Khorne

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) :

Location: Luyang, Jinzi Isle (El Oleonda) The moonlight filtering through the rice paper windows of the traditional izakaya eating establishment helped illuminating the dim interior. Inside there were only a handful of candles and some paper lanterns lighting the place, which bathed the restaurant in a warm yet dusky atmosphere. There was little clientele, the main reason most likely still being the war that was raging on the island - despite it having reached a quieter phase now. In the corner, shielded from the rest of the izakaya by a room divider, two patrons were softly discussing the current state of affairs over a hearty meal. As the man in the blue kimono spoke and pleaded his arguments, the man in green listened attentively, yet cautiously - nervously glancing around every now and then. “But Yang, that’s… isn’t that treason what you’re suggesting right now?” “Or is it self-preservation, Haruki? The first step to a prosperous future? All revolutions seem unnecessary at first or bound to fail, until we can look back at them successfully and recognize them as the starting point of something greater.” The man in green sighed. “I don’t know, Yang-kun. The very thought feels like poison to the mind. A perversion of our honor.” Yang snarked back, softly: “A perversion of honor? Wouldn’t the Lotus Emperor know all about that? The ‘unbeatable’ empire, beaten by those so-called barbarians of the West. We gained nothing and lost everything. The Empire has left us here to fend for ourselves. Our great Banners are in disarray and these freak storms are only ill omens of worse to come. Or so is the word on the streets.” Haruki wasn’t taken aback by Yang’s response and stood his ground. “Still, the war isn’t over. We have a duty to fight to the end.” Yang waved away the argument. “To what end, Haruki? Your end? The Empire has suffered defeat and can no longer protect Jinzi. Your death will not prevent that collapse.” Haruki bowed closer to Yang and spoke in even more hushed tone: “So you’d throw your lot in with the aoi hitobito (‘blue people’)? Surrender Luyang to them?” Yang reciprocated. “Think about it. Currently, we are an enemy settlement to them, without much of an army left to protect us. We’d be an easy prey, ready for looting - or worse. Remember what the Reds did to Jiangkai? They burned the place to cinders. At least Oleyon-koku is investing and rebuilding the city now. I even heard Jiangkai was able to negotiate some sort of semi-autonomous rule within the realm.” The man in the dark blue kimono leaned back. “I’m not the only one that thinks this way. I’ve heard talk like this in the city. In soft tones and hushed voices, of course - but it is there nevertheless.” Extra picture from above:

Beautiful work all around! The motion of the dragon is so cool to look at. Very organic shape. The color palette is outstanding as well.

Another fine installment! Where are those printed tiles from, an Indiana Jones set like @Captain Braunsfeld mentioned? I guess we're nearing the end of the story, now that all parties involved are at the ruins? Did the Carnites find the Crystal Skulls and got zapped?

It's interesting to see another take on an existing concept. The tower is really recognizable as a Myzec one; architecturally it looks close to the one Ayrlego made once. I like the motion you have with the seaweeds - you can feel the sway of the sea. Wild that the kid has an anchor tattoo; he's like what, twelve?

Wow, very cool! Exactly like I imagined a throne room to be. At first I thought you had modeled it after the Fire Lord's throne room from Avatar, but I guess they also took their inspiration from the Korean Phoenix King's throne room. Excellent job on the mural in the background as well. I Googled the actual Phoenix Throne and you really captured it well. Story is good, too. Can't wait to see all the parties meet up.

Nice! The exterior already looks good, but having a properly furnished interior only makes it better. I like the addition of the wood beams supporting the floors.

Very impressive! That's great series of builds and an intriguing accompanying story! All of the vignettes are really high quality with lots of details and interesting techniques to pick out. The character posing is lovely in all of them, as well. Hard to pick a favorite, but like Kai said: the interior of the tavern is very interesting to look at. I've never seen a floor built like that, but it looks really good .

Amazing! Great posing on the character and so many details to look at. Lovely edit of the ship's painting as well.

As I said on Flickr: very cool architecture! The quadriga is really well built and as Evancelt also said: great atmosphere and parts usage with the masks and everything. Outstanding build! Very fitting title as well. I'm interested to see where this goes.

The End is Nigh - developing Jiangkai lore

Thanks! You're right, maybe I should link to it in the main settlement page. Even if it's just for storyline purposes, since there are no actual new builds here.

Wow, the story is developing quickly! The previous build and this one are prequels to the first build of the story, right? Interesting to see the story continue and like Fraunces said: it's a neat writing device to tell this bit of the story via spies. I also like seeing some more Essians . I also have some more ideas to expand upon them, but haven't found the time to build anything yet. The raven shield above the gate is nice touch! That being said, however: please do bear in mind that Essen (while a powerful city-state) is not the leading state in Carno, the red and whites of Aden are. So I think Seawatch would be more Aden-minded. Essen is a bit of an outcast in Carno, since they were the traitors that rebelled against the King. Hence, why they are kind of building up Treesborg next to Fort Arltrees as their "own" colony, so they don't have to deal with royal powers in the "real" Carnite colonies. But yeah, that's me nitpicking I like how you used the oldschool firemen torsos! They work really well, too. I'd refrain from using the red epaulettes, because red is the color of Aden, which is Essen's arch rival in a way. And if possible: dark grey pants to make the uniform darker. But again: nitpicking here. In all honesty: I really like seeing the Essians pop up and the build is really nice! I can just be nitpicky over such trivial details . Don't take it too personal! I really want to see where the story is going next!

Great entry! Cool build with an interesting accompanying story. It's nice to see the story evolve. The multiple levels are really well-done and the diving figures and swimming fish add a great sense of movement and action.

Thanks! The whale was a surprise Bricklink find that just happened to work. A butcher's work is never done when you're working at a whaling station! Great addition, Ross. The tilting adds such a great visual effect and drama to the build. The fish flying about and the posing of the figures give it a palpable sense of motion.

Chapter VII. - Butchers' Bay As the Gwenivar crept on northbound, the waters darkened and the weather slowly became even colder than when the party had left St. Gallo on Oléon’s shore. Tiny flecks of snow sometimes fell from the grey skies, rendering the world around the ship in shades of black, white and grey. Only the hardiest of sailors venture this far into the Northern Ocean. In this vast remote area of black water, drifting ice and wind blasted rocky islands, a whaling station was founded to supply the whalers that hunt here. ‘Butchers’ Bay’ station sat on the shores of Durand’s Rock - which as it name implies, was a mostly forgotten barren island of rocks and snow that was once discovered by the now mostly forgotten Jacobus Durand. His legacy was about as barren as the eponymous island, since most folks referred to the whole island as Butchers’ Bay anyway. As the crew made landfall on the small settlement, they were overcome by the scents, sights and sounds of the place - intensified by being stuck on a ship for a while. Gulls cawed as they circled in the air, only to come down and scavenge the leftover pickings of whale cadavers, that were processed outside on bloodstained wooden terraces built intro the shores of the island. Creaking cranes and chains dragged the corpses of whales onto the platforms, ready to be drained of everything valuable and cut up to feed the consumer markets in the civilized lands down south. The air was filled with the ferrous smell of fresh blood, mixed with a putrid touch of rot and death. It made Archambeau’s nostrils flare in ecstasy and the gory display of butchery brought a sparkle to his eye. Small details that hadn’t passed captain Kerouac's gaze unnoticed. That guy creeped him out. There was an unsettling, unholy aura around him. Sadly, they were bound together in this journey and Ambrose could only hope that the Felon slipped on some ice on the Gwenivar’s deck and somehow tumbled overboard. But then again, that would stain Kerouac’s good name. No captain wants a dead man on his ship. The concise shore party navigated its way through the wooden buildings and narrow, snow packed corridors of the settlement until they found Archambeau’s contact. Ambrose hated the plan, but it was the best they could do for now. He had disliked about everything during the trip so far: his passengers: how the Priest changed course and goal seemingly at random, the weird Guide they had picked up on Tam. There was some secretive play going on over his head and he couldn’t stand it. Ironically, the miserable weather and the unforgiving ocean were the most positive aspects of the expedition. A home away from home. “You Klaus?”, the Captain grunted at one of the bloodstained butchers working a whale. He turned towards the Felon and muttered: “This your guy?” Archambeau nodded affirmatively. Ambrose sniffed his nose and spat on the ground. He peered around, briefly contemplating the situation. “Alright”, he sighed. “Take care of our little alimentary conundrum.” Aggressively he pushed his finger into Archambeau’s chest. “Get us the food. Decent food, mind you, so we can be on our way. Don’t plough this up. By Argus' Eyes, I'm watching you.” Archambeau grinned. “No worries, cap’n. These are my kind of people. We speak the same language, I can get us a good deal. I’ll fix us some food," the Felon pushed the Captain's hand away slowly and continued, "and I'll do it cheaply as well." Here's an alt outtake, showing the mighty Duplo whale in all its g(l)ory:

That's a very nice compliment! I always like reading that people actually take their time to read the stories. I didn't originally intend this to feature Lysandre, but it was a nice tie-in and a handy hook for some exposition. I'd love to expand upon the ideas and city further, but sadly time and bricks are limited.

An excellent entry for this category! I like how you packed plenty of details in such a small space. I also like the curtains you made; I haven't seen curtains made like that a lot.

Another fine addition to Tristan's storyline. A lot of unique pictures from a rather "simple" MOC. I like the addition of the myriad of tropical birds and also how they fit in the story. Like Jeff said: cool narrative touch to make it extra spooky.

Thanks guys! In hindsight, the 1x1 round plate is maybe a tad bit too big. Perhaps I should've used a lever for the clapper.

Not really a new MOC, just some story telling. Long text incoming. "The end is nigh!", the lead friar bellowed as a warning to his compatriots, who mostly ignored his call and continued their way through the bustling main street of Jiangkai. "The end is nigh!", he repeated once more and kept on repeating the phrase as it were some sort of chant, accompanied by the tolling of the mendicant's bell. The black procession made its way through the crowd, ringing their bells and holding its circular symbolism aloft. "Repent all ye sinners! The Apocalypse is coming! The Lord of Time will return from his chthonic prison and reset the Sands of Time, for all of us have lived in sin and tainted the world with our corrupt behavior. Greed! Violence! War! The clock will be reset and a New Dawn will come. Repent and untether from this world and ye shall be spared by the returning Titans! They shall shape this world anew! Hail Kronos!" Like many things in the New World, the mendicant Order of the Wheel (of Time) were a product of a cultural synthesis, catalyzed by the recent string of strange events. Taking inspiration from Monomontachi and Lotii Emmetist beggar monks, which often pass through Jiangkai and the surrounding areas, the brothers of Time have denounced their possessions and have taking vows of poverty, relying on alms to survive while traveling El Oleonda to spread their message - which is actually borderline heretic as per the teachings of the Aplynician Faith. Luckily for them, the agents of the True Faith have little say in Jiangkai and are often outright refused entry. Their attire also attests to Lotii influence, with loose garments dyed in black similar to those sometimes worn by those of southern Halos. Their typical hats, chapeaux de campagne, are a Western version of the classic Lotii conical hat and offers great protection from the sun. The friars themselves left little impression on the passersby, despite their shouting, chanting and bell tolling. What did draw attention - or at least raised more than a couple of eyebrows - were the flagellants that followed in the wake of the friars. Many of these poor souls had lost their homes, property or relatives during one of the heavy storms or bad weather events that plagued the island. Utmost desperate, they took up the message of the Order of the Wheel and resorted to mortification of the flesh to show their penitence. The defeatism of the flagellants could hardly be in greater contrast to the optimism of Oléonese entrepreneurs who have come to Jiangkai to expand their businesses and invest in the region, following the discovery of silver and gold. The business man frowned at the religious display that was unfolding in the street. Peddled around in an ubiquitous Jiangkai rickshaw and protected by a group of mercenary yojimbo, the entrepreneur was the classic image of a Western investor coming to profit from Jiangkai's special position in the Empire. As a partially autonomous part of the Empire, not all of Oléon strict laws applied in Jiangkai and the area was a grey zone as legislation was still being ironed out. The fact that the city was home to different splinter cells and cultural communities didn't make it any easier to share political power and come to legislative consensus. Which ironically made it easier for the wealthy to invest in the region, as the government either looked away or was content with a bribe to their own political cause: the Lotii supremacists, Monomontachi minority - which in itself was also divided between traditionalists and modernists, or the Oléon backed Western faction that sought to make Jiangkai a proper fully-integrated colony with full citizenship to the inhabitants. While the city is officially called Jiangkai, many of the inhabitants use colloquial cultural alternatives with the Monomontachi calling it Okinakawa and some Oléonese calling it Géants Quai, unable (or not caring) to pronounce the actual name. The peculiar status of Jiangkai and the abundance of unemployed soldiers following the relative detente in the Lotii War, led to the rise of mercenary yojimbo: Monomontachi stragglers, or sometimes Lotii - soldiers and ronin - who did not evacuate to the homeland or who deserted the army and now offered their swords to the highest bidder. With the Oléonese army and auxiliaries occupied in more important regions and cities of El Oleonda, the local government tries to take care of security, but sometimes falters. Which has led to rich people raising their own private guard cadres, similar to a samurai's retinue. Supply follows demand and several Monomontachi with a nose for business have started to set up protection services for those who need it. Lysandre gazed at the spectacle of colors and sounds beneath him, as he enjoyed a short leave after his latest mission. Haji stood stoically beside him. "What an utmost interesting display of behavior by these proles," Lysandre stated as he continued to survey the street. "A bit concerning message though. Could use more cowbell", he smirked. "Perhaps we should word to lieutenant-colonel Andromeda? Even though Section XIII is mostly involved in political unrest and religious unrest is handled by other instances, they might still be interested. Let's not let this fester into civil unrest." He jerked his head towards the crowd as he eyed Haji. "Best to keep your eyes on those folk, Haji." "Hai", the swordsman merely grunted, made a short bow and left the premise. ----- I've had the figures for the friars laying around since the First Transitional Challenge. I wanted to build a series of MOCs showing an obvious Oléonese response to the disasters: dial the religious crazy up to eleven. Sadly, I didn't have the time to work out my ideas. Still, I like their story and I wanted to share these guys before Era II is over. The business man and his retinue is a continuation of the phenomenon I set up in my original post that debuted the MOC. I just saw it fitting to take it up once again. You can see the full scene in the spoiler below. Like I said, these aren't new MOCs. Both have been presented in the past. I've some ideas to expand the market street, but not the time I need. It was a long read, but I hope it was enjoyable!

I'm curious to see how the factions will work, if PC's can be from all over the world now. Interesting game mechanic for sure, considering what we're currently used to. Great challenge as well! And a difficult one at that! After X amount of years in BoBS, with various story lines and different characters, I've only recently felt like I've finally been able to 'settle' on a particular one, but the prospect of being able to have a character from all over the world offers interesting perspectives for something new. Something to ponder for sure!

Excellent work on the water. It looks really organic and fluid.