Darnok

Clever idea, and it works surpisingly well! A good looking busstop indeed.

The Orchid Challenge is getting all the attention at the moment - and rightly so - but if you have not voted for this minichallenge: please do so! The race is really close in this category, so every single vote counts!

The Orchid Challenge is getting all the attention at the moment - and rightly so - but if you have not voted for this minichallenge: please do so!

A solid build, and a nice expedition crew. You have captured the "Jameston style" indeed, well done!

Eh, I guess I can still try to get a second place...

Nice one! You can be proud of this build, for it is all around well done. The inside is functional and good looking, I like the structured walls and the detachable roof, and the loading dock is a great idea. The working process is illustrated correctly, with all the necessary steps - and historically, bone glue was essential for producing a lot of things. I highly recommend the Wikipedia article about Animal Glue, especially for this: The only minor improvements I can think of would be additional details on the road (small light grey plates and/or tiles for a cobblestone effect maybe), and maybe using the roof section for either some steps of the production process (the glue is dried at the end, which would be done on the roof here I guess) or some relaxing workers. An overall great build with some clever ideas, Arlinsport can be proud of it! True story! P.S.: Why are there multiple crates of explosives?

I had planned to add a (handdrawn) map with my Cat.C entry, but if you want to I could post it tomorrow instead. But please do not give them any specific name, "Riverside Ponds" was chosen for a reason.

My fifth (and final) entry for Category B, subcategory "Geography": It is not that I am short on ideas - I could continue building for Category B for weeks to come - but I am short on time. The last days of the challenge will be spent on my entry for Catgeory C.

617, Day 14 of the 12th month, In the jungles of Celestia, 7 Days before the Winter Solstice We have now reached areas of the jungle that Jewel has never set a foot in before. The terrain is rising, when close to the river I can see mountains nearby. The jungle has become even thicker than in the last week, our progress has become very slow. Despite the difficulties and challenges the jungle and its swampy terrain have to offer, we are still following the river - it is still easier this way than in the deeper jungle. The last days have been interesting, for there have been many ponds by the riverside, each more beautiful than the one before. Not only ais the vegetation more colourful close to them, but there seems to be a varied flora and fauna underwater as well. Jewel agreed that we should explore one of these ponds in more detail. Over us the dark green of the jungle opened up to let the sunlight reach the ground, the air was buzzing with all kinds of insects, and there were flowers, orchids and other colourful plants everyhwere: Jewel advised against it, but I could not help but take a jump into the crystal clear water and dive into the world below the surface of the water shining in the bright sun: The experience was fantastic: not only were there many types of sweetwater plants I have not seen before, and different type of fish hiding in seaweed and crevices, but there is also an underwater tunnel connecting this pond to at least one other. I wonder if this is an exception, or rather a common thing? Sadly, I could not continue my studies, since a thunderstorm was approaching and we had to look for shelter. Either way, this terrain feature definitely deserves another letter to the Royal Society! === To the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy, from Reinhard Wolffson on Celestia, I write you once again, for the jungles of Celestia do not stop to to surprise with wonder after wonder. This time I have come across a terrain feature alongside a river - the one that goes into the Brick Sea right next to Jameston. My position is about four weeks east of Jameston, and the river has spread into a series of ponds here. Due to the broken jungle ceiling, enabling the sun to reach the ground, the vegetation is even more varied than in other areas. I only had little time to study this area (ad weather prevented further exploration), but I can provide a couple of paintings of the flora and fauna both over and under water: Something I wished I was able to investigate in detail was an underwater cave connecting this pond to another one: Going by my observations, albeit limited, I assume that there is a whole network of tunnels and caves connecting many of these ponds, resulting in one big ecosystem below the surface of the water. It is unclear what species from the river also live in those caves, and what else is hiding in there. I recommend a future expedition with the purpose of clearing up this mystery! It should be obvious by now that the jungles of Celestia have many wonders for us to explore. My humble observations are nothing but a starting point. Given more time and ressources I am sure the Crown could make significant discoveries and profit greatly from the scientific breakthroughs that would follow without a doubt. It is not up to me to decide this though, but I urge the Royal Society of Natural Sciences to build on what little foundation I was able to build here. For the Queen and Corrington, yours truly, Reinhard Wolffson =============================================================================== This post also acts as my fifth (and final) entry for Category B of the Superb Orchid Challenge. The whole scene in a wide shot: As usual, there are additional pictures of the build: As always, C&C is appreciated.

617, Day 14 of the 12th month, In the jungles of Celestia, 7 Days before the Winter Solstice We have now reached areas of the jungle that Jewel has never set a foot in before. The terrain is rising, when close to the river I can see mountains nearby. The jungle has become even thicker than in the last week, our progress has become very slow. Despite the difficulties and challenges the jungle and its swampy terrain have to offer, we are still following the river - it is still easier this way than in the deeper jungle. The last days have been interesting, for there have been many ponds by the riverside, each more beautiful than the one before. Not only ais the vegetation more colourful close to them, but there seems to be a varied flora and fauna underwater as well. Jewel agreed that we should explore one of these ponds in more detail. Over us the dark green of the jungle opened up to let the sunlight reach the ground, the air was buzzing with all kinds of insects, and there were flowers, orchids and other colourful plants everyhwere: Jewel advised against it, but I could not help but take a jump into the crystal clear water and dive into the world below the surface of the water shining in the bright sun: The experience was fantastic: not only were there many types of sweetwater plants I have not seen before, and different type of fish hiding in seaweed and crevices, but there is also an underwater tunnel connecting this pond to at least one other. I wonder if this is an exception, or rather a common thing? Sadly, I could not continue my studies, since a thunderstorm was approaching and we had to look for shelter. Either way, this terrain feature definitely deserves another letter to the Royal Society! === To the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy, from Reinhard Wolffson on Celestia, I write you once again, for the jungles of Celestia do not stop to to surprise with wonder after wonder. This time I have come across a terrain feature alongside a river - the one that goes into the Brick Sea right next to Jameston. My position is about four weeks east of Jameston, and the river has spread into a series of ponds here. Due to the broken jungle ceiling, enabling the sun to reach the ground, the vegetation is even more varied than in other areas. I only had little time to study this area (ad weather prevented further exploration), but I can provide a couple of paintings of the flora and fauna both over and under water: Something I wished I was able to investigate in detail was an underwater cave connecting this pond to another one: Going by my observations, albeit limited, I assume that there is a whole network of tunnels and caves connecting many of these ponds, resulting in one big ecosystem below the surface of the water. It is unclear what species from the river also live in those caves, and what else is hiding in there. I recommend a future expedition with the purpose of clearing up this mystery! It should be obvious by now that the jungles of Celestia have many wonders for us to explore. My humble observations are nothing but a starting point. Given more time and ressources I am sure the Crown could make significant discoveries and profit greatly from the scientific breakthroughs that would follow without a doubt. It is not up to me to decide this though, but I urge the Royal Society of Natural Sciences to build on what little foundation I was able to build here. For the Queen and Corrington, yours truly, Reinhard Wolffson =============================================================================== This post is my fifth and final entry for Category B of the Superb Orchid Challenge, in the subcategory "Geography". If you want to follow the surrounding story of Reinhards expedition on Celestia, have a look at this thread. The whole scene in a wide shot: As usual, there are additional pictures of the build: As always, C&C is appreciated.

Lovely build. The colour choices and architectural details are awesome, and due to its size it is a really impressive MOC. Well done! The only improvement one could ask for would be an interior, everything else is flawless.

Is a lack of parts holding you back? Because I wonder how much "inspiration" is really needed. To put it bluntly: just build something with a real world counterpiece, and maybe add something weird or special. Flower, insect, fish, bird, snake, ape... just a few things that are found in a jungle, each coming in a myriad different forms. Pick one, done.

Glad to hear this!

Out of curiosity: are people holding back their Orchid Challenge entries? There are only five days more to go, and while there are quite a few Cat.A entries, Cat.B has only two contenders so far, and there has yet to be posted a Cat.C entry. Huge influx of entries incoming on the coming weekend, or genuine lack of interest?

A nice little plantation indeed, I love the storage shed and the depiction of busy minifigs. The WTC is happy to have them around! If this build is not yet licensed: please note that your first small land property license - which this small plantation is - can be licensed for free. Simply pick the corresponding option in the property licensing form. I assume the crop is corn? Good IC choice, and it will definitely grow on Argentia. For the future you can keep in mind that Mesabi Landing is on a very dry island, so anything that needs lots of water would not grow there. There are plenty of plants that thrive in arid conditions though, and if you want to build a plantation for something unsuitable on Argentia you can simply choose another location. If ou are looking for inspiration in regards to plants, I have started the BotBS Plants Index (and really should keep working on it ). Shameless self-promotion, I know, but maybe you find something that interests you, or add something of your own. Also note that you are free to build anywhere in Corrington settlements, and in most other factions settlements as well (in the latter case it is best to ask in advance to avoid confusion though).

Nice little build. Quite a temporary residence - but a residence nonetheless! Is this build licensed already? Once that is the case the WTCM reward of 25DB will be transferred shortly. When a build has been presented and licensed, it usually is linked to in the thread of the settlement it has been built for. Simply add a short post to the Mesabi Landing thread (same for the plantation), just go with the examples given there. This helps keeping track of settlement progress.

The new propeller makes the whole build look even better. Well done!

@LM71Blackbird: You can check your accounts status in this summary sheet - there is a new one each month, which will always get announced in the Account Summary thread. And please consider those DB a donation, not a loan.

The following is not an entry for this challenge, but kind of a "summary" of my first four builds. They were all constructed so they could be combined: And some more angles: While it makes for a pretty nice 32x32 scenery build, it is just a "gimmick" already built into the four entries posted so far. I still found it worth posting, I hope you enjoy it!

My fourth entry for Category B, subcategory "Fauna":

617, Day 5 of the 12th month, In the jungles of Celestia, 16 Days before the Winter Solstice We are way out of Jameston now, and the environment is getting feral – I love it! Jewel seems to feel well too. A day ago she insisted I stop calling her "Ms. Garnet". She still keeps pointing me towards all the things she knows from around Jameston, plant and animal alike, but I already notice that she knew less about the things seen today compared to last week. We are clearly heading towards areas more and more unknown to her. Just a few days ago we came across a type of beetle Jewel did not know. They seem to be a regular inhabitant of the deeper jungle, as they became a common sight over the next days, usually next to what seemed like a wild form of sugarcane. For another letter to the Royal Society I described these beetles and their close environment in detail. === To the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy, from Reinhard Wolffson on Celestia, about three weeks into my expedition east of Jameston we found a beetle like I have never seen before. It is about two inches long, of black colour, shining in bright sunlight, and its carapace is encrusted with lots of little bumps. Due to his colour and the fact that its crust is unusually sturdy, I named this species Scarabaeus Armanigrum, or Blackplate Beetle. This beetles body structure is quite common, with three segments: caput, thorax and abdomen, while the latter two are a bit hard to distinguish due to the layered exoskeleton. There are two pairs of front legs, and one pair of hind legs, and there is a tiny stinglike appendix at the end of the abdomen; whether it is for self defense or a part of the reproductive organs, I was not able to find out yet. While the Blackplate Beetle is a common sight in the deeper region of Celestias jungle, it can only be found on the ground, never on trees or bushes. Since I observed the Blackplate Beetle only near groups of a wild form of sugarcane, I assume it feeds mainly on it or its leaves. I can provide a couple of paintings of the beetle together with some of the leaves (the range ruler represents 3cm, with ten fractions of 3mm each): The Blackplate Beetle has one very uncommon feature, which is a little inflatable organ at the underside of its head. I was able to observe its function: it seems to be used for the creation of a variety of sounds, ranging from continuous deep buzzing to repeated short high-pitched shrieks. What the deeper meaning of this is, I can not tell for now. If I had to speculate, I would assume it had something to do with mating rituals or territorial behaviour. I suggest further studies on this matter. I want to warn the reader about the final part of this description, for it might disturb the more conservative persons out there. I was able to catch a few Blackplate Beetles, roast them over open fire, and eat them. Their crust, as described above, is pretty sturdy, which leads to a crunchy experience when you bite into the roasted beetle. The taste is salty at first, coming from the crust, but quickly mixes with the mildly sweet and juicy inner parts. It is my belief that the sweetness of the inner parts is due to the Blackplate Beetles diet of the variety of sugarcane found in the deeper jungle. I ate five of these beetles, and did not need further food for the next day! I urge the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy and the Crown to use this discovery to the best of its possibilities: just a single barrel full of Blackplate Beetles could feed the crew of a small ship for weeks. Imagine the possibilities! It is not up to me to work out the implications of this discovery though. I remain a humble servant of the Crown. Yours truly, Reinhard Wolffson =============================================================================== This post also acts as my fourth entry for Category B of the Superb Orchid Challenge. A few more neutral pictures of the beetle build: As always, C&C is appreciated.

617, Day 5 of the 12th month, In the jungles of Celestia, 16 Days before the Winter Solstice We are way out of Jameston now, and the environment is getting feral – I love it! Jewel seems to feel well too. A day ago she insisted I stop calling her "Ms. Garnet". She still keeps pointing me towards all the things she knows from around Jameston, plant and animal alike, but I already notice that she knew less about the things seen today compared to last week. We are clearly heading towards areas more and more unknown to her. Just a few days ago we came across a type of beetle Jewel did not know. They seem to be a regular inhabitant of the deeper jungle, as they became a common sight over the next days, usually next to what seemed like a wild form of sugarcane. For another letter to the Royal Society I described these beetles and their close environment in detail. === To the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy, from Reinhard Wolffson on Celestia, about three weeks into my expedition east of Jameston we found a beetle like I have never seen before. It is about two inches long, of black colour, shining in bright sunlight, and its carapace is encrusted with lots of little bumps. Due to his colour and the fact that its crust is unusually sturdy, I named this species Scarabaeus Armanigrum, or Blackplate Beetle. This beetles body structure is quite common, with three segments: caput, thorax and abdomen, while the latter two are a bit hard to distinguish due to the layered exoskeleton. There are two pairs of front legs, and one pair of hind legs, and there is a tiny stinglike appendix at the end of the abdomen; whether it is for self defense or a part of the reproductive organs, I was not able to find out yet. While the Blackplate Beetle is a common sight in the deeper region of Celestias jungle, it can only be found on the ground, never on trees or bushes. Since I observed the Blackplate Beetle only near groups of a wild form of sugarcane, I assume it feeds mainly on it or its leaves. I can provide a couple of paintings of the beetle together with some of the leaves (the range ruler represents 3cm, with ten fractions of 3mm each): The Blackplate Beetle has one very uncommon feature, which is a little inflatable organ at the underside of its head. I was able to observe its function: it seems to be used for the creation of a variety of sounds, ranging from continuous deep buzzing to repeated short high-pitched shrieks. What the deeper meaning of this is, I can not tell for now. If I had to speculate, I would assume it had something to do with mating rituals or territorial behaviour. I suggest further studies on this matter. I want to warn the reader about the final part of this description, for it might disturb the more conservative persons out there. I was able to catch a few Blackplate Beetles, roast them over open fire, and eat them. Their crust, as described above, is pretty sturdy, which leads to a crunchy experience when you bite into the roasted beetle. The taste is salty at first, coming from the crust, but quickly mixes with the mildly sweet and juicy inner parts. It is my belief that the sweetness of the inner parts is due to the Blackplate Beetles diet of the variety of sugarcane found in the deeper jungle. I ate five of these beetles, and did not need further food for the next day! I urge the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy and the Crown to use this discovery to the best of its possibilities: just a single barrel full of Blackplate Beetles could feed the crew of a small ship for weeks. Imagine the possibilities! It is not up to me to work out the implications of this discovery though. I remain a humble servant of the Crown. Yours truly, Reinhard Wolffson =============================================================================== This post is my fourth entry for Category B of the Superb Orchid Challenge, in the subcategory "Fauna". If you want to follow the surrounding story of Reinhards expedition on Celestia, have a look at this thread. A few more neutral pictures of the beetle build: As always, C&C is appreciated.

One short word of warning though, since I learned it the hard way: no more than three land properties can be licensed per month. Most of the time that is more than enough.

Nice! With this build Mesabi Landing is now a Large Town! I like the overall build and all the production details, the working rail system, as well as the more detailed walls. Also: more cannons, yay! The WTC is becoming quite an arms manufacurer. That ladder on the outside I would have integrated into the wall, letting it hang (now it is oddly "floating" in the air). You could also push those roof plates down firmly (as it is that section looks unfinished/rushed). Apart from that: another great factory, and a fine addition to Mesabi Landing. Well done! True story! And this.

There is no need to claim them, they will be manually transferred to your account... soon. Give it some time, it will be done.