Ayrlego

Previously.... Visitors for Lavalette by @Bregir Lavalette Cannon Battery by @LM71Blackbird Innovative Tactics for Lavalette by @Drunknok Mortar Emplacement by @Bregir Small Fort at Lavalette by @Bodi To complement the main fortifications, a separate blockhouse was erected on one of the headlands. Corlander artillery and fortification engineering matched with brave Olean soldiers and gunners would prove a powerful combination. The blockhouse had guns on three sides and firing positions for infantry, enabling it to offer fire against both naval and land based threats. To be continued.....

An impressive array of firepower here - nice work. I think my favourite is the last set of towers - the front curve is perfect! The catacombs look promising as well.

Indeed that is an impressive collection of tubes and flasks! Nice classroom scene and great addition to the project.

Fantastic story and a great build to go with it. I like the attention to detail you've paid on the sand and water - making the levels uneven - it really lifts the scene. The camp fire and smoke are really well done as well. Overall a very strong entry, well done!

Nice battery LM71, I like how the guns appear sunken into the ground. I imagine it would be quite difficult to take out from sea!

Thanks all for the comments,the decorative arches were found when I was helping a friend of mine sort through his childhood collection – I think they are from a Fabuland set and I have been wanting to use them for a while now. I'm really happy with the result and I'm glad others are as well (I love sneaking Fabuland pieces in every now and then!). I don't see any reason why non-Corlanders could not be awarded honorary membership into one of the chivalric orders; however, they would have to do something pretty significant in the service of Corrington. One example for the Order of Victory might be a privateer fighting under Corish letters of marque defeating an enemy of the Crown in a significant action. Also the membership would be honorary as a non-Corlander would not be allowed to sit in the Noble Parliament which full membership allows.

There are a couple of links in the first post above of people's previous builds in Alexport, but I don't really think it has ever been definitively defined. Like most settlements, it really is up to the builder the kind of style you build in. IC differing builder’s styles can be explained by the differing origins of the various colonists – a melting pot of all the cultures of the old world. If you are looking for inspiration, as a former Mardierian colony, I imagine the architecture would be similar to King's Port; however, as above really anything could work.

An unlicensed scene in King's Harbour

Capitan Sir Jonathan Cooke has been invested into the most Noble Order of Victory in a ceremony in King's Harbour by order of Queen Annetta herself. Long Live the Queen! __________________ The Most Noble Order of Victory is a Corlander Order of Chivalry based on the knightly orders from Corrington’s past, the order was formed to recognise extraordinary military achievement in the service of the Crown of Corrington. Like most other Corlander Orders of Chivalry, the Most Noble Order of Victory has three levels; Knight Companion, Knight Commander and Grand Commander. The Sovereign must approve nominations for entry into the order personally and Knights of the Order are given a seat in the Noble Parliament and are addressed as ‘Sir’ or ‘Dame’. They may use the post nominal ‘KCV’ (Knight Companion/Commander of Victory) Credit for the graphic to @Kolonialbeamter .

Brigadier Howe was amazed by the sheer size of the crowd that had turned out for the ceremony. It seemed most of the population of King’s Harbour had turned out for the announcement; a testament to the popularity of Governor Cooke, who they were here to honour. Not fazed, he drew a deep breath and held up a hand for silence. The crowd went silent. With a voice tempered by years of battlefield and parade ground commands, he declared, “I Brigadier Sir Andrew Howe, Commander of the Corlander Army in the Eastern Colonies, have the following announcement to make on behalf of her most beloved Majesty, Queen Annetta." Continuing, he then read from the parchment signed by Queen Annetta herself. I, Queen Annetta of Corrington, first of that name and ruler of the Empire of Corrington, the conquered Isles and Eastern territories, hereby declare that, on this the first day of the month of August, in the 618th year after the fall of the Great Empire, that my loyal servant, Captain Jonathan Cooke of the Royal Navy, is hereby ordained as a Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of Victory. Captain Cooke's deeds date from the very first exploration and colonisation of Terra Nova by Corrington. in 616, As captain of the man-o-war HMS Ironsides, despite being out-classed and out-gunned he took the pirate ship Dark Oak, which had ravished the Great Eslandolan treasure fleet. Through 617 he has worked tirelessly as Governor of the Southern Isles fighting numerous small actions against the lawless rouges who plague the Brick Seas. His greatest victory so far, however; came just last month, where again aboard HMS Ironsides, this time as commander of an anti-piracy squadron, he engaged the plague of the aptly named Sea of Thieves, the dread pirate fleet headed by the notorious vessel, Komodo Dragon. Again out-numbered and out gunned, he managed to turn the tide on the dastardly pirates, and sunk none other than the Komodo Dragon herself. Truly Corrington has a most formidable commander in Captain Cooke, who has my sincere gratitude for his service. With that he handed the parchment to a servant who in turn handed him his sword. "Kneel Captain Cooke" Captain Cooke took one knee in front of Sir Andrew, who then brought the sword to rest just above the Naval officer's shoulder. "In the Name of Her Majesty, I dub thee a knight companion in the most noble order of Victory. Arise Sir Jonathan" With that the crowd broke into a might roar of approval and Captain Sir Jonathan Cooke KCV RN, Governor of the Southern Isles was ordained into Corlander nobility for his gallant acts. Full Scene: The three classes of the Most Noble Order of Victory (L-R, Knight Companion, Knight Commander, Knight Grand Commander) Credit to @Kolonialbeamter for the graphics

Altonia Flag: Primary Colour: Green/Bright Green Secondary Colours: White Demonym: Altonian Nickname: "The land of the Windmills" Primary Real World Influences: A mixture of Dutch in the coastal lowland areas and Swiss in the highland regions and political system. Ruler: Queen Briggette III Capital: Ulric People and History The Kingdom of Altonia occupies an isolated area at the North eastern tip of the Madrice peninsula that is dominated by high mountain ranges and harsh winters. The mountainous landscape makes arable land for large scale agriculture scarce. Farming is centred in the lowlands around the north-western coast where all the Kingdom’s large cities can be found. To extend the amount of arable land, large scale land reclamation is practiced in this area with a large system of polders and levies present. The nickname 'Kingdom of Windmills' comes from the large amount of windmills used for pumping the reclaimed land in these areas. Outside of the north-western lowlands, the majority of the population are rural. They dwell in permanent towns and villages nestled in deep valleys; however, every spring large portions of the population will migrate with their livestock to summer pastures and temporary stone summer houses higher in the mountains. This bi-annual migration, known as transhumance, allows the communities to sustain much larger herds than the lowland areas could sustain alone. Rural or urban, the people of Altonia are famed for their friendly hospitality, honesty and openness to accept others. Altonian Cities and Towns of note Ulric Altonian Settlements in New Terra Altonia have claimed "New Altonia" (Island 4 - Isle of Bats) in the Prio Sea region, although large scale colonisation efforts are not yet believed to have commenced. Diplomatic Relations: Relations Diplomatic relations are rated on a scale of 1-5 (1=Hostile, 2=Unfriendly, 3=Indifferent, 4=Friendly, 5=Very Friendly) Corrington: 4 Friendly Eslandola: 4 Friendly Oleon: 4 Friendly Sea Rats: 4 Friendly Namere: 3 Indifferent Diplomatic alliances and pacts: None known Altonian Characteristics Each NPC nation has values for eight primary characteristics set by leadership for the purposes understanding the powers of NPC nations. These values are dynamic and may change periodically in response to events in the Brick Seas. Naval power: • • • • • • • • • • Altonia maintains a small, mainly coastal, fleet whose main purpose is the defence of Altonian ports and coastal shipping. Military power: • • • • • • • • • • A small, well-armed and professional army is maintained mostly in the main cities; however, a large well trained citizen militia can be raised to defend the realm if necessary. In all her history Altonia has never fought an offensive war and her armies train to fight purely in defence of their hearths and homes. Despite this; for centuries young Altonians looking for adventure have fought as mercenaries in foreign conflicts; especially in neighbouring Namere, where they have gained a fearsome reputation and are highly sought after. Scientific advancement: • • • • • • • • • • The open nature of the Altonian people means they are quick to welcome new ideas and customs which in turn promotes scientific research and advancement. Basic education is common even in rural areas with one of the highest rates of literacy on the Madrice peninsula. Political/diplomatic influence: • • • • • • • • • • The Altonians are known and respected for their long tradition of peaceful neutrality and are often called on to help arbitrate disputes and conflicts amongst other Madrican nations. Their fierce neutrality and steadfast refusal to become involved in foreign conflicts has; however, limited their influence somewhat. Inner stability: • • • • • • • • • • Altonia has one of the oldest constitutional monarchies on the Madrice Peninsula. The royal family, while very popular, has little influence in government. Rather, a large parliament made up of members from the lesser nobility from the many regions (or cantons) of Altonia determines state policy. Most cantons have a large degree of autonomy although maintain a very strong unified Altonian identity. Altonia is considered one of the most stable nations of Halos. Treasury/coffers: • • • • • • • • • • Peace and stability combined with their habitual honesty have brought modest wealth from trade, although this is becoming more limited by the lack of overseas colonies. Exploration: • • • • • • • • • • Altonia is aware of the new lands to the east; however, despite extensive debate in parliament has yet to attempt any voyages of discovery or colonisation. An influential league of merchants continues to push for a colony, mainly to open new markets from tropical cash crops such as sugar and spices. Cultural advancement: • • • • • • • • • • Strong traditions prevail in Altonia, although the bi-annual migration in rural areas generally prevents the large scale building of monuments or cultural buildings outside the major cities. Known Altonian Personalities and Organisations None yet Examples of Altonian builds Ice Harvesting in Altonia by @Ross Fisher A Game of Fetch, Altonia by @evancelt Examples of Altonian Troops by @Ayrlego From Left to Right: Hussar (Light Cavalry), Linieninfanterie (Line Infantry), Alpiner Jäger, Frei Jägerkorps (Mercenary), Landswehr (militia) and @evancelt Left to Right: x2 Altonian Grenadiere (grenadiers) and Dragoner (dragoons)

Since arriving in Jameston last month, Sterling Blackwood has been busy organising the supplies that his marines will require for the grand expedition. It has been busy, monotonous work and both Sterling and the marines will be glad to finally depart; hopefully within the next two weeks! Here the marines can be seen taking delivery from a warehouse. _____________ A quick vignette to show preparations for the RSND's grand voyage of discovery that we will begin this coming MRCA. I've wanted to attempt a building in lime green for some time now - it's nice to work in bright colours sometimes! Licensed as a small commercial in Jameston for the RSND.

Great bustling harbour Flavius - it really conveys a busy atmosphere with all the minifigs going about their business. Another great addition to PR!

Great details, probably one of the most detailed schools we have seen yet! The interior especially is great but one of the biggest highlights for me is the use of the turntable piece over the door way - it looks really good. Great job!

Six weeks ago.... It had been six months since Colonel Sir Dirk Allcock and his expedition had departed Jameston into the jungles of Celestia. The expedition had discovered much, a vast ruined city deep in the centre of the island, white tigers, countless species of orchids previously unknown to science, yet Sir Dirk could not help thinking it was time to return home. His responsibilities as Governor weighed heavily on him. The Colonial Authorities had of course approved his absence; the Governorship of the Paradise Isles was by all accounts resting in the very capable hands of his own cousin. Yet over the last two months Sir Dirk had become restless. Yes it was definately time to return. His thoughts returned to his current surroundings. He knelt by the edge of a stream to the side of the ‘path’ the expedition was passing on. His scouts reported that just over the next crest, the ocean could be seen. The expedition had reached the eastern coastline of Celestia. Present Day The expedition camped the previous night near the ruins of yet another ancient temple. This temple was the closest to Jameston discovered so far; indeed they were only a couple of days away from the outskirts of the settlement. It was evident that many Jameston locals travelled here for short trips to see the ancient structure for themselves. Some kind of permanent presence was probably necessary to ensure that the ruins were not accidentally damaged mused Sir Dirk. News was filtering in much more frequently as the distance between the expedition and Jameston decreased. There was unrest on the neighbouring Île d'Or, Jameston was hosting a new Royal Society charted with voyages of exploration and war between the Sea Rats and the Grand Duchy of Prio seemed to have been narrowly avoided. In the early dawn light, Cuxi approached Sir Dirk from the temple. The Myzec women had proved herself invaluable in over the last seven months. The vegetation of Celestia was similar to that of her home island of Cascadia, enough so that she was able to teach the Corlanders much more than they would have otherwise learnt. Her knowledge of Myzec mythology and architecture had also provided insights into the ruins they had encountered. Seemingly related to the Myzec, yet also differing in many ways. Cuxi looked at the pensive Dirk, she smiled and said in Myzec, “We are ready to leave this place, yes? Shall we return to your home?” “Yes, lets go home” replied Dirk in the same language. And with that, the expedition set out for Jameston. ___________ I had been planning to build something like this since the conclusion of challenge I; the temple is what I had hoped my Challenge I Cat C entry would have looked something like had I had access to my bricks at the time! The temple itself went through a few different changes, originally I had planned a less symmetrical scene; however, this is what it just kind of became as I went along. I have been building for over a month, probably the only reason I actually finished now was so I could make the Summer Joust deadline on Flickr; where I have entered it into the Meso-American category. Anyway it seems much smaller in the photos, and like most of my big builds I'm glad it's finally over and as usual am not completely happy with the results! The scene with Dirk kneeling by the stream has been on Flickr for a while now, it was something I did with the base I used for the Challenge II intro build. It was meant to be a quick shot for story purposes but also morphed into something completely different! Now Dirk is (almost) back I can actually get onto focusing on challenge II.... maybe...! Some additional images of the temple:

I really like the clean roundness of the temple, it contrasts well with the greenery of the jungle. The real surprise; however, was how the whole build opened up in the last pictures. Very well done!

You managed to capture the action of the battle scenes really well. On my phone the photos looked quite dark, but here on the PC they work really well for the night battle; I don't think you would have captured the same atmosphere with bright lights. Great job on both the story and build!

I figured they are sure to finally do it now I've forked out $50 for an old one.... You can all thank me later!

Great lighthouse Flavius. I like how the general shape and structure resembles the style of the one in Jameston but the details are significantly different. The large rock base also really helps make the MOC stand out. I agree the water could use some more detail, maybe if trans parts are rare then some white plates to resemble waves? Just an idea! Great job around and the effort to create a build and story that fits with the existing lore is great.

Just ordered! Also the store had one of the (hideously overpriced) goats that I have long wanted - so I treated myself..... Thanks for the excuse!

I love how you have embraced a darker character than most of us - it makes his stories very captivating and really adds to the sinister side of the order that has always been hinted at but never really explored. Excellent presentation and fantastic story - another strong challenge entry, well done!

This has got to be some of the best vegetation in LLD I've ever seen! It's so tricky to get the overgrown lush look digitally - I usually give up in frustration and go back to real bricks - hats off to you Sir! Great entry and I'm interested to see what happens next!

All round stunning build! The level of details is fantastic. What really made me look twice was the distilling apparatus - it's really well done. Some clever parts use as well, especially on the ornate table in the office. Great work all round and it's a pity Bluerender isn't playing the game.

Firstly, I love the minifigs, especially Angus Spud! I now need to find that torso! The waterwheel is very nice and I like the way you have made the mill with the elevated entrance. Also great presentation and story. A strong entry, great job!

A nice little vignette to illustrate your story and introduce your new character. I look forward to seeing him develop Port Raleigh!