Louis of Nutwood

Oooh, this brought a smile to my face. Such a lovely new series, Aurore. To read from the eyes of a Mitgardian 8 year-old was just so special! Amazing work, here, milady. An incredible sense for minifigure creativity, sparkled with a neat knowledge of the Fauna and Flaura spread across the land. Truly, an awesome contribution to behold. But of course, the Mitgardian part was the best. Skol!

Man! This looks outstanding! I love how it has its own (larger) scale. The color scheme is top-notch, and the design is so unique, it is simply amazing. Excellent job, lad. Keep up the great work.

*Blimp! Good day! My name is Yennifer. And I’ll be your guide for today. Welcome to Shinrai-Do’s Research Facility, the most advanced laboratory in the E continent. In here, we do all kinds of research and laboratorial analysis for all kinds of purposes. Everything is verified and approved by the most reliable agencies and governments. So, don’t worry. We got it all covered. Just remember to handle all your electronic devices to an official. If an official is unavailable, look for Paul, our most reliable janitor. Our super advanced laboratory has been founded somewhere between 1906 and last year. Since then, we’ve discovered a lot about plants and their use in medicine, food and... all sorts of purposes. All of them verified and approved by the most reliable agencies and governments. If you take the stairs to the first floor, you will find yourself in our laboratory area. Dr. Lukas Brenner is a three-time Nobel Prize winner botanist specialized in alternative uses for venomous substances. He was the first botanist in the world able to compress thousands of ounces of venom into small exploding shells, an experiment that can be used for... all kinds of purposes! Each of them, verified and approved by the most reliable agencies and governments. But remember not to take the stairs. That’s a forbidden area. Next to Dr. Brenner, you will see Dr. Mallorie Lynch, the head behind it all, the scholar-CEO-master of puppets-pyrotechnic-Rockstar-Pulitzer-winner for her countless contributions to the botanical field-tech-guru-war-strategist-trend-setter, expert in alternative uses for exploding paraphernalia analyzing one of Shinrai-Do’s venomous exploding shells. This one has already been verified and approved by the most reliable agencies and governments. On the main floor, if you turn east, you will see Mr. Q. He’s made a whole bunch of money from working in all sorts of industries: toys, fashion, education, military, beauty, restaurants... and now he finances all Shinrai-Do’s botanical researches! Isn’t that cool? And you guessed it. He’s personally verified and approved, too! On the lower floor, through the glass doors, you will find our testing area, where we test all our... plants! Right now, Mr. Treeger, a former hairstylist and now a full-time stuntman, is testing our very own venomous exploding shells. Isn’t it exciting? Oh, remember to put your masks on! And please, don’t enter the testing area. It has not been verified or approved by any agency or government. If you have any questions, please, address all of them to Paul, the janitor, and he will safely escort you to the exit. We hope you had a wonderful time! Thank you for visiting the Shinrai-Do’s Research Facility. *Blimp! _________ I've really struggled to finish this one. I'm running on a theme I have no practice on, which is military-sci-fi, but I'm very happy with the result. Hope you all like it. Let me know what you think! Would love to hear your thoughts. Any comments and feedback are much appreciated. Thanks! Louis of Nutwood.

Thank you, sire, for your much appreciated feedback, mrcp6d! I see your point. Such a beefy creature should have a stronger end, right? Fact is that the angle is not helping much as the legs are hiding most of the tail. That's a recurrent feedback for this build, and I agree I could have positioned it differently. It is still intact, and I intend to use in another (larger) build. I'll make sure to add more meat to its rear and position it in a better angle. Hopefully, on the next build, this beast will be fuller and even scarier! Thanks again for all the support, man! Skol!

Very glad you liked it, mrcp6d! I wanted to build a color gradient for some time now, and I'm happy people enjoyed it so far. The dragon: the torso is a modified brick with 4 studs on the sides. On its bottom (starting the neck) there's a tooth piece and then a transparent 1x1 plate with shaft and hole (20482). There, I connected a skeleton arm as the neck. On the head, the skeleton arm is once again connected to the transparent 1x1 plate with shaft and hole, another tooth piece and finally a cheese slope. In here, you can see a closer picture. Thanks for the support, mate! Skol!

Thank you, Kai! For your much appreciated feedback. Yeah, I didn't realize that from this perspective it really seems to end out of the blue. It is a matter of the angle, though. I should have winged the tail a bit higher to show a smoother transition between back and rear end, but, well. It is as it is. I don't intend to disassemble it just yet, and I might use it to attack a small structure. Maybe on a following event, I'll frame it just a bit better. Thanks for the tips, man! Always pleasure to have your thoughts, and I'm glad you liked the overall build. Cheers! A pleasure to have your comment, Andreas! I'm thrilled you liked it, man.

Happy to hear your thoughts, Aurore! It might look cute up in the distance... but I think it looks cuter when you are close to it. :D Glad you mentioned the gradient, as it was the inspiration for this build, and I agree that the cloud kind of wrap it all up, right? Thanks for the much appreciated support, Aurore! Skol!

Zoth33, always a pleasure to read through your thoughtful comments. I'm happy you liked the build and pointed out a few of the elements I'm particularly pleased with, such as the tail and the neck. This really is a re-modeling for the 70748 Ninjago set, so I must credit the color scheme and most of the head design to The Lego Group, really, and I totally agree they are stand-outs for this build. Once again, thanks for the support, mate! I'm thrilled you liked this little beast, Lady Aurore! It means a lot coming from you. I've been trying to improve my creature-building and it thrills me to know you are liking them too. But even in minifig-scale, I think it still looks rather... cute. :D Thanks for the support, folks!

I'm glad you liked it, sire Grover. And to be put next to sir @Henjin_Quilones as a beast-builder is a true honor! It is pretty sturdy all the way through. The connection between the legs and body is the most fragile part, as they are not put together with ball joints (as was the first attempt), but only by a normal stud. The neck and torso are more sturdy than I expected, though. As for the balance, that was the bigger challenge. Due to the longer neck and considerably heavier head (it's a good thing it moves, still), it tends to flick to the front, so the nails on that big foot piece are what is holding the beast standing. If there was a base, I could easily connect the beast to the base (also using its tail), but then, I think it would be a distraction to all its glory. Not long ago we were discussing about dragons and whoever is afraid of them. I guess.. thanks for the uplifting discussion. This beast might not have come to life otherwise. One again, thanks for the support, sire Grover, and all the effort to keep the Guilds in motion. Skol, my friend!

I'm glad you liked it, The Stad! The gradient colors were what started the build. On top, building on a micro-scale turned to be a great challenge, and I'm thrilled you liked the dragon. Thanks for the support, mate. I'm glad you liked it, Kai. I wanted to add as many colors as possible without making the mountain too festive. I'm happy you approve my color choices. My experience with micro-scale is insignificant, so I'm happy you liked it, as to me it was a true challenge. Thanks for the support, bro! Indeed, the winds blowing on stoned walls hiss and freeze the warmest of men. I'm thrilled you liked the mountain and the beast, Grover. Well.. since you asked, here's a take on the minifig-scale Frostdjur: Hope you like it, sire. Skol!

The Frozen Beast I’ve heard tales of dragons guarding treasures. I’ve heard songs of dragons that held knowledge. But the story behind this one, is a little different. Past the ridge of cold mountains, after the forests and bays, there is a mountain that grows beyond sight. Afar the tallest of the trees and over the ceiling of clouds, it breaches the skies and hides its summit behind the vast unknown. The Elders say there is a castle in its peak, from where both Midgard, the land of men, and Asgard, the land of gods can be seen. The legends speak that only at the top of the tallest tower, the gods are prone to hear your prayer. Many have tried to claim the tower and make their way to the hall of the gods, but every time a man proclaims himself its ruler, a beast comes forth to end its reign. Frøstdjur, it was named. The Frozen Beast. White wings, as bright as the sun. Its breath as cold as a thousand winters. If one is worthy enough to hear the voice of the gods, only the beast will tell. No man should enforce himself to the great hall of the gods, for only they know our destiny. Frøstdjur protects this truth and their will, making sure the chosen ones are heard, and the unworthy vanish in the frozen wind. ________ Really hope you like it! For a long time I wanted to build a dragon, and Zane's Titanium Dragon (70748) from Ninjago series was my inspiration. It was a challenge to make it sturdy, but I'm happy the way my creature MOCs are coming to life. This is an entry for the Summer Joust 2020 "The Frozen North" Category. Make sure to check the micro-scale version of this story, Sannhetens Fjell Would love to hear what you all think. Skol! Louis of Valnötsträd

The Mountain of Truth I’ve heard tales of dragons guarding treasures. I’ve heard songs of dragons that held knowledge. But the story behind this one, is a little different. Past the ridge of cold mountains, after the forests and bays, there is a mountain that grows beyond sight. Afar the tallest of the trees and over the ceiling of clouds, it breaches the skies and hides its summit behind the vast unknown. The Elders say there is a castle in its peak, from where both Midgard, the land of men, and Asgard, the land of gods can be seen. The legends speak that only at the top of the tallest tower, the gods are prone to hear your prayer. Many have tried to claim the tower and make their way to the hall of the gods, but every time a man proclaims himself its ruler, a beast comes forth to end its reign. Frøstdjur, it was named. The Frozen Beast. White wings, as bright as the sun. Its breath as cold as a thousand winters. If one is worthy enough to hear the voice of the gods, only the beast will tell. No man should enforce himself to the great hall of the gods, for only they know our destiny. Frøstdjur protects this truth and their will, making sure the chosen ones are heard, and the unworthy vanish in the frozen wind. Louis of Valnötsträd ________ Make sure to check the minifig-scale dragon, Frøstdjur. Entry to the Summer Joust Category 12x12 Vignette. Hope you all like it. Skol!

I'm truly honored, fellow builder. I'm thrilled you liked it. But for my next build, I'm trying something new, way closer to your area of expertise. So, stay tuned! I will love to have your thoughts in a (very) near future. Skol!

Thanks, Jerry! I knew I wanted something imposing and dwarfish -- and angled. I'm glad you liked the result. Thanks for the support, man. Thank you, Lego Train 12 Volts! We are thrilled our builds brought a train-aficionado to a castle-room. Glad you liked the snow. Mitgardia might tickle your fancy too :) Thanks for the support, mate!

Thanks, Jerry! Always a pleasure to get your reviews. Glad you liked it, man. Personally, the desert one is my favorite too. I'm glad you like the design, Killian. Thanks for the support.

Hey, Vindicare! I'm glad you liked them, and that they brought some nostalgia feeling to you. I'm not familiar with the Jump Troops, but I did watch some episodes of Heavy Gear, back in the day. I'm happy you mentioned the desert suit, as this is also my personal favorite too. Thanks for the support, man!

Oh, yes. Good, friendly folk, those grizzlies. But that. THAT... is consensual. Life wouldn't be the same without them.

Mechs designed for the Burgomeister Category 01 - Hard Suits, Decisive Action 4. Which one is your favorite? "Maybe I left my sense of humor in my other suit.” - Sidney Falco The desert Hard Suit, or "The Camel", is equipped with: a. a long-range precision rifle with scope b. a satellite communication system c. a rotating saw (as melee weapon) d. a mine-deployment system (on the back) e. a flashlight (up front) _____ The R.A.M.B.O. jungle-suit is equipped with: a. a 9mm carbine b. a flamethrower c. two flashlights upfront d. a woodcutter (as melee weapon) e. a swivel hook for rescue and access to unreachable areas. _____ The low-temperature Hard Suit, known as "The Snowflake", is equipped with: a. a heavy machine gun b. a heavy-duty rocket launcher, c. an axe (as melee weapon) d. a propulsion backpack unit for mobility in ice and snow-covered terrains e. a flashlight (upfront) _____ This is the first time I try something in this theme, and I'm very happy with the result. I might even try some other, more complex structures. Who knows? What do you think? Let me know if you like them. Cheers! Flickr | Instagram

Why... fear?! They can threat, aye. They can fly over our cities and burn our crops, aye. They can even take the roofs off our homes, aye. But ye will never hear about fear from the mouth of a Mitgardian. We know best not to ride those beasts, though. Nothing good comes from taming a demon.

I've said it on Flickr, and I'll say it again. What an impressive Mitgardian build. It warms my frozen heart to see the frost, feel the gelid wind, glance the grey skies and smell the frozen streams of the North. Beautiful work with the snow spilling out of the frame. The water is astonishing and the texture on the tower is exquisite. I like how you used the clip plates to add more texture, and it looks amazing. The bits of brown are very Mitgardian, and those bushy trees are phenomenal. Amazing work, man! Skol!

Well, after seeing so much backstabing and betrayal, I'll keep my paddling boat away from the Varlyrian shores. There's still so much to explore in the white plains of the north... Mitgardians have a way with dragons, you know. Depending on how things develop on the Varlyrian throne, a different partnership could be in order. Who knows?

Sire Navarre. Another much expected review! I'm thrilled you liked reading through the story of the Baiamontes. I can see now how a couple of exclamation points could be introduced. Personally, I tend to focus on the descriptive environment, and I've been considered overly dramatic one time or another. Suspense is a passion, but I recognize the action and adrenaline are subjects I must tackle with more care and punch. Thanks for the feedback, though. This is how we grow as builders and writers. Especially in a challenge such as this, in which creative writing is encouraged and there's a lot going on, these feedbacks are absolutely valuable and will improve the quality of the following challenges and submissions without a doubt. As for writing more about Rufus, well... I really liked writing about the Baiamontes. Even if after deliberation he is not sitting on the throne as Rego, I believe (and truly hope) that what we've all gathered for the families should not be discarded. So many great characters, regions and environments have come to life during this challenge. I can only wish to see them again in the future. Yeah, I would love to write again about Rufus, Juan Rojas and Rhloder, but would also like to see them grow and develop in other plots and stories from other builders as well. Of course, I'm merely a peasant from the cold mountains of Mitgardia. Keeping Rufus, Rhloder and Juan Rojas alive (along with their backstory, as well as Mychel and Meiyo from other entries) is a matter for the rulers of Varlyrio to discuss. ... but wouldn't it be awesome to have a mad king with a flippin' dragon on his back to threaten the other guilds?! Skol!

I was once told that conspiracy, threat, sham and backstabing were the motos going on in Varlyrio. This story is an ode to all that. A lot of action going on, including assassins, some plotting and manipulation, political maneuvers... beautiful! But I must agree that for some of us that are not intensely involved in the Varlyrian plot on a regular basis, it gets a bit confusing. To use so many families, the Conzagas, Di Ciotos, Di Fioris, Di Carlos... while some still don't have a robust background tends to demand more from the reader. And as I'm not that familiar with each ruler and their position, I got a bit lost here and there. But I understand that this too, was one of the demands for this challenge - again, the conspiracy, the backstabing and manipulation among families, so, in this matter, aces for your guys! Now, for the builds. You all chose to keep on the canals and eastern cities, and it is impressive how all of the builds have similarities with each other - to the point one might even say they connect. It must have called for a lot of planning, so congratulations on that! @W Navarre, that interior is incredible, but what really amazes me are the photo angles. It is just like I'm in a movie. The minifig positioning is exquisite, and expressions are top-notch. I must also mention the curtain on the top floor, that looks great - truly an amazing detail. @KevinyWu, Outstanding textures really. It feels like a gigantic build in such a limited space. Absolutely beautiful Varlyrian colors and architecture. Lovely roofs and the gondola is awesome, along with the foliage near the water. @ZlatanXVIGustaf I'm slow-clapping while standing up. What a massive display with so much depth and texture! Really, jaw-dropping impressive square near the canals. And the "addio, uncle" part is just sooo good! Amazing work with the arches and the cobblestone streets are simply beautiful. @mrcp6d I love how this looks a bit more simple in terms of texture, but not less impressive. I am a huge fan of builds that keep minifigure-scale just as a lego set would - narrow streets and walkways, walls just high enough for the minifig to walk through.. And you managed to keep the scale in an incredibly full city. Absolutely love the columns and the movement of your build. All in all, great entry, guys. I love the Italian feeling you all gave to the story, either with the Italian bits on the text, or the conceptual architecture on the builds. A complex plot with complex characters. Kudos! Skol.

Well, cut me horns, sour me ale and blind me axe! This is as confusing as a bearded dragon in a fancy dress dancing in me favorite inn. I say put them both in a pit, and let them fight 'til only one family gets out alive. There's no space in this land - as large as it is - for two Ciotos, be it Di or De. Make it a lightning challenge and we shall see which remains. Bah..

I would understand the frustration after reaching "THE END". To face the urging need to read more and more; the necessity to unravel the mysteries behind the Baiamonte family. Only to know that it was it, and everything else to be taught about Rufus remains untold. Ugh.. must have been rough. @Henjin_Quilones, @Garmadon and @Grover Jokes aside.. Yeah, it is now absolutely clear. I consciously try to avoid them, but one time or another, they just slip through the editing. I share the preference of keeping the writing clean and friendly (save some stabbing and bit of gruesome lore here and there), especially in an open and democratic forum such as this one, so I'll make sure to keep them safe. Thanks again for the advice, fellow guild members! For the guilds! And for more enriching and engaging stories to come. Skol!