MassEditor

No growing pie here, just pumpkins! Thanks Infernum! Haha yes sir it's a little different than my Nocty builds so far! Thanks Dan! I appreciate it Rogue Angel! Thanks Josh, glad you liked it! Thanks again Scaevola! Thanks! Yes everyone has to eat! Thanks! No, I guess I missed that tidbit! I suppose these are the more domesticated version! Thanks man! Thanks! Thanks Gideon, I'm excited about doing a few more of these type Nocty builds once I get the Hand story out of the way. Thanks a ton SK! Your builds are always a great source of inspiration! Thanks dude! Thanks! Haha yeah it's definitely a change of pace. Even in Nocturnus people have to scratch a living I suppose! Thanks for the feedback Garmadon! I agree, the irreg border needs some work. It's the biggest flaw I think, but I just ran out of those darn wedge plates!

Very cool Dan, awesome build and very intriguing story! The armored parts are a great addition, and the way you designed the legs is top notch. A real contender for sure! Great work!

Lovely architecture Scaevola! I love how intricate the facade is and, like Gabe said, by no means over the top detail. You have such a unique style yet so Kaliphlin-esque. I would love to see this as part of a street scene!

Wonderful work Legonardo! This is truly a piece of art. I'm not sure where to begin, but for one I absolutely love how you used such rare colors in this build. The house itself is just brilliant, as is that chimney. Absolutely stunning!

Thanks everyone! You know, I imagine it would be a different situation in each village or fiefdom. Fealty would extend farther and more extensively in some hamlets and not so much in others. Some lords would take a more active approach to ensuring taxation and that workday obligations are met, while others would delegate village governance to underlings (like stewards, baliffs or reeves). Military campaigns require finances, and kings need feasts to demonstrate their power, so villages couldn't be controlled too loosely, but a village could also be squeezed dry by over enforcement (though a village wouldn't want to be too independent, at least not in Nocturnus, where the sole thing most lords provide is their protection). Add to that the complex relationships and statuses that would develop between villagers - free versus indentured, landholding versus renter, religious figures versus manor stewards - and it would be unlikely to see the same system in two different villages.

Sweet MOC LV, great idea with the multiple layers! Works great with the interesting story. Some neat details like that rack and especially the ballista. I notice that your photography has really improved the last couple of builds and does a great job highlighting these sweet builds. Keep it up!

Wow Robuko, I can't believe I missed this one! This is an amazing build, that tree is just about beyond words. I love how organic everything looks, especially that rancor arm. So creative and ingenious. A very delightful build and story!

Nice work! All the little bone elements are awesome, a lot of details to appreciate there. Love those bamboo plants and the irregular base. Very cool!

Good job Tomsche, looks very ferocious! Awesome "wooly" effect with those black antennas!

Nocturnus may be a land of warlords and monstrosities, but, as with the other Guilds in Historica, the fabric of society in the Darklands is composed of the common people who toil honestly and humbly in hopes of securing a future for their children. No where is this more evident than on the many farms dotting Nocturnus. Armies cannot fight and rulers cannot dictate without food. Even in these lands, where the shadows never cease to grow, men and woman of all races manage to scratch a living in agriculture. Like their parents and grandparents - and as their children will do so in the future - these simple people work the fields with their hands and only the most basic of implements. Large families are common on these farms where labor is a prime resource. The average Nocturnian farmer's place in society is not much different than the villeins of medieval England. He or she is obligated to provide a number of workdays for the village lord, although these mandates can usually be shirked with a bribe to the right court official. Even those who cannot avoid working their lord's land usually have a plot or virgate to call their own. Crops can vary widely from farm to farm with poorer farmers tending to focus more on sustenance than profit. The better off farmers who have access to large plots of land and efficient irrigation systems like to focus on cash crops like pipeweed and, of course, that most lucrative of local produce: the Nocturnian pumpkin. With a growing season between early spring and late fall, most farmers in Nocturnus cannot afford to devote the time and recourses needed to produce these very water-dependent fruit, but those who do can enjoy profitable returns. The pumpkin is used to make enchanted pumpkin pie, which is a much-relished stable in all the great houses of Nocturnus. The enchanting process is usually performed on the farm itself by a certified enchanter, usually a wizard from the local lord's manor. This is done for a small fee and often nothing more than a bed for the night and a few hot meals. For most farmers it must be a very odd sight to see the lord's wizard walking through their fields reciting odd enchantments and trying not to get their robes dirty. The process is mostly a mystery to them, with most believing it is nothing more than tradition or an aide for the pie cooking process. A shot of the whole build: Father Orc plows his field tirelessly in hopes of adding to next year's pumpkin crop. Mother Orc carries out some water while the Orc-Child chases away a few pesky pigs hoping for a pumpkin snack. A wizard from the village lord's manor performs the obligatory enchanting process: Just a simple interior for the shed: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About this MOC: I picked up this idea a little while back after inquiring about the origins of enchanted pumpkin pie in Nocturnus and thought it would be neat to show a little pumpkin farm (my wife and I grow pumpkins each year, but it's not a very fun thing to do). After checking out SK's awesome Maple Syrup scene the other day I was inspired to go ahead and do it. I needed a quick break anyways from the Hand of Corruption builds, which I'll try to have the next one up here too later today. Thanks for taking a look, I hope you enjoy!

This is really cool Yooha, I can certainly see how difficult this would have been in LDD. The Tatullo design is very clever and I really enjoyed the story and presentation, especially the scene of the Tatullo protecting its rider during a sand storm. This is definitely one of my favorite entries so far. For what it's worth, I would love to see this in the official mini-challenge.

Such a beautiful build, there's so much to appreciate here. The half-timbered techniques you used are fantastic, as is the color scheme and the whole layout of the build. I absolutely love that old, crumbly chimney and those trees. Very nice job! You would be very welcome in the Guilds (especially if you went to the dark side!). I definitely look forward to more of your work!

Thanks Yooha, hopefully in just a couple of days I'll have some more! Thanks a ton mccoyed for the feedback! I totally agree with your criticism, just a little bit more time and work and yeah, I think the rockwork could have been much better, especially where it meets the wall. Thanks LV, not much longer! Thanks S-man, always appreciate your feedback! Thanks dude! Thanks again adventurer1! I know it's hard to tell in this photo but the castle wall is built in dark bley. Unfortunately, in contrast to the black rockwork, it really came out looking light bley in the photos. Thanks Infernum! Yes, I have come to love snot rockwork but it can be very time consuming and I was running so far behind on this I thought I would just rush it. Thanks dude! Haha, thanks Hammerhand, glad you liked it! Thanks Jorrith! I linked the first two parts of the story above so in case you missed anything please have a look! Thanks again SK! I think part of the reason I joined Nocturnus was because I had so many 1x1 orange dots!

There's just no pleasing you, is there? You guild masters want your pie and to eat it too! Thanks Carson! I appreciate UB! Thanks Garmadon, I had a ton of fun with the chairs and table. Part III is up now too! Sorry for that but the next installment is now up! Thanks a ton Emma, really glad you liked it. The chandelier was definitely an after thought but I think it kinda helps bring the scene together. Thanks Kai! Yes, I have a ton of dark grey slopes but just not enough! Thanks mccoyed, I'm glad you liked the twist! Thanks a lot Hammerhand! Yes we need you involved!! Thanks! Don't worry, the wait staff is very professional! Thanks a lot SK, glad you liked it!

This is very cool, so glad you joined Nocturnus! Such an original build and I very much appreciate the detailed background you provided.

Good work, some nice details to appreciate here. Look forward to the story!

Wow, so much detail in this wonderful scene SK! I love the subtle but very effective slope to the roof as well as the nicely detailed landscaping. The technique you used where the timber sections meet up is nicely done. Those trees are great and I agree, don't be surprised if you see some of these pop up in Nocturnus!

Nice work man, this looks great! Wonderful effect with the lighting but I agree, another lighter shot would be awesome just to more appreciate the details!

Very cool Emma, I love the build and especially the presentation. The gate house has a really elegant but imposing look to it, and then with the Drow digging away right underneath there's a lot of tension in this scene. That stylish border is sweet. Oh yeah, the moat really rocks too! An awesome addition to the story!

Good work Tomsche, definitely a unique creation. I like the gold decor and the plants, and the roof is nicely done. I'm a little unsure about the yellow with red trim color scheme, though it might be the old fashioned railing pieces. I think a more brick built railing would look nice. A touch of more detailed landscaping wouldn't be bad, but otherwise cool build!

Oh my, I believe you will be most welcomed in these Dark Lands! Proper introduction? Well I would say so! This is a wonderful build and highly deserves it's own thread. I am amazed at how much detail and action you built into this MOC, it's like a 3D book! I'm not quite sure where to begin on this clever build, but the rockwork in particular is fantastic and the various architectural decor inside the castle. There are so many details to enjoy, I think I will stop now and go back to viewing them!

Haha yes I figured this was perhaps a war variety! I definitely understand some of your troubles. I built a skeleton dragon type thing for one of my past mocs and the head was a really pain. I would like to know, did you start with the head and then build the rest of the critter?

Some nice details here, a very pleasant little build. There are some nice architectural techniques, like the support beams and the ceiling (what a great idea for an inside build!). I agree that the lack of window arches is barely a problem. Gabe mentioned some great workarounds, which is really handy if you're working with colors and the arch pieces are either rare or none-existent. I think what I like most about this build is how you could basically replicate this MOC several times and have a really cool sprawling indoor scene.

Nice work again man, love the subtle details in this build. The snotted landscape is very cool and really works well for the ride effect you're going for.

Very cool Mccoyed, great entry! I'm enjoying all the attention to detail in this like the tail plumage and the nicely done head. The landscaping and border are sweet too. Awesome work man!