Bregir

Two small entries: Shepherds Hut The Orangerie Thanks for a fun little challenge. Unfortunately, I couldn't build anything more substantial, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The Trifork has not been unaffected by the recent conflicts. Civil war in Nocturnus has brought strange fugitives to its borders; Drow incursions and rumours of plague in Avalonia has led to local unrest; Troubles in Mitgardia has disturbed trade and mythical incursions from the far north has brought fear to those lands; Lastly, the bloody struggle for control over Kaliphlin has demanded lives of sons, fathers and brothers, and disturbed basicly all daily tasks and routines of the border town. During these times, everyone must take their part in feeding their families and keeping the economy going. One such person is young Peter, who has taken up tending to his family's sheep with his trusty dalmatian, while his father serves with the Trifork city guard. In the highlands north of the Trifork, the lands are perfect for grazing. However, as the highlands are a good two days out, the shepherds maintain a number of small huts for all of the community to use. Here they rest for the night, and store supplies to make their lives more comfortable. It is customary for shepherds to leave something for the next inhabitant, be it cheese, wine, bread, or similar. Sheep is a popular livestock, as it can produce both meats, dairy products and wool, ensuring a steady income for the shepherds, regardless of price developments in any single commodity. Therefore, Peter's work is enough to keep his family well fed and to supply them with surplus products to take to the market. Thanks for looking - my second build for the husbandry minichallenge. The shepherd is from my minifig-series and I had the sheep lying around since forever. (They are not my own design, but I can't remember where I saw it.) C&C welcome - again thanks for a nice minichallenge!

All men must eat - especially during times of crisis, where large parts of the workforce is diverted to war time production or the military forces. And while bread, potatoes and dairy form the basis of nutrition, a happy and healthy populace (and army) requires more diversified diets. Located in the far south of Avalonia, with hot winds blowing in from the Kaliphlinite plains, the Trifork has perfect conditions for growing many different types of produce. These crafty farmers have abondoned the hard labour of growing grains and turned to the more delicate business of oranges and other lemonfruits. While adult trees adapt well to the climate, saplings have to be groomed and require additional incubation. This is done in greenhouses, simulating the climate of more tropical regions, to allow the young trees to establish roots and resilience for the slightly harsher local weather conditions. With a high yield production the orchards of the Trifork normally delivers more than enough lemonfruits for the local populace. Recently, however, prices have been driven up and the produce reserved to a more elitist market. Hopefully the markets will normalise, so all again can enjoy the sweet and sour sensation of the fruits. For now, the farmers enjoy a premium on their prices... __________________________________ An entry for the Husbandry challenge - C&C welcome. I know this isn't anything special, but I wanted to try out my new fences (PAB) and try building a greenhouse. In fact, that part was more complex than I had anticipated. Thanks for a nice minichallenge!

Great build - it has a really nice overall composition and there is nowhere where it seems unfinished. The tudor style of the upper floor is excellent, and I really like the roof! The story and idea of horses as a main trade for a county is nice too, and I think Drondil is shaping up to be a very nice city! My only critisism is the photos - some of them are a little out of focus, and I would personally recommend a stand/tripod for your camera. (It has helped me a lot! ) Further, most photo programs allow for basic editing. I use "Photos" in windows to crop unnecessary parts away and adjust colour. And thank you for your mention - you are always welcome to ask - I am happy to help my neighbouring county!

I've got two small entries waiting to be posted for the husbandry minichallenge:)

I am NOT an expert, but I found that a stand for the camera and long exposure works well for unlit areas. I am sure others will give you better advice, though!

Welcome back, Simon - looking forward to seeing the Lord Regent increasing the awesomeness of Avalonia once more! And welcome back to you too, Rogue! Congratulations on the new soon-to-be excuse for buying more Lego! The new tasks are looking great, and I can't wait to get started. (On a sidenote, I think you have missed TitusV's Dron's Fields (or however it's spelled ) just west of The Trifork on the map)

You are forgiven, sir! And yay - the Snake still lives on to fight another day!

Anyone who can graze me with a link to that specific post - I haven't been able to find that head on a spike anywhere!

What a wonderful take on the challenge! Both the landscaping and the building is brilliant and full of great techniques. (Although I wonder how stable that bridge technique is ) It is a very "alternative" way to procure foods, and I sure hope the inhabitants are not of the darkest kinds of Nocturnus, should they find out they are being robbed!

The resistance grows stronger - With Gal-Turok's forces added, there may still be hope! This is a wonderful depiction of the swamplands and a very welcome addition to the landscapes of Nocturnus. The different fungi are great, and they all display some very interesting parts usage - but the best part is the overall atmosphere of the scene! Further, the story is very well written, and you have fleshed out the tribe of Nikrit very well! Wait, I must have missed something - did Sslyrrith get killed and Abyssian fall? I thought he was still holed up there (I joined after book I, so most possibly, I simply missed this part... )

I have been following this since posted, and now I simply have to join in and say this is looking very promising - I can't wait to see more! The overall composition and scale of the build is great, and I follow your thoughts on the small gate - afterall, the gate is the weak spot for any fortification, so a smaller gate is a better gate, I suppose! Are you going to add a sloped roof, or more traditional flat battlements on top? Without knowing it, my guess is the Brusselpoort originally didn't have the ornate roofs of today, but it sure looks cool. About joining Avalonia, that is spot on. For Avalonia, you (typically) claim a suitable piece of land and proclaim yourself the lord (earl/mayor/duke/prince/whatever) of that county. And THEN you start achieving notable deeds I will send you a PM for any further questions - maybe you can reply when I initiate it? EDIT: I can't send you a PM just yet. But start commenting on other builds, and you will soon be able to PM ;)

Great build! I really like the tree house and the different fields beneath it! Great entry!

Great build, Milo! You have packed so many nice details and included the full process from grain to bread. My favourite detail is the cute little market stall, but the well and the mill are other great highlights. This seems like a really nice contender for the challenge! (And an obvious entry for task 4 )

A lot of nice details and brilliant overall composition! The roof is looking great, and I can't not love the purple touch! I have one question, though. Is the wind predominantly in the same direction where this mill is placed? Since it can't be turned towards the wind. The terrain is great too - and is that a waterwheel on the side? Great build, and great photography

This is a very nice build, Alfadas! The posing is really nice, and the story fitting for the setting. I think the groundwork and path are nice, although the shift between dark and normal tan looks a little too blocky on the figless pics, but on the other pics it works perfectly! The tree and rockwork is nice too. My only suggestion is one I have made to others before: The wheels of the carts should be centered under the carts, as they are what should be carrying the weight, not the poor oxen.

Wow, this is absolutely stunning! It must have taken for ever to put that wall together. The overall composition of the building is great, and the wall techniqie really makes it look old. Plus, it does not have the polished look of ornate mansions and castles from more accessible places. It looks very fitting for the setting. And btw, I really like the different creatures hanging all around!

Woah - that was quite a read! Especially on a cell phone - I am glad to finally be able to see it on my computer! My feedback: (This is just off the top of my head, so it isn't in any particular order! There is lots to comment on, so I will just take the most important ) Positive: Your character descriptions are wonderful. I really like how you flesh out each character, and it makes me wonder, if we will see some of them in consecutive builds. It really shows how much thought you put into each fig. (And the same can be said for some of your detail descriptions) You do a great job at "integrating" your build with the rest of Historica. It is very nice how you reference to other builders, events, characters, places, etc. including links to the relevant builds, and makes it easy to see how things fit together. Both the fact that you make an effort to make the connections, and the fact that you actually take the time to find the proper links! Great colours and architecture! I really like the grey and black walls (fitting well with Shadowmerian architecture) with the colourful crenelations (which I see as a typical thing for the Nestlands Clans.) - The combination works great! I think your black tower fits well within the rest. The main building has a very nice composition, and I really like those outer walls. Interior: I love the pattern on the floor, and the overall look of the room, although I do find the idea of living flesh on the walls a tad too Nocturnian for me! Nest and world viewer: Both are really nice additions to the build, and I do not mind the colours. In fact, I like the untraditional use of colour! The nest is a great idea, and I would love to see the beasts and birds landing there! Suggestions: I would suggest limiting the number of photos - Going through the post, I was yearning for overview photos! I would have preferred fewer photos, each showing larger bits of the build. I would also suggest leaving the detail pics for flickr, rather than posting them all here. Start and end with an overview pic, so people know what they are looking at and get a nice wrap-up in the end A few of your pics are a bit unclear, but you are already aware of that. All in all a very cool build, and a nice (although long ) read! Looking forward for more from the Nestlands!

Lovely ships, although they do seems somewhat small for "long"-boats! The group of Algus seem really menacing, and I really like the action going on in the "boat shot"

This is a very beautiful build, and I think you have striked a very nice balance between foilage and visibility - the action is very obvious without the build looking bare anywhere. The posing is nice, and I can really imagine the crocodille going for the lizardman in front of it, before being stabbed by another has it strikes! Plus, I like your choice of border.n My only point of criticism is this: You have made the swamo enclosed on all four sides - seems like a fairly small whole for a crocodille to live in!

Thanks, Blufiji - glad you like it! Thanks ME I too think the college turned out very stately, and while the shrine was initially just a way to fill space, I am ended up being really happy with it. While I am not the writer some of our fellow builders are, I enjoy linking my builds with an ongoing story, the "current" political situation, and with the storylines of other builders. (like the collabs going on in Nocturnus or Mitgardia currently ) About politics, Beorthan's loyalty lies with the High Council, but he is a practical man and holds no grudges. Surely, he would be pleased with an invitation, but I can't promise he won't be giving akward speeches about liberty of speech, representation, the threat of despots, or the wonders of republics while on that journey! And I wouldn't exactly expect any sharing of wealth with a former enemy, but the Trifork is generally very positive towards anything strengthening trade relationships. A traders town, the Trifork has never shyed away from an "honest" profit. Hopefully, we will see some sort of normalisation of Kaliphlinite matters over the coming period! What is really intriguing, though, is how the wealth and might of the Trifork will be involved in a possible new civil war in Nocturnus. Having already allied with Vladivus, Beorthan and Anfauglir are technically allied by proxy... Maybe they will one day have a chance to meet! (Luckily, they didn't meet during the Kaliphlinite civil war...)

Very nice build, Titus! Good to know that someone is tending to our defenses - be assured that Beorthan will much appreciate any warning, and be ready to ride out to your aid with all the forces he can muster! It is really nice how you have made this build fit into the current political situation (and how you include me in your stories too! ), which really helps tie Historica together! The tower looks great - the wooden sections are nice, and the texture of the stonework is well done too. Your landscaping, especially the path and the bridge, is fantastic. My only criticism is the way the two things fit together - the overhang looks blocky and less than capable of withstanding a siege (and where is the cellar? ) Keep the good builds coming! Looking forward to seeing more of Drond's Feelds!

Very nice, Wedge! I really think this looks great - it looks wonderfully functional, sturdy and realistic. The old and new grey, with the dark grey masonry bricks works really nice for texture, and by using mainly 2 x 1 bricks, it has a really nice brickbuilt look! The offset arrow slits work really nice, and the gate and bridge looks cool. I have two comments/suggestions: 1) Cheese slopes on the lower parts of the crenelations (aka on top of the wall) too would give it a cleaner look. 2) From the front, it looks really nice and sturdy, but from the top, it looks a bit skinny, and I somewhat agree with Exetrius. If it was more roomy, it would be more of a fortress. (Or, you could just have taken pictures from the front, so we couldn't see it's depth! ) The background story for the fortress is really nice too - keep up the good work!

Nice progression of the story - one wonders what will happen next! I rather like your wall technique. It makes for a low sturdy wall, which I am sure will be very hard to penetrate with siege weapons! Of course, the drawback is, that it is easier to climb by the enemy, but they will be at a big disadvantage while doing so. I too like the crenelations, but think some tiles on the top of the wall might improve the overall look of it. Further, I would suggest looking for a better background for your photos, as it is a bit disturbing

As always a very inspiring build, Vitreoleum. The landscaping is brilliant, but what really strikes out is the parts usage on the dragon, especially the skeleton torsoes on the body - took me a while before I noticed.