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The Grand Review of the Armies was a military procession and celebration in Washington, D.C. on May 23–24, 1865 following the Union victory in the American Civil War. Elements of the Union Army paraded through the streets of the capital to receive accolades from the crowds. Additional photo:

Colonel Beauchamp sighed as he presented his sword to the Union general. "C'est la vie" as his mother had always said. ------------ Playing around with some 3rd party "waist capes" that I think really fill out the uniforms.

As the 6th Maine headed south away from Gettysburg, Corporal Breckinridge spotted a huge blasted tree trunk that must have caught artillery fire. He smiled and thought to himself, “That must have been a big tree!”. It was the first time he had smiled since the battle had ended.

Attention! Since it took me nearly a year to continue this story, recent events have overtaken me. Therefore, this story part takes place before MassEditor's prelude story that is linked below. All links are in chronological order. Make sure to (re-)read it! Glance into the future Three Ravens At the Black Knight's Inn The Resistance Unites (by MassEditor) When you ran out of coin, get out of here! the host had said. “Always the same sad business. No one treasures the value of a wise old man anymore.” Perry Ratchett mumbled into his grey beard, while he stumbled out of the Black Knight’s Inn. Aye, that old hoax of the heroic black knight defending a bridge against a king and losing all his limbs, one by one. That was a popular tale here in the East. The old wizard wondered how the people would react when they were told that this very story served as a shining example of chivalry and ideal courage in Avalonia. “I’m too late again! Foolish old dunderhead. “ Ratchett thought. He had never been an excellent wizard. Often he had proven himself not even an average wizard. But, after all, he was one. It was not a matter of the prowess as magician at all, he was just unfortunate enough to live in a wondrous world that offered as much kinds of ale, vine and liquor as it housed magical miracles. But now he was on a quest. He had witnessed what may would be and no it was on him, Peregrine Ratchett, the purple wizard, to prevent this city and its lord from ruin. He could see his course clear, the first time for years he felt the weightiness of his role in the world. He now had influence on the lifes of many. And although he was well aware of the immense threat to come, Perry silently enjoyed the feeling to be of some importance again. This wizard was back into business. As soon as he set a foot on the rough cobblestone the wizard had found for whom he was looking. Several armed men surrounded him, ensuring there would be no escape. A tall rat furred with brown and white hair approached. His look was strict and hard. But for those who were able to listen, his eyes would tell stories of grief and sorrow, deeply immured in an will of iron. The wizard recognized him immediately from his vision. “What is thy business in this town, old man?” the rat lord said. “I was told of a wizard arriving, speaking of great matters; dark menaces toward. Now all I see is a drunken vagabond, maybe hoping to be kept by my household in return for palmistry and other legerdemain. Do not dare to waste my time by trying to fool me.” The old wizard had expected mistrust. But this rat proved to be amongst that kind of stubborn beings who wouldn’t believe in dragons unless they recognised the smell of their burnt skin, or fur in such a case. He had to take care of what to say:”You may take me for a drunkard an impostor. And whilst I cannot deny my flaws I affirm you that serious wizardry is my business. I am Peregrine Ratchett. And I am called the purple wizard. And not only for the colour of my hat, I assure you. That is just frippery.” The lord of Skavenport kept his straight face, while his companions bandied inquiring gazes. A very uncomfortable silence spread and lasted far too long. Perry realised that this lord was still waiting for his explanations, either to be convinced or for having a reason to throw him into the deepest dungeon of the city; “I have come to assist you by the quest that lies ahead of you. For I have seen what may will be, and I say you there is no time to lose!” Osric Isentooth’s face became even more sceptical: “And what quest shall this be? Gathering my troops, march out with all the banners of red and gold waving in the wind? Many souls in Nocturnus call for this. No day that I do not receive requests for assistance from this lord and that village. I have no need for another supplicant to tell me about the sorrows that plague this land. I know them. Call the town watch and chase this vagabond out of my city!” The wizard rushed towards Osric:”The Lord of Shadowmere is calling for you! Will you deny his request?” The lord’s face turned angry: “You should have heard the rumours on your pub crawl. It is told in every tavern; Vladivus is dead.” Ratchett’s lips formed a grim smile: “He is alive. At least as much as his kind can be. You will see. Assemble Skavenport’s army, my lord. March out and engage the Black Spire. You are not alone. Raavage’s craft is to cloud his enemies’ awareness. The resistance is still strong. But you must unite your forces. Separating the last strongholds of the Darklands, destroying the remaining free peoples of Nocturnus one by one is the very intention of the Spire. Unite your armies, reclaim the East from Raavage, and the other guilds will join you. Because this fight is not the mere battle for Nocturnus. If you fail it will conclude the fate of all Historica. Tis the quest I have foreseen, the quest you will have to face up to.” Osric seemed to stare into an abyss, when he finally spoke: “All what you say... it either makes you an egregiously able wizard, or an equally able agent of my foes. Either way, I will learn the truth. Into the dungeon with him!” Perry felt that everything had gone wrong. While he resigned himself to a longer phase of soberness, a black hooded messenger arrived, bowed shortly before lord Osric, giving him a small piece of parchment, before heading away in a hurry. The rat lord looked at the sigil in surprise, broke it and unfurled the writing. It took him a moment to come to terms with it. Then he looked at the wizard and spoke: “Bring him to the castle. Host him in the keep, but do not let him leave it. And keep him sober.” He turned to his two captains, a rat and a grim looking sturdy human: “I have to leave the city. Lord Vladivus is indeed alive, or correctly: undead. A council will be held in Shadowmere. A council of the Resistance. I have to go.” “Alone? My lord! Every swathe of land between Shadowmere and the Grimwoods is occupied by the Spire. Damn it! Every single bloody stone in the Moruth has a Spire soldier guarding it!” the human said indignantly. “I have to go. And no time to lose. But I am well aware of the dangers such a journey involves. Therefore you will escort me, Dunstan. Why shall I fear a thousand Spire soldiers with you roaring at them?” Osric responded. Visibly amused the other captain began to speak: “I rest assured that you will make the journey without harm, my lord. My dear Sir Dunstan is no doubt the loudest man in Skavenport. But what are thy orders to me?” “You, good sir Aethelrat, will procure that an army in readiness will await our return. Gather supplies, lade war machines and keep the city’s fortifications operational.” Lord Isentooth commanded. Then he turned back towards the purple wizard: “I am still in doubt about your intentions. I will concern myself with you when I return. But for the time being I shall not call you a liar; war is to come. Allies are calling. And Skavenport shall answer.” ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________- So far, thanks for reading! And I am deeply sorry about the low photo quality. It's impossible for me to get the right lighting for such a weirdly angled build.

Zant, shrouded in an aura of invisibility, approached Tshv'ok silently, until at the last moment, he appeared within feet of his favored tradesman. "I hate when you do that..." Tshv'ok said in an annoyed tone. "I know..that's why I do it. And besides, you've seem to have gotten accustomed to it since I've been meeting with you more often, so now I need a new amusement, but that's for another time. Do you have what I asked for?" Tshv'ok replied "Yes, in these sacks are as many moonstones as I could gather in the time you gave me. This seems a bit out of your scope these days, so I can only help but wonder that are you planning." Zant spoke excitedly, almost as if he were a child getting his first enchanted pie. "You know what is about to happen in these lands in the next few months. Battles will be waged on a scale Nocturnus has not seen in thousands of years. Armies are gathering in all corners of this land, and Raavage is setting up the pieces to eventually wipe this land clean of all who oppose him. You know my business very well Tshv'ok, I deal in death, and it's about to become a high commodity. I will use these stones to capture as many defeated warriors and fallen civilians as I can, and in my doing, these souls will help fuel Raavages ambitions to bring Nocturnus, and eventually all of Historica, to heel!!" Tshv'ok looked blankly at the necromancer, took a moment and finally spoke, breaking the silence..."As long as I get paid..." Starting to kinda get back on track with the Civil War stuff..I know this may be random but I have a plan that will eventually tie this into my own little storyline. Thanks for looking!

Lord Alric Returns to the swamps of Nocturnus to do battle in the upcoming civil war. This one is for the Resistance My entry for the challenge. Thanks for looking and happy building!

Darkness, growing ever blacker, falling ever deeper, consuming ever more. In Nocturnus, there is no escaping it. The light grows dimmer, the darkness more encompassing. These lands have never known true peace. War and death are staples here. Since the Obsidian Spike rose in the East, Nocturnus has bathed in the blood of its own. From its gates the Black Spire lord, Raavage, unleashed his army across Nocturnus. His quest for power and the resulting Civil War cleaved Nocturnus in half. Father was pitted against son, sister against brother, countryman against countryman. The conflict speeds to all corners of the land, and few escape its brutality. In recent times the war had slowed to a stalemate. Lord Ssilyrrlith, the nominal leader of the Nocturnian Resistance, remains holed up in the capital, Abyssian, besieged by a Black Spire army. Leadership of the resistance has fallen to Lord Vladivus of Shadowmere and an assortment of commanders united in their hatred of Raavage. Bravely they hold the line, attacking the Black Spire where it is weak and falling back only when they must. Allies in other Guilds send what they can to bolster the Resistance armies. Shamans, wisewomen, sorcerers and witches offered blessings for the Resistance troops and provided safe places of worship. But now the resistance lines are beginning to weaken while the Black Spire's grow stronger. Despite setbacks, and there were many - the treachery of the Drow and the Valyrian, Count Basil; the Zugal's turn against the Black Spire; the failed trap at Lagash Ur; and the defection of Anfauglir from Raavage's Covenant allies - the Black Spire has shown no signs of faltering. New armies are emerging from the Obisdian Spike's gate to bring Raavage's rule to the remaining Resistance enclaves. Raavage is clever and merciless, his armies powerful and numerous. With help from new allies, Raavage threatens to crush all in his way. Senurhem Nogad, the Covenant lord, continues to support the Black Spire with his powerful armies and dark magic. Other new and fearsome allies arrive from far off lands to assist the Dark Lord. The power of the dark spirits are not lost by Raavage's forces. They, too, seek divine assistance and to curse their foes. Futhermore, rumors spread among the Resistance leadership that Raavage seeks a mysterious and powerful artifact to aid his conquest. Such power threatens the precarious balance of forces. Failure to stop him would allow Raavage to spread his influence to all of Nocturnus and possibly beyond. The leaders of Historica's other Guilds watch with despair the events in Nocturnus. Kingless and without a united front, Historica holds its breath and prays for Raavage's defeat. What this renewed war will mean for Nocturnus, no one is sure. But one thing is certain: the bloodshed is only just beginning.

The Black Spire calls for reinforcements. The gears of war are finally put in motion and the terrible, most devastating fate of the Darklands takes its course. While the armies of Historica march to Nocturnus, a single colossus comes down the northern Rakath at the border to Mitgardia; the giant seeks neither glory nor riches, the pure lust for destruction and chaos makes him leaving his home in the mountains and entering the vale. Where he plagues the land, he erases villages. He devours the cattle and leaves nothing but desolation and death.

Another year, another Comic Con, and as you probably know, TLG always likes to sell exclusive sets at these cons which are very popular. However, they are not the only exclusives being sold there. Another hugely popular SDCC exclusive are Funko's POP! vinyl figures. They are stylish, adorable representations of characters from various licenses. There are hundreds of them and collectors can't get enough of them. So, for this year's San Diego Comic Con, TLG seems to have decided to appeal to both LEGO and Funko fans by debuting their upcoming Brickheadz, a series of brick-built figures in a similar style to the POP! figs, just blockier. I was able to acquire one of the four sets that were available while I was at the con and it contains the stars of the latest Marvel blockbuster, Captain America: Civil War. So, do Lego bricks and the vinyl figure style go well together or do they clash like the two Marvel heroes did in the movie? Lets find out! Set Number: 41492 Name: Iron Man & Captain America Theme: Brickheadz Subtheme: Marvel Super Heroes Year of Release: 2016 Pieces: 184 Minifigs: 0 Price: $39.99 USD Links: Brickset Bricklink Before we begin, I would like to tell you about my experience at San Diego Comic Con. I have been going to this convention and its sister convention, Wondercon, for the past 3 years. I always enjoy it a lot as it is great to get together with other nerds and just geek out about the things you love. You can see everyone's cosplays, meet artists and celebrities, get sneak peeks for upcoming media, watch world premiere cartoons, and get neat stuff! However, with every passing year I have been noticing how increasingly crowded it has gotten, and the more crowded it got, the less enjoyable it has become. The first time I went to SDCC, I had no problem walking around, getting exclusives, and getting into the panels I wanted to see (except for the Marvel/DC ones in Hall H - those have always had a notoriously long line). But within just three years it has gotten to the point where navigating the exhibit hall is virtually impossible without pushing your way through masses of warm, sweaty people and you have to get in line for exclusives and panels multiple hours in advance to even stand a chance to enter them. I spent most of my time just standing in line in the hot summer sun and most of the time the exclusives were sold out or the panel was already over by the time I got halfway through the line, so I walked away with nothing but a bad sunburn and had to try my luck at the next line. The line for the exclusive minifigs stretched from one end of the convention center to the other and the worst thing is that most of the people were scalpers who were only there so they could sell them for ridiculous prices later. So while the panels and booths that I did get to see were great, I definitely think that TLG and the whole Comic Con team need to organize this event better somehow. Needless to say, I will think twice before I attempt to get an exclusive next time, if I even go at all. That said, after getting in line at 4 in the morning, getting lucky in the raffle, and standing in another line at the Lego booth to buy it for forty bucks, I did manage to get this set as a souvenir, so lets open this bad boy! The Box The set comes in a thick, shiny box which is much more sturdy than your average Lego box. The background transitions from a yellow/orange gradient on Iron Man's side to a black/red gradient on Captain America's side via a dot pattern which gives it that comic book feel. At the top of the front there is a big LEGO BRICKHEADZ logo and a little circle letting you know that this is a SDCC 2016 exclusive. Thanks yellow circle! I never would have guessed! The Brickheadz logo is a bit bland and the Z instead of an S seems a bit corny, but it's cute how they stylized the H to look like a Brickhead. On the bottom, there is the Marvel logo and labels for the two Brickheadz included in the set accompanied by a little icon for each of them which is a nice touch. The backside has a similar layout with the same logos, but what's fun is that the Brickheadz are shown from their backside here. It also features a picture that assures you that the figures are indeed removable from their base, and instead of the labels there is a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo. The sides of the box continue the theme of showing the Brickheadz as if the box was see-through by showing Iron Man's right-hand side on the left side of the box and Cap's left-hand side on the right. Even on top of the box you see the top of the "headz" of the Brickheadz. However, on the bottom you don't see the bottom of the figs. It's just black and there is a fancy tape stretching across it with the Brickheadz logo and a shadowy impression of the eyes of a Brickhead printed on it. Now I'm going to do something that is probably unthinkable for all those scalpers at SDCC: I'm actually going to open and build this Lego set! The way you open the box is you cut the tape at the bottom and slide the cover off. Contents The box contains one instructions booket and one parts bag for each Brickhead. Much like the box, the bags are not the usual kind. You don't need to rip them open as they have an easy to open flap on the back. They also each have a sticker with some mysterious numbers on it. This is the first page of both of the instruction booklets. It shows both of the SDCC exclusive Marvel Brickheadz sets together on the left side and a teaser image for the upcoming Brickheadz line on the right which confirms the release date of the theme to be March 1st, 2017. The instructions are presented on a solid black background which provides a nice contrast and gives you the sophisticated feeling that you are putting together a collectible display item rather than a kids toy. The callouts are clear and the build is very simple as it only involves some basic SNOT. Good news! There are no stickers in this set! All the decals are printed, giving us a nice assortment of exclusive parts. The most notable printed piece is the black 2x4 tile with the Lego logo and the hashtag "LEGOSDCC" which there are two of in the set. It bugs me a little that they put a hashtag onto the set itself as it seems like a blatant attempt to get social media exposure for the event, but at least it marks it as an SDCC exclusive. Aside from Cap and Tony's torso and helmet pieces, there is also the new Brickheadz eye tile and Iron Man's eye tiles which are trans-light-blue 1x1 tiles with a simple white square printed on it. As always, the light printing on dark parts is not very strong, so things like the "LEGO" and "A" fonts are not as white as they could be. There are also some new recolors in this set such as the 1x2 plate with clip in red and the 1x1 round tile with small tube in white. The trans-clear stud with handle from the latest Spider-Man sets is included as well. Now we know where Spidey got that new web-shooter tech from. Assembling the Avengers You can start the build with either one of the Brickheadz. I'd like to build these in alphabetical order, so let's start with the guy who has a big "A" on his forehead. The parts contained in the bag for Captain America are the following. You start the build from the waste up and add the legs later on as you've seen on the sample instructions page earlier. Two round bricks serve as a center support for the torso. All of the SNOT is achieved by using the double brick with four studs on the side which was introduced earlier this year. The inner walls of the head are entirely comprised of them. What's funny is that in the center of the head they included a 2x2 brick in pink so that it looks like there is a brick-shaped brain inside of the brick-headz. Well played, designers. Here is the finished Captain. He looks quite adorable with that big head and glissening eyes. It's interesting that they made the highlights in his eyes square to stick with the brick theme of these figures. Next up is Iron Man. He has a few more parts as you can see in the lineup below. Iron Man's torso is similar to Cap's, but it's more intricate as it uses a lot of headlight bricks to attach his armor plating (or should I say tiling?). The inner structure is the same, including the brain brick which is the same size as that of any other Brickhead. I guess Tony is not so smart after all. After you add the plates around the head and add the legs, you're finished! Iron Man looks quite good with his armor tiles and repulsor beams, and the trans-light-blue showing around the eyes gives them that blue glow that they have in the movies which is an effect that the minifig version has yet to achieve. My only gripe is that the red strip on his forehead is interrupted by a yellow line, but that's excusable. The Completed Set Don't they look adorable together? It's hard to imagine these little guys starting a civil war. Both of them are based on their comic counterparts, so their costumes look very colorful, especially when standing next to each other. As you can see looking at them from the front, the boost from Iron Man's jet boots makes him stand one plate taller than Cap and all the other Brickheadz. Also, the use of tiles on his chest and slopes on his shoulders give the impression that he is wearing armor. The printing on both of their faces and torsos is very minimalist, but works with the simplified look that they're going for. For comparison, here is a picture of Funko's POP! versions of these characters. They look quite similar, don't they? TLG is not even trying to hide the fact that they are copying Funko's style. Captain America looks almost the same and the only difference on Iron Man is the use of standard black eyes (although they did use white eyes in the later movie versions of the character). I like how they used that white claw piece to represent the little wings on Cap's helmet. I can see them using the same technique for the Flash. I also like the way Iron Man holds his repulsor beams. This trans-clear stud with handle is a very useful part and I hope they use the same technique for the Iron Man minifig in future sets. Like in the comics, the printing on Cap's costume is exactly the same on the back as it is in the front. It's a bit lazy, but it's nice to see that he does have printing here, unlike Iron Man who is completely blank. They already printed so many parts in this set, so it would have been nice if they would have just printed these two tiles too. Cap's shield-holding hand is different from his left hand as it uses the 1x2 plate variant with the clip on the short side rather than the long side. This is supposed to give the arm an angled look which sort of works, although it does look a bit awkward. I should also mention that they are obviously top-heavy, especially Iron Man, so they tend to fall over backwards when they are not standing on a flat surface. However, this can be fixed by mounting them onto the center of their base. When I first saw these, I was hoping that their heads and arms were mounted on turntables so that you could pose them a little bit like you can with the Funko POPs, but alas this is not the case. They have zero points of articulation, making them decidedly more display items than toys. Here they are compared to their minifig counterparts. As you can see, they are about twice the size of a minifigure. Ratings Design: 5/5 - I think both of these figures look great. The designers managed to replicate the cute vinyl figure look fairly well while putting their own blocky spin on it, and the pink "brain" brick is a nice touch. Build: 2/5 - A very quick and easy build with nothing special aside from some basic SNOT. Nothing challenging. Playability: 1/5 - The Brickheadz don't have any articulation or play features, so they are clearly meant to be displayed rather than played with. Although the fact that the set includes two characters who have quite a history in both the comics and movies does allow for some role play. Parts: 4/5 - Most of the bricks included here are fairly common, but they're useful nonetheless. Some of the parts are exclusive to the set and all decals are printed which is always nice to see, although the lack of printing on Iron Man's back armor is disappointing. Price: 1/5 - I know I don't really have a right to complain since most people have to pay extortion prices on ebay to get these, but $40 for just 184 pieces is way too high already for me. When these are officially released, I hope that they cost only half as much or less. Overall: 3/5 - I have never bought a vinyl figure since I try to limit myself to collecting only one type of toy (#Lego4Life ), but I do see the charm that people see in them, so when it was announced that Lego will be making their own Funko-style figures, I was quite excited. While I don't think that Lego will become a serious competitor to Funko and other real vinyl figures, I do think that these Brickheadz are pretty cool on their own. Kids might not be interested in them due to their lack of playability, but some adult collectors like myself might find them charming. That said, I do not recommend getting this set, especially at aftermarket prices. It's just too much money for two little figures that might get released for a much more reasonable price in about half a year. The only special thing about it is the packaging and the hashtag-tiles. The only reason I got it was that I didn't want to leave the con empty-handed. In conclusion, while the process of acquiring these wasn't much fun and I payed more for them than I would've liked, I don't regret getting them as they do look rather nice and I look forward to see what TLG will do with this theme. I really like the Brickheadz style and might even build some of my own! I hope you enjoyed this review, and since it's the trendy thing to do this year, I added a poll above where you can vote for your favorite superhero, so go and vote! It's sure to be an easier choice than the presidential election this year. To end this review, there are so many jokes that could be made with these, but I'll settle for this one:

Lord Alric and Gal Turok had been traveling for a few days now in the deep woods of the Rakath. To say their journey was perilous was an understatement. They had to avoid several Drow patrols, and a few other unwelcomed denizens that were thrown along their path. However their journey was nearing it's end. "You know it's something else in these lands. It's nearly high noon and yet this forest looks like it's always sunset. It's a quite stunning in an eerie sort of way." Alric spoke to his new ally. Gal Turok chuckled underneath his helm and replied. " It may not be the beauty you are used to Avalonian, but these lands have their own ways and charm about them." Just as he finished his sentence, Alric noticed a tower rising out of the distance. "We are here" Gal Turok, spoke. "Where is here?" Alric replied as his horse inched closer to the castle walls. "This is Evenfall Castle. We are near the borders of The Reach and it is here that you will meet with a member of the Goblin Council, to discuss the exact terms of our new pact." So here is my latest build. I hope you guys enjoy it..as this was very fun building it. More shots on my flickr link if you guys are interested. Happy Building and thanks for stopping by.

The first part of the Elemendi Story: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=121423&hl=elemendi As Kha opened the door to The Maritime Inn, he was assaulted by a myriad of senses. Foremost of course was the combination of odors of roasting pheasant, stale ale and unwashed bodies. He turned and looked back quickly at the sign just outside the Inn, it was a clever combination of a smiling sailor aboard a ship. With a chuckle at the at pun the innkeeper used to name his establishment located on the southern coast of Kaliphlin a days ride northwest of Ras-el-Ahken but not quite to Mypa Stedor, Kha continued through the door into The Maritime Inn, or The Merry-time Inn as many of the locals referred to it. The interior was dimly lit, and heavy with smoke from both the fire burning in the hearth as well as the many patrons and their various pipes. The smoky odor was riddled with different aromas hinting of spices and weeds from all over Historica, but all of them were strong enough to be noticed. He looked to the corner where he knew his contact would be waiting. The Inn itself was built with a tall ceiling nearing twenty feet, with windows all the way up that look out upon the Great Southern Ocean. In the distance out upon the sea, Kha could see the darkened clouds that made up the vortex of The Void Tide a few miles off the coast. There seemed to be nowhere in the place where space was not used for something. There were barrels of all sorts of sundries or potent drinks all over, shelves and crates of other goods. Even the air space was used up with strings of lights, supports that held up Kha knew not, and nets of other goods hanging above the patrons heads. But there, at a table in the corner, and facing the door to see Kha when he entered was Masa. Masa is another member of The Resistance here in Kaliphlin, and Kha’s co-conspirator in this current endeavor. Joining Masa at the table was what appeared to be a mercenary or some sort of adventurer that Kha did not know. “Masa, good to see you safe!” Kha said. “You as well Kha. May I introduce Jarrick of The Dragon’s Cape. He is the man I was telling you of that knows that which we seek.” Masa said with a sidelong glance to the closest table. It was a habit both Masa and Kha had seemed to fall into lately since the Desert King began hunting them both. “Hello Lord Kha of Ras...”Jarrick began. “Let’s skip the formalities and lower the volume.” Kha said and also looked around the gathering room. “I cannot afford to be known anywhere in Kaliphlin as it stands right now.” “Understood, well I suppose I should get right down to business then.” Jarrick took a drink from his glass, and Kha could smell the pungent odor of strong spirits as he tilted the glass. “I know what you seek, and what you need in order to supplant The Desert King. The are referred to as The Elemendi, and once were a common sight across all of Historica. They are race of beings with an affinity to the Five Elements.” “Five Elements?” Kha asked. “Last I knew there were four elements, and Revolword already tried to tap that power.” “Revolword was an amateur compared to the Elemendi. And yes, there are five elements. Earth or Stone, Fire, Water, Air and Life. Each of them has its own power, but when they work together, even more can be accomplished. Some of them can boost or assist the others. That is where the trouble started!” Jarrick paused again to take another drink. “Three thousand years ago, the Elemendi were all over Historica. They live for centuries and can tap these powers, but when they mate, it is for life and they never have more offspring than two. It was impossible, the mother would pass during the third pregnancy. I don’t know if it was some sort of divine limit placed upon them, or just the cost of the magic, but it was never recorded that three children were born from a coupling. As you can imagine, that power was craved by those in power. The elemendi themselves were never interested in politics, they seemed to garner a joy of life simply from helping. But, those in power always have resources, and those resources led to ways to control the elemendi. I don’t know the details, or how they did that, but that was when much of Historica was plunged into a dark time. Wars raged across the land and the elemendi were controlled by both sides.” Jarrick looked away as if seeing that faraway time himself. “The power of the elemendi was tremendous. The five elements each meant so much more than implied. Water, the ability to manipulate any liquid and control all of its properties. The ancients used it purify water and help with agriculture, but once the wars started, new uses were found. Freezing the blood of victims too weak to resist, creating great fountains of ice and water that were used as weapons and so on. Fire, the ability to manipulate heat and flame. Once used to provide heat and food to the masses, it was turned to a burning inferno of destruction and death. Air, once used to aid in transportation, was then turned to be a razor focused tempest of destruction. Earth was used to terraform and mine for needed items in colonies, became an earth shattering force of destruction. Once the warmongers took over, they soon learned the elemendi could also control metal and used that in so many destructive ways it couldn’t even be recorded well enough to lend merit. Finally, the Power of Life, used originally to grow plant life and heal, it was distorted to its opposite and used to snuff out life and harm rather than heal. “The cost of the magic and its destructive properties began to take a toll on the elemendi and they began to die off, unable to rebuild their population. They were lost to civilization, wounded and retreating to where they were believed to be extinct.” “But they are not, you are implying?” Kha asked. “No. They are still around, but in such small number and in such fear of abuse that they remain hidden. But, there is man who lives deep in the Rakath Mountains who has some elemendi under his control. He is known only as a collector. He has spent lifetimes collecting races from around the world, and he has some of them in his keep.” “How do you know?” “I have made contact with someone who has escaped from him. I was given first-hand account of what transpires there. He has rows and rows of cages and prisons full of creatures only known in imagination. What is worse, he is intelligent and creative. He has bred different races, just to see what it would beget. Some of them have been bred with the elemendi and have gained some sort of control over the elements. Not to the extent of a pure bred, but he has found a way to produce their magic to some degree without being limited to two births.” Kha exhaled and leaned back. Looking over at Masa to see if he believed this tale as well. “That is horrible and incredible at the same time,” Masa said. “If that is true, those poor souls lead a tortured life and need to be freed no matter what!” “And, they could be a great ally in our cause against the Desert King.” Kha added. “But, I agree. We need to help them out, and once free we need to share our plight. If they are sympathetic, we would welcome their help. But, we cannot force them.” Masa looked Kha straight in the eyes, and Kha could see the emotion there. He knew that his friend was as hard as steel, but could see the empathy for these poor souls. As he watched, Masa’s eyes darkened and they both turned to look back at Jarrick. “I am glad to hear that you both understand what is at stake.” With that, Jarrick tapped the floor four times with his boot. The front door of the Inn opened, and immediately everyone turned to see what had seemed to swallow the light. Kha was speechless as he saw what appeared to be at least a 10 foot tall cross between a man and an elephant enter the Inn. His girth was large enough to match his height as well, and he was heading directly toward Kha and Masa. They exchanged glances and began to set themselves for trouble. Jarrick, just chuckled and set down his drink. “This, gentleman is Bronos. He is the one I was telling you about. Bronos, introduce yourself.” “Hello gentlemen, my name is Bronos of the Mastadoni tribe. I assume that Jarrick has told you of my origins.” His voice was surprisingly gentle for a beast of his size, yet still sounded as if it were coming from down a hallway that amplified and deepened its tenor. “I was born from a Mastadoni in captivity with the collector. My mother was bred with a Water Elemendi and I am what resulted.” “Bronos….it is a pleasure to meet you! I think we may be able to help…”, Masa turned to Kha and saw the same look of awe on the face of his friend.

Just a quick little build of the Ostrich Knights. With the unrest of the Civil War, and the tyranny of the Desert King, the Ostrich Knights patrol the sands and keep the peace as best they can.

Hello all, just a warning- this is pic heavy. I don't think there were any restrictions on that in the guidelines, but oh well. I also would like to apologize for the annoying shadow of my head in some of the shots; that's just how it turned out with my lighting setup. Now a brief prelude. It is a period of Galactic Civil War all throughout the Galaxy, around one year after the famous Battle of Endor. General and Princess Leia Organa has sent Han Solo and his wookiee friend Chewbacca to recover stolen credits on the planet Bnar, a system in the Blaxant Sector, a space deep in Imperial territory. Han and his small squadron had almost managed to escape the imperial outpost when an imperial dropship full of the dreaded Storm Troopers arrived on the scene. Figless. Just the base and terrain. Well that's a wrap. Thanks for looking everyone and may the force be with you... always ~~Strider~~ Sorry, forgot to mention in the title- this is in the Large Category

Finally the next chapter of my story in the Nocturnus Resistance. Make sure to read this one first: Glance into the future "Our board council prefers to keep a sceptical attitude towards your youngest plans, my lord." So many words for so less content. Osric wondered if the Strigoi enjoyed steeling time of their mortal clients by pointless statements. "These plans are yet not firm. The situation is changing from day to day. But we must take action soon." Osric could see the lifeless eyes of the vampire lurking out of their deep and dark holes:"Time lessens indeed for your cause. And so does any confidence. Our institute demands securities. While your success in the Kaliphlin war was with no doubt highly gratifying, this campaign offers very few capital gains." The rat's tail was winding in anger by that last comment:"It is not about profit. My cause is nothing other than the survival of the east. And for your business' sake this should be your request as well. What future will your it be for the Royal Bank of Nocturnus when the Spire triumphs? Do not forget that.". The Strigoi began to stare in a menacing way at the lord of Skavenport. His voice was now unconcealed in its snarling nature:"My lord... the Bank of Nocturnus has seen countless dynasties rise and fall. We have outlived wars like rainy seasons. We were always there. We have always been. Doubtless there could be found an agreement with lord Raavage. We are not bound to every day politics. For now, we rate your credit worthiness higher than that of the Black Spire. But evaluation can be changed. You better do not forget this. I will report your request to our council. Good even, my lord rat." It was late in the night, when Aethelrat and Dunstan arrived in the council chamber, finding their lord in deep thoughts. "I greet you, my bolt captains." Osric enjoyed the presence of these two, although not the reason for it. "My lord, whatever your decision may be, our men can be ready for march within two days." The man with the harsh lineaments stood ready to attention, as always. "I still haven't decided now, Dunstan. Things have changed as you will be aware soon." Osric went to the end of the long table, and made a gesture to follow him near the fireplace: "Three ravens, three messages. One is bad, one is good, and one is probably worse than the first. I haven't decided on this as well. Choose what comes first!". Dunstan was a soldier as loyal and brave as the most honoured Avalonian knight, but he jsut was a soldier. He could easily be overwhelmed by too much choices. "May I suggest, my lord, to act chronological." Aethelrat was more of a gambling nature. He loved to act in a posh attitude, but nonetheless as reliable as Dunstan. Osric tried to remember which raven had arrived at first. He was sure it had been the one carrying the bad news:" So be it. This one arrived in the morning. It came from a spy in Port Wrath. He reports the death of Lord Vladivus." His captains didn't seem surprised too much. Aethelrat spoke first: "I hear this rumour in every tavern from the Northern gate to the harbour. Our spy probably spent his pay on a beer in Port Wrath and picked it up from someone." The rat captain looked pitying:" I still don't believe it, my lord. How often did one hear word on the street that Raavage had been seen plugging your head on a pike. And you are still enjoying our company." "Our spy reports he saw one of Vladivus' own men selling his master's skull to a witch clan." It took his captains a moment to digest. "It...could still be anyones skull. It is said that most skulls in Historica are nearly identical." Aethelrats voice proved his self confidence a liar. "Perhaps. But it is fact that the lord of Shadowmere vanished, and until his return, may it be from exile or grave, he cannot help us. And this questions our whole campaign." Osric took the second letter, when Dunstan finally had found words to comment on the first one: "Lord, even if we lost lord Vladivus, there is still Shadowmere. We have pacts that must be fulfilled. I can not counsel you to remain in Skavenport." "Then hear now the second message, from Sultan's Gate: Pharao Ankh Mora'Raa gathers his forces in Kaliphlin and prepares for a march to the Darklands. He calls for every loyal man in the South to join in our fight." "Wonderful words, in my ears, although I wonder how many 'loyal' men he may find in his own realm." Aethelrat had found back to his regular cheerfulness. Lord Osric knew he now had to destroy this silver lining with the last raven: "I made a decision. After discussing the first two messages I am now certain that I find this last one even worse than the first one. While the lost of lord Vladivus is a great tragedy for Nocturnus, he is at last only one man. And this letter is about armies. The Drow have returned. In inestimable numbers. A plague upon these lands, they are spreading out of the ground from Scarborough to the Claw Breakers, And from the eastern sea to the Rakath." The two captains of Skavenport stood there with aghast faces, struggling for words. This time, Dunstan was the first ready to reply: "Is there any sign that these hordes are an ally to the Black Spire? Unlikely that so many of them would care about what is going on on the surface." "No, we have no information about their intentions yet. But there has never been something other than the lust for war. You know my position in this. There is no peace with the Drow. No coexistance. Only a decision: freedom or slavery. Survival or Extinction. Anyhow, we must..." "Mylord!". Osric was abruptly interrupted by an entering rogue and the impact of the door. For a second one could have seen the exp<b></b>ression of astonishment on Osric's face. But it changed immediately in calculated disapproval: "It seems that I missed out the council meeting that declared council meetings open for everyone to rush in and interrupt. What is this all about?" The rogue seemed embarrassed, struggling where to begin: "My lord...it is your law that every wizard, mage, sorcerer, witcher...every harnesser of magic must be recorded and reported to you." "So it is. I demand a weekly report. Weekly, soldier. So, for your own sake explain what makes this wizard such a special being that you felt the necessity to interrupt my small council? And unless it is Victor Revolword himself milking ale out of a two headed unicorn, I will be hard to convinced." Dunstan and Aethelrat had bother to hide their smirking. The poor rogue was certainly sure that he had done his duty exemplary. He responded: "I know, sire, but that wizard... when we found him, he immediately demanded being brought to you. He tells many weird things. About the Black Spire, lord Vladivus, and things about your fate." __________________________________________________________ As always, thank you very much for having a look. And of course for reading! Oh, and for those of you who did read all of it, here are overall pics!

"First whispers..then a call to action by Lord Vladivus..and yet the council did nothing..and now this.." Gal Turok thought as he and Nidhak trekked through the dank mud of the swamps. A few days ago, a carrion bird informed Gal Turok of a massacre of an obscure tribe in a remote corner of his domain. After what seemed like an eternity, Nidhak finally broke the silence. "What new hell is this? I don't remember our campaigns taking us this far into the swamp before.." Gal Turok responded monotonously. "These are the lands of the Nikrit, the Nyx Glades. You don't remember coming here because this land was invaded by my predecessor long before you or I were a gleam in our fathers' eyes. He came to this land seeking an outlet to the greater Moruth Swamps from the mountain slopes, and while he invaded, it ultimately ended in a draw. The Nikrit, while primitive, even amongst the tribes of Nocturnus, were fierce warriors and they knew this land well. The only reason it ended in a draw was due to the fact of the numbers of the Imperial Horde. If it wasn't for them, his campaign would've been counted as a failure. Ultimately a truce was drawn. The Nikrit were given autonomy, so longed as they pledged service to the empire, and served in the legions as needed. It was also a condition that Goblin kind would defend this domain against greater threats, and that no Goblin would enter here without permission." "So aren't we breaking that part of the truce now?" Gal Turok-"If what the carrion bird said was true, then they are all dead, so how can they give permission.." Nidhak chuckled and looked up.."What strange trees these are." Gal-Turok-"They are not trees, they are fungi, and most of them are poisonous so you would do well not to touch them. The Nikrit have adapted to life here, we have not, and further more.." Gal-Turok stopped speaking at that moment, as they had stumbled upon a small outpost littered with dead and dismembered Nikrits. The words of the carrion bird were true. In the distance, Gal-Turok saw more bodies, but he quickly turned his attention to the spike in front of him. A Nikrit warrior infront of him had been lifted up and plunged onto a spear, it's body weight supported by the thick mud. Nidhak-"That's something different...I wonder how he got him up there?" Gal-Turok ignored the sarcastic comment, and lingered in thought for a moment. He knew what this meant...The forces of Raavage the Usurper had renewed their campaign to subjugate all of the East. If he had managed to the decimate such a secretive tribe within a deadly conclave, it meant two things: That his influence has spread far, and his armies had grown in number. The first wave saw the fall of Abyssian and the death of the Serpent Supreme Lord of the Nocturnus. This next campaign may see the death of us all. Even united, the Lords of the East would be hard pressed to turned the tide. Gal-Turok, as well as Osiric, did not participate in the first defense of Nocturnus, as they were busy fighting their own wars. Now THIS would be everyones' war. Gal-Turok-"We're done here, I've seen all i needed to see. When we get back to The Reach, send word to Skavenport and Shadowmere, they will not have to face this threat alone. In some 5 centuries, Goblin kind has not interfered in an outsider event, but now that must change." Nidhak-"What if the council goes against you? What if they refuse to honor this change?" Gal-Turok-"If we do not, we won't be around to debate the issue. Whether they like it or not, war has returned, and it's going to take every Lord in the Darklands to take on this threat.." So this is my first contribution to the Nocturnus collab between myself, Vlad, Jorrith, ME and Jacob. I'm not really a story writer, but I hope you guys have enjoyed the build and the write up. Comments/Criticisms are always appreciated. Also here is the inspirational pic for this build. Credit to whoever drew this-

I'm not much of a marvel fan but One of my close friends also a inside for me for lego has told me about the fourth captain america civil war set, toys R us exclusive in America, Germany, England, Australia, Canada, south east Asian countries and most European countries and more. (I talked to a Lego/toy collector friend and was advised to post the Rumor/ news here (another friend but from England). Set includes: . Iron man mk XLVI - broken helmet and black eyed face. (same face as the one from the new poly-bag) . Captain America, masked - (not the same as age of ultron one) scratched shield . Black panther - unmasked . Ant-man - minifigure scale . Spider-man - messy black webbing with lighter red then usual and darker blue then usual . Baron von Zemo - purple head . unknown red bigfig - (most likely a red hulk) . Hawkeye - he is tied up on a structure, appears to be captured. The set is supposedly meant to be a play-set with no vehicles, priced around $130 -$150 USD There is also a rumor which is supposed to have a 5th set coming out in may (because of spoilers for the movie), which includes and highlights scarlet which and vision. Bucky, falcon, war- machine, black widow, crossbones and some others do not appear in these sets.

"The present state of Kaliphlin is in flux. It takes money, men, and will to wage a war; all of which have been spent over the last year." [skaForHire] Kolhamin of Petrea, as he now called himself, had lost a lot during the war. Not money. Actually, he was still rich. But power and influence. Which is what his life is about. He didn't like living in Petrea, nor did his wife or his brother, who spent most of his time on the roof terrace under the shade of the lemon tree nowadays. Pretending to be a cloth merchant was far from ideal. But Kolhamin knew that sacrifices had to be made, for the greater good of his people, and himself. Kolhamin turned on the balcony and went back inside his Petrea mansion. Maybe really not all was in vain, yet, at least. The ambassador of the Black Legion of Ulandus had just held an amazing speech. Of course, the listeners in the streets didn't even know that the man who had just talked to them was one of Ulandus most brilliant warlords. None of the listeners even realised that he talked against the Desert King and the High Councial. But he had. It would take time to prepare the people, to slowly undermine their thoughts and plant the seed of uproar against the Councilmen or the ancient King in the Desert. But it would be worth... Back inside Kolhamin waited for some minutes, until his wife in her beautiful white-and-red dress joined him. A quick smile, an elusive kiss, and they both desceded the cold staircase into their large basement. He looked around at all the slaves doing their work, as he had ordered. "Three more are ready, my lord. We are making good progress", the overseer told him. Kolhamin nodded. That was good. War needed preparation. And preparation was made. Even within the heart of Kaliphlin, where they least expected it. Petrea_House_01 by Stefan G, auf Flickr Petrea_House_02 by Stefan G, auf Flickr -------------------------------- Petrea_House_03 by Stefan G, auf Flickr Petrea_House_04 by Stefan G, auf Flickr ----------------------------------------------- Petrea_House_05 by Stefan G, auf Flickr

A NOTE to all those who have not signed up yet: Please still do so!!! Even if you feel as if the challenge has already started, there is plenty of time to build for all three categories! Ulandus needs members the most, followed by High Council, then the Desert King. choose by skaforhire, on Flickr Kaliphlin Civil War Book 2, Challenge IV Starts March 1st, Deadline for Category A &B: July 1st Aftermarket products that cannot be replicated in LEGO are accepted, but should not be the defining element of a MOC. Weapons / armor from aftermarket sources is always fine. (Final Preludes will be up soon (ish), but I thought we could get rolling on general signups.) Chapters so far: Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 The Civil War is a three way battle between the Ulandians, the Desert King, and the High Council of Kaliphlin. You may sign up for the civil war on this page. The roster is at the bottom of the post. When signing up, please note your first and second choice. We will attempt to put everyone on their first choice team, but if the teams get too uneven, some people may get their second choice. choosingsides by skaforhire, on Flickr There will be three categories to this challenge. The winning and runner-up side of each category will earn points towards determining which faction won the civil war. Category A: Consequences In this category you will show something that has changed since the war started. For example, It could be a MOC about a boy becoming a man because he has to work his dad’s farm, a MOC of a person turning to a life of crime after their livelihood has been destroyed, refugees, the aftermath of a battle, etc… Anything that shows how a individual(s) life has changed because of the war. The build should clearly represent a defining moment in a person or person(s) life. Story is not a major factor here, but it may help you clarify for the readers. Restriction: 32x32 studs with reasonable overhang. Challenge B Unlimited Build / Story Challenge The story of sir Brick-a-lot. It is your job to chronicle Sir Brick-a-lot’s journey in the Kaliphlin Civil War. Sir Brick-a-lot can be your sig fig, or another fig you used for the war (no, don’t actually name him Sir Brick-a-lot). The fig does not have to be a soldier, but you should have at least a couple builds to tell their story during the Kaliphlin Civil War. Each side will be judged on the quality of the builds presented and the quality of their Heroes’ tales. If you use your Category C builds in your storyline, there is a limit of ½ of your builds may be from Category C builds. IE: If you want to use 3 of your category C builds, you must have three additional MOCs to add to your story. Category C – Dynamic War and Map Challenge Please see this thread for now on the rules. This is the actual "game" thread. It has links to the mini-challenges for each week. Please do not sign up on the preliminary rules thread, please sign up here. Also, all discussion for Category C should happen in the category C threads, that is where you will report MOCs for that category also. Category D - Victory Parade Although it may be premature, each side is throwing a victory parade in their regional capital. Builders should put together a parade in no more than six pictures. There should not be more than six parade groups (bands, floats, military units, Zem Zem go-cart formations, etc...) in your parade. Although this category will impact the outcome of the war the least, it does show to some extent the pride your side has. There is no limitation in sizes, but remember to photograph carefully for detail so that all of your parade is covered well. Finally, there should be a final picture that shows the Grand Marshall of the Parade's stand with all the dignitaries inspecting the parade. The winner of this category will be known as the Grand Master of Ceremonies of Kaliphlin. LDD - LDD will be allowed in Category C and D, but not in Category A or B (as it has always been with official challenges). Since Category C is voted on by the public, there may be people that have some bias towards digital bricks, but we will let that play out. =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ Supporters declared: Ulandus Goliath Gunman Infernum Kai NRG Garmadon Narbilu Andrew Spader Lord Robin Alfadas Elostirion Gabe Bacon Potatoes Kayne Rconn0 Marcu22 Rogue Angel Dragonfire Igunnuk Eelu Desert King Hammerhand MKJoshA Tomsche Lord Vladivus MassEditor Emma Sir Gareth Blufiji Disco86 LordDan Jacob Nion Robuko The Lego Dwarf DrCogg Umbra-Manis Brick Man Studios Captain Braunsfeld High Council Carson Haupt De Gothia Gedren_y Soccerkid6 LittleJohn Mike S TheUtilityBelt Gideon Maxim I mrcp6d SarahJoy Mccoyed Bregir Adair Jakorin Scarst BrickCurve Graham Gidman MiloNelsiano J031 Ty3r IF I missed someone from the other thread, please let me know.

"Damn ol' man! This was the last time!" Cedryc the Innkeeper came running out of the Leaking Barrel. "Where me coin? I've got enough dopey boozers here, I don't need a bilking wizard!" The old man mumbled an unintelligible song and tottered along the path. "I swear it to you, Perry, Coin now, or that door will remain closed for ya." The wizard stopped his waving walk immediately, pricked up ears and eventually turned around:" Cedryc? Is that you? Ah...my old ears. I thought I heard someone. What can I do for you?" "Don't take me for a fool- You heard me. Just foot the bill." Peregryn Ratchett, the purple wizard straightened up, trying to pose with great dignity, and said:" You are in luck today, Mister Barliman. For I am a wizard, and not one of those smirking charlatans, who try to confuse the more simple men with their conjuring tricks. Nor I be one of those who speak with somber voice, moaning and talking of dark things to come, only to frighten the good rural men. I am a real wizard, and real wizardry is my craft. So speak, how can I serve you?" "Oh no! Not again! I know your wizardry. What's with that 'enchanted frying pan` you gave me last time? You transfigured my daughters cat. Every time I put it on the fire it starts screaming miserably. And I cannot lay a fish in it without it vanishing." "Meeeoow", the frying pan made a purring sound in Cedry's hand. "It takes great knowledge to cast such a spell. You should be aware of my skills. Once kings asked for my advice and many a noble lord beseeched me to grant him a glimpse into his fortune." "Ha! Fortune! say you what: If you really can let me have a look into future, then I forget about the bill." Perry made a meaningful expression:"So be it. But you shall be warned! Even a small glance into a man's future could drive him mad. Neither do I have the possibility to destine the time and place of the vision, nor can I influence what you will see. Now we need something...a looking glass, ah, the kitten will do. Hold up the pan." The purple wizard held his hand upon the frying pan, mumbling spells in a obscure deep voice, his eyes closed. Suddenly the bottom of the pan seemed to dissolve, and a sallow green light shimmered through. Then the vision came: "Meeow!" The frying pan flew away and hit on the ground, now being the kitten again. "What? Where? Why??..What?" Cedryc, the poor Innkeeper cowered on the ground, still starring into the pictures, which now were burned into his mind. "Hm...That was not right. The effect was by far too strong. My poor Cedryc, I am afraight these things were not destined for your eyes. I warned you that I have now influence on it." Perry felt very sober now. He sank into deep thoughts about what he had seen:" Great things are about to come. War is coming to these lands again. The Black Spire's forces are on the rise. And the fate of the East, and maybe of all of Historica now depend on very few who are still bolt enough to challenge Lord Raavage. I must hurry. It seems that I have a part to play again in the greater story." "What are you talking about?? What did you do to my eyes? Just get out of my head!" "I feel somewhat guilty for your current condition, though I did warn you. Maybe I can effect some other magic to help you out? But hurry, I' am busy now. I have to care about greater things than an Innkeepers daily worries." "Leave, just leave for king's sake! Forget about the bill- just go! What insanity to open a tavern in the bloody Darklands! I'll go back to Albion!" Cedryc ripped of the door and stumbled inside. "You are right, my dear friend. There is no time to waste. I must go now. Hopefully it is't too late." So this is my first contributin for our collaboration about the Nocturnus resistance. I hope you will like Perry Ratchett, the purple wizard. He will have a lot of screen time in future stories. I'm not so happy with the pictures of the vision. Originally I had something more nebulous in mind, but I wanted to finally post the story. Enjoy!

Al Amarj Island has long been a popular stopping point for pilgrims, tourists and soldiers seeking a quiet posting. Known as the Pearl of the Southern Seas, Al Amarj Island is located several miles offshore of the southwest Kaliphlin coast. The island has been occupied for hundreds of years, first by natives and then succeeding waves of colonizers. At first came the peasants fleeing strife on the mainland, but the soldiers and priests were soon to follow. Then merchants arrived to take advantage of the new market while the ruling politicians arrived soon after. Each group left their own mark on the island through its varied architecture. A temple built inside the island is a frequent stop. Since then Al Amarj has served not only as a pilgrimage and tourist site but more importantly as a headquarters for the High Council war effort. Protected by unassailable cliffs with only a single path to its top, the island is considered impregnable. Guarding its beaches and high officials are some of the finest warriors in all of Historica. In Kaliphlin's times of need the island has often been indispensable as a strategic location. In this terrible civil war, Al Amarj is again finding use as a command post and as a staging ground for espionage operations throughout the region. A select group of merchants, laborers and craftsmen are vetted to live and barter on the island. They cater to the tourists and pilgrims who visit the island as well as other fulltime occupants. Al Amarj has long served as an important strategic location for the High Council. (Telescope design by Gideon) War has never touched the shores of Al Amarj, and the island has enjoyed an uneasy peace while fighting rages on the mainland. But it appears as if Al Amarj will finally enter the war. Familiar faces foretell treachery on the island. And silently, in the dark of night, it seems the Desert King is preparing to spread his conquest even here. ---------------------------------------------- Hello! Really glad that, after four months, I'm finally able to share this with you guys! (So is my wife, who hasn't seen her dinner table in that time) I started this build in February before the civil war broke out. I know Cat. B is supposed to be in one thread, but I figured it would be ok to post this separately while I prepare a few of my other entries for that category. Plus, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to tear into this build a little bit for Cat. D. You can expect to see new photos and other details of this build when my Cat. B is completely ready. Can't really say how many pieces this is, but if you guess the exact amount I will give this MOC to you haha! Considering the luck I've had with transporting other builds, I was very surprised that this MOC held firm for a six-hour roundtrip on Arkansas' crappy highways to a LUG display in Little Rock. There I was interviewed by a television news reporter who featured my build on the 6 o'clock news, no doubt in between two stories highlighting Little Rock's very high murder and crime rate. This is how I imagined the headlines: "First, we'll hear an announcement by the Little Rock Police Captain on the escalating gang war in the city's north end. We also have a report on several arson-related fires in the downtown area, and why corruption charges have been filed against two Little Rock aldermen. Finally, at six o'clock, we'll talk to Patrick about his LEGO hobby." Anyways, thank you guys so much for looking, I really enjoyed this one and I hope you do too!

In response to the slaughter of a Nikrit tribe about two weeks ago, Gal-Turok dispatched two couriers. The first courier was still in route to Shadowmere, using the narrow swamp streams to navigate from outpost to outpost in the back country. However the second courier, who was dispatched to Skavenport to give a formal report and extend an offer to combat the various insurgents scattered throughout the southern lands of Nocturnus, had reached his destination. Accepting the offer to march and fight together to Shadowmere, Lord Osric sent the goblin warrior back to The Reach with a light escort, a symbol of a unity between the two. However, as they were nearing the fringes of theGal-Turok's domain, a mysterious group of assassins ambushed and killed all but one young rat warrior.. The young rat warrior ran through the trees frantically. A few leagues back, he had noticed the land and trees had changed from swamp to foothills..a sign he was entering the Rakath Range, and more importantly, safety. As he ran furiously through the forest, he began to pick out the various warm colored hues of the trees, and a bit of relief set into his heart. He would soon come across The Vanishing River, the formal marker of the Goblin's domain. He would have time to rest and to contemplate what happened. From what he'd gathered in the initial ambush, they were Valyrian, they were elite, and they were very good. To outmaneuver and kill both rats and a goblin, one had to be both swift and gile, and these guys had it in droves. His mind drifted to the growing number of tribes and groups that had joined the spire...Drow, Crocodile, Wolf, Orc, and now these assa... His body stopped cold as did his mind. He had reached The Vanishing River, but instead of relief he felt an overwhelming fear. Across the bank of the shallow river, no more than 20 paces or so, stood one of them. He wore elegant green and silver armor, that slightly shimmered in the sun. His hair and facial features were kept surprisingly well, considering his line of work. His eyes were a pale brown, but they pierced the rat warriors soul. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally spoke... "You have gone far enough young one." His accent was thick, from what the rat gathered, he was of noble Valyrian stock. He continued.. "My comrades thought for sure that you had eluded us, but I knew better.I had anticipated your path some while ago, and sure enough, the powers from beyond have delivered you to me as an act of providence. Now all that is left for you to do is set your weapons down, and allow yourself to be taken. Despite my skill set, I am not a fan of such barbaric actions as killing when unnecessary. So what do you say eh...if you come quietly, I give you plenty of cheese and grain for the trip back to the tower.." A sarcastic smile broke the plane of his face. In that instant, the rat learned something new of his pursuer..he had studied him, like a game of chess. He referred to him as young one, which for a normal human would be impossible to discern. The rat warrior replied.. "You seem to have figured out parts of me, yet I know nothing of you. So who may I ask are you?" "I am Verspicci, Captain of the Romanga Fioran, The High Guardians of the Grand Island Guild of Valyrio and I am pleased to make your acquaintance." He delivered a customary bow. "You seem more of a diplomat than an assassin, and for a diplomat you are a long way from an embassy.." the rat warrior retorted. "I am many things young one, but today you only need to be concerned by what I am to you..your detainer. As to the other half of your statement, I am wherever I choose to be. And now I choose to be in front of you..blocking your path and ending this pitiful alliance before it can even be stoked in the embers." he pronounced as he drew what the rat warrior could only guess to be a sword. It was long and quite thin, with a curved blade and a cylinder hilt..it was not slashing weapon, but purely designed to thrust and stab into an opponent. Despite their small talk and formal etiquette, they both knew what was going on. They were sizing each other up first of all, each one looking and probing for any long lasting physical or mental sign of weakness. The second reason, they were both catching thier breath, letting their bodies recharge for a moment. Chasing down and out running any of Osric's people was no small feat, but to outrun and intercept a warrior rat, took something more.. After another moment of silence, in which the wind could be heard bending the trees in the clearing, the rat spoke once more.. "It was nice to have met you today, Verspicci was it?.." he said as he subtly gripped the throwing axes he hid beneath his overcloak. The Valyrian responded "Correct young one, but I did not catch your name.." The Rat replied "It's Torderic. Torderic The Swift to be exact." "Ahh Swif-" Torderic did not let him finish the sentence, as in a blink of an eye he had already covered the distance between them and brought his throwing axes to bear. But to his shock, Verspicci had lifted his blade, blocked and was halfway through his parry. Their duel on the banks of The Vanishing River had begun. Torderic swung high and low repeatedly, trying to draw his foe off balance with a furry of two handed coordinated strikes. But Verspicci countered just as precisely. Then Verspicci surged forward..his body streamlined in a perfect precision strike. Toderic parried with his left axe, but the force of the blow through him somewhat off balance. They whirled and spun around each other, each one probing for a place to do damage. Eventually Verspicci began to gain the upper hand, and pushed Toderic back toward a pine tree. Verspicci lunged again with another powerful streamlined strike, Toderic countered and saw an opening. With his right hand axe, he swung high. But Verspicci, once again anticipating the maneuver, caught the axe in mid swing. The two warriors were now eye to eye, struggling for position and balance. Verspicci pushed Toderic backwards, using only will and human strength to do so. Rats were not known for their strength, but for their speed and agility, however Verspicci was well aware of this, and was doing all that he could to keep the fight within sword point range, effectively nullifying Toderic's advantages. Not letting Toderic gain an inch, or have a moment of reprieve he forced him upon a small boulder and again forward lunged, attempting to drive his blade through the rat. Toderic parried and captured Verspicci's blade in a deadlock move that had served him well before. But Verspicci was anything but like those before. He lifted Toderic up and above his head in a spectacular overhead throw that sent the rat crashing and tumbling to the ground. The impact shook Toderic to his core. Still rattled and attempting to regain his footing, Verspicci was upon him and with what seemed like the force of the heavens coming down, smashed the butt of his blade into the back of Toderic's head, shocking him again. Toderic spat blood from the impact and it took all he had not to pass out right then and there. Toderic mustered what strength he could in an attempt to get up. He felt his left axe being kicked out from under him..then several kicks to the side..more blood from his mouth..more resolve not to pass out as he was being beat senseless. He summoned what little composure he had left in attempt to surprise his opponent with an uppercut axe swing. Again Verspicci saw it coming, intercepting the axe swing with his foot, kicking it away and stomping on Toderic's forearm in one combo like motion. His heavy steel boots dug into the skin and shattered the bone beneath. Another kick to the side and Toderic was on his back, panting, bleeding and trying to stay conscious. "It didn't have to be this way young one. You could've had cheese..." Another sarcastic remark. But given the circumstances, Toderic thought, he had every right to be sarcastic and arrogant. Even so, Toderic mustered a snark reply of his own "Maybe if you were focused less on cheese, and more on the surroundings, you would've noticed the two goblins coming up on your flank, hehe.." Verspicci spun, and sure enough, two goblin soldiers were upon him. They were slower than the rat, but still agile and fast in their own right, and much stockier. Verspicci plunged head long into battle with them both, attempting to combo kill the two of them. However as he lunged at the first, the goblin rolled out of the way and his blade was intercepted by the second. Without missing a step, Verspicci shifted his weight and fired his go to move, the forward lunge, knocking the goblin off balance, but not as much as the rat in their previous duel. Goblin swords, while much shorter than his own, were heavier and broader. They were more than capable of withstanding Verspicci's blows without giving up too much ground in the aftermath. This split second moment of delay caused Verspicci not to notice that the other goblin had positioned himself to his flank and above him on a boulder. The goblin leaped into the air, sword pointed down, with the intention of plunging it directly into Verspicci's spine. Verspicci, in a moment of sheer luck, manged to turn and lift his sword directly into the goblin's path, running him through clean while at the same time delivering a powerful kick within the spin that took the first goblin off his feet. He then threw him to the ground and turned his attention to the goblin on the ground. He had failed to see Toderic get to his feet and reach the throwing axe that landed in the river. As Verspicci raised his sword to finish off the first goblin, Toderic threw the axe directly at Verspicci's head. It made just enough noise for Verspicci to hear it coming, and then silence. Verspicci hit the ground with a dusty thud, his cape settling around him, bleeding out. The surviving goblin came to his feet and rushed over to his comrade. Toderic followed, albeit much slower. They both stood over the body of the dead one, and the goblin spoke. "You are at peace now, you have honored the ancestors, and served the living ones well. I will bring you home to your family, and we will commit you to the dust in which you came..." Toderic was in awe. From what he heard of Goblins, they were one of the less cultured tribes of the East, but yet before him stood one of their kind mourning for another. Though he never had any ill will towards goblin kind, he didn't see anything particularly special about them. Until now, in this moment. His respect for their kind, was now burned into his memory. He spoke solemnly as he introduced himself... "I am Toderic The Swift, and I come bearing a message. A few days ago, your envoy came to Skavenport seeking an alliance and hope of a combined army on the march to Shadowmere. Lord Osric, Called Isentooth, Thirteenth Of His Name, Former King And Current Lord Of All Rats' Breeding, Official Lord Protector Of The Wholeness Of Rodents In Historica, gladly accepts your offer of a unified Southern Nocturnus and Grand Army march to Shadowmere." Toderic bowed in a formal manner. The Goblin saluted with his sword and bowed. ​"I am called Mitak among my people, and in the name of the Great Goblin Uniter and Traverser Of The Great Sands, Lord Gal-Turok, I invite you to The Reach, to rest up and discuss your travels and information that you may have to share. Come quickly, we must get my comrade home for his final rest!" With that the Mitak ran off to fetch mounts that they had left behind, leaving Toderic a moment of reflection..Old enemies were going stronger, new enemies were beyond measure, countless had died in the initial campaigns, but here he stood, counted amongst the living in attempt to make a difference. Today was a small step towards that... So I hope you guys enjoyed this, my second build of the Collab. I know it was a bit long but I think I got the point across. In any case C & C welcomed and as always Hail Nocturnus!!!!

After the overwhelming victory, a grand Flag Parade was held at Sultan's Gate - with guests from all parts of the world. The victorious troops marched by His Majesty, flowers covering the ground. General Ra and the famous Mounted Ostrich Archers (the Desert King's elite forces) led the parade. ... followed by Al Giwemm Fahia who carefully demonstrated his Staff of Flames as he crossed the Blue Water Bridge - just behind him the famous sorceress Kleotete: Lady Phlici, now engaged, could be spotted amongst the spectators next to another general. The First Mummy Warriors Corps were carrying blue flowers from Petraea, well almost all of them... The crowd was excited and cheerful: The Flying Carpet Corps had their big moment too: Musicians played tunes that were written especially for the occasion... .. .and a splendid time was guaranteed for all. C&C welcome. This is the largest set (128x32) I have build in this challenge and it was difficult enough to take decent pictures. I hope they worked out well in their smaller format. I have tried to include bits and pieces from all previous MOCs in the scene. You may also want to find out how many monkeys and how many jugglers are included . Or animals...

NOTE: Despite the challenge being in progress, there is ALWAYS room for new members / builders for each side. Especially for Ulandus. So come on down, and get your war on! Challenge IV, Category C thread. This is the Headquarters thread for Category C. This is where all current mini – challenges (the war zones themselves) will be listed, current tallies will be listed, all current maps will be listed, and general adjustments to the rules will be announced. The rules thread is where you can find the rules to Challenge C. This is an informational thread for purposes of running the challenge and keeping score. Please sign up on the main challenge page, not here, that page also has the rules for the other two categories. Map as of April 4th: WARMAP4415 by skaforhire, on Flickr The locations that are worth more than one victory points: Victory Points Starting by skaforhire, on Flickr Current Victory Point Totals: starting VP by skaforhire, on Flickr When posting a link to your entry to each battle thread, make sure you note which zone you are picking as the next warzone if you win. You may want to coordinate with others from your faction. Each warzone will have its own thread, that is where you will post your MOCs for the battle. Do not posts MOCs in this thread. Warzone History: Warzone 1: The Arkbri Skirmishes VOTE WINNER: DESERT KING Location: E7 Who Can Participate: All Factions Terrain: This battle happens along the Arkbri River. Which is mostly long meandering sections, with light hills and grasslands. The river is known for its reedy banks, where one can easily get lost trying to get from the bank to the open water. History: The Arkbri has been a rich river for Western Kaliphlin for centuries. It divides the Western Sands, and hugs the escarpment for a good 35 miles. It is also one of the largest obstacles to Kaliphlin travelers. The only major crossing in the Great Span at Queenscross. Although this battle may not seem important, it lays the ground work for the battle for the much more important Queenscross. Mini-challenge: With a small band of men, scout out enemy intelligence agents (spys, scouts, etc…) and neutralize them. Restrictions: 16x16 with limited overhang. Due Date: March 15th Warzone 2: Battle for the Reservoir VOTE WINNER: DESERT KING Location: G12 Who Can Participate: All Factions Terrain: This battle zone is along the Qar Ahken River’s banks, which are bordered on both sides by long swaths of fertile land, irrigated by the rich waters or the life-giving river of Kaliphlin. Specifically, this battle will be fought near the river, around the Flagg Aqueduct Filling Stations. History: Besides making oodles of money, Dextrus Flagg also used some of his vast fortune to improve Kaliphlin. When he took over, his oil interests in the Lower Parched Lands suffered because they could not sustain enough workers at well sites due to the cost and effort it took to move potable water to the remote locations. There was a solution already available; the vast aqueduct systems stemming from the Rakath Mountains already supplied many farm locations in the Nyika Tupu Desert. The old network did come all the way to the Qar Ahken River, but most of the old ducts had been destroyed or decayed when crossing the river. Those that still made it across the river had very little water left to take into the next desert. However, there were still aqueducts that lay dry on the other side of the river, that extended far into the Parched lands. Flagg was given an engineering choice, repair the ducts across the river, or find a way to pump the river water into the old aqueducts on the west side of the river. He chose the latter. So, the region along “Gentle Curve” was converted into large pumping stations that filled a reservoir, in turn the aqueducts were connected to the reservoir, and the excess water began flowing into the Parched Lands once more. Mini-challenge: All three factions have recognized the importance of this location. Who controls the Reservoir controls the terrain within the middle of the lower parched lands. For this reason, the winning side will also claim H11 too. The builders must create a MOC that depicts one of the many filling stations or other element of Flagg’s reservoir. In addition to creating this work, the builder must show their side taking possession of the area, either through force, subterfuge, or maybe even “just getting there first.” It should be evident that your faction has taken control of the aqueduct, pumping apparatus, or part of the reservoir. Your interpretation of any piece of the reservoir system is up to you, but remember this isn’t science fiction, the devices you show should be feasible with simple medieval level mechanics. Restrictions: 32x32 with limited overhang Due Date: March 22nd Warzone 3: The Nestlands Insurgency. VOTE WINNER: DESERT KING Location: G15 Who Can Participate: All Factions Terrain: This battle happens in the Northern Nestlands region. (The following is Gedren_y’s description of his home territory) “The mountain in the center of the grid is known as Ghuin Nol, and is described as predominantly light colored stone. The terrain is somewhat like Asian equatorial rainforest. The Nestlands settlements are mostly on the south and east faces, but Skywatch Perch is at the peak, and is manned by the High Guard. The mountain is honeycombed with natural caves, and would be a good strategic position if someone wants to overrun the commercial and production centers of the Nestlands. There is very little drinkable ground water, as it is too mineral rich.” History: It is said that the Kaliphlin Civil War started in the Nestlands. Even before the council was willing to recognize they were at war, the Nestlands were busy fighting for their right to live as they desired, under their own rulers and religion. As the Ulandian Forces surrounded the High Council Enclaves of Mypa Stedor and Berigora, the Nestlands held out valiantly. However, overwhelming attacks by the 5th Legion subdued the Northern Nestlands region, and put a green blip on the campaign map. Some said that the Nestlands clans were fighting an unfair battle, as they pledged neutrality, and when they refused to swear allegiance to the “New Council” as Ulandus has styled the government that they are trying to install, the Blazing Swords (5th Legion) forced compliance. Mini-challenge: Now that the war is in its first month, and most of the 5th Legion has moved on to secure more territory, the Nestlands Clans have taken the fight back against the Ulandians. Small pockets of resistance, armed with Mpya Stedor weapons, have begun to overthrow the officials Ulandus had left behind. The challenge here for High Council builders is to depict one of these insurgency operations succeeding against Ulandus. Ulandian builders should depict on of the insurgency attacks failing, and Ulandus forces prevailing. Desert King builders should depict their forces taking opportune attacks against both sides. *this doesn’t mean you have to depict DK supporters attacking both sides at once, just attacking one or the other. Restrictions: 32x32 with limited overhang, SPECIAL: Must have an irregular base. (hey, we are about improving our skills here, aren’t we?) Due Date: March 29th Warzone 4: The Lonely Mountain Rumble VOTE WINNER: ULANDUS Location: H9 Who Can Participate: All Factions Terrain: Volcanic, recently erupted, Erexhi, or the Lone mountain, has many communities that used to sit at its base. The high peak used to catch condensation from the rare cloud, and water would trickle down to the base. It is unclear if this still happens. The land at the base is volcanic rock, mixed with sand. Much of the territory has to be fed by merchant caravans from the South Coast, as foodstuffs rarely grow. With limited grass, livestock is in shortage also. History: The Lone Mountain, or Lonely Mountain, has always been a fixture in Kaliphlin heritage. The first Kaliphlin coins known to historians had a Pharaoh on one side, and the mountain on the other. In coat of arms, sometimes the Kaliphlin Lion is perched upon a background of the Lone Mountain. There was even a religion, seldom practiced today, dedicated to the mountain as a creator figure. Today, or at least until half of the mountain’s top blew off a few months ago, it hosts a vibrant set of villages and towns, who rely on it to catch water. The lord of the region, who represents all the towns and villages here, is Lord Abrim Kar’dani. With the recent outbreak of Civil War, he tried to stay completely neutral. However, as all of the food providing regions were snagged up by different powers, it has become evident that he needs to side with one of the powers in order for what towns that are left in the region to survive. He has come up with a unique way to do this – a call to the bravest champions to fight for his land. Mini-challenge: Lord Kar’dani is like any Kaliphlin lord, he wants to survive and he wants to make money. He sees an opportunity for both. He has made a general appeal to all three sides to bring their strongest champions to Bella’Erezhi, his town, to fight in a general mass melee. The side who survives will receive his pledge. Bella’Erezhi has been half destroyed by the Great Disturbance, so a part of the town has been marked off as the “Fighting Zone.” Anyone leaving the zone after they enter will be disqualified, but aided if in need. The last side standing wins the zone. Builders should create a MOC that depicts the mass melee in Bella’Erezhi, their faction should be winning. Since this is a vignette challenge, this will probably be a one on one battle, but if you can fit more participants than that, that is fine. Restrictions: The MOCer will create a vignettes of no more than 8x8studs. Limited overhang is acceptable. No height restrictions. Don’t worry about throwing flags / banners in if you don’t have room. JUDGING: Figure "look" and posing will be considered as a judging criteria for the vote. Due Date: March 29th Warzone 5: Battle of the Deep Sands VOTE WINNER: DESERT KING Location: I 10 Who Can Participate: All Factions Terrain: This battle happens in the heart of the Dune Sea. The Dune Sea is full of large, often changing, crests of sand. There is very little stable ground, and where there is, there is usually some small oasis as the source of water. However, these Oases often disappear for months at a time under the ever-changing sands. A haboob can pick up at any moment and blow mountains of sand, literally, miles from its original point. Even though not the largest desert in Kaliphlin, the absence of landmarks makes it very easy to become trapped in the Dune Sea, often a traveler can be driven mad from his or her surroundings. This madness is known to those in the Kaliphlin as “Dunstyria.” History: The region has few settlements, and has had even fewer rulers. There is very little of importance here but a few oil wells and a swatch of territory to add to a ruler’s map. It is odd that war broke out here, but it does lie in the middle of many important locations in Kaliphlin, it is bordered by the Petraea Road, the Mystic Mountains, the Lone Mountain, the Swamps of Qar-Akhen River, and the more profitable Parched Lands. In some regards, it is a second avenue into many of these locations, and the side who controls it would be sealing off a backdoor to other locations. The troops must watch out for the mythic Sand Ghouls, Sand Worms, Dirtmaids, and Lerik'ai, all of which can bring a swift end to a party, and if not the inhabitants of the Dune Sea, then nature itself may deal a fatal blow. Mini-challenge: Depict the desolation of the region, while securing it for your side. This does not have to be a battle scene, it can be an occupation (you decide of what), taming the region somehow, building a fortification to outlast the Haboobs, etc… Use your imagination. Special judging consideration: The public will be asked to judge who won based on creative use of the desert. IE: we are asking MOCers to really demonstrate life and death in the desert, not just a pile of sand and some figs. Secondary Category: Best Sand. A third question will be asked on the voting thread, which build contained the best sand? Although it has nothing to do with who will win the battle, it does allow that winner to be known throughout Historica as the “Traverser of the Great Sands.” Restrictions: Unlimited. Due Date: April 5th Warzone 6: Last Stand of the Salamanders VOTE WINNER: DESERT KING Location: B7 Who Can Participate: Ulandus and Desert King (Unless A path is opened up by the HIGH COUNCIL before the end of the minichallenge) Terrain: After a series of pushes in the Arkbri valley, primarily from the Desert King, the Northern Ulandians find themselves in the crosshairs once again. This time, the 2nd Legion, the Salamanders (green colors) are holding the last remnants of the once vital Northern corridor. This battle takes place around the town of Northwall. Northwall is the last major Kaliphlin settlement going north before the Cedrican Grasslands and Avalonia. Its climate is no longer desert, but tall grasslands with the occasional trees. Northwall itself has high walls, in which the Salamanders and their allies have barricaded themselves behind. The forces of the Desert King are all over the region, including a small siege of the town. The buildings of Northwall and its surroundings are a mix between Kaliphlin and Avalonian. History: Once just a tiny town on the frontier, Northwall has now passed Sand’s End as the northern most Kaliphlin settlement. It is mostly a guard post to keep rogue raiding parties out of the region. Little trade goes through the town, as they do not have the populace to support the vast market days that Sand’s End has. For this reason, most people living in Northwall are related to the military somehow. Mini-challenge: Northwall’s defenses are quite hardy. Desert King forces should depict a clever way to get through( or over, or under) the wall. Ulandus forces should depict a MOC where the Salamanders and allies cleverly repel the oncoming invaders. Both teams need to depict the walls of Northwall in some manner. Both teams should depict Ulandus forces in some manner – they don’t have to be replicas of the forces used in the preludes, but should have green in their color scheme if possible. Secondary judging category: Best Wall. Winner of this title will become “Defensive Architect of Kaliphlin” Restrictions: 16x32 Due Date: April 12th Warzone 7: The Second Battle of Queenscross VOTE WINNER: DESERT KING Location: E8 Who Can Participate: High Council and Desert King (Unless Ulandus can get in range before the due date. Suggestions for GA to achieve this: E9, D8,D9) Terrain: Queenscross sits on the Arkbri River, and is aligned with the only main southern descent from the Great Escarpment, also known as the Jackal’s Teeth. The terrain is dusty, without much vegetation beyond the river banks, or the copses of Blood Ash trees that seem to prevail despite the little water in the soil. There are no rolling dunes here, as it is a rocky and mild desert. Nearer to the cliffs, boulders that once made up the top of the escarpment litter the landscape. The pass itself is heavily fortified along the way with small “murder forts” build along the walls leading up the escarpment. The region is truly the defensive capitol of Kaliphlin. Queenscross itself has just started to recover from the First Battle of Queenscross, and is still a large city, where the central landmark is the one bridge across the Arkbri River for over 200 miles in either direction. The Great Span was slightly damaged during the Revolword War, but still stands today. The architecture here has a flair of Middle Eastern / Greek / and Central European. The many monuments within the town are often Greek or Egyptian looking. The city is walled History: Queenscross is one of the most important cities in Kaliphlin. Not only does it defend the great plateau that Petraea and Kaligem sit on, but it is also a major trade hub between those traveling the Arkbri River, and those traveling the road to Petraea. It has long been a valuable part of the Kaliphlin domain, and once was even the capitol of Kaliphlin for a few decades. Its name was derived from that period, when the Queen of Kaliphlin resided in the city, believing that as long as she bathed in the Arkbri river each day, she would live forever. She was assassinated by one of her ministers, who coerced crocodiles farmers to release their catch while she was bathing one afternoon, the legend says that the crocodiles were so ashamed after they ate the most beautiful queen, that they left the region forever. Whatever the reason, none of the famous Arkbri Crocodiles reside in the region. Since that period, Queenscross has flourished, but the main square of the city is still named for her. The city was the focal point of one of the main battles during the Revolword War – The First Battle of Queenscross in the Historica Era. (This post you can see more of the city as it was depicted by me two years ago) The city is governed by a Triumvirate, and its representative to the High Council Al’Martin Doct has declared Queenscross neutral in this battle. Mini-challenge: This challenge is quite open. There are many areas in and around Queenscross that will need seized or fought for in the coming weeks in order to secure the region. Each builder should depict a scene where their forces fight the enemy’s. Remember, Unless Ulandus arrives at the last second, this is a battle between the High Council and the Desert King. Each MOC should clearly depict one of the major landmarks of the region, be it a monument, the Jackal’s Teeth, the docks on the Arkbri, or something that lets the viewer clearly identify that this is Queenscross. (IE: no random fight scenes in a street, without something interesting around them.) It does not have to be a landmark mentioned already in the GOH project, you can make your own up! For example, perhaps you want to have your soldiers seize the “Board of Trade” within the city, you could create a unique building where the fighting takes place, add a little bit of story about the location and the scene, and that would fit the requirements. You don’t have to be that obvious with it either, this is a good challenge for forced perspective! Restrictions: 32x32 Due Date: April 26th Warzone 8: The Battle for the Trade Lanes VOTE WINNER: ULANDUS Location: L11 Who Can Participate: Ulandus and High Council (Unless A path is opened up by the Desert King before the end of the minichallenge) Terrain: This is the very tip of the Qar-Akhen River Delta, the wetlands often change, and there is no solid ground for long. The deep swamps have reeds and small trees, but usually nothing large. This zone is also part of the Great Southern Ocean. There are few outer islands that stand beyond the delta, some of these have rudimentary lighthouses to help guide ships to Ras-El-Akhen or into the river so that they may journey to Qarkyr. The location is important because it helps control river traffic, and troop supply. History: This region has been part of the maritime trade-ways longer than there has been a written language to record the ships that have passed by and up the Great River of Life. Although no major settlement is within this region, it has always been important strategically. Mini-challenge: Whereas large armies really cannot make their way through the swamps, and large troop transports try to avoid the shifting outlets of the river unless they have to, this battle will be fought by small parties. The High Council is looking to expand out from Ras-El-Akhen, and fight back against the large Ulandian wave that has engulfed the Southern Coast. Small boats travel amongst the reeds to take out temporary camps of First Centurion’s men within the delta. At Sea, the Ulandians dominate, as their navy has dispatched many small water craft to the region to stop all merchants and determine their loyalties. The builders should depict a battle within the reeds of the delta, or just offshore in the slightly deeper waters. It should be clear that your side has won the battle. Secondary judging category: Best water. Winner of this title will become “Aquanaut of Kaliphlin” Restrictions: High Council: 16x16 Ulandus: 32x32 Due Date: April 19th Warzone 9: The Battle for the Bloody Lane VOTE WINNER: DESERT KING Location: G7 Who Can Participate: Everyone Terrain: This is the Oil Road, between Mophet and Al’Derak. The only settlement in this zone is Au’Ban Dran – a small watering hole and hub for oil workers in the region. Whereas no forces seem to be interested directly in the tiny settlement, all three armies seem to desire controlling the Oil Road. This juncture would cut off the West from most of the oil supply of Kaliphlin, and help starve out the High Council’s economy. The road itself is paved, one of the many marvels of Kaliphlin. However, the land around it is full of dusty trails that lead off to various wells, sandpits and quicksand, tiny oases, cacti and Desert bandits, and other nuisances to the wary traveler that may step off the solid path. The desert here is not that of the Dune Sea, but more of a hard and dusty surface, most of the time cracked due to a lack of moisture. Wood is rare along this stretch, but most permanent structures that may be scattered along the way are made from imported wood or bricks. History: This region has been a vital lane of trade for as long as anyone can remember, there just isn’t much out there worth holding on to and creating a settlement. Mini-challenge: Each MOC should show the builder’s team taking and holding part of the Oil Road. The road must be a prominent feature in the MOC, and some sort of combat must be displayed in this MOC. Remember, since this is a desolate region, your terrain and portrayal of the road will be an important differentiator between MOCs. Secondary judging category: Best road. Winner of this title will become “Teamster of Kaliphlin” Restrictions: 16x32 Due Date: April 26th Warzone 10: The Battle for Petraea Location: F9 Who Can Participate: Everybody (Special) Terrain: Petraea is the largest city in Kaliphlin. The main governmental buildings are there, the high walls are there (anyone who wants to dig up some links for reference would be my hero), many of the historic monuments of Kaliphlin are there, and the terrain itself is a dusty arid climate, yet irrigated from the Lick of Salt. There are lush gardens within the city’s walls, including the famous Grand and Exquisite Gardens of Petraea. The University of Petraea’s campus is considered one of the wonders of the world itself. The Observatory Of Adus Krhon, on the campus of the university has stood for 500 years and has been a symbol of Kaliplhinite desire to learn since its creation. Some buildings in the city reach five stories, and many live inside of large multifamily housing units made of brick and mud. There are a series of barracks the protect the city, and the main road of Kaliphlin, the Oil Road stretches through the city in one wide straight boulevard. History: Petraea has been the regional capital of Kaliphlin since the disappearance of Kaligem long ago. It has always been the center of wealth for the guild, and most oil is first brought to market within the walls of the city. As the seat of government, many lords have secondary residences within the city. It is the cultural heart of the desert, and of the Siccus Badlands in general. Mini-challenge: This is one of the final battles of the Kaliphlin Civil War. All forces will be driving their armies towards the capital, as it is so important culturally and strategically. It is assumed that all three armies have gotten into Petraea, by force or by subterfuge. The many streets and alleys of Petraea have become the battleground. Civilians are trying to keep cover, or flee the city, for war has been brought to the capital. Builders should depict their forces winning the battle in an urban environment. Remember, Petraea is a very rich city, with ornate and spectacular architecture. Even lower-end tenement buildings have a little gild on them. Restrictions: 48x48, with limited overhang. Due Date: June 8th THIS IS THE LAST WARZONE Warzone 11:The Battle for Cresentthorn’s Favor VOTE WINNER DESERT KING Location: C4 Who Can Participate: High Council and Desert King Terrain: The Red River gets its name from the mud along most of its route. The brick red, sometimes much lighter, dirt of the Wither Woods is carried by the river all the way to Eastgate, the sediment gives the river its reddish hue, and its name. It is an important life line to the region, and the best source of Live Oak in all of Historica. It is also one of the few regions in Kaliphlin where Lumber can be removed. The river is used to transport much of this lumber, and other goods of the Wither Woods to market. Along the river, somewhat north of Eastgate (and in this zone) the Elves of the Wither Woods have made their domain. One of the nations, the Cresentthorn Elves call zone C4 home. Their city, Valdiniam, is mostly hidden to the outside world, although it has a small feeder town called Stormsport that sits on the Red River. Valdiniam and Stormsport can be described as gothic + high fantasy style in their architecture. These are clearly elven cities. The terrain of the Wither Woods does not vary much, small rolling hills with copses of trees, not a true rain forest or heavy density lowland forest, but enough trees to make travel within the woods difficult unless on a road or path. The trees very from lush pines to gnarly live oaks, with some subspecies having various “exotic colorings” History: The Cresentthorn Elves have lived in this region for more than three millenniums. They swear no allegiance to any mortal government, although they have closely allied themselves with GEAR CO. and Eastgate over the last century. Still, they are only loosely affiliated to Kaliphlin. They like their privacy, but they are more curious than many other elf nations in Historica, and are willing to participate in mortal politics if it means learning something new, or once in a while, an adventure. In commerce they trade rare animals, wine, and medicines with the mortal world, mostly through the Red River trade. They are also interested in conserving the Wither Woods, and keeping its natural beauty, ecosytstem, and life-force intact. For this reason, there are more than a dozen treaties with Avalonians and Kaliphlinites over how much wood can be taken, where wood can be taken, and how replanting efforts must be maintained in the Wither Woods. Mini-challenge: Al’Meter, leader of the Cresentthorn Elves has decided to step away from his treaty with Eastgate for the sake of the greater Wither Woods. He knows that destruction will come to the wood if more of the war pours into the region. For the reason he has forbade armies to come within the region – even if they are long standing allies, like GEAR Co. There is a substantial amount of Cresentthorn Elves to maintain this peace. What Al’Meter offers is the resources of Valdiniam to the victor of his challenge (and thus the territory will “belong” to the winning party.) The challenge is as follows: A series of honor duels will be fought, the winner of the most honor duels will gain access to Valdiniam. Builders should depict a scene where a hero from their side takes on and defeats a hero from the other faction. There must be an “official” watching the duel. That official should be a Cresentthorn Elf. Additionally, it is required that the dual be fought in a place “spiritually important to the combatants, and fundamentally significant within the Wither Woods.” For example, the duels should happen at landmarks, sanctuaries, crossroads, or any other place that is considered spiritually significant, and the story of the heroes participating should reflect why the place is significant to them. Restrictions: 12x12, with limited overhang. Due Date: April 19th Warzone 12: Battle for the Great Loop VOTE WINNER: DESERT KING Location: H12 Who Can Participate: Desert King, Ulandus, (HC if they can clear a path before the due date or join with Ulandus) Terrain / History: The great loop in the Qar-Akhen River is considered the second most fertile area in Kaliphlin besides the Great Delta. It produces nearly a quarter of all food for western Kaliphlin. It was for this reason that First Centurion had his advance troops secure the region. Sometimes referred to as the “lesser breadbasket,” The great Loop is predominated by marshlands, the majority of which were man-made through centuries of irrigation projects. Most of these marshlands have raised boardwalks with small defensive fortifications along them. In some parts of the loop it is possible to travel by small boat or canoe to different faming collectives that are scattered along the territory. The main crops of the region is wheat, barley, and rice. There are very few buildings beyond small huts that the farmers live in. There is almost no livestock in the region, as almost all water and land goes towards crop production. The inner loop, or the territory surrounded by the river has always been a prized possession for the rulers of Kaliphlin. 745 years ago, King Kalick Al’Rudi built a great city to protect the Loop’s interior breadbasket. The City, Dagra-Ba is still important today, but has fallen on hard times. Its defensive structure is still intact, but very few businesses still exist in the city. For the most part, the inhabitants of the city are either employed by the town as guards, employed by one of the merchant companies as teamsters, porters, dockworkers, or boats crew, or they are farmers who work outside of the city. There are large grain warehouses within the city, but the war and drought elsewhere has taxed the supply to the limit. At this point, all food to feed Dagra-ba actually comes directly from the loop, while the excess is shipped downriver to support the Ulandian war effort. The city wall extends across the neck of the loop, rather than around the city. This is to keep out raiders. The river itself has a few small forts and the city employs a tiny navy of a few medium sized galleys to patrol the river. The outer loop, the area that is not surrounded by the river is also a fertile land, but it is a bit more diversified with livestock and crops. The region is often the target for raids by invading armies, because it has very little protection as there is no major settlement on the west bank of the river. Mini-challenge: Take the Inner Loop. Because of the lack of solid ground, it is hard to move a large army through the inner loop. The Ulandians have the front gates of Dagra-Ba sealed tight, but the weak-point here is the loop itself, clever DK (and perhaps HC troops as well before the deadline is done) have built small reed boats that quickly brought them from the Outer Loop to the Inner loop, without the galleys being able to catch them. These small pockets of troops are looking to take strategic locations within the Inner Loop in order to claim the territory and force Dagra-ba to surrender. DK builders should build MOCs that depict their troops taking strategic locations within the inner loop. For example some strategic locations may include: a small farming village, a boardwalk fortification, a docking and loading center (most food is brought via canal / waterwall to Dagra-ba where it is put on bigger boats and shipped downriver), or maybe a small warehouse in the marchlands. Use your imagination, but please see the description above for what the Loop is like. For example, don’t depict a desert! Defenders (Ulandus and maybe High Council as well) should depict MOCs of successful defensive efforts against the invaders. Remember, just fighting your enemy on a boardwalk might not be enough to gain favor of the voters, think about what types of structures your men and women can be defending in the marshlands. Restrictions: 16x32, with limited overhang. Due Date: May 3rd. SPECIAL: If DK wins, they win zone I11 and I12 as well. Square K12 becomes a warzone (and DK will pick another warzone as well) SPECIAL: If the High Council does not make a run at this zone by taking a territory close enough to attack H12 before the deadline, they can negotiate with Ulandus to join the defense. (These negotiations can include incentives...) Dagra-Ba also supplies High Council cities in the region, most notably Ras-El-Akhen. (Historically, in the real world and in Historica, it was very common for armies to be fed by enemy farmers looking to make money during wartime) A temporary truce in the region can lead to a two front attack on the Desert King invaders. If the Ulandians and HC come to terms by APRIL 19th, they can work together to attack the DK in this square. In this scenario, if Ulandus and HC win, HC gains G12 and Ulandus keeps H12. Warzone 13: Katoren Break Out VOTE: WINNER: DESERT KING Location: F13 Who Can Participate: Everyone Terrain: The Road to Qarkyr is not without its perils, but as the desert gives way to mountains, travelers find relief in this region. Water sources are not as scarce, small hamlets dot the roadside, and the foliage, soil of different hues, and wildlife can be quite pretty in the high desert that stretches towards the Rakath Mountains. History / story: Not much happens in this region, it is mostly known as the road between Qarkyr and Katoren. There were no major battles, no notable citizens, nor nothing of value found in the soil, besides the spare small oil pocket. Mostly, the region has been used to travel through. Until now. Aymeri, Lord of Katoren, is one of the last lords holding out for the High Council, in and increasingly Desert King friendly region of the map. The Desert King has cut his supplies lines, and now Katoren risks losing the ability to feed its people. Although a small town, they are a proud people and will not give up without a fight. Which led Aymeri to his plan – the breakout. The easiest way to supply the city would be to quickly advance his forces along a swath of land to the nearest High Council held territory. However, the map is not his friend in this plan. His advisors devised a way that Katoren troops could take and hold a pathway to the sea, but it would require taking Qarkyr too. Lord Aymeri has confidence in High Council support if he can just get to Qarkyr… and there lies the problem. The land in zone F13 must be crossed. The DK and Ulandus spies have already sniffed a whiff of this plan, and since they cannot use their larger armies within the walls of Qarkyr, they have both turned them on this stretch of land to the west of the city. It is here that Aymeri and his allies must first defeat two armies, and then set their sights on Qarkyr and beyond that, the sea. Mini-challenge: Although it began a forced march for the High Council troops, it soon became a pitched battle between three armies. But Aymeri knew this was coming. Before leaving Katoren, he had many of the houses disassembled for building materials and had his engineers, led by the famed Kaliphlin master engineer Sergio Jarrett(who just so happened to be in the area when the war broke out), craft movable fortifications. This would give the High Council an upper hand over the two other armies who were closing in on them. He also split his forces into stronger light platoons assigned to each of the moving fortresses. He confiscated every ox and horse within his land and assigned each to a team. High Council Builders should depict a scene where these mobile defensive fortifications are used in combat to repel enemies from one or both of the other two sides. Ulandus and Desert King should depict their soldiers overtaking one of these mobile defenses. Special Category: Best high desert foliage (covered in blood…) As this battle happens in the sparse high desert, there should not be any structures besides the mobile defenses. The foliage, rocks, differing hard dirt and sand patterns should be the real star of the show… but there happens to be a battle upon them currently, so they should be splattered in blood and gore, but still retain their natural beauty somehow… The voters will choose the best depiction of High Desert Foliage with combat stains… (you can depict foliage without stains on it too, just need at least some that has been tainted by battle. The winner of this category will be crowned “Enricher of the Soil” of Kaliphlin. Best Transformer: It is not required that your MOC can actually transform from mobile to a stationary defense platform by natural movement – but if it doesn’t, you can enter this category (no taking apart more than a few pieces and putting it back together in a different formation.) You may also submit additional pictures / video of the MOC in your thread. Judges of the entire zone will be asked NOT to judge the results of the zone on the ability of MOCs to transform, but to judge this as an entirely different category. Winner of this category becomes the current“The Historican Master of Transforms,” and will keep that title until another transformer challenge comes up in the future (there won’t be another in this challenge at least. ) Restrictions: 32x16, with limited overhang. Must have an irregular base. Due Date: April 26th Warzone 14: The Battle For Qarkyr (or The Battle of the Partisans) VOTE: WINNER: DESERT KING Location: F14 Who Can Participate: Ulandus and Desert King (Unless HC wins Warzone 13B) Terrain: Qarkyr, the gateway to the Rakath, the Eastern Emerald, The Protector of the Ocean Gate, and former Capital of the short lived Dwarven Empire of Varnforge, is the fourth largest city in Kaliphlin after Petraea, Barqa and Queenscross. It sits in the Rakath Moutains, within the Qar-Akhen River Valley. A wall stretches across the valley to stop movement East and West without paying the tolls at Qarkyr first. Long a defensive position, the city has magnificent walls. The architecture is a mixture of Eastern Kaliphlin, and Far Eastern Kaliphlin, the two cultures merged along the most common pathway through the Rakath Mountains that separated them. The Far Eastern Kaliphlin architecture relies heavily on pagodas, hip and gable roofing, enclosures within large buildings, and wood is the main building material. The classic Kaliphlin architecture of East Kaliphlin (the land between the escarpment and the Rakath Mountains) is also prevalent here with domes, arches, towers, stone and mud buildings. The town is somewhat divided between the two cultures, with “The Ocean District” representing a large concentration of people of Far Eastern culture, and the much larger “Trader’s Quarter” which is distinctly Eastern Kaliphlin traders, mostly from Petraea. The rest of the city is pretty much equally divided. There is not a water shortage in the city, and it is famous for its lush gardens and parks throughout the city. History: Despite having a great wall to funnel in all travelers east and west, Qarkyr is as porous as a net. The corruption within its walls is ancient, dating back to when the Dwarven King Archbeard claimed the city as his own a thousand years ago. It was under his rule that the modern blueprint for Qaekyr’s orderly streets and plazas was laid down. The city’s walls were built first by the dwarf engineers, and they have never been penetrated since. Unfortunately, the trader section of the city, humans who had sworn allegiance to Archbeard, made the walls unnecessary. Archbeard’s nemesis, the Sea Goddess Calif – or at least someone claiming to be her – had a mighty eastern seaborne empire growing on the Eastern coast of Kaliphlin. She wanted the Qar-Akhen River valley as a gateway into greater Kaliphlin in order to continue her conquest. When her armies came to the walls of the city, her spies found easy access by bribing the merchants. They betrayed their new king, and he was murdered in his bed by assassins. Calif’s army slipped in soon after and took the dwarves by surprise. They fought to the last man, and not one dwarf survived that night. Calif rewarded the traders by giving them a quarter of the city – the same quarter known as “The Trader’s Quarter” today. However, Calif would not go on to take over the middle of Kaliphlin, as she too was betrayed. One of her new supporters, a trader named Mors’Qo brought her an emerald from one of the nearby mines within the Rakath Mountains. It was the largest emerald anyone in the region had ever seen. It was placed in a necklace for her, but when she put it on she was instantly transformed into a emerald statue. Mors’Qo had bought the enchanted emerald from a dwarf and had intended to kill the Sea Goddess to avenge Archbeard. His plan worked but her supporters through him into the deepest well they could find and sealed it. Her army was stopped, and many settled in Qarkyr, creating a bicultural dynamic that exists today. More recently treachery has played a part in Qarkyr’s history. It has only recently become known how the mighty city fell into the hands of the Desert King early in the Civil War. Its representative to the High Council, Ageven Deraim, Lord of Auner, is a staunch supporter of Ulandus. Likely many of the Far Eastern Kaliphlinites living in the city would have supported their representatives loyalties, but the Traders took quick action at the beginning of the war. Ageven had been preparing defenses back in Auner, when the trade faction opened the gates for a small Desert King force led by Regi Bar’nol. Regi became Lord of the city, and by the time Ageven made it back, there was nothing he could do with his small force against the mighty walls of Qarkyr. Mini-challenge: Ageven and Ulandus were not going to give up the city without a fight. The porous walls would help them as well. He began by bribing Desert King supporters to let his spies within the walls of the city. His spies made contact with the Ocean District, and began to put together a strike force. Soon hundreds of fighters had been smuggled into the city, and finally Lord Regi had caught on. The war in the streets had begun. The challenge here is to build a scene where the two cultures collide – in fighting and in scenery. MOCs should show both types of cultures within the city, as these battles are all happening between the walls of Qarkyr. MOCs should also show the distinctly different peoples of both sides brawling in some manner. There are very few regular troops in this battle – perhaps just commanders and a few footmen. Once side should be winning clearly in your depiction. Supporters of DK should be depicting the rich traders of East Kaliphlin as their allies, while Ulandians have the Far Eastern Kaliphlinites as their allies in this battle. Story and Challenge Addendum if HC wins Warzone 13: Now with Aymeri’s breakout complete, the HC forces have turned their sights on Qarkyr. Knowing that they cannot get their army into the city in masse, Aymeri turned to the tried tactic of bribery to get some of his men into the city. Being the latecomer to the battle, it was easy to see the people most neglected in this war of neighborhoods were the poor and underclasses. The High Council spies noticed something interesting about the lower masses, they had started to pick up on the High Council rhetoric “Viva la Republic!” Although this chant was created by the more privileged lords of Kaliphlin, it has become the chant of the masses. High Councilor Aymeri saw this as an opportunity, albeit dangerous in a time of lords and kings, he would give these people democracy, and thus bring them into the High Council fold – after all, his advisor noted, it works in Queenscross. The High council builders in this challenge take the rabble as their soldiers. They should depict a similar scene as the mini-challenge details, their MOC should show both cultures, but also show the poor High Council supporters doing battle with one or both of the other factions. Special Category: Best Urban Trap! Although builders do not have to create a MOC that has a specific “trap” in it, the MOCer with the best trap will win the title “Trickster of Qarkyr” The trap should be evident just by looking at the MOC, but the story can definitely help explain it. Restrictions: 32x32, with limited overhang. Due Date: May 10th Special Consequences: If High Council Wins WZ 13 and WZ 14, they achieve “March to the Sea” Victory condition, where they are awarded Zone F15 and G15. If Ulandus Wins, they secure G14 as well. If Desert King wins, they secure G13, as Ulandus has overstepped in its attack on Qarkyr, and the counter attack was brutal enough that they lost a zone. Warzone 15: The Battle For Amrakect WINNER: HIGH COUNCIL VOTE: Location: E12 Who Can Participate: High Council and Desert King (Unless Ulandus clears a path before the deadline) Terrain: Amrakect sits in the Parched Lands, and is the last major settlement before Sultan’s Gate along the Northern Road (do we have another name for this road?). It is a trade depot for the products of the Parched Lands, such as oil, ostrich eggs, trembler pelts, sandcorn, and, in this region, almonds. The city is fed by the aqueduct system from the Rakath, but has limited water, as much of it goes to the large almond farms outside the city. Because the region abuts the Rakath Mountains, the lower clouds of storms traveling East often swell as they cannot get over the range. This causes an buildup of condensation and eventually a briefly wet period twice a year that is excellent for growing crops with short growth times, and watering trees. Amrakect profits from this, as it is the nearest city to these swells, and can produce many obscure trade goods for this part of Kaliphlin, which fetch excellent prices at their markets. History: No one knows for sure when the first settlement of Armrakect was built, it seems to have always been on the map. At least two cities had been built on the location, and the dating of the aqueduct points to parts of the current city being at least four hundred years old. Its proximity to the Valley of Tombs, makes it a popular tourist destination. The city has always been known for almonds and its markets. Before the rise of Katoren, it was the main venue for goods in the northern Parched Lands. Now its market share is split, but still there are Mitgardian traders that refuse to go any further into Kaliphlin than Amrakect, as they believe that the town serves as the perfect depot spot for all Kaliphlin has to offer. The importance of trade in the town is paramount to all other concerns, which is why its leaders chose to stay with the more neutral and trade friendly High Council when the war broke out. Unfortunately, the leader of the traders, Amelia Phantomhive, had gone missing about a year ago. She is quite renowned for her adventures around the world, and it was on one of these adventures she must currently be. However, without clear leadership, a war effort was not mounted quickly enough, and now the Desert King’s Forces are closing in on the city. Mini-challenge: As the Desert King pushes south, his forces seek to envelop the last High Council hold outs. The war has now touched the city of Amrakect. The challenge here is for the High Council to defend the city and the Desert King to take it. This is a challenge of imitation. The battles that are going on within the city should emulate Erynlasgalen’s depictions of Amrakect. (See pictures below). The battle can depict anything, but there should be some tribute or emulation of her work. This will be a judging category put to the judging public. Restrictions: 32x16, with limited overhang. Due Date: May 3rd Warzone 16: Shot through the heart… and Desert King is to blame. VOTE: WINNEr: DESERT KING Location: C7 Who Can Participate: Everyone, love knows no bounds. Terrain and history: Sands End has been through a lot during the civil war. For the history and terrain of this area, see the prelude. Mini-challenge: The Battle for the Heart. After the fall of Northwall, the Desert King set its sight on the northern jewel of the North Road, the home of the present Guardian of the North Gate, Lady Phlici, the venerable city of Sands End. The troops of the north are wary. The Desert King’s men have been on a tear, but even they are a bit winded at the moment. Ulandus is hardly holding on to the region, and the High Council was still trying to make inroads as it looks like Queenscross will fall shortly. However, Sands end can be won in a different manner. Through the love of its leader. She is currently single, and smitten with one General Lat’ve, Third Centurion of Ulandus. But these are dire times, and a noble has to make the best marriage possible. There is a chance a suitor may come that offers a more promising union that will spare Sands End any more carnage during this war. Ulandus, fend off the suitors! Show Lat’ve keeping the heart of Phlici. (Lat’ve can look like any human male – or heck, throw in a new Ulandian suitor if the centurion is not to your taste.) High Council and Desert King, seduce or woo Phlici into a union which will keep her city safely allied to your side for the rest of the war. Remember, this is a competition for Phlici’s hand, and thus may (and should) end up in some direct confrontation between the three factions. All of which, if unarmed, are allowed within the gates of Sands End. (So if you are showing violence, there should be a good reason why it can happen within the gates – an alternative to this is that duels may be fought outside the gates) This is a two part build. You can also build it in two 8x8 max MOCs or one 16x16 MOC. For the challengers, it should be clear how you got Lat’ve out of the picture, as well as how your new suitor won Phlici’s hand. For the defenders of Lat’ve’s union with Phlici, you should show Lat’ve defending his love, and at one point finally getting Phlici to affirm her love for him and accept his marriage proposal. Restrictions: 8x8 times 2 MOCs or one 16x16, with limited overhang. Due Date: May 10th Warzone 17: The Assault on Xersia VOTE WINNER: DESERT KING Location: O17 Who Can Participate: Ulandus and Desert King (Unless High Council clears a path before the deadline) Terrain: Xersia is the capital of Ulandus. In size it rivals Petraea, Albion, and Cedrica. “The Heavenly City” sits at the end of the Great Ulandian Way to the far south of the subcontinent. Its walls have been compared to mountains, and its harbor’s defenses are said to be more numerous than ants. The architecture of the city itself is mostly classical (think Roman / Greek) with some mixes of Far Eastern Kaliphlin (See the warzone battle of Qarkyr for more specification of this style) within the city. The center city, or the Celestial Palace, as it is known to the locals, has separate white walls which are topped with see-through bulbs. The walls are ornate, and it is clear that they have never been breached. The palace is a large building, where thousands live and work. The famed Centurions of the 13 Legions all have a mini-palace within the Celestial Palace. It is the most heavily guarded city in all of historical. But no one is looking for a threat coming from the inside… History: The history of the Heavenly City, and much of Ulandus, is still classified from outsiders, even those who have newly sworn to protect her. The Heavenly City dates back to the founding of Ulandus as its own Guild some 1500 years ago, long after the sinking of the original city of Ulandus. Upon First Centurion’s Ascension to the throne, the city expanded rapidly. Ulandus began to sail ships around the world, waging wars in far off places that Historicans have never dreamed about. Xersia became a symbol of exploration and wealth for all of Ulandus, and the amount of exotic slaves they captured helped prove their role as an international leader. It was only with the Great Disturbance that First Centurion was able to fulfil the prophecy of rejoining the motherland, and since that time, every effort in Ulandus has been on that undertaking. But now… the Celestial Palace is threatened for the first time. The Desert King, using his strongest magic has pierced the protective bubble around Xersia. Exploding one of the funny see-through bulbs upon the Celestial Palace’s gate, the internal workings of the palace are now vulnerable to a transportation spell. Although very few people in Historica are powerful enough to open a gate large enough, long enough to allow an army through, the Desert King happens to have found a mysterious stranger with such capabilities. Exhausted from weeks of attempting to break protective shield of Xersia, the Desert King now turns to his new ally to cast the final spell. The reserve armies of the Desert King are called to assemble on a dark night, not told where they were headed. The Stranger appears before them, and before anyone can ask the identity of the archmage, a large portal opens before them. On the other side are the white buildings and ornate décor of a large inner city – the Celestial Palace. Each captain was instructed to break the seal on their orders at this point and head through the gate. Mini-challenge: The orders tell the armies to go to the center of the Celestial Palace, in fact, the center of all of Xersia and go to the Temple of Light. Within the temple of light they will find five large mechanisms that must be destroyed. They are not given a description, just that they would be immense objects, high guarded, and evident when seen. The armies of the Desert King were commanded to destroy these objects. Desert King builders: Depict the attack and destruction of one of these impressive objects. Remember, the relic should be impressive. You have discovered that these are emitters of magic that allow First Centurion to stay on Historica’s plane of existence. If you destroy one of these, then perhaps Ulandus will lose their great leader. First Centurion might even personally show up to defend the objects of power. Ulandus Builders: You have come to know that your leader is a supreme being from another plane. He has immense power, but what allows him to use it on Historica’s plane are the monoliths of power. If even one of them are destroyed, First Centurion loses power, and may be banished to his native plane, leaving your side without a leader. Both sides: You must depict the defense of the object of power. The object is the focus of the Challenge, but remember, this objects are in the middle of a great city, they may be indoors surrounded perhaps by the Temple of Light, or outdoors in a courtyard or some other architectural wonder. Special category: Best Monolith of Power – whoever MOCs the best / neatest / craziest / most awesome / etc… object of power will become known as _____ the Harnesser of The Great Light. Special Victory Conditions: If Ulandus Wins, then First Centurion is safe. If Ulandus wins by more than 20% of the vote, they take back O16. If Ulandus Wins by 40% they take back 016 and M15. If they win by 60%, all of the isle of Ulandus falls back into their hands. If the Desert King wins, one Object of power is destroyed and First Centurion is banished for a week. If they win by at least 20%, then O17 succumbs to the Desert King, and First Centurion is banished forever (or is he? But he isn’t coming back anytime soon!). If the Desert King wins by 40%, then they will also take O17 and N16. If they win by more than 60%, then they win O17, N16, and N17. Special: Although First Centurion might show up in your battle scene, he cannot currently die on this plane. So, that means no killing him off in your battle scene! Restrictions: 32x32, with limited overhang. Due Date: May 17th Warzone 18: The Battle For Eastgate Location: E2 Who Can Participate: High Council and Desert King (Unless Ulandus can get in range before the due date. ) Terrain: Eastgate sits on the Red River, and sits on a grassy plain, with the Wither Woods starting just north of the city. The Red River was named for its red water due to the color of the soil of the Wither Woods, which was the main sediment picked up by the stream. The river is mostly slow moving, making it easy to traverse the river northward. However, the entrance of the river is guarded by the fortified Great Bridge, which is almost flanked on each side by two massive towers called The Guardians. (they sit just to the north of the Bridge) Map here Eastgate is considered a safe harbor for ships traveling east from Avalonia into the coasts of the Badlands. (Also vice versa, but the winds are more favorable west to east.) Furthermore, it sits at the mouth of the Red River making it paramount to the great timber trade (live oak in large quantities, the finest in the world) and some river trade from upriver. It is a mix of styles, having some classic European architecture, mixed with Mediterranean and Arabian because it is a melting pot of cultures. The quarries to the east bring brown and tan rock, while the quarries up river bring red rock, with Avalonia so close, rock grey in color is also sold in the city. The city walls are mostly tan / brown in color, but some of the newer structures are the now cheaper Avalonian grey. They are often whitewashed to make them stand out in the inner city. Not only is Eastgate a port, but it also has some of the best ship building facilities in the known world (due to the large live oak supply that comes through its port) with a natural bay that has been artificially expanded around four hundred years ago. The inner city, The Old City, which held out during the War of the Brothers is mostly large and older buildings, while the New City is unwalled and more houses and buildings made of timber. History: The wiki link above has more about the city’s history. One note here is that the Greater Eastgate Article and Resupply Company owns most of the town, and elects its leaders. GEAR and Eastgate both have standing armies, although they were largely winnowed down through the War of the Brothers. The city is in good shape, despite being sieged, as Dugal’s forces controlled the New City and Petera’s controlled the Old City – neither side made a successful move on the other, leaving little collateral damage to their home town. Mini-challenge: The only way that Eastgate’s inner city falls is if the Eastern Guardian Tower is breached. While it stands, no ships may get out to the Inland Sea or up the river to the Wither Woods. DK builders, the task is simple, depict the great Guardian Tower, and show your forces breeching it. HC: Defend the Guardian to your last breath! Both sides should clearly depict the tower, which overhangs the Red River, and their forces should be winning the battle. Special: Whoever has the “best tower” as voted on in the voting thread will be known as “The Tallest man/woman in Kaliphlin.” Restrictions: 32x32 Due Date: May 31st Warzone 19: The Second Battle of the Wither Woods or Arcannon’s Betrayal Location: C4 Who Can Participate: High Council and Desert King (Unless Ulandus can get in range before the due date. ) Terrain: The Red River gets its name from the mud along most of its route. The brick red, sometimes much lighter, dirt of the Wither Woods is carried by the river all the way to Eastgate, the sediment gives the river its reddish hue, and its name. It is an important life line to the region, and the best source of Live Oak in all of Historica. It is also one of the few regions in Kaliphlin where Lumber can be removed. The river is used to transport much of this lumber, and other goods of the Wither Woods to market. Along the river, somewhat north of Eastgate (and in this zone) the Elves of the Wither Woods have made their domain. One of the nations, the Cresentthorn Elves call zone C4 home. Their city, Valdiniam, is mostly hidden to the outside world, although it has a small feeder town called Stormsport that sits on the Red River. Valdiniam and Stormsport can be described as gothic + high fantasy style in their architecture. These are clearly elven cities. The terrain of the Wither Woods does not vary much, small rolling hills with copses of trees, not a true rain forest or heavy density lowland forest, but enough trees to make travel within the woods difficult unless on a road or path. The trees very from lush pines to gnarly live oaks, with some subspecies having various “exotic colorings” History: The Cresentthorn Elves have lived in this region for more than three millenniums. They swear no allegiance to any mortal government, although they have closely allied themselves with GEAR CO. and Eastgate over the last century. Still, they are only loosely affiliated to Kaliphlin. They like their privacy, but they are more curious than many other elf nations in Historica, and are willing to participate in mortal politics if it means learning something new, or once in a while, an adventure. In commerce they trade rare animals, wine, and medicines with the mortal world, mostly through the Red River trade. They are also interested in conserving the Wither Woods, and keeping its natural beauty, ecosytstem, and life-force intact. For this reason, there are more than a dozen treaties with Avalonians and Kaliphlinites over how much wood can be taken, where wood can be taken, and how replanting efforts must be maintained in the Wither Woods. A few weeks past, the Desert King showed its honor by winning Al’Meter Cresentthorn’s favor in a series of honor duels. He made a decree stating that all trade would be with those allied with the Desert King until the Civil War was over. This infuriated the fighting class within the Cresentthorns as they had been long allied with GEAR Co, and Lord Dugal – a high council member. Their leader, brother of Al’Meter, Arcannon Cresentthorn tried to persuade his brother to try to stay neutral, but Al’Meter claimed he had given his word. Mini-challenge: Arcannon Cresentthorn has decided to go on the offensive for the High Council, in an attempt to win the region back for the High Council. His plan is to ambush those still loyal to his brother in the Wither Woods and hold them hostage until his brother capitulates. High Council builders should show their forces, allied with Arcannon and some of the other Cresentthorn Evles ambushing and trapping elves in the Wither Woods. The trick here is, that these are their brothers, and they want to use non-lethal methods to catch them. So, no killing! Desert King builders, Al’Meter has decreed that he is your ally, but now he calls on your forces to help him defend Stormsport. But again, these are his brothers and sisters causing this turmoil, so he wants you to use non-lethal force to capture these rebels so that they may be jailed for a few hundred years. Special: The best depiction of a trap will earn the builder the title of: “Greatest Trapper in all the Wither Woods.” Restrictions: 16x16 Due Date: May 24 +_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_++_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_++_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_++_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_++_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_++_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_++_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_++_+_+_+_+_+_+_+_+ Ranks Ranks are achieved by earning points in battles and other mini-challenges. Each faction has a different rank system. Please consult the charts below for the ranks and the actions needed to earn points towards ranks. Ranks by skaforhire, on Flickr pointlist by skaforhire, on Flickr points week 4 by skaforhire, on Flickr

After Ra'sh Fforh Whord had taken the Desert King's shilling and had joined the Mounted Ostrich Archers (MOA) TM - the Desert King's elite forces - life was not so easy for him: Riding an ostrich was a difficult thing to do... requiring a lot of training lessons... His first major task in the Kaliphlin Civil War was to guard a very important piece of the desert: ... he did reasonably well. Then Ra'sh's military career started to blossom. He became the best archer of the MOATM and received a prize, that was given to him by General Ra himself. The precious moment was captured on canvas: Later that day, a Ulandus spy was captured with the help of the painter - but that is a different story to be told on a different occasion. The civil war raged on. Ra'sh was freeing prisoners of war... ... and he was there when they stormed Xersia and Petraea (Ra'sh was highly impressed by the city's archicture) ... After the war had ended Ra'sh left the army highly decorated and with all the pay he had been saving throughout the time. He proposed to the King's Sorceress Nofrepatra and they got married. With their savings they opened up a carpet trader shop (The "Rug'N'Roll") in Petraea, thus continuing the business his father had started long ago. Ra'sh took a liking to dressing in light green, his wife kept her infamous sorceress wardrobe. Many friends from the times of the war came by to buy one of his precious carpets - the finest ones in all of Kaliphlin. Ra'sh was happy to see his old sergeant again. They all lived happily ever after. This closes the story of Ra'sh Fforh Whord and the Kaliphlin Civil war. (I've been using 3 MOCs from CAT C together with 3 new ones). @Ska: If you need to pick one pic for the voting, pls take the first one with the rug shop on it. C&C welcome!

Ra'sh Fforh Whord had grown up from a boy to a young man. He found that the village he was living in did not offer much to him His father kept saying that it was not time to make a change, he should take things slowly. But Ra'sh was determined and he knew in his heart that adventure lay in store for him. But how could he try to explain? When one day a troop of Mounted Ostrich Archers came into his village to seek for young recruits, he jumped for the opportunity. His father was sceptical, his mother unsure of what the future would bring, when Ra'sh took the Desert King's Shilling to become a Mounted Ostrich Archer. And you could hear them singing: Left a good job in the city Workin' for the man every night and day I never lost one minute of sleeping Worryin' about the way things might have been We are strong and we are cunning Ostriches keep on running Running, running, running through the desert Gladly he accepted the Desert King's shilling. Little did Ra'sh know what would lie ahead of him. His little sister wondered what a mighty warrior Ra'sh might become. (I was asked to highlight the following detail:) Ra'sh left his home town - would he ever come back to his home and family? Later that day, a High Council spy was found and captured in the village. But that was another story to be told on a different day. C&C welcome.