Henjin_Quilones

Thanks, and yes, it is quite large! Large enough for dragons, since it's in Druidham. I was particularly pleased with how well the lighting turned out on the pouring iron myself! It was just luck of the light, but I could not have done it better had I tried. No-nonsense is a great description for the style I have been trying to maintain throughout Druidham. It should be practical with a certain elegance, but not fancy. Glad you like it! The floor is done with 2x2 tiles set on 1x1 round plates and then angled at 45 degrees to the standard stud grid. If that doesn't make sense, maybe I can take a picture of what the underside looks like, or maybe I can find someone else who has done a tutorial on it. Surely the Snyders have at some point...

This would be really cool if it were an Asian setting, rather than a monastery. Just sayin'. But it has so many awesome details, so many colors, so many textures, it is truly a feast for the eyes. I think all the gold bits up at the top of the central temple are my favorite, it's greebly like a spaceship but better. And it fits perfectly in Kali. Of course, my own will be posted here too, in good time. Maybe we can get Joe to join and post his here, as well.

Jelsa's Ice Castle A freebuild for Avalonia set in Mitgardia Far to the north in Mitgardia, at the edge of the Frozen Beyond (whether in the Frozen Beyond or just on the Mitgardian side is hard to say, as the cartographers are rather imprecise about that region), there is a small kingdom ruled by a kindly, though rather stupid, old king. His wife died many years before, and he spends his time playing with a sophisticated system of interlocking toys and trying to convince his only child, his spoiled and deeply loved daughter, that she should marry some prince. The daughter, Princess Jelsa, however, had other plans, and, since she is also a powerful ice witch, she froze every suiter her father brought to her. But one day, things went so far that she ran away to the back of the North Mountain and built herself an Ice Castle with her powerful ice magic. And there she stands, and there she will stay, unbothered by the cold. Cold hands, colder heart, they say. Unedited version: ______________ ............................. I built this for the Summer Joust's vignette category. It is, of course, Elsa's Ice Castle from Frozen, but I could not resist putting it into Mitgardia, where an Ice Princess seems to fit quite well. Jelsa, however, is a creation of mine for my (as yet unpublished) 10th Anniversary GoH CMF series: Consider this a sneak peek! Comments and criticism welcome.

It wasn’t! But fortunately, it was dealt with at the end of Book II 2 when all of Historica banded together under Queen Ylspeth to defeat Raavage and his Algus allies. Exetrius is treating us to a delightful glimpse back into the past by filling in the gaps of the history of the war in Nocturnus.

Even though you are a Mitgardian builder, you are still free to build stories in other guilds! It is certainly allowed to have a secondary storyline that is completely unconnected to your primary one. You could even build up two different settlements for the HSS if you wanted to, perhaps to try out different architectural styles or just for the fun of it. And yes, dark elves and goblins may and do live in Avalonia. Perhaps in the highlands in the central part of the Enchanted Forest would be a good spot for such settlements. I don’t have permissions to move over any threads, but someone like @Ecclesiastes does, if you want him to move it into the Guilds. Oh, and p.s. since you are a Mitgardian builder, Mitgardia still gets the freebuild credits, regardless of where the story is set.

While sand red would have of course been preferable for Redwall, the colors you chose work well, too. Dark red is a bit, well, dark, but it's the best one can do with the current production palette. I love the Redwall series, and have always wanted to build something from them, so I am glad to see this!

As I mentioned on Flickr, the vines outside are awesome! And the rest is great, too. The tiles on the floor create a lovely texture, and the ingot tiles look perfect as thick tomes on the wall. I like the story, too. My only complaint is that you did not put Embervale inside the Guilds. It would fit great there!

Looks great, perfect match for the vibes of Kali. And yes, you are allowed to build in any guild despite being a member of Avalonia. In fact, you are encouraged to build around the map! Go nuts and build in every guild! And Avalonia gets all the credit, since you are based in Avalonia.

Thanks! All told, it’s about 110x64 studs, though not all are built due to the planned camera angle. Thanks! Thanks, Geneva! There’s a trick to adding enough clutter to make it realistic without damaging the cohesiveness of the composition; sometimes I think I get it right, other times not. I think this one works, though. Amen! Preach it, brother, preach it! Non-bley Mixel joints would be a godsend.

Added a pic of the dragon alone:

The first post in this thread. And my Flickr page.

Awesome, thanks!

Thanks, Grover! Yes, I try to make my builds as realistic as possible, kind of like you do, while also adding the fantasy elements that I want in the story. After all, dwarves, elves, and humans, not to mention dragons and the other races, all need to live in decent houses, eat decent food, and use decent tools. It makes the fantastical elements more believable if they are grounded in a real world that works like our own, I think. I agree that a shot of just Gahlen would have been good to have. Wish I’d taken one! Thanks for the kind words about the photography. A lot of the design process is determining how to get the final shot, like placement of trees and how to arrange the windows, so it is nice to hear that it worked well. Druidham is supposed to be fairly new, being built up by dwarves only in the last 10 years or so, so it is supposed to be new stonework. That’s why the walls are not decaying in any way with cracks or the like. And no, you will never see all the different parts together, since none of them has ever existed at the same time as any other section - my parts collection is large, but not that large! And my storage space is not that large, either! The base on this, just the building, is 64x64, and the orchard is on a 48x48 base, though, to be honest, neither base is fully built since I knew what wouldn’t be in the shot… Thanks for your kind words! Glad you like the lighting. Yes, my sigfig does look like me, as close as I could get for the face/hair, at least. I don’t have cool armor or a sword, though. I’m glad you like it! Not sure how soon the next installment will be, but there will be a next installment eventually. I have to get my settlement on the map at some point, right?

You’re welcome! I hope to get it on there soon, but it’ll probably be another two years at the rate I have been building for the Guilds…

@Zilmrud and @Grover, I finally updated the map with your settlements...hopefully the Royal Cartographers Guild of Albion got the locations and spellings correct..

I'm on a roll now, my third Avalonian build in three months, and this time it's a continuation of my sig-fig's story, too. Which I hadn't touched in over two years...

Of Dragons and Druids Chapter 4: The Apprentice It had been several long years that Gahlen had been stuck working with the dwarves. He didn't dislike dwarves, per se, but he did not like doing dwarf work. It was hard, backbreaking work, especially for a growing boy of half-elf and half-human stock like him. His small frame was not meant for such strain. Or at least that's what he was always telling his father. But of course, Henjin merely smiled and said, "It'll build character," or something else awful like that. The worst of it was that Gahlen really just wanted to be out flying with his dragon, but he was not allowed to ride Koeden for more than an hour or so each day, and only short flights at that, since the dragon was still young and his mother did not trust either the dragon or her son to not over-tax themselves or worse, get lost somewhere out in the Mystic Isles that Druidham sat in the midst of. Folks got lost out there and never were heard from again. Actually, that wasn't the worst of it. The worst of it was that despite working as an apprentice to Stenkarlek for three years, Gahlen had still never been allowed to pick up a hammer and beat any metal at the forge. Never. He was stuck hauling things for the dwarves, like finished helms that needed to be set in the growing pile of arms outside the armory of Druidham. The armory itself was full, so the forge floor outside it was now piled high with armor, swords, helms, and shields. And it was Gahlen's job to haul it and stack it. Blaegrid and Injini got to pound on metal and make stuff, like swords and lanterns and pots. But Gahlen had to haul a barrow. Grinberd could pour molten iron to make swords and cool stuff. But Gahlen had to haul a barrow. The pile outside the armory was growing and growing, and still Gahlen had to haul his barrow, his face covered in grime and soot from the air inside the forge. It certainly wasn't from getting close to the glowing forge itself. Except when it was his job to haul coal to the coal pile in his barrow. And sometimes he even got to shovel the coal into the furnace! What delights! Gahlen noticed that Stenkarlek was talking to his parents, who were standing in the doorway with Koeden. He wondered what they could be talking about, but knew better than to try to eavesdrop. In the noisy forge, full of the clang of metal, the ringing of hammers on steel, the shriek of wheels grinding edges, and the whooshing of pumping bellows, it was impossible to hear anything without getting very close. And very noticed. "How has he been doing, Stenkarlek?" asked Henjin Quilones, greeting his old dwarf friend with a handshake. "Is he working hard?" "Oh, yes, very hard," said the old dwarf. "Though not with a smile on his face." "Smiling is hard when you are working hard," smiled Galaria, watching her son trudge around the forge floor. "Not for a dwarf it isn't," grumbled Stenkarlek. "We take joy in hard work. The harder the work, the bigger the smile." "Humans and elves are different," said Henjin thoughtfully. "Perhaps he should have a day off to fly with Koeden. Would you like that, Koeden?" The dragon nodded his head, his eyes lighting up at the suggestion. "Very well, then, how about tomorrow?" asked the Druid leader. "Fine," muttered the dwarf as he walked away. They could hear him saying something about soft elves and weak humans as he entered the noisy forge. But they just laughed, knowing that the dwarf was only half serious. And old enough to appreciate the differences between the races. "Shall we go back to the orchard, my love?" asked Henjin, escorting his wife by the arm. "Look, Rokka is picking apples. Perhaps he will share one with us." ____________________ ........................................ It has been a long time since the previous chapter of the story, a long time indeed. Chapter 3 was over two years ago now! Yeesh, things get busy. So I tried to keep the style similar to previous Druidham builds, like the library, kitchen, and hall, but this time to add a bit more detail to the walls. It's subtle, but there. This one might also be bigger than the rest, especially since it includes the outdoor scene. I am also using this for several HSS categories, notably Military: Armory, Craftsmen: Blacksmith, and Agriculture: Orchard. I just need to get a build with laborers and I can have a settlement on the map. Unless I decide to count Gahlen as a laborer... Oh, and Comments and Criticism welcome, as usual. I do plan to take a picture or two of just the dragon, for those who ask for such things. I know I haven't done it before, but I really do plan to do it this time, since I am rather pleased with this little guy. [Edit: the picture of the dragon is in the spoiler below]

@Ecclesiastes, is there any particular format that you want for the CMF entry? A 4x4 grid arrangement overview shot? And individual shots, too? Front and back, or just front? Or front 3/4? Thanks!

Yes, I don’t see why not. By doing both categories, you should have two builds towards the three required.

I see no reason why named characters from your storyline would be excluded. Or even Kars, assuming he was wearing a new outfit or something like that. In fact, you are encouraged to make up a name for each of your characters and include a little backstory for each, if it’s anything like last time.

Hot dog! These look exciting! I can’t wait to see what everyone else can cook up for these.

Thanks, Grover! Yeah, I was going for a sandstone look. The wheel does spin fast, but I’ll be honest, I don’t understand gear ratios well enough to figure it out. Maybe next time I’ll tinker with it a bit more. I did manage to get it to work for my purposes with different gears, but that was just to get the turbo speed of the race car motor down to a manageable level of torque (is that right? Gosh it’s been a long time since physics class…). As for interior, kind of…I mean, it has an inside, it’s just not built up into anything since it wasn’t going to be visible in the final shot. Thanks! Feel free to steal the vine technique. I know I didn’t invent it! I think I first saw it on a creation by John Snyder some years back, but I don’t remember anymore. Thanks, Geneva! Glad you like the warmth of the light. I took pictures in two different lighting settings, and definitely liked the dramatic lighting better. I have a hundred of the spoilers that I never want to see again, if you want them… If I had the knowledge of getting the mill wheel to spin slower, I would have done it, for sure! Glad you like the atmosphere!

It’s actually the opposite: left flags on the right, and right flags on the left. Otherwise you get kicked out of the guild and sent to Avalonia, where your penance will be to hug every tree in the Enchanted Forest.

Welcome to the Guilds! Take your time deciding, but don't be afraid to get your feet wet and start building something and posting comments on the work of others! And feel free to ask any questions you might have in this here thread. We're helpful folk around here. Except for @Garmadon. He bites new people. Or maybe I'm thinking of that one guy from Nocturnus?

Haha, this is great! It is perfectly in line with the character of Conrad to be selling his vote to the highest bidder. Very fun idea, and great execution of it!