Henjin_Quilones

True, for this challenge (at least the CMF part) Ecc has declared that 3rd-party stuff is not allowed. I was speaking more about GoH in general than the challenge. Good clarification.

I have cut it, too, so... But really, many of the very cool MOCs that appear here use many illegal connections and such things, so cutting flex tube, which at times has been required to be cut in official LEGO directions, is hardly controversial, in my opinion. Now, if you were cutting a brick, that would be different. 3rd party minifig accessories are allowed, too, so GoH is not PURIST-purist. I know I'll keep my torch un-lit and my pitchfork in the barn if others want to have a witch-hunt against you for cutting flex...

The Nagra Luca is coming soon...

Welcome, Tyndale! Dwarves are a race found all through Historica, so you could settle anywhere; but Mitgardia has the most robust dwarf civilization of any of the guilds. So, if you wanted to join with a strong dwarf alliance, of sorts, Mitgardia is for you, but if you want to forge your own path, any of the others would work. It perhaps depends slightly on your brick collection: do you have more white for snow scenes or tan for desert? (Not, of course, that all Mitgardian builds have to have snow, or that all Kaliphlin builds are in the desert.) It is up to you, though I of course would advocate for Avalonia, myself...

This is incredible! I love those giant trees, and the use of a minidoll as a fairy is perfect. The flowers made from Clickits (I think?) are especially nice, and the waterfall is also sublime. Super glad to see this added to the Mystic Isles, as it adds something beautiful and sizeable to the lore. Great work! What's in the cave on the side, though?

Looks great! Can't wait to see the rest of it!

Most CMF series do still have 16, but the LEGO Batman Movie and LEGO Ninjago Movie series have had 20, the Disney series had 18; from an earlier comment it sounded like Ecc wanted to follow the latter format this time around. Two more figures to showcase a new culture somewhere!

The bolded part of the first bit should answer the first question, I think. I read it (though Ecc is of course the authority here) as being 5 free builds total in GoH, ever (as opposed to in the past year or two, or something more limited like that).

Thanks, TM, I think you and my wife are correct. The hexagonal tower is one of my favorite things that I have built from LEGO, and I like the amount of texture that I included in this one. I look forward to seeing what you can come up with! Thanks, Kai, glad you like it! Glad you approve, Titus, and it was a pleasure building with you, too! Thank you, pdj, for noticing the small stuff! Thanks Puvel, I hoped to make the building integrate smoothly into the landscape, eschewing a simple tower on a flat surface for a more complex marriage of elements. Glad you think it worked! Thank you, Merc! This was my biggest build yet when I built it, so I am glad you approve of the scale (inspired by this, however, I decided to make something with quadruple the surface area and much more detail...). Hexagonal building takes a bit more patience and a willingness to stress your bricks somewhat. And the microfigs are mostly there to fill in the gap in the battlements between the sides, but they are nice to look at, too.

Thanks, TM! High praise, indeed. I just love the lavender flowers in general; they go well with olive, dark, and sand greens. Thank you, SK! Glad you like the alcoves; I wanted something that said "fancy garden" without taking up much of a footprint. The use of crystals and gems is something that I think elves would do, so I use them fairly extensively in my elvish builds, but I am glad you think they work.

@kahir88, great job building all of these scenes! It is great to see your civilization growing and developing.

I agree with Titus, this shows some great improvement over your previous indoor scene, since the colors are more limited and also better kept together. The sand green works well as slime covered sewer wall here. I really like the SNOTed floor, the round exit for the sewer pipe, including the water flowing out, and the 1x1 plate set at an angle as decoration between the arches. Those look great. The only things I am not sold on are first, the use of dark grey in the floor--it seems too forced, and light grey would have been better--, and second, the bright blue SNOTed into the floor, presumably as a puddle, since a puddle is almost never blue, but instead is just a darker color of whatever is under the thin layer of water. Using the dark grey for the puddle, or just wet stone in general, would have been preferable to using the blue. I don't mind the blue for the rest of the water (though technically, water underground would also not be blue, due to no blue sky reflecting on it, unless there is a heavy concentration of minerals dissolved in it). As I said, though, there is lots to like in this build! Well done.

This is a very nice little vignette! I love the brick-built boar, especially. That has a nice look to it, and is well-scaled to minifigs. The tusks make it work. Good job using fewer colors in the landscape, too! I think the tree foliage (if you have the parts, of course) could be denser, and limiting the colors there too would be good. It is certainly not bad right now, and it perhaps captures a tree in the midst of changing leaf color for autumn. Well done, Kahir!

I know, I've been slacking!

The next chapter of the Chronicles of Hesperia is up: @TitusV and @The Maestro, I finally got my part of our Summer Joust collaboration posted!

The Chronicles of Hesperia Volume 1: The Sky Man Chapter 5: Stopping at Tíre Keep The Previous Chapters: Henjin Quilones stepped out of the elvish rowboat and walked up the dock towards the tower. Though it was only early evening, the flames were already roaring from the beacon post at its top, ready to ward any passing ship away from the dangerous shoals that lined the coast of the island. Tíre Keep, with its lighthouse, was one of the most important strongholds of Avalonia, and one of the farthest, if not the farthest, west, a final stopping point for food and supplies for any Avalonian ship sailing out into the Great Western Ocean. His ship, or rather, Galaria's ship, was moored deeper out to sea, past where the rocks would cause a danger to the fragile wooden planking of a ship's hull. He had been sent ashore to this abode of humans, since he, a human, would not look so out of place as one of the elvish exiles on board the Nagra Luca, or Black Wolf in the common speech of Historica. His brother, Bu'kanjin, or one of their druid warrior companions, could also have been sent, but Henjin had volunteered to come alone to broker a deal for supplies sufficient for an ocean crossing. Of gold they had enough, if pressed, to buy everything they needed and more, but then they would have nothing when they reached the shores of some distant land; Henjin's powers of persuasion had become legendary among his friends, and they all agreed that he would be the best to negotiate a favorable bargain for them. Henjin sighed as he gazed up at the tall tower, its six sides facing every direction. He did not know when they would be back in civilized lands again. Galaria had taken it into her head to travel the world after her father had sentenced her to exile, and she had no desire to stay around the continent of Historica. She had been granted a Historican Title of Nobility for her actions in the war with Raavage, same as Henjin, and would thus find a warm welcome wherever the Ruler of Historica was revered, but she wanted to leave, to see how people lived in other lands. Henjin had agreed to go with her, as he found something about the green-haired elf maiden hopelessly attractive. Bu'kanjin felt similarly towards Yavenna, Galaria's trusted lieutenant among the wolf riders, as well, and had needed little persuasion to join his brother. The wolves. Skoll, the white wolf that was now his, along with Biryuk, who was Bu'kanjin's mount, Laika, who was Galaria's, and the other wolfsteeds of Galaria's band, was in the hold of the Nagra Luca, undoubtedly very unhappy and seasick. Henjin had to get enough meat to feed them, in addition to everything else they needed. The gold in his pouch needed to go a long way. As he walked towards the small door set in the wall, he observed a man fishing from the rocks. "Greetings, sir," he said. "Where might I find the lord of this keep?" The man turned from his fishing with a sigh, saying, "The fish are not biting so far today, I am afraid; I blame the weather. It has been too hot, unseasonably so. We need some rain, that's what we need, rain." "If I could send you rain, sir, I would," said Henjin. "Now, where might I find the lord?" "Right here, my good sir," smiled the man. "I am Sir Kravek, Baron of Tíre Keep, Ruler of the Isle of Tíre, Lord Councillor of Avalonia. How may I be of service to a traveler such as yourself?" "My thanks, Sir Kravek. My name is Sir Henjin Quilones, Knight of Historica. My friends and I need sufficient food and supplies to sail across the Great Western Ocean." "I see. Welcome, Sir Henjin. Well, you have come to the right place. Now, that ship of yours anchored off in my harbor is clearly elvish, or I am an orc, so am I to assume that you stole it, or are your companions elves?" "Yes, Sir Kravek, they are elves, as well as men. And one orc, a refugee that we picked up along the way. Not more than eighteen all told, plus beasts." "Destination? Unknown, I suppose? Well, Sir Henjin, let us step into my office, where we can discuss matters more deeply. I have what you need, including charts and maps, and a suggestion for a destination, a place sure to welcome a motley collection of humans, elves, orcs, and beasts, whose existence has been reported to me by sailors coming through. You, in your turn, will give me assistance (and gold, I am sure). Come, come, this way." ____________________________________________________________ ......................................................................................................................... Thanks for looking, and C&C welcome! This has been posted at long last, my entry to the Summer Joust with @TitusV and @The Maestro. If you look closely at the last picture you might be able to see them there. The hexagonal nature of the tower was a challenge, but it worked out pretty well, I thought. My wife, typically no fan of LEGO, thought that this was my best build, and was genuinely sad when I took it apart. It should be fairly clear where my story is going, what with a 5th Anniversary Challenge deadline just over a month away...

Thanks, Titus! I agree about those studs showing above the arch, but I did not want to take the time figure out a solution, since the wings attach to clips mounted flush with the tops of the studs. The pictures do not show it very well, but it is actually dark brown, not black, and it is the same color scheme I used in this build, set in the same location. It is, like it or hate it, the de facto interior color scheme of the palace in the Hesperian city of Istolia. Thanks, Merc! The garden side was my favorite, too. Thanks, Gunman! The dark green rounds have official stickers from this Elves set, where they were used as cushions. I happened to like the way they looked and thus they became the official insignia of Hesperia.

Excellent micro, SK! You have a knack for such things. The technic gears work very well in your turrets, with the exception of the one on the farthest right in the first picture, which just seems too large (in diameter, that is) to fit on the tower beneath it. Great work, and like TM, I would love to see this in minifig scale!

I will echo Titus about the wagon (as that is nicely done) as well as about the landscape. I think there are too many colors going on in your ground (regular green, dark green, lime green, sand green, dark tan, reddish brown, dark brown, and dark orange) with none of them particularly dominant. I would suggest reducing the number of colors (probably ditch the lime and dark orange, at very least) while increasing the number of layered plates for better texturing, especially small (1x2 are great) plates. Fig posing is again your strong suit, and brings the scene to life believably.

The wooden roof supports are nice, especially with the bit of decoration that you have put there, but the texturing on the wall is a bit too chunky for my taste. Three colors, with log bricks and masonry bricks in multiple colors, lends itself to something less than elegant. I would recommend using some plates in the wall to ease transitions from one color to the next, so that it is not all the same size rectangular blocks. The fig posing livens up the scene, though, and makes it seem realistic. Nicely done!

The elemental attacks were part of the Revolword saga, which was wrapped up at the end of Book I (the full story of which can be found here), and Book II (which was summarized by Exetrius above) has finished, though with a still-inconclusive ending as we wait for announcements, so really you have come back at the perfect time to A. participate in the 5th Anniversary Challenge (there's still a month left, especially for your minifig collection and part B of the challenge) and B. pick things up again in Book III when some things start again fresh. I'd pick whichever race/figure type appeals to you most as someone to represent you in the Guilds. I personally picked a light-skinned, scruffy-looking, brown-haired sigfig with epic sword skills, since most of that describes me (three truths and a lie?) and I felt comfortable building a story around that, but everyone picked their sigfig for their own reasons (cool armor combos, neat hair, fun names, dark tendencies, who knows?). And your fig can fly solo, have a crew that is mostly homogeneous, or have a band of misfits from all walks of life in Historica, so there is no reason to leave out any of your collection of cool minifigures. And if you want an orc peasant, perhaps Nocty is best for you, it being the haven of all things orcish, but it is worth pointing out, I think, that orcs live all across Historica, and after all of the civil wars it would be natural for one to want to find a quiet place to settle down off the beaten path; and then a remote farming valley in Mitgardia, or a quiet hamlet in Avalonia, or a solitary oasis in Kaliphlin would seem just as good. The term "peasant" probably belongs best in eastern Avalonia, with the system of feudal lords and the typically "European medieval" vibe they have there, in fact. However, you could be the builder that shines more light on the complexities of orcish civilization in Nocturnus, showing us all that they really are just simple people just trying to make a living rather than the bloodthirsty brutes they are made out to be in most of the stories... (But as Titus and The Maestro said: Go Avalonia!)

A fun little build! I like the way you did the gravestone, as well as the hole in the ground. The dirt pile is also a nice touch. It seems to me that there are too many different shades of green in too small of an area, though, as I see regular green, dark green, olive green, and sand green, and while each is nice, together in such a small area it ends up being too much. Even just cutting out the small amount of sand green would help things on that front. That being said, it is great to see another build from you here, and I look forward to more to come! The undead skeleton at the end is mighty foreboding! Something that seems odd to me (and it is not limited to this build at all, this is more of a general musing inspired by this scene) is that in Historica, we operate without actual, real-world religions (i.e. no Christians, Muslims, Hindus, etc.) yet almost all churches and cemetery scenes feature crosses on steeples or on gravestones, something that is linked exclusively to the iconography of Christianity and really makes no sense outside of that context. It makes them immediately recognizable for what they are (coming from Western, heavily Christian-influenced culture, at least) yet it seems strange to me that we use them even in our fantasy world, rather than icons specific to religions and cults developed in the different regions of Historica, like eagle goddesses or elemental spirits. Anyways, just a musing inspired by your cross-shaped hole in the tombstone...

New post from me up:

The Chronicles of Hesperia Volume 1: The Sky Man Chapter 4: The Banishment of Galaria The Previous Chapters: Princess Galaria sat in the gardens of the palace of Istolia, awaiting her father. She knew he would be displeased by her actions, yet she could not, would not, apologize for doing what had been necessary to save not only Hesperia, her father's High Elven kingdom, but all of Historica. She had returned after travelling far and wide, having used information taken from her father's library to defeat the threat of the tyrannical Lord Raavage. She had been keeping company with humans, in particular the druid, Henjin Quilones, but also lords and ladies of many lands from all corners of Historica. This was behavior decidedly atypical for an elf of the blood, scandalous, even, and Galaria had been hesitant to return to her father's halls to receive what was certain to be a stern censure. She heard sounds from the hallway outside, and pricking up her keen elvish ears to listen, caught the full conversation between her brother, Fingalad, and her father, King Fingolë the Golden. "Father," began Fingalad. "Surely you have heard that Galaria has returned from cavorting about with half-bloods and humans?" "Yes, my son, I have. I was on my way to see her now, in fact. My ministers informed me that she is awaiting my presence in the gardens." "And what are you going to say to her, Father?" Fingalad said, a note of anger in his voice. "I will demand an accounting for her irregular and dishonorable behavior," replied the king with patience. "No, Father, you must punish her for her disobedience to your commands." "What command did she break, my son?" "She stole from your library, she used the eagle riders without permission, she acted in your name without consulting you, and above all, Father, she violated your express prohibition against getting involved with the human affairs of the outside world." "You speak wisely, my son, and yet..." "Yet nothing, Father. She has disrespected and dishonored you, our family, our people, and our land. She has taken up with humans, in particular that pseudo-druid and charlatan, Henjin Quilones, becoming inseparable from his side. I have even heard that she has fallen in love with him, and would mingle our high blood with his baseborn mud. Surely you cannot tolerate such an affront and insult to our kingdom, Father?" "I will speak to her, and shall keep my own counsel, yet you have given me much to think on, my son," said the king. "Now depart from us, and I will enter and speak to your sister alone." _________________________________________ "My daughter, what have you to say for yourself? Why do you bring yourself back here surrounded by such clouds of gossip and accusations of scandal?" "Scandal, Father?" asked Galaria, as though she had not overheard her father and brother speaking in the corridor. "Will you agree to renounce the disgusting human Henjin Quilones, never to see him again, to remain here in the palace of Istolia for the next century or two, never going out into the woods like a lowly wood elf, to serve your sister Falaria as her handmaid?" "Father, no!" "Then will you dishonor me and your whole kindred?" "No, Father, I helped to save our people, and all people of Historica, by stopping Raavage and bringing the High Ruler of Historica to the throne, joining as one with the many realms out there! I did nothing to dishonor our people or you!" "You disobeyed my commands and in so doing have dishonored me and your kindred. To atone for this, I ask you again: will you agree to renounce the disgusting human, Henjin..." "He is not disgusting, Father, and neither are most humans out there that I have met!" interrupted Galaria hotly. "So you do love him!" shouted the king accusingly. "I don...I...I...I said nothing like that, Father!" yelled Galaria, now angry past her ability to contain it. "But you do not deny it! You would mingle our pure blood with the corruption of humans!" "Father, please..." "No, Galaria, the time has come. Either accept the terms I have given you, or depart forever from this land, an exile from the Elves of Hesperia, banished until the end of time." "Father, don't..." "Choose." "If I must choose, Father, then I shall leave, and maybe someday you shall repent of your foolishness and allow me to come back. Until then, farewell. I shall take a ship from the harbor and my companions, including the 'disgusting' humans, and not come back." "You have chosen wrongly, Galaria, but you may have the ship. Do not count on my heart softening for you, however. Time only strengthens the resolve of a High Elf's oath." "Goodbye, then, Father." ____________________________________________________ ........................................................................................................ The latest installment of the Chronicles of Hesperia. Feel free to make any C&C, though, to be honest, the build came together in an hour or so, and is mostly just a filler build to move the story, so it does not do anything particularly nice or fancy. Better stuff is coming soon! Another chapter should be up later this week, since it has been built, photographed, and dismantled now for several months! It just needed this story to fill the gap first, and I have been concentrating on other builds.

No worries...I've seen Kaliphlinites do the same!