Ailhbe

Cool builds, everyone! Mine didn't get finished due to other responsibilities, but I'll be using it as part of my Avalonia Tasks, so it'll still show up.

I haven't checked in in a while. Been busy building Task 5 and seeing if I can get something together for the first challenge. I'm really liking the story builds people are doing, though.

@Zilmrud That's a really cool idea. Can I steal/borrow it?

I think it looks like a good medieval helmet. Of course, I'm using aviator's helmets as spangenhelms, so maybe I'm not the best judge.

Yeah, I'm working on Task 5 right now, since it seemed more focused and I had some inspiration for it. I've got the buildings I want to build picked out for Task 4, I just need to make it happen.

That's a neat lantern. I recognize most of the pieces, but is the bottom a steering wheel? Also, that roof design is super cool.

I definitely thought Arizona as opposed to the Sahara. Maybe some olive-green bushes or trees would help with that impression (for Palo Verde trees or something similar). It's a really cool build, though. I especially love how busy it is inside.

Thanks. I think they turned out the best too.

A mixture of Irish and Welsh, actually, but yes. I figured I could play with a couple of different influences and take what I wanted. Thanks.

The art seems to be from a card game called Arcana. Specifically, a sepia version was used for a card called "Canals". Here's a link to the card. Unfortunately, I don't see a credited artist, but the product page does credit a bunch.

Thanks. I found a video for a pretty affordable DIY light box, so I'll try that for the lighting. My usual computer is in for repairs, and my backup's editing software is pretty minimal. I'm going to play around with different settings and stuff with my camera and see what works best.

Thanks! I'm working on the photography and lighting. I need to figure out a light box and stuff.

Thanks for the links. I decided to put my Tasks 1, 2, and 3 in a separate thread, since they got kind of big together.

Task One: The Army of Lesser Burren Following Raavage's War, Ailhbe and her advisors began rebuilding Lesser Burren's army. Chief among their goals was to rebuild the Teulu, the professional soldiers sword to House d'Carraig. Teulu Pikemen by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr Heavily armed and armored, pikemen deploy as a shield wall to screen against cavalry charges. Teulu Light Infantry by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr Light infantry make up the bulk of Lesser Burren's melee. They're easy to deploy and good for flanking and pursuit. Teulu Cavalry by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr Men-at-arms and knights are rare in Lesser Burren, but there are enough of them to provide some much-needed offense to the Teulu. Light cavalry is usually equipped with bow and light lance to harass enemy forces. Teulu Archers by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr Archers and longbowmen are deployed in front of the pike wall for maximum ranged harassment of enemy formations, then move back when battle nears. They carry spears, just in case. Lesser Burren Fyrdsmen by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr On rare occasions, a militia known as a Fyrd will be conscripted. The Fyrd consists of rangers from the shepherds and Frevlen clans, spearmen to strengthen the pike line, and crossbowmen for extra ranged support. Task 2: Ailhbe's Companions Shortly after taking up her title, Ailhbe took a trip west of Baile Oiliean to see some of the clachan villages. There, she was accompanied by her two advisors, as well as a bodyguard. Ailhbe and her Entourage by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr Accompanying her was Master Caolan, the elderly leader of the barony's army. Though old, he still carried his warhammer with him. Drystan Blackstaff of the Frevlen was with her was well. Though coarse and rough-spoken, the man was well-respected by his people, and to rule the barony she'd need him on her side. Captain Niall, her bodyguard, brought up the rear. The paranoid young soldier insisted on checking each detail of the path in case of an attack. Task 3: The People and Lands of Lesser Burren In the southern half of Lesser Burren are numerous hillocks, separated from each other by wide, flat valleys. The south, leeward sides of these hillocks tend to be forested, while the windward sides are stoney with little growing on them. The valley floors are a patchwork of meadows, farmland, and great expanses of dirt where nothing grows. This flat terrain is broken up in places by limestone rocks, most of which lie naturally on the ground. A few, however, stand upright in straight lines that sometimes stretch twenty or thirty rocks long; the locals call these Bryn's Tears in honor of a Frevlen deity. Most Burreners live in small hamlets clustered on the sheltered sides of the hillocks. There, they farm wheat, barley, and root vegetables like carrots. Each hamlet, known as a clachan, consists of the dwellings of between five and ten families, a stone sheepfold or pen for chickens, and a storehouse. Occasionally, one of these clachans will have a horse, or even a cart; those who do take great pride in their wealth, and greater care not to overwork the horse or overload the cart. Clachan Farmers by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr] Few communities in Lesser Burren grow above the size of these clachans, for the land won't support large, centralized populations. The largest exception is Baile, Oiliean. Astride an isolated hillock called Oiliean, the town overlooks both the hills and valleys to the south and the limestone karats of the thuaidh burren to the north. As the only large community, many services are offered in Baile Oiliean that can't be found elsewhere in Lesser Burren. These include masonry, a wool fulling mill, and a wainwright. Most businesses are placed along a central road winding up from the town's gatehouse to Baroness d'Carraig's tower house at the top of Oiliean. Baile Oiliean Townsfolk 1 by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr Baile Oiliean Townsfolk 2 by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr Baile Oiliean Townsfolk 3 by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr On the karst of the thuaidh burren north of Baile Oiliean, farming is all but impossible. However, the semi-nomadic Frevlen people make a living herding sheep across the land. Each group of Frevlen follows circling routes through the karst, never staying still long enough to overgraze the limited vegetation and never leaving anywhere untouched long enough for predators to forget to fear men. Only recently, with the drow raids in Lesser Burren having hurt the Frevlen more than the rest of the barony, have they left their homes in the karst to move south. Frevlen Clan Shepherds by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr

I'm going to give this Bricklink order one more day to see if my torsos arrive, then I'll be posting tasks 1, 2, and 3. @Henjin_Quilones For Task 4, How big does a settlement need to be to get on the map? I'm planning on stopping mine when it hits Town size, since that's as big as I imagine the area really supporting. @de Gothia Is there a place I can find everything your character has done?

This is super cool. I especially love your step-by-step process of modifying the original, and the result you came to is simple but beautiful. Thanks for posting this. Will there be more?

Quick question: are the rivers and lakes of Avalonia named? I'm writing my Task Three since I want to know what the land is like so I can build an army that makes sense there, and I'd like to know about the lake and river far to the north of Albion.

Declaring for Avalonia by Chris Huisjen, on Flickr Name: Ailhbe d'Carraig Rank: Baroness of Lesser Burren Age: 29 Weapons of Choice: Longbow, Boar Spear Biography: Ailhbe d’Carraig hails from Lesser Burren, a wind-swept, rocky barony on the coast north of Albion. There, she learned to use the longbow and boar spear protecting the family’s sheep from wolves, boars, and those desperate enough to poach from the baron. There are many and more of the latter in Lesser Burren, where growing seasons are cut short by cold winds from Mitgardia. Since donning the Bramble Crown of Lesser Burren, Ailhbe has leaned heavily on her uncle Olrann for guidance. Her people, never wealthy, suffered from the drow raids and struggle even now to recover. Ailhbe poured much of her family’s meager wealth into rebuilding Baile Oiliean, the only village in Lesser Burren. With the coffers nearing empty and the village still in shambles, Ailhbe has left Uncle Olrann as castellan of their tower house and the de facto ruler of Lesser Burren. She sets out to find a way to bring some prosperity to a corner of Avalonia that hasn’t had it in a long time. Ailhbe herself is a baroness who leads by example, and she still participates in caring for the sheep. Though kind toward her people, she maintains an insular, provincial worldview toward outsiders. A broad, tall woman, she regularly spars with her House's guards and will ride with the Flight of Dragons in Book Three!

Thanks for the welcomes, everyone! I have a question regarding the transition to Book III. Will the build tasks from the first page of this thread (pictures of your army, peasantry, stronghold, etc.) still be in effect?

Ailhbe d'Carraig of Lesser Burren declares allegiance to Avalonia for Book III! I'm new to Guilds of Historica, and I'm hoping to improve as a builder over Book III. I was told that I could post both here and in the Book III thread. Name: Ailhbe d'Carraig Rank: Baroness of Lesser Burren Age: 29 Weapons of Choice: Longbow, Boar Spear, Axe Biography: Baroness Ailhbe d’Carraig hails from Lesser Burren, a wind-swept, rocky fief northwest of Albion. There, she learned to use the longbow and boar spear protecting the family’s sheep from wolves, boars, and those desperate enough to poach from the baron. There are many and more of the latter in Lesser Burren, where growing seasons are cut short by cold winds from Mitgardia. Since donning (however symbolically) the Bramble Crown of Lesser Burren, Ailhbe has leaned heavily on her uncle Olrann for guidance. Her people, never wealthy, suffered from the drow raids and struggle even now to recover. Ailhbe poured much of her family’s meager wealth into rebuilding Baile Oiliean, the only village in Lesser Burren. With the coffers nearing empty and the village still in shambles, Ailhbe has left Uncle Olrann as castellan of their tower house and the de facto ruler of Lesser Burren. She sets out to find a way to bring some prosperity to a corner of Avalonia that hasn’t had it in a long time. Ailhbe herself is a baroness who leads by example, and she still participates in caring for the sheep. Though kind toward her people, she maintains an insular, provincial worldview toward outsiders. A broad, tall woman, she regularly spars with her House's guards and will ride with the Flight of Dragons in Book Three!

Ailhbe d'Carraig of Lesser Burren declares allegiance to Avalonia for Book III! I'm new to Guilds of Historica, and I'm hoping to improve as a builder over Book III. I was told I could post here and in Avalonia's Book II thread. Name: Ailhbe d'Carraig Rank: Baroness of Lesser Burren Age: 29 Weapons of Choice: Longbow, Boar Spear, Axe Biography: Baroness Ailhbe d’Carraig hails from Lesser Burren, a wind-swept, rocky fief northwest of Albion. There, she learned to use the longbow and boar spear protecting the family’s sheep from wolves, boars, and those desperate enough to poach from the baron. There are many and more of the latter in Lesser Burren, where growing seasons are cut short by cold winds from Mitgardia. Since donning (however symbolically) the Bramble Crown of Lesser Burren, Ailhbe has leaned heavily on her uncle Olrann for guidance. Her people, never wealthy, suffered from the drow raids and struggle even now to recover. Ailhbe poured much of her family’s meager wealth into rebuilding Baile Oiliean, the only village in Lesser Burren. With the coffers nearing empty and the village still in shambles, Ailhbe has left Uncle Olrann as castellan of their tower house and the de facto ruler of Lesser Burren. She sets out to find a way to bring some prosperity to a corner of Avalonia that hasn’t had it in a long time. Ailhbe herself is a baroness who leads by example, and she still participates in caring for the sheep. Though kind toward her people, she maintains an insular, provincial worldview toward outsiders. A broad, tall woman, she regularly spars with her House's guards and will ride with the Flight of Dragons in Book Three!

Alright, I'll post in ALL the threads once I'm ready.

Hi! Josh/mkjosha on Flickr suggested I sign up for this. I'm really leaning toward Avalonia, but with the transition to Book III happening, I'm wondering whether I need to sign up in the Book III thread or in the Book II Avalonia thread.