Dragonator

Hi everyone, just letting you know I'm back. Only for two days though, unfortunately. Hopefully I'll catch the beginning of Day 3 before I leave. Once I get back next week I'll be staying, so until then you'll just have to survive without me I guess. Looks like I have lots to read for Day 2, this game sure is exciting, what with these secret meetings and things. This sure is fun, and I haven't even been here for this week! Anyway, see you all around.

What a neat idea for a raffle! I just got back from my most recent trip and will be off again in two days, but hopefully when I get back there will still be time to build something. This is a really nice way to get people to build some Avatar creations. I look forward to reading through the thread and seeing what has been done so far!

L7 Dragon's Keep; Front Parade Ground General Marcus stood on a small platform near the gates and surveyed his troops, the only truly loyal group of soldiers left in the kingdom. The Royal Guards, all 200 of them, were lined up in 6 columns, with officers and Bannermen getting everyone in order. To the rear, Marcus could see the strings of remounts he had ordered readied, as well as the many pack-horses. All told it was a very small expedition force, but unfortunately all that could be mustered in these troubled times. Hearing someone approach, Marcus looked down to see Lieutenant Byron and his second, Captain Walker, approaching the platform. Saluting, they stepped forward. General, I have rallied as many men under my command as I can, however I have only managed to gather just over 500 men to defend the Keep. It shall have to do, unfortunately. You have done well Byron, I wish you luck in this endeavour. It will be a tough fight, but I have faith that you will hold the Keep for our King. As you say, sir. Lieutenant Byron left to go prep the remaining soldiers for the imminent siege that would very likely come in the next few days. Marcus took a depth breath, and shouted the command for a forward march. Slowly, the Royal Guards of the Dragon Masters Kingdom filed out of the Keep, on an as-yet unknown mission. Marcus sighed. It is begun.

Not if I leave your not! Anyway, as said in the main thread, I'm going away for a while, so I'll see you again later. I'll be back for two days next week, the afternoon of the 19th through till the morning of the 21st, however I didn't think two days was really long enough for another chapter. You'll have to wait till the 26th, sorry. I hope your still enjoying it, there is still plenty to come.

It is decided by a majority group vote to head for the parlour. Leaving the library, the group goes back into the ballroom and heads for the west doors. Opening them, the EB detectives walk into the final room on this level, the parlour. How many more secrets is the mansion hiding? And when will they find the body of Lord Chester, if it even exists? Find out when we return, with Chapter 4... End of Chapter 3 We will now take a short break to gather our thoughts and ready ourselves for the next room. Actually it is a fairly long break, as I'm going away again. Sorry. The game will resume on the 26th; until then, have a nice break! I'm sorry about this, but once I'm back it should be non-stop to the end. If you need entertainment in the meantime, go read The Baritones 2 threads, they're great! Just not quite as great without me. You could also spend some time thinking about some of the clues you have already uncovered if you can be bothered, there is still plenty you can learn from them. Or is there? I promise some interesting twists when I get back, so stay tuned!

The other set of doors in the library leads back into the front hallway. The only room we have not yet visited on this level is the parlour, which is through the large doors in the west wall of the ballroom, or alternatively through the north doors in the dining room. We really need to find a map.

From what I've got so far, I think anyone else would have a hell of a time trying to replicate my one. Now, just so it looks like we are on topic, I am currently working on a neat little design for the two archers windows on either side of the gate. It is simple yet I think quite effective, if I could find my camera I would show. I think I might need a couple more Bricklink orders before I'm done though, I've almost run out of 1x3s and 2x2 corner bricks. Not to mention all the stupid plates and large bricks! I tell you, I order one lot of bricks, and then immediately I find myself with a shortage of another type as well! It is so frustrating! Ah well, I'll get over it. EDIT: ISC, I blame you for this. I just had another look at Maxspace and ended up ordering a whole pile more light bley, including some 2x2 corner pieces which I keep running out of, as well as a few other things. Another thing I like about his store is that he gives 50% off shipping for orders over 50USD. So of course I ended up spending more than I first intended to.

Well let's see now. The most recent order I made was from House Of Logos, however if you're looking for light bley bricks (especially 1x2) I just cleaned them out for the moment. I can also recommend Precious Princess Palace; if you're looking for a certain piece in bulk, look there first! Although she very rarely has light bley bricks, from what I have seen. I bought a pile of ants from her. I'd say Maxspace is still a great store, especially if you live fairly close, as the shipping isn't as expensive compared to some American stores etc. Yes, shipping is really my worst enemy. I get most of my orders from America, as the parts selection there is so good, however shipping is always a bit of a let down. I wish there were some good stores here in NZ. I take it you've looked at the Bricklink Trusted Sellers List here on EB? There's some good stores there. Generally what I do though is if there is a particular piece that I want, then I look for it in the catalogue and find the stores that stock it in the correct amount at the cheapest price. Then I look at that store's shipping charges and prices on other bricks to see whether I want to make an order or not. Hope that helps! (I think we may have got a little off topic here... ) So yes, about that gatehouse... *shifty eyes*

For a certain castle featuring in a certain Mafia game, but that's all I'll say... Oh, and also for the NZ Lego show in July, if I can attend. I haven't even thought about CCCVII yet, I had enough trouble getting something finished for this one! As for where I get my bricks, all over the place really. Maxspace has an excellent stock of pieces in a good quantity, but I haven't yet made an order as the prices are just a bit to expensive. Then again, the shipping to NZ is cheaper, so maybe I'll look into it. Just for example though, he has 649 1x2 light bley bricks listed at 0.06USD each, while I just bought 770 for 0.044USD each. I try to save where I can, if it is possible, although it is very hard to figure what exactly will be cheaper unless you spend hours researching and comparing prices, which I really can't be bothered doing most of the time.

Pigbrick, you are a star. As an Avatar fan, I was very disappointed when TLC dropped the license, and I still wish they had built more sets. Perhaps they might pick it back up again when the live-action movie comes out? Who knows... Anyway, your ideas to showcase the various bending abilities are really neat, I like them. I built an Avatar MOC a while back, although looking back on it now it wasn't exactly that great. You have got me thinking of building some more now though, so thanks! Momo will live again! My one problem has always been the lack of official characters, so I'll be interested to see what you come up with for Toph and the others. I've never managed to build a good Appa, I'm not very good at doing brick-built animals. Perhaps I will try again sometime soon...

That might not be such a smart idea, remember what Anthony wrote in his notebook?

Quite the opposite of me, I just ordered close on 2000 bricks to help me get my module finished. I hopefully won't need them all, but I need to start stocking up for my project later in the year...

Please try to stay calm people. Let's take a look at these two newspaper cuttings, shall we? The Newspaper Cuttings Inside the folder there are also two newspaper cuttings. The first one shows a picture of a man in a business suit walking out the front of a large office building with a milling crowd of journalists surrounding him. The caption reads as follows: Martin Dunne, former Chairman of the Board for Dunne Finances, leaving his building for the last time. There is also the first two paragraphs of the accompanying article still attached, which reads as follows: Dunne is Done Chairman Martin Dunne of Dunne Finances is now what many people are calling "Dunne for". The company has recently been forced to declare Bankruptcy after making heavy losses in the last few years. It is unsure how the company has been reduced to such a level, although there have been many rumours of corruption in recent years. No substantial evidence has yet been uncovered to prove this as true. Whatever the case, this is certainly a sever blow to Mr. Dunne, of whom many say is not likely to ever recover. Rival company CEO Chester Dracus, of Dracus Incorporated, had the following to say. "It is certainly a sad loss for the finance sector to lose such an esteemed business, however I am sure that their clients have no reason to fear, as we will be happy to accommodate them". Dracus Incorporated recently bought the Client Database from Dunne Finances after it was discovered that the company would be going under. It is... The rest of the article is missing. On the back is written "14th March 1987". The second newspaper cutting reads as follows: Section E: Local News 17th September 2005 The Dragon's Hoard: Myth or Reality? For centuries rumours have surrounded the existence of an ancient treasure of immense value which hidden in secret somewhere around Dratos. The true question is, where could it be hidden? But first, a bit about the treasure, for those who don't know. It is said that many, many years ago, during the time of dragons, there was a mighty dragon known as Ragnir the Mighty. In his lifetime he collected a hoard of fine treasures, from gold and silver coins dating back to the Agaetian Empire, to many priceless examples of Draconian Art. It is said to be the largest collection of Draconian artefacts on the planet, and yet nobody knows where it could be. If such a treasure truly did exist, then it makes sense that it is hidden in one of the few places left in the city and surrounding countryside not open to public access. Dragon's Keep and the Royal Archives immediately come to mind, but there are also a number of country estates, such as Dragon's Retreat and Homewood House, which could also offer likely hiding places. Whatever the truth, it is unlikely that this treasure will ever be found, yet this journalist cannot help but feel that it is out there somewhere, waiting to be discovered. Many people... The rest of the article is missing.

Right, that makes sense, in that case I think they fit perfectly for the intended purpose. Ah yes, the lovely streets of Moonlight. I Love that town.

And you complain that I get my spaces in the wrong spots!

Yes, that Turkey certainly looks smart to me!

The Letter Max picks up the envelope and examines it. It is in an old style and has a red wax seal with the Dragon you have seen so often pressed into it. The seal is of course broken as the letter has been opened. On the front of the envelope is simply written "Lord Chester". Pulling out the letter, you open it and read out loud. 5th July 1992 Dear Lord Chester, First, let me offer my condolences for the loss of your dear father. This must be a tough time for you, so I will try to be brief. Let me introduce myself. I am the Guardian. You do not know it, but the manor that you thought belonged to your father is actually owned by someone else, of whom I will refrain from naming. In any event, for centuries your family has been a cover to protect the real owner of the manor, and it shall continue to remain that way. There are only a few rules we require you to follow, and if you stick to them we will leave you alone to do as you will. The most important rule we have is that you do not open the manor to outsiders. It is a sanctuary from the outside world, and we do not want it disturbed. Secondly, you may not sell or get rid of any of the furnishings, nor may you alter any of the rooms. The manor is to remain as it is; that means no renovations. Feel free to add your own touch to the rooms, but do not move the antiques. Lastly, we ask that you do not enter the cellar, for any reason. There are one or two other matters still to sort out, and I will have one of my men come to met you soon. Remember that as long as you look after the house and don't break any rules then we will let you do as you please. However if you cross us, then be willing to face the consequences. I have enclosed a couple of things that should prove our legitimacy until my man comes to speak with you. Have a pleasant day. Yours sincerely, The Guardian. The same wax seal is impressed in the bottom right corner of the sheet. There is nothing else in the envelope. Well, then, let's take a look at the newspaper cuttings now, shall we? You will recall that the front doors are still locked, unfortunately... Peter takes a look at the money in the briefcases. There are 20 bundles of notes in each briefcase. You quickly count a couple of bundles, and find that each one contains 50 notes. They all appear very fresh, and the signature is that of the current Minister of the Treasury. Well, that's certainly quite a bit of money.

Hinckley, this is quite stunning. You really have an eye for architectural detail, although we already know that from your previous MOCs. The colour scheme is great, very fitting to the type of building and it matches the Brewery nicely. I like the contrast between the brown front and the tan walls on the sides and back. One thing I really do love about these two buildings is your use of 1x2 bricks to give the brick-and-mortar effect. This is a really nice detail that greatly adds to the overall MOC. I really love the windows on the front, they have a very "factory" look to them, however I'm not so sure why you put the white window frames in the middle of the glass windows on the sides. To me it just somehow looks... odd I guess. Maybe that's just me though. I just don't quite understand why you did them that way, that's all, perhaps you could explain? Other than that, the rest of the building is top standard, and I love it! It just brings together the whole look of older industrial buildings that I have a thing for, with the elaborate façade and the rather more plain side walls. This is really in the style of these buildings, and I don't think you could have captured it any better. The interior equipment is all really well built, I especially like the lathe, it looks just like my granddads (only smaller). A great MOC indeed, certainly a nice addition to the industrial part of your city.

John picks up the folder and opens it. It contains two newspaper cuttings and an opened envelope with a letter inside it. What shall we read first?

The EB detectives, very excited with their most recent find, walk back through into the Ballroom and over to the safe. With a quick grin and an elaborate flourish, Max types in the word "hide" and hits enter. A loud beep is heard and a fourth red light appears on the display screen. ... A few moments later the door swings open. Everyone lets out a sigh of relief. The Contents of the Safe Inside the safe is a small folder containing two newspaper cuttings and a letter inside an opened envelope. The rest of the space is taken up by two hard leather briefcases, which when opened are found to contain bundles of $100 notes. Right, what do you want to look at first? Please note that the cash is the property of the owner, and so you cannot take it. Yes I'm looking at you Max.

Just what he needs; another thread to build his ego in. As for the avatar, yeah, it's OK I guess.

Well that makes two for. Perhaps we should wait a bit though, I mean this is meant to be a group decision and I don't want to go ahead and do something if you haven't properly decided yet.

I love Discworld, and anything Terry Pratchett, and I must say that that is a very striking resemblance. Thanks for sharing! Hmmm, a Lego Squeak would be interesting...

Excited, Max quickly counts the words on the page to find the fortieth word in Chapter 19. The fortieth word turns out to be the word "hide". Now that you look at it closely, you can see a very faint impression underneath, as if it has been underlined before and then rubbed out.

I've just placed a Bricklink order to get some parts for my EBCCB front gatehouse that I've started work on. Included in the order are 770 1x2 light bley bricks. You can never have to many, as I see it. I was originally going for 970, but someone snagged 200 while I wasn't looking. Oh well, my wallet doesn't mind that much. I also finally bought some reddish-brown arch windows as well, which I keep on meaning to get but keep on forgetting until I find I need them. I've also got another little package on the way, which I shall share when it arrives. I'm not sure what exactly is in it, but it should be exciting!