Keymonus

Thank you! I read that several of the ancient buildings were somehow painted and decorated, and I wanted to play a little on this comparison! Despite the small scale and the simple architecture, I'm very happy about the result! Thanks! This MOC wasn't in the original plan, and it grew almost by chance... but I love it! As usual with ghosts and supernatural things, I kept it borderline between being a vision/hallucination and being something "real". It is something I only did a couple of times, but I love the way it turned out!

Thank you! I managed to answer when my storyline was already completed, so you know how things have ended! Don't take the sea zones too literally, but I wanted places with highly recognizable symbols allowing to point to places out of the map... I have no clue whether these lands might exist, or if they are just blank spots in the MRCA map have been destroyed by the ancient cataclysims too. Thank you! An arena was in a corner of my mind since a long time, even if I had thought of placing it in New Oleon or in a nearby state... who knows, maybe in the future... Thanks!

Thank you! This was probably the most intricate story I built, and I overestimated the time I had, so it really was a funny ride! I'm glad you liked the final result! I don't have precise plans about von Undingen, at first I had planned to just make him die, but it seemed a little waste, and I think I need a nemesis for my main character... so expect to see him again, maybe with a scar or an eyepatch! For the developments on El Oleonda, only time will tell... this is something beyond what I can decide with my storyline, but I hope we'll see some more action there! Thank you! Tristan will remain my main character. Before new EGS rules will be defined, I think I'll build more adventure-themed things than properties, so you'll see more about him soon! Thank you! The treasure is something I wanted to keep for a proper storyline... it's something I introduced in an older challenge, but I never found the time to properly focus on it! It was a little bit a rush, as I had to leave for a sailing trip and I'm only today back on dry land... with a little more experience about sails and nodes! Von Undiingen's head is from a pick-a-brick desk in a LEGO store, the code shoud be this one: 3626cpb2792. It's a quite versatile part, I think I already used for at least 10 background characters around my MOCs!

The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, May 624 Tristan inhaled deeply and flexed his wrist, loosening his muscles. His sword answered as an extension of his arm, and the blade of Guelphian steel whistled in the air. It would have been a difficult fight, that was clear. The Oleonese and the Lotii were similar in number, but the latter seemed better equipped for a melee fight: the chasseurs would have faced their long swords, spiked clubs, and partial armor with knives and sabers. As usual, however, the men could make the difference, and his chasseurs had proven their worth several times. All of a sudden, a slow clap arrived from the bleachers. A man in red civilian clothes had just appeared on the balcony, surrounded by soldiers in black uniforms. The Carnites, somehow, had found their track... and in the worst possible moment! "What a dramatic show, mein Herren. I would almost be tempted to let you finish... or to order you to do it. As you can see, there are quite a few muskets pointed towards your heads! By the way, I am Frederick von Undingen, Count of Wiesemburg, at your service." The man's voice didn't betray any emotion, but the half smile and the polite nod were absolutely unsettling. For some reason, he reminded Tristan of Slim Bill, a gang leader that during Charlatan's Bay civil war used to collect his enemies' ears... a complete psychopath, that Tristan had personally sent to Hades years before. He went on smiling, as if he hadn't just suggested watching them dying just for fun. "I have to make you my congratulations. We had fallen behind, and we had little hope of finding Professor Wagner, or any of your gracious groups. If it hadn't been for my good friend, Major von Stern, we would still be trudging at the border of these ruins, back North. At last, he convinced me to leave behind carriages and porters, and to precede you on the way to the shipwrecks... so here we are!" They were falling out of the frying pan and straight into the fire. Oleon and Carno were allies, but Tristan didn't think it would have mattered much. He didn't know which shipwrecks von Undingen was talking about, but he seemed to consider them a matter of life or death. By going there, von Undingen had cut them the road towards the sea, where an Oleonese ship was waiting! That wasn't even the worst part... in the distance, a drum had started to play, soon followed by a second and a third one. Konrad widened his eyes, but Tristan gestured for him to remain quiet. At least ten muskets were aimed in their direction, and any sudden movement could trigger a nervous soldier. At the moment, the best strategy was letting the eximious von Undingen talk, hoping to get alive out of that situation. Meanwhile, the man continued, impassive as before: "I'm sorry we meet in this situation, General Rimbaud. You provided great service to my nation, in Seawatch and Neuburg. Unfortunately, the treasures of the lost Lotii fleet are too important for my masters... you meddled in something too big and too dangerous, mein Freund! I don't think I can let you go, I fear." He also added something in Lotii, that Tristan couldn't understand, with the same voice of ice. The Lotii officer stared back with hatred, then spat on the ground. Everything seemed clear now. The Carnites hadn't abandoned the hope of finding the old Lotii fleet, even if their greed had cost way too many lives. The expedition Konrad was part of had finally succeeded, before being slaughtered by the natives. And the Chiffre, probably the most amazing part of their discoveries, was only a fortuitous finding in their insane gold hunt. "Monsieur von Undingen, I have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about." Convincing the man to let them go was impossible, but Tristan could gain some time. Pierre, on his left, was adjusting the grip on his knife. He was on a good angle to hit the man, if things had escalated more... The Carnite acted surprised, even embarrassed... impossible to say whether he was sincere or was only pretending. "Oh, monsieur le General, I'm sincerely sorry. I would have killed those Lotii dogs in any case, but this is an unfortunate accident. I fear I told you too much, and now you have to die. My fault, please forgive me. Let's close it here. Mayor von Stern, please, order your men to open fire!" The officer in black -von Stern, apparently- hesitated. There was a moment of silence, broken only by some native drums... way closer, this time! "Herr, Graf... might I remind you that Carno and Oleon are allies, and that we just fought side by side in Seawatch... the governor would never approve this move. And I can't approve this order, either!" "Ah, von Stern, you are a traitor and a coward! But you know, you can never trust an Essian for something important. Well, let’s make things easier for everyone: if anyone ignores an order again, I’ll have him hanged as soon as we return to Neuburg. Now, where were we? Oh, right! Kurt, would you please oblige? And make General Rimbaud the courtesy of being the first one.” “Yes, sir!” Without other comments, the man lowered his musket and took aim. Time seemed to slow down. For a second, everyone remained still, and only the sound of a drum broke the unreal silence. This time it was close, very close, but nobody seemed to notice. Then the world seemed to run faster and faster. Pierre sprang as a bow, throwing his knife in Kurt’s direction. He missed by a little, but the blade passed close enough to make him lose the aim. The musket fired, but the ball only hit the sand at a half a meter from Tristan’s feet. Then, before anyone could react, the battle cries began. “Idiot, you killed us all!” Yelled in Carnite the Lotii commander. He was probably true, but it was also their best chance to run! The Daca emerged from the bushes, right behind the Carnites. The musket shot had given up their position, and apparently also angered the natives a lot. Von Undingen seemed too busy to notice that is prey was escaping, and seemed in a quiet dire situation. Tristan, however, had the feeling that he would have seen that hideous man again, sooner or later… probably he was so evil that the Boatman would have repelled him! As the Carnite soldiers were fighting for heir lives, the Oleonese and the Lotii started running away under a rain of spears… trying to fight each other didn’t seem particularly important in that moment. With a map to unknown lands and a ship waiting for them along the Southern Coast, a few miles far, Tristan felt almost as when he first sailed to Astrapi, many years before… an unknown world was waiting for him to explore, and a new Era seemed ahead, both for him and for his nation! ———————— Overall view: With this last part, I conclude my storyline about El Oleonda, the Labyrinth and the “cipher”. I hope you enjoyed it, for sure I had fun with the buildings and the story! I will for sure reuse some of the characters: Tristan will remain my main one, and von Undingen will probably be his nemesis in a future story… Note: sorry, I had left the “wip” in the title even if everything was over!

The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, May 624 The Carnite guy, Konrad, spent two days between life and death. He didn't seem to have eaten or drunk anything in several days, and was feverish from an infected wound. Tristan had little hope for recovery, but the young man surprised everyone: his fever decreased, and he soon regained consciousness. After a few more days, he could even walk with a little help. Despite the gratitude, Konrad remained extremely vague about the original purpose of his expedition. In return, he talked widely about the mysterious Chiffre: at first, the Carnites had mistaken it for a Lotii military cipher, but it was soon clear that the object was far more ancient and fascinating. Despite the appearance, that little gold cylinder was a sort of map of the New Haven Seas and beyond. The first and last disc seemed to represent the start and destination points; the ones in the middle indicated the relative distance and direction of the two points. Tristan was utterly impressed by the complexity of the mechanism, and even more by the level of knowledge owned by its mysterious builders. Whoever had lived on El Oleonda, whoever had built the Labyrinth, had also traveled across the whole archipelago before disappearing from history: Tristan recognized clear references to Cascadia (the little jaguar) and Ile Dyonisus (the crocodile), but completely deciphering the object would have taken weeks. It was clear, however, that the cipher exceeded the Madrician knowledge of New Haven Seas, with several symbols falling East or South of Noveau Oleandia, far out of the most recent maps! Before trying to sail towards the Rising Sun, the Flower, or the Idol's Mask, however, Tristan and his men still had a little priority: leaving those damned ruins. Alive, if possible. The last point, at the moment, didn't seem particularly easy: heading towards the Southern Coast, Tristan's unit had to cross a dangerous choke point between some cliffs and a large Daca village. One wrong move, and dozens of warriors would have soon come for their heads. The soldiers marched forward as quietly as they could, sometimes mumbling swift prayers to Artemis or Poseidon. None of the gods seemed particularly inclined to oblige, however, since a twice damned Lotii patrol suddenly appeared among the ruins. The Lotii seemed as surprised as the Oleonese soldiers. For a moment, everybody froze. Tristan could almost hear the thoughts of the enemy commander: he knew, or imagined that the blue barbarians were probably in the Labyrinth for his same reason; he had met them as they were trying to leave the ruins, meaning that they had found what they were looking for; he knew he had to stop them, at any cost. But he also knew how close the Daca village was, and how bad could be facing dozens of their warriors. Indeed, nobody had shot his musket... not yet. Tristan brought a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence. Then, he slowly put his pistol on the ground and unsheathed his sword. The Lotii commander nodded and did the same, soon imitated by the soldiers of both sides. It would have ended that way, then. No muskets, cannons, or ordered formations: only sword against sword, warrior against warrior, as in the legends about the heroes of the past. Seen in that way, it didn't seem a bad conclusion for his story, if things had gone wrong. Tristan looked around. If they had been in the Old World, that place could have been one of the ancient arenas, where prisoners were forced to fight for the amusement of the noblemen. Maybe it was something similar, or maybe not... but in a few steps, the Oleonese and the Lotii would have been at a sword distance, and the fight to the death would have begun. At this point, the ancient gladiators would have yelled "morituri te salutant" to the Emperor, right before trying to butcher one another. That day there wouldn't have been any salute... but if the ancient inhabitants were still watching from the other side, they would have surely seen one last, glorious show. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: As my story gets closer and closer to its conclusion, also the time to the deadline is starting to run short. I hope you'll enjoy this part and the next one (that hopefully will be out tomorrow), even if I had to overpack them with way too much story for such small builds. Just to clarify, "morituri te salutant" (meaning "those about to salute you) was the classic salute of gladiators to the organizer of their "games", even if it's more a historical fiction trope than a real thing. The idea of the silent fight that is going to happen here, instead, is a sort of reference to a similar scene of the movie Kingsmen: the Origins (where the problem is represented by WWI machine guns, and not by angry natives).

Thank you guys! No Indiana Jones set was dismembered for this build… but yes, most of the tiles come from the Golden Idol Temple set: a store was selling the complete sticker sheets and some of the printed parts. As I plan to “find” more ruins of the same civilisation on different islands (where the materials and the building styles might be different), I decided I needed a recognisable “signature”, apart from the nougat brick walls! Thanks! This build almost “grew by itself” as I was preparing the next part, and I’m glad you like the way the canyon turned out! You are not exactly right, but you are not that far from the truth!

Thank you guys! After a busy period, in which I struggled finishing my challenge entries, I’m finally back to answer and comment on other people’s builds! With the Lotii characters, there is always a little role playing problem (they are NPCs, and so you should never get too far in making them do/say/think something), so I’ll keep their presence to the minimum. However, I wanted them to be part of my new El Oleonda storyline! Thank you! My original idea was going for Imperial China or Japan throne rooms, but they were far too complicated and… well… too “imperial”, while this one could be fine also for a (very high rank) nobleman. Moreover, the source material seemed ideal to be turned into LEGOs! I’m glad you liked it!

Nice troop display! The hockey ring base works well for this type of MOCs, and the details of the soldiers themselves (faces, modified hats, etc) are very nice!

The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, May 624... or another time? Konrad was exhausted. He hadn't eaten anything in days, and for sure he hadn't slept at all... not after what he had seen. The previous days were only incoherent flashes for him, but that was enough to keep him walking: the bivouac with Hans and Professor Wagner, somewhere in the Labyrinth. Hans shooting his musket to scare a jaguar away. The drums, those damned drums in the darkness, getting closer and closer. The javelin piercing Hans' chest. The guards trying to run away, just to fall after a few steps. Professor Wagner placing a backpack on his shoulders, pushing the cipher in his hands, and yelling him to run away. Then everything he could remember was jungle, ruins, and jungle again... and the parrots, repeating Professor Wagner's last words, again and again. He tripped into something and almost fell. It would have been so easy... falling, and then just lying down to rest. But Konrad had something important to do: he had to bring the cipher to someone, but at the moment he couldn't remember to whom. What he knew for sure, however, was that the cipher was actually something else, something that could change their understanding of the New World... but he was too tired to remember exactly why. He was so tired... but he had to keep walking. In a corner of his mind, Konrad noticed that the ground was scattered with countless artifacts: style B terracotta bowls, and a jasper statuette of the same age... probably lying there since the fall of the ancient city. Finding so many objects from the old times was extremely unusual, even in the Labyrinth. For some reason, the modern natives must have avoided that place, out of fear or respect. But where was he? Konrad had never been there, he was sure. The palace was incredibly well-preserved, despite the plants growing out of every crack. However, it was the first time Konrad had ever seen a building retaining so well the original decorations. If it had been possible, that place almost seemed... alive? The walls seemed freshly painted. There were bright curtains at every window, and Konrad even saw a bird feeder for the parrots. Then Konrad saw that there were people all around him. How was it possible? How could have not noticed them before? They were clearly natives, and their paintings resembled the ones of the savage Daca who had slaughtered his friends... but everybody seemed friendly, and Konrad couldn't see any weapon. Konrad realized he was in the middle of a marketplace: people were selling fruits, fish, and wonderful terracotta objects... ...but also corn, spices, and the huge eggs of birds that -Konrad was sure- didn't live on El Oleonda. Native merchants from all over the New Haven Seas, or even further, must have gathered there to sell their wares! Looking better, Konrad thought to recognize some of their tribes: a man from Salida Este, with his bright cotton jacket, and a woman from Fatu Hiva, with her peculiar scarf.... ...even a Myzec from Cascadia, wrapped in a jaguar skin. However, there was something strange: that place, the way those people dressed and behaved... everything seemed different from the native settlements Konrad had seen around the archipelago. Everything seemed at the same time more ancient, but more advanced and civilized. Konrad roused himself. All of a sudden, he realized that he was hungry, thirsty, and shaking from the fever. He tried to ask for help, for food and water, but nobody seemed to hear him. He tried in Carnite, in Tyree'De, and even in Lotii. Desperate, he even tried to barter the cipher for some food, but the merchants didn't even notice him... as if he wasn't really there, or as if they were only shadows of a distant past. All of a sudden, Konrad was alone again, back in the jungle. Back to his time, and his desperate situation. He started crying. The natives, the market, the colors on the building... everybody had disappeared, and he was probably going to die. But... but there was still someone! A man in a blue tunic, coming in his direction! That man had come for him, he was sure... to bring him back to the city, to that wonderful market, out of that damned jungle! He started thanking him in tears. Maybe that place was the afterlife, but it didn't seem bad at all! Konrad was outmost surprised when the man answered, in a stumbling Carnite: "Mon ami, I have no idea of what you are talking about... but we'll bring you out of these damned ruins, you have my word!" -------------------------------- Overall view: Note: I planned two more parts after this, but probably (due to the deadline approaching), I will probably only publish a conclusive part. As you can see, here I decided to join two different "versions" of the same build in a single 20x20 build. The use of the medium nougat limited me a lot in the part choice, but I really like this color... and I hope you'll enjoy the result!

The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, May 624 "Well, this is clearly not the right way!" Mumbled Tristan Rimbaud. A stream of water, narrow but extremely fast, had suddenly appeared in the middle of the ancient road. The river seemed to cut the whole city, as an ink line on a map: it crossed roads and even some of the ancient buildings, from North to South, as if it had appeared out of a spell. "Let's rest for ten minutes, men! Then we'll have to find a way to cross!" For some reason, Tristan knew that trying to turn around was not an option... it seemed that someone had stretched a map of El Oleonda a little too much, creating a laceration. On the other side, Tristan could see the rest of the city. Houses, palaces, temples... the ruins continued, but everything seemed to be shifted of almost one meter to Tristan's right. What force could move half of a city, ripping the ground as old paper? With a brief prayer to Poseidon, Tristan hoped never to find it out. Nobody knew who had built the Labyrinth, nor all the ruins scattered across the New Haven region. The catastrophic events that happened centuries before on El Oleonda, however, had probably signed the end of that advanced civilization. Tristan couldn't help but think of a legend he was once told by a Tamaco scout: a legend about a tribe so powerful to make the Gods themselves envious, and that was destroyed in a single night of wraith and storm. The ancient constructors of the ruined city and their fate surely represented a fascinating mystery. At the moment, however, Tristan was far more concerned about the current inhabitants of the Labyrinth… the reason why all every soldier was on edge, with the musket firmly in hand. A ferocious tribe, called Daca by the other people of El Oleonda, had taken over the place. Nobody knew how they called themselves, as every attempt to communicate had resulted in a fight. For some reason, those savages seemed to fear the sea, and to ferociously hate the foreigners living on the coast: the scouts had reported about whole Lotii units massacred among those ruins… the Carnite had chosen a dangerous place for their stroll. With the cliff in front of them, Tristan and his men were in a dangerous position. They had to cross that stream of water, and they had to do it quickly, if they wanted to anticipate the Carnite to their mysterious destination Suddenly, a voice broke the usual sounds of the jungle. It came from the other side of the river, no more than fifty meters far. Tristan couldn’t understand the words, but the man was clearly speaking in the language of Carno… alone, apparently. Then, among the confused words, he heard something, loud and clear: “Die Chiffre”. The road they had taken was not that wrong, after all. ————————— A different view: Overall view: The editing took me far longer than expected… I hope you’ll enjoy the final result!

Palace of the Imperial Envoy, Oryant, April 624 Commander Lei Feng walked through the door of the Red Dragon's Hall. He was expecting that convocation after the defeat in the Battle of Seawatch. Four years before, the Emperor was promised an easy victory against the barbarians from Carno. After two long campaigns, the deployment of hundreds of soldiers, and considerable expenses for the Imperial Treasury, the victory was as far as on the first day of the war. And now, with the Imperial Envoy on the island, someone was going to pay. Lei bowed deeply before the Envoy and sat on the low bench prepared for him. Then, following the ceremonial, he deposed his sword on his right and drank a sip of liquor from the bowl prepared for him. Now, according to the traditions, he was considered a guest, and couldn't be touched... even if, in the past, this sacred rule had been violated multiple times by particularly unscrupulous noblemen. The commander took a deep breath. The man in front of him represented the eyes, the ears, and the voice of the Emperor in Oryant, and he was there to decide who was responsible for the disastrous course of the campaign... one wrong word, and Lei's head would have been exposed on a spike before the sunset. "Welcome, Commander Feng. It's a pleasure for me to finally visit the famous island of Jinzi, the topic of so many discussions in the Imperial Court." The Envoy didn't even try to sound convinced. "However, I would like to know why I cannot ride freely, from East to West, on an island that rightfully belongs to His Majesty the Emperor. An island that our commanders promised to conquer in a few months... four years ago." His tone remained calm and unexpressive, but Lei Feng didn't miss the fierce gaze in the Envoy's eyes. "So, Commander Feng, can you help me understand why this military expedition keeps frustrating the Emperor's will? How could our best commanders be utterly defeated by the Northern barbarians?" Lei expected the question... all the commanders did. After the retreat to Oryant they had agreed on a half-true version of the story, in which most of the blame was put on the poor cohesion of Lotii, Monomonto, and mercenaries, on the lack of modern artillery, and the distance from the supply lines. Before he could begin, however, the Envoy added, almost casually: "Oh, it's fair that you know that the High Command considers you responsible for the defeat of Seawatch. General Wang claims that you refused to retreat your unit, out of personal pride, and that your foolish move compromised his ruse. His version was confirmed by most of the commanders. If this is true, then you are either an incompetent or a traitor. Wang suggested I should order the captain of my guards to behead you immediately. I feel generous, so you have two minutes... you can try to convince me, or use this time to jump on your sword and die with honor." For Lei, this was a punch straight into the stomach. He was used to the duplicities and treasons of the Imperial Court, but this was far too much. He had been chosen as a scapegoat by his own commander, and by the men he had fought with, shoulder to shoulder... and after what he had truly done during the Battle of Seawatch! For a fraction of a second, Commander Lei Feng considered his possibilities. Most of his men were still loyal to him, probably, but he had no way to reach them. There were five armed guards in the room and dozens more between him and the closest gate. He was in a trap with no way out... after what he had done! To hell with the etiquette! "This is an outrage!" -without almost realizing it, Lei had stood up, and was almost yelling. "I remained behind with my unit, and we fought almost to the last man. This is what saved a part of the army from destruction, despite our great General! We delayed the barbarians as long as we could, and gave our men the time to escape!" The guards rushed towards him, sword in hand, but he didn't care. At a nod of the Envoy, the guards froze, still as statues. "So, Commander Feng, you are telling me that General Wang's plan had failed, and that he is a liar. That the whole high command is lying, apart from you. Please, what went wrong in Seawatch?" The tone of the Envoy had again changed. Weirdly, he seemed... pleased? What was happening? Lei recovered a little of demeanor, then continued: "As you certainly know, your Excellency, General Wang had planned a fake retreat. He wanted the barbarians to rush forward, with only some light infantry to harass them... they would have arrived at our real battle line tired and unprepared, without their heavy artillery, and they would've been destroyed. General Wang, however, completely ignored the real state of our troops. Our forces were entrenched in a long, fortified line across the jungle, and some units didn't even receive the retreat order! When the barbarians attacked, we were still disassembling the batteries, and the soldiers were still funneling on the bad jungle roads. I rallied my man to cover the retreat, and we gained as much time as we could. At this point, reforming a battle line was completely impossible, so our forces retreated eastward, as well as they could… Then, we tried to disengage across the Dead City, where... where..." "Where your unit was almost completely exterminated." Concluded the envoy. "By savage natives, demons in the shape of men, I was told. Commander Feng, you probably saved some of our troops during the Battle of Seawatch, but you also ignored your general's order, and this is treason. You saved a part of the army, but you caused the annihilation of your whole unit.” Lei held his breath... the next sentence could either mean life or death for him. "However, today I will hold the executioner's sword. You have one last chance to redeem. As we are talking, three Carnite men are trying to cross the Dead City, heading for Seawatch. A column of barbarians is trying to reach them, but they must fail. You don't need to know more, but these men carry vital information. Bring them alive to Oryant, or kill them if you can't. But if you fail, I only wish you to die with honor." Without another word, Commander Lei Feng was dismissed. He had been betrayed and sent to death by his own comrades, by his own commander, but he had survived again… probably headed to a suicide mission, but alive! Better than he had hoped a few minutes before! Then he remembered what he had seen in the Dead City, back in that damned jungle, and the screams he could still hear every night. Suddenly, the merciful blade of a sword didn’t seem such a bad option… ------------------------------------------------------- Far later than expected, here you can find the fourth (and last) character headed towards the Labyrinth, where their stories will finally cross. The hall is freely inspired by the Phoenix Throne of the Korean Emperors, which has a painting of the Korean mountains in the background. I hope you enjoyed this part! Overall view: Without minifigures: No minifigures, canopy removed:

Great build! The minifigs and their weapons look amazing, and the scene really gives the feel of a marching unit! Brought to this scale, the rain effect is amazing... good luck with your exhibition!

Thanks!

Thank you guys! Some parts of the model were a little unstable, so the close-up pics were a little painful to take (any minor hit tended to displace the boat mast and some shipwreck parts), but I'm very satisfied with the final result! The story I have in mind is composed by 5-6 parts (+ the first MOC, out of challenge size guidelines), and I really hope I'll be able to complete them on time! I'm also happy I've finally had a chance to retake some concepts I introduced a long time ago (El Oleonda ruined cities, the Lotii treasure fleet shipwrecks...) but never elaborated as I had planned!

Thank you! You guessed some aspects of where the story will go, but stay tuned for the next developments! I had nothing specific in mind for the carriage driver, but we would definitely need an Oleonda Jones! Thanks! The next part will (hopefully) be out by the end of the weekend, seen from another different perspective! Thanks! As I told you separately, I'll try to follow your suggestions better regarding uniform colors and lore! And, as you suggested, who better than the warlike citizens of an outcast settlement, for a particularly dangerous glorious mission? Thank you!!!

Lovely build! The ship itself is very well done: detailed, realistic, and with elaborate rigging. The ramp and the minifig posing around it are also great, and create an extremely lively scene! Keep it up!

Impressive architecture, and an amazing display of odd minifigures! I like the idea of "fantasy" minifigures for the masquerade. The arch with the spectral chariot on it clearly steals the scene. I also love the use of the completely tan minifigs as statues. I'm really looking forward to seeing where the story will bring your characters!

Thank you!!! I’m happy you liked this little MOC! Ideally the bars should be like 1 brick longer, but I’m very satisfied with the result! Thanks!!!

Great entry for our beloved Doctor! The level of detail of the “tiny” ship in the background is amazing! Impressive job with the forced perspective!

Great entry! In or ally I’m not a great fan of over minifig scale builds, but the way you organised the perspective and the objects you chose (like the books and the ship model) really make their job! I also like the more canonical portrait as an element of your scene! Well done!

Military activity report - Intelligence Office of Seawatch, to New Haven Military District Strategic Command Confidential report - to the exclusive attention of the General Staff Our operatives in Seawatch report an unexpected movement of Carnite troops (est. strength of two jaeger companies), leaving the settlement southbound. The status of this information is certain, independently reported by two of our informers in the settlement and directly confirmed by our operative Minerva. As it stands, the purpose of the expedition is unknown. No communication was given to the liaison officers of the Oleonese 3rd Division nor, to our knowledge, to the headquarters of other Coalition Forces. On official army reports, the operation is reported as a "recognition mission", but the marching order is not coherent with the declared objectives. Our informers report that the contingent is mostly formed by Essian soldiers from elite units (Jaegers and Totenkopfe infantry), suggesting that military confrontation is expected. Moreover, the expedition is equipped with heavy carriages, not particularly suitable for the bad roads of El Oleonda islands. The expedition seems to need abundant supplies for a prolonged mission, to aim to recover heavy materials, or both. Rumors claim that a group of Namerean coral divers was seen in one of the port taverns, and has recently disappeared. As it stands, it is impossible to verify whether the two events are connected. The commanding officer of the expedition is Major Matthias von Stern, an experienced soldier decorated twice during the Battle for El Oleonda. The choice doesn't seem coherent with the limited purposes declared for the expedition. Considering the inconsistencies and the secretive nature of the mission, a light infantry contingent was ordered to track the Carnite expedition, if possible avoiding any contact. Our forces consist of a company of Eranos Chasseurs and two platoons of Astrapi Colonial Chasseurs, under the command of Regiment General Tristan Rimbaud. One of our assets, with direct access to the Carnite Governor's private correspondence, reported seeing a coded message of unknown content, together with a map of the Southern Coast and a note about a "cipher". The meaning of these reports is elusive, but it's clear that an object, identified as a cipher, is considered of utmost importance by the Carnite high command. Updates will follow in case of further developments or reports from our operatives on the field. With the best regards for Your Excellency, Morpheus -------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall view: The heavy carriage: A view of the muddy road with the carriage tracks: An obvious credit goes to @Khorne, who first invented and developed the Essian culture and units within the NPC nation of Carno.

Wrong quote, my fault! Consider it a pending congratulation for the future! Be careful not to steal the wrong buttons, or my character could end up in embarrassing situations… ”The priest is naked!”

I’m glad to see that Captain Kane will be with us in the next Era! Nice entry and great close-up shot!

@Khorne and @Ross Fisher, both your builds and stories are amazing! The whaling station really has a unique feel, I love the colour scheme and how you managed to pack so many details in such a narrow space! The use of the Duplo whale is also surprisingly effective! I also love the result with the tilted deck! How did you block the fish at such a weird angle? The result is amazingly dynamic!

Cat A entries: These MOCs represent my entry for cat A. As from challenge rules, I’ll convert them to a single (huge) topic as soon as possible!