast plate and deflected up, lodging in the man’s jaw. Dirk glanced behind to see Davy holding a smoking pistol. “Was saving that one” he commented laconically. Eventually the Eslandolan defence collapsed due to the greater numbers of pirates and sheer ferocity of their attack. The survivors, including the trio of Corlanders, stood exhausted on the blood soaked deck. The casualties were enormous however, far greater than anticipated – almost half the Oak’s crew were dead or maimed to the point where they were useless. Not a single Eslandolan survived. Night was fast approaching, and to make things worse it seems so was another squall. Desperate repairs began on both ships. Dirk could never recall much of what happened in the next few hours, the men feverishly worked in a state of trance to repair the ships in order to get underway. It was clear that they would need to return to a safe harbour with their prize before attempting another attack on the fleet. Janszoon was furious. Soon both ships were limping forward, a skeleton prize crew including Davy aboard the Alejandro. Dirk and Sergeant Gowan remained aboard the Oak. Then as the last light was quickly fading on the western horizon, a cry from the lookout alerted the crew to sails on the southern horizon… -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An extra shot

Long have the lands of Guelph been a domain of the Oleander Crown and the culture of the motherland seeps deep into its sands. Sometimes however, trouble still stirs amongst the natives of Guelph. Stimulated either by nefarious foreign meddling and instigation or by internal disagreement with the current state of affairs several branches of a new cult began popping up in different New Oleander cities and villages. These acolytes follow the teachings of the Scorpion King, Ankor, and call themselves the Cult of the Scorpion. As enlightened as Oleonese society is, acts of religious dissent, demagogy and inciting the populace against the state are severely looked down upon and swiftly dealt with. Spurred on by both the Faith and the Governor, soldiers of the New Oleonese Army crack down upon the known locations of sympathizers of the Cult. Here, a mixed force of Tirailleurs and Dragoons - a typical combination in Guelph military operations - are ready to breach the house of several conspirators and confiscate everything pertaining to the mysterious Scorpion King and his followres and take hold of the illegal weapons rumored to be stockpiled in the house. Of course, any lead to the fabled treasures of this Scorpion King are welcome finds as well... For the Faith, for the Crown! --- I wanted to make a small MOC to showcase some of my men in action and get back into building some more. I wanted to take some more photos, but the weather and lighting's been really bad here, so these were the only decent ones I got . The third one's kind of bad, but you get the general idea. Even though it's a small MOC, C&C is always welome !

Taking a break from the Octoberfest festivities, the to-be crew of the Aguila collect the delicious insides of a pumpkin.

A Conversation heard in Haven: "Did they have to build it like that?" "It's a lighthouse. It's s'pposed to be all tall and stuff." "Right." "But?" "Did they have to make it look so evil?" Looming over the Horns is the lonley Black Tower lighthouse, inhabited only by the mysterious woman who operates it. While all in Haven are happy to see the light of it's beacon, few like to visit the grimly foreboding structure. Whispers abound that the Lightkeeper worships some dark patron, and that the tower is truly more of a shrine that just happens to require a freshly kindled flame. Details behind the Spoiler.

Here's a build I've had sitting around for months now. Originally it was going to be part of a continuing story, but sometimes life works out differently. The presentation isn't the best (for which I do apologize), but overall I'm fairly pleased with the overall build. Comments and criticism are welcome. There were always those who found the RNTC’s policies to be irritating and sometimes downright annoying. Some merchants, finding the RNTC’s taxes and fees to be an unacceptable burden on their profit margin, would decide to go through the standard process of unloading and selling goods while avoiding the step of giving the company a share of the revenue. With the absence of Mayor Henri Hollande, these merchants became even more daring. Instead of unloading the goods along the wild shores outside of town in the dead of night, smugglers began mixing taxed and untaxed goods as the unloaded cargo in Lavalette’s harbor, right under the company’s nose. The merchants became more daring, yet the company took no action, furthering the merchant’s daring. Surely, the merchant’s thought, if we haven’t been caught yet we won’t be caught in the future. But the merchants were playing a dangerous game, and one which they were about to lose. For while the civilian officials were seemingly unaware of what was happening, Major Wolfgang Hochstetter kept a close eye on everything that happened. And once he decided the time was right, once just enough contraband cargo was sitting in Lavalette’s warehouses, he struck. Lavalette Warehouse by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr Troops swarmed the quayside warehouses, searching for any barrel and any chest that lacked the stamp from the company’s port officials. One contraband was found, soldiers quickly stormed the building and began taking corrective action against all offending goods. Others formed a line to keep crowds at bay while Major Hochstetter interviewed the warehouse’s owners to ensure they understood the RNTC’s policies. Of course, the owners quickly learned their lesson, albeit too late to save their lives. Lavalette Warehouse by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr Lavalette Warehouse by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr Lavalette Warehouse by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr Additional Pictures:

The Messenger The Elisabethtown shipyards worked out very well and built a fast vessel for Felipe de la Manzana to open trade on more destinations. The ship is quite fast with its cutter style rigging and is also used for delivering mail, news and orders to the MAESTRO settlements so the ship has been baptised "The Messenger". Here it is on its first trade mission : A new vessel from me initially built for Brickmania Antwerpen in order to add a sloop of war to the bluecoat fleet at this event. I converted it into a nice fast trading vessel for my personnal fleet after the event. It will be licensed as a Class 3 vessel as it is really close to the HMS Otter (the class 3 vessel of reference) in shape and rigging. Name Class Cost Stats Range Maneuver Firepower Crew Cargo Hull Total The Messenger 3 200 15 3 4 2 1 4 1 15 Any comment or criticism is welcome.

Hi mateys, just a micro build today El Palacio de la Ribera - The Riverside Palace in Londa, Mardier Located in the center of Mardier's capital on the northern bank of the river Minho, the Riverside Palace is perhaps the most dominating structure of Londa's skyline. Its origins can be traced back to the times of king Alphonse IV's reign, when Mardier's kings used to live in a large castle in the rural countryside. In an effort to increase royal authority over the capital, the crown expropriated a local noble, took possession of the land, and started the construction of a palace for the king to have proper accommodations when residing in Londa. Over time, the Riverside Palace grew in size and importance to the royal family, and since Alphonse X all Mardierian kings - with the exception of king Harln - have permanently lived within its walls. The palace has seen numerous extensions and has adapted various architectural styles during its existence. Fortunately, it has survived the devastating Mardierian civil war almost unscathed - even its vast collection of priceless paintings and pieces of art is said to miraculously be intact. One can only speculate how the royal family managed to overcome the ruining effects the war has had on the royal coffers... About: Well... as ever so often, this started out small - almost micro () - but then things sort of escalated. Now it contains 43.000+ parts, resulting in the single most parts-heavy LDD file I've ever had. As always, it should all be buildable in real bricks. But then, who would do such a mad thing... As inspiration I used the (destroyed) Ribeira Palace, and Praça do Comércio in Lisbon, Portugal. The palace will be licensed as a royal art & culture property by the Oleander Crown. Thanks for watching, C&C welcome! Vive le Roi!

The entrance to Vanilla Bay is a relatively safe one, the channel being sufficiently wide and deep. There are some rocky outcrops off the Southern headland however, and on one of these the Settlement of Jameston has constructed a Lighthouse. Shipping arriving at night are advised to keep the light on their starboard side to avoid running foul of these rocks, especially when the harbour is shrouded in a tropical mist. The light itself is an oil powered lantern, encased in a glass lens to magnify the light. The station is maintained by Royal Marines, and at any time a Royal Navy Petty Officer is available to board visiting ships and provide pilot services into the bay and advice on the best anchorages (the larger commercial wharfs are still all under construction.) -------- And a normal picture! Licensed as a medium commerce in Jameston by the settlement. Feel free to mock my attempts at digitally adding some fog and the light!

Just a couple of microbuilds that will be licensed using some of Oleon's awards from Chapter V (yes, it's hard to get things licensed with our bureaucracy). These mark my first attempts at building in microscale, and comments and criticisms are most welcome. 1) Lavalette Glass Factory With the rapid growth of the colonies, traditional artisan glass blowers simply were unable to keep up with demand. To address this shortfall in supplies, some decided it was time to go large-scale and devote entire factories to the production of glass. Capable of producing both sheet glass and blown glass, the factory is a constant hive of activity. Its location along the river makes it easy to ship the vast quantities of bulky sand needed to keep the facility operating at full capacity. EB Microbuilds by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr 2) Temple of Tyche Profit before piety is how most in Oleon view Veleanders, but this is an unfortunate misnomer. True, Vele isn't known for worshiping the three major deities, but to suggest that they are no better than a greedy green is simply unfair. After all, each Veleander knows that their commercial success wouldn't be possible without the blessings of Tyche, the goddess of fortune and luck. And given the prevalence of Veleanders in the RNTC, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the company's stronghold is home to the largest temple to Tyche in all of New Terra. Though some may look at the gold-plated statues and marble exterior as extravagant and wasteful, Veleanders know that a small payment to honor Tyche is sure to reap dividends in the future. EB Microbuilds by Capt. Genaro, on Flickr

Dramatis Personae: Previously, https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/155928-sr-fb-a-nerdy-auction/.... Somewhere on the high seas... Okay, we are definitely in the wrong forum! We've built a Vic Viper! No we haven't. I've asked Willy to build us a catamaran with dual outriggers and a single mast, which is what she did. There's so much light bluish grey in this MOC, I don't know how it's not a spaceship! I did do my best to hide that fact with all the white plates. CAMOUFLAGE! And who would even put two outriggers on a catamaran?!?! This design has too much drag and turns like a brick!!! It is super stable. To make her faster, I did suggest adding hydrofoils when we were building her... Hydrofoils haven't been invented, yet!!! And even then this stupid thing would be too heavy for them!!! HISTORY AND PHYSICS!!! Certain design aspects had to be considered since it is Novvember... Ah ha!!! It is a Vic Viper!!! You built this just to post a Vic Viper in the Pirates forum!!! BUSTED!!! Well...there are other reasons. Like what? Like we're poor. We don't have enough doubloons to sistership the Nerdy Mermaid which we lost and had auctioned off by Bloody Bill. What? Aren't you supposed to be writing for grants and fellowships?!?! They've all been rejected by the damned funding agency snobs. In fact, our only source of income at the moment is five doubloons a month that we receive from your marital arts studio. I've been funding your research group this whole time?!?! @$#%%$&$*$*%^&^^*$#%@$%&*^!!! And how's this stupid ship going to help us?!?! We've sold the rights to license this ship to @Professor Thaum to cover the costs of sistershipping the Nerdy Mermaid. Great. Now we're making MOCs for other players since my advisor is an idiot. Comments and criticisms are all welcome!

After a successful voyage, and some quite lucrative trading, Captain Roderick Graves of the Lenore makes good on a promise to buy his officers a round of drinks in the first tavern they find.

Larsk was trained as a scribe as a kid, who soon found he had a talent of faking handwriting, tax stamps and signatures.He traveled to Bastion as a young man, and now moved on to Tortuga. Sometimes he works out of his home in town forging letters and documents, but most of the time he comes on to ships, usually of sea rats, to paint stamps. But now he found himself on a Oleon merchant, painting over Corrington stamps on liquor barrels to make Eslandonian stamps, while the Captain is bribing an Eslandonian official. The bosun is making sure the official thought the bribe to be sufficient. He'd better hurry up and keep his mouth shut, the bosun was looking far to eager to make his knife to use. Can I register Larsk as a small artisan in Tortuga? if so is this question on the webform "Is this build able to be licensed as a land-based property?" a yes or a no? I felt the need to produce something to celebrate my brief revival in Bobs, and the sudden departure again :O, (of to work, so back on pause) It's just an afternoon build in LDD but I tried to create a scene, in LDD it becomes very static fast in my experience. posing props and figs is hard on the computer. but the unlimited supply of bricks is an bonus. Bart

Hello again, fellow Brick Seas-ians, this build was originally intended to initiate Seigneur Roseabeau's journey to Lavalette, but due to recent MCRA developments, I decided to give it a different twist. New Directions Previously: The Request Next: An Unpleasant Exchange Dramatis Personae (thanks to @pombe for the idea - always wanted to try this out - keep your hilarious creations coming!): Just as they were about to leave the arsenal in order to board a ship to Lavalette, Seigneur Roseabeau and his aide Frederick are being stopped at the arsenal's main gate by Lieutenant Berneus... Monsieur le chevalier, monsieur le chevalier! Frederick, hold please! Monsieur le chevalier! Lieutenant Berneus, you seem to be in quite a hurry. What is this about? I'm afraid your voyage to Lavalette will have to wait, monsieur Roseabeau. Your expertise is needed in an urgent matter. Commodore d'Alban has just received orders directly from His Excellence, Lord Chancellor Calida - we are to set sail immediately, and meet up with the pirate Bloody Bill in order to negotiate a release of both the HRS Tonnant and the HRS Ardent and the remaining crew. Hmm... I've heard about the rather pitiful performance of the squadron in question. We are still busy repairing all the damaged ships that made it back here. But since when is it Oleander policy to negotiate with pirates? We do what needs to be done, don't we? I guess so, Lieutenant, but why should a pirate surrender such remarkable vessels? Because if he is as clever as he thinks he is, this Bloody Bill, he has long realized that his only chance to get out of this alive is to sell them. Otherwise, he'd be hunted down without mercy - no civilized nation can allow any pirate to ever grow into a serious threat. Sure, we let them dream their pathetic, romantic dream of a free and just world as long as it serves our interests. But in the end it's doubloons that shape the world, not dreams. Hmm... true words, Lieutenant. However, I was under the impression that instead of negotiations a punitive expedition to root out that pirate scum was to take place. Trust me when I say that the one does not exclude the other. For now, however, it is imperative we take back these ships intact. According to our orders we - or rather you - are then to investigate whether their poor performance in combat was due to any sort of foul play. Mes Dieux! Are you saying there's a chance that there was a saboteur involved, Lieutenant? It is way worse than that, monsieur Roseabeau. According to His Excellence it could well be that La Royale has been infiltrated by foreign agents. And I think I don't need to tell you what the consequences could be should this prove to be true. No, you don't, Lieutenant Berneus, no you don't. Additional pictures: About: The gate is - as the slipway - inspired by the buildings and structures of the naval arsenal in Rochefort, France. Not much more to say about it... Anybody got any idea what to license this as? Thanks for watching, C&C welcome Vive le Roi!

Hello again, fellow BoBS'ers, here's the continuation of Roseabeau's storyline that took a slightly different course when two Oleander warships got captured during the recent MCRA. An Unpleasant Exchange Previously: New Directions Next: -- Dramatis Personae: After several days of travelling East, HRS Monarque has arrived at the dictated location somewhere in the Sea of Thieves to meet up with notorious pirate Bloody Bill. I don't like this at all. What exactly, Seigneur Roseabeau? The fact that we are way out of range of HRS Monarque's guns to protect us, the fact that we are forced to pay a fortune to a reckless criminal... or that... dangling thing behind us? Agreed on all three, my good Lieutenant. I don't like this at all. Neither do I, Seigneur, neither do I. But if it is any satisfaction, the pirate won't like this exchange too much either. I'm certain he'd prefer to keep the ships. Agreed again. But we'd hunt him down if he didn't surrender the ships - and he knows it. We will hunt him down regardless. Scum like him has been sailing the seas for way too long. But for now, let's get this over with - time is of the essence. Here he comes. Additional picture: About: Hmm... not much to tell... But hey, I think I really like Bublible's new renderer Thanks for watching, C&C welcome Vive le Roi!

Hi there, it's me, Phred No, it isn't really, but on behalf of busy Phred here's a small sistershipping MOC. Keeping the Keeper Happy "Last time I was here the place didn't look quite as fancy." Phred said to the Keeper of Plans sitting behind the desk, "Did you get a raise?" "Thing is," the very pompous looking man replied, "every time you naval buffoons manage to loose one of your ships, you keep running back to me demanding to get a copy of the original plans. Which makes me important. And I'm as good at... communicating my importance to the higher ups as you are at loosing ships. So yes, that means salary raises on a regular basis for me." "That makes sense." Phred replied after a short moment of silence. "So," the Keeper of Plans continued, "just out of curiosity, how did you manage to loose..." "The Aspiration" Phred added. "The Aspiration. Yes, of course." the Keeper of Plans went on, "How did you loose her, the Aspiration?" "Captured by a pirate" Phred replied. "Captured by a pirate, of course." the Keeper of Plans almost interrupted Phred, "Have you actually tried to get her back, the Aspiration, or did you just automatically come running to my office here?" "I'm pretty certain we will strike a deal with the pirate in question" Phred replied with a smile on his face. "Hmm... strike a deal... that is interesting." the Keeper of Plans seemed a bit puzzled, "But you still insist on receiving the plans for a similar vessel?" he inquired. "Yes." Phred said. "Hmm... hmm..." the Keeper of Plans looked at the book in front of him, then he looked at Phred, "Cannot you just go get a new one?" "It's common practice." Phred replied. "Common practice, of course." the Keeper of Plans now looked around himself, then he looked back at Phred, "Well, who am I to judge. And after all, here behind me there's still some space for additional decorative items. Say, what do you think velvet curtains would look like in here?" He handed Phred a copy of the original plans for the Aspiration. "A most excellent choice." Phred noted, "I might come by next month to check them out." -------------- Thanks to @Bodi for the actual work C&C to be directed at @Phred Vive le Roi!

Hi there, fellow BoBS'ers, something a bit larger today that took its sweet time - well, it actually took mine - to finish. But anyway, here goes, presenting the first capital facility of the Arsenal Royal de la Marine in Breshaun: Slipway No. 3 Mes Dieux - this is one impressive ship model, Seigneur Roseabeau! Erhm... thank you, Commodore d'Alban... but... you... did notice we are actually working on a real ship... right in front of your eyes... in that huge structure right in front of you... there... if you'd just raise your eyes a little bit. Yes, yes, I know, I know. I'm not blind, I'm not blind! He is just a 'little' hung over from the visit to the what-was-it-called, 'The Spin of Fate'. My Gods, do they have a proper port wine there! Don't you mention this, or I arrgh... have you demoted instantly, Lieutenant Berneus! Did I mention that this happens in literally every port we... Lieutenant! Aaargh... never mind, let's just get this over with... Well, as you please. She will be the largest ship ever constructed here in the colonies, in fact, the first three-decker ever to be launched in an Oleander shipyard that isn't on the mainland... Yes, yes, that's quite impressive, Seigneur Roseabeau, and I will report your most excellent progress to the Duc de Corban himself. But for now, let's just call it a day, and let me get back to my quarters - I... have work to do. Lieutenant, you remain on site and have Seigneur Roseabeau show you more of this most excellent progress here. I expect your report... tomorrow. If you will excuse me now, Vive le Roi, etc.! Wow, now I found that impressive! Haha, you have seen nothing, Seigneur Roseabeau. But let's get back to what we are actually here for. As I can see it here... she won't have a forecastle, is that correct? I assume that would be to improve her rolling resistance by lowering the balancing point. Formidable, you are quite the expert, Lieutenant! Yes, you are correct. The waves out here and further East tend to be causing a lot of stability issues with most ships built for more domestic waters. It is this experience we are trying to incorporate in the ships we build here. If you don't mind, I'd like to show you around a bit more... Mais, avec plaisir! I must say, I find this project here is quite... how does one say... ambitieux. About: Where to start...I got inspiration for this build by a scale model of the Royal Naval Arsenal in Rochefort, France, when I visited l'Hermione a few years ago. The whole thing here is 100x200 studs, all buildable (except the flags), and contains more than 31000 parts - mostly small ones, but still enough polygons for LDD to repetitively crash without saving But eventually I got it done, and I'm really happy with the way it turned out. The large wooden structure wasn't so hard to build - but the detailing really gets you... placing those minifigs is a ton of work, not to mention placing all the small round plates and tiles... my favorite thing are the two large cranes, though, which should really work if built. But then, I'll never know Oh, and this will be a royal artisan property. Thanks for watching, C&C welcome! Vive le Roi!

With the loss of an entire squadron, the Oleander colonial has received a terrible shock. Lagaufre, just landed in Eltina, jumped on another ship to travel to Granoleon. After a long and boring voyage, he reached his destination and presented himself at the door of Oleander Admiralty. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to get inside, visits forbidden without appointment. Our Lagaufre is not someone who give up so easily, he put his luggage aside and wait for monsieur de Beauregard. Many hours later... - Oh, my dear, a beggar. - No, mon chéri, he must be one of these captains who have lost their ships. - Poor guy, he must be broke. Take this, a doubloon. - Thank you, my good lady. - Hey, YOU! The officer over there, give my your letter, I'll hand on it to monsieur de Beauregard, you are a real embarrassment! His perseverance was rewarding, de Beauregard agreed to allocate 2 new ships to the colonial fleet, and assigned an officer to accompany him to the shipyards. - Romain! My friend! - Gaufre, old bloke, I thought you were retired. - Not yet, are you accompany me to the shipyards? - Better than that, I'll go with you to New Terra, time to stretch my legs.

Ahoy maties! Continuing the Collectible Minifigure mania, I present the BoBS CMF Corrington Double Edition + Bonus Figure. This collection of 33 minifigs is entirely specific to the faction of Corrington. Enjoy! Group pic: First row, far left, front-back: Cannon Founder, Croquet Champion, Courier, Chimney Sweeper 2nd row, f-b: Coin Smith, Chef, Conquistador, Cutter (Woodcutter) 3rd row: Carpenter, Confectioner/Chocolatier, Chief Naval Minister, Charcoal Maker 4th row: Cash-Crop Capitalist, Corset Dress Maker, College Professor, Crocodile Wrangler Center: Bonus Figure 5th row: Coachman, Copper Smith, Composer, Crabber 6th row: Cartographer, Cake Maker, Chandelier Maker, Collier/Coal Miner 7th row: Customs Officer, Croissant Baker, Cutler, Candle Maker Last row: Chemist, Cheese Monger, Cooper, Crazed Hatter First Series: Cannon Founder "'Canon in D major' is lacking percussion; therefore I present to you 'Cannon by Major Dee.'" The Cannon Founder is an artisan and early industrialist. He is tasked with providing artillery and ordnance for Her Majesty's Army and Royal Navy as well as privately owned trade ships. He specializes in cast iron, only occasionally handling bronze, and has left Corrington intent on establishing significant production facilities in the colonies, in order to protect national interests wherever the red flag flies. Here we see him with a couple of his prized possessions: a steel boring mill cutterhead used to machine the final bore of a full-size cannon like the one at his feet, and a massive new mold ready to cast just such a cannon. Some say he has a quirky sense of humor, as the above quote seems to attest, and some say that after years of working iron he has no sense of humor at all. His name is Sir Dee, and he has a cannon with your name on it! Croquet Champion "To 'Swing like a girl' is suddenly popular among the men." The Croquet Champion is a lovely young lady from mainland Corrington who took the sporting world by storm with her meteoric rise to the top, much to the chagrin of her parents, who consider such endeavors to be entirely un-ladylike. Free spirited and independent, she has managed to make an impressive living from her winnings, and taken the opportunity to travel and compete wherever the game is played. The derision of sexist doubters only fuels her competitive fire, and she is quick to demonstrate her ability with a mallet in defense of women's abilities everywhere. But she is wise enough to pick her battles carefully, and employs her elevated social position for the advancement of the gentler sex whenever possible. Courier "If your horse's hooves don't spark the world aflame, then it's obvious your riding is too tame." The Courier is an energetic young fellow who thrives on one thing: the need for speed. The development of the colonies has resulted in an enormous boost in communications, and he likes nothing more than a gallop astride his charging steed, laden with important documents. He has lost a few hats, and will likely lose more; but he prides himself on never having lost a delivery or failing to come through on time. He rides fast and measures progress by how far the sparks fly as he thunders along. In the race against time he's set the countryside afire only twice, and has the well-earned reputation of being one of the most reliable couriers in the empire. Chimney Sweeper "Give soot the boot with either foot." The Chimney Sweeper maintains a particularly dirty and undesirable occupation, and is proud of it. Virtually all the homes and many places of business in Corrington have chimneys for wood-fired fireplaces or ovens. The inevitable build-up of creosote in these chimneys is a fire hazard and also affects the performance of the stoves and fireplaces, and his job is to keep everything clean and freely drafting. Reflecting the usual working conditions, everything about his attire is rough, from his patched and tattered hat and clothes to his crude rope belt. He carries a multitude of brushes and sweeps from job to job and is virtually guaranteed to resurface covered in sooty compounds. "Early and often" is his working philosophy. His clients are happy to see him come, and even happier to see him leave, chimneys cleaned and ready for another good hot fire. Coin Smith "Life's pressing engagements yield many golden moments." The Coin Smith carries out an extremely valuable task: pressing gold and silver into doubloons and smaller currencies at the Royal Mint in the capitol of Belson. He also handles large amounts of gold and silver bullion that isn't pressed into coins. Here we see him with a heavy iron chest full of gold bars and freshly-minted coins. As the colonial world grows and expands into newly discovered regions, more of the precious metals are being discovered, and it's very likely that another mint will be established across the seas at some future time. In the mean time, he oversees steady production on the mainland as Her Majesty's coffers surge from the increasing value of colonial trade. A bit of trivia: gold is one of the most dense of the well-known elements at 19.32 g/cm3 or 0.698 lbs/in3, compared to 1.00 g/cm3 for water. Gold is about 2.45 times more dense than iron. A US gallon of pure gold weighs about 161 lbs/73 kg, or more than the body weight of the average adult human. A liter weighs 42.5 lbs/19.3 kg. The chest depicted above could not easily be moved by hand! Chef "A proper chef asks 'How do you like your flaming bananas?' while a mere cook says 'What's flaming bananas?' Bon Appetit!!" The Chef is a true Culinary Master. He commands the kitchen of an attached tavern at a wealthy inn and lives to surprise the diners with his expertise. He emphasizes exotic and ethnic foods, and vows to learn how to prepare anything that his clients ask for. He also thrives on the staples of Corrington, especially marine life such as the plump lobster on the plate he is currently serving, and each year he enters multiple entries in the world-famous Shrimpfest cook-off, which he has won in the past. His dream in life is to join the elite chefs in Her Majesty's kitchen, but until then, he's content to serve the distinguished guests that walk through the inn doors. Conquistador "Corrington's lands will conquer your heart." The Conquistador is one of the Old Guard, a remnant of Corrington's late medieval soldiers tasked with assisting explorations and guarding against unknown dangers in the new world. He and his fellow soldiers rank among the more disciplined in Her Majesty's Army and are generally proficient with a wide array of weapons, from modern to traditional. Here we see him with a rapier and tradional heavy spear, which is mostly carried for ceremonial purposes; and without the traditional breastplate which is rarely worn. But he is just as comfortable with a musket, pistol, or cutlass. His stern expression most likely is the result of the "artist" who "painted" his portrait requesting that he remove the long extension from the beam of his spear, in order to fit his image on the "canvas" - ungrateful, those artists - but looks aside, he lives for the glory of the nation. Cutter (Woodcutter) "Tha only thang sharper than my ax is my tongue, and vice versa." He goes by several titles: Lumberjack, Woodcutter, or simply Cutter. And he takes his work very seriously - perhaps too seriously. The demand for wood and charcoal is growing faster and faster thanks to the establishment of the colonial settlements and the need for more ships, buildings, carriages of all types, and simple firewood, and it is up to strong men like him to fulfill that demand. He is a rough-and-tumble, rude, crude, foul-mouthed, heavy-drinking, fast-swinging, hard-hitting, "meff wiff me and I'll knock yore lights out" type person - and that's when he's in a good mood. Get him angry on the job and he's likely to cut down a few thousand studs of forest area before lunch, along with anyone or anything in his path. He carries all the breakfast leftovers with him in his big brown sack, to tide him over until lunch, or possibly to whack a slacker over the head if need be. He may not be as culturally refined as some Corries, but he's loyal to the bone, and usually doesn't cause too much trouble. Usually. Carpenter "Always remember to 'measure twice, cut once' or else you might saw the board five times and it will still be too short." The Carpenter is a man of creative construction. The contents of his toolbox and some lumber are all he needs to build something memorable, be it a house or pier or piece of furniture. The booming colonial economy has placed a great demand on the skills of men like him, since many of the early buildings are being made of wood rather than the more permanent stone and brick that will eventually become more common as the young settlements age. Like any true carpenter, he prides himself on his ability to identify the various types of wood from their sawn appearances. He is routinely amazed at the enormous size of the trees in the virgin forests of the colonies, and by the resulting volume and maximum size of cut lumber. Give him a saw, hammer, nails, and some big oak beams and he's happy! Confectioner/Chocolatier "Whoever said 'laughter is the best medicine' never tasted my Sugar-Frosted Chocolate Bombs." This lovely young lady was strictly a Confectioner making all kinds of candies and sweets and sugary treats... until cacao was discovered and processed in the colonies, and now she is also a Chocolatier! Business was always steady before, but the exciting appeal of this new "chocolate" means that she is busier than ever, often struggling to meet demand. Her best-selling concoction is a wickedly sweet treat called "Sugar-Frosted Chocolate Bombs." Her signature creation, "Chocolate Cataclysm," is pure culinary evil: it consists of a block of rich fudge dipped in alternating layers of milk chocolate and various dark chocolates, glazed with voluptuous dark chocolate ribbon, topped with chocolate cream, coated with dark chocolate shavings and served with edible tempered chocolate utensils... a masterpiece! But of course she still makes a full line of candies for those who prefer the traditional favorites. Oh, and she also has a twin sister... Chief Naval Minister "Speak softly and sail a big fleet." The Chief Naval Minister is a soft-spoken retired Admiral from Her Majesty's Royal Navy tasked with overseeing the internal affairs of the naval administration. In his dapper "Admiralty Blue" suit, he ranks among the "Inner Circle" of individuals who report directly to Queen Annetta, after serving her father, the late King Arlin, for many years. He is one of the top strategists in the land and after many years of relatively minor changes, he suddenly finds his hands full again with the growth in the colonial world. With nations scattered throughout the Brick Seas, occasion for conflict has been plentiful, and the intelligence reports have suggested this is unlikely to change. How will Corrington react? If anyone knows, it's him. Charcoal Maker "I'm the Charcoal Chef, specializing in making things black and crispy." Here we meet the Charcoal Maker, older brother to the Cutter that we met earlier. Their positions are somewhat complimentary: one harvests timber, the other burns it to make fuel. Charcoal is the main source of fuel for numerous industries in the Brick Seas, like iron-working, and will continue to be for many years to come, despite the recent discovery of coal. Charcoal is also one of the three principle ingredients in gunpowder, along with sulfur and saltpetre, and for all these reasons it is a valuable commodity both in mainland Corrington and in the colonies. Like his younger brother, the Charcoal Maker engages in occasional mischief (which is bound to happen when one plays with fire for a living) but generally he causes little trouble, unless you mess with his coon-skin hat. Cash-Crop Capitalist "Eggplant is for Eslandolans. I currently cultivate cacao, coffee, cotton, corn, carrots, celery, cucumbers, cabbage, cauliflower, chickpeas, cayenne peppers, chili peppers, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, currants, citrus, coconut, cumquat, cashews, chestnuts, cinnamon, chives, cloves, and coriander." The Cash-Crop Capitalist is a farmer at heart, an investor, and by some standards a merchant baron. Where there are people there is a demand for food and fiber for clothing, and he's built a veritable empire addressing these basic needs. Corrington's colonial lands span many latitudes, and he has begun producing numerous tropical crops that wouldn't grow well in the climate of the mainland, complimenting his traditional production. Cotton is one of the most important of the traditionals, for producing articles of clothing, but he also grows the exotic like cacao and coffee. Here we see him with a barrel of his most valuable crop: cinnamon. If it can be worn, eaten, or drank, and begins with the letter "C" he will grow it. So don't ask for eggplant! Corset Dress Maker "Fashion isn't comfortable, honey. Now inhale while I PULL!!" The Corset Dress Maker is a skilled seamstress with a flair for the fashionable. Women of all positions call upon her expertise, confident that she will send them off looking more beautifully feminine than ever before. But fashion is fickle, and the times ever changing, so she tries to stay ahead of the curve, with an emphasis on the curves. Men might not always understand, but at least they appreciate the results. And that is just what her clients want. College Professor "Knowledge is understanding that broccoli is edible, and wisdom is not eating it." The College Professor is one of the old guard in Corrington pledged with educating the young and curious. He understands that engaging his students is half the effort, and begins each day with a humorous or whimsical saying of some type. In a nation driven by scientific understanding, his position is extremely valuable, and he is determined to see his pupils off wiser than before and prepared to face the changing challenges of a growing and evolving world. As the colonies grow, he expects institutions of higher learning to eventually appear, and looks forward to the chance to travel abroad if duty calls. Crocodile Wrangler "Big cats are for sissies." The Crocodile Wrangler is part naturalist, part adventurer, and part daredevil as well. After the early colonial development he began tracking the big cats in the new world, and quickly found himself bored with their predictable, territorial behaviors. Along the way he encountered numerous crocs and alligators and was fascinated with their deceptive speed and apparent intellect. As more humans invaded their natural habitat, he occasionally found himself called upon to aid in their removal, and slowly developed a knack for handling the ferocious reptiles. His nickname? "Crocodile DanDee." Naturally. Second Series: Coachman "They see me rollin, they're waitin, patrollin, they want a ride in my fast carriage. My coach is so fast, we're swayin, they're hoping that I trained these charging horses..." The Coachman operates a number of coaches and other horse carriages, transporting people of all professions and nationalities. His primary focus is comfort and confidence - after all, scaring one's passengers while delivering a bone-jarring ride is hardly good for business - but he is known to release the horsepowers if his clients request it. He is always armed, and unafraid of educating the occasional highwayman, although it is rarely necessary for him to exercise in this capacity. His immaculate dress is a reflection of his highly visual position in daily affairs. And no matter where he goes, he always takes his pet chameleon, named "Millionaire," with him. Copper Smith "Unlike gold, copper can be made into many useful objects. And it also ages to a beautiful patina." The Copper Smith occupies his time crafting items from copper and its main alloys, bronze (primarily copper and tin) and brass (primarily copper and zinc). Iron production may have overtaken bronze in particular, but the alloy is still in high demand for its generally superior qualities, albeit at a higher price. The Smith makes all types of useful items, from the goblet and scope he is holding to candle holders to decorative items to tools. His usual attire reflects the range of colors expressed by copper and its alloys, and makes him easy to spot when he is out and about. Composer "While the music onward flows, the dead composers decompose." The Composer is a romantic at heart, a musician and artist who enjoys time alone developing a new composition while taking time to appreciate the finer things in life. He is proficient with several instruments and dreams of one day conducting an orchestra. He has a unique sense of humor: whenever meeting someone for the first time, he will play a prominent piece backward using whatever instrument he happens to be carrying; and when finished, will announce it was (for example) "Ludwig Amadeus Bach, decomposing." He is popular with all ages, and especially likes to play little ditties for small children. Here we see him carrying a couple of his various instruments. Crabber "These delicious crabs will grab your taste buds and won't let go. They'll also grab your nose if they get a chance." The Crabber makes his living from the seas as a supplier to some of the finer taverns and restaurants in Corrington. He is the crab connoisseur and never misses the chance to try the latest dish or make up the newest recipe. When not crabbing or dining he finds contentment maintaining his equipment or repainting his boat, to throw off less-successful fellows from following him to his favorite spots. He supplies the Chef we met previously and considers positions like his vital to the continued prosperity of the seafaring nation. Cartographer "Lose yourself in my collection of fine maps." The Cartographer busies himself making maps, maps, and more maps of the large land masses and lengthy shorelines of the various islands claimed in the name of Corrington since the dawn of the recent era of exploration. Demand for his highly-respected services is at an all-time high, and will likely continue growing, such is the extent of colonial developments. Navigators are only as good as their directions, and while the sun and stars are followed easily enough, making one's way about a new or unknown land without a proper map is a different matter altogether, best left to the explorers who record the information required to produce such maps. Here we see him in his formal attire, carrying his favorite red quill pen, as he puts the final touch on another item in his growing collection. Cake Maker "You can halve your cake and eat it two!" The Cake Maker is the twin sister to the Chocolatier and continues the proud family tradition of baking indulgent creations. Birthday celebrations or other special events aren't prerequisite: au contraire, her cakes are crafted for daily consumption as part of proper Corry cuisine. Most of her cakes are traditional favorites, but the introduction of chocolate has changed her offerings notably, evidenced by the one she is about to serve. Large or small, decorated or plain, she has a cake for every meal and every taste. To hear a customer exclaim after having a taste is her favorite compliment, and she enjoys watching the expressions of young children when a fresh cake is boxed upon order of the parents. Chandelier Maker "Let there be refracted light!" Light, glorious light! The Chandelier Maker is a talented artisan capable of taking ordinary light and transforming it into something soft and soothing, or brightly glaring if the customer so wishes. His chandeliers range from small and primarily functional, like the one he is holding, to large elaborate showpieces capable of illuminating large ballrooms. He utilizes frames from polished bronze and brass, like that produced by the Copper Smith, and upon this he artfully arranges the leaded glass crystals that produce the beautiful refraction for which his work is noted. Naturally many of his customers are affluent, but he strives to light the world of every budget. Collier/Coal Miner "Charcoal is so Stone Age. Coal is just waiting for someone to dig it up and introduce it to the world." The Coal Miner works a relatively new occupation. Only recently was coal mined on the mainland in significant quantities, and while the industry has grown it has yet to spread to the colonies. He is one of the early workers employed in extracting the charcoal substitute from within the ground. Here we see him dressed to work a surface pit mine, which requires little in the way of safety gear, unlike the underground shafts. He delights in the knowledge that use of coal will greatly reduce the stripping of forests for fuel and foresees a time when industry will be almost entirely fueled by the mysterious "black rock." Customs Officer "Enriching Corrington, one import duty at a time." The Customs Officer keeps close watch on Corrington's borders, particularly the ports and land-based points of entry. He ensures that import duties are paid, watches for contraband and stolen goods, keeps an eye on who comes and goes, and generally observes that trade and border laws are upheld. Usually he doesn't encounter too much trouble, but occasionally a citizen returning from foreign lands will try to sneak something in, and he has learned to expect the unexpected when dealing with foreigners. Here we see him in the resplendent attire that makes him easily seen, and carrying one of his trusty ledgers. Croissant Baker "I will serve them hot or cold, but never more than hours old." The Croissant Baker is the mother of the twins we encountered earlier - the Chocolatier and Cake Maker. She taught her daughters well, and like them she is a bit of a specialist. Rather than baking breads in general she bakes croissants only, choosing to focus on doing one thing as well as possible. Her work begins very early in the morning to ensure that fresh croissants are available during peak business hours. She bakes several times per day and has attracted a loyal following of patrons clamoring to "get them while they're hot." She knows her customers' preferences, and bakes accordingly: some are light and fluffy, others are firm and tight, and a few are hard enough to require a hammer at meal time. Whatever the customer wishes, she believes, but not old. Never old. Cutler "Allow me to sharpen the dull moments in your life." The Cutler is an affable fellow who sells and sharpens all types of domestic cutlery. Need a particular knife or set of knives? He either has it, or will get it for you. Have a dull blade that needs sharpening? But of course, and he is eager to have you slicing and dicing without effort once again. He likes to remind everyone that life is too short to waste time laboring over dull instruments. Watching him sharpen might be boring, but his friendly demeanor earns him the favor of most whom he works for. Candle Maker "Wax. It's the hottest fashion." The Candle Maker provides that simplest form of light. Lanterns and chandeliers have their functions, but a simple candle is still capable of illuminating a path in the dark, or providing a bit of light in a darkened room. He believes that a proper candle maker should have some wax on him, and proudly counts the evidence of his work among his various accoutrements. He makes candles of all shapes and sizes, for all occasions, and sometimes mixes in scents for his more affluent customers. Corrington will not go dark as long as artisans like him remain active. Chemist "A good chemist more or less has 10 fingers, more or less." The Chemist is a scientist driven by experimentation, which can be dangerous (as his quote attests). Corrington, being a science-driven nation, fully supports the efforts of men like him who strive to understand what and why the natural world works the way it does. A good application of chemistry is in gunpowder production, which is vital to the nation's security. Through tireless study (and the occasional violent reaction) the chemist hopes to unlock many of the age-old mysteries of the world, and hopefully advance the cause of Corrington in the process. Cheese Monger "Please stop drooling on your sleeves, and have a taste of cheddar cheese." The Cheese Monger makes a living selling all types of cheeses. He is a very popular man, which is typical when one sells a very popular product. He handles large rounds sealed in wax and supplies many homes in the mainland. His cheese market is usually busy and he also runs a carriage for deliveries. Here we see him in his usual splendid attire, holding a plate of wedges left from several round blocks, offering free samples to passers-by in the hopes of creating new sales opportunities. He is quick to remind everyone that cheese pairs well with meats, breads, vegetables, fruits, wines - is there anything it doesn't pair well with? So take his advice and take a bite! Cooper "Making barrels is more fun than a barrel of monkeys." The Cooper is a craftsman employed in the vital art of making barrels. All the goods moving about in Corrington and her colonies require some type of container, and barrels often fulfill this purpose. He takes pride in the precision of his work and finds few things more satisfying than seeing a tight new barrel waiting to be filled and delivered. He's a master of the hoop-and-stave, knows his various woods well, and brandishes his tools with authority. Besides this he also possesses a keen sense of fashion as evidenced by his attire. Crazed Hatter "HATS!! They're all the rage. Unless, of course, you're headless, in which case I can't help you. Cheerio!" The Crazed Hatter is an eccentric and colorful fellow known for his love of hats, fine wines, and somewhat bizarre behaviors. He operates a hat shop, specializing in tricornes, but stocks a multitude of designs for both men and women. His attire is, frankly, outrageous: he wears a brightly colored suit that looks more appropriate for a medieval jester, a ruffled collar, a billowing cape, big gaudy gold bracelets, and a stack of black tricornes on his head - with a fiery flare flickering from the topmost hat, completing the unusual look. His conversation is equally unusual, as he can often be heard jabbering nonsense or arguing with himself, and he typically addresses individuals with contradicting and senseless statements. He is an avid fan of croquet and gives a free hat to anyone who can beat him (notably the Croquet Champion we met earlier) but he doesn't have to give away many. But one question lingers: is he really crazed, or is it all an elaborate act? Most people who know him aren't quite sure. And finally the Bonus Figure: Courtesan [whispered] "Come hither... if you dare..." Her name is Delilah. She is known throughout the Brick Seas as the "Black Widow" for her ominous black attire - first paired with red, later with an expensive purple. She is fiercely loyal to the crown and considers it her patriotic duty to coax every possible doubloon from the white-knuckle clutches of foreign hands, and she is exceptionally successful in this pursuit. Her greatest delight is feeding the inflated egos of arrogant men, all the while toying with them, and ultimately sending them stumbling out the door, penniless. ********** Building all these minifigs was fun! I enjoyed it more than any of my prior projects. I had planned to build several of them for other purposes, and after seeing the first 2 CMF series I went to work on this. After getting hung up on the letter "C" (for Corrington) I had to make a few changes (for example, "Mad Hatter" became "Crazed Hatter") but I had fun just seeing what I could come up with. I wanted to focus on occupations and avoid the usual soldiers-sailors-merchants-etc if at all possible. My list included several more that I didn't build: Constable, Cabinet Maker, Cordwainer, Cobbler, Cartwright, Chauffeur, Courthouse Clerk, Conductor, etc etc. A few of these (like the Chief Naval Minister) look remarkably similar to existing characters. Besides my sigfig, this is purely coincidental. Upon reflection I have decided I don't really have any standout favorites. I'm very happy with the entire collection. Thanks for viewing and your input is welcome.

Early in the morning, when most of people is still asleep, the imposing silhouette of a ship of the line slipped into the bay of Eltina. At her sight, the lighthouse guard, a veteran of la Royale, could not help but be moved, "Le Bruyant!" For a man who has served twenty years on board of this ship, we can not reproach him for being emotional. Le Bruyant threw the anchor and slowly, people began to gather around the pier, and they were curious about her archaic and unique appearence. "She must be quite old...look at those patches...why our honourable King sends us such an antiquity, our shipyards aren't working 24/24h to spawn new ships?" I just can't refrain myself from building my own version of Silent Mary, hope you like it. Aaannnd an photo of interior for Count Mesabi. Thanks for viewing. C&C are welcome. Vive le Roi!

Ahoy, mateys! Just a small scene today, to get some travels started - hopefully pushing me to finish the following builds in a timely fashion The Request Previously: Intro Next: New Directions Just as recently knighted Corentin Roseabeau is about to leave his offices, he is approached by his aide Frederick who is carrying a letter with an important looking seal on it... Monsieur Roseabeau! Monsieur Roseabeau! What is it, Frederick? Monsieur Roseabeau, this letter from the Compagnie arrived. It carries the seal of the Duc himself! Hmm... Hmm... What is it, Monsieur? Isn't the Directeur content with the plans provided for Fort Henri? Hmm... Hmm... Yes, it would seem that he is. He sends his sincere regards and gratitude. Then, what is it that makes you seem so worried, Monsieur? Hmm... Hmm... He wants more. And he expects me to head the planning and constructions myself - in Lavalette. Hmm... This is indeed a surprise. And quite an honorable request, Monsieur. But don't they all see that I'm busy running this arsenal here? There is just so much left to do here. We've only just started work on slipway no. 5, the timber supply from Eltina still isn't running on schedule - those yahoos just never get anything done - and it's not like there aren't any ships to be built... And I wanted to supervise Gloire's sea trials personally... So much to do, so much to do... Monsieur, of course, I understand. But you should also see the opportunities! Like catching the latest tropical disease? Never mind... I guess you are right. Been sitting behind that desk for too long - time to get my boots dirty again. I just need some more time to finish the more pressing issues. But we will leave within a fortnight! We, Monsieur? Yes, of course. I'm not going on this perilous journey without my most capable adviser. Oui, Monsieur. And Frederick... for the 937th time, no need to call me 'Monsieur'. Oui, I know, Monsieur. *Sigh*... Now - seems we need to find ourselves a ship. About: Well, not much to it... office building... hallway... maybe one day I'll turn this into something larger. For now it'll be licensed as a small commercial - there's business being done in offices after all. Thanks for watching, C&C welcome! Vive le Roi!