Keymonus

The crowded ball room is quite impressive yet, even without proper minifig posing... I'm looking forward to seeing the real ball! Moreover, monsieur Rimbaud is surely happy to have a nice young woman on his side, even if it esponentially increases its chance of being murdered by an angry husband...

Thank you @Bodi and @Captain Genaro! I posted the secon part right now, and the third will soon follow. Thank you for your piece of advice, but I realised that I do not own enough trans-clear pieces to add any other detail... since they are absolutely unexpensive I've planned to buy some more 2x1 trans-clear plate as soon as possible!

After a hard work the dam was completed, but this was only the first step towards the new military port: dozens of unusual cranes (usually called "giraffes") were built along the barrier and, manouvred day and night by hundreds of labourers started emptying the bay. At a conceptual level, transferring a single bucket of water from the bay to the open sea or repeat the operation ten or five thousand times is not different: it's only a matter of resources, logistics and manpower; continuously working for a couple of months, the groups of workers (convicts, Astrapians and laborers from all the New World) emptied the bay, reaching the muddy seabed. The dam was then reinforced with beams from inside, to prevent it collapsing due to the terrible pressure from outside. Even if the giraffes egregiously did their job, a significant was given by a series of endless screws, simple (and quite fragile) machines capable of lifting huge volumes of water with a minimum effort; they were useful in particular when the bay was almost dry, to complete the job and control infiltrations along the dam. Here you can see how the port was actually realised: hundreds of tons of mud, sand and rocks, accumulated by tides and rivers during the last centuries, were gradually removed with showels and cases by convicts (with red clothes) and salaried labourers. When full, the cases were lifted to the top of the cliff using winches and wooden rails: the resulting materials were then carried away with wagons along a temporary road and used to pave streets or build new piers in different areas of the island. A little ceremony was held at the top of the cliff: celebrating a tradition older than the Faith itself the Master Builder made a short propitiatory speech near to the cornerstone of the future fort. This stone, influencing the direction, precision and stability of the foundation, has always had a strong symbolical value: the future of the new building relies on it's stability and, since the cornerstone can only be exposed by the complete distruction of the overlying building, an offer to the gods of the Underword (Hades in particular) is usually made. As usual, the cornerstone of the fort contained a little space for the ritual offers: a golden figurine of Hades, a doubloon minted during the year, sometimes a message for the future Oleanders; the cover was then sealed forever with mortar and, since that very moment the new fort became something more than a mere project. Tristan Rimbaud, one of the promoters (and financers) of the Royal Arsenal congratulated with the Master Builder: the build was perfectly on time, and the bright, glorious future for Astrapi was a little nearer. An overall view: Other pictures: The men manouvring one of the winches

Very nice Academy @Bodi! The facade and the facade/roof transition is great, I especially like the little columns surronding the central window! I do not know how the inspection will go, but the lined soldiers, the facade decorated with flags and the entrance gate surely make a certain effect! A fine lime touch!

The story of the Eight Provinces is back! About the build, I particularly like the view of the port, but the game of cards is a very nice touch

Nice furnace robinnilsson403! I like the overall design of your build, and the marching column is a nice addition, not to mention the shoveling man singing!

Nice vignette Captain: the furniture is nice, but the wallpaper is absolutely great! I'm looking forward to seeing how your story will evolve!

Nice range merc! Your double line of soldiers is great and the vegetation is pretty good too. My only cricticism is that it would be nice to see addictional pictures, for example a view facing the firing line.

Nice story and nice builds roadmonkeytj! Probably I should not say that, but it's fine to see some good piracy spicing up the Brick Seas!

Entering the port of the Royal Arsenal of Astrapi, it's hard to believe that only few months ago it was only a secluded bay, a safe place to shelter fishing boats from storms but not deep enough to host anything bigger than a corvette: the new military port, in fact, was built by the hard work of Oleander diggers and engeneers. The first challenge was the laying of a double palisade across the entrance of the bay, about 400 metres wide; the barrier was strengthened with earth, sand and rocks coming from the foundation works of the Arsenal itself. The poles forming the dam were deeply plunged into the sea bottom using a pile driver mounted on a boat: an heavy block of rock is lifted using a crane and then violently dropped on the pole, hammering it in the sand; a ballast of stones, on the back, prevents the boat from capsizing. Meanwile, a group of "volounteers" is digging along the coastline in order to expose the solid rock below: soon a little fort will be built there that, with his twin on the other side of the bay, will welcome any unexpecte visitor with 36-pounder greetings. The "volounteers" are actually former pirates nicely host by Astrapi jail, who were given a chance to shorten their conviction or avoid the gallows; their work is hard, but they receive decent food, fresh water and can see the sunlight. A group of Astrapi inhabitants is removing some bush: a temporary road will be cut across the thicket in order to allow an easy arrival from Astrapi for the hundred of men that will be employed soon and for the building materials. An overall view The pile driver again A coplue of volounteers Some other pics of the building site This is the first of a series of three builds. I tried to depict the same area at the beginning (here), at about an half and at the end of the works. No pirate was badly hurt during the process.

Wow, your project is becoming something huge, and I really like the style of what you showed us! Now I only wish there will be some fine Oleander wine besides your barbarous Corlander liquors...

Thank you for your great idea, as others said a nice opportunity to show different characters together. It would be an honour for my character, Tristan Rimbaud, to attend your ball. He would be there partly for "political" and social reasons (to improve his relations with Corrington and meet potential business partners), but mainly because it's a ball, a funny event with the elite of the New World... is there a better reason for an Oleander nobleman?

Captain Dee, I'm impressed! You accurately depicted the whole process of gun casting with a very clever use of parts; I especially like the casting pit, I had planned to build something similar in the past but I couldn't obtain a satisfying result. The roof is very nice too, and I suppose it wasn't easy make it stay together!

Funny little build and amusing story! I like the use of brick-shaped pieces in the pier, they make it more "real", even if I would suggest to add some cobblestones on the street. Where does Captain Kelly torso come from? Surely it's another nice uniform for your marines

Wow, very nice ship! I think this is the first bomb kecth here in BoBS, and I like your design, with the mainmast a little backward and the mortar pits... but surely I would rather not to see it approaching to my port!

Thank you @Kwatchi and @Bodi! Thank you @Elostirion, as soon as possible I’ll build a silver mine here in Astrapi. Perfect @Mesabi, probably the WTC will earn something too, but we’ll see that in the future (that is: if in @Drunknok’s mine Tristan or his representative did something useful )

Thank you both! This is actually my biggest (and probably best) build up to now!

Thank you @Drunknok! If you have the parts you can use my character in your MOC, otherwise you are free to use a representative (any reasonable Oleander would fit well ); if "I" had to say something important or you had any doubt, you could PM me! The Mokolei is dressed as series 13 king minifigure with a Scottish hat (seen from below); honestly I don't know where the face comes from! Thank you @blackdeathgr, @Mesabi and @Capt Wolf, the furniture and minifigs were actualy the funniest to build!

Minerary Office- Small Commerce- License active

Even if Astrapi silver lore promises to be incredibly rich, the excavation of the mine is taking longer than expected due to continuous water damages: usual mining techniques seem to be uneffective and traditional water pumps are completely powerless aganist the flow of water and mud invading new tunnels. For this reason Tristan Ribaud, the owner of the mining area, decided to organise in the offices in the future mine a meeting with representatives of several foreign nations, in order to promote technological exchange in minerary field, but also to extabilish new routes to unusual commercial partners. Samples of raw minerals and refined silver from the lore are displayed as partial guarantee of Astrapi underground riches, but the most valuable "goods" exchanged in this meeting are engeering solutions in mining business: infrastructures like Ribaud Canal, water pumps in Varcoastan mines, Maharajah's Foundry in Northern Mokolei Empire, or innovative techniques, like the "oculate use" of explosives in Argentia prospects, in fact, could be adapted to different conditions, terrains and enviroments in order tosolve problems, increase productivity and reduce material, but also human costs. The meeting was friendly, and a treaty for future technological cooperation was signed: with a bit of luck, Astrapi silver mine, but also different projects in foreign countries will soon be completed, overcoming obstacles that seemed insurmontable before. Political issues and reciprocal mistrust, however, will make everything harder, since a richer nation (and a nation with better mines is obviously richer) can afford a stronger army and could eventually invade its same helper! From left to right: Salleekan ambassador, a WTC representative, Tristan Rimbaud (from Oleon), a Mololei vassal and a Varcoastan officer. Vincent Leroy, designer of Rimbaud Canal, talking to a Mokolei vassal (with his bodyguard). Tristan Rimbaud with the Varcoastan and WTC representatives. A WTC marine and a Varcoastan pandur near to a cabinet of fine liquors... probably something dangerous! A cartographer presenting his job about Ribaud Canal. A miner receiving his salary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- @Mesabi, I just realised that a treaty signed is probably more official than what we had agreed about, even if it won't have any real implication... actually I needed a reason to justify the presence of so many foreigners and why I'm so late building my mine; feel free to ask me to modify/delete something. I think there are no problems with the other nations involved, since most of them are not "in use" and, as I said, the treaty doesn't have any practical purpose; if it's a problem for somebody or for the rules, I'll modify that immediately.

Ok, thank you! I'm building the entrance (from sea) of the Royal Arsenal and the excavation of the port but, since it will never be completed before the deadline, I'll license it later as a commercial or a fort

Merry Christmas everyone (just a little late)! I agree with blackdeathgr, and I’m looking forward to seeing our legionaries in action! ———————————— Only a quick question: have the overall colors/building styles of the Royal Collabs already been decided? I would gladly join one of them, but I lack certain colors!

Wow... the building itself is nice, but the minifig choice and posing is great!!! Everything gives a desert war/foreign legion atmosphere, and your story contributes shaping Southern Oleon in a quite realistic way!

One word: Impressing! Your tavern is simply great, I like your building technique... nice addition to BoBS

Wow, great developments! I like the story so far, and the builds are always nice! I’m looking forward to seeing Captain Tyrell’s trial (or escape, or absolution...)!