mccoyed

This is just wonderful. Love the colors here. I like anything with trees too and these are some great ones.

This is grand stuff. I love the architecture. Also love Dinotopia and what you did with it here.

Totally okay with that. Keep an eye out for more developed maps in the future. Okay! I may wait and enter a different build in this story. This is a pretty humble build all things considered. Thanks Garm. I'll be posting the next part of the story sometime this week. Thanks Brickwolf. Couldn't resist my KG allegiance.

Above: A map of the islands of Yureishima. More detailed maps showing settlements, territorial boundaries, and geographical features are currently being secured. "To the purpose of developing further interest in the Ghost Islands of Yureishima, I submit the tale of a pirate called 'One-Eye'. We know little of his origins save for that he was Mitgardian, or claimed to be, and that he captained a ship called The Hold Fast with a motley assortment of scoundrels from across Historica. In these pages, I hope to document all we have learned of their adventures. Because of his particular status among the Yureishimese, One-Eye will remain our primary focus. Please note that a reward for more information about him has been posted. We are especially keen on discovering his whereabouts since the events to be described." -Professor Artur Rimbyld, University of Petraea Geographical Society Wolf Island, Yureishima, Date Unknown: In a secluded hut on a beach deep in the Red Lotus Clan's territory, a secret has been kept for over three years... One-Eye and his crew went missing three years ago from the waters between Historica and Varlyrio. After taking a very juicy prize indeed, the Hold Fast ran from Varlyrian pursuers into uncharted waters and was shipwrecked. One-Eye survived, washing up on a beach in lands that were strange to him. Shortly thereafter he encountered people in strange garb and speaking an even stranger tongue. They were not kind and quickly subdued him. Long ago he was poked and prodded and examined by many visitors but it's been years since he has last seen a human face. He knows the guard is always outside his door but he never speaks and never shows himself to One-Eye. He is a prisoner, a natural risk of a pirate's life, but he never expected to be a prisoner in a mysterious new land. Maybe in some Varlyrian dungeon but this? Now, a visitor has at last come. Some sort of official? You! Shujin! Get up. W-what... you speak my language!? Silence! Get up. No! You will tell me what you've done with my crew! Are any of them alive? Where are they!? You will learn respect, Shujin! The official slaps One-Eye across the face. Weakened by his years of imprisonment, One-Eye nonetheless feels all the rage of those years welling up inside him. And yet... he considers his options. If he kills this man, the guard outside will no doubt kill him. Even if not, he'll be no closer to finding out what happened to The Hold Fast and her crew. Much less getting himself out of the mess he was in. A mess he'd been in so long he had just started getting used to it when this egg dispenser showed up. One-Eye decides to play along, biting back his rage and pride. He gets up. He will do as the official asks. For now... Good. We go now to prepare you. Daimyo Kawashita Ieyasu will not want to see even a Shujin dog in this condition. Builder's Notes: Bonus shot showing the experimental surf technique I used for this build:

Thanks. I'm hoping so. I'm going to continue developing Yureishima regardless. Starting today.

Thanks Lazer!

Thanks SK. Figured the warriors would be popular. A great opportunity to use some pieces that don't often get used in GoH. Yeah! That beard use is maybe my favorite single idea in the whole set. In some ways, figuring that out was what this whole series was based on. Thanks UM. You get who Kuzuri is supposed to be, yeah?

Haha that's super nice of you to say, LucByard. I sorta miss AG and Koro. Might have to come back.

Thanks Blu!

That chain holding the leaning tower is just an inspired idea.

My favorite part of this one is the irregular base. Got a lot of mileage out of that.

I like the Kadiran flavour. Especially your character names. Others have said all the things I would have said about the build, so let me compliment you on the story!

Great Lord of the Rings (movies) feel to this. Would be right at home in Mordor.

I love your swamp builds and I remember the original quite well. You should throw some figs into this though, Patrick!

Thanks Henjin. I really hope to see more from Yureishima in freebuilds and perhaps other entries to the challenge. Thanks Muakhah. I had a rule on my last CMF where I did 4 members of each guild, all from different walks of life: noble, artisan, commoner, and warrior. For this one, I tried to stay pretty close to that but with the extra two minifigures I was able to follow a similar pattern and still have room for extras. The Daimyo and the Foreign Retainer were my last two figs and I was glad to be able to do six Yureishimese humans since their realm is so human-dominated. I could do a whole other series with my ideas for the oni and Yokai, though.

Thanks Blu. Yeah, the inn from Witcher 3 that this build was inspired by is likely based on French medieval architecture since Touissant, the duchy where Blood and Wine takes place, is basically a France/Belgium type of place. I will definitely try for something better next time I do tudor stuff. I have done better in the past, actually, but I may have rushed a little with that part of this build. RE: Ylspeth... I actually really liked that series and story and I hunted for the right Lego Batman minifig for almost an hour to get her hair. Expect to see her cameo or feature in future builds. Alva is headed to Cedrica as an envoy! She'll get there eventually. Thanks Muakhah. I think minifigs are definitely my strong suit. I think I need to concentrate on smaller builds with more detail and effort in parts use and style. Getting better at the building blocks (hehe) will be good for larger builds if I ever have the pieces! Thanks SK. I am excited for Book 3 and a chance to maybe jump to another guild. Book 2 has lasted the entire time I've been on GoH!

I see it. Thanks! Will definitely try that next time!

Yeah! My next build is finally going to be some kind of basic keep with an SK style reverse-side open interior. I have to take apart this build first and that is going to take FOREVER.

Thanks! That's quite a compliment.

Ah yes. I thought you might have meant this and I kind of agree. The way it went down is I built up the bridge pillars first and those do include some dark bley which I hoped would convey kind of older stone in poorer condition due to the proximity to water. However, looking at it now and with the high contrast in my photography it doesn't really have the effect I wanted anyway. It also doesn't help that I didn't repeat it in the upper buildings at all. I definitely need to experiment with greens and browns in stonework because it looks incredible when people do it right (TitusV for example). Should also focus on smaller, more detailed stuff since I can't photograph builds this size effectively.

Really nice looking in general and I echo all the compliments others have offered, but I feel the water needs some blue to break up all the grays.

Thanks GG. Thanks Tidus. Can you elaborate on what you mean about the tudor section? Not sure if you're saying I can improve that but am interested if so. Thanks. I agree about the baseplates but totally limited. I have one really big blue plate but it's got the smooth bottom that isn't as thick as a full plate, and it was too small to hold this build. The previous version of it had an irregular plate pattern and it looked too messy. Yeah I agree about the wooden railing but by then I was out of tiles. Too limited by parts, I think. I may have had enough to break it up a little so I'll consider that next time. Not sure what you mean about the stonework... do you mean the stone buildings or the back side of the build (where the stairs down to the dock is). I think I used different colors of stone, though I think dark bley and light bley should maybe have switched positions. I also tried to incorporate irregular lines and vegetation so I'd like to hear more about what you mean so I know which part you're referring to.

This is great. Tons of impressive details. I think my favorite is the sign with the glass? A pub I imagine. Great piece use there. Such great lighting and photography too. After posting my first big build in about a year, I'm really noticing how light and photography (and my inability to figure out Photoshop) have held back the presentation of my builds. Also super impressed with the rockwork. I feel like I've barely learned anything about creating those kinds of terrain features without having it all fall apart.

The Old Bridge Inn rests at the border of Mitgardia and the Historican Crownlands. Its architecture is thus a mixture, and the structure has been rebuilt over and over again. Once, the bridge was wider and the tower fortified with a stone gatehouse. Watchers on the Water used to charge a toll and keep out Mitgardian raiders in times long past. History hangs over the place, but unlike the haunted ruins of other regions, the Old Bridge Inn has remained a place of life, change, and the congress of ideas and strangers from all over the land. Alva Tyrnsdottir (remember her?) fought the Algus in northern Mitgardia and is now on a diplomatic mission to Cedrica to see the new High Queen Ylspeth on behalf of Asbjorn, Jarl of Arnarvhal. However, Alva has never been this far south or east. Thankfully, Barling has been far abroad and even has maps to help guide their way. Alva and Barling consult a map of the roads from the Old Bridge Inn, trying to determine the safest route. Sturlan is reluctant to leave the inn, however. They had rested here for a few days and he managed to meet himself a young barmaid, the inkeeper's daughter, who he took a shine to. He pleads with her to wait for him to come back. It's only going to be a few weeks... months? Maybe a year. Two at most! Times have been hard in Historica lately. Maybe things are changing, but not fast enough for this man. Maimed escaping the Algus at Hardhearth (remember that?), he is now a beggar... a very low position for a proud Mitgardian to sink to. He lost his arm to Algus ice magic, but a passing shield-maiden offers him a much needed coin. The pies at Old Bridge Inn are famous and now he can afford one. Times haven't been tough on everyone, of course. The rich fellow on the balcony doesn't have to worry about affording pies. He can afford all the pies and he passes the beggar from Hardhearth every day and offers him nothing. A merchant and traveler from Kaliphlin, he finds the cold of Mitgardia quite refreshing... especially with a nice glass of brandy. Just don't tell him that he would have to a lot further north to experience the REAL cold of Mitgardia. Below him, a young girl steals some fish for the cats. She'll get a scolding later, but the look on Mr. Whisker's face is worth it. Unbeknownst to the other travelers and locals, two very special women have been passing through. Astrid is still young and like Alva, she has never been this far from home. The colors of the flowers delight her, and her bodyguard Ylva cannot help but smile just a little even though she knows that if the wrong person should notice them, their perilous flight from the far-off kingdom of Blomgard will only get even more dangerous. Ylva is unused to humans who are so comfortable with having dwarves around. She and Astrid come from a land where dwarves and humans get along quite poorly. Astrid is so delighted with the garden that she doesn't even notice the regal tourney knight approaching the inn behind her. That boy sure does! He's never seen a sight so inspiring in his short life! The knight hopes that the crowning of Queen Ylspeth will reignite the floundering tourney circuit throughout Historica. All he has is his war-gear and his unadorned, but steady mount. Should the tourneys resume, he stands to win fame and fortune if he can trounce the little knights of the other Guilds. Perhaps that boy over there would squire for him. Every good knight needs a squire... Another boy, hiding from his mother in the rubble of a bygone time, would be very jealous if he knew what he was missing up above! The fisherman on the dock wouldn't care either way. He lived for fishing, ale, and warm days on the river. A rich Avalonian countess surveys her rooms in the tower suite. Who knew such a rustic and barbaric a place as Mitgardia could boast rooms so nicely furnished? Perhaps there was even good wine here. But then, she doubted it. This young elven woman appreciates the view. She and her husband seldom travel in human lands and it never ceases to amaze her what the humans are capable of doing with a few handfuls of chiseled rocks. Little does she or anyone else know that a grumpy old minotaur lives below the Inn. Though she is impressed, her husband is not. He preferred the forests and rivers and glades. When he came to human places, he found solace in wine. Now if only the halfling and dwarf at the neighboring table would make less noise! They argue and argue about politics until finally the halfling, scarred and scowling, asks for his opinion to settle the argument. Ugh! Why couldn't they just leave him alone. Of course the Queen was going to reopen diplomatic ties to Nocturnus. It was just a matter of time. What was there to even discuss! If the poor elven husband only knew that peace and quiet was just a few flights of stairs away. Fresh pies off the oven meant that Lisfala, the proprietress of the Old Bridge Inn, could count on the word to spread. Soon, with Historica hopefully entering a period of peace, that word would spread to every corner of the Guildlands and the Crownlands and travelers would pass through. Maybe then she could make some much needed repairs. As she watched the happy patrons eating and smiling, plans for expansion and renovation flew through her mind. But where was her daughter? Some day, this would all be hers. She had better not be outside talking to that Arnarvhalan scrub again! The Old Bridge Inn could someday become an important junction in journeys through Mitgardia to the other Guildlands. Already, river boats laden with dwarf-mined ores passed through. Raiders and robbers still plagued the wilderness, meaning it was often unsafe to stop if the cargo was precious. This boat can't stop, it's too risky. Lisfala had seen them approach and lamented that for all the armsmen, mercenaries, and knights that passed through she still didn't have any stable security. Perhaps very soon she'd be able to hire some. Builder's Notes: This is the second biggest build I've done (first was Anarvhal) and this is actually version 2. The first version was MASSIVE but modular and I couldn't properly attach the parts. This build is inspired by the Cockatrice Inn from The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine and I credit that with getting me back into Lego because after seeing it I just had to build something like it. I have tried to include some small updates for my previous Mitgardian "storyline" (always pretty loose) and some hints at possible future builds. I was in a hurry and forgot the new Historica logo. Sorry about that! I still don't have a very good lighting setup, especially for builds this size. Sigh...

Thanks for the clarification. I went ahead and submitted my entry. Hope you like it.