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Who sits on the Dragon Throne in the keep of high Albion? Who rules over the greenest and greatest of the Guilds? Who thunders into battle at the fore of the mighty Flight of Dragons? Is it you? For many years now, the Guild of Avalonia has been missing its king. Artorious Rex - long may his legend live on - vanished, leaving the guild without a definite ruler. Regents have maintained order as best as possible, and High Lords have done their best to keep things running smoothly, but the time has come for the Dragon Throne to be occupied once more. AVALONIANS, THIS IS YOUR MOMENT! Your task is to create a 16x16 vignette depicting your claimant to the Dragon Throne. Not only should you show the man or woman you wish to see seated on the throne, but you should make it abundantly clear from the vignette why your claimant belongs on the throne. Is he able to slay countless enemies? Is she richer than the combined kingdoms of the dwarves? Is he the most handsome gentleman anyone has yet seen? Is she a skilled diplomat? Whatever sets your claimant apart, show him or her doing just that. Then this is where the Game of Thrones comes in. EVERY builder who is registered with Avalonia as of Friday February 8th, Anno Domini MMXIX, will automatically be entered into a tournament bracket. You will be competing against other builder's vignettes through several rounds until a winner is crowned King (or Queen) of Avalonia. If your opponent fails to build anything, you win that round by forfeit. Winners will be determined by popular vote of your Avalonian brethren, so make sure that you impress! The final round will require a new build, of 32x32 or less, from each of the two finalists, to make a final push for the Dragon Throne. What are you willing to sacrifice to get there? Details/fine print: - Open to official members of Avalonia only; you must have a sigfig posted to the Avalonian thread by February 8th, 2019 to qualify. No sigfig, no entry! - One 16x16 (or 256-stud equivalent, with proportions no further skewed than 32x8) build per builder will be used for all of the first rounds of the tournament. You won't need to build something new each round, unless you win through to the final round. Minimal overhang is allowed. Borders do not factor into the stud limit. - Official LEGO only - no 3rd party stuff (Brickarms, Brick Warriors, etc.) or clones (Kreo, Megablocks, Lepin, etc.). Also, no custom decals or painting or carving or cutting or gluing or any other altering of official LEGO products. The King or Queen of Avalonia should be able to be depicted by anyone who has the right LEGO parts. Yellow or fleshie faces are permitted. - The initial 16x16 build must be completed and posted in its own topic, with a link in this thread, before March 1st, 2019. If it is still February somewhere in the world, you can still post your build. - While you can try to put your own sigfig on the Dragon Throne, keep in mind that he/she becomes part of the public domain at that point. Your own personal story line will be essentially finished by doing so. It is the recommendation of the administration (HQ) that you create a brand new character for the contest, or else elevate a minor character from your story line, but not your own sigfig. - Regardless of the outcome of the tournament, Henjin_Quilones and ZCerberus will still be the in-real-life leaders of Avalonia. The winning character will be the leader for in-game story purposes only. - Builds entered into this contest count as freebuilds for scoring purposes. - While you are limited to 256 studs for the tournament itself, no one is saying you can't build more and bigger scenes to depict his/her exploits as regular freebuilds and add to the legend that way. Officially only the vignette counts, but it's not like we can make people forget or ignore other cool builds... - Voting in the tournament will begin on March 1st. If first-round byes are needed in the bracket due to the numbers, they will be granted to those with the longest time in Avalonia first, and so on down the line. If you joined in Book I, chances are you will get a 1st round bye; if you just joined this week, you won't. But everyone still needs to get their builds done before March. Only Avalonians will vote for their ruler - those from the other guilds can do their own lobbying for their preferred candidates, but they cannot vote. Any sign of Varlyrian tampering with the election, via targeted ads or skewed search algorithms, will be...expected. - We should have a King or Queen of Avalonia by April. - The winner will not receive anything except prestige, glory, and honor, and maybe a fancy title like "Kingmaker"; but no bricks are on the line here. [Credit for the throne design goes to @Derfel Cadarn who built it in Book I]
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Ice, probably the weirdest good ever traded after the discovery of the New World: worthless for the ones who own it, but impossible to buy, no matter how rich they are, for the ones who don't have it. Nevertheless, frozen water is a quite useful commodity: ice and snow, stored in dedicated cellars during winter, have been used for centuries by the Halosians for the most different purposes, from preserving perishable foods to preparing slush and ice creams, from providing relief to the feverish people to cooling the drinks of the wealthiest nobles. Storing clean snow in a ice house. This is a common winter activity in the Old World, especially in Northern regions. All the ones who moved in the New World, however, had to reconcile themselves with a simple fact: the temperate weather of their motherlands is one thousand miles away, and here in the archipelago you can't collect snow and keep it for the summer, since there is no snow to collect. And, in the scorching summer of Breshaun, under the sun of Mesabi Landing or in the sultriness of Pontelli, you have no way to keep fish or meat eatable for more than a couple of days, unless you cover them with salt, or to drink something cold, unless you have the stomach to add some saltpetre to your grog. Starting from this problem, Charles Lautrec, an Oleander merchant, decided to start a new business, something never seen before: collect ice in Altonia, during winter, store it in insulated warehouses and then ship it to the archipelago. Charles Lautrec, the Ice King The first voyage was a complete failure, the cargo melted and monsieur Lautrec almost bankrupted. His enterprise, considered by most a complete insanity, was noticed by the René Duchamp, the financial administrator of Rimbaud family, who decided to finance the ambitious project: delivering ice to tropical islands. Huge profits are ahead for Charles Lautrec (the Ice King as people nickname him), for his supporters, and for anyone crazy enough to follow their business. (placeholder => ice cutting in Altonia) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Category A: Icehouses and warehouses Before ice can be delivered to a settlement, a dedicated infrastructure must be built: otherwise, ice would melt in less than a day. If you want to see ice in your settlement and keep it for more than a few hours, a storing place, owned by Rimbaud Family, must be present. Aim: build an icehouse, an insulated warehouse or something similar in your settlement. Requirements: it must be licensable as a small or medium build. Rimbaud Family (me) will buy it for twice its licensing cost and license the property. Gain for the participants: Twice the licensing cost of the build you submit. Opening a settlement for Cat B builds. Deadline: TBD, according to the participation. Prize for the winners: 1st 50Db+ 25% of the revenues for Cat A properties (for 4 MRCA turns); 2nd 25Db+ 15% of revenues (4 MRCA turns); 3rd 20Db+ 10% of revenues (4 MRCA turns). Winners decided with public voting; I will build something in Cat A but I will not enter the challenge (my builds will open settlements to Cat B, but will not enter the competition). Category B: Fresh fish and cold wine Now your settlement receives its monthly supply of ice. What to do with it, is completely up to you: build a super expensive ice statue to impress your guests, drink something cold, sell ice cream or slush (in Italy it was done since the Middle Age, using snow from Alps and Mount Etna), preserve fish or even try to send tropical fruit back to the motherland. Aim: use your fantasy and build something (more or less historically accurate/possible). It can be a commercial activity, a private use of ice or something different. Requirements: you don't have necessarily to build something in category A, but you can build only in settlements hosting a category A build or in Eltina (see later). The property can be licensed or not; if you don't want to license it, Rimbaud family will gladly buy it at 1.5 the licensing cost. EDIT: You can also build something not licensable in EGS terms. EDIT: You can also participate building in Altonia, provided that you build appropriate steps of the trade (ice cutting, the loading in ships, the transport to the port… or something similar) Gain for the participants: in this case, nothing but the possibility to build something unusual. Your faction or individual players, however, may decide to offer incentives for builds in specific settlements. Deadline: TBD, according to the participation. Prize for the winners: 1st 100Db; 2nd 50Db; 3rd 40Db. Winners decided with public voting; I will build something in Cat A but I will not enter the challenge (my builds will open settlements to Cat B, but will not enter the competition). Category C: Eltina Royal Project While ice trade is moving its first steps in the archipelago, the aristocrats and merchants of Eltina decided to finance something bigger, both for prestige and for economical reason. Eltina Ice House will provide all the ice needed by the elites, but will also allow the storage and preservation of valuable goods, in particular tropical fruit, imported cheese and fresh meat. Ice will also allow a more efficient brewing process for beverages usually requiring cold winter months for their production. Aim: building a Royal Commercial Property in Eltina, starting from the unloading and the transport of the ice, continuing with its storage, and ending with its uses, in particular to preserve goods. Requirements: The quality needed for Royal Builds, and some coordination with the others to reduce overlapping (for example, two ice houses would be useful, but showing storage of fruit in all the builds would be a little boring) Gain for the participants: Honor and glory: you are contributing to the glory of Oleon, our homeland won't forget your dedication. Each participant, moreover, will receive a flat of 50Db for each entry exceeding 1000 square studs (consider about 32x32 as reference, but also 950 studs will be fine; the cut-off is only to have an easier calculation of the overall size). Deadline: The completion of the project Prize for the winners: No winners for this category. If the build is completed and approved, each participant will receive an extra prize of 25Db. EDIT: Post your entries directly in this thread. Please specify the settlement and the EGS class. This mini-challenge is funded and organized by the Rimbaud family (that means with my personal funds), so I can't offer super high prizes, but I hope you will enjoy it anyways. If you have any question, feel free to PM me. Multiple entries are allowed (and encouraged), but you can win only 1 prize in Cat A and 1 in Cat B (your builds take the first and third places => you get the first prize, the third prize goes to the fourth classified). If you need inspiration you can look at wikipedia pages about ice trade and Frederic Tudor, the real Ice King. Voting will be opened at the end of the challenge.
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Doldrums may have becalmed the seas of late, but as the soccer tournament begins in Bastion, what better way to celebrate than to pay a visit to the Weelond Oktoberfest! Weelond’s annual Oktoberfest celebration features food and drink, contests of skill, games and amusements, traditional/historical costumes, food and drink (did we mention food and drink?), and more. So regardless of where you’re from, come to Weelond and have some fun! Rules: Your entry should be at least 16x16 and showcase an activity at the Weelond Oktoberfest. This can be a pub scene, a brewer or vendor at work or hosting visitors, stage performances, contests of skill, festivities on the market green, or whatever you can imagine, as long as the build illustrates festival activity at the Weelond Oktoberfest. In addition to posting your entry in the forum (ideally with a [W-OKT] tag in the title), please post a link to your build in this thread and in the Weelond settlement thread. Entries must be posted by October 31. Prizes: Each entry will receive 10DBs, and you can enter as many times as you want. Entries will be judged on presentation, quality of build, story, fit with Weelond's architectural style, and fit with the Oktoberfest/festival theme. The overall top three entries will earn 150DBs for 1st place, 100DBs for 2nd, and 50DBs for 3rd. An additional 50DBs will be awarded to the best licensable build in each of the following property categories: artrisan, commerce, factory, and residence. Also, 50DBs will be awarded to the best shipboard entry -- because fishermen and sailors party on the water as well as the land! Weelond will reimburse the builder for licensing costs for any property entry licensed through the EGS. Weelond also offers to purchase (at 3x the license cost) any property a builder does not wish to license. -
In the street of Weelond, the Oktober Fest is going full swing A fire breather is doing the show ! reverse view : C&C welcome, it's only a LDD built for I have not very much time with many builts and many homeworks (plumbing, painting) that are in progress. Could be licenced as a small street tavern -
Last year at this time tensions were running high in the Brick Seas, but this year there is much to celebrate. There is peace across the seas, and trade and adventure are resuming in earnest. There has even been the crowning of a soccer champion. What better way to celebrate than to pay a visit to the Weelond Octoberfest! Weelond’s annual Octoberfest celebration features food and drink, games and amusements, traditional/historical costumes, food and drink (did we mention food and drink?), and more. So regardless of where you’re from, come to Weelond and have some fun! Rules: Your entry should be at least 16x16 and showcase an activity at the Weelond Octoberfest. This can be a pub scene, a brewer or vendor at work or hosting visitors, stage performances, contests of skill, festivities on the market green, or whatever you can imagine, as long as the build is licensable as a property and pertains to the Weelond Octoberfest. You do not have to license your property, but the city of Weelond encourages you to do so. If you don’t participate in the EGS, you can also donate the property for the settlement to license if you wish. In addition to posting your entry in the forum (ideally with an [OCT] tag in the title), please post a link to your build in this thread and in the Weelond settlement thread. Entries must be posted by October 29. EDIT: Deadline extended to October 31. Prizes: Each entry will receive 25DBs, and you can enter as many times as you want. Entries will be judged in two categories: best story or character, and best build. Winners in each category will receive 300DBs, second place 200DBs, and third place 100DBs. An additional 50DBs will be awarded to the build that best exemplifies the architectural style of Weelond. Prizes will be awarded in November.
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[NTSC] Ténotclaxcan training Not every quay at Trador are strait to the sea and it's possible to find some nice sandy parts just next to the port. It is at such sandy place that the Ténotclaxcan Hunters, the great soccer team sent by King Azuma, decided to begin the training. They divided the team in half and launch a small friendly match on the beach. It is the best training they found, as it is known that running on the sand is really harder than running on the grass ! But another team seemed to have the same idea and while the leader of the Terraversa Rebels, the only team of the new Terraversa young Nation, tryed to negociate with the tavern tenant (a really too good Eslandolan Merchant...) his daughter, and co player, raged to the Ténotclaxcans who, according to her, have stolen their training beach. The teams : The Ténotclaxcan Hunters The Terraversa Rebels So the Quay can be licenced as a Large Commerce and allows me to bring 2 Soccer teams in the Challenge If I clearly understood the rules. I am leaving the right to @Maxim I to licence the build for him or for MAESTRO.
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Great work everyone, your entries were all excellent. Here's the list! @Bodi @Professor Thaum @Bregir @Maxim I @Keymonus Vote on who you think's build and story is best! Thank you all for your entries! I'll remind you of prizes 1st Place: WTC will build and license a large property in the settlement of your choosing And, you decide what really happened. Was it an Eslandolan plot? Native interference? Mardierian reprisal? Captain Mesabi? You decide! 2nd Place: WTC will build and license a medium property in the settlement of your choosing Finally, I'm disappointed in Y'all. No one said Count Mesabi did it! Also, If I missed anyone, please let me know. I just woke up... Now Vote!
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Mrs. Cantelli is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her fir tree at the port. Her husband, Mr. Cantelli, spared no expense importing a fir tree for Merrynight. He ordered it from his tree importer. His importer is making a healthy profit by using a new supplier.
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King Fernando had a lot to think about after the recent events, so he sought refuge in his good old hunting cabin. Here he could wander along the shores, listen to the waves with mighty mountains in the horizon, thinking to himself: I have always liked the wild. Especially the Eslandolan wild. Now, who did it belong to? Not the merchants, nor the peasants. The crown had quite a bit of land in its name. And he was still King. So it had to belong to him. Yes, he was still King of the Hill. He made it out alright, despite the Trade Companies attempts to thwart his power. The Oleon throne was not up for grabs anymore, but he still had a chance at it, if those before him should be so unfortunate to slip and fall on a dagger in the middle of the night. Maybe this crazy situation wasn't so bad. At least he could do whatever he wanted out here, without interference from people that think they know better. Of course they didn't. But he didn't care. He did not rule supreme anymore, but he actually felt relieved. All the stressful years, decades, his whole life in fact had been weighed down with trying to keeping up appearances, trying to get accept from King Phillip and Queen Annetta. For Naught. They would never show him any respect anyway. The councils could have the power. The Responisibility. The difficult decisions. The Anxiety. This. Here. It was much better. For the first time in ages, he felt free. The Jule celebration were coming soon. His outlook on the future shone brighter than ever before. Hope you liked it. Power to The People! And Long Live The King!
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Merrynight caroling to the less fortunate in Nellisa. The less fortunate don't seem all that interested in Merrynight singing. The rats on the other hand are leaving town.
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"Why do you call them 'The Firebirds'?" "They seem to love birds, for some reason. And they surely love fire. These bastards." Captain Perret, his lieutenant France "the whore" (actually a whore), gunslinger Marco Gonzalo and the rest of the crew of "The Firebirds" are gaining power in Charlatan Bay. Right now they have stolen the treasure from a rivaling gang, the Dreaders. The Dreaders run a tavern, which is also their headquarter. Have run, one must say, for the Firebirds live up to their name and set the place on fire. But how did that happen? Pretty Franca had entered the tavern, and used her special skills to distract... well, no need to state the obvious. Meanwhile Ayden Doris had climbed in through the rear window and taken all the gold. Now the two are climbing down the balcony, while the rest of the crew is defending the streets and setting the tavern on fire. Not only have "The Dreaders" lost all their money and their headquarter, but also many of their men. They will need years to recover, while the FIrebirds keep rising. Captain Perret once was a proud and honourable member of the Oleander navy, responsible for a strong warship. That is until he was caught red-handed with the vice admirals daughter. He sat in prison, waiting for his sentence of death. It was there that he got to know his cellmate Hoggar, a Sea Rat from Charlatan Bay, who had just blown up a minor palace in town. "It's your lucky day, man", Hoggar had said. "Lucky? I am awaiting death, man. What's lucky about that?!", Perret had replied angrily. Hoggar had started laughing, and all he said was "wait till you meet my friends". When only hours lager Gunslinger Marco Gonzalo and Franca "the whore" came and opened Hoggars cell, Perret took his chance and fled to Charlatan Bay, where he joined the gang and due to his military skills worked his way up to being the leader within two years. Franca "the whore" was no more than a hooker. A hooker with a gun, but still. That was until she met Marco Gonzalo of Eslandola, who had just come to Charlatan Bay to start a new life. Not only did she fall in love with the old gunslinger, but also joined him on his quest to riches, glory and power. Marco Gonzalo, born in Terreli on the Eslandolan mainland, was one of the first to sail into the new world, and had worked as a mercenary for many years. Working for his own pockets, though, was more lucrative, so he decided to move to Charlatan Bay and become his own master. Marco has a strong feeling for honour. The brutal honour of a criminal, but still. In his youth Páco "the cruel" was a fisherman who fought sharks with nothing but a net and a spear. On one of their recent raids the firebirds burnt down his village. That was when Páco decided to switch sides. Now he just wants to kill people. He still carries his net, though. To catch people. Which he then can kill. Of course. Nobody knows his real name. That's why everyone calls him "the mechanic". His inventions would even make the scholars of Corrington proud, but he desires nothing less than than being part of a nation. His newest invention is an automatic "gun", which they just call "The Gun". He has mounted it to a cart, drawn by a pig (which he named Freddy - since then some people have suspected Freddy to be his real name). Scarface came too close to an explosion when he was a child. Not only did he lose his face, but also most of his sanity. Today the Mardierian runs around with a giant club and sabre. And kills people. "Pyro" really likes to burn stuff. Nothing else to say about that guy. James "Chef" Wilde was a chef for Her Majesty Queen Annetta's Royal Navy, before he decided that life was too short to serve others. He really likes to use his whip, by the way. Ayden Doris, 15 years old, is the only "born Sea Rat" of the crew. His mother, a whore, and his father, a pirate, are long dead. Ayden always had to find his way through life. His career as a burglar in Charlatan Bay is remarkable. He is the latest new member of the Firebirds. Hoggar, son of a miner, started his life working in the mines where his father had worked. He learned to handle dynamite, and assisted in forcing open new tunnels. He left the mining company, but took his knowledge to become a sellsword, blowing up warehouses, palaces and other establishments of one rich person by order of another rich person. He often felt that he was the only one who profited. In one of his last missions he had gotten to know Marco Gonzalo, who did not let Hoggar down when the latter got imprisoned in Oleon.
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Captain Old Beard Caliquot's Gang. Captain Old Beard Caliquot is an old pirate who never retired from his life of piratery. He is followed by a dangerous crew of thieves and throat cutters. His main objective is to find a strange island holding a Mythic treasure and he is ready to anything to find the second half of the map that could lead him to discover it. He is now establishing his new base point in Lowtown, in Charlatan Bay. To do so, he is determined to steal from everyone who can provide him some riches. His main "tactic" is a bit rough... Just burst out through the window of your room and threat you with all his power to make you confess where you've hidden your values. If your lucky enough, the gang leaves you unspoiled... Here is Captain Old Beard Caliquot : He is an old pirate now but don't trust his nice beardy apperance ! He is not a gentle guy who drops you some gifts by night ! No ! He is here to steal those presents from you ! Here is his first mate and lieutenant : Dreadful Bill : It is said that he is not the "original" Dreadful Bill initially hired by Captain Old Beard Caliquot. But it's a secret known only by himself and by his Captain. Here is Triple Pistol Pat : His wooden leg is a deadly weapon ! He is hiding a gun inside it ! Here is Cutlass Jim : He is a former bard and is playing with knives with the same dexterity he his playing the mandolin ! Here is "Fat" Maïte : She is the cook of the crew, but just don't tell her she is fat if you don't want to finish in the stew ! At last, here is the new member of the gang : Tezclatipoca He his a Native of some island the gang visited. It is said that he is a Cannibal... Nobody can confirm this but it's sure he is a fan of Maïte's recepies. Here is my participation of the Minichallenge. I found it was an opportunity to tease you with some of my future characters. You will see them in other developments ! Hope you like them ! -
Ok everyone, it's time to get building in Nocturnus! And for the chance to win some sweet PRIZES!!! Just so everyone knows, these are not part of the next chapter of Guilds of Historica, but just some fun minichallenges to get new and old builders back into the Darklands! Minichallenge 1: Foreign Aid The need for experienced soldiers in the ongoing Nocturnus Civil War is prompting both sides to seek help from outside the Darklands. Whatever their motivation - be it gold, glory or sympathy for one or the other sides - fighters from across Historica are pouring into Nocturnus. However, one does not simply walk into the Darklands. Those entering Nocturnus must face the challenges of the Kelra Labyrinth or bypass this obstacle by scaling the Rakath Mountains or entering from the jagged, dangerous coastline. Minichallenge requirements: You should show foreign forces entering Nocturnus for either the Black Spire or Nocturnian Resistance. However, they must be depicted passing through the Kelra Labyrinth, traversing the Rakath Mountains or entering Nocturnus from the sea. You can show off one fighter or as many as you can fit within the size limit. Show off your best Avalonian, Mitgardian and Kaliphlin warriors as they intercede on behalf of the Nocturnus Struggle! Size limit: 32x32 with limited overhang Deadline for entries: 11:59 p.m. anywhere in the world on October 1st Prizes will be awarded to the top builder for the Black Spire and the Nocturnian Resistance. This challenge is open to all GoH members, not just Nocturnus. The side you pick to build for has no bearing on future challenges/contests so feel free to pick whichever side you like! If you're sigfig is a member of the Nocturnian Resistance but you want to play devil's advocate and build for Raavage, then do so! Judging will be based on the MOC's story, details, composition and how well it follows the requirements. You must post your entry in a separate thread and provide the link on this thread. Please prefix your entry thread with the title "Nocturnus Minichallenge I:" and then enter the name of your entry. Also, please note at the top of the thread if you are building for the Resistance or the Black Spire. Feel free to discuss the minichallenge in this thread! Here's some recent Nocturnus history for those who need it (this is from the first page of the Nocturnus Discussion thread, if you want to read more): Following the defeat of the Black Mage at Cedrica, the guild of Nocturnus was invaded by the Black Spire, a group consisting of Hand of Corruption soldiers, Varlyrian shock troopers and Drow rebels. Nocturnus is now in chaos. The Black Spire quickly conquered nearly all of Nocturnus before Lord Sslither's forces rallied from Cedrica and a band of brave Historicans from the other three guilds made a brave stand at Abyssian castle, Nocturnus's capital. During the battle at Abyssian, disgraced Avalonian General, Trian Buress was killed by Black Spire forces. The push back from the Nocturnians weaken the Black Spire's grip, but did not break it. Today, the Black Spire has conquered over half of Nocturnus and constructed a fortress, the Obsidian Spike, to serve as a command center for their forces. The Spire now controls all of the eastern and southern portions of Nocturnus while those still loyal to Sslither hold the northern and most of the western lands. And, in case you'd like an example of the Kelra Labyrinth, here's one by the Nocturnian Master himself, IScreamClone: Alright everyone, the moment you've been waiting for: the winners of this challenge! Jacob Nion is the winner in the Black Spire category! Henjin_Quilones is the winner in the Nocturnian Resistance category! Congrats to these two, and a big thanks to all who have participated! Nocturnus has never looked so awesome!
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Resistance sympathizer King Zalgel has sent Urkan, his chief general, from his city of Griznâg in the depths of the Enchanted Forest of Avalonia to join with his royal cousin, Frykka the Brown, in Nocturnus in battle against the traitorous Black Spire. To get there, the band of orcish soldiers has had to brave many hazards, from fierce-eyed Elvish hunters, roaming human cavalry patrols, deserts, fell beasts, and now, at last, the towering Rakath Mountains. On the eastern side of those lofty peaks runs a river, red as freshly spilled human blood, called the Sayn Gwinos River by those who have made the maps. A single bridge crosses the that crimson stream, passing through the ensnaring webs of many deadly spiders. Will the orcs make it to Frykka's warband alive, to swell the ranks of the Resistance against Raavage's tyrannical reign, or will they perish in the mountains, struck down by noxious rivers and venomous arachnids? Time alone will tell... ___________________________________________________ ...................................................................................................... Introducing my second build for the Nocturnian Minichallenges. The photography hopefully looks quite a bit better for this one as I took some advice I was given and took the pictures outside in a shady spot with my old point-and-shoot digital camera. All the grey for the rocks makes me appreciate LittleJohn's Nordheim Fjall that much more... -
Build for the Black Spire. In the darklands in the land of undead lies the Temple of Blood and where Angonran the greatest vampire, leader of undead and his army performs rituals with blood magic, pray for darkness and call the chaos god to protect all undead for the Black Spire victory. It's been a long time since I build something so I'm glad that I'm back and, of course I like the idea of this challenge.
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For the Black Spire. Many centuries ago, a large spherical object appeared in the lands now called Nocturnus. The inhabitants of this land found the stone-like sphere, unsure of what it was, they approached the sphere and as the grew closer to it, a low humming sound could be heard originating from the object. Scared they attempted to move it, it could not be moved, pushed, lifted, nor rolled. So they tried to break it, open it maybe, believing the humming was maybe coming from a creature inside, no matter what they tried, how hard they hit, even the magic of powerful wizards wouldn't lave but a scratch. Learning of the near indestructibility of the sphere, the inhabitants fear grew stronger towards it, so they turned to praying to the sphere in the hopes that whatever was inside would not harm them if ever it emerged. They built a shrine for the sphere, and only the combined magic of the most powerful wizards could lift the impossibly heavy object, to place it in the shrine. Back to the present day, and the Sphere still remains in the shrine after all this time, a mage known as the Purple Mage has learnt of the existence of the mystical sphere and wishes to harness its power and invulnerability. After studying ancient documents, him and his assistant have found the location of the shrine of the Sphere. - Come you foolish creature, it is here, the ancient Sphere! - I will require drops of your blood... The Purple Mage slices open the hand of L'aark, letting out a small snort. - Now place your hand on the Sphere... Not that one you fool, the one dripping with blood! As L'aark placed his bloody hand on the Sphere, and The Purple Mage chanted and ancient spell, the red markings on the floor progressively started growing until they reached the large ston bowls. The cristals light up and shot blood red beams of light into the sky. Clouds gather above the shrine creating a swirling storm, lightning striking the small sphere atop the shrine, sending electricity surging through into the sphere. Magenta smoke whirled around the Sphere, before being absorbed by the mages staff. Its power had been extracted, the Sphere crumbled into pieces... Only realising the deadline for Nocturnus Minichallenges I and II was today, I decided to whip something up quick. Always wanted to use the Indiana Jones boulder, so this was a good opportunity. Thanks for looking!
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Build for the Black Spire. From Orcish Marshes, through the snowy mountains of Mitgardia and deeper into darklands the orcs for help the Black Spire now traveling through Rakath Mountains, the area inhabited by mysterious creatures Worrakaths, which with its long tentacles catch and kill everything in their path. Even the bravest orcs are afraid of this terrible way. -
We are the left-overs of nobility. The fourth child, the cousin, the uncle. Far from the line of succession, without hope of ruling lands ourselves. Our brothers might become mighty lords, but we must toil for our own glory. So when the Valyrian came and called for aid against the horrors of Nocturnus, we heard that call. I, Sir Augustus Maneworth, fourth son of Lord Tybolt Maneworth, took it upon myself to lead this expedition. Many of my old friends joined me: Sir Arcas Bearington, strong and boisterous as his namesake. Sir Prester Equinnon, his House renowned for its horsemen. Robin Oakly, common-born but of great standing as a hunter. And many more, from Houses great and small. Together, we would show the monsters of Nocturnus how true Avalonian knights fight, and shower ourselves in glory. Two months ago, we departed from Albion. Such a sight to behold, that was: banners streaming in the wind, sunlight gleaming of swords and shields, destriers snorting in the morning air. Maidens threw flowers and kisses from their balconies, and boys ran alongside us, wishing strength to our arms and swords. For the first weeks, we rode through the Avalonian countryside. We slept in comfortable inns, if we weren’t feasted by the Lords whose castles we passed. Those easy comforts were nowhere to be find when we entered the heartlands of Historica. Here we were thrown back to what we could hunt, as well as the provisions we had taken. No longer did we sleep in feather beds, but in bedrolls on the hard cold ground around a campfire. This we took in stride, as we of course couldn’t expect comfortable beds on our grand adventure. But then, our provisions started to dwindle: we first ran out of honeyed larks, only halfway to the Kelra Labyrinths. Orange cakes soon followed, and the last wine was drunk as the peaks of the Rakath Mountains appeared in the distance. Some started grumbling, unfamiliar with the sensation of not having whatever they want at hand. But we pushed on, even though our meals were down to dried meat, cheese and bread. Looking back, those days were still easy and comfortable. Then, we arrived at the Kelra Labyrinths. That first day, we were full of hope. After navigating the maze, we would only need to cross a mountain pass, and we’d be in Nocturnus. We had a map of the Labyrinths, and were confident that Robin could find the way. The sun was shining brightly in a clear blue sky, and though we bones in our path, it couldn’t be dangerous to Avalonian knights, couldn’t it? That dream was brutally ripped from us come nightfall. As the shadows lengthened, breezes started stirring, turning the entire maze in a wind organ. Then, when the sun dipped below the horizon, the howls started. Most of us had heard wolves before, but this was different. Somehow, these sounded cold, malicious. And sometimes, suddenly, a scream would pierce the air. We camped down for the night, lighting torches to keep the howlers away. Eventually, most of us were able to get some sleep, but still the howling rang on. We woke to a cold, clinging mist. Then came a terrifying discovery: the larger part of our party was gone. Of the two score knights that had set out from Albion, only I and a dozen others remained. The others had vanished, with their horses and belongings. Had they gone on without us? Had the howlers gotten them, and taken their belongings away? Or was there an even more mysterious force at work? We continued on through the fog. Robin Oakly remained to us, and we could easily find the way. The following weeks, we traversed the Labyrinths, fighting off monsters of the maze, trying to survive. The landscape was surprisingly varied: from narrow twisting passageways open to the sky, to great complexes of spires and bridges, to entire abandoned cities in the heart of the maze. Who might have constructed this great Labyrinth and for what reason we might never know, but I can’t help but feel in awe of its grandeur and sheer scale. Many of us have passed away, falling to beasts and other hazards. But we pushed on. We are knights of Avalonia. It takes more than a maze of horrors to stop us. In the pictures, the surviving knights are ambushed by a tentacled monster that has hidden itself in a well. Looks like they have to look a bit further for water to drink! I wanted to have a bit of a new take on the maze, and I quite liked the idea of having a city built within the maze, with the streets functioning as passageways. I also liked how it added to the mystery of the maze. The small plaza is surrounded by a (now overgrown) park, some arcades that perhaps hosted shops, and a half-collapsed house. A traveler has already passed this way, and was ambushed as well. He fled into the abandoned house, but found out that he couldn’t leave because of the monster in the well. He soon died of his injuries and thirst. This foreign aid is going to the Black Spire!
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The Pies of the Spiderwitch (on behalf of the Resistance) Somewhere in southern Nocturnus, perhaps nestled into the tumbled foothills of the Rakath Mountains, or perhaps near the shores of the salty sea, dwells the Spiderwitch. No one quite knows where she came from, or what she is precisely, or even how long she has dwelt in her halls of weathered stone; but everyone knows to avoid the roads and paths that lead to her treacherous snares. That being said, it seems, for the unwary traveler, especially those merry men from Avalonia come to fight in the civil war, that all paths for miles around lead inexorably towards her tower, as though drawn to the center of a vast web, no matter which direction one turns or how quickly one runs. It is said that she prefers it when they run. She likes the excitement. It is also said about her that no one has ever tasted a pumpkin pie better than that of the Spiderwitch. The veracity of those accounts may be doubted, as no one has ever left from her den alive to spread the tale abroad, but those same rumor-mongers quickly add that no one leaves because they cannot bear to live without the pie. The pumpkin pie is so magical, so enchanted, that even the hideous form of the Spiderwitch is rapturous in its beauty and charm to those under its spell, and the men and elves, and everyone else, never leave because they are so in love with her. So love has blinded them. But who can truly say? If you ever care for a bite, stop by. You might just find yourself a permanent inhabitant. Or ingredient. Bon appétit! Occasionally the Spiderwitch has been known to forget the pumpkins altogether, substituting other, just as tasty, ingredients. But usually she just puts everything into the pie and says the right spells... Edit: In case anyone is wondering how to properly make a pie of this sort, here is the recipe: 6 Avalonian heads, drained 3 medium sized pumpkins, baked and blended 2 c. green slime 2 c. beer 3/4 c. dragon horn, powdered 6 c. shredded carrots 3 stewed orc tongues 5 c. fireweed stalks, diced and cooked 8 c. sugar 1 c. cobweb 2 medium dragon eggs 3 tbsp. cinnamon 1 tbsp. nutmeg 1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pixy dust 1 pinch eye of newt Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix all the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients and then gently mix into the wet, being careful to stir briskly to avoid clumps. Grease a large pie pan and pour in the pie mix while muttering the crust incantations. Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is firm. Allow to cool for several hours. Serving suggestion: Whipped Avalonian blood topping and a nice pumpkin spice beer to wash it down. Serves 10-15. __________________________________________________________________________________ .................................................................................................................................................................... Thanks for looking! C&C welcome. There are more pictures on Flickr, too, if you click on any of the pictures above. I do not have a light brick, but by shining a flashlight through the back of the oven I thought it created a nice fiery glow.
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Building for the Spire read first: For days now they had been marching through the mountains. Yvern had found a pretty large group of Bulls willing to join them, after talking to Davok. Now the expedition, under formal lead of Thornn and Spyrus, and Davok and Yvern, was crossing the Kyrrath Mountains. Tonight they could rest in the ruins of an ancient abandoned Orc fortress, Khazrat. Yet when they came closer, there was an unusual stench in the air. Spyrus and Davok went on, while the rest halted. When they neared the entrance to the fortress, Spyrus said: "This is Orc-scent. That would be that Resistance regiment. See? He didn't wipe them out, filthy Yudha. "How did you call me?" An unwelcome but familiar face appeared above them, just outside the gate the ruins of Khazrat Spyrus: "Why... what... what are you doing here?" Yudha: "Easy...helping my new friends to prevent some impetuous young men from assisting the spire... They pay me well enough" Davok: "Treacherous scum... Is mony indeed all you are after?" Yet Yudha disappeared through the gate. Davok: "The fortress will be occupied. Yet there is no way back now. The fortress doors have rotten away over time, so our best chances are to rush in..", and he shouted a signal. Immediatly the whole expedition started to run, with their weapons ready, not knowing where the enemy might appear... the ruins of Khazrat the ruins of Khazrat the ruins of Khazrat the ruins of Khazrat So, I have been working on this for a pretty long time: I wanted to hit some birds with one stone: I wanted to make ruins, and to make a round tower. I am pretty happy with the architecture of the (front) wall and the tower, yet they don't really get the attention they deserve in this build, I think. The tower has an half collapsed part, and the wall has some chunk out of it, made with different slope bricks.
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On behalf of the Resistance: The Proposal of the Spiderwitch After the events of the previous two builds (here and here), the Spiderwitch, intent on winning the pumpkin pie contest, at long last decided to emerge from her darkened lair to pay a visit to Lord Raavage, the contest judge. The Lord of Darkness, Raavage himself, had left the towering edifice of the Black Spire to go visiting some of his other fortresses, and in late October decided to stop by the halls of Ereknydd Castle, home of General Skellek, the great Drow warleader. A great feast was held in Raavage's honor, with many guests invited, including some Hand members, dark dwarves, witches, and the odd goat-wolf-man. The wine flowed as freely as the tears of the Avalonian elf kept in the cage by Raavage's spiky throne. Suddenly, a loud knock on the doors of the great hall echoed through the chamber. The massive portals swung open, revealing a quartet of low orcs bearing a giant, delicious-smelling pumpkin pie on a bier. After depositing their burden on the table the orcs left in a hurry, leaving the doors open in their haste. A silence hung through the hall as all of the guests smelling the savory scents began to salivate. Suddenly, out of the pie, burst the figure of a woman, all blue and scantily clad with seductive head tails dangling behind her. She emerged from the pie and began dancing her way towards the steps and the throne of Lord Raavage. Raavage, entranced by her beauty, stood to greet her, meeting her halfway. While everyone was enraptured by the woman, a mysterious form, the Spiderwitch herself, crept into the hall and began to descend from the high rafters. She plopped her hairy black body down beside the throne of the Lord of Nocturnus, who was startled by her sudden presence and leapt back into the seat he had vacated when the blue woman had approached him. The seductress was standing calmly on the steps, waiting for the business of the witch to finish. The guests all eagerly watched to see what might happen next. A stillness hung over the hall as the Spiderwitch and the Lord stared at each other, wits matched in a mental game of chess. Finally the Spiderwitch smiled broadly and gestured at the pie and the woman. "Eat your fill, My Lord, it is all yours," she said. "And when you are finished with both, I shall be waiting for you in your chambers. You see, it has been many years now since my husband died, and I have been so very, very lonely at night, needing the strong embrace of a powerful and virile man. Will you marry me, Lord Raavage?" "What if I say no?" asked Raavage, a hint of nerves appearing in his voice for the first time as he pulled back from the many hairy spider legs. "You have two choices, My Lord," replied the Spiderwitch. "Either award me victory for my pie, or be my husband. Of course, I would prefer both..." The End. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ ........................................................................................................................................................................................ The build with no figures: Thanks for looking! C&C welcome!
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The Crowning of Wilfred Sigurd Final Entry for the Game of Thrones: Avalonia Mini-challenge Wilfred Sigurd began to walk slowly down the center of the throneroom, the scepter feeling odd in his hands, the crown, newly placed upon his head, uncomfortably heavy. Perhaps someday he would grow accustomed to these things, the trappings of his new office, but he did not think so. There was much to do; the vow he had made to his dying wife, all those years ago, to forswear war and violence and to dedicate himself to peace, came to his mind. He would have to work hard to maintain the peace that the realm needed so badly. He had alliances to forge, taxes to collect, verdicts to decide...but all that could wait. He straightened his back, made eye contact with his son, Robert, and then began to smile warmly at the gathered lords and ladies of the realm; all of the inhabitants of Avalonia, it seemed, had come out to see him crowned king. He would not disappoint them. ____________________________________________ ........................................................................................ My entry, on behalf of @Servertijd. The architectural details are pretty cool, in my opinion, even if the tiles on the columns were nearly impossible to keep straight; I need more light bley jumper plates, apparently. The lighting, on the other hand, was unpleasant. It took multiple sessions and different configurations before finally getting something that at least was halfway decent. It looks a bit like the dim light of an old castle, I guess. The red window, commissioned to honor the blood spilled by the fallen Avalonians during the wars with Revolword and Raavage, shines particularly bright. Every member of Avalonia had his or her sigfig placed in the build somewhere, though unfortunately not all are visible. Some are up above in the balconies, some down below. All are fleshie, regardless of how they are otherwise presented, and the closest approximation I could get from the parts I had on hand. So some don't look that close, unfortunately, especially if three other sigfigs used the same hair or torso...
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Here's my entry for the architect mini-challenge. This is a scene from a Valholl courtyard, a gardener is watering the flowers while the lady enjoys her walk: Few more pics here: http://brickbuilt.tk...holl-Garden.php Thanks for looking, all C&C welcome
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The recent Flash MOCs (http://www.flickr.com/groups/urtica/) gave me the inspiration for the stone technique, and of course I added a full interior. This trading post located in the mountains of Mitgardia allows hunters and trappers to trade their furs for supplies, and provides a safe place to stay if neccesary. Joktan, who runs the trading post then sells those furs throughout Historica. More pics here: http://brickbuilt.org/Trading-Post.php Any C&C welcome
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Cinnatus An entry to the Game of Thrones: Avalonia minichallenge When Artorious Rex arrived in Avalonia nearly 10 years ago, brave men rode by his side in a thundering wall, known as the Flight of Dragons. They drove away the forces of darkness from the realm and restored peace and order that had not been seen for centuries. Those mounted warriors became Lords of Avalonia, friends of the king, and guardians of peace and justice across the land. One of those men, by the name of Cinnatus, shied away from the prestige and the glory; he humbly accepted his lordship and his grant of land, since they were the will of the king, and then went to his new territory and began to work it as a simple farmer. He placed his armor and sword in his attic, and hitched his mighty warhorse to a heavy plow to break the soil. And then the elemental monsters came, and the sword of Cinnatus was needed once more. He heeded the call of Artorious Rex and came to the defense of the realm, leading an army of men to victory in engagement after engagement. The elementals were defeated, and Cinnatus returned home to finish plowing his fields. But the Drow soon rose up, posing a threat to the surface-dwellers; the High Lords called upon him in the absence of King Artorious, and once again Cinnatus answered the summons. The Drow were defeated by Cinnatus and his army, and Cinnatus returned home to harvest his crops. But then Lord Raavage attempted to spread his darkness over all the lands, and the heroes of Avalonia were needed to repel the blackness; at the Battle of Green Leaf Pass, the Drow forces were once again defeated by the Flight of Dragons galloping up the green slopes. And then again on the plains of Nocturnus, Cinnatus proved a pivotal role in driving back the Black Spire and raising Queen Ylspeth to the throne to once again unite the four guilds. Finally Cinnatus returned to his humble estate and hitched Badius, his brown stallion, back to the plow, his duty to the land once more discharged. The tenants tending his other fields were glad to see him return, as they knew they would always be listened to and respected, as no other landlord ever had treated them better, like real people. Cinnatus worked alongside them daily, never seeking to seem better than they. He judged fairly when asked, intervened when needed, and was always just in his decisions. Then word came that the Council of Lords wished to anoint a new king to take the place of the vanished Artorious, and the people of Cinnatus' lands begged him to consider taking on the role. Cinnatus refused. But then other lords, like Henjin Quilones of Druidham, visited and begged the same thing, asking him to do it as a duty to the people of Avalonia. And so finally, moved by a sense of duty, of obligation to the land and people, Cinnatus decided to venture to Albion to be considered for the vacant throne. But first he finished plowing his field.
