Gideon

Nice interpretation of my thin facade build To be honest, it looks better in Medium Dark Flesh.

Fantastically nice fort! I tried to work out a design for a fifth of a star fort back in Challenge II, but got frustrated with the angles and ended up with a simpler design. I'd love to steal a few techniques from here for future builds Especially the clever transitions at the corners using wedges was nice, as it could easily pass for intentional slits to fire down at attackers along the wall. Also, making the tips of the bastions 90 degrees seems to make a lot of the building easier.

Very nice ballista, but to me the tree steals the show a bit

My entry for category B, for the Resistance/Alliance: Barqan Fire Wagon

Kaliphlin is known for its abundance of oil, and in Barqa the alchemists and craftsmen joined forces long ago to make this into the fearsome weapon known as "Barqan Fire". It is most commonly used on board warships, but smaller horse-drawn war machines have also started to be made for use in land combat. Unfortunately they are not very reliable yet and are not without reason feared almost as much among the Kaliphlinites themselves as by their foes. In this siege workshop in Barqa, a completed fire wagon is ready for transport to support the war against the Spire. The soldier doing the final adjustments to the pumping mechanism has however unknowingly built up way too much pressure in the cylinder... Siege workshop in Barqa Accidental release of the Barqan Fire... Accidental release of the Barqan Fire... Closeup of a Barqan Fire Wagon Closeup of the fire pumping mechanisms ready to be mounted on new wagons Siege workshop in Barqa Fire! (Photographed with only the blacklight) It was a challenge to get the lighting good for this build, getting enough blacklight to give a good fluorescent glow but not too much so that the rest of the build turned all blue... Here is the photo setup, where the speedlight was fired at maximum power and mix of light was regulated by how long the exposure time was after the flash. Typically I used 10-30 s.

95 % finished now with a siege workshop, but my wife is out of town until the challenge deadline so finding the time to finish and photograph the build between working and taking care of both kids will be a challenge if it's own

Fantastic magically-looking structure! I also really like the scary legs coming out of the ground I do however agree that the ground could have benefitted from a tad more detailing.

Nice ground and excellent minifig posing! What are those torsos...?

Excellent elven architecture, there are way too few Avalonian builds like these otherwise It is the shaping of the buildings I'm particularly impressed with, and the landscaping is stellar as usual.

My sigfig has been rendered with a fleshie face before. But it's a bit hard with the yellow ears, so it's easiest to give him a helmet then.

For any storylines involving the Kaliphlin High Council or especially the City of Barqa, you are very welcome to use my sigfig Gideon. He is a half-elf, but if you lack the hairpiece an Eomer helmet is also fine for his battle outfit. Clothes can vary, but he always wears some amount of dark red, and proudly displays the Kaliphlin lion on his armor or shield (which can differ from this boring round one I used in my intro waaay back). In the turmoil of the Kaliphlin civil war the normally peace-loving City Council of Barqa has boosted the ranks of the City Guard and to face the new threat created a Barqan expeditionary force, and appointed Councilman Gideon to be the commander of that force. (Preferrably Kingdoms Lions soldiers with dark blue arms and dark grey PoP helmets. However in these times of need uniforms and armor might vary if you lack those parts, but try to stick to a red-dark blue color scheme if possible...at least red). The sizeable force of the Aslanic Order's garrison in Barqa might also join any military action taken by Barqa. (Basically any Kingdoms Lions troops or similar will be ok as these I think) Finally, the Barqans might also deploy siege engines or field pieces spewing the deadly but "slightly unreliable" Barqan fire on the enemies. (Think Greek Fire or modern napalm, and it is best portrayed by chaining old dragon flame pieces where the small pins can be fastened in another flame piece, like I did here: https://flic.kr/p/efh7GJ)

Don't take my word for it... I have zero insight into the thoughts for Book III. But what I'm assuming is that as long as an entry doesn't contradict any explicit challenge V rule and wins the popular vote the story is pretty much up to the builder, and that the leadership has to take that story into account when shaping the start of Book III

I think that is up to the writer and the voters who decide what will be the canon...? Last time at least the winner of the final challenge of Book I (ZC) really set us up for more war

Creepy plants! Others have already commented on the build but I'd like to give one piece of photography advice, and that would be to step back and zoom in instead for the overview shots. Try the 55 mm end of your lens next time and see the difference in perspective It could also be an idea to step it down a bit to maybe say f/9-f/11 for the overview shots to increase the depth of field, at least if you can put the camera on a support like a tripod to compensate for the slower shutter speed needed then. The last picture with the closeup is on the contrary great, with focus on the minifig and nice shallow depth of field which suits that kind of shot. Not surprisingly that was taken towards the longer end of your zoom range

Wasn't that obvious? Added it now.

My entry to Category A, supporting Mardier.

Here is my entry to Challenge V, category A, supporting Mardier. It’s great to be back building for Brethren of the Brick Seas! Disclaimer: No official LEGO string was harmed during the making of this MOC. In the current turmoil the Viceroy’s daughter Esmeralda would be a very good match for any power wishing to increase their influence over Terraversa. Cornelio is a young nobleman from Eslandola and has been sent to Terraversa to win the hand of Esmeralda. Proposal in King’s Port His tireless courting of the young lady has borne fruit and when he now proposes to her she happily accepts. Things are looking good for both Cornelio and Eslandola! Suitor So far it’s the happiest day of her life Everyone is not happy with this arrangement however, agents of the Marderian King Alphonse are doing their best to stop it. An assassin has found a way to strike and make it look like an accident… Assassin from the Marderian King Alphonse’s Death Guard While people are gathering around the unfortunate suitor, the assassin easily got away. The end of a love story… The building itself was inspired by 17th century houses in Amsterdam, particularly the high and narrow shape and a beam to raise goods up into the attic. Without minifigs. Without minifigs. Bonus shot: 100 % crop of the ring from the closeup shot of the suitor above, to test the ability of my new macro lens, fairly good effective resolution? And I think the builder himself is slightly visible behind the camera too

Thanks for the comments! On another note, I was testing my new flash triggers so now I can place the flashes completely independent without the need of triggering them with one on the camera! The black background is terrible however, every small speck of dust stands out like crazy...

My entry for category A, for the Resistance/Alliance: A courier to Kaliphlin

A courier is traveling to Kaliphlin with intelligence regarding the political situation in Nocturnus, but the shortcut he chose took him longer than expected... In Nocturnus the flora is also not to be underestimated. My first GoH build in a year, it feels great to be back!

Excellent action with great fig posing! I especially like how the orc is jumping ocer the wall :) A couple of photography nitpicks on the second pic: I like the short depth of field but the focus feels a bit off, I would have preferred to have the face in focus. I also think the cropping should have either omitted the horse and the orc or included a tad more of them, when you only have a tiny amount of something in the frame it looks less deliberate to me. But I love closeups with short depth of field, so keep them coming!

Gideon’s GoH build index August 6, 2018 Updated to the end of Book II. Looking forward to getting back into GoH for Book III ! February 10, 2017 It’s been four years since I arrived in Historica and got hooked for real on this world. To celebrate this and to prepare myself for the next challenge, I’ve made an attempt to collect all my GoH builds here and will present them roughly in chronological order and try to put them in context. If you want to read more and see more pictures, please click the links below the pictures which will take you to the Eurobricks threads. If you want to leave comments however I would prefer if you did it here in this thread or on the pictures on Flickr, not “resurrecting” old threads. Sigfig intro For the full sigfig background, you can read my old presentation thread here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=79999. My sigfig is Gideon the half-elf. He is now the chairman of the City Council of the glorious city of Barqa, the trading hub of south-western Kaliphlin. That was not always the case... Sigfig in battle armor Gideon was born as the offspring of the daughter of a minor Avalonian lord and an unknown elvish father. When dying in childbirth, she took the secret of who Gideon’s father was with her to the grave. Love in Avalonia Gideon spent his early years among the human children in his grandfather’s castle Nordana Hall in Avalonia. Neither his grandfather, nor the other humans in the castle were particularly found of the half-elf, so Gideon learned many hard lessons from children and grownups alike that he wasn’t “one of them”. Practicing children Gideon decided to leave the place where he had never been truly welcome and set out to make his own place in the world. He spent many years as a mercenary and travelled all over Historica but finally made his home in Kaliphlin, the most diverse and tolerant of the guilds. Caravan guard Petraean city wall Book I - The Revolword Saga I joined GoH in the last months of Book I, and at that point the evil wizard Victor Revolword, his elementals and the forces loyal to him named the “Hand of Corruption” were wreaking havoc all over Historica. (You can read the whole story here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=83406) Revolword’s Terror The small town of Groenby was raided by Revolword’s forces, and he appeared himself to perform some sinister rituals... Pillage of Groenby Victor Revolword in Groenby Cities were burning all over Historica... Burning city ...while some mercenaries were still fighting for the lords of Kaliphlin who had gold to pay them. This particular watchtower is occupied by the Arkbri Falcons, a notorious band of mercenaries under the captain Ediz Falconi. Falcon’s Nest Battle for Queenscross A strong force of Victor Revolword’s forces were marching towards the strategically important city of Queenscross, which held one of the only crossings over the mighty Arkbri river. (The battle was played out in this thread: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=80826). A call to arms was made, and Gideon responded together with the Arkbri Falcons, his old Avalonian friend Sir Derrik of Groenby (who’s county had been devastated by the attacks from Revolword and the Hand of Corruption) Army Marching to battle along the Arkbri River Many of those marching to Queenscross with Sir Gideon would later fall in the battle there, as told in the report of the battle by Paulos MacLean. Among the casualties were Gideon's old friend Sir Derrik. Aftermath of the battle of Queenscross Battle of Castle Zar Not long after the battle of Queenscross a new person showed up. Aidana, a battlemage of the Khel'Zarim, appeared and enlisted the help of Gideon and his friends to retake the seat of her order Castle Zar from the orcs who had taken advantage of the absence of most of the battlemages when they were busy fighting Revolword’s elementals all over Historica. On the road to Castle Zar After getting into the castle, the final battle against the orcs was fought inside the great hall of Castle Zar. Battle scene After winning the battle, the archmage was freed and Gideon’s part in the Revolword war was over. Council chamber in Castle Zar after the battle. My builds around the battle for Queenscross plus the battle of Castle Zar was my entry to book I challenge VI. Inside Kaliphlin Some of Kaliphlin’s many wonders were presented to the world through the Inside Kaliphlin collab, I built two MOCs for this. (See all builds here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=84240) The Dune Sea The Fighting Pit of Mophet Mini-challenges at the end of Book I “There are many wonders of architecture throughout Historica: massive dwarven halls, lofty elven towers, elegant cathedrals, and impregnable fortresses. But Revolword and the elementals have laid waste to many of these structures. Now that Revolword had been defeated, craftsmen across Historica took up their tools to rebuild the former glory of Historica.” - Paraphrase of the introduction to SK’s Master Arhitect Challenge Gideon’s response to the immense destruction left by the Revolword war was to pay for repair works on the city walls of Kaliphlin’s capital Petraea. Paying for the repair of the Walls of Petraea Repairing the Walls of Petraea Raising the Dead In the quest to create a potion to resurrect Dugal MacLean (Ska’s sigfig) from the dead, Gideon assisted by capturing a red scorpion. It’s venom was needed for the potion. Collecting the Venom of a Red Scorpion Life and Death in Kaliphlin (mini-challenge) http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=87279 Graduation in Barqa Card XVI Kaligem Humanitarian aid to Mitgardia After some trash-talking between Kaliphlin and Mitgardia, Kaliphlin decided to provide some humanitarian aid to Mitgardia - regardless of if the Mitgardians needed it or not... Mitgardian Trade Sultan’s Gate A collaborative effort to flesh out the city of Sultan’s Gate. This build was created to match the inside of the main gate built by Robuko. Sultan’s Gate - main gate and town houses Freebuild - Nordana Castle Built for the Swebrick medieval landscape but also to represent Gideon’s birthplace in Avalonia. Nordana Castle, from left Nordana Castle, from right Book II The defeat of Victor Revolword left Historica in ruins and many new conflicts emerged out of the Elemental War... Challenge I - The Battle for Nocturnus In Nocturnus, a civil war broke out between the old leadership and a new alliance calling themselves the “Black Spire”. I was assigned to the Black Spire team for the challenge. http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=86759 Soraya of the Hashishin, an ancient and secretive group of Kaliphlin mercenaries and assassins, was sent on a mission by the Black Spire to recruit soldiers. Travelling the Nocturnian countryside is however not without it’s dangers, so her trained monkey helped her dispatching a few ambushes... Ambushing an Ambush Eventually, Soraya found a cyclops tribe ready to join the cause of the Black Spire. Recruiting a Cyclops Tribe Fortifications throughout Nocturnus were also occupied by the Black Spire. Swamplands Tower Citizens supporting the Varlyrian mercenaries fighting with the Black Spire barricaded a city block in Illyria, the capital of Varlyrio. The Garra (guard of Illyria) was dispatched to deal with the troublemakers, but it turned into a bloody affair... Fighting Among the Canals Battle of the Wither Woods A battle fought during the War of the Brothers. Participants built forces to send to the fighting, which then were recreated by the GoH members doing the actual wargaming. Full report here: http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=94787 Arkbri Falcons Barqan city guard Cyclops tribe Challenge II Aiding the refugees in Avalonia Treating the sick at a hospital in Barqa Lighthouse of Barqa Freebuilds Kaliphlin forces were fighting the Drow loyalists, patrolling the borderlands with Avalonia and dispatching any stragglers venturing over on the wrong side of the border... Waiting outside the gate Infiltration by Assassins Forest patrol Desert Cavalry With peace restored, the ever important trade could continue. A Kaliphlin merchant buying goods at a market Caravan trade through the Kaliphlin desert Delivering the mail Escorting a valuable load Ice fishing in Mitgardia Ostrich farming Historican Settlements: Streets of Barqa Barqa is the trading hub of south-western Kaliphlin. The city is located where the mighty Arkbri river meets the sea. The Arkbri river stretches all the way from the mountains of Mitgardia and is a major shipping route through central Historica. Barqa is a melting pot of people and cultures from all points of the compass, and dozens of different languages can be heard in the streets. Streets of Barqa Streets of Barqa, outside Streets of Barqa at night Challenge III Political turmoil in Mitgardia made the dwarves take up arms and go to war against the Drow. Among the dwarves of Historica, veneration of the ancestors is widespread and many statues of fallen heroes are placed in the great dwarven halls. It is common to seek the blessings of these heroes of old, usually through a ritual performed by a priest, before going into battle. Blessing of the ancestors Dwarves going to war against the Drow, through ancient tunnels where their ancestors buried their dead. Drow grave robber have already been there... Infiltrating through the dwarven necropolis Challenge IV All along the usually fertile Arkbri valley crop failures started to happen, leading to widespread food shortages and famine. This caused food prices in all towns and cities dependent on that food to rise dramatically. Reports of food riots made their way to Barqa, where the emergency supplies in the city's granaries and it's strong city guard were been able to keep major riots from happening. Food rationing in Barqa Two powers arose to challenge the ruling High Council. Ulandus on islands in the south and the ancient Desert King arising out of the legends and taking Sultan’s Gate as his capital Bands of spies and raiders started appearing all over Kaliphlin, and the High Council struggled to keep those at bay.... Catching Desert King spies in the Arkbri valley Defending the supplies to Messahmuk Forces loyal to the High Council were also fighting to secure vital routes where enemy forces could advance, patrolling it’s own lands and ambushing the enemy where they least expected it. Blocking the road to Queenscross Guarding Flagg’s reservoir Patrolling the grasslands of southern Kaliphlin Ambush in the Nestlands Haxtarus, ruler of Cefivia, a location on the outskirts of the Witherwoods, betrayed the High Council and handed over control of his territory to Ulandus. High Council soldiers seized him and he was put on trial for his treason. Trial of Haxtarus Duels were fought between champions from the different factions. Duel in the Sacred Forest Duel in the Ashes of a Volcano Finally, hostilities ceased but with no clear victor. The Desert King in particular did however make significant territorial gains. The agriculture of Kaliphlin is heavily dependent on irrigation. During the Civil War, many parts of this infrastructure was damaged. Since the cessation of hostilities, the City Council of Barqa has sponsored a rebuilding campaign of the irrigation canals in the Arkbri valley. Now once more fresh water from the river can be diverted to the fields of the bread-basket of western Kaliphlin. Arkbri Irrigation The Frozen Beyond The Algus are an ancient race from the Frozen Beyond, north of Mitgardia. After being quiet for millennia, they suddenly moved south and invaded Mitgardia and pushed as far south as Kaliphlin. Strange icy creatures also appeared and seemed to obey the Algus magicians... Ice worm in the sand Algus capturing a fortress in Kaliphlin With bands of Algus roaming Kaliphlin, there were an increasing number of reports of strange weather. From some of the caravan routes, reports even spoke of fairly deep snow! Many animals perished due to the harsh conditions, so the Kaliphlin vultures were thriving. Snow in Kaliphlin Oil proved to be an effective weapon against the Algus, so the Council of Barqa decided to set fire to a number of tar pits despite the economic implications. The black oily smoke proved effective in deterring the Algus and reversed the effects of their weather manipulation. Together with the other measures used throughout Historica to fight the Algus, the frosty invaders were expelled to their frozen hell in the north once more. Burning the tar pits In the war against Raavage and his Black Spire forces (full story here), Lord Gideon led the Kaliphlin forces into war and defeated the forces of Raavage and his Kaliphlin loyalists in the battle of the Shifting Oasis. Mobile siege weaponry produced in Barqa, spewing the terrible liquid Barqan fire, played an important role in securing the victory (despite being occasionally as deadly to it's users as to the enemy). https://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/148157-book-ii-challenge-v-category-b-barqan-fire-wagon/ Siege workshop in Barqa Book III A story yet to be written...!

Nice creature and overall scene :)

I always love when a big scene is used for something "small" (as in that the same story could have been told by a vignette). Fantastic atmosphere you've created here! I hope we get to see more of that city layout (Maybe enter it for the Linköping exhibition in March, you don't need to be there during the public hours if you don't want to )

I assume this means that it as usual is ok with any build of maximum 256 studs (16x16) in any coherent configuration?