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Remington Rot knew from the moment he entered Moruth that it was going to be uncomfortable, but he never guessed that I would be quite as bad as it was. The air in the swamp was so thick you could cut it, and the strong, stale smell of the moat water (if the oozing, green mass could even be called that any more) lingered in the back of the dead man's throat like an unwanted guest. Out of the ground before him rose the looming outer walls of Rockwail- the safest place in Moruth. Unlike many of the swamp villages, Rockwail was built on a bed of rock; in fact, the whole fortress was believed to be carved out of one huge boulder by dwarves hundreds of years prior. The place was surrounded by a field of smaller boulders, floating in the stagnant waters of the swamps, giving the local area the name 'the Boulderbogs'. At the gates of the stronghold, Remington handed the guard on duty a letter. The man looked Rot up and down scrutinisingly, before scanning over the letter and handing it back to him. "Hmm. Sounds believable to me. I'll take you to the Baron." Remington nodded. The guard inserted a large key into one of the doors and twisted it. With an audible thunk, the door unlocked, and he hauled it open. "Come on in. I'm gonna guess Theophraster told you how to get here?" Remington nodded once more. "Figures. Him and the Baron were close. Y'know, you're lucky to be here. Not many people outside these walls know that this place exists. That's why they call it the secret city." The two passed through the gates and walked briskly down a long, twisting, cobblestone road. Being inside the walls showed the place to be less of a stronghold and more of a small city- crooked, towering buildings lined the streets and dark shadows were cast over the ground by the makeshift wooden walkways above them. Rockwail was a sprawling, squalid maze of narrow pathways and haphazardly constructed dwellings that leaned into one another like drunkards. The style of architecture seemed to change from building to building, and Remington recognised several different species and ethnicities as he and the guard wandered through the town. "You didn't see all this from the outside, huh? Yeah, not many can see through the magic shield Theophraster put up when he and Baron Lonnidas started to put Rockwail together. Takes a very powerful mage to see through it. They say people don't even see the walls of this place unless they're expecting to." As they began to reach the north-easterly corner of the city, the houses seemed to thin out and the paths got thicker. The very corner of the wall was in sight. Remington recognised the dwarven stylings in the wall; they reminded him of the lavish guild halls he used to sing in. The ground was no longer cobbled- instead, it was simply rough stone, and they walked down a gravel path. Wooden scaffolding was put up in the corner, where it seemed the last of the dwarven tiles lay. The beaten, crumbling walls really showed the age of the place. "There used to be a shrine to some dwarven god here, hence the fancy tiles, but it collapsed in an earthquake. It was a long time ago, though- before any of us, or anybody else alive for that matter. Before they even built the walls. They reckon this spot was what Rockwail started from," the guard told Remington. He wasn't sure how long the guard had been talking, as he was too busy taking everything in, but he got the gist of what he was saying; Rockwail was old. Remington spotted a tall man standing at the bottom of the scaffolds, and guessed by the epaulettes that he was the baron. He was a heavyset man, wearing worn scale-mail, a thick, grey cloak and the beige sleeves signature to the guards Remington had seen around the city (and, indeed, beside him). The Baron carried a longsword and a slightly rusted shield from the Ssilyrrlith era. A black eyepatch covered one of his eyes, and Remington could see the pink end of a ragged scar poking out beneath it, running down his cheek. "Baron! I have a man here to see you, name of Remington Rot. He can't speak, and has a letter for you to read- it says he knows Theophraster," the guard spoke up to the baron, then handed him the letter. Baron Lonnidas nodded as he read through it, his long hair bobbing slightly, and when he spoke, his moustache wriggled like a caterpillar. "Hmm, very good, Petir. You can leave now, I'll talk to the boy." The guard, Petir, then left hurriedly. "So, boy, you know Theophraster? He's an old friend of mine, a good man. I understand you're looking for your voice?" Remington nodded enthusiastically. "Well, you're in luck. I know how to help you out; one of the guards, Gawyne, had a similar problem, and he found his voice in a place in Avalonia, called the Hall of Songs. i don't know the way there, but he said he was guided by a traveller named The Weaver, and I do know where to find them. In the middle of the city is an ancient dwarven mausoleum known as the gauntlet. You can't miss it; they say all paths in Rockwail lead there. The mausoleum leads to a series of catacombs, where The Weaver trains. But, by the looks of you, you won't make it through easily on your own. I'd look for a mercenary to help take you to The Weaver." Remington processed the information slowly, then finally nodded and smiled. "Glad to be of assistance. Any friend of Theophraster is a friend of mine. Good luck, Remington Rot." --- So, that's part deux of Remington's story. Now time for some extra pictures of the moc. The whole moc! The back is super ugly, and I sorta forgot to make battlements for the rear of the wall (y'know, where they're most needed... :| ). The scaffolding, and a closer look at the dwarven architecture. Well, I think that's all. C&C is welcome!
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Exetrius Saga 1: Fallen leaf 2: Message in Kyrrath 3: Equipment upgrade 4: Subjection of a legend 5: Family Dinner Episode 6: Attack of the Hunters Exetrius was about to head home after a day of intensive magic skill training and physical activities in the hills near Carakath. Suddenly, they appeared out of nowhere, three of them, all dressed in camouflaged robes, their arms and faces wrapped in strips of grey cloth. Ice blue eyes and blinkering teeth, sharp claws and roars like those of big cats; unmistakably sabre-tooth tigre half-bloods. Fear struck him as he realized that his mana crystal was no more than a grain after his training! He fiercely hoped they were not up to something bad... Without a call of warning, one of them charged. He dodged and ran, it was his only option. Sure thing that he would loose in close combat against three wildcats! He regretted not having studied the principles of energy flow magic thoroughly. There were enough powerful spells engraved in his staff, if only he could find a source of energy... He kept running, but his muscles were starting to feel sore, they were trying to outrun his stamina. But then, a shard of energy magic theory popped up into his mind! He used the last bit of mana to activate the writer spell on his staff. (The writer spell enables the user to create another spell via hand gestures or speech, as opposed to physical writing) He uttered a very long sentence, after which the sharp edge of his staff started glowing faintly. Now he had to hold on a little longer... He could hear they were catching up to him, but it wasn't ready yet. To make matters worse, there was a dead end up ahead! They had driven him into a corner! He stopped and quickly turned around. The swing of this staff sent one of the rapiers, wielded by the front attacker, flying, into the bushes. Exetrius used the moment of confusion to prepare for the next attack. He spotted the archer just in time... He dodged the arrows and did a few steps backwards, onto the pile of rock debris that lay in front of a rock face. The front one got up and the archer switched to close combat. But were did the the third one go, and the fourth? Wait.. which fourth, his mind was fooling him! Yet, for an instant it felt like there was a fourth... He was finally ready to strike! One blow would be sufficient to activate his spell. He also localized the third enemy to his left, who had tried to sneak up on him from a vantage point. Just in time, a seat at the front row.. for the light show! Three.. two... one! The moment he charged, a female voice, coming from above, roared: "Brace yourself, it's coming!" The fourth was none other than Deliora Asagrim! However, the impact that followed was inescapable. Deliora "It's enough, Exetrius, don't harm 'em any further!" Exetrius "M'lady! What's the meaning of this!?" Deliora "Calm down, I'll explain." "I was just a little curious about the son of the incredibly powerful leader of Zotharith, the great Onicius. I've heard quite a lot of talk about you in the pubs, about your strenght.. your looks.. Purrrr. Anyway, I thought I should check you out myself. Therefore, I brought a few of my newest assassins in training to keep you entertained." Exetrius "Entertained?! Uhm, I mean, I knocked them out in the end, but.. By the way, how did you know the exact moment at which I cast my spell?" Deliora "I'm an expert in arcane magic flows, I can sense the energy levels and concentrations in my surroundings, naturally! Just as you can feel soul presences in your surroundings, isn't that right?" Exetrius "Uh, yes.. how..?" Deliora "Ha! Good luck with your training, just ask if you need my help! Let's head back, men. See you around, purrr.. Exetrius!" Exetrius "Uh.. bye, Miss Asagrim!" Was she being nice, or just mocking him? Ah heck, what was he thinking? She's probably older, certainly out of his league and, most of all, from a different species! He could use some help, though... To be continued.... in the next episode: Taking the Runestone Edit: Additional pictures: Hi everyone, I'm back! This was a challenging build due to all the odd angles. I had to revise it a couple of times, but I'm happy with the result. I put greater emphasis on action shots, story writing and character development this time. I hope you enjoyed, C&C always appreciated!
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Since departing from Baron Lonnidas, night had fell, and Remington wandered through the lamplit streets almost aimlessly. "You can't miss it; they say all paths in Rockwail lead there." Remington was dubious as to wether Lonnidas's statement was true, as he had been walking for several hours and the only thing he'd found that even resembled the mausoleum was a small undertaker's shop, the owner of which was convinced that Remington must try out one of his coffins. He also noted another peculiar thing about Rockwail; while there were quite a few people out and about during the day, it was nowhere near the amount of people on the streets at night. It seemed the entire city was nocturnal- even cold-blooded creatures like snake and frog people. Somebody around must have known how to get to the mausoleum, but asking for directions was more than difficult with no voice... If he could curse under his breath, he would have. Eventually, the bard came to a cross in the roads. He looked down the pathways and saw that they all seemed to diverge out into more and more roads, all expanding outwards from his point. So where was the mausoleum? Suddenly, Remington was distracted by the sounds of a struggle, and peered down the unlit path where the noise came from. Out of the darkness ran a snakeman, clutching something in his hand. Under the light of the lamp beside him, Rot could make out that it was some sort of yellow gemstone. Then another figure burst out of the shadows, wearing a leather cuirass, and a large helmet. "Stop that man! My diamond!" cried the figure. Remington shrugged. What was the worst that could happen? As the snakeman passed him, he swung his loot into his nose, knocking him down onto the ground. The other figure caught up quickly and stumbled to a stop, panting heavily. Once he regained his composure, he picked up and pocketed the gemstone, then turned to Remington. "Good sir, that was a mighty swing for a bard! I do hope your lute is undamaged." He spoke loudly and with a regal accent. Remington looked over his lute and ran his gloved fingers across it. Other than a small blood stain, it seemed to be ok. He raised his thumb to the man. "Excellent! That is good news. My name is Sir... Sir Knight... Ahem, Sir Knightington!" The bard raised an eyebrow. "Sir... Crownknight?" "Fine," he sighed, dropping the accent to reveal the ragged, hissing voice of an orc, "it's Keel. That diamond is a family heirloom. Listen; I owe you, big time. If there's anything you need, I'll do it." With a smile, Remington pulled the letter out of his pocket, wiped a droplet of blood from the snakeman's nose, and scrawled 'mausoleum' on the back of the paper. "The mausoleum? It's right there... How did you not notice it? Anyway, if you're going in there, I can help you out. It's pretty dangerous, but I've been before," Keel responded. "So... What are you waiting for? Let's go!" --- Sorry about the poor quality of some of these photos, I didn't notice until after I'd taken them. Some more pictures of the moc: I'm not as happy with this as I was with my last moc, because when I built it I was pretty low on parts from being too lazy to break down my previous builds. I'm probably going to build some more Rockwail stuff in the future, but this should be one of the last builds of the Rockwail streets for a while. The next build you can expect from me will be of the catacombs beneath the city... C&C are welcome, have a great day!
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On behalf of the Resistance in Nocturnus: Deep beneath the Rakath Mountains, hidden from those uninitiated into the Cult of Kanohau, the god of Fire and Volcanoes, lies the holy temple of Kanohau. Even most Nocturnians are unaware of its existence, or of the race that tends it, for it has but newly made contact with the dwellers of the upperlands. There, in the heart of an active volcano, the lava-born gather each summer solstice, when the sky-fire burns the longest, and offer their gifts to their powerful god. The offerings of food and wine are intended to feed the hunger of the fire-god, who could starve otherwise without the added fuel, and ensure that the flames continue to warm the people of the lava and that the rivers of lava continue to visit their towns and homes. The food and wine offered are taken from the upperlands, plunder from raids to the surface, proof of the power of the lava-born. The entrance to the temple is carved from the surrounding bedrock. The fiery face of Kanohau greets the acolyte daring enough to approach, glowing in its wall-shrine. A bridge connects another part of the cavern to the temple itself, arching over a river of molten lava pouring out of the temple. Here Magmarthan, a queen in her land to the west, beneath a newly-risen volcano, pays tribute to Kanohau, accompanied by her minions. Kanohau especially likes turkey legs and sausages, but fish and sometimes even vegetables are also acceptable tribute. And wine. Kanohau loves wine, but only the dry red varieties, like a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. White wine is for sissy deities, and beer is for horses. Queen Magmarthan is well-aware of Kanohau's preferences and has chosen an excellent vintage of CabSauv stolen from the finest vintner in Avalonia. Within the temple are three shrines. The main, central shrine is to Kanohau himself, while the other two are shrines to Gem of Eternal Fire, said by the lava-born to be the source of all fire in the world, and to Kilahau, Kanohau's semi-divine son, the first king of the lava-born, who was conceived when Kanohau laid with a river of lava. .............................................................................................................................. _______________________________________________________________ This is my entry to the second Nocturnus minichallenge. It was rather difficult to photograph as I designed it with too much enclosed space, preventing light from getting to the middle of it. However, the shrines are easy to remove to provide access to the interior space. I still find myself wishing for a better camera and better photography "studio", as the pictures hardly do it justice in my opinion, but they are the best I can do with my current budget and resources. C&C is welcome. *I have edited the post to include an affiliation; I chose the Resistance for this post because I imagine the lava-born do not like the Drow, being competition for underground space, and they reside in the western portion of Nocturnus under the Rakath Mountains. -
Lord Alric Returns to the swamps of Nocturnus to do battle in the upcoming civil war. This one is for the Resistance My entry for the challenge. Thanks for looking and happy building!
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Build for the Black Spire. In the darklands in the land of undead lies the Temple of Blood and where Angonran the greatest vampire, leader of undead and his army performs rituals with blood magic, pray for darkness and call the chaos god to protect all undead for the Black Spire victory. It's been a long time since I build something so I'm glad that I'm back and, of course I like the idea of this challenge.
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Deep in one of the many caverns of the Rakath mountains, an ancient Demon warlord has awoken. Now he prepares to venture forth into the world once more, and wreak destruction with his fearsome might and his burning magics on any who dare threaten Nocturnus! This started as a little figbarf, but then i decided to make a scene for him. I hope you enjoy! C and C appreciated.
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Across Avalonia, disagreements are traditionally solved in duels if words do not prove enough. In Mitgardia, the equivalent is usually drinking contests, and in Kaliphlin they often use the strategic board game Jeddar to settle disputes. However, in the wild lands of Nocturnus, it is not uncommon to see arguments solved the old fashioned way. No finesse, no wit, and certainly no rules are involved; in Nocturnus, they prefer to brawl. Of course, brawling is more than just a way to settle arguments nowadays. In fact, many consider it a sport (of course, many innkeepers who have to break up the brawls would argue otherwise). Drunken or otherwise, brawling is a part of Nocturnian life in many areas. In Rockwail, they do it differently. Across the sprawling city exist several buildings marked with red rings above the doors, telling those in the know that the building is home to silent brawlers. One such building is the Black Rat Inn. Silent brawlers do it differently to most- instead of stopping when the opponent submits, the fight stops and the winner is decided when someone makes a noise. Most claim to fight for pride and glory, but it does help that winning a silent brawl can yield a good deal of prize money. Red ringed buildings- usually taverns- also feel the benefits of hosting the brawls, as many customers flock to watch and bet on the fights; and, of course, drink. Two fighters stood on a raised wooden section of floor by the bar. One was a snarling red orc with tied back hair and fists wrapped in bloodied rags. He was huge by human standards (though terribly average amongst orcs), and covered in muscle. Broader than the door to the inn, his opponent wondered how he even got into the place. The red skin on his bare chest seemed to be scarred and mottled, in some places discoloured, due to a skin condition. His opponent was a heavily tattooed Kaliphlinian man of medium height with wide shoulders and toned body. Though he looked strong, he was not nearly as fearsome as the orc. His hand wraps were crisp white- they had not yet seen a fight on that day, whereas the orc was on a long winning streak. "Go on," one of the onlookers hollered, "hit him!" "Alright, silence now!" yelled the barkeep, and quickly the audience's murmuring died down until the Black Rat was silent. "Begin!" The orc moved fast despite his size, but the man had been watching his previous fights and knew to expect it. Smoothly, the underdog feinted to the left then strafed to the right, avoiding the huge, scarlet fist of his opponent, then swiftly jabbed at his stomach with his fist. The orc smirked ravenously, and the underdog knew this would not be easy. He swung again, but all his fist hit was air as the Kaliphlinian ducked under his punch. The only way to beat someone bigger than you is to be faster, this the Kaliphlinian knew, but it was proving difficult to dodge the swinging hammer arms of the orc. As he swung again, he scraped the face of his opponent, who glided towards him and landed a strike on the orc's shoulder. Without so much as a grimace, the orc shrugged off the hit and used his newfound nearness to his adversary to his advantage, forcing his arms under the human's shoulders and clamping his hands onto his head, then lifting him from the ground. The Kaliphlinian winced, but knew better than to make a noise, and drew his legs upwards, then kicked back into the orcs knees. The titan's legs buckled and he fell backwards, releasing the human from his grasp. With a slam he hit the floor, and the Kaliphlinian grinned broadly. He raised his leg above the orc's head, preparing to stomp him, but the orc grabbed hold of his foot. The man kicked back against the crushing grip, hitting the orc in the face with his own hand. With a snarl, he then fell onto the bloody-faced orc, landing elbow-first onto his heaving, scarred ribcage, which let out a dreadful crack and caused the orc to grunt in pain. "That's a noise! The challenger has won," the barkeep announced, to the roaring cheers of many amongst the crowd.
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Exetrius Saga 1: Fallen leaf 2: Message in Kyrrath 3: Equipment upgrade 4: Subjection of a legend 5: Family Dinner 6: Attack of the Hunters Episode 7: Taking the Runestone Exetrius looked down at the clouds that obscured the valley beneath him. Up here, on the barren mountain ridge, it was a quiet and sunny day and the view was absolutely breathtaking. He didn't come here at leisure, though. He was on his way to a special mana collector, on top of an isolated peak. The last time he came to this place, the air filled with snow and a howling, freezing wind. The device was installed there almost twenty years ago, by one of the wizards of Zotharith. It passively converts the power of the strong winds into arcane energy, which is then stored in the runestone. It took several years to charge this rune crystal up to its full capacity, so it holds a vast amount of power. It's protected by a magic seal, so only those that have the complementary spell have access to this source. The protection is needed because mana is a scarce commodity; vital to all users of magic, but few of them have the skills to obtain it themselves. Zotharith holds a valuable share in the market of runes and mana crystals, but most of its wizards are free to use sources like this one to replenish their mana crystals or to forge runes. That's what Exetrius did last time, on that cold winter day. However, today was different. He had been given an important job by the taskmaster this time: taking the runestone back to headquarters. He had been instructed to avoid a fracture or scattering at all costs, since that could release all the trapped energy in one huge explosion... The reason why it had to be returned was, as usual, not stated. But, since the Festival of the Ranks had been postponed for an unknown period of time due to "insufficient supplies", there was probably a shortage of arcane energy. He stood right under the peak, the easy, carefree part of his trip was over. Now it was up to Exetrius to unlock the runestone from the installation and bring it home safely, without getting blown to smithereens... To be continued.... in the next episode: Supplies arrive! Hi everyone, thanks for looking at this new episode! The build was intended to be the scene of my character introduction when I joined GoH early June last year, but I never used it as such and had to break it down soon after I built it. You can find an overview picture here, on my Flickr. Nonetheless, C&C is greatly appreciated!
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Okay this is another free build, I've made, my second actually, so I hope you all like it! Here it is: Deep in the swamplands of Nocturnus, was a treehouse built from two trees. The treehouse over looked small road used only by a few merchants who wished to shave time off their trade route. Inside were two croc warriors. Suddenly running up the road was a third croc warrior. He ran over to the tree house and scrambled up the ladder. “What is it?” Demanded the leader of the croc warriors. “A merchant wagon is coming! Two guards! They’ll be here ANY minute!” “Finally! Get to your posts!” barked the leader. The other two warriors scrambled down the ladder and concealed themselves in the swamp. The crocs watched silently as the wagon came nearer. Just as it passed the tree house the leader croc dropped a log held by who chains, it swung through the hole in the tree house floor and slammed into the wagon knocking it and the guard walking next to it into the swamp. The crocs in the swamp leapt out and attacked! The leader scrambled down the ladder and attacked the last guard, quickly killing him. Soon all the merchants were dead, and the crocs set about looting the half submerged wagon. Okay that's it hope you all liked it! Please feel free to leave any compliments and/or criticism.
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A wretched hive of scum and villainy. A more apt description of Port Wrath had yet to be uttered, at least if you weren't Orcish. The Orc quarter was particularly wretched. Dark figures came and went, and in a land such as Nocturnus, where lawlessness was the norm, not the exception, these figures represented the most reprehensible outlaws. The orcs simply didn't care. If you wanted to shift body parts, or deal with the Drow then this was the place. Even the Black Spire stayed away. For the most part. The docks planted their feet in a sea of blood, the water cursed in ancient times. In these waters lurked horrors unspeakable. A ratman from Skavenport padded softly towards an orc and a gorilla tracker making an illicit deal in the Alley of Chains. An orc chieftain strides towards the tavern next to his storehouse; the Flayed Avalonian. Inside the tavern, a wolf and a witch converse. Mhyrra: "The skull firsssst pup. The staff comes after." The wolf swallowed. It wasn't often that he felt nervous. The past months had involved preparing for this moment. Hunting a rarity. Claiming the kill. Not an easy task. The staff was formerly owned by the eminent, but now dead, Necromancer of Shadowmere, Krell. The skull had to be worth it. He spoke, the soft menacing growl gliding across the table: "Fenrir Bloodcloak keeps his word. The skull is yours." He placed the grinning skull on the table. "Is the staff mine?" Mhyrra hissed, fingers stretching out. "Aye, the staff is yours." Her fingers brushed the jawline of the skull. "At last, My Lord." Her head rose; "Fenrir, you are forever an ally of the Symbeline Coven. I never thought I would hold his skull in my hand. But your hunt has given me the skull of Vladivus, Lord of Shadowmere." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A freebuild to further my story. Hope you enjoy the story! C+C welcome!
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After reaching Nocturnus, Tauro and Bregir have split up. Whilst Tauro has continued to Shadowmere, Bregir heads towards other members of the Nocturnian Resistance. Tauro has found Shadowmere in a sorry state of affairs. Recent events have taken their toll, and the citadel is no longer quite as whole as it once was. Nevertheless, the Lady Sithanna rules in Vladivus' absence and it is to her that the Trifork's message is delivered. She receives Tauro in her personal chambers, the Minotaur an unusual acquaintance for the vampire Lady. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finally got around to replying to Bregir's build! I tried a new technique for myself, offsetting the walls by a half-stud. The colour scheme is largely inspired by one of Jorrith's Shadowmere builds, so credit there! C+C welcome!
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Gal-Turok and Nidhak have come to the Silent Grove seeking an alliance with the Silent Sisters, a clan of bio, terra and hydromancers known for thier ability to cast spells without speaking. They have arrived for a meeting with Nysa and Sorene, twin sisters with the mastery over plant life. As Gal-turok exits the boat, he admires the lush plant life and thinks to himself that today is a good day. Wasting no more time, he sees that Nysa is already upon the balcony of their home, while Sorene is quickly approaching... "If they are as powerful as they are beautiful, we may just win this thing..." Gal-Turok chuckled.. Another build for the collab, and probably my last swamp build for a while. The building, despite the materials, is actually very sturdy and simple on the inside..guess I should've added an interior. Anyway as always comments/feedback is appreciated!! Thanks for look!!
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Fenrir had travelled for days from Port Wrath to reach this point. What he was about to do could easily see him killed. He laughed to himself under his breath. A smallholding in the Trifork. A peaceful place. Not the warriors death he would hope for. The soldiers at the house had directed him behind the house. After he had laid down his arms whilst he was several hundred metres away. The staff he kept; "You would not deny an old wolf his staff to lean upon?" he had called. Behind the house, he had found Beorthan, Mayor of the Trifork hard at work planning battles in a small clearing. Beorthan: "You are a traitor Fenrir. I am sure Shadowmere would pay greatly for your head. No doubt your betrayal lead to Vladivus' death. Submit to me, and I promise I will see you to Shadowmere to stand trial." Fenrir's nostrils flared: "A welcome no frostier than I expected. I have not come to surrender, but to rather ask your aid." Beorthan: "Aid? you shall have none from me." Fenrir spoke then at length, imparting many secrets to the Mayor, and outlining his plan. Beorthan was almost swayed, but he knew his people must come first. Beorthan: "The Trifork has an alliance now with Shadowmere, and even as we speak, my friends are confirming that alliance once again. If I support you, I would be breaking my word to Shadowmere. My people would not be forgiving- they look to me to lead them in a time of peril." Fenrir: "Rarrrgh, I should've known better than to seek aid from you damnable tight wearers." He turned to stride away. Beorthan: "Fenrir! Wait! I did not say I would not aid you. Whilst I cannot give you the men you ask for, I can suggest that you seek out Alric of Dronds Feelds. He may be willing to ally with you." With this new plan, Fenrir travelled to Dronds Feelds. The wolf found Alric at the town of Tonfeld [roughly translated, this mean walled field in Saxon]. Tonfeld was a heavily fortified town in the south of Dronds Feelds, but inside the walls, it was a bustling hub of activity. Fenrir entered through the main gates, and was met by Alric. "Greetings, wolf! What does a Nocturnian want with an Avalonian? It is not often that we entertain traitors!" Fenrir growled at this. "I am no traitor! I fight for the one true ruler of Nocturnus. Let us speak more of this in private." With that, they moved to a tower top, away from the ears of spies. Fenrir's words spoke to the young warrior, and Alric readily agreed to lend Fenrir soldiers for his cause- providing that Shadowmere would count itself an ally of Dronds Feelds and would continue it's current alliance with the Trifork. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What's going on!?! I can barely follow myself and I know all the secrets Fenrir knows! Keep a look out for the final build to wrap this story up! C+C welcome!
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When the Algus beset their home, the Rats of Skavenport faced the menace like they always face black magic; with their engineering and a good portion of insanity. The war wagon rumbled and clattered down the hill, its heavy weight pressing the wheels into the ground. And with formidable speed the whole construct crashed into the enemy. The rats handling the bellows clung to the rope and pulled. And the dragon shaped potbelly stove did his work. I'm glad I could finish my entry in time. Instead of the Algus, idleness and inappetence where my true enemy. So I had the Incinerator lying around for a good month before I eventually started the diorama. But I hope it was worthwhile and you enjoy it. Thanks for having a look!
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Send in the Pies! The Algus are spreading into Nocturnus. At the first snowfall one Orc baker begins mixing a strange cauldron. By the time the Algus got close enough, it was time to Send in the PIE! My final Frozen Beyond Entry! C&C Welcome! For a Closer look check out both models on mecabricks.
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Pitfall Immobilization In the infernal abyss the Algus are still a rare sight, but they sometimes fall from the sky. Certain people are throwing them into the abyssal pits from the surface. "So, according to my calculations, when the lava is this hot, the pit is that deep and the cooling capacity per hourglass reversal of the Algus creature is like this..." *pushes the Algus over the edge* "... it will exactly dive with it's head into the lava!" "Sir, we have confirmation from down below! The creature is immobilized with it's head into solidified rock." "Excellent, I think they can handle it from here!" So, my this is my first challenge entry for the Frozen Beyond contest and also my first lava-themed build. The photography did not really turn out as good as I want it to be for the overview, in real life the lava has a nicer glow to it, but anyway, it was fun. I do intend on doing another build for the contest today, I hope I can manage that! As usual, C&C very appreciated!
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In the GOH timeline, these events happened mere hours after the events in Nestlands Clans Embassy in Nocturnus: Lord Vladivus' Visit, part 1. -------------------------------------------------- Ambassador Bloodmane: It took quite some work to clear the blood fountain of what the Drow had done to it. I'm told it is one of Danag's original fountains. Lord Vladivus: Is that what I think it is? Ambassador Bloodmane: Aye, but I must caution you with its use. Once summoned it will only do your bidding once, and then it will escape back to its own realm. This war of yours will be a hard one, and you will incur some losses. You should keep this in reserve until your need is greatest. Lord Vladivus: I will keep that in mind. This has been a pleasant and fruitful trip, but Shadowmere and the war beckon. Ambassador Bloodmane: Well then, I'll have my people carry these to your zombies. Lord Vladivus: Kasalia, I will be leaving now. Librarian Kasalia mutters an unintelligible reply without even looking up from the scroll she is examining. Lord Vladivus shrugs. Lord Vladivus: Take care of her. Ambassador Bloodmane: She'll be safe here. ----------------------------------------------------------- Upstairs in the study area before the Nestlands Embassy Grand Library: Twali: Mistress, do we stay? Librarian Kasalia: We stay. You guard. She gives a sidelong glance at the Avalonian mage to her left, sniffing the air to get a sense of his power. Nolan Baar, a minor mage from central Avalonia, is here to study the raising of phantasms and specters. His aim is to use these to patrol the remaining Drow tunnels in Avalonia. Nolan Baar: Such bounty in this place. Food and knowledge. Nolan needs to be a bit more careful, as his sword is about to knock over the game board. It is an odd conquest game that Nolan hopes the Ambassador will teach him. Kasalia has pulled Nolan's trencher over to hold the scroll she is reading. The scroll details the construction of the first temple to the Armored Eagle Goddess, built by the Sky Elves. ------------------------------------------------------------- Above the study area are the symbols of Ambassador Bloodmane's faith, a statue of the humanoid version of the Armored Eagle Goddess and a representation of the Staff of Winged Grace. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Here's a shot of the build sans character figs and loose items. More detail shots can be found in this Flickr album. ---------------------------------------------------- CCC -
The Aestwäld Saga (1) The Aestwäld Saga (2) The Aestwäld Saga (3a) The Aestwäld Saga (3b) The Aestwäld Saga (4) The Aestwäld Saga (5) The Aestwäld Saga (6) The Aestwäld Saga (7) The Aestwäld Saga (8) The Aestwäld Saga (9) The Aestwäld Saga (10) The Aestwäld Saga (11) The Aestwäld Saga (12) The Wolf and the Knights ------------------------------- Alric looked up from the fight. He, together with his Avalonian Guard, had stormed the gates Midras Castle and, after a long and bloody fight, managed to breach them. Now they were in the courtyard, the Drow-soldiers in front of him fought for every inch. The cobblestones were soaked in blood. Above him, Cath had led the Drond's Troops into a close space combat on top of the walls, and, seemingly miraclous, they even managed to slay the enemy back! Almost the whole wall of the formerly Avalonian Border Fort was freed, and she had even managed to put the Drond's flag back. Suddenly, a female voice cried out: "Alric! I'm here! Alric looked up, and finally, after so many weeks, his eyes met again with the eyes of his wife. -"Elysabet! I'll come get you!" But, while conversating with his lover, he wasn't paying attention to the battlefield around him. A long-handled axe came down. ----------------------------- The general looked up from the fight. Yes, they were winning, but he feared the cost of victory. And he was not thinking about money. His trained eye glided over the courtyard. The close space in worked in their favor, since they had less men then the enemy did. The left flank was weak though, so he decided to sent some reserves there. Their centre was the their strongest point, and it was there that Lord Alric led the elite Avalonian Guards in a charge to reach the other side of the yard. He sighed. Young Alric shouldn't do such things. He could get himself wounded. Yesterday, the general had heard of a girl breaking both legs in a duel, and this was not a duel, this was a battlefield! Then he saw his liege... And he saw the ax coming down, knowing it would take too long to get his sword out... So he jumped. ---------------------------- Alric heard the sound of falling metal behind him. He lifted his sword hand in a desperate parade, but in his heart he knew he would be too late. The he heard the sound of metal crashing on metal, followed by human screams. When he turned, he saw the General lying on the ground, an axe stuck in his head. A cold anger welled up, and with a short thrust of his blade, he finished the enemy soldier responsible for this. Suddenly, the voice of his wife sounded again: "Alric! Be quick! They're here! They'll take me with them! Help!" A second shadow appeared before the window. ----------------------------- After calling a last time to her husband, Elysabeth gave in to the Drow-soldier wanting to take her with him. If only her hands were not bound in chains, she would have rammed his own spear through his throath! She turned for a last glance on her man, but heard a strange, rattling sound behind her. When she turned again, the guard was dead. In his place, a wolf-knight and some undead-soldiers stood in the room. She screamed, and in response on her scream, the wolf-man howled out loud. ---------------------------- When Alric heard the scream of his wife, his blood turned ice-cold in his veins. If they had even touched her, he would stuff their guts through their own throaths! He didn't want to think of what to do when they had raped her. But then he heard the howling of the wolf, his strange ally, and smiled. Their plan had worked! With refreshed energy, he charged into the enemy, followed by his soldiers who didn't want to seem less in the eyes of their commander. The Drow, unable to stand their charge, the fighting on the walls and the third attack from the Wolf at the same time, turned. First it was one man, then two, and suddenly their morale collapsed and the whole garrison fled the field of battle. While his soldiers turned the battle into a slaughter, Alric went to meet his wife. They umbraced each other, and after Alric had made sure his wife was fine (wich was so, aside from a few bruises and scratches), they went to the walls, to congratulate Cath with her succeeded attack and get a look at the fleeing Drow. Outside the castle, these were slowly regrouping... When a horn sounded. Alric smiled again, this was becoming a very fine day indeed, and watched how Beorthan's heavy cavalry finished all Drow but a few. These were lucky to be able to swim, and as such got iver the river, out of the horses reach. ------------------------------ But their victory had been costly in lives, as the general had forseen. His own live was on the butcher's bill too, so someone was needed to replace him. Alric choose Burrich, a veteran who had fought under his father and even seen Artorious Rex! But Burrich had been Captain of the Drond's Guards, so he needed to replace that position too... And it was not gone by unnoticed that the woman, Catharina or Cath as she wanted to be called, had fought very well today, even managed to win the fight on the walls, and had so received the respect of the soldiers. ------------------------------ An hour later, all commanders were gathered in the main building of the castle. Alric opened: "My Lords, my ladies,... My friends. We have won a great victory today, and Drond's Feelds will always be in your debt. But the enemy is not yet defeated, and noone sazw their leader today. At the same time tough, we have other matters at hand. As such, I decide to split up in three: Cath, you will take some infantry and a contignent of the Avalonian Guard to pursue this foe. Burrich, you will escort my lady home, and make sure she is safe. Fenrir, I'll come with you to Shadowmere. Beorthan, what are your plans?" "And for now... Leave me alone with my love. We have something to do..." --------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm sooooo sorry you had to read through all this, but I enjoyed the writing As you can probably see, this build is based in Simon S's builds, and also a bit on SK's. Anyway, CC is very appreciated! Additional images:
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Previous Chapter: The Kelra --- Next Chapter: Dubbed Captain (Warning, this chapter is long) Aeldric tread carefully and silently through the dark labyrinth. The thought that almost any of your nightmares existed in there lingered quite long in his mind. He took a gulp at each corner, dreading what may be beyond. He crept up to his hundredth corner, and peeked to the hallway. He saw a large figure. A large set of silver armor, with a blue mist emanating from inside it walked slowly with a huge sword dragging on the ground. He stepped on a small twig which snapped, and the armor turned towards Aeldric with a fury. Aeldric had no other choice but to assault it. He ran with the fury of a Minotaur. The possessed armor raised the huge sword with a single arm, which took Aeldric by surprise, and he nearly backed down, but with the resolve of a ranger, he kept on his fury. The armor ran back at him. Aeldric was nearly run over, but he jumped to the wall, and bounced off behind the armor. The suit turned around instantly, and began a heavy swing towards Aeldric. But the armor was not fast enough, for Aeldric had knocked the armor's helmet off with his sword. The helmet dropped to the ground and shattered, and the spirit possessing the armor fled from the suit. Now, to get out of the Kelra. [Later, after exiting the Kelra, and entering Nocturnus, Aeldric enters the large fortress of Axtrous the night lord...] Aeldric stepped forth, upon the grand rug which led to Axtrous' coffin throne. Two orc guards stood by, completely ignoring Aeldric. "I call upon the Night lord." Aeldric said, with a strange confidence. He jumped as the lid to the coffin jerked open as fast as lightning. "What brings you here, Aeldric son of Kaedric?" Axtrous said, with a dark, impending voice. He stood up out of his coffin. "I have come to avenge Aurthal and my family." Aeldric said. "Then let us fight like real men." Axtrous said. Aeldric threw his sword to the side, and rushed towards the vampire. As soon as Aeldric came close enough, Axtrous grabbed him by the neck and leg, and flipped him over himself and into his coffin. Aeldric then stumbled out of the sarcophagus and began a second rush at Axtrous. When he reached Axtrous, Aeldric only relieved a powerful punch to the chest, which sent him flying, and hitting the coffin. After he hit the coffin, Axtrous slowly approached. A black spear formed in his hand, and he prepared to sheath it in Aeldric's corpse. Aeldric quickly grabbed his sword by his side, stood up, and jabbed it up Axtrous' throat. He choked, as blood began to leak out of his skin pores. Aeldric shoved the sword further in, and the head came off, stuck to the blade. He reveled in his victory, and the two orcs fled out the fortress. Aeldric had left a nice present for Lord Raavage to find. ----- Ok guys, sorry about the poor quality of the second build. I really just didn't know what to put in a large throne room. Plus the freebuild is mainly focused on the Kelra. C & C Welcome! P.S. I would have put tiles down, if i had had enough.
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Previous Chapter: Voraal leaves Avalonia --- Next Chapter: The Kelra And thus Aeldric was off to Nocturnus, to avenge not only Aurthal, but his family as well. He crossed many ruins of times' past. He wondered what structures many of them served as. He passed a few dead looking vines that seemed to reach out towards him. He looked far off into the distance, and saw the ominous and towering Rakath Mountains. He knew he would have to pass through the Kelra Labyrinths to get to Axtrous' dwelling, but he had confidence. --- So guys, i'm not sure how i should present Aeldric's journey through the Labyrinth, perhaps some of you Nocties could give me some insight. Anyways, C&C are welcome.
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Previously Preparing for Trouble Visiting Allies Into Nocturnus Entrance of Boneville Mage has finally completed his journey and reached the Nocturnian village of Boneville.In the town square he meets the Shadowmere ambassador and discusses the possibility of an alliance between Shadowmere and Araluen. The town square: The monument in the center of the village depicts a scene from ancient times where an unnamed skeleton hero defeated the evil wizard that ruled this land and later founded the village of Bonevile, which was named in his honor. The town square houses a bustling marketplace full of shops, including this Used weapons shop shown below. A guard watches from the walkway I would like to claim the following UoP/DoH credits: Landscape design- studs up rocks and cliffs Anthropology- life in Nocturnus C & c appreciated.
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"Damn ol' man! This was the last time!" Cedryc the Innkeeper came running out of the Leaking Barrel. "Where me coin? I've got enough dopey boozers here, I don't need a bilking wizard!" The old man mumbled an unintelligible song and tottered along the path. "I swear it to you, Perry, Coin now, or that door will remain closed for ya." The wizard stopped his waving walk immediately, pricked up ears and eventually turned around:" Cedryc? Is that you? Ah...my old ears. I thought I heard someone. What can I do for you?" "Don't take me for a fool- You heard me. Just foot the bill." Peregryn Ratchett, the purple wizard straightened up, trying to pose with great dignity, and said:" You are in luck today, Mister Barliman. For I am a wizard, and not one of those smirking charlatans, who try to confuse the more simple men with their conjuring tricks. Nor I be one of those who speak with somber voice, moaning and talking of dark things to come, only to frighten the good rural men. I am a real wizard, and real wizardry is my craft. So speak, how can I serve you?" "Oh no! Not again! I know your wizardry. What's with that 'enchanted frying pan` you gave me last time? You transfigured my daughters cat. Every time I put it on the fire it starts screaming miserably. And I cannot lay a fish in it without it vanishing." "Meeeoow", the frying pan made a purring sound in Cedry's hand. "It takes great knowledge to cast such a spell. You should be aware of my skills. Once kings asked for my advice and many a noble lord beseeched me to grant him a glimpse into his fortune." "Ha! Fortune! say you what: If you really can let me have a look into future, then I forget about the bill." Perry made a meaningful expression:"So be it. But you shall be warned! Even a small glance into a man's future could drive him mad. Neither do I have the possibility to destine the time and place of the vision, nor can I influence what you will see. Now we need something...a looking glass, ah, the kitten will do. Hold up the pan." The purple wizard held his hand upon the frying pan, mumbling spells in a obscure deep voice, his eyes closed. Suddenly the bottom of the pan seemed to dissolve, and a sallow green light shimmered through. Then the vision came: "Meeow!" The frying pan flew away and hit on the ground, now being the kitten again. "What? Where? Why??..What?" Cedryc, the poor Innkeeper cowered on the ground, still starring into the pictures, which now were burned into his mind. "Hm...That was not right. The effect was by far too strong. My poor Cedryc, I am afraight these things were not destined for your eyes. I warned you that I have now influence on it." Perry felt very sober now. He sank into deep thoughts about what he had seen:" Great things are about to come. War is coming to these lands again. The Black Spire's forces are on the rise. And the fate of the East, and maybe of all of Historica now depend on very few who are still bolt enough to challenge Lord Raavage. I must hurry. It seems that I have a part to play again in the greater story." "What are you talking about?? What did you do to my eyes? Just get out of my head!" "I feel somewhat guilty for your current condition, though I did warn you. Maybe I can effect some other magic to help you out? But hurry, I' am busy now. I have to care about greater things than an Innkeepers daily worries." "Leave, just leave for king's sake! Forget about the bill- just go! What insanity to open a tavern in the bloody Darklands! I'll go back to Albion!" Cedryc ripped of the door and stumbled inside. "You are right, my dear friend. There is no time to waste. I must go now. Hopefully it is't too late." So this is my first contributin for our collaboration about the Nocturnus resistance. I hope you will like Perry Ratchett, the purple wizard. He will have a lot of screen time in future stories. I'm not so happy with the pictures of the vision. Originally I had something more nebulous in mind, but I wanted to finally post the story. Enjoy!
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The City of Skavenport was one of the strangest cities in Nocturnus, where indeed many a strange town existed. Maybe it was even one of the most peculiar cities in all of Historica. But at the first glance a visitor could find no difference to any other bustling town. There were half timbered houses, large and small, built without any sign of logic; older houses with crooked roofs and sagged walls, newer houses attached to the others whereever a free corner could be found. Houses lined to long winding alleys. Some of the larger streets were paved, or once had been at least, but most were muddy and rough. Everywhere the reisdents were busy, hushing through the streets, children were playing, and barkers could be heared. All in all it was a loud place full of life and hustle. But this most special town was inhabited by rats. Not only rats, but rats and men together, side by side. Because this was the city of Osric Isentooth, the Rat Lord. Long ago, when the rats, were driven out of their realm far in the northern Rakath Mountains, Osric led them all through Nocturnus to the eastern shore. But the rats had been weakened and were disheartened. So Osric called for people all over Historica to follow him and join his cause. So the men of Skavenport had come. They were neither lords nor noble knights, not even brave farmers or diligent craftsmen. These men had been thieves and robbers, smugglers and all sort of sinister fellows. That kind of people decent citizen would call rats. And said:"You may live like vermin under your kind, or you live free and proud under us rats." So vagabonds turned into most respectable citizens. They became farmers and craftsmen and merchants. Thieves, who had never known other than loneliness, became the fathers of families. And the rats on the other hand adapted much of the manners of their new neighbours. Where they once had lived in caverns and dug tunnels they now inhabited tall houses and walked other broad streets. They learned to esteem precious fabric and to trade with all kinds of goods (a new and very strong domain of the rat people). They learned how to grow crops and even how to tame the sea. Some travelled far away aboard black sailed ships and returned with spices from isles as far in the south as any mariner ever dared to sail. And the rats and the men lived henceforth in union, and nothing ever would divide them. So, finally I can present you the first build of my city! Enjoy Skavenport!
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Exetrius Saga Episode 1: Fallen leaf Exetrius was on his way to deliver a message from the organization he worked for to a client in Kyrrath. Why did they send out a mage for a job like this, he was wondering. As far as he knew, the route to the City of Purple was quite peaceful, for Nocturnian standards anyway... Maybe it had to do something with the client? The only thing he had gotten - as usual for this type of tasks - was the address and a rough description how to get there. Oh well, it didn't really bother him! This task gave him time to relax and an excuse to wander through colourful autumnal forests. It made him cheerful. He slowed down and stood still for a moment. There was a small trail of flattened stones deviating from the unpaved road. Looking through the trees, Exetrius could make out a rock face in the distance, in the direction where the path seemed to go. He figured it was time for a break, maybe there was a vantage point out there. A few minutes later, he saw a small cavern appear. As he came closer, he noticed something very peculiar: it was a cavernous grave... A faint beam of sun light fell on the grave, through a hole in the ceiling. Exetrius kneeled for the grave. In the stone, a text was carved. It read: Here rests Rambar Armafur ~ The man who came from Far Arms of steel, heart of gold Embracing the eternal silence ~ where he tranquility sought. He felt a certain sadness. This man was probably a lonely stranger, coming from far, no trace of family or friends on the stone... poor guy. Whatever the circumstances were, this man was a good person. He seemed to come to this place to find peace. Exetrius took a look around. Maybe he wanted to be burried here so he could share it with others? The thought delighted him. Exetrius paid his respects to the grave, turned around and slowly but steadily continued his journey. Read on, in the next episode: Message in Kyrrath Hi all, after a (too) long break, I'm back with a build! I wanted to make something autumn-themed, both in the literal and the figurative sense. I hope you like it, C&C always appreciated!
