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We go back several centuries, to a time when an alliance of dwarves, humans and orcs had successfully defended their stronghold in the Moruth Swamplands. In the wake of their victory, the King of Rockwail commissioned the sculptor's guild to make an enormous statue of Merin Uîr, a legendary warrior who was said to have defeated multiple enemy platoons in the Boulder Bogs through ambushes and trickery. The sculptor's guild was happy to take on the King's request. Sculptor vedette Yurro has taken the lead on this task. He is carving the head, torso and upper arms from a single block of stone. Meanwhile another experienced sculptor has started on the lower arms and hands, and apprentices are being instructed to carve out the rough shape of the pelvis and legs, which will later be finished up by Yurro. A statue this size is a serious undertaking, and lots of things can go wrong in the process, but so far Yurro and his crew have not had any major setbacks. A relief! --- Yes, there will be a the full statue later. I'm sitting on quite a lot of (mostly) finished Rockwail stuff, but I don't want to spill all of the beans yet. Cheers!
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[HSS] Master Jeweler's shop In the middle of Rockwail stands one of the very few jeweler shops that exist in Nocturnus. Jewelry is not all that popular in the Darklands, at least not the fancy kind. Decorated armour and weaponry, on the other hand, is valued a lot more by Nocty's populace. However, even in the land of monsters and barbarians there are individuals with taste — and Rockwail's Master Jeweler is there to cater to that clientele! One such individual with exquisite taste happened to be paying Rockwail a visit: Lady Sithanna of Shadowmere. Fortunately for her, it was an informal visit. It had been while since she last crossed Rockwail... 15 years, perhaps 55 years? Vampire naps can really mess with one's memory and perception of time! Obviously some things had changed in the city, but she was relieved to find 'her' jewelry shop still around. She paused in front of the shop window. It was almost exactly as she remembered it, but the window was now modernized with large glass panes. She looked at the elegant golden necklace was on display. "That glass wouldn't stop me from taking it, if I wanted to.", she thought. Perhaps the shop had a new owner, since the jeweler she knew was very protective over his wares. Or perhaps security in the city had gotten tighter? Whichever was the case, she was eager to have a look inside. Inside was Heinrigh, the Master Jeweler, tending to a customer. Heinrigh "I think this one suits you particularly well, Madam. The colour of the stone complements your dress very nicely. I also have a broche you could try on, I think that would — Hello, yes come in! Oh my... Lady Sithanna!" Lady Sithanna "Heinrigh! It brings me joy to see you! How have you been?" Yeah... that must have been at least 30 years! One more nap and she might not have spoken Heinrigh ever again... --- A little later than planned, but I enjoyed working on this build and I rather like how this turned out. I'm particulary happy with the 55-piece display cabinet, and the shop window which I've had as a tablescrap for close to two years. I tried to find out what kind of equipment a medieval jewelry maker would have on hand, but couldn't find much all that much online, so I greebled a bit. Let me know what you think, I appreciate your comments and criticism!
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[Freebuild & Exetrius Saga recap] Rockwail School of Orphans
Exetrius posted a topic in Guilds of Historica
Rockwail School of Orphans Rockwail has seen the passing of many kings and rulers, each leaving their own mark in history and on the city. Not all that long ago, relatively speaking at least, the iron fist rule of king Zoroaster took a particularly heavy toll on the residents of Rockwail. Many lives were lost due to his warmongering and exploitation of miners and labor slaves. As a consequence, the amount of orphans peaked during this period. When Theophraster I, Zoroaster's half-brother, claimed the throne, he sought to repair some of the damage Zoroaster had done. He believed orphans were a key to turn the ravaged economy around, so he built an orphanage and established an education program. His efforts bore fruit, for him and the city. His apparent philanthropy earned him the respect and support from the scarred people of Rockwail, and the word also spread beyond the city. In rough and tough Nocturnus, these 'soft' policies were looked down on by some of the greater Lords, but merchants and craftsmen flocked to the city! Later, despite dwindling numbers of orphans because of peaceful times, Theophraster II continued to invest in the future of the disadvantaged, by founding the Rockwail School of Orphans. The School of Orphans is not as big as it used to be at some point, but one of its most prominent and remarkable buildings is still in use today, and is maintained with funds from the royal treasury. And somehow, it's the place Exetrius Centario of Zotharith found himself in... He looked up from his reading material and gazed at the window. He put his book away for a moment and stood up to overlook the square of the Four Virtues. It appeared peaceful, a little quieter during daytime than Zotharith. The sudden thought of home, so far away, made his mind wander between the turns his life had taken ever since the Civil War, the places he visited and the people he met. Before the war, he was just a mage trying to climb the ranks. Okay, maybe not your average mage, but the second son of the wizard ruler, Onicius. Sometimes, he was sent out for a task by the Order of Zotharith, but generally he was around his home city a lot. Once, he traveled to Kyrrath to visit his aunt. That was the furthest he had ever been. His elder brother, on the other hand... Anyway, during the Nocturnus Civil War he joined the 1st Corps of Zotharith, which was hunting down Raavage through the Rakath mountains, and he eventually ended up defeating him. But if that wasn't hard to believe enough, he also got to attend the victory party in Cedrica, with Queen Ylspeth! As well as the legendary Warlords, with some of whom he discussed the future of Nocturnus, in Merodaquinas. No big deal, right? It was hard to fathom. After the storm of events, he returned to Zotharith. Luckily, he found his father, mother and sister (who served in the 2nd Corps) in good health. Furthermore, the city seemed to be completely unharmed by the war. It seemed like he would be easing into his old and familiar life again, until a letter from Rockwail came. It was a personal request from King Yurdtroth, the city's new ruler (since Raavage's occupation ended), adressed to Onicius Centario. He was looking for someone to fill the position of Wizard of Rockwail, as well as an ambassador for Zotharith, and had heard of Exetrius' hand in the victory against the Black Spire. Exetrius and his farther agreed that this could be a fantastic opportunity, thus they accepted the request. And so, within a month or two of being home again, he left for Rockwail indefinitely. From the letter, it was not fully clear what the position would entail, but that was a risk he was willing to take. Upon arrival, he met with King Yurdtroth. He was not as intimidating as he imagined, on the contrary actually. He soon learned that one of his tasks would be to teach magic at the Rockwail School of Orphans. Of all things, teaching children was somewhat daunting to him, and something he hadn't anticipated. On his first day, the stairs he had to climb to get to the oddly placed school building seemed to never end. An old wizard dressed in blue, which turned out to be the retiring Wizard of Rockwail, welcomed him. "Don't worry, it'll be fun", he said with a smirk. With the old fart's perception was nothing wrong, that much was clear... The earth sciences teacher, named Ruppert, asked him to come into the class. Still nervous, Exetrius climbed out of the study room. A little awkwardly, he introduced himself to the three kids in class. But soon, he found himself wondering why he had been worrying at all. The kids were very interested and asked him lots of questions. This wasn't so bad at all! ---- Later than planned, but here is the full build! Mine entrance part here. Figuring out the layout of this build, with the mine entrance, school and blacksmith was a fun puzzle, and I enjoyed putting my limited number of purple, magenta and pink bricks to good use. I'm also glad to be able to give an update about Exetrius. While writing the recap it became clear just how few and far between his backstory is. I don't blame you for never getting into the Exetrius Saga if you haven't. It's a mess, though it has good parts that still hold up, imo. Anway, if you read the recap, click the links and look at the images, that should give you a decent idea of Exetrius. Hope you enjoy! -
[HSS] The Silver Bull inn Standing proudly in front of the Palace, and overlooking Rockwail's main plaza, is The Silver Bull inn. It's neither the largest, nor the most infamous inn in town, but it does enjoy a good reputation. To the more wealthy traveler, it offers peace and quiet at the heart of the city, tidy rooms and good meals, including soups, meat and hot drinks. The inn accommodates seven guests across four rooms, and furthermore houses the city's post office. Messenger Fiona, of Avalonia, is delivering a message from Albion to the post office of The Silver Bull. At the door she's greeted by an unusual visitor who is making his depart. In a mix of thrill and unsettlement, a shiver went down Fiona's spine. She had gotten acquainted with the non-human population of Nocturnus before on a number of occasions, but never had she seen an undead skeleton before! At second glance, he seemed quite the gentleman, though. Look at that jaw line! Haha, kidding! Little did the Avalonian messenger know that she had just met the famed Resistance warlord Anfauglir! And Anfauglir wasn't the only Nocturnian lord at the inn at that moment... --- Additional pictures: I'm happy to be sharing posting another HSS build for Rockwail, at the very end of 2023. Indeed, HSS. Not sure if that was clear before, but it is now! I've worked on other buildings too, but those are for the coming year. As usual, I learned a lot while building. More than with any previous MOC, I struggled with figuring out the layout of the interior and how to break it open for access to the interior. For example, I shuffled around the beds several times to get a three-bedroom floor that made sense. It's my biggest fully enclosed MOC building to date, and yet the interior space turned out to be very tight. That was one of the reasons I choose to not have any actual doors inside the building*, only brickbuilt 3-wide, 6-high door frames. So a bit of a schematic rendition. *save for the door to the toilet, which is a detail that was lost in a section that doesn't detach for access (for structural integrity and my sanity). I hope you enjoy. C&C welcome!
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Long ago, one of the first dwarven Kings of Rockwail ordered the construction of a sacred mine entrance, right in the heart of the city. For decades, even centuries, miners receive the blessing of Mòhria (represented by the statue on the altar) before descending into the perilous deep. Rockwail has one of the most diverse populations in Nocturnus in terms of races as well as ancestry, so there are a number of religions within in the city due to the many different backgrounds. However, be it through belief or through superstition, the vast majority of miners always descend to the mine and tunnel complex of the city in the morning, via "Chapel Gate". They may take a different route to the surface, as there are multiples entrances annex exits in Rockwail, but the ritual of entering through Chapel Gate is one that persists across miners from all kinds of backgrounds and beliefs. Today again, two miners are venturing into the deep with the hope of bringing riches to the surface, but above all hoping to return safely. Perhaps empty-handed as they did yesterday, but there's always that sliver of a chance to find something truly extraordinary. Something that will have all of Rockwail looking and talking about them. And since they are 'free miners', they get to keep everything they find, unlike those employed by a mining company. It has its disadvantages, but if they find "The Big One", as they call it, they may not have to work for the rest of their lives! Fame, fortune and comfort... a miner can dream! Unfortunately, today was just another day at the mine. No fame and glory, just bits of ore and barely a grain of crystal. Tomorrow, maybe... Meanwhile, behind Chapel Gate, a blacksmith has just started working on some iron ornamentation. It is for a very important commission, which was made to the guild of smiths. It's too large of a task for a single smith's shoulders to bear, especially in the given timeframe, but his experience and craftsmanship will be invaluable to give the end result it's desired flair. --- Hi, happy to share (part of) a new build with y'all today! I felt that it was necessary to divide this build over two posts, because the writing would otherwise become a bit long and messy. And it's also more practical for the HSS. Hope you enjoy!
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A Rockwailer guard gazes over the Boulder Bogs. Standing guard on the ancient city walls is a rather uneventful job. The Boulder Bogs are a damp, foggy, and thoroughly smelly place. Not much ever approaches the isolated city. The waters – or rather, the sizzling green soup surrounding Rockwail, are inhospitable to most life, though lizardfolk and other tough-skinned creatures are able to swim in them. As far as the eye can see (usually not far) there are boulders with varying degrees of vegetation on them, and more green soup. On the rare clear days of the year however, the view is not awful. But today it is. Today will be another boring day on the Walls where nothing happens... ... or will it? For a brief moment, the guard thought he heard a voice, far in the distance. Any activity above the water level, other than the moving of birds or other small creatures, is notable in this swamp. There are people going outside the walls to hunt and gather resources that are not found or grown inside the city, but those people can rarely be heard from afar. Did he imagine hearing it? Now with his full concentration, he looked and listened again. There it was! One voice, two, nay, three even... something was approaching! Travellers? Enemies? A handful of unusually loud citizens? The fog was thick as ever, so whoever these voices belonged to: once in sight it could be too late. The Rockwailer Guard had to identify them as soon as possible. Maybe today wasn't going to be as uneventful as usual! --- Thanks for reading, if you did! The lore is is new here, but the build is definitely not. Let's go back in time in time for a moment, see additional pics below. It's the beginning of 2019, I was creating builds to further illustrate what happened in the Nocty Civil War. I was gradually starting to think about how to move the overall Nocty story forward, by making builds of 'turning point' events. I decided I wanted to depict Rockwail, the forgotten stronghold city, silently taken over by Raavage's skeleton army that he was building, being stormed by the forces of the Resistance. I was going to call it "Liberation of Rockwail", and it was going to be both an awesome architectural-landscaping build and an epic battle scene. I went all in on complex and subtle angles for the wall to add a sense of realism, but it created a lot of problems that needed to be solved. And every other part of the build also took more time than I had hoped. I put the build aside several times and started/finished other builds (most notably "EVA 02 & Tokyo 3" and "Lego Universe: 10th Anniversary Tribute"). In May 2020 I finished the build as you see it here, but still intending to make a battle scene with boats and grappling hooks or something. In late 2020 I concluded that despite all effort that went into it, it wasn't the ideal build for the scene I had in my head. I photographed it so I could put it on my year 2020 build collage, and uploaded it to Flickr in January 2021, but still kinda wanted a Civil War scene with it. However, my motivation to do that decreased and I moved on, thus never posting it here in the Guilds. I also thought the photos I had didn't really do it justice, and same for the order in which I uploaded them. This was "confirmed" by the amount of faves/likes that was much lower than I was expecting (not a healthy mindset!). I couldn't help but feel that I wasted some of the build's potential. It didn't help that due to covid there were no expos to show off this build in real life. However, I've come to terms with all of that. I think it's a fantastic build, one of my finest works to date. Above all, I've learned that if you have an ambitious plan, you should expect it to take (much) longer than planned. I could have done it 'quick and dirty' and finish up the story of the Civil War sooner (which Nocturnus would have benefited from), but at the same time I can't. No halfhearted builds, sorry! I have more Rockwail in the pipeline, and this time there will be both important lore and an epic overall build. Oh, and I figured I'd enter it in the HSS. Why not, right? Hope to bring it to you soon!* Cheers! *I'm trying to live a social life and graduate and get a job and build other ideas too, cut me some slack!
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[Nocturnus Civil War] Rockwail's Catacombs: Rise of the Undead
Exetrius posted a topic in Guilds of Historica
Rockwail's Catacombs: Rise of the Undead[Nocturnus Civil War] Ambush in the Rakath[Nocturnus Civil War] Onwards, to the Moruth Highlands![Nocturnus Civil War] Turmoil in Camp Carakath [Nocturnus Civil War] Zotharians in the UnderworldWhat enabled Lord Raavage to take over Nocturnus so quickly? That is a question Nocturnian lords, leaders, and strategists alike would kill to get the answer of. Figuratively speaking, of course. Though the truth might never be fully uncovered, one clue is to be found in the city of Rockwail. One would be forgiven for not having heard of that place, because it is in fact one of Nocturnus' better kept secrets. Rockwail is an ancient stronghold city in the middle of the Moruth Swamplands, located not too far from the Capital, Abyssian. It is a place even most lords haven't heard of. Of course there are folklore tales, and songs of old, but any more concrete evidence of its existence would take serious determination to find. Raavage, with his insatiable lust for knowledge and boundless determination, managed to find it. When he learned about the extensive catacombs and dungeons underneath this secret city, a plan began to form. One that would grab Nocturnus to by the throat... From the mausoleum at the centre of Rockwail, a staircase spirals down into the deep, the spill in a network of layers upon layers of tombs. The catacombs were carved out by dwarves in ancient times, but are still used to bury the dead to this day. They are said to contain the remains of thousands of dead, of all shapes, sizes and races, but the full extent of what lies buried is a matter of pure speculation. In one of the tombs, the workers and crates with equipment have arrived, and the first skeletons are being taken out of their eternal resting places. Now they just need to wait for one of Raavage's necromancers to kick off the revival process. Orc supervisor "Ah, there you are! I was wondering if we'd be waiting here all day!" Necromancer "Keep your voice down! Don't you have any respect for the dead?" Orc supervisor "Like you're the one to talk..." Necromancer "What was that? I'd shut that mouth of yours, if you don't want to be exorcised. Now, show me to the skeletons." Orc supervisor "Aye sir." And so the necromancer performed one forced soul embodiment after the other, and the workers put on boots, chest plates and helmets, before sending the recruits to the surface. An army was rising in Rockwail, and the world outside didn't suspect a thing! --- Additional pics: The latest installment in my Nocturnus Civil War series. I'm jumping back and forth a in time a lot with the depiction of these scenes. Apologies if it's getting confusing, I'll probably arrange them in chronological order once I've built some more scenes. Anyway, credit to @-Sunder- (now inactive, like most of the Nocty gang) for thinking up the City of Rockwail. His vision and incredible writing made me want to build in Rockwail too. I used his build of the catacombs for reference: If you want an inspiring read, I highly recommend you check out his story builds. They are all linked in the Nocty Settlement Index, under "Rockwail". Thanks for reading! -
Across Avalonia, disagreements are traditionally solved in duels if words do not prove enough. In Mitgardia, the equivalent is usually drinking contests, and in Kaliphlin they often use the strategic board game Jeddar to settle disputes. However, in the wild lands of Nocturnus, it is not uncommon to see arguments solved the old fashioned way. No finesse, no wit, and certainly no rules are involved; in Nocturnus, they prefer to brawl. Of course, brawling is more than just a way to settle arguments nowadays. In fact, many consider it a sport (of course, many innkeepers who have to break up the brawls would argue otherwise). Drunken or otherwise, brawling is a part of Nocturnian life in many areas. In Rockwail, they do it differently. Across the sprawling city exist several buildings marked with red rings above the doors, telling those in the know that the building is home to silent brawlers. One such building is the Black Rat Inn. Silent brawlers do it differently to most- instead of stopping when the opponent submits, the fight stops and the winner is decided when someone makes a noise. Most claim to fight for pride and glory, but it does help that winning a silent brawl can yield a good deal of prize money. Red ringed buildings- usually taverns- also feel the benefits of hosting the brawls, as many customers flock to watch and bet on the fights; and, of course, drink. Two fighters stood on a raised wooden section of floor by the bar. One was a snarling red orc with tied back hair and fists wrapped in bloodied rags. He was huge by human standards (though terribly average amongst orcs), and covered in muscle. Broader than the door to the inn, his opponent wondered how he even got into the place. The red skin on his bare chest seemed to be scarred and mottled, in some places discoloured, due to a skin condition. His opponent was a heavily tattooed Kaliphlinian man of medium height with wide shoulders and toned body. Though he looked strong, he was not nearly as fearsome as the orc. His hand wraps were crisp white- they had not yet seen a fight on that day, whereas the orc was on a long winning streak. "Go on," one of the onlookers hollered, "hit him!" "Alright, silence now!" yelled the barkeep, and quickly the audience's murmuring died down until the Black Rat was silent. "Begin!" The orc moved fast despite his size, but the man had been watching his previous fights and knew to expect it. Smoothly, the underdog feinted to the left then strafed to the right, avoiding the huge, scarlet fist of his opponent, then swiftly jabbed at his stomach with his fist. The orc smirked ravenously, and the underdog knew this would not be easy. He swung again, but all his fist hit was air as the Kaliphlinian ducked under his punch. The only way to beat someone bigger than you is to be faster, this the Kaliphlinian knew, but it was proving difficult to dodge the swinging hammer arms of the orc. As he swung again, he scraped the face of his opponent, who glided towards him and landed a strike on the orc's shoulder. Without so much as a grimace, the orc shrugged off the hit and used his newfound nearness to his adversary to his advantage, forcing his arms under the human's shoulders and clamping his hands onto his head, then lifting him from the ground. The Kaliphlinian winced, but knew better than to make a noise, and drew his legs upwards, then kicked back into the orcs knees. The titan's legs buckled and he fell backwards, releasing the human from his grasp. With a slam he hit the floor, and the Kaliphlinian grinned broadly. He raised his leg above the orc's head, preparing to stomp him, but the orc grabbed hold of his foot. The man kicked back against the crushing grip, hitting the orc in the face with his own hand. With a snarl, he then fell onto the bloody-faced orc, landing elbow-first onto his heaving, scarred ribcage, which let out a dreadful crack and caused the orc to grunt in pain. "That's a noise! The challenger has won," the barkeep announced, to the roaring cheers of many amongst the crowd.
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Under Rockwail The mausoleum door swung open slowly, creaking on the rusted hinges. Keel entered the pitch-black room first, followed by Remington, who clutched his lute tightly. The mausoleum was impossibly dark, and the only thing the bard could see was what was illuminated by the streetlamp outside shining through the open doorway. Keel, however, had it easier; being an orc, could see clearly even in intense darkness, and he scanned the room quickly. The walls were covered with ancient dwarven rune writing and opposite the doorway were the ornately carved sarcophaguses of three dwarven warriors. Across the floor and the ceiling, intricate mosaics showed scenes of great battles, dwarven triumps over their enemies, and the construction of the original Rockwail walls. In the centre of the mausoleum was a spiral staircase that wound down into the catacombs below. Keel pulled his gemstone out of his pocket once again and passed it to Remington. "Take this. You may not be able to see, but this will show you the way; at least, it always has for me," the orc whispered. Remington felt the stone writhing and turning in his hand, tugging it forwards in the direction of the staircase. "Looks like it's already started working. It's a soulstone. It guides you to what you seek. It took me to Rockwail and it'll take you to whatever it is you're looking for in here," he explained. Remington let the stone pull him forwards, and slowly walked towards the staircase, then carefully down it, into the catacombs. Keel followed after him, and noted that the stonework as they descended into the tunnels gradually became rougher and less decorative. Instead of carvings in the walls, there were small alcoves to hold skulls, and the tombs were open and built into the walls. The one thing that remained consistent was the tiles on the floor, except now they were aged and cracked, and any mosaics were simplistic and unrefined. It was also considerably colder, and the walls were sleek with a damp slime. It was quickly becoming obvious that the catacombs were much larger than Keel had remembered. The hallways seemed to stretch on for miles in all directions, forming a web of bone and brick. In places, he could see rooms, presumably for the richer or more well-known of the dead. His nose twitched as he caught a chillingly familiar smell on the air. In spite of his dulled senses, Remington could smell the scent of death on the icy, stale air. It was strong and it was old and it was close. He shivered, but the soulstone tugged forwards, towards the smell. "You smell that?" Keel whispered. Slowly, Remington nodded. It was only then that the unearthly silence of the place became so obvious to Keel. "Let's get moving," he said finally. The bard nodded again, and started to walk blindly forwards, following the pull of the soulstone. The sound pair's footfalls rang out roll-call bells and echoed through the catacombs. For the first time in days, Remington could feel his heart moving in his chest- not beating; barely throbbing, but moving nonetheless. Keel's heartbeat was much more obvious, and to him it was almost deafening. In the darkness, they could hear faint creaking, but it was impossible to know it if was coffins opening or the very city above them coming to life. With every moment, Remington couldn't help but feel that there was something out there that he couldn't see watching his every move, always about to pounce but never really doing so. The pair drew into a small room. There were multiple tombs, and on one of the walls hung a shield and three swords. Quickly, Keel removed the largest one and weighed it up- it was surprisingly light, and the only damage to it was a few chips and a spot of rust on the crossguard. The creaking was much louder now, and Keel could make out something stirring in the corner of the room. A skeletal arm moved in one of the alcoves in the wall, grasping out for something, until it caught hold of the stone surface of the wall and dragged itself out. The skeleton wore a corroded helmet and brandished a battered scimitar. "Uuh, bard... You may need to defend yourself," Keel whispered, as he noticed another skeleton emerge from its tomb, dragging a shield and a flail with it. Remington shoved the soulstone into his pocket and held his lute by the top like a club. "Whose idea was it to bury them with their weapons?" the orc hissed quietly. The two skeletons approached, gradually building speed as they stumbled forwards. Keel decided it was best to strike while they were still slow and moved towards them, careful not to make too much noise as he did so. The first skeleton raised its sword above its head in preparation for a swing, but Keel intercepted and swung beneath its ribcage, collapsing its spine with a thunderous clatter. It fell to the ground as a pile of bones. Holding out his lute as a makeshift mace, Remington had began to spin around in circles, and as the second skeleton neared him, his lute found connection with the skull, knocking it clean off and sending it flying into a wall. Keel then finished it off with a kick to the pelvis, rendering the skeleton a pile, like its comrade. "Nice job, now let's keep-" Keel was interrupted by a series of deafening thuds, making their way closer and closer, until a huge mass of bones stood before the two. It seemed to be the skeleton of something that was once very big; a troll, or a werewolf, or something along those lines. Why it was there, they didn't know, but it was big and it looked angry. It held in one hand a sword the same size as the two men standing before it, and in the other a shield of equal stature. It raised its sword above its head and Keel prepared for a strike to the undead behemoth's pelvis. "Gertie, no! Stop that right now, young lady!" a woman's voice shouted angrily. The skeleton hesitated for a moment, then sullenly lowered its sword and looked to its feet. From behind Keel and Remington, a tall woman wearing red leather armour and carrying a longbow entered the room. She carried in her other hand a long pole with a lantern on the end, which illuminated room, momentarily blinding the two before they quickly adapted to the light. "That is no way to treat our guests, young lady," she scolded. Keel lowered his sword and looked the woman over. "Without being rude to the person that just saved our behinds, what's someone as young as you doing in the catacombs?" Keel questioned. Remington opened his mouth to speak, then internally cursed his predicament. He felt the soulstone in his pocket trying to pull him towards her. "Trust me, I'm not as young as I look, but it's always nice to get complimented. I'm The Weaver, and I look after these catacombs with Gertrude and the other skeletons. They can be very rude, though. I see you already dealt with them." "Ok, second question. What is Gertrude? Was she an ogre, or something? I've never seen anything like her." The Weaver smirked. "Close. She was a Mitgardian housewife. Now, I believe you and your companion here are looking for the Hall of Songs, yes?" she asked. Keel looked questioningly over to Remington. "We are?" Remington nodded enthusiastically. "Can't speak, huh? That'll explain it. Are you ready for the journey? It's not exactly easy." The bard stared at Keel pleadingly. "I guess I don't have anything else to do..." he sighed. "Right then," The Weaver said with a smile, "let's go." --- Extra Pictures Remington Rot is now one step closer to getting his voice back. For a change, my next moc won't be about Remington; instead it's going to expand on the city of Rockwail. C&C welcome, hope you enjoyed!
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Since departing from Baron Lonnidas, night had fell, and Remington wandered through the lamplit streets almost aimlessly. "You can't miss it; they say all paths in Rockwail lead there." Remington was dubious as to wether Lonnidas's statement was true, as he had been walking for several hours and the only thing he'd found that even resembled the mausoleum was a small undertaker's shop, the owner of which was convinced that Remington must try out one of his coffins. He also noted another peculiar thing about Rockwail; while there were quite a few people out and about during the day, it was nowhere near the amount of people on the streets at night. It seemed the entire city was nocturnal- even cold-blooded creatures like snake and frog people. Somebody around must have known how to get to the mausoleum, but asking for directions was more than difficult with no voice... If he could curse under his breath, he would have. Eventually, the bard came to a cross in the roads. He looked down the pathways and saw that they all seemed to diverge out into more and more roads, all expanding outwards from his point. So where was the mausoleum? Suddenly, Remington was distracted by the sounds of a struggle, and peered down the unlit path where the noise came from. Out of the darkness ran a snakeman, clutching something in his hand. Under the light of the lamp beside him, Rot could make out that it was some sort of yellow gemstone. Then another figure burst out of the shadows, wearing a leather cuirass, and a large helmet. "Stop that man! My diamond!" cried the figure. Remington shrugged. What was the worst that could happen? As the snakeman passed him, he swung his loot into his nose, knocking him down onto the ground. The other figure caught up quickly and stumbled to a stop, panting heavily. Once he regained his composure, he picked up and pocketed the gemstone, then turned to Remington. "Good sir, that was a mighty swing for a bard! I do hope your lute is undamaged." He spoke loudly and with a regal accent. Remington looked over his lute and ran his gloved fingers across it. Other than a small blood stain, it seemed to be ok. He raised his thumb to the man. "Excellent! That is good news. My name is Sir... Sir Knight... Ahem, Sir Knightington!" The bard raised an eyebrow. "Sir... Crownknight?" "Fine," he sighed, dropping the accent to reveal the ragged, hissing voice of an orc, "it's Keel. That diamond is a family heirloom. Listen; I owe you, big time. If there's anything you need, I'll do it." With a smile, Remington pulled the letter out of his pocket, wiped a droplet of blood from the snakeman's nose, and scrawled 'mausoleum' on the back of the paper. "The mausoleum? It's right there... How did you not notice it? Anyway, if you're going in there, I can help you out. It's pretty dangerous, but I've been before," Keel responded. "So... What are you waiting for? Let's go!" --- Sorry about the poor quality of some of these photos, I didn't notice until after I'd taken them. Some more pictures of the moc: I'm not as happy with this as I was with my last moc, because when I built it I was pretty low on parts from being too lazy to break down my previous builds. I'm probably going to build some more Rockwail stuff in the future, but this should be one of the last builds of the Rockwail streets for a while. The next build you can expect from me will be of the catacombs beneath the city... C&C are welcome, have a great day!
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Remington Rot knew from the moment he entered Moruth that it was going to be uncomfortable, but he never guessed that I would be quite as bad as it was. The air in the swamp was so thick you could cut it, and the strong, stale smell of the moat water (if the oozing, green mass could even be called that any more) lingered in the back of the dead man's throat like an unwanted guest. Out of the ground before him rose the looming outer walls of Rockwail- the safest place in Moruth. Unlike many of the swamp villages, Rockwail was built on a bed of rock; in fact, the whole fortress was believed to be carved out of one huge boulder by dwarves hundreds of years prior. The place was surrounded by a field of smaller boulders, floating in the stagnant waters of the swamps, giving the local area the name 'the Boulderbogs'. At the gates of the stronghold, Remington handed the guard on duty a letter. The man looked Rot up and down scrutinisingly, before scanning over the letter and handing it back to him. "Hmm. Sounds believable to me. I'll take you to the Baron." Remington nodded. The guard inserted a large key into one of the doors and twisted it. With an audible thunk, the door unlocked, and he hauled it open. "Come on in. I'm gonna guess Theophraster told you how to get here?" Remington nodded once more. "Figures. Him and the Baron were close. Y'know, you're lucky to be here. Not many people outside these walls know that this place exists. That's why they call it the secret city." The two passed through the gates and walked briskly down a long, twisting, cobblestone road. Being inside the walls showed the place to be less of a stronghold and more of a small city- crooked, towering buildings lined the streets and dark shadows were cast over the ground by the makeshift wooden walkways above them. Rockwail was a sprawling, squalid maze of narrow pathways and haphazardly constructed dwellings that leaned into one another like drunkards. The style of architecture seemed to change from building to building, and Remington recognised several different species and ethnicities as he and the guard wandered through the town. "You didn't see all this from the outside, huh? Yeah, not many can see through the magic shield Theophraster put up when he and Baron Lonnidas started to put Rockwail together. Takes a very powerful mage to see through it. They say people don't even see the walls of this place unless they're expecting to." As they began to reach the north-easterly corner of the city, the houses seemed to thin out and the paths got thicker. The very corner of the wall was in sight. Remington recognised the dwarven stylings in the wall; they reminded him of the lavish guild halls he used to sing in. The ground was no longer cobbled- instead, it was simply rough stone, and they walked down a gravel path. Wooden scaffolding was put up in the corner, where it seemed the last of the dwarven tiles lay. The beaten, crumbling walls really showed the age of the place. "There used to be a shrine to some dwarven god here, hence the fancy tiles, but it collapsed in an earthquake. It was a long time ago, though- before any of us, or anybody else alive for that matter. Before they even built the walls. They reckon this spot was what Rockwail started from," the guard told Remington. He wasn't sure how long the guard had been talking, as he was too busy taking everything in, but he got the gist of what he was saying; Rockwail was old. Remington spotted a tall man standing at the bottom of the scaffolds, and guessed by the epaulettes that he was the baron. He was a heavyset man, wearing worn scale-mail, a thick, grey cloak and the beige sleeves signature to the guards Remington had seen around the city (and, indeed, beside him). The Baron carried a longsword and a slightly rusted shield from the Ssilyrrlith era. A black eyepatch covered one of his eyes, and Remington could see the pink end of a ragged scar poking out beneath it, running down his cheek. "Baron! I have a man here to see you, name of Remington Rot. He can't speak, and has a letter for you to read- it says he knows Theophraster," the guard spoke up to the baron, then handed him the letter. Baron Lonnidas nodded as he read through it, his long hair bobbing slightly, and when he spoke, his moustache wriggled like a caterpillar. "Hmm, very good, Petir. You can leave now, I'll talk to the boy." The guard, Petir, then left hurriedly. "So, boy, you know Theophraster? He's an old friend of mine, a good man. I understand you're looking for your voice?" Remington nodded enthusiastically. "Well, you're in luck. I know how to help you out; one of the guards, Gawyne, had a similar problem, and he found his voice in a place in Avalonia, called the Hall of Songs. i don't know the way there, but he said he was guided by a traveller named The Weaver, and I do know where to find them. In the middle of the city is an ancient dwarven mausoleum known as the gauntlet. You can't miss it; they say all paths in Rockwail lead there. The mausoleum leads to a series of catacombs, where The Weaver trains. But, by the looks of you, you won't make it through easily on your own. I'd look for a mercenary to help take you to The Weaver." Remington processed the information slowly, then finally nodded and smiled. "Glad to be of assistance. Any friend of Theophraster is a friend of mine. Good luck, Remington Rot." --- So, that's part deux of Remington's story. Now time for some extra pictures of the moc. The whole moc! The back is super ugly, and I sorta forgot to make battlements for the rear of the wall (y'know, where they're most needed... :| ). The scaffolding, and a closer look at the dwarven architecture. Well, I think that's all. C&C is welcome!
