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Good news! The Jah-Kuh-Eh Watchtower has been completed, just north west of Petraea. It has a small garrison of men, but in these times of mostly-peace, they don't expect much action. Let us hope that these amicable times last. EB topic / Photoset

Built for the EB castlely community thingy. Fairly happy with it, but I can't pretend it was easy. But what kind of fool builds a castle around an octagonal SNOT core anyway... The baseplate was a final touch, and by some twisted magic, the tower is at some really weird offset on the basplate. Like a quarter-stud to the left and back... I have no idea how it happened. Finally, thanks to everyone for commenting and helping me finish what started off as a champagne bottle with a face. It's come a long way, so thanks for your suggestions and tips, even if I didn't use them all. More pics in the photoset.

Although the watchtower has been built and our masons are now working on the landscaping, the first seige weapon has just rolled out of our workshop; a light battering ram. Although I know that we are still in times of peace, as a survivor of many conflicts, I feel that peace never lasts, and preparedness can be the difference between this guild's distruction and survival. Photoset, EB thread. -YtR

Just a little seige engine I made to take a break from the watchtower. Nothing special, but I wanted to use those big doors for something other than big doors. I guess I'm odd like that. There's a handful more pics in the photoset, as per usual. Enjoy!

Yeah, that map is somewhere beyond awesome. Excellent work on it. In less favourable news, another foreman was fired from the watchtower build earlier today. From a catapult. -YtR

Clearly it fires vicious volleys of chair/table legs/telescopes.

The tower has had a great deal of work done to it, now that the foreman actually knows what he is doing. Next, to add a landscape underneath the mostly-finished tower. Watchtower WIP 2 by .Jake, on Flickr Opinions welcomed, -YtR

^^Nah, you're in the right guild!

Yes, I kinda forgot the oasis storyline bit... Oops. But, I did some research, and oasises(eseses) can be fed from rivers and whatnot, so it's all good. And now we have the oppurtunity to have a small river dock or somesuch in Kaliphlin, as well as major ports on the coast. So all in all, we've just gained more possibilities, whilst still remaining faithful to the original storyline. Success! (Although I'm acutely aware George Lucas probably uses that excuse every time he makes a new special edition. If I fall to the dark side, feel free to strike me down.) -YtR

Those Oliphaunts are mighty beasts indeed! On the tower-building front, the foreman and his assistant got into a brawl last night, after the latter made a deregatoy comment about the shape of the tower. Both men have been locked up, and a new (and hopefully more competant) foreman has begun work. -YtR

With regards to the river relocation issue, here's a hilariously crude butchering of our region's map. Ignore the dragon and the giant surfer, but note that the salt lake has moved down below the capital. This makes is realistically possible to colonise the location, since we have water and thus the ability to cultivate limited crops. http://flickr.com/gp/10606714@N05/M609r1 YtR

Speaking of dump... I can't build castley* stuff. I currently have the skeleton of a watchtower that's shaped like a champagne bottle... lolwut. In fact, a champagne bottle with a face. See, you couldn't make this up if you tried... EDIT, pic: -YtR *By castley, I mean a medieval structure. I can do beasts, vehicles, and so on with more confidence. But buildings... Fuuu.

An interesting development indeed. I thank you for your support, and I for one will do what I can to return the favour to Avalonia, should you ever require it. -YtR

I'd agree that the other guilds having mini-challenges and titles up for grabs is a great idea. Make a list of things that are needed in Kaliphlin, perhaps, and have people attaining titles and honours for fulfilling them. (I'd personally find this helpful, it'd give me an idea of what to build, other than a few ideas I've got floating around the old noggin.) Also, are we all as members of the guild going to post it in our signatures? In fact, let me rephrase that. As a member of the guild, I'm going to put it in my signature. :P -YtR

The artists finally completed their studies of the Common Griffin! Here are their detailed sketches of this fascinating creature. Photoset. (Here's the EB thread too, in case you want to index it.) -YtR

One hour powerbuild, oh yes! So very pleased with this. Even though I primarily build space nowadays, I think it's really important not to pigeonhole myself, because there are so many things out there one can build, regardless of genre. Gotta love Lego. More pictures, you cry? BAM, said the lady!

Sorry to double-post, (yes I know about the edit function but am choosing not to use it to BUMP the post and because this post is relevant.) but I built a Griffin. _____ Good news! I have recieved word that some old comrades-in-arms of mine are making haste for Kaliphlin to aid us in these unstable times. Three of my greatest friends have tired of the peace in our homelands and wish for something more... interesting. Riding his highly trained Griffin steed is Oleg the Foul-Tempered. He's in a worse mood than usual since he learned how common Griffins are in this land... back home he was one of few souls brave (or foolish) enough to train them. Charging blindly onwards is Bonkers Bill, a brilliantly blatant beserker who favours Dark Elven Scimitars and extravagantly daft helmets. Lurking at the back is Hooded Robin, a tremendous, if rather sneaky and occasionally downright unscrupulous crossbowman. He's seldom as cross as Oleg though. Not a person, but perhaps the most dangerous of this party is the Trunk. Made of magical wood and posessed of many tiny feet, it is a terrible adversary and is known to trample or eat enemies in seconds. (Yes, this is a blatant Discworld reference. ) _____ Note that I still haven't included the flag. This is intentional, I'm kind of telling a bit of a story here. Once I get a watchtower up, it will of course fly the standard. Also, I'll take better pics and make a seperate thread tomorrow, but there are a few more pics of the Griffin on my photostream here. Comments would be welcomed, especially with regards to the size of the head. Should it be bigger, or is it OK? -YtR

I've got this scene in my head from "Jingo", one of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels (and one of my favourites, too). Basically, two characters meet by the base of a statue, but only the feet and ankles are left. There used to be a big city in the desert, but apparently "the wind changed" and the city was lost.

That griffin is tremendous. Truth be told, I was going to attempt some form of fantasy steed at some point. Also, the ruin idea is cool. I was thinking only today about doing a watchtower at the site of some old ruins in a desert. Great minds think alike, and all that, huh?

We do have mountains and hills and forests and stuff in our region though, right? -YtR

My journey has been long, but I have arrived, far from my homelands beyond the kingdom of Morcia. My name is Yakob, and my colour is Red. I do not enjoy admitting it, but I am a deserter from the army of the Black Falcon, and for my sins I found myself in exile. Many leagues have been and gone under foot and hoof, as I travelled the lands, seeking a place I can call home. I have little but my own strength and my loyal steed, but on what little I have I swear my allegiance to the Kaliphlin Guild. I beg that you accept what services I can offer, and that one day I shall regain my lost honour. Until then, I remain, Yakob the Red. -YtR

EDIT: Signing up to the Kaliphlin Guild.

Hah, that trailer was awesome. Cole's dragon with a big hotair balloon was lulz, as was the Jay almost summoning(?) his jet. I'm fairly sure they got a Wilhelm scream in there too.

Spa - SKY! Yeah, after my sojourn into the murky depths of medieval architecture, I felt the need to revisit something with wings. Since my last skyfighter was kinda tiny and not particularly great, I did another. This one ended up rather larger. It's got foldy landing gear, two belt-fed machine guns, two torpedos, and massive holes in the wings and tail. But that's intentional, since I wanted to try something with negative space. Does it work? I think so, but you tell me! More pics, including the promised landing gear, here!

Yeah, LL-STEAM. But yeah, it's more Classic Space. Fairly happy with it, although it could have used some more work. The front isn't great, for example. Too many gaps. That being said, the massively oversize spoiler is all manner of awesome. Actually, I like all the blue bits. I should combine the blue bits of this with the bley bits on the LL-257. That'd rock. More pics in the Photoset, as always. So, that's it for STEAM builds... hope you enjoyed the SPACE! I'm working on something different now, a theme I haven't built in for over 5 years.