DrColossus

Thank you! That's a great idea. I am definitely looking to learn better landscaping techniques, so I will try that the next time!

This is really nice! First of all, the Viking roof build is awesome, and you were really able to nicely suggest the style with just a few pieces. I like the snow-scaping, it looks very natural. I also am a big fan of the saddles hanging up.

I don't think I ever posted my Phase I here, sorry! Stables, Phase I Olin's Sad Trek Through the Snow | DrColossus | Mitgardia

Thank you! I agree. I think I need to use a real camera (cell phone cam is very limiting), and get some better lighting. The room itself is not very bright, so I either have to get some more lamps or start taking pics during the day with the window wide open. Do you have any advice for backdrops? I hadn't really thought much about that yet.

So much to love here, but the ship really sells the whole thing! Hey, if it's come up from Kaliphin it could be a lateen-rigger, maybe a galley!

[When last we saw Olin and his trusty hose Sigrd, they were trekking sadly through endless snow, dragging their anvil behind them.] At one point, Olin was convinced that there was nothing but snow and ice, and there would never be green again. He and Sigrd the horse had walked in silence for days, hoping to find a village, a trade caravan - even a goat path would have sufficed, as it might have pointed them in a direction. And then... suddenly... a river, glittering in the sun and running with pieces of ice! And a bridge! And plant life of some sort! Olin's heart soared, and he and Sigrd made quickly for the bridge over the river. They stopped at the near side of the bridge. "Sigrd" asked Olin, "why is this bridge here? Is this even, technically, a river? I am pretty sure I could jump over it." Sigrd peered at the river, and then nodded his head in agreement. The horse approached the bank and prepared to step easily across, when suddenly: "Olin the Smith!" boomed a voice across the water. The travelers looked up in shock, to see a strange old man on the other side. "Hail to you, old man!" said Olin, who was impressed by the oldster's mustache. He was also impressed by his hat, which glowed blue and had some sort of a... feather? blue flame? ... on top of it. The man also held a stick which glowed a bright blue at one end. "How do you know me?" "Never mind!" boomed the man. "I know all that I need to know, and I come to make you a trade. I know you need money to pay the dwarves. In return, I need something of you. Will you do it?" Olin was about to ask what was being asked of him, but Sigrd stomped a hoof worryingly near his foot. Sigrd was very practical, and was not about to let this chance of treasure escape by foolishly asking about conditions and trades. Olin simply nodded. "Very well!" said the old man. "It is done!" Olin looked down and saw 2 jewels at his feet, a green and a yellow. When he looked up, the old man was gone! "That was strange, yes, Sigrd? But oh well, on we go!" He approached the bridge, when suddenly... suspicious looking fellows! "Ah!" said Olin to himself. "Another bearded person! Perhaps he can explain what that old man wanted." But before he could ask, the bearded one with the worrying-looking axe shouted "Take him down! He serves the old man!" Before the smith knew what was happening, one of the three rushed onto the bridge, and came screaming at him waving a huge sword that, very obviously, had not seen the care of a good blacksmith! Olin fell back onto the bridge, dropping his hammer. This was trouble! But then: help, in the form of an angry Sigrd, who splashed into the stream river and bounded over the bridge, knocking the assailant off - and knocking him out! In the meantime, Olin scrambled off the bridge and retrieved his hammer. With all the might a confused blacksmith can muster, he swung and laid out the attacker with the mace. This second assailant floated away slowly in the cold water. At this point, the bearded gentleman - presumably the leader of the ruffians - decided he had had enough. He turned and fled, dropping his axe and a piece of parchment as he ran! Olin tried to pursue him, hammer held proudly high, but in the end he decided against it. After all, he had not eaten properly in a few days, and Sigrd would want to be getting along on their journey. Instead, he picked up the axe - the haft of the axe would serve nicely for his hammer, giving him a better grip - and he tucked the parchment away in his bad. He recognized the writing as some kind of clan runes, but he could not read them. "So many mysteries!" said Olin. Sigrd snorted, to remind Olin that the greatest mystery of all was where they might find a good meal. The two companions traveled on, following the river towards what they hoped was a town.

Oh! Hey, that's clever! I really like it, looks like a nice place to hole up and wait for unfriendly visitors... and then, surprise!

Yeah, I know others have said this already, but the history geek in me is SUPER impressed with the rubble-fill in your wall. Great attention to detail, great planning!

Nicely put together! I like how the minotaurs are kind of peeking over/around the wall, and the story is well written!

I'm a pretty big fan of this. I like the various colors in the sand-arch, kind of looks like the Arizona desert maybe? Anyway, nice build.

Thanks! Those are literally all of the white tiles I own that aren't currently tied up in ship builds (and I can't bring myself to take the ships apart). I almost wound up using the skis from Arctic adventures (part 2713), but I think I'll make them fence posts later or something... Thanks also for compliments on the story! It's kind of unfolding on its own right now, but I'm getting some fun ideas.

Oh, this is exciting! I've got a plan to get at least to Phase II of my barracks, but what happens after that, who knows? I'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's entries, though.

The clang of the smith's hammer does not ring out through the late winter afternoon. All is silent around Olin and his brave horse Sigrd, save for the blowing wind and the soft shhhhh-crunch of the anvil Olin drags behind him. "You might have carried this, Sigrd," he says reproachfully to his horse. Sigrd snorts eloquently, dismissing the notion. "You're right, of course," says the smith. "I was foolish to set up a shop so far from the road. Probably we are the only travelers who have ever stumbled on that patch of land! But don't fear!" He pauses to grunt and adjust his grip on the rope tied around his anvil. "We will soon find a village in need of a smith! I am sure that something good is just around the corner." But of course, all that's around the corner is more snow. Man and horse trudge on, dragging their anvil behind them, and pushing their hopes in front.

[Not sure if I'm doing this right, here goes!] Olin's Outdoor Forge | DrColossus | Mitgardia Olin's Sad Trek through the Snow | DrColossus | Mitgardia An Incident at Unnecessary Bridge | DrColossus | Mitgardia

[My first MOC for Historica! Learning to create interesting scenes and figuring out photography. All comments appreciated!] Clang! The sound of hammer ringing on red-hot steel fills the cold, clear morning air. Clang! The sound of Olin the Smith, son of a Bay of Storms merchant, preparing a fine sword here at his outdoor forge. Already this week, he has prepared several plain soldiers' blades, a mask for a helm, and a shiny new breastplate. He has to get up early to be so productive, so he rises before dawn to stoke the fires. As the heat builds it melts the night's snowfall, exposing the struggling grass beneath. Clang! The smith thinks of many things as he works. How is his father coping with the rebuilding efforts? Will Olin get enough customers at this out-of-the-way spot to earn enough money to go learn with the dwarves in the mountains? Why is he using this comically over-sized fighting hammer instead of a proper smith's tool? Why didn't he build some kind of shelter before setting up shop? And where did Sigrd, his horse, wander off to? Clang! Olin trusts that he will learn the answers to these questions on his travels, and many more besides.

Ohhh. OK, thanks, I'll go do that!

OK, I did a little work to fix up Olin's Outdoor Blacksmith Emporeum. Tonight, if I can, I'll put together something nice for the AoM Stables. Here's a revised photo of the shop. I'm trying to work with different lighting, rather than using the horrible flash on the camera phone. Is there a place to put Mitgardian builds that don't fit particularly into any category? (Like, this doesn't really qualify for any of the AoM sections). Thanks! Olin enjoys working in the morning, when the heat from the forge melts the new-fallen snow. He still doesn't know why his shop is outdoors - how hard can it be to put up a roof? He flies the banner of Mitgardia to show his pride and loyalty, and also (he hopes) to attract some similarly loyal customers.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking of. I guess the sheep is not wide enough for 2 of those. I have a bunch, (un?)fortunately, because back in the day I stocked up on a lot of the space sets. Not so useful for Historica, alas.

I like the house, and the bridge, and the baldness! It gives hope to those of us who lack enough brown pieces to make wood houses...

Ha, well, it looks awesome anyway. If your camera has to be sacrificed for a good MOC pic, I say it's worth it. Just do all your builds around a foggy theme.

You could maybe do the same thing with 2 of the little flashlight pieces (# 3959, the minifig accessory)?

I like it, kind of stepping out of the freezing winds there. Nice wolfie... good boy... don't eat my face...

This is great. I need a little army of sheep now...

Thanks! Would love to PM, but as of right now I'm apparently not allowed to PM things. Maybe not enough posts yet? Got to fix that... And thank you, SoccerKid!

Thanks for your help, all! Let me introduce you to Olin the Smith, journeyman armorer! Born to a well-respected merchant near the Bay of Storms, Olin has always enjoyed the gleam of metal, and seeks to become an armorer to Mitgardia's soldiers. He's completed his apprenticeship, and has struck out now to establish his own shop. He's got a forge and some basic things going, but it's all outdoors right now, which won't be much help the next time it snows... My photo skills are pretty poor, but I can edit in GIMP OK, so I've managed to cut out the worst of it.) I have to add a Mitgardian banner to his shop, and really it needs considerable work, but this is what it looks like so far. I'm mostly proud of the forge itself, and the quenching bucket which you can see at the edge on the right. As you can see, I've got lots to learn from you all!