Comrade Commander

As the guant figure departs, Darksten shoulders his crossbow and moves to the quest board hoping to see his name on the list of those selected. Relieved that it is indeed scribbled there, he throws a quick glance to the veteran heroes in the hall before walking out the front door. "Soon I too can swap tales of valor, and the loot of my travels" he thinks to himself.

Forgive me if I missed this, but what is the timeline for this? Is there a deadline for us to meet? How long does each section (sign ups, brainstorming, MOCing, etc) take? I think setting a timeline this early will be important because it will keep us on topic and moving along. (Also, I should add I do have a little background in business, but I am not sure how relevant it will be as it is not in sales. Either way I can chime in if I think it is useful)

Darksten watches as the veteran heroes come and go from the hall. He had since moved back to his lonely table in the corner, and from there he was listening in on their conversations, making notes, and preparing himself for when he too would have the opportunity to travel the world. Then he saw the new flyer being posted to the board, and without a hesitation he walked over to look at it. "Hmmph, bugs weren't exactly what I had in mind when I joined Heroica" He says to himself "But at least it is a good way to earn gold" "Just not sure my crossbow will be of much use in the tight quarters of a hovel though" He scribbles his name on the sign up list (for Quest #97) either way hoping that at the very least he can just stomp on them

I support this idea! Right now my Building/imaging capabilities may not be up to par, but I am happy to help on the creative end. Be it writing or just simply brainstorming...

Darksten heard the door swing open and saw the brightly colored person enter the room. It was a sight that was hard to miss. Darksten couldn't help but laugh to himself as he wondered how the new individual planned to remain hidden outside of a fairground. At least the dwarf and knight currently standing with him appeared more fit for combat.

As Darksten watched the Dwarf, he noticed that it seemed the Knight in his shining armor was beckoning him over. As he joined the two he listened to their plans to enter the Fields of Glory. As he did, he sized up his companions. The Dwarf's size still bothered him, and the armor on the knight shined in such a way that it was evident it had not been used in combat before. Plus, even Darksten knew his own skills were fit for the woods, but not necessarily up to par for all the dangers in the world. "Gentlemen, while I don't know you very well, I think we best stay away from the Field of Glory for the time being. The stories that I have heard indicate that the place is not maintained for the new and inexperienced. However, I would be willing to join you on a quest if we can find the right employer, or would even go to the Fields of Glory if we can get a veteran guide.

Darksten looked up from his thoughts at the bearded dwarf banging on a table. The short man certainly seemed tough, but Darksten couldn't help and wonder how his short legs would fair outside of the paved city streets or smooth stone mines.

Thanks! I am looking forward to questing with everyone and learning from all of you.

After a brief stop at the market place, Darksten strolled into the Hall. Though it was humming with conversation, he prefered to grab a table alone in the corner. With no viable quests offered for the time being, he sat quietly with his thoughts. He new the woods had taught him a lot on his many hunting trips, but there was still plenty for him to learn. That much was very clear to him given the variety of foreign species he saw conversing together.

On the way to Heroica Hall, Darksten stops by the market place to peruse the good being sold. After skimming over the meager wares at Gnomeo's Toolshed, he settles on a buying a bedroll after remembering the many cold nights he had spent on past hunting trips. (10g-5g=5g)

Darksten (Comrade Commander) **Immune to poisoned, bleeding, cursed, jinxed, blinded** 36 year old male human Assassin Level 25 Power Bonus: 3 (+3 [Sungold Seal]) Health: 48/48 (6 [base health] + 26 [level] + 5 [advanced class] + 1 [drumstick] + 5 [raw meat] + 1 [Quest #153 Reward] + 2 [Sungold Seal] +4 [Feathered Hat]) Defense: 2 Gold: 1637 GP: 46 Equipment: Composite Bow (WP:11, ignores defense, bow, -1 poisoned *1 battle*), Sand Worm Hide (SP: 2, bodywear), Tribal Amulet (Wearer is immune to poisoned, bleeding, cursed, jinxed, and blinded; suitable to barbarians, rangers, beast warriors; accessory); Sungold Seal (+3 Power, +2 Health); Feathered Hat (Max. health +4; a consumable item named “feather” can be stored in the hat and used without spending a turn during battles, comes equipped with [Feather of Lithe]; headwear) Inventory: Weapons: Spider String Bow (WP: 4, darkness-elemental bow), Crossbow (WP:6), Fang Dagger (WP:5, deals double damage to beasts; dagger), Pongcanis Crossbow (WP:8, crossbow)(loaned from Matthias), Rusty Dagger (WP: 2, Poisoned -2) Artifacts: Vampire Cape (Halves damage from undead enemies; backwear); Safety Blanket (SP:1, protects from Afraid, backwear) Spell Items: N/A Consumables: 5x Potion, 5x Grand Potion, Health Core, 4x Remedy, Elixir, 2x Phoenix Essence, 1x Smelling Salt, 5x Mead, 3x Nostrum, Soma, Ambrosia, Root Beer (Restores 10 health, or can be used as a bomb against undead enemies for 20 damage. The Root Beer does not affect non-undead enemies), Aeolus Bomb, Neptune Bomb, Floral Bomb, x1 Lightning Bomb, Smoke Bomb, 6x Venom, Deadly Venom, 5x Bone, Gold Ring (worth 15 gold; can be given to someone to make them enamored with the giver), 4x Shattering Arrow (Lowers Enemy SP by 5, suitable for classes with bows and crossbows) Tools: Bedroll, Pickaxe, Shovel, Magnifying Glass, Telescope, Magic Compass, Cornocopia (Increases the holder’s gold by 25% at the end of each quest.) Reputations: Has a good reputation with the Bonapartes and Hinckwells Member of the Sungold Alliance

25. Crayonboi - 2 16. Wonderpuddle - 1 46. Iaka - 1 50. Hen Peril - 1

Stupid redcoats... I am am on the bluecoat side! Though I admit my entry isn't the best so it should probably belong in here..... 14. ZCerberus: 2 pts 10. Skalldyr: 2 pts 11. Capt. Stabbin 1pt (Definitely some good entries!)

31. soundwave_sw: 3 pts 32. TheLegoDr: 1pt 28. crayonboi: 1pt

ARE YOU TIRED OF THOSE RASH PIRATES STEALING EVERYTHING YOU OWN? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DO YOU FEEL YOUR CURRENT PIRATE CONTROL JUST ISN'T DOING THE TRICK? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- THEN TERMINATE YOUR CONTRACT AND SWITCH TO THE BLUECOATS! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLUECOATS RID THE SEAS OF THE WEAK AND WORTHLESS, AND ENSURE THEY NEVER BOTHER YOU AGAIN! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SO MESSENGER US TODAY AND SEE WHAT POWER AND MIGHT CAN DO FOR YOU! BLUECOATS: WE EAT LOBSTERBACKS FOR BREAKFAST! ------------------------ Greetings all! Apologies to my team for my lack of activity. Trying to move during the holidays and start a new job is not a good time to enter a contest (especially if the movers are as useless as a redcoat!) I know this entry isn't the best of quality, but I wanted to make sure I got something in to support my team and strike a blow for good! Best of luck to all and feedback is always welcome!

1) Comrade Commander 2) Bluecoat 3) Doesn't really matter to me, but... Lieutenant, Soldier, Helmsman

I was surprised more people didn't enter this contest... My votes are as follows: 10. Spacy Smoke's Sunken City Corner = 2pts 4. Oky's The Sunken Ruins of the Royal Knights' Castle = 2pts 8. darkdragon's There's a new Sheriff in town! = 1pt

Forgive me if this has already been addressed (or is blatantly obvious), but is there a way to tell new production sets from old? I just bought a London Escape from my local WalMart and received the pearl gold coins. I was able to work with the very helpful Lego Customer Service to have it corrected, but I was thinking it would be nice to pick the newer sets right from the start to avoid this extra effort. Thanks!

I allocate all six (6) of my points to.... Greg3 for the short story "The Veteran" This is because I believe it is a well written story, with deep meaning. It tells a story of a brief meeting on a foggy night, but also the story of many lego fans around the world who went digging for their forgotten redcoats with the launch of POTC. This subtle underscore of reality, with a dash of lego history and POTC lore, create a superb short story. It captures everything I expected from this competition and from my lego experiences as well. Great job Greg3 and keep up the good work!

I would like to claim: Mailing List: VERIFIED Total: 6 Points Thanks!!

Thanks for the great feedback everyone! I guess the goal of this story was to provide a "credit scroll" as SilvaShadow put it. A little more action was tried when I first wrote it, but the 300 word limit prevented me from meshing it with the rest of my objectives. Understandably the lack of it may turn some people off. Maybe there will be an opportunity for me to expand and fine tune it!

Thanks for that helpful advice. I had seen you add some helpful advice in other threads and I am glad you did the same here. I also want to say that you presented them in a very helpful manner, and I truly appreciate your style. It is a lot better than some of the other critiques you see around the web! You have no idea how many times I checked and rechecked my work and I still made that spelling error! Oh well, I guess that is why they say you should always have someone else proofread your work. When I first wrote out the story in Microsoft Word, I had it broken up into paragraphs. However, when I brought it into the forums, it just didn't look right. I think it is just longer than I am used to writing on discussion boards. Either way, I will definitely work on the suggestions you made. Thanks again for all the ideas, and keep up the good comments!

I agree!! Just what I had in mind. Best of luck!

I really like this entry so far! I think it is one of my favorites. Much like other people have said before, the writing is simple yet effective. My only suggestions are towards the picture you posted. Looking at the two minifigures featured, I can't help but think the classic redcoat is the new recruit, and the new style redcoat is the sergeant. The reasons I believe this is are as follows: First, the new recruit is wearing a tricorner hat. Typically the higher ranks of the Imperials have been known to wear the tricorner. My suggestion is to switch hats. Currently the recruit has the tough face while the sergeant has a boyish looking one. I would recommend looking to recreate some of the redcoat leadership from the classic sets. This will add another dimension to the entry, as well as clarify the roles! Finally, the sergeant looks small compared to the new recruit. I understand that the image is to look as if he had come upon the new soldier, but when you factor in the above information, it looks as if the sergeant is just a little boy looking up at a tough guard. Try bringing him forward some more, or putting both on the same base plate. While I don't think the pictures play a huge role in this particular contest, these changes may help in getting more attention! Best of luck, and you certainly have some votes from me!

Greetings Comrades! Here is my entry for the contest. Hope you like it! Word Count: 298 Feel free to give any feedback. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ As the Imperial Trading Post slipped into the mist behind him, Captain Jack Sparrow chuckled at where fate had taken him. It had started with an escape that had been almost too easy. The days of the fortresses like Eldorado were long gone. The new Admiral seemed to care more about raiding pirate bases, than building his own. Not that Jack minded, since the Imperial jail he had been held in was of such poor construction, his escape had almost been as simple as walking right out the back! Finding a ship and recruiting a new crew had been futile though. Pirates such as Ironhook and Red Beard had already claimed the limited amount of able bodies offered. So Jack had set out alone in his quest for revenge. In his travels he discovered the Enchanted Island, and traded the treasures stolen from there for gold and rum to support his mission. He had even profited from selling his map to his competition once he was done with it. And so it was, for the ten years he had spent since being marooned on that godforsaken island by his mutinous crew. Running first from Governor Broadside and his army of blue, and then Admiral Woodhouse who had turned the sea red, Jack Sparrow had crossed the Caribbean alone and on a mission. Yet, the rumors whispered about a new Imperial Flagship had convinced Jack he needed to do more. So he had gathered up his effects and set off for a distant land, one where the other pirate captains had not yet pillaged. And so, as the last gloom of the Imperial lanterns disappeared into the night, Captain Jack Sparrow set his mind on his target and followed the compass in his hand towards his destination… Port Royal!