Khorne

HEAR YE, HEAR YE In order to celebrate the end of the Long War and hoping to usher in a new era of piece between Kingdoms, his magnanimity King Raul II of Mardier invites all knights to the fair grounds outside Londa for a grand royal joust and festivities. In memory of the late queen Isabella, the King hopes to see plentiful attendance, from across the realms! A Knight's Tale is a larger event we will organize, similar to BOBS Football Tournament. It will run over the course of some time, to give everybody plenty of time to come up with ideas and build. Prepare your lances and saddle up those horses! More information will be posted tomorrow, March 16th.

Some of these issues have been addressed before, so I won't go into too much detail. I appreciate taking your time for writing down your criticisms. However, as said: Tales of Old will never become as complex as the actual BOBS was, simply because it was never conceived to be a replacement. Merely a venture into a different time period as we await BOBS III. No one has ever claimed digital builds don't take time. As I sporadically venture into Studio to build something digitally, I agree it takes skill and time equal to real bricks. One is not necessarily superior to the other in terms of skillset. Anyway, like I said before: we are looking into expanding the scope somewhat, but don't want to make things too complex or burden leadership too much. Again, never expect this to become BOBS with a complete EGS, Kingsport, etc. Building your own city is very much a possibility, it's just that none have done it yet. This is also something I'm looking into to write a comprehensive starter guide. But also here, again: there won't be a complex economic system or upkeep behind this. We're also working on a special event, similar to BOBS' football tournament. An event that'll last longer than 1 month . Coming soon, halfway March! Glad to see! I've enjoyed reading your stories and seeing your builds.

Minas Tirith looks amazing! I love how they combined minifigure scale and microscale. The throne room looks simply gorgeous. Even though the price range might theoretically be really good (price/parts) as some have pointed it, it's still a lot of money for me to spend at once. But this might be one of the first sets almost convincing me to do so.

Thanks for your input and POV, @NOD. I understand your gripes, so let me take some time to address them. I tried subdividing my post per point you raised for ease of reading. First of all, BOBS:TOO was never meant to be a full replacement for the regular BOBS game and all of its mechanics, as has been said a few times. It is merely meant as a light-weight exploration of the BOBS setting in a different time and focused on the "Old World" - an expansion to BOBS, a filler that fits the lull as we wait for Era III. 1. "Competitions" All of the mechanics that work behind the scenes of BOBS are very time consuming to set up and maintain properly and takes a lot of people to let it function smoothly. This is a handicap we tried to tackle to set up something simpler. Hence why we tried a different approach for Tales of Old, which is more narratively driven, instead of via economic game systems and incentives. Somewhat in between BOBS and Guilds of Historica. The Challenges are narrative prompts to get you going and build something accordingly. Personally, I don't see them as competitions per se. More like kickstarts to get me building, so I don't share the sentiment that "everyone else lost". To lower the workload for admins, we decided to let the community vote for what they think is their favorite build. As said in the guidelines: "you can vote based on the build itself, the story, or whatever." So, on paper it's not necessarily the 'best' or 'biggest' build that "wins". BUT, I agree with your point that in reality this might perhaps always end up being the case. Thus, perhaps the way a build is judged is something we should take a look at for the future, with a separate scoring for the build and the accompanying story. Also, digital builds are very much welcome. This is also stated in of the general rules topics. No one is prohibited from building digitally. I even made a digital build myself. I don't share your skills in making it come alive as much, however, so mine is just a minifig deprived house . 2. Build times / lack of other incentives The "short" build time of ca. 30 days is a decision we made to keep a forward momentum going and deliver new incentives to build en lieu of the old EGS. However, I can understand this comes across as short. This is also something we can take a fresh look at. Plus, perhaps it might help to set some secondary general challenges without any time limit, with maybe some tied to specific Faction characteristics. Some examples, top of mind: Show the profession of your character Build an important moment from your character's life [COR] Show your allegiance to the King / Claimant [OL-Afar] Show how you trade with the natives of Afar ... Again: something to look into as we move forward. HOWEVER, as I said at the beginning of the post: "we're aiming for a lightweight experience, with only a small amount of administration required", so I want to be clear we're not looking on adding anything nearly as complex as EGS or other complex systems that require tracking rankings or whatever. 3. City building (and Freebuilds) While it hasn't been explicitly stated, everyone is free to found, build and expand their own city in the Faction they chose. But, once again: there will be no system tracking the income of said city or an underlying trade mechanic. It'd be more like in Guilds of Historica, where a builder creates their own city more for storytelling and MOC'ing purposes than a means to garner in-game currency. It is certainly not prohibited to create your own settlement if you want to! Same goes for Freebuilds: not forbidden to do so. I even did two small freebuilds myself. You do raise a point that perhaps this is something that ought to be communicated more explicitly. On the other hand, I think the lack of posting of Freebuilds also has to do with lower activity in building RPG's in general. 4. In summary BOBS:TOO will never have any complex mechanics, as it was not intended to have those We'll take a second look at the voting We can look into the 30 days build time for the main Challenges We can look into a small series of general (Faction) Challenges without time constraints You are free to create your own city and build in it Freebuilds, independent of any Challenges, are very much welcome Digital builds are also welcome, and have in fact always been welcome from the start That is true and it has never been the intention to bar anyone from participating. Everybody is welcome to do so. I appreciate your feedback and if anyone else wants to share their views, please do. Merry Christmas and happy holidays, @NOD and everybody else in the community!

I second the thumbs up emoji. I very much wanted the figures and found the castle itself okay-ish, but I couldn't justify myself spending €120 for figures and a glorified parts pack. The €90 price for Sinterklaas and Christmas made the expenditure a lot more bearable in my mind . Felt more like the "right" price for what I got, whereas €120 felt too expensive for all in all a very basic castle. I don't have much pro or contra the castle. It's an okay built and the brickbuilt horses are interesting. In the end, it was more about the figs and parts than the build itself anyway (for me).

Jameis' Guide has been updated with the entry for Pontilla, which means Jameis now has travelled to - and compiled information on - mostly all of BOBS' nations. Namere is the only one of the Old World nations without an entry (and the mysterious Kingdoms of the Great Raider), and then there's also still Prio. Pontilla had been sitting in the development waiting room for years, but just never got posted. I figured I might as well add the entry now, to help complete Jameis' Guide.

THE COMMONWEALTH OF PONTILLA or the Bridge to Madrice Flag: Primary color: Shades of red Secondary color: Shades of blue Demonym: Pontillan Nickname: "The Bridge to Madrice" Primary real world influences: A cultural melting pot with primarily Central and Eastern European influences, such as Poland-Lithuania, Bohemia, Hungary and Romania. Ruler: King Kasimir IV, of House Mitraudis King Mitraudis IV, in traditional regalia (by @Khorne) Capital: Taurgas People and history: There are many explanations for the origin of the country's name of Pontilla. The natives call their country 'Pontaulis': the Land under the Sky(-God Taule), while in the past the Northern Kingdoms also called it 'Terra Pontilla': the Land by the Sea, with some also claiming its name refers to its position as a bridgehead between the northern and southern kingdoms of the continent. Whichever the case, it is testament to Pontilla's varied history and culture. On the periphery of many different spheres of influence, Pontilla is a melting pot of peoples all formed into one defiant nation. For if one would use only one word to describe the Pontillan nature, "defiance" would be it. While the original inhabitants of Pontilla were likely closely related to the Varcosians with perhaps even Oléonder strains, it is well-known that at one point in time it was conquered by horsefolk driven off the Great Steppe in search of a new home. These nomads were most likely also related to the ancestors of the founders of the Great Alliance State, as superficial cultural similarities have been noted. Later, more newcomers arrived from the Steppes, settling on Pontilla's western plains. When the Great Empire fell and Pontilla gained its independence, the Grand Duchy was founded. As the Pontillans did not follow the traditional Faith, but instead held fast to their own beliefs, they were not granted the right to have a king by the other successor states. Over time a new mixed culture arose, with a unique political system that saw the many different peoples' gripes addressed in the Palapine, a sort of parliament that originated from tribal councils of old. It are also the members of the Palapine who elected the Grand Duke in old times and who currently elect the King of the Commonwealth. Pontilla's territory has always been eyed by its bigger neighbors and not long after its founding, the forces of Oléon started encroaching its lands. In time, smaller skirmishes eventually led to a series of wars, crusades launched by the Kingdom of Oléon under the pretense of bringing the Faith. Pontilla held out for long, but eventually its defenses broke and the region was annexed to Oléon. Oléon’s rule, however, proved brittle. For decades the occupiers struggled to bring Pontilla to heel, and when the king of Oléon quarreled with his own knightly orders, the Pontillans seized the moment. The uprising was swift, fierce, and perhaps against all expectation: successful. Oléon was driven out, and Pontilla stood free once more. With a newfound independence, Pontilla now did claim a royal crown in spite of protests and was reformed into the Commonwealth of Pontilla. Determined never again to bow to foreign banners, the realm rebuilt its armies: small, but hardened and well-trained. It has since sought new alliances, weaving a shield of diplomacy around itself. Geography: Pontilla can be roughly split up into three main geographical parts, which are then further divided into smaller duchies and marches. In the northeast one finds the Heartland, dominated by tall, icy mountain ranges in the east which slowly sink into the earth the more you go west. There they give way to rolling hills and fertile plains, which are the bread basket of the country. The western end of Pontilla is characterized by the final stretches of the Great Northern Steppe, which is only sparsely populated mainly by semi-nomadic horse tribes. Finally, in the southeast of the country beyond the mountain ridges, the terrain changes into dark and brooding forest: the Darkwood - damp, foggy and wet; a nigh-impenetrable ancient forest that serves as a natural border with Varcosia. The region is also called Tenebriya and only few dare venture there, as it is believed these forests are haunted and home to spirits - both malignant and benign. Pontilla's climate is largely defined by the cold winds blown from the Great Norther Ocean, battering upon its coasts. Summers are temperate and can often be wet with occasional stretches of sun, while winters are cold and long. Harsh winters especially have a tendency to grind down social and economical life in Pontilla, as its citizens try to warm themselves inside. Pontillan Cities and Towns of note: Taurgas, the capital; named after the first Grand Duke Visegrad Pontillan settlements in New Terra: None Diplomatic relations: Corrington: Indifferent Oleon: Unfriendly Eslandola: Indifferent Sea Rats: Indifferent Varcoast: Friendly The Great Alliance States: Friendly Alliances or pacts: Defensive alliance with Varcoast Defining characteristics: Each NPC nation has values for eight primary characteristics set by the leadership for the purposes of understanding the powers of NPC nations. These values are dynamic and may change periodically in response to events in the Brick Seas. Naval power: • • • • • • • • • • Pontilla's naval power is non-existent, save for some token warships it uses as a deterrent for potential pirates entering its waters. Pontilla's access to the Ocean is largely blocked by the abysmal relation to its powerful northern neighbor, who controls the Bay of Pons. When the winters are exceptionally harsh and cold, the Bay tends to partially freeze over, which further makes investing in a strong navy obsolete. Military power: • • • • • • • • • • A small nation wedged between giants, Pontilla has learned to be aggressive in order to protect itself. Tactics emphasizing offense are the core around which the army revolves, with mighty cavalry traditions harkening back to its horse nomad origins. The hellish sound of wind whistling through the feathers of its army's winged hussars strikes fear in the hearts of the enemies and the well-drilled small army is known to overcome struggles where the odds are heavily stacked against them. Scientific advancement: • • • • • • • • • • Pontillans usually hold fast to what they know and can be somewhat sceptic at times of new advancements. However, they are more eager to embrace new things than their Varcoastian neighbors, as they believe it can only make them stronger and new technologies are needed to ensure its independence from others. While they were amongst the first to embrace the military usage of gunpowder, their own field of research is rather limited and technological advance has stalled nowadays. Political/diplomatic influence: • • • • • • • • • • A political dwarf, Pontilla has little weight to throw into the scales. It depends upon good relations with its neighbors in order to survive. Inner stability: • • • • • • • • • • Despite being a cultural melting pot, Pontilla is surprisingly stable. There are happenstances of unrest between several groups, but most of it is resolved in the Palapine - Pontilla's ages-old parliament. The king, chosen via election, rules and has the final word, but it is the Palapine that governs the day-to-day business and mediates any potential issues. Owing to Pontilla's history of invasion, incursions and occupation, there is a strong 'us versus them' mentality that overcomes internal differences. Treasury/coffers: • • • • • • • • • • Not rich by any means, though Pontilla has enough income to properly run the country. A largely agrarian nation, Pontilla makes most of its income by selling surplus grain. There is also a thriving lumber trade and the Crown operates one of the largest salt mines in the area. It only maintains a small industrial base, which is too small for large and lucrative export. Exploration: • • • • • • • • • • Being largely blocked by Oléon from venturing further into the seas, Pontilla is not a nation of much exploration. While it is aware of the New World, there is little interest or possibility to colonize it. Cultural advancement: • • • • • • • • • • Pontilla has a rich culture, owing to many foreign influences. Religious life shares links with traditions of neighboring countries such as Varcoast and the Great Alliance States - perhaps even going as far as dating back to the Pontillans days on the Great Steppes. A strong druidic cult guides the spiritual life of the Pontillans. This is centered around Taule the Sky God, Zemyna the Earth Mother and their two sons Arun and Ezal, a white and black stallion respectively who represent the duality of nature: sun and moon, war and peace. The goddess Velyka is most likely a later addition and has taken over the aspects of death and the underworld from Ezal, while life was added to Taule's domains. Velyka also governs rivers and bodies of water and is somewhat regarded with suspicion. Nevertheless, she is the patron goddess of Tenebriya and the Darkwood. Pontillans have mostly rejected the Faith which they see as a tool of control and oppression by Oléon. Accustomed to long winters, Pontillans are known to enjoy indoors activities such as dancing and playing music, with each region having its own folk dances. Known Pontillan personalities and organizations: Vitaula, crown princess Examples of Pontillan builds: None yet Examples of Pontillan troops: Pontillan troops by @Ross Fisher ! ALL: Please do not post in this thread. We will continue to make additions. Please post any comments/questions in the Intro Thread here.

Thanks! I wanted to build a larger scene for once, but quickly ran out of trans-clear parts to create an icy feel so I settled with this. I'm not sure the icy river fully comes across as an icy river, but doing it full white made it look more like just a snow plain and more clear bricks made it look like a regular river.

Great! Like Ross said: any Faction in particular you are keen on? Don't worry about not being able to build big stuff in real bricks, like I said: all types of build are welcome. I'm usually also only able to build smaller stuff. If you want, you could still do an introduction build for Chapter I, even though the voting has ending. It's still a nice way to start of. A second Challenge will come early December.

Yeah sure, all types of builds are welcome!

While the Long War is mostly remembered as a conflict between Oléon and Corrington - with a later Mardierian Intervention - the Northern Kingdoms were not the only battlefields, as the war coalesced with other simmering ongoing conflicts. Many decades before the start of the Long War, knightly orders and agents of the Faith were already encroaching on Pontilla's territory, seeking to "civilize" the pagan lands and carve out their own monastic state, loyal to Oléon. Over time the small border skirmishes and taunts turned into a full-fledged war, with several crusades launched into the Grand Duchy - mostly headed by the Oléonder Ordo Poseidonis, the Knights of Poseidon. The Pontillans managed to hold their ground for a long time, thanks to the employment of inventive tactics and reliance on early gunpowder weaponry. In 347AE the infamous Battle of Ice River was fought, which is widely regarded as Grand Duke Basil's finest victory. Through clever maneuvering and usage of the terrain, the Pontillan host under the Grand Duke's command managed to lure the battle brothers of the Knights of Poseidon across a frozen-over river. When they realized the danger, many turned around and fled to a safe bank. Others dismounted and foolhardy pressed on under the barrage of ranged weaponry. The few that made it to Pontilla's side were swiftly cut down. However, retreat was becoming impossible as the ice started to give way under the weight of the soldiers and knights and was beginning to crack. Many men drowned or died of frostbite in the aftermath. The Grand Duke then ordered the heads of fallen enemies or prisoners cut off and mounted on pikes along the banks of the river as a warning and grim symbol of victory. The chronicles of the Knights bestowed him the moniker "the Mad Lord" for this action, which is sometimes erroneously copied as "the Bat Lord", assuming it mistakenly refers to Basil's personal coat of arms. Sadly for the Pontillans, the hubris of their victory was not to last as they were soundly defeated by Oléon in 349AE. With its army broken and Basil supposedly slain on the battlefield, the rest of the Grand Duchy was subdued and in 352AE officially annexed by Oléon. However, the Order's control over the country is fickle and Pontillans remain defiant. Remnants of loyalists have fled to the ghastly Darkwood where it is whispered they are regrouping and biding their time. Indeed, patrols have reported rumors of sightings of armed groups adorned with bat-like imagery or claims of dark rituals and others practices the Knights label as "witchcraft" and "heresy". ----- Just a general freebuild not really tied to my own Faction, but made to add some more background fluff to the setting. A follow-up to another small world-building MOC and a series of figures. Like I mentioned on Flickr, the background information for Pontilla in BOBS has sat close to being finished for some time now so we were able to draw upon that to create the Terra Pontilla subfaction for Oléon. The "crusade" aspect - or at least a defining war with Oléon, and subsequent occupation was also part of the background, so I wanted to create an event from that time frame. I should clean up the draft, cross the T's and dot the I's and upload a final version to Jameis' Guide, for completeness' sake.

I'll allow myself three votes, going to the following builds (in no particular order): @Professor Thaum, because I love the camel and just the overall build @evancelt; the characters are lovely + a behemoth build, on which I follow what Dutch said above @Ross Fisher; unique building type with the shape and roof and a fun read Honorable mentions from my part to @Ayrlego for the beautiful build with gorgeous architecture and vegetation. I was pondering on giving myself a fourth vote, but didn't want to break my self-imposed rule. Also kudos to @Dutch Thriceman for his build. A lot of details on a relatively small footprint. Overall I liked everyone's entries and stories. I'm happy with the participation and hopefully we can make it even bigger.

That's a neat angle; the idea of Elves living in the snow is kind of unique. Would be cool to see some architecture as well for example, to see how the Elves have adapted their typical architecture style to the cold.

Excellent MOC with beautiful architecture all around and plenty of cool details. It has that classic Ayrlego touch to it. Glad to see you building again!

Welcome aboard! Fun to see an entry for Terra Pontilla. I think it's a Sub Faction with a lot of promise. I was planning on making a small figbarf or little build myself to promote the relatively unknown Sub Faction to future players, so I'm glad this is your entry build. The story is intriguing! I liked how you fleshed out the situation and the character and I'm eager to see where this is going. The build is nice too. I'm always a sucker for redbrick medieval buildings. The integration of the woodwork and the reddish brown decoration is nicely done. I get the frustration with the parcel service. I had the same issue .

Thanks! I tried emulating the rounded shape of a birch tent gypsies and such used and lived in, before they started living in the more well-known wagons. I also like the ruins as they add a little bit extra to the scene and suggest a greater past, now long gone. Thanks, Nod! Glad you liked everything. We'll see where the story goes from here.

Ah yes, the first build for the Knights of Yeldo! Small build with plenty of character. I like the gabled sides and the old knight. I like how you also gave us some more information on how the Knights work with only a paragraph of text. Looking forward to see what else the Knights have in store.

Awesome bridge! The moment I saw the build, I immediately had to think of the Devil's Bridge in Saxony.

As the seasons started to shift and autumn in the Pale was slowly creeping closer to winter with the days growing increasingly darker, wetter and colder, the time was soon coming for Lorenzo to leave Riesmond and return home to the warmer, more pleasant and verdant climes of his ancestral home of Namere. Life, and therefore business, slowed down considerably during winter in the Carolean Pale - winters, which often could be very harsh, so there was no need for him to remain there as the work could be delegated to a local associate. Home is where the heart is, and despite spending most of his adult life in the Pale, Lorenzo's true home was the wild country of merchant princes. The white gravel roads lined with cypresses, the rolling hills and steep climbs, all bathing in a warm sun. He loved the country side, perhaps even more than the palatial estates of his family. Lorenzo was the runt of the Luppino family, but more than that he was also a bastard son born to Enzo Luppino after an extramarital elopement with a countryside girl living on Luppino owned land. Even though his father had always regarded Lorenzo as a trueborn son of his, this was less so the case with his stepmother and half-siblings. To them, Lorenzo was an outsider and as such he was mostly relegated to faraway business, jobs and shady dealings to keep away from the family. Hence the tenure in the Pale. So, when he goes home to Namere, before stepping a foot in the family's palaces in Gonda or Lucchese, little Lupito sets out to find his other family first. The family that cares less about the situation he was born in and that accepts him as one of their own. A task that is not always the easiest, as his mother was a stradiot woman. No one really knew who the stradioti truly were. They weren't native Namereen, they weren't Mardierian, they were just ... stradioti. They were Travelers and lived of the land, never staying too long in one place. That was also were they got their name from: 'strada', referring to the roads they traveled on. They adopted the exonym, but mostly called themselves Dromani, or 'wanderers' in their own tongue. Some claim they were originally Mogholay people who traveled throughout the continent and assimilated with the people they traveled through. Other say they are Varcosian, or perhaps even from the steppes beyond the Pyrite Empire. However, no one knows for sure and as such, they are always surrounded with an air of exoticness and mysticism: a deterrent to some and a lure to others. The stradiots live off the roads in tent camps which can be easily set up or broken down in case of need. While some seek employment as day laborers in vineyards or olive farms, the life of a brigand or thief is more lucrative - especially in a country as chaotic as Namere. Fleet of foot and hand, with great equestrian skill. They are often hired by wealthy merchant families as light cavalrymen in times of war. If you knew where to look, they weren't that hard to find. There were always signs left for others of their people to find kindred bands. Lorenzo knew the signs; he knew where to look. Soon he would be reunited with the clan of his mother and there would be bacchanalian feasts with drink and music. Wild dances that echoed the spinning motions of the dervishes of the far south. A moment to clear the mind and warm the heart, before returning to his father and siblings. ----- A small freebuild, where I tried my hand at an @Ayrlego styled base once more. I knew I had different "homes" in my mind for Lorenzo as I came up with the character, so this was my alternative entry for the first Chapter. I eventually went with the Carolean Pale build because I have more of a story to tell there, but still wanted to build and post this one as well to flesh out the character and the setting of BOBSTOO (and Namere).

A fine fortified manor! The introduction of Mortimer and the Vault Guard is an interesting read. I like how his how isn't just a regular castle, but a big homestead. As the others have pointed out, the roof window is a nice touch and I like the use of the tiles for its sides, instead of bricks. It adds to the thatch style of the roof. Is there also an interior? From the WIP photos I thought you were also planning on adding an interior.

Great character name and a fun build. Like Evan said, the ubiquitous vegetation looks very natural. Some of the figures looks a bit too modern for the setting (the guy with the redcoat torso) IMO, but the green tartan for clan Nash looks really cool. I also like how you did the decoration for the stuffed pig with the leaves.

That's a lot of stuff packed on a relatively small footprint, yet it still feels "airy" enough. Well done; it is definitely up to standard! I like the inclusion of the small green shutters on the side. The bird's nest is a nice touch as well. I also have a bunch of those brown flowers and didn't really know what to do with them, so the usage as a nest here is a good example. Plenty of fun textures and figures throughout. Story was good, too. A nice introduction of what's to come. Don't worry about the English, I'm not a native speaker myself and there are plenty of others of whom English also isn't their mother tongue.

Thanks, NOD! Will you be joining a Faction as well? There aren't any pirates explicitely, but I'm sure some of the Factions (such as the Corsair Taifas) are quite open to acts of piracy.

I always love the architecture on your builds. So smooth, so retro and instantly recognizable as art deco.

Thanks! I did Photoshop the digital model onto the paper backdrop I've been using for this series to make it blend in more with the rest. However, a real build would certainly feel more lively with minifigures and clutter and the like. I have tons of respect for digital builders like @NOD who have the patience to pose the figures in Studio and bring their creations to life. The story turned out a bit longer than I wanted, but I wanted to give a rough outline of the setting, the parties and their goals without going too much into detail. Glad you liked it! It was fun to create something that felt close to home, something you would be able to see in Bruges, Ghent, Mechelen or maybe even Utrecht or Amsterdam. Thanks! The lighting effect is actually a super simple one in Photoshop. I just color pick the brightest spot in the candle and with the most soft brush I put an orange dot over the fire, then set that layer to screen or soft light (can't remember exactly) and lower the opacity a bit. Then I add another layer on top and put a smaller dot there and set it screen again. Finally, it's a question of masking out stuff you might not want. Since my builds are usually quite small and mostly vignettes, I like to put in the extra effort in the presentation to compensate .