Keymonus

Apart from these glorious deeds, we would also like to assign him the “Know your Enemy” +1 command bonus.

Welcome to the colonies, @Bricksbypidy! We are in different factions, but new players are what keep our little world alive!

Thank you, guys! The heron was something I wanted to try (usually I only use parrots, seagulls, and sometimes Dumbledore's phoenix), and I'm glad you liked it! I think the background is quite OK, but nothing more. Photos of computer screens always have weird reflections, and the perspective of the image I took was far from perfect. It was a last-second decision (too many details faded into the background), and not something I plan to replicate in the close future. Thanks for the quick answer... and for the very good news! Thank you for the reminder (and for the nice little backstory you used for it)! I will think about selling the mine to our national trade company, but I have some plans for silver business in Jiangkai

I missed this jewel back in October, and now I'm absolutely speechless! I'm split between the will to see more of this beauty... and the hope of never seeing its sails on the horizon! The level of detail is astonishing, and the quality of the photos is amazing too... it's a pity I live half of the world away, because seeing this build with all the lights effects and in real size would be amazing!

Nice build! I particularly like the color choice of the copper ore... probably copper mines are the ones in which oddly colored bricks come to more use!

Thank you, guys! At the moment my gray, white, and tan bricks are largely stored away, but the colors I have at hand fit very well with what I previously built on El Oleonda! I hope to see more aqueducts all over the colonies, it would be nice to see how people can adapt the base design to the style and the colors of the different stllements! I didn't remember that point of the treaty, and probably, that could count as an "appropriate procedure" for the settlement... but news is slow to reach the corners of the Empires, possibly the governor didn't simply know the new status of Fort Arltrees! Maybe I could build a MOC with some ceremony in the future...

Nice action scene! The curved palm tree is an interesting design, does it contain a flexible tube? The story is interesting too, it's nice seeing the reds back into action!

Something in the mud: prospecting in the fields outside the city

Jiangkai paddy fields, El Oleonda, January 623 Somewhere in the rice fields outside Jiangkai, a heron was strolling in the shallow water, looking for frogs and small fish. Apparently, the bird enjoyed that new hunting ground even more than his usual swamps: food was abundant, and the farmers never annoyed it, even if the humans were particularly noisy that day. The excitation of the farmers was well justified: during some repairings, some strange minerals had emerged from an embankment... with a bit of luck, they could even be worth something! The heron, however, couldn't care less, and just passed by. Actually, it wasn't even a "heron", an Old World name for an unknown bird in an unknown land... but it didn't seem to be particularly offended by the lack of fantasy. Instead, it had just spotted a fat toad, and was already foretasting its dinner! ----------------------------------------- A small prospecting vignette for Jiangkai, on El Oleonda. My usual white setting (as you can see in the last picture) was not very appropriate, as many details faded in the background, so I used a darker picture on my laptop screen. I hope you like the result! With this, I also finished one of the short periods in which I could build at ease... so I'll finally catch up commenting all the great builds published in the last month! @Ayrlego, if the procedure hasn’t changed this is up to you now, thanks!

Fort Arltrees new aqueduct - licensed as medium artisan (not completely appropriate, but it’s the category in which services are usually licensed)

Happy 2023, guys!!!

“A river with no name” started to sound very weird after time! Considering that it doesn’t even exist on a map, I considered it fair!

"To these constructions, necessary for such huge quantities of water, would you dare to compare the useless pyramids of Tellvok or the works of the Pyrites, as famous as they are unproductive?" Water, safe and drinkable water, is the lifeblood of a settlement. Wood and building materials can be shipped from a long distance, food and commodities can be imported and stored, but very little can be done about water: without a reliable source of fresh water, a settlement can't survive. When the wells get dry or the river changes its course, when the crops and the livestock begin to die, people can only abandon their houses. This, fortunately, will never happen to Fort Arltrees. The city, which already received water from the nearby River Rimbaud and the ancient canal system, can now rely also on a modern aqueduct. Back in the Old World, aqueducts were a point of pride for the Ancient Empire, even more than the majestic temples or the towering statues. Most of the aqueducts were abandoned during the Dark Ages, as only a few far-sighted kings had the knowledge and the resources to keep them working. For centuries, therefore, people of the Madrician nations had to rely only on wells and rivers, until enlightened monarchs began rebuilding the vital water infrastructures. In the New World, modern aqueducts are still a rare sight: the one of Fort Alrtrees is only the second, after the one of Mesabi Landing on Alicentia. Fort Arltrees Aqueduct connects the settlement with the springs on the King's Hills, crossing several miles of fertile countryside. In the city, it supplies a large number of fountains and drinking throughs, and even more importantly fills some large cisterns: even during a harsh siege, Fort Arltrees will not remain without water. The war raging in the eastern part of the island, however, couldn't seem more distant: after the military columns left the settlement, life returned to its normal rythms... crops must be sowed or harvested, no matter if a Carnite settlement in the East is besieged! The ensign of the Rimbaud family decorates the pillars of the arched bridges (actually a small part of the whole aqueduct, but the most impressive one), since the infrastructure was privately funded. Despite the huge interests of the Crown in the city, Fort Arltrees remains in fact a squatter settlement, at least on paper... a strange status, for the actual capital of Oleon colonies in the New Haven Sea region! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall view: As you may notice, I'm currently forced to work with a small part of my bricks, hence the little monotony of colors in my last builds... however, I'm quite satisfied by the result. I liked the idea of building something completely new here in BoBS, but apparently @Mesabi had preceded me of a few years... nice aqueduct BTW, somehow I had missed it at the time! To be licensed as a medium property, even if suggestions for the category would be extremely appreciated!

Unit name: Jiangkai tirailleurs Type: Light infantry/ tirailleurs Uniform description: Dark blue single-breasted jacket, dark blue trousers, straw conical hat (wide-brimmed hat for the officers), brown leather backpack Equipment description: standard infantry musket, dao or sabre, flintlock pistol (for officers) Recruitment center: Jiangkai Unit history: the tirailleurs were recruited immediately after Oleon had annexed Jiangkai, mostly from former Lotii soldiers and deserters. While undoubtedly loyal, the unit was considered not completely reliable in a war against the Lotus Empire, and was considered more suitable for law enforcement than for combat. Things changed after the Lotii raid of Jiangkai in 622: the brutality of their former countrymen shocked most of the inhabitants, who still considered themselves as Lotii in the Oleon Empire. The tirailleurs now will fight for honour and revenge against all the enemies of the Empire of Light. Betrayed by the ones they still considered brothers, they will repay them with the finest Oleander lead! Campaigns: Lotii raid on Jiangkai (evacuation of civilians) Motto: Ignis gladium excudit! (The sword is forged in fire)

Nice diorama, so many different actions are going on in a relatively small space! In the ongoing war and in the following peace, this new infrastructure will be vital for Oleon!

Awesome fort! The El Dorado vibes are clear, the photos are great (especially the one from the base of the tower) and nice details all over the build! As always happens the narrow corridor and the closed room must have been very difficult to photograph, but the result is nice! I’m looking forward to seeing where your story will go!

As the main column continues its advance towards Seawatch, the light infantry performs long range recognitions, starting from its advanced bases. While the position of the Lotii army is still unknown, skirmishes with Lotii scouts are not uncommon.

Thank you! As a (sort of) scientist IRL, I’ll make my team continue their research on Ile Dionysus for sure! Thanks! It may be one of those situations in which the main problem is when your discoveries start looking for you!

Thank you guys! I’m glad you like my MOC! I tried to combine most of the fighting details I introduced in my builds over the years (the ramrod, splinters flying from a wall, minifigs kneeling…). About the story… my laptop has the annoying habit of refreshing/closing open things (including eurobricks posts), and I didn’t want to lose the uploaded pictures. I’ll add a proper story today or tomorrow! That was the plan… some large and intricate ruin complex! As for verticality, I’d either need some more nougat bricks or a smaller plot, but I’ll sure try something higher in a next future!

The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, December 622 "Enemies ahead, take cover!" Shouted Tristan, as his men started to kneel behind the ruins or in the thick undergrowth. "Open fire, at will!". Bullets started flying in all the directions. The chasseurs aimed carefully before each shot, but also the Lotii were in a good position. After the Lotii had disengaged from the siege of Seawatch and had -likely- returned to their bases, nothing seemed really different from two years before: both armies were hidden somewhere in the jungle, as invisible as if they had been an ocean apart; only small patrols crawled in that green hell, hunting one another and looking for any sign of the enemy forces. Things, however had actually changed a lot since then: the recruits just dragged from the West had quickly been replaced by battle-hardened jaegers and chasseurs, the Lotii militiamen by the finest warriors of the four banners. Now all the fights had become fiercer, and any mistake was paid in soldiers’ lives! That day, Tristan was crossing the Labyrinth with a company of light infantry, when they surprised a group of Lotii soldiers coming from the opposite direction. The huge complex of ruins represented one of the few reference points between les Colines du Roi (the King’s hills) and Seawatch, and could either represent a safe shelter or a deadly trap: the Lotii knew that place too, and dozens of men could in any moment be -completely unseen- just a few buildings apart. The place must have been an important city, the largest among those discovered on El Oleonda. Now, however, only a few large palaces were still standing, covered by the vegetation, among a web of alleys, canals and low walls. One of the Lotii fell, wounded or dead, as his comrades continued shooting. The two groups were just a few metres far, but the ruins offered them a good protection, and most of the bullets just shattered some old bricks. The Lotii were fighting well, but they were outnumbered, and soon they started to disengage, disappearing again among the ruins. Everything finished in a matter of minutes, then the jungle was silent again, as if nothing at all had happened. Even though the soldiers of Oleon had won, their victory was almost pointless. The chasseurs owned the battlefield, but the enemy had disappeared, as always, and very next day it could have been their turn to die or to run for their lives. That evening, Tristan scribbled just a few words on his diary: “Lotii scouts engaged and repelled. Still no trace of the enemy army. All quiet on El Oleonda”. ——————— I put together this moc quite quickly, but I’m very satisfied by the result! I hope to show soon more of the Labyrinth, actually a ruined city somewhere on El Oleonda (since there are no official “King’s Hills”, it could basically be anywhere). In the campaign, it should be considered as a minor skirmish, part of the recognitions from the advanced positions often light infantry. C&C are welcome, as always! I hope you enjoyed the build and the story!

Thank you guys! You’ll soon see again Tristan and the Tyree’De in action!

Thank you guys! I’m very happy you liked the build! I’m particularly proud of this vignette, and of the skeleton in particular! Thank you! I always try to give some unique flavour to my builds on different islands. Here on Ile Dionysus the main recurring details will be mud and large snakes!

Near to the positions of the light infantry advanced contingent, General Tristan Rimbaud organised a meeting with the chiefs of Tyree’De and Tamaco tribes. The aim of the meeting, organised in a Tyree’De religious site, is to convince the warlike Tamaco (who had previously provided some scouts and warriors to the Monomonto army, but had then largely deserted due to the tyrannical behaviour of the commanders) to ally with Oleon and Tyree’De, or at least to remain neutral in the conflict.

House of the Ancestors - aTyree’De medium culture build near to the settlement

Amazing work @CapOnBOBS!!! I’ll listen everything today, but it’s always nice to remember that actual people (and not stacks of raccoons, something that made me really smile), are beyond all the builds and are keeping our little community alive!