Khorne

As Jiangkai slowly but surely started to grow again, royal authorities had decided it was time to open a small police station in the city to ensure the King’s justice and provide the stability and peace Oléon had promised the people there, when they joined the Empire. An added advantage was that the soldiers stationed there, could be relieved of their sentry duties and sent to the frontlines to mop up remaining Lotii resistance and bring an end to the drawn-out conflict on El Oleonda. Because of Jiangkai special semi-autonomous statute within the larger realm of Oléon, it was allowed to raise its own policing unit called the Garde Municipale, or Municipal Guard - their own petite equivalent of Oléon’s Force Publique. Members of this token police force were mostly drawn from Monomontachi commoners, with the handful of officers coming from a higher class. While the personnel was locally recruited, the police station was headed by an Oléonder officer sent from the Old Country, in this case Armand DeWitt. A veteran of Guelphian conflicts and a catalyst in the transformation and organization of the Gendarmerie Royale, he was the ideal candidate to bring the King’s Law to the outskirts of the Empire and train a local police force, under trying circumstances. As a representative of Royal Justice and as officer in the Gendarmerie, Lysandre saw it fitting to visit his old acquaintance in Jiangkai and discuss the situation on the island, before departing once again. “Seems like there’s just no end to this war”, Armand sighed. He watched the bustling street below them and eyed how his freshly recruited police officers patrolled the nascent city. “I’ll be glad to do my part here and help rebuild the city in the name of Oléon. For too long these people spent their lives in darkness. It is high time they can bathe in the King’s Light.” “What word can you share about the frontlines, Lysandre?” Lysandre mulled his thoughts for some time before answering. It was a difficult question with no clear answer, as the fog of war was thick and muddled things, even for him. “It seems like Lotii resistance has largely broken down. There are still pockets of resistance, though. They’re a stubborn bunch, largely loyal to a fault.” “And what of the rebels I heard were fighting on their side?”, DeWitt queried inquisitively. Lysandre’s face lightened up and he smirked. “We broke that pack of flea-ridden red dogs. They started falling apart once the Lotii’s lines started crumbling. Their leadership is gone and according to rumors, there is internal dissent. The bastards are eating themselves up from the inside.” DeWitt nodded acknowledgingly. “Good riddance. Speaking of internal dissent, a wounded Brigade Rouge prisoner passed through my prison cell and had quite an interesting tale to tell. My chief officer is compiling the report as we speak. I had preferred to have been able to sent it sooner, but the bureaucracy is still rather slow here. Most of my men are still learning Oléonese, so I have to triple-check everything.” Lysandre eyed his compatriot and raised a curious eyebrow. “Do go on. Something I don’t know yet?” “I wouldn’t dare claim you don’t know anything yet. Given your connections to the more … darker agencies of our Royal administration. Still, I found it compelling. It might corroborate other musings you heard already.” “Like you already said, most of the Brigade Rouge has been destroyed or captured on El Oleonda. Others have fled and formed their own sub factions. This prisoner vehemently claimed he had witnessed a miracle on the island and that apparently a number of mercenaries was able to flee the island, back to home.” “Do go on”, the Captain urged his friend. “According to the prisoner, one of their own was shot. Mortally so. Apparently a rather young girl. A plebe from the Eranos region that joined the Heraclians out of youthful spite and rebellious spirit. She volunteered to fight here, but like I said: she was killed. Or at least it seems that way. Here’s where the tale gets interesting. The prisoner claims the girl was dead - stone-cold dead -, but as they brought her back to camp in order to bury her, she mysteriously came back to life.” Lysandre laughed. “Hah, this dog was just playing you. A fool’s tale. A heretic thought in the very least.” “Believe what you will, it all seemed very real to this prisoner. He said her soul was returned to this world by Hades himself. Brought back to right the wrongs. She claimed to have received visions and instructions to cleanse the world of its sins. To stop the coming Apocalypse. She prophesied that the Brigade Rouge was about to be ended and fled with a large group of believers. Apparently, she was able to guide the party through all of over patrols, as if guided by forces unknown. From what I gathered, they fled back to Oléon to strengthen their numbers there.” While Bernadotte was still laughing a minute ago, his face had gotten more stern now. “While the story in itself seems very implausible, but if there is truly a large group of enemies that was able to make its way out of here, I will have to check into that.” “Put some haste into that report and be sure to directly send lieutenant-colonel Andromeda a copy. She’ll want to hear of this.” Another addition to my Jiangkai Market Street. I have another one built and photographed, ready to be posted. I was waiting until I could make a picture with all buildings combined, but my lightbox is too small and the weather has turned bad and winter-y (YUCK), so it's difficult to use real daylight to light the full scene. More images here:

It's alway nice to see characters and cultures being fleshed out. Looking forward to the conclusion of Tristan's arc in this story as well.

Huzzah! Congratulations to all winners and participants. Scoring must've been difficult, as there were a lot of cool entries in both categories. Pidy's story and accompanying builds were top-notch, though. Really great stuff there! Looking forward to see what you have in store for the next challenge.

Thanks! I have some other chapters in my head, but haven't found the time to fully materialize them yet. The next addition will most likely be about the religion.

Something to wrap up (or just a wrap-up of) the El Oleonda conflict would also be nice to smoothly sail into Era III.

Thanks! I was trying out some techniques for something else actually and then decided to turn some sketches I had in my notebook into digital illustrations to test out the styling. Most of the designs I do here, are "tests" or things I can't do or try out at work . Yes, I try to use as much Lego elements as possible. Many Lego designers do it as well for stickers in sets, which I try to follow. In all honesty, the Swarts shield is an adaption of the House Black (from Harry Potter). I wanted a shield with birds and was looking through Lego shields and saw that one and I figured "why not, the sticker can be used in a MOC then". I understand, I had some difficulty with that one as well. I didn't want to use the actual Ravenclaw shield, because I want to use it for something else. So I made this version. I have an alternate one with a "real" claw as well, which looks more bird-like but since the other shields were all with actual pieces, it didn't fit 100%. Maybe I'll have another go at it. We'll see. Like Ross said, everything is TLG except the cuirassiers' helmets. The base of almost all uniforms is the fireman torso. I bought a while bunch of those some years ago and were the start of this whole endeavor.

For those who like a read, I've updated the Essen topic with additional information. The main post has been updated as well, with a table of contents, some rewritten paragraphs with extra information and some new character portraits. In the new lore post, I've integrated some tidbits alluded to in Keymonus' merchant district, such as the existence of a minor faction wishing to return to ducal times and flying the black-gold flag. I've some plans for further additions, but we'll get there when we get there .

THE PEOPLE AND POLITICS of the FREE CITY OF ESSEN Citizens of the Raven City The burghers and Grand Burghers While the inhabitants of Essen are nominally free and equal, as its name implies, there is nevertheless social stratification albeit in a less severe fashion than the feudal societies of many other cities and countries. Essian society is largely divided between burghers - those with citizenship and the rights - and non-burghers, inhabitants from outside Essen who come to work in the mines, docks, shipyards or factories. However, the key difference with most traditional societies is the social mobility, which is built on the meritocratic principles of the City. In theory everyone can become a full citizen or burgher of Essen if the required necessities are met, including but not restricted to owning property within the city walls and being able to pay for the magistrate's fee and yearly taxes, or having contributed to the City in an inspring fashion. Proper citizens of Essen have extra rights and are allowed to partake in Essen's political life. It is also their duty to serve in the military, which many make into their career path. Burghers of Essen are expected to uphold the City's values and failure to comply or dishonorable misconduct can lead to one's stripping of rights. The upper echelon of Essian society is formed by the so-called Grand Burghers. These consist out of the most wealthy and influential families. Many of who made their fortunes in trade and mining enterprises. The Grand Burghers dominate Essian politics and control most of its economy. They are the ruling elite whose rights and title are hereditary. The First Families Within the ranks of the Grand Burghers, the most ancient and powerful are the First Families. These are the houses of Grand Burghers that can trace their lineage and wealth back to the early days of the city and who have put their mark on Essen's course in history. They often intermarry to preserve their riches and maintain their noble-like lifestyles. The names and endeavors of these individuals are all well-known throughout Essen and the Black Country - perhaps even Carno and beyond. The First Families own a myriad of businesses and uphold an expansive international trade network, with members of the Families sent to their Kontors abroad to regulate things there. There are a select few of these grand houses, but the most well-known and powerful are: Karsten, Ravenclauwe, Swarts, Weyland, Grimm, De Witt; with the Ravenclauwes en Swarts even claiming direct descendence from Hraban the Founder himself. The Karsten family is originally from outside Essen, but moved to the city and made a fortune there in the ironworks and trade industry, earning their way into Grand Burghership. A similar story can be told of the Weylands, who were originally an Altonian merchant family that followed their trade network and eventually settled in Essen, managing their mercantile empire from there. The Ravenclauwes and Weylands are at the base of the Essener Ostterra Handelsbund (Essian East Terra Trade League), a trade company founded to amalgamate Essian trade interests in the New World and compete with the larger existing trade companies of foreign powers. Due to the Ravenclauwes prominent influence and the usage of their family colors throughout the company's flags and marking have led to the alternate name of Ravenclaw Company. The Stadtrat or Senate Perhaps partly owing to the Garveyan tradition of the tribal thing or moot, Essian politics have been regulated by the Stadtrat, City Council or Senate since ages. The political body is a place where burghers come to voice their opinions and petition their leaders - who are obviously free to ignore their woes. While all burghers can be elected to represent their neighborhood in the Senate, it is largely populated by the more wealthy Grand Burghers who have the time and money needed to participate in politics. As such, it is more oligarchic than truly democratic but a large step up from the feudalist absolutist practices of many others - a fact the republican Essians are rather proud of. Political groups and ideologies All Essian burghers are proud to serve their City and all want to advance Essen towards becoming the most powerful state once again. Even though they all share the same values and traditions, there are some different schools of thought that can be distinguished. While the labels applied to these schools or groups are mainly superficial and in no way indicative of actual political organizations, they nevertheless demonstrate some interesting divides in Essian society. Industrialists: this faction is mostly made up of wealthy merchants and industrialists, who make their money in trade, mining and manufacturing. They want to focus on the expansion of Essen's economy and the exploration and exploitation of the New World. They are in favor of a strong army and and expansionist policy. There's a wide range of opinions from moderate to extremist, but this faction is the strongest in the Senate overall. Naturalists: while not opposed to progress, they don't believe it should be limitless and less focused on expansion. While they agree on the necessity of exploration in order to keep up with competition, they' rather invest in scientific exploits and goods to benefit the whole of the City. They represent the spiritualist side of Essian society and many of its elected representatives come from the Rune Priests clergy. Ducalists: the smallest and most insignificant of all factions, but still of importance. They believe in a return to old ducal times and wish to restore the Duchy and challenge the King for control of Carno. They are the most radical in their ideas, which don't find a lot of traction with Essians. Most Essians are content with how things are now and are proud of their independent society, with no need to return to feudal times.

Very sleek design! Lovely little boat. Another good read as well, with the beginnings of André's journey and some tidbits of world building. Interesting to see where this goes. It starts with a little polite smuggling for your uncle and next thing you know, you're stuck in an international crime ring or part of a pirate gang .

Fictional character deaths golden rule: if the death isn't clearly on screen, the character survives . This is certainly not the true end of the Count, haha. I like how he's (almost literally) a moustache twirling villain out of Indiana Jones or the likes. He would've gotten away with the gold if it wasn't for those meddling kids! The standout part in this MOC for me is definitely the gold pieces falling out of the bag. Well done! Great sense of motion there.

Thanks! More (exotic) figures would've probably added even more to the "orientalist" atmosphere, but then it'd detract attention from the main character. The half-said story is a loose frame I have in mind, that I will reference further in the future or maybe come back to in a larger manner.

Awesome, thanks!

Is the Discord server still a thing? I lost my password or account a while back and was looking to rejoin with a new account, but the above link no longer seems to be working.

Thanks! The Lego scorpion is certainly huge compared to a figure . Maybe the artist took some artistic liberties to make it more heroic. Glad you like it!

Curious character for sure. The fact that he's a cannibal in a jester's outfit only adds to the weirdness. I love this is confirmed in-character and nobody wants the painting .

Thanks! No, didn't enter it into the Summer Joust. To be honest, it didn't cross my mind. I doubt it'd gain much traction as it's basically more of an "glorified backdrop" than an actual full-blown MOC as most entries are. Maybe next year!

Personally, I like reading short stories such as these. Especially when illustrated. Plus, as I've mentioned, I like your writing style, so for me I definitely find it worth reading.

I'll echo NOD: interesting new character. I, too, will miss the Bishop. Such an iconic character and some neat world building surrounding him. However, I can imagine his story was starting to run out and it's always nice to start fresh! It's a cool scene: not too complex, focussing on the essence. Like NOD said, the tripods are well-built. And obviously I'm partial to Oléonder Dragoons.

Lovely read, so well-written again. I always like the choice of words and flow of your sentences. Like I said on Flickr: the amphoras are really neat! Very clever parts usage. I'll have to remember that for the future.

Great job on the architecture and also on the purist tetsubo. Interesting build, haven't seen one made like that before.

A fine ending to the story and setting up future rivalry. Too bad we didn't get to the actual treasure. Glad you were able to finish the story in time. All of these installments sure must've taken some time to build and write. Where is von Undingen's head from? Can't immediately recognize it.

I didn't even notice the reflections of the headlight bricks before you mentioned it . I made the pictures and then I thought "I should've put some black paper behind it", but I also wanted it to feel "sunny" or "well lit" so I didn't make new ones. Thanks for the comment. Glad you like it! Yes, indeed it is. I chose that head because of the green ones which stand out from the usual black ones. And also because there are different versions of the head available, with different expressions, which is pretty useful.

Yet another fine entry to the story! I think this one is one of the best yet. I really like the duality of the build with one side showing the present and the other one showing the very colorful past. Lots of great figures as well. I really need to buy some more produce pieces. I think I only own one banana piece .

Entry for Cat. B:

Captain Lysandre Bernadotte in the streets of Qasr Abbad, symbolically crushing a scorpion in the aftermath of the quelling of the bloody Maimakterion Uprising. - Kornelius Nagye. Brick on pixel, AE624 A peculiar branch of Oléonder art is the so-called Guelphian exotic style. As its name indicates, this art style features its subjects in exotic dress in mostly Guelphian settings. Often these artworks focus on the exotic life in Oléon's oldest overseas province, with subjects ranging from trade in spices or colorful clothwork to bacchanalia at the lush courts and sensual odalisques. Often, the portraits are commissioned by benefactors of the arts wishing to parade with their cosmopolitan senses and well-traveled life, having spent a period abroad in Guelph to indulge in life there. However, others are simple memorabilia of events that have occurred. Such is the case with 'Captain Lysandre Bernadotte in the streets of Qasr Abbad'. Commissioned by the captain's family, it commemorates Lyandre's part in the quelling of the bloody Maimakterion Uprising in southern Guelph. This is symbolized by his crushing of a scorpion underneath his boot. Despite being a military man, Lysandre is nevertheless portrayed in Guelphian dress instead of uniform, for further exoticness - which will surely impress any visitor of the Bernadotte's estate. I was doubting for a very long time which character to pick for the challenge. I was playing with the idea for a new character and came up with several new ones, but I also didn't want to discard the current one yet. I feel like I've only hit my stride with Lysandre and I still have plenty to tell, so there you have it: Lysandre will remain my main character as of yet. I'm curious to see what the new rules will bring. Perhaps I might still discard him in the future, if I feel another character would fit the game mechanics better. I wanted to expand upon Lysandre's Guelphian back story, plus I like Lord Byron's Greek painting and the orientalist movement, so I knew I wanted to build something along those lines. Here's the BTS (different figure with Lysandre in military dress, but the backdrop is the same) :