Sirens-of-Titan

Welcome to Mitgardia Most welcome Mitgardians! Ofourse we also welcome new members: If you are new and want to join the fun here, you just think of a character/sigfig for yourself and start building. Don't forget to put in our green and yellow, the fierce Mitgardian colors! If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask. To get an impression of Mitgardia just read along. Origins of Historica The bard’s song tells a tale of a world long forgotten, Race against race, clan against clan, shields clashed with swords; long ago when Men of the Lion fought Men of the Falcon, and human armies succumbed to Orcs and undead. Each group clashed with its neighbor for power, unleashing upon the world a great scourge, and the arcane land was thrown into chaos. When it all seemed but lost, a council of wise men and sages was summoned. From all the lands they came to convene in the old world’s great city; the fortress of Cedrica. To settle the grievance and end a millennium of bloodshed, the sages declined all the treaties of old and joined all the clans into one mighty Kingdom; Historica. They founded the Four Great Regions- each one a realm in itself; - Mitgardia in the North, Nocturnus in the East, Kaliphlin in the South and Avalonia in the West, so that trade routes would spring up and clans would meet in the markets and not in the theater of war. The wise men chose a family of great honor, to uphold the truce and to keep the four guilds from dispute, and descendants of that mighty kin to this day rule the Central lands of Historica. So goes the legend. For ten decades the races of old have migrated and spread through the world, following the trade routes, establishing cultures and prospering towns. Today, it is a world of wonder and natural beauty; a realm where a man and a woman may find peace. But peace is short lived… Treacherous assassins have tried to murder the King! The capital is in shock and there will be repercussions; the Four Regions assemble their forces as the balance of power shifts, and blame is passed around. For the first time in a century, the guilds of Historica build up old defenses and prepare for the inevitable confrontation; everything hangs in the balance, and Historica is on the verge of chaos once more… Guildsmen; this is the world you inhabit, this is the place where you will make your fortune, build a mighty empire and battle for the glory and honor of the banner… Mitgardia: The Northern Guild Mitgardia Background: Mitgardia is the northern-most realm of men in the world of Historia. It is a chilly, mountainous region covered from border to border by great mountain ranges, pine forests and frigid lakes. From the temperate climate of the Capitol City of Valholl, to the chilly Mountain Passes in its heart, all the way to the Frozen Tundra of its Northern Wastelands, Mitgardia is a beautiful and perilous place, inhabited by a multitude of settlers, indigenous tribes and creatures. This wonderland of frost is the home of the Great Guild of the North. Guild Origins: The Mitgardia Guild settled the Northlands in the last two centuries, following trade routes and seeking resources that were becoming scarce in the heartland of Historia. The first Guildsmen were pioneers and traders who bought and sold skins, timber and ore to the local Norsemen Clans. As they accumulated wealth, they founded small fishing villages along the coasts and rivers and soon the seeds of a mighty Nation were sown. Expansion brought territorial conflicts with the clans of the North, the cities of the Dwarves in the Mountains, and the Goblin and Orc tribes that scavenged the forests, but the well-funded and technologically superior Guildsmen managed to hold their own. Today the city of Valholl is major settlement, and well-fortified fortress of the Guild. Religions/Major Gods: Native Norsemen believe in a distinct hierarchy of old Gods, while settlers have their own official religion; an offshoot of Avalonian faith.The major God of the Norsemen is Gyhnran, who is worshiped and celebrated by Natives and Colonists alike. The native orc/goblin tribes have their own deities, and Dwarves believe in a type of ancestral worship. Although religion is a major part of people's daily life, it plays little in politics and ideology. Inhabitants: Guildsmen and women are colonists from the west who have become accustomed to living in the North; they make up the major population of Mitgardia, but the land has a diverse populace. Norse Clans, Dwarves, Goblins, Orcs and Barbarians inhabit the mountainous region, and each group has major settlements usually in the mountains or near river banks. Of note is the dwarven City of Omurtag in the Frosty Mountains; the largest such Dwarven city in all of Historia. Monstrous trolls, drakes and giants are said to live in the mountains; encounters with these is the major challenge to colonizing the frontier. Terrain/Climate: Largely mountainous, covered by pine forest with big human settlements near rivers and Indigenous Villages in the Frozen Wasteland. The capitol Valholl is significantly warmer and farming prospers behind its colossal gates. Fishing Villages are a common sight along the shores, and small towns that thrive off of timber are scattered throughout the Great Forests. Numerous towers and fortresses guard the Mountain passes in and out of Mitgardia; it is a land “fortified by the Gods” as the locals say. Make sure to check out the Traveller's Guide to Mitgardia Guild Leadership/ Membership: The Guild is led by the monarch Jarl Nibelung who was born of both the native Norsemen and the Western Settlers, gaining him the support of both groups. He has ruled for three decades as a diplomatic and strategic mastermind, who tactfully weighs every option before making a judgment. He rules with his mind, and employs best of warriors as generals to inspire with heart. Rarely leaving the Guild fortress in Valholl, Jarl Nibelung is nonetheless well informed of all matters thought Mitgardia and the rest of Historia because of his extensive scout network. The Parliament of Mitgardia is a group of representative that help create Legislature, adress domestic issues, represent the common people of Mitgardia and share power with the Jarl. The group is led by a Prime Minister who is democratically elected by Guildsmen. Afther the Jarl disappeared, Elon Chorian is steward of Mitgardia. Membership is extended to all who wish to embrace the lifestyle of the Colonist Spirit, and take a little piece of the northlands for themselves, regardless of race, creed or previous alliance. Each member is sworn into allegiance by the Knights of Valholl and dedicates his life to expanding the realm and glory of the Mighty Guild of Mitgardia. Standard perks for joining include a large land grant for Guildsmen to build whatever structures they wish, be they towns, economic buildings, or structures of defense and offense. The might of the Mitgardian army is also at the back of any member who swears loyalty. All Guildsmen must fly the colors of the Guild when completing structures; the banner of Nibelung. The green represents the emergence of new life from the snowy ground in which crops give rise to economic prosperity. The yellow is symbolic of the sunlight; the life force of the farmers in the North, as well as the symbol of illumination of the dark regions of the frontier through colonial settlement. Elon Chorian - Guild Leader Valholl: (The Mitgardian Capital) Current Prime Minister:Besdarc Menteno (Ecclesiastes) This is what I will do: -Ministry for Defenses: I will set up a special ministry for defenses. So that our borders are as well protected as the strong walls of Ondylion. There will be more border patrols and garrisons along the borders and roads. Beacons will be all across Mitgardia not only from Ondylion to Valholl. This way we can act fast and strike hard. You think it's not important? Look around you, nothing more is needed now. -Social Security: I will also give Mitgardia a system that provides everyone to live in health. Not less taxes just a better system. So that the poor have more money to spend on food and clothing and the ritch do not spill that much on to much clothing and food that is just making them fat. The taxes for rich people will be max 55% of their income, starting by people who own two acres. No higher because a famous Mitgardian once said: "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." Challenges and challenge info: Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Current score: Mitgardia- 3,119 Nocturnus- 2,935 Kalphlin- 3,180 Avalonia- 3,292 Current Tasks: Valholl community build: http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=72986 Challenge 6: http://www.eurobrick...showtopic=62242 Title overview: Military Elite: *Khorne; Hersir of the Norsemen *Ecclesiastes; Hersir of Valholl *the Inventor; Hersir of the Northern Legion and Dwarves *Stash2Sixx; Hersir of the Foreign Legion Official Guild Cartographer: * Viceroy Guild Ambassador: * darkdragon Head priest of Mitgardia: *Ecclesiastes Trade/Economy Titans: * the Penguin; Minister of the Treasury * Ecclesiastes * Viceroy *Gunman *Soccerkid Royal Architects: * Ecclesiastes * kabel *Infernum *Garmadon Siege Masters: * Fat Tony * rucorder * Ecclesiastes Round One Defenders of Mitgardia: * Viceroy * rucorder * Ecclesiastes * Dan Church * Busboy489 Lore Master: * rucorder * Flint Admiral of the Mitgardian Fleet: * Ecclesiastes Vice Admiral of Mitgardian Fleet: * Kabel Mitgardian Bard: * Ecclesiastes Doctus: * Kabel

All will be revealed within a few hours my friends, stay tuned and anticipate the greatest castle community build/contest in recent memory...

Hello all, as Leader of the North Guild I can assure you that despite the name the majority of the terrain will be covered by greenery. Only the northern-most provinces will be actual frozen tundra! A detailed description is coming up soon, stay tuned.

It's good to hear the flag idea has traction! I propose that we design 4 different flags each made by 2 color combos and at least start by splitting up evenly into those. (Whether they are called North, South East West is all the same to me, but if we do I would prefer tat they are called North Kingdom, South Kingdom, East Kingdom etc.. Just to keep the story-telling vibe to it, otherwise it will be a bit too generic.

After carefully reading through the points here it does seem to make more sense to have guilds that are affiliated with multiple factions as opposed to guilds with just a few factions at a time. So I propose that we scrap my previous idea and form 4 Original Guilds that represent regions of the Lego World Map that may be inhabited by humans, dwarfs, orcs and any other race we can think of. This has already been proposed; BUT, I propose the following in addition just to make the whole process more interesting and to give each guild something that makes it different. 1) Instead of calling them North, South etc, how about we invent 4 fictitious names for nations that could exist in this world? The names can sound something like medieval Kingdom names and each will have it's own unique symbol and characteristic history, but will not be restrictive of what factions can be used within it. 2) Instead of using the established Lego shields as coats of arms for specific Guilds, I propose a simple solution that will be appealing to everyone and will fit into everyone's budget: The use of flags. Yes, each guild will get a unique combo of 2 different colors that will represent it's identity as a tag or icon to be easily recognized and affiliated with the Guild. When contributing a MOC from that specific guild, a flag must be present somewhere on either buildings or in the arms of minifigs to showcase the affiliation of the MOC. Here are some examples from my own builds: I feel this is quite easy and will solve the big question of how to distinguish different Guilds even though they may have the same factions within, ie dragon knights.

I suggest that we do the following so that people aren't worried about not being placed in a Guild they like: Each member who has signed up should go to their signup post and edit it with a list that ranks the 4 guilds from 1 (most desirable) to 4( least desirable) This will give us an idea for distribution, and when it comes time to assign people we could grantee that you will get either your first or second choice guild. Also if any one guild becomes so unpopular that nobody wants to do it, we may just drop it and go with 3 Guilds instead. Sound like a plan??

Sirens-Of-Titan Signing up for a thrill-filled ride!

Wonderful work! I love the careful part usage and clean lines and color combos in all of your MOC's. There is a great feeling of classic space, re-imagined through the lens of a modern parts and figures. I also really like the crisp clarity and lighting of your pictures! Two thumbs up from me and I hope to see you build something a bit larger one day with the same motifs as this; it will be an instant hit!

Although I agree with you that themes like Ninja, Wild West and Vikings don't get enough love these days, the Guild System is, in my view, an incentive to boost castle building. I think we should stick to strictly castle factions, and later on do a big event for other, less-represented historic themes. As far as Camelot, that is quite an undertaking, I can't wait to see the min-blowing epic proportions of this build! I also think the Lego map and the Guild System is flexible enough to encompass any fantasy adventures be they with wizards, dragons or knights, so that would fit right in without a problem. (It'll be the jewel of the map) It seems like a solid idea to include a magic faction, so my thought is; how do we go about moving forward with this project? More polls perhaps to see how many people would be interested? Once we have an idea of the size of the participants pool it may make more sense in what direction to go.

To pick up where others have left off in terms of the faction split I would say the following 4 major guilds should be made, each with its own unique tag, style of building and faction associations:(These are just rough ideas, mind you) 1) Alliance of the Kingdoms of Men A Guild that encompasses all human factions in the Lego Universe that are mighty enough to own a castle. This faction will be your classic major kingdom with gleaming castle, uniformed Knights and the most historic middle ages vibe to it. Lifestyle: Peasants work the fields, the Lords rule from high in their mighty fortresses,and knights in shining armor fight for honor and glory. This is the guild for those who always dreamed of owning a castle, being a defender of the downtrodden, amassing large colorful armies, and displaying the colors of the Kingdom high and proud. Build Stylee: This Guild will have its roots in the classic Lego castle look; not a simple reproduction but an embellished and interesting mix of castles, towers, townships and houses. Here is some art to reflect the general idea of the style: Factions include: Lion Knights, Dragon Knights, Black Knights, Crusaders, Crown Knights, and Falcons 2 The Rogues' Guild: A Guild for the riffraff; mercenaries and merry men, this group is for those who prefer the lifestyle of adventure, brawls, exploration, banditry and treasure seeking. Lifestyle: The groups in this guild are neither inherently good, nor inherently evil. They mostly make a living off the land and off of other people. Their habitat is stretches from the slums of big cities, to the forests and river hideouts, and mountain passes in the Kingdom. Whether they be bandit, pirate, forest man, merc,smuggler or traveling adventurer, the rogues can call this guild a home. Build Style: This Guild will be rooted in nature and the art of incorporating shelters and houses into the natural environment. The slums of big cities can also be a wonderful addition to this Guild's possible environments. Art: Factions Include: Forest Men, Wolf Pack, Dragon Knights, Bulls Knights, any personally made adventurer(Coat of arms is not necessary) 3) The Arcane Kingdoms: This is the Guild for those of us who like the aspect of fantasy factions. Here the elves and dwarves make their home. If you are fascinated by folklore, enchantments and exotic fantasy builds this is the place for you! Lifestyle: Perhaps the most diverse group here, Elves and Dwarves occupy a unique niche of locations such as lush forests, underground mines and cities, beautiful treetop houses, ancient towers and fantastic fortresses. The dwarven and elf mentality, such as is well described in Tolkien and other fiction writings, is what will guide this Guild. Build Style: There is a lot of work out there to highlight both dwarven and elven architecture/ culture: Factions: Dwarves, Elves (Series 3) and other archaic/ mystic races that people may wish to introduce that have origins rooted in fantasy 4) The Forces of Darkness: This is the Guild for those of us who wish to get lost in dark fantasy: Orcs, Goblins, undead and corrupted men as well as dark creatures are all welcome here. Lifestyle: The factions within this guild will be brutal, monstrous and will pillage and burn the Kingdoms of Men. The typical hierarchy is that of chieftains and shamans who rule over hordes and hordes of expandable brutes. This Guild takes into account a whole variety of exotic fantasy locales, and offers a chance for you to rule over your very own horde of minions, be you a dark wizard, orc warlord or evil spirit from beyond. Build Style: This Guild will offer locations from savage villages, to gutted (overtaken) human castles, to caves and dark Gothic fortresses. Pictures: Factions: Trolls, Undead, Other evil creatures, and self-designed faction of corrupted baddies. Well, there you go; my proposal; nothing is set in stone, but this is the rough idea. If it gathers more traction, I will desing some more Lego-appropriate symbols, buildings etc, to serve as examples of possible architecture/pis/factions. I think this distribution can encompass everyone's favorite faction and give the opportunity of builders to expand into areas not previously explored in MOC'ing. Let me Know what you think! Note: (All pictures from Google, as this is only temporary and can showcase the idea better than I can described it)

Thank you guys for the feedback; I'm happy you are following along, i actually spend quite a bit of time thinking of the story so the fact that certain characters are memorable enough for some you to know them off the top of your head makes me feel like it's all worth the time and effort spent! I certainly have a very detailed and interesting idea about where this is going so stay tuned, and believe me when I say the best builds are yet to come. Cheers!

Hello all, here is my latest creation: Journey to the Underworld The story continues as the Mage Kaloyan travels to the gates of the Underworld to seek the aid of demon, only to find it's not easy dealing with evil spirits... This is a full story with quite a few images and with dialogue, I will post just some key images, and for the full story please see MOCPages: Journey to the Underworld: If you like the story you may also enjoy the: Prologue and Chapter 1 Thank you for looking, please let me know how you like it!

Love the bear! balance and colors here are quite beautiful and the cavewoman is very well done; I'm happy she isnt just your generic collectible figures chick. Well done, I hope to see more from you! :)

I agree with that 100%, unless we decide to create a Eurobricks version of a fantasy fiction Universe, it would be very difficult to agree on history that fits everyone's preferences and collection. The major division there would be between people who prefer human vs. human conflict and don't like fantasy and those who do. On a general map they can chose to ignore the fantasy locales and factions, so a generalized world map would be best as everyone would be happy!

After as good night's sleep I thought of another idea that rather appeals to me; here it is: 2) The Historic Themes Innovators Guild (Contest) Premise: "Are you an innovator? Have you seen one too many bley castle walls and wished there was something new and exciting about them? Then this is the contest for you! Taking the form of a contest with several building categories, the Historic Themes Innovator Guild will be a challenge posed to all Eurobricks members who want to give a creative take on some standardized castle building and historic building techniques by letting them focus on specific parts of a MOC as opposed to building a whole MOC. Sample categories include: 1) The Strategist's Gate: Build a drawbridge and gate with an original design that is unique in it's form and function. 2) Looking Outward: Build a revolutionary set of windows including one stained glass, one from a cottage and one that might belong to a mighty fortress. 3) Nature Builder's dream: Build a unique river design, unique tree design, and an original rock formation, a waterfall and a plowed field. 4) For the customizer's out there: Build a brand new faction; make a brand new coat of arms and proudly display it on a shield and make a sample of soldier/noble/knight figures, not limiting yourself to purely human factions. 5) The Grey Wall Syndrome Cure: Show us how you would innovate and build a large scale castle wall that doesn't rely on 5000+ bley bricks. etc. Each category gets its own entry thread and people post until a deadline after which a public vote is done on the criteria of 1) Innovation 2) Aesthetics 3)Presentation People can enter 1 or multiple categories and the prize for winning in each is a small gift card to the Lego Shop and a special tag along the lines of (Historic Innovator Guild) To seal the deal, I will offer to pitch in for the prizes!

ISC I like the way you think! As this is the major theme I have MOC'ed in so far I feel like I have made and will continue to make contributions to an ever-growing list of both historic and fantasy creations. My field of interest is building new locations, storytelling, minifigure combinations and innovating a whole bunch of techniques I like to call my own. Of course all of those things are in the past, and I am never devoid of ideas so when it comes to new suggestions for a forum-wide history shaker-upper,I propose the following possibilities for discussion: 1) How about a community build that is faction based but is a bit more involved? For example, at the very start we decide that there will be several possible factions and each participant declares one to join, and changes their avatar to a minifigure holding up the shield of his/her faction of choice. Depending on turnout, there may be a whole bunch of people who join Dragon Knight for example, or wolf pack, or even fantasy factions like trolls and dwarfs. Once this stage is done, each group gets a medium -sized layout and they decide who can build what (signing up of course), so that there is a city for trolls, dwarfs, Elves Dragon Knights, Wolf pack etc. (Or we could group them into major human faction, evil faction etc.) Still with me? The major distinction here is that each faction will have a style of buildings that closely resembles the nature of the faction; for example crown knights will have clean-cut castles and Tudor houses, the trolls faction will have rough huts, ruins and large savage camps, and factions like forest men/wolfpack can inhabit run-down towns, and forests. etc. (The design for each faction's buildings will not be 100% binding, but rather just a rough outline of what to aim for, and will be provided prior to the start of the build.) At the end there will be several unique looking cities instead of one huge one, and it will be interesting to see what kind of power balance we will end up with. I will suggest more as we go on ut this seems like enough out of me for about now...

Very good, clean lines in this I like the color scheme minifigures and building design! I hope to see more from you

Not to be a stickler for a tickler but that movie actually did much better in theaters both in the US and around the world, but I agree they could have done a bit better on sets.

Wow things really do move fast in minifigure land! Such stunning additions! The Aztec eagle warrior is wonderful and the space marine, black knight and viking woman are absolute marvels for us historic theme nutters! Every single figure ha s a lot to offer both in terms of ideas, parts and character! Well done Lego; your finest creation of the last 5 years!

Beautiful creation SI-mocs! The lighting in blue gives a very elegant and mystic character to the temple! Extraordinary lighting and a masterful build make this a winner in my book! Well done!

Man you hit that on the head! Yes indeed those are the exact accessories torsos I was referencing in the above post. That is a good stipulation to make the torsos flesh-free, although in lightly armored units I feel it is unavoidable. It's a lso a good point to bring up that although the Joust set might signify 2012 is the last year for Kingdoms sets, it doesn't mean there will be no 2012 wave of them. I think a 3 year run will be a truly worthy and acceptable castle theme. My only wish for a 2012 Kingdoms set is a tavern complete with shady (wolf-pack like) thugs!

Whoa man, take it easy! Derfel is a pioneer and one of the best MOC'ers around, I don't see why you should bash him like this for trying to showcase how he makes his models. Perhaps building in a consistent style is not your ideal but what he's done is consistently build up and revolutionize how Lego castle MOC's look. His techniques with textures, rooflines, scenery and nature effects are a marvel and I respect him tremendously for having invented and utilized his own style that is instantly recognizable and appealing. As far as his "boats" I assume you mean the galleons which are wonderfully scaled, shaped and detailed. To call them horrible is blatant disregard for aesthetics. I advise that you reconsider the notion of mocking people for their building efforts; if you don't like someone's style I say don't comment on it and go about your day, or better yet build a better version yourself and then say: "There, my houses and ships are more-appealing than yours" But seriously, come on...

KD although I'd like to see Kingdoms continue as well, and will be sad to see it go, give this a thought; Licensed themes are there for a reason and for a certain amount of time; that is to sell products to people on the hype of the movie. This is when Lego competes not only with other building toys, but with licensed toys in general suck as action figures, playsets, model cars and even board games. A licensed theme doesn't last longer than the hype around the movie it represents (with the notable exception of Star Wars) so even if a LOTR license was acquired it wouldn't last forever. Indiana Jones had a run and now we have Pharaoh's Quest Despite the popularity of Star Wars, there are still Lego Space themes like SPIII and Alien Conquest. Prince of Persia and POTC both had very extravagant runs but I am 100% certain we will see Lego-brand pirates and knights in the next few years. My point being; just because LOTR may temporarily displace Lego Castle we should not despair. In fact, I feel this would be an opportunity to enrich the often conservative world of castle mini-figures, accessories, head gear and new molds. If we get a whole new assortment of fantasy gear in such a theme, I would be willing to ignore the fleshy skin tone on the figures and dive right in, collecting and acquiring new elements.

Thank you Duke, I appreciate the question: The houses are a re-imagined version of Eastern-European hovels from the 1800's. Cheers

Hello everyone, time has not been my friend and it has taken me way too long to find some time to build. I present to you the first chapter of my new Fantasy series: Rsie of the Mage Chapter 1: Instilling Obedience: The prologue of this story can be found here: Chapter one can be found here: As this is a story I will post some notable images and ask you to view the MOC on MOCPAGES. Cheers! Please let me know how you like it.