PenPlays

"The bard’s song tells a tale of a world long forgotten..." It's no doubt that those words were the first thing we knew about Historica, but this "world long forgotten" was born in such a way that has only recently become familiar to us... "Race against race, clan against clan, shields clashed with swords..." ...civil war. But what were we before? Four powerful lands united as one, underneath a King who, even though ruthless, had the will and know-how to keep us all together. And now? We continue with the legacy he left behind, and those who abandon us will pay the price, but that legacy doesn't mean that we'll all have to stay put in our Guilds. We have been offered the chance to change where we stand for the same greater good that our former King strived for. Because of this, I was offered the same choice, and like many others I had to evaluate what would be the best for me, and I would like to share my evaluations... Nocturnus:Guild of Wastes Yes, nearly everything is dead here, well regarding plant life and animal life that is. It still does not lack an ecosystem, however. Many trees grow here and are eventually withered into water sapped husks, and grass patches that had little chance of thriving are a pale shade of gold. Those conditions, however, give the guild a unified beauty as a blank canvas for life to thrive with the aid of its other Guilds. Animals are few, but those that survived are strong and tough, and have a majesty about them that is unrivaled. The Rakath Mountains etch along the horizon, and on either side? The wildest collection of civilized races teaming and working with and against each other for the title of superiority among the Guild. A community that would be unrivaled if all of their peoples would join as one. I was considering that I could be the one that would strive for that, but an ex-Avalonian calling the shots? If this journey is in my future, now is not the time to fulfill it. My allies(from front to back) from Nocturnus, Sensei Sakuseisha* (Sensei Saku for short) and his followers Yama* and Shiro* are quite fond of the Guild, and will remain as the representatives of Nocturnus for The Ring. Kaliphlin:Guild of Sands The amount of plant and animal life here is near to that of Nocturnus' situation. However, Winter never truly comes here, allowing tropical paradises to grow wildly in its southern regions, and near oases in the Siccus Badlands, the Dune Sea, and the Parched Lands. Desert creatures also thrive here, many as dangerous as Dragons. Nearly all civilizations here are situated cautiously next to a body of water, and have a wild amount of goods to sell from all over the Guilds. Kaliphlin can be considered the oldest of the Guilds considering how well the history of Kaligem was written into history. What's also interesting about the Guild is that it is currently ruled by a Council of High Lords that meet regularly to discuss matters of the Guild, and to improve upon what has already been established. Kaliphlin is also a learning hub, being that the Petraea University is the only college available among the entirety of Historica. Having studied there, the Guilds are in no better hands to learn of the world. It's just that, miraculously, I seemed to have already been well informed on the subject matter that was being taught. Kaliphlin probably understands its people the best, and one day, hypothetically speaking, I would move my family there in a heartbeat, but I feel as if I'm needed elsewhere at the moment. My ally, Tristain, is a marksman that has strived to be an archer for Mpya Stedor, but some misunderstanding has crushed that dream, and he lies with The Ring as Kaliphlin's representative. Mitgardia:Guild of Snow Life expands and recedes as the snow melts and returns between seasons, but one thing us for sure, fur and hide trade is massive here. The game that roams the mountains is by far unperalelled among the Guilds. There are also creatures among the thick of the Rakath Mountains that are true forces of nature, including the Guild's citizens. They are bred for survival and are known to carry very heavy garbs, garbs worn even in the warmth of Kaliphlin. The citizens here are also very gentle with people and are helpful to others new to the harsh conditions their mountains have to offer... unless they have wrong intentions. Ignoring the fact that I don't like the cold, Mitgardia does sound fun to explore in the Summertime, but I have no real wish of ever living there. The Mitgardian representative in The Ring goes by the name of Nordoric. He is a berzerker, originally trained as a bodyguard for the currently missing Jarl Nibelung. He too was demoted of his destiny by misunderstandings, which have made both he and Tristain far better friends then they thought they would. Which leaves me with... Avalonia:Guild of Forests Yes. I have chosen to stay with Avalonia. Avalonia is a sprawling Metropolis of mythical creatures and animals to the west and a land of towns and kingdoms to its east. Its trees offer variation to the plains that stretch left and right, and the area has a very balanced weather system that offers seasons that never reach extremes. The amount of farmland is also preposterous, and most crops come from this Guild. Some people here are a bit stuck up however, thinking that they are superior for sitting in the lap of luxury that is Avalonia. They couldn't be more wrong. Each Guild has so much to offer that it sickens me of how much smack is spoken about the other Guilds. Yes, I find myself chiming in, but for what? My reason for staying in Avalonia isn't because I feel that Avalonia is perfect. I choose to remain here, because it was the Guild of Historica that I was born into theoretically. All of my closest friends are here, and all of the basic comodities are at my disposal. A place to live, food, and a makeshift family. Drinnian may be the only reason why that family is established. He founded The Ring (named after the Giant's ring on his rist that he cherishes) as his own Guild of colleagues from all over the land. Only recently has he achieved his goal of having a member from every Guild join him, and he is no where near to stop aquireing more members. Malivan is always at his side, being both Drinnian's and my voice of reason. He is Drinnian's "secretary" and personal bodyguard. For that, he is never far from Drinnians side unless commanded. His loyalty knows no bounds, and he is well informed on the situation at hand. Many would kill for an ally like him. I just pray that evil won't divide us in the end. Having made my decision, I hope to offer my opinion of each Guild to those who are still skeptical on their decision. And I hope dear reader that with this letter, I helped you confirm your decision as well, dear reader. -Owlan of Avalonia This is my proclamation for my Guild choice for Book 2, as well as an introduction to the rest of the main characters of my story, Dawn of Ages. The MOC itself was something I always wanted to do, combining a bunch of vignettes into what I would call a mush MOC. (Two separate images) Comments and criticism is welcome! *Pronounced "Saw-koo-say-shoo" or "Saw-koo," "Yaw-muh," and "Shee-row."

But a daffodil proves your allegiance, and homemade pie is all that you can offer as a gift for joining? How do we know if Nocturnus isn't actually run by a bunch of lonely grannies these days?

I love the look of all of the plant life dying as the Spire us making its way to gates, but the real beauty here is definitely the gate. Love what you have done, Niku.

I've found a solution to my uncertainty, and I have made my decision... but I will reserve that announcement for the next MOC I will present.

The Fire Temple is an architectural beauty, and has an impressive interior. However, the Epic Dragon Battle Includes one of the largest, and possibly the most beautiful creature Lego has produced. For a vehicle I would say the Ultra Sonic Raider with Garmatron at a close second.

This perspective is accurate, but I can tell some people will not understand what you are trying to say. Allow me to translate.. Avalonia= Hippies. A massive force of men who are scattered throughout the land united for peace and can cause chaos and uproar for the right at any given moment. Avalonia is strong! Kaliphlin= Talking is a clear sign of intellegence. Writing books and teaching to different cultures with accuracy is even more so. They can also build with stone without looking like a dystopia. The mind is a tool to establishing beauty in the desert! Mitgardia= Snow covered structures built by nature itself, that few men could barely survive in. There may be snow, but I don't see the melted snow flowing abundantly into... Nocturnus= Fabulous traitors with immaculate, mud enriched skin who are too big for their britches, have people who have "the sauce" that only they would call awesome, and serve pie. And from this perspective, I'm glad to say that I agree with you. So, what was all of that talk about people joining the wrong Guild again?

Owning one at the moment, 4th iPod isn't very good at taking pictures compared to most cameras, but it will definitely suffice if you can't afford a better camera. I still haven't chosen my Guild for Book 2...

Very stoked for the new figures. Hoping to see the show take a turn for the better as well!

Rejoiced at the sight of LBG 1x1 rounds! Didn't get as much as I wanted though. I hope there will still be some when I go back. Also got some black 5-sided SNOT bricks, some 2x2 rigid rounds (columns!) and some 1x2 reddish brown plates.

The angle of the picture made it look like it was gunmetal black! It's a nice photography effect.

Welcome to GoH! Might I ask which set that chest plate piece comes from?

Another suggestion. As much as I adore that watercolor rendition of the Ninjago Monastery from Lego Universe, it makes this forum look solely Ninjago. A theme change every once in a while would add a little flair.

You know how much I love your builds, but these past few indoor MOC's have really taken the cake! The lamp in the dwarves' cottage and the hearth around the King's fireplace are two things that really caught my eye. As always, I can't wait for more!

I'm afraid I can't help much with the indexing, but by the looks of it, you have a pair of helpful chaps more than willing to help. What I can help with is suggestions! When we had contests that short while during and after the Ninjago Month last year, we seemed to see a lot more action in this forum (I couldn't resist ) I know that you were offering physical prizes for the Ninjago ones in paricular, but tags are no object. Maybe some contests could be based off of older themes as well. I'm sure an Aquazone contest, for example, would be a hit! We could also use some more reviews. I know that there really is only a review spike when a new wave of sets come out, but if we could find a way to get a review out every other week on a new(ish) set, that could definitely bring some more user traffic in. I've been thinking about starting to do some pictorial reviews (rather than mini-reviews in the set's respective forum), but I think that I should do some studying on the Academy's reviews first.

The CHI Jackers, for your viewing pleasure. Select one of the numbers above the video to select your player. Now we're getting somewhere! I have yet to enjoy a better episode of Chima. There was plenty of action, and no crummy jokes! I'm actually excited to see what happens from here.

You mean Kai NRG and Garmadon? If so, I had no idea we a multi-guild family behind the screens. That should make this civil war more interesting...

I find myself very glad that Owlan isn't a Lord of Avalonia. It makes traveling to the different Guilds without lasting effects all the more easier...

Within the past week the Speedorz Tournament App has been updated. This update not only includes the final set of races, as well as the rest of the Summer/Fall Speedorz, but also includes support for Apple devices of the previous generation!

That couple foot toss was like a mile long push forward in the plot. Either that thing had to be abandoned early, or there really needed to be some shifty manipulation done. Neither happened, so this felt like a really good plot push. Now, what would Shadow Wind want with two Golden CHI Orbs...

First off, spoiler tags. And second, a link to the site would be nice as well. It was the same site I reported to have the Biggest Race Ever a few weeks ago, but to be helpful, you can find it right here.

Found Gorzan's Gorilla Striker for a good price today, so naturally, it's review time! Gorzan's Gorilla Striker is a very snot oriented build to say the least, although which mechs aren't these days? As typical, with action theme sets, there is always something small for the opposing faction, in this case it is a tree mounted turret built by the Ravens. This tree is a filler portion of the set as, again, it's there just so the other side of the battle has something to defend itself. That doesn't mean that it isn't exciting, however, as it is quite large, and includes storage for the bomb berries the convenient catapult launches. The tree can also be smashed by the mech, dislodging the turret head. Now the Gorilla Striker itself is a different story entirely. It is unlike any other Chima set to date, and stands out as a very unique set, what with its small legs and really bulky torso/head. It is also laden with features, as each appendage is articulated, the arms can swing up and down with the turn of a dial, and the torso has the ability to fire a barrage of missiles. Unlike most sets these days, it isn't clearly evident that these are in the set, but they provide a very enjoyable function to a set that would have dulled down without it! This set also includes a new yellow Technic missile which stands out on the set but still goes with the colors perfectly. However, the colors are nearly identical to that of the Eagles' vehicles (sans white/brown) and could easily be mistaken as a "failed" experiment. The minifigures in this are also, extremely nice. Rizzo, as we all know is a nice Raven minifig, what with his damaged facial features. This set shines, though, in its selection of new Gorillas. Gorzan and Grumlo both sport the new claw-epaulette armor but in dark brown, and both have excellent tribal paint designs. G'loona also fits the latter as well, and is actually quite adorable. The only gripe I have with a monkey is Gorzan's facial expression. He looks as if hes constantly yelling with the "helmet" on but the head dons a very nice "mellow" look as well. When the head is rotated to that side with the "helmet" on it looks like he is in the middle of a satisfactory belch! His angered expression is very nice, though, and with a fist hammer in hand, he looks quite fearsome. Both of Grumlo's head prints are calm, wrinkled smirks, and G'loona's are both adorable and have a nice buck teeth design. This fist weapons of the Gorilla's are basic but effective, and there are enough parts included in the set for two of Rizzo's blade guns. The mech itself has to be posed in a way to support it's weight, which is somewhat of a drawback, but posing it on all fours is certainly an option, but not required 9/10 Complete set worth its full price, although some small designs could have been changed, including the red highlighted weapon buttons on it's back which I find as a major drawback as well.

. Thanks, but I can't take credit for the floor. I first saw that technique on a MOC done by either Legonardo or de Gothia. Thanks! I never actually notice that until you mentioned it. I suppose its one of those non-intentional natural lighting effects that you don't see at first but can appreciate it later. I hope to get back on the story soon, but I may just post the MOCs to start.

The moment I heard the Lego Universe Front End music, I knew that this was going to be good. Far more excited with this than I ever was with Chima. Speaking of Lego Universe that three headed "Fluffy" looked like it was Malestrom infected . I cannot wait for more information, and more videos.

Gorillas Gone Wild is probably the first episode to air without some really childish joke! Really liked it, and shined some light on the Gorillas' need for "mellow-ness."

Although the 3D feature on the 3DS was the big selling feature, as far as I've seen (and read) barely anybody uses it. This is a good idea from that perspective, but that tablet design is a HUGE draw back. It's no longer pocket portable, and that is a major drawback for a handheld device. The clamshell design was perfect for transport. Being that this (supposedly) is to get the attention of adults with young kids, the thick design (and probably stronger shell) should be up for the challenge of being dropped by smaller hands, as well as the lack of 3D being hurtful for their eyes. Here's hoping it comes with some sort of case, though. ($12 extra? Lame move.) I'd hate to get those screens scratched. Definitely will pass on this guy, unless it becomes the only one available in the future when the 3DS I have now lives it's full life.