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The Glittering Caverns The Carnites keep a tight reign on their plans and discoveries on El Oleonda, however, recently some careless troops let a supposed discovery slip while drinking in a local pub in one of the fledging settlements. As the story goes, two scouts were on the hunt for a escaped Loti prisoner and got lost in the think jungle. Cave 1 by LM71Blackbird, on Flickr In the wandering, they stumbled upon a cave and decided to take refuge for a short time before attempting to regain their bearings. Cave 2 by LM71Blackbird, on Flickr As one solider lit his torch and climbed through the very narrow opening, he was surprised to find that his torch light was greatly magnified by all sorts of gemstone imbedded into the rock! The Carnite soliders had heard rumors of caves like this, but never in their wildest dreams would they have thought to see one in brick! Cave 3 by LM71Blackbird, on Flickr All they knew is that their superiors would be most pleased with such a discovery! -------------------------------------- My entry for category B. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted to do with this entry, but I'm quite pleased with the end result. I'm not fully satisfied with how I ended up attaching the stones as it looks a little wonky, but overall it was a fun little scene to build so I'll give it a pass. C&C are welcome a appreciated! -
Somewhere in the jungle, March 620, El Oleonda Heading towards these ruins was almost a shot in the dark. During one of the first explorations of the interior, following a little river with no name (by the way, River Rimbaud sounded quite well), Tristan and his men found something quite surprising: a complex system of little canals, clogged by vegetation but still functioning, that brought water towards the inland. That luxuriant jungle, somewhere in time, must have taken over fields and gardens, swallowing any trace of an advanced civilization: no known tribe of the archipelago, not even the Myzec of Cascadia, could have built something similar. The canals, now feeding only bushes and undergrowth, were by sure a sophisticated artefact: they were built with bricks and stones, and their slope had probably been carefully calculated… proof of that, they were still functioning despite the abandonment. Even though that discovery was completely unexpected, Tristan was more interested in something different: far inside the jungle, above the treetops, there was a wisp of smoke… the only trace of human presence they could find. With no other clue, Tristan and his men moved in that direction, following the remains of a paved road… another strange thing to find in the New World, but that made the men save a lot of time and fatigue. Now they were almost there. The scouts had told Tristan that the bivouac was only fifty meters onward, among some ancient ruins, but he couldn't see anything yet… damned jungle! Tristan's only hope was that the men in front of them were Carnite and not Lotii: the orders he had received included exploring the island and trying to discover what the two nations were fighting for, something by far easier if you can understand a word of what the others say. Tristan murmured a short prayer to Poseidon and moved forward… he was going to do something very, very stupid. "You are entering a military site of the Empire of Carno! Don't make a step forward or we'll open fire!" Bingo! They weren't Lotii and they didn't shoot on sight… it was already something. Tristan stopped, trying to appear as calm and relaxed as possible. Entering from the front door was by sure the best way to get quickly a lot of information, but it was also quite risky... now he had to play his cards well if he didn't want a bullet from a nervous Carnite sentinel. "I am Tristan Rimbaud, Regiment General of the Oleander army." -He replied in an acceptable Carnite- "You have at least two good reasons to lower your guns and let me pass. The first, and the best one, is that I come in peace: I don't have any hostility against you. The second one is that I ordered my men to take position in the bushes right behind me... touch the trigger, and you'll receive enough bullets to turn that ruins into a lead mine." Tristan knew very well the rule of thumb of diplomacy: raising a white flag can be a good start a negotiate, but it works by far better if the counterpart knows that you have twice his guns. A moment of tense silence followed, immediately covered by the deafening rumors of the jungle: the chatter of parrots, the rustling of leaves, the sounds of the little streams of water... and the buzzing of bugs, that disgusting horde of tiny vampires. Three more Carnite soldiers emerged from the bushes. They were in a good position, but Tristan was almost sure that his man would have taken them down before they could shoot, if things had gone in the wrong way. "Calm down, Gustav! They are clearly not Lotii cutthroats!" Tristan had barely noticed that man before… a civilian, unarmed, who now seemed to be the leader of the Carnite garrison. "And welcome, Herr Rimbaud, on behalf of myself and of the inhabitants of this place, dust since centuries. I am Hans Schneider, archaeologist, and this is Gustav Weber, head of my guards… forgive him, but we all are a little on edge, given the situation! By the way, aren't you Oleanders a little far from home?" Tristan, relieved, walked into what seemed an ancient city, similar to several ones scattered in the archipelago… also in this case, everything seemed abandoned for decades. "Nice to meet you, Monsieur Schneider" replied Tristan. "You are right, we are quite far from home! The war between your nation and the Lotii has raised some anxiety in our colonial authorities… and has also raised a lot of questions. This island is quite large and rich, but it's not the only one in the archipelago. Why the hell didn't the Lotii colonize another of the large islands? What do they think it's worth dying for?" Tristan didn't really expect an answer: if there actually was something precious enough to start a war, the Carnites wouldn't have revealed it so simply. The archaeologist, however, surprised him again. "Well, Herr Rimbaud, I can be completely frank about that: my nation is here for what always makes the empires move: lands, gold, commercial routes, valuable crops… we were a little late in the run towards East, but now we have our piece of land under the sun. For the Lotii, however, the situation is different: they arrived on El Oleonda without any warning, and they attacked our forces on the Eastern tip of the island. The incredible thing, however, is that probably they don't care at all about conquering the island… they are looking for something." "And... do you know what are looking for?" "I'll tell you a story, Herr Rimbaud. I don't know if it's true or not, but it's all I know. A story that began thirty years ago, in the Lotus Kingdom. You know that after the discovery of the first islands in the Sea of Storms, half a century ago, voices of rich lands East of Terraversa started to spread… rumors about paradise-like islands, possibly even continents, where spices grew everywhere, and gold could be found below any single rock. So, after a lot of hesitation, the Emperor decided to roll the dices and send his ships to the North: also the Lotii had their Armond Basker and their three caravels, actually a fleet of twenty ships and almost two thousand mariners. They left the capital, cheered by the population, and nobody has ever seen them again: two thousand men swallowed by the sea, the whole fleet destroyed… and a considerable amount of gold, silver, and precious gifts for the sovereigns of the mysterious new continent lost with them. It was a real disaster, and somebody says that the old emperor was killed by the sorrow. Here ends what we know for sure, but a few years ago a new trace was discovered by some Lotii fishermen…" "How was it possible? What did they find after so much time?" "A man… even if I'm not sure he still could be defined so. They found him on a little atoll, where apparently he had lived alone for decades. He was completely mad, and could barely mutter a few words. However, before losing his mind, he had carved his memories on a piece of wood. I had a chance to read a copy of it, after our fleet captured a Lotii junk, and I can assure you that I didn't sleep for days. The only reason why that poor soul didn't commit suicide was that he knew something vital for the Kingdom, something he wrote down when he was still sane: the fleet was destroyed by a storm, as everybody supposed, but several ships survived and were stranded on a large island. The admiral decided to try the return voyage with the only ship that could still set sail, promising to the survivors that he would have returned with help. He left on the island hundreds of men, all the treasures and, even more importantly, most of the maps he had drawn up to that moment… maps of this archipelago, and of all the other lands which could exist between the Lowers and the Lotus Empire." "But he wasn't lucky enough." Concluded Tristan. "Indeed. The ship sank, and the only survivor was driven mad by the sun and the loneliness. But his sketches seem to show that the ships were stranded on El Oleonda, and so the Lotii are here. For the treasure of the lost fleet and those old maps, even if I don't know whether the streams of gold and pearls or the blessed lands described did ever exist outside the mind of that unfortunate sailor…" "And so the Lotii are here for some maps that could even not exist at all and for treasures lost decades ago, possibly on this island?" "Exactly. They are convinced that their predecessors may have hidden their gold before hunger, diseases, attacks of the natives or time took them all. Maybe in these very ruins, or in some abandoned temple in the forest, who knows. In that case, it will probably decorate forever the homes of scorpions, spiders, and bats." "And you? Are you hunting the Lotii gold too?" Asked Tristan. "I thought you considered the treasure lost forever, but still you are digging among these ruins..." "We are archaeologists, not treasure hunters!" Replied Herr Schneider, apparently a little offended. "We were studying these ancient ruins, abandoned at least a century ago by a mysterious civilization… but now we are trapped in a damned war theatre!" The archaeologist continued: "I don't know if the treasure exists, or if the survivors decided to throw it in the sea when they realized that nobody would have ever come. What I know for sure is that only their maps and documents, if they still exist, could reveal to us the complete story of the unfortunate expedition and the lands they visited. More probably, however, they will remain forever in some forgotten temple, no matter how much the Lotii will search." An overall view: Without colour adjustment This is my entry for cat B. It required a lot of text, pictures, and time, and I hope you like it. As usual, C&C are welcome. PS Everything I depicted is part of the build: the treasures and the skeleton are in little niches in the two buildings -
Somewhere in the jungle, April 620, El Oleonda The Carnites didn't tell them all the truth, that was clear. Probably the archaeologists were actually studying the ancient ruins, but this was only a part of the story: their report on the Lotii expedition was surely too detailed for someone who considered the treasure a little more than a legend, and they said too many times that it was impossible to find. However, those idiots had neglected the most obvious thing to do: ask the ones who could know something... but the people of Carno were new to the New World, and considering the savages as something more than a part of the local fauna hadn't probably even come to their minds! Finding a Tyree'De on such a large island wasn't so easy but, once again, the remains of the ancient civilization helped Tristan and his men: if the ancient inhabitants of El Oleonda had built their cities in the best locations, probably the Tyree'De had chosen the same places for their villages… and the Oleander expedition had literally a comfortable road to reach them! After a couple of unsuccessful attempts, therefore, they found what they were looking for: a place where the inhabitants weren't only snakes and scorpions. What Tristan and his men found surprised everyone: probably the Carnites wouldn't have even noticed that, but the "natives" themselves were a clear answer to the mystery of the lost expedition. Most of the Tyree'De had the same somatic tracts of the indigenous people of archipelago, this was true, but others were clearly born in a different part of the World; moreover, their straw hats and the peculiar rice fields, similar to the ones seen in Mooreton Bay, were definitely something unusual among the native tribes. Tristan asked to meet the leader of the little community. Fortunately, the Tyree'De language was quite similar to the one of Astrapi natives, so communicating with them wasn't too difficult. He was brought into a ruined stone building, another trace of the ancient inhabitants; inside, the Tyree'De had built a little wooden hut. The old man waiting for them, despite all the amulets and the paintings on his body, was clearly a Lotii. All the pieces of the puzzle were now in the right position: the mysterious motherland of the Tyree'De, located "southwards"; their interest for tools and weapons, the things that they couldn't repair or replace without a smith and a real forge; their riches, probably a part of the fabled Lotii treasure. Against all the odds, some of the Lotii sailors had survived: the old man, once the helmsman of the junk Nan Feng, confirmed Tristan's reconstruction. When it became clear that no help would have come from the motherland, the survivors realized that remaining in the camp meant certain death: the supplies were running low, and so many people couldn't survive by hunting in a little area. Therefore, they formed small groups, split the treasure, and went in different directions. Some of these small bands were unlucky, and all the men were killed by hunger, diseases, or in fights for the scarce food remaining. Others built rafts or small junks, and were never seen again. Most of the surviving Lotii, however, peacefully lived their lives with the natives, becoming the Tyree'De ("new tribe", in the language of the natives). The newcomers repaired some of the ancient canals and taught the natives the art of rice farming… hard work, but also a source of food by far more abundant and reliable than hunting and gathering. Many married local women and had children with them: most of the living Tyree'De knew the Kingdom of the Lotus only from the tales of their fathers, and some of them already considered it a sort of myth. When El Oleonda was "discovered" by Lotii and Carnites, the survivors of the old expedition had already lived there for almost thirty years… they had settled on the smaller islands of the New Haven Sea, grown their crops, and formed their families. In the motherland there was nothing left for them: everyone considered them dead, and they had been forgotten. So, the old Lotii decided to remain forever the Tyree'De, the mysterious tribe from the South. They visited the Halosian settlements and bought agricultural tools with gold and silver, shiny souvenirs of their past. Tristan asked the old man if he knew something about the nautical maps but, unfortunately, the answer was negative: the chest with the maps was lost decades ago, disappeared in the jungle with large treasures and with the lives of several men. "I've been completely sincere with you, Rimbaud San." a word that Tristan didn't know, but that sounded very respectful - "Here we have found a new home, here we have found peace. Now I want a promise from you. If somebody asks you about our unfortunate expedition if they ask you about us… tell them that we are all gone!" ---------------------------------------------------------- An overall view
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The history of the colonisation of Terra Nova has so far been dominated by nations of the Madrice Peninsular who sail southeast from their homelands into the resource rich archipelagos of the new world. As the Mardician nations push ever eastward into the New Haven Sea, however; it has become clear that they are not the only the only nations to be exploring and colonising the new world. The nation of Carno was a latecomer to colonisation and Carnite planners felt they missed the prime locations in both the Sea of Thieves and Prio Sea. Thus Carno has pioneered Mardician exploration of the New Haven Sea area. From the first Carnite settlement of Neustadt on the island known to colonial planners as number eleven, Carnite presence has expanded onto the large island known as El Oleonda on which it is rumoured huge riches can be found. It wasn't long before Carnite pioneers realised they weren't the only ones with their eyes on El Oleondas wealth. Skirmishes broke out in the jungles between Carnite settlers and a strange people who appeared to be southern Halosian in appearance. Large ocean-going junks began to raid Carnite shipping and settlements. It was soon revealed these newcomers were from the Kingdom of the Lotus. Not much is known about the large southern Halosian empire and it is thought that Lotii explorers discovered the New Haven sea area by travelling northeast of their homelands. Soon El Oleonda and its surrounds were in a state of all out war. Even the nearby Corlander settlement of Spudkirk was raided by the Lotii! The hard pressed Carnites have called for their Madrician neighbours to assist them in their struggle driving the southerners out of the New Haven Sea. Will you answer their call? Political Map of the New Haven Sea: It is rumoured that Carno has at least two settlements on the western side of El Oleonda and the Lotii have at least three; one quite large, on the Eastern side of the island. This challenge consists of 5 categories: A. The Kingdom of the Lotus B. The Mysteries of El Oleonda C. First Encounter with the Tyree’De D. Action on the High Seas E. Mercenaries Needed Note that category D has an optional t-MRCA component, resulting in twice as many prizes. See below for category descriptions and deadlines. All entries must be linked in this thread. Clearly identify what category an entry is for. Scoring Criteria: Judges will score each entry on the following criteria: Build (score out of 10) - emphasis on quality. Doesn't necessary have to be complex, but higher scoring builds will show obvious effort. Story (score out of 5) - does the build fit the challenge story requirements? High scoring builds will have a well written and interesting story. Presentation (score out of 5) - Considerations include: photography, colour palette, base/borders Individual prizes awarded for each category as follows: - 1st Place individual: x1 free large property license (micro build required for activation, usable only in New Haven Sea) OR x1 free Class 5 ship license (micro build required for activation) - 2nd Place individual: x1 free medium property license (micro build required for activation, usable only in New Haven Sea) OR x1 free Class 4 ship license (micro build required for activation) - 3rd Place individual: x1 free small property license (micro build required for activation, usable only in New Haven Sea) OR x1 free Class 3 ship license (micro build required for activation) Faction prizes will be based on a calculation that includes participation and quality of builds from each category and individual category wins: - 1st Place faction: First choice of a New Haven Sea island for a settlement. (at the end of the challenge, a choice of islands will be set by the court). The settlement will start with the following properties: x3 small residences, x3 small artisans, x3 small commerce and x3 small factories (microbuilds needed to activate each). - 2nd Place faction: Second choice of a New Haven Sea island for a settlement. The settlement will start with the following properties: x2 small residences, x2 small artisans, x2 small commerce and x2 small factories (microbuilds needed to activate each). - 3rd Place faction: Third choice of a New Haven Sea island for a settlement. The settlement will start with the following properties: x1 small residence, x1 small artisan, x1 small commerce and x1 small factory (microbuilds needed to activate each). - 4th Place faction: Fourth choice of a New Haven Sea island for a settlement. The settlement will start with 1 small property (microbuild needed to activate). FINAL RESULTS HERE Category A: The Kingdom of the Lotus Not much is known in Northern Halos of the Kingdom of the Lotus, but they are one of the major empires of Southern Halos. By land, one must pass through the Mokolei Empire and the Forbidden Kingdoms. By sea, not only does the great expanse of the Drolitic Ocean separate the nations of Northern Halos from the southern part of the continent, but one must travel around the horn to the great Southern Ocean before encountering their kingdom. So what is the Kingdom of the Lotus like? Builders should show a scene depicting some aspect of Lotii culture (architecture, dress, customs, social interaction, etc.). Builds should be located within the Kingdom of the Lotus and may be based on rumours your characters in the Brick Seas have heard. The Kingdom of the Lotus is roughly based on real-word East Asian cultures and previous depictions have taken inspiration from both China and Japan. Size: 32 x 32 max Due Date: Sunday 22nd March 2020 Cat A Results Category B: The Mysteries of El Oleonda The New Haven Sea has not revealed many of her secrets yet. With four large islands and 17 smaller ones, there is much to explore. But what have Carno and Lotus found on El Oleonda that is worth fighting for? The fountain of youth? Gold or other mineral wealth? Gardens resplendent with fruit and other foodstuffs? Perhaps knowledge left behind by a lost civilization? Myths of a once great native civilization ruling over multiple islands are common amongst natives in the Brick Seas, and indeed ruins have been found in many locations hinting at some truth to these legends. Or is El Oleonda’s value in something else entirely? Builders should show a feature of the island worth fighting for by the combatants. Size: 32x32 max Due Date: Sunday 12th April Tuesday 14th April Friday 17 April 2020 Index of Cat B Builds Category C: First Encounter with the Tyree’De Ever since the Halosian nations began to explore the seas, they have encountered many indigenous peoples, and similar encounters have occurred in the New Haven Sea. Reports from both Carno and The Kingdom of the Lotus describe visitors in large canoes and even ships of curious design arriving at El Oleonda to trade with the Carnovians and the Lotii. These native traders are not Halosian of origin and, although they share similarities with some of the native peoples known so far, their culture appears very different. They trade in many exotic goods and wares, seemingly flush with silver and unwilling to part with their wares for mere trinkets. Instead, they are showing interest in manufactured goods, including milling equipment, metalworking and production tooling, and weapons. While they seem keen to learn Halosian ways and customs, they are much more circumspect when speaking about themselves. They refer to themselves as the Tyree’De and, when pushed about where they come from, they reply with vague answers “to the south.” Builders should show their faction’s peaceful first encounter with the Tyree’De, either in the form of Tyree’De people visiting a settlement on El Oleonda or another island in the New Haven Sea, or as an encounter with a Tyree’De vessel on the water in the New Haven Sea. Size: 24x24 max Due Date: Sunday 26th April 2020 Index of Cat C Builds Category D: Action on the High Seas With open warfare between Carno and the Kingdom of the Lotus, there is plenty of opportunity for normally law-abiding sailors to turn to privateering as a means of legal piracy to earn a handsome payday. Carno is practically giving away Letters of Marque to anyone who will help them combat the Kingdom of the Lotus in the New Haven Sea and protect their supply lines. Rumor has it the Lotii are also willing, if you can make contact with them, to authorize privateers to harass Carno shipping. Builders should show some aspect of a naval encounter in the New Haven Sea. There are two different types of entries for this category: Cat D(1) MOC only, and Cat D(2) t-MRCA result builds. 'MOC Only' entries should depict a naval encounter between Carnite and Lotii forces or their allies. 'tMRCA' entries. A tMRCA will be run in which players may accept a letter of Marque from Carno to hunt Lotii vessels. So that players may get their ships into the action quickly, ships will be allowed to be moved from their most recent destination to a new starting point in the New Haven Sea for free. Players wishing to enter in the category should submit a PM to the MRCA officials declaring their intention of entering this category and nominating their starting point. A tMRCA (potentially two) will then be run and players should MOC their tMRCA results as their entry. Rewards will be handed out for both types of entries and players may enter both sub-categories Size: unlimited (mirco builds also allowed) Due Date: Sunday 31st May 2020 28 June 2020 Note: Individual 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes awarded in both the “MOC only” and “t-MRCA result” classes. Category E: Mercenaries Needed Carno isn't just calling for help on the high seas; they also need troops on the ground on El Oleonda. Thus Carno is hiring Madrician mercenary units to help them on El Oleonda. The battlegrounds on El Oleonda cover a vast array of environments from thick verdant jungle to rolling plains and mountain highlands. Builders should depict a land battle/skirmish on the island or El Oleonda between Carno and/or their mercenary units and Lotii forces. Due Date: Sunday 31st May 2020 Size: 32x32 max -
Fort Arltrees, February 620, El Oleonda "Now you are a lieutenant, Marcel, and you are the new governor of this metropolis… you are climbing the ranks, my friend!" "You too, Monsieur Regiment General. Before the end of this story we'll probably have a new Maréchal." Or they all would have been dead, thought Tristan. With the crisis between Carno and the Lotus Kingdom turning into an open war, the plans of the Etat majeur required a foothold on El Oleonda, nothing more than a little fort to secure the landing point for the contingent. A clever move, Tristan had to admit, but with the risk of losing the whole contingent sent forward… an hypothesis that Tristan didn't like at all. "Coming back to the plans… tomorrow I will leave with twenty men and our native scout for a long range recognition. We must be sure that we are far enough from both Lotii and Carnite forces. I don't know how far our diplomacy has gone up to now, and our presence could be… a little unwelcome. As I was saying, Lieutenant, you have the command of the fort until my return. You should provide for the needs of the garrison, and prepare for the arrival of more soldiers from Lavalette. A little pier could be useful, but avoid being noticed." "Yes, sir! The mouth of the nearby river could be a good place for a sheltered landing point, at least according to our native scouts." "I agree with you, it could also be a good starting point for our expedition in the inlands. According to the map drawn by the scientific officer, we could go upstream it for several miles, going faster than crawling in the jungle. Probably it's also the best option to find out something about the presence of other troops in the area." "Another thing sir… What about the other empires? Do you expect hostile activities?" Tristan feared that question. He decided to be sincere, also because everyone in the contingent knew the answer. "As far as we know, we are the only ones on the island, apart from the Lotii and the Carnites. We should avoid any hostile activity but, if we are attacked, we will defend with all our strength… that currently isn't that much. However, the high command intentionally leaked some secret information about massive troop raising in the West, and that should be enough to deter any attack against us." Otherwise, their bones would have remained on El Oleonda. The Oleander Army would have avenged them, but in case of large scale attack everybody in Fort Arltrees would have been killed. They all knew that, and they all were ready to give the life for Oleon, but nobody liked the idea of being sacrificed as a pawn in a game of chess between empires. Currently, however, the moral was quite high: after weeks at sea, the cook was finally preparing a real soup with some fresh meat… the ship rations were acceptable, but both hunting and sauces were completely absent from the mariners’ diet. Better not to waste too much time: waiting in the jungle, knowing how precarious their position was, would have worn down the soldiers. The expedition in the interior was also a mean to keep them active and, who knows, possibly to discover something about the Tyree'De, the mysterious natives of the New Haven Sea. Before his return the building of the fort would have been completed: the soldiers were cutting down the bushes along the outer palisade... …while the inner structures, currently just skeletons of poles and beams, would have soon be completed. Fort Arltrees was rising, currently nothing more than a small outpost in the jungle. May the Gods help him and his men, or it would soon have become also their tomb! An overview of the building: This is an official action, even if I still have to figure out exactly how to complete the paperworks. With this Tristan Rimbaud is starting a squatter settlement on El Oleonda, in a position still to be defined (I though somewhere near to the Eastern Coast, let me know if it is possible). Tristan is officially doing this as a personal initiative, but as you can understand he has a certain level of endorsement and backing from the faction Edit: I accidentally published the post before it was complete… sorry!
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Not far from Fort Arltrees, May 620, El Oleonda Tlaloc, the native scout, was right as usual. A few broken branches, a bush cut by with a machete, some light footprints in the mud... that was enough for him: he understood that a band of Lotii was following a small Carnite patrol, and that they both were dangerously near to Fort Arltrees. After several hours of march, almost following a straight line towards the coast, the Oleander soldiers finally reached their target. Quite unsurprisingly, Tlaloc sighted them first. Tristan, by gestures, ordered his men to crouch in the tight undergrowth, and slowly crawled towards the small clearing. He already knew what he would have found... The Carnites weren't used at all to the brutal, disloyal fightings in the jungle, that was clear. Exactly as all the Madrician Nations during the first wave of colonization, they arrived in the archipelago with flamboyant uniforms and shiny armors... they expected pitched battles and glorious victories, but they found themselves trapped in a green, suffocating hell. Exactly as the other Madricians during their first battles in the New World, they were completely unprepared. They marched slowly in the undergrowth, plodding in the mud and stumbling on roots, but they couldn't find a single track of the enemies... until the enemies were all around, fast and lethal. How the Lotii had learned to fight so well in the jungle was a mystery... maybe they had found themselves in a similar situation against one of their neighbors, or simply they followed more flexible tactics, but for sure they had the upper hand in the war. Only half of their soldiers had firearms, mainly antiquate matchlocks, but they almost always prevailed in the jungle skirmishes. That day, things had gone in the usual way. The Madricians had made their camp in a dry river bed, an exposed position surrounded by thick vegetation... not a great choice, since they were taken by complete surprise during the lunch and forced to surrender. Only the officer, who was on guard, had a chance to grab his sword, but he was wounded and captured with his men. Unfortunately for them, however, the Lotii had no intention of dragging prisoners with them in their operations, and had chosen a radical solution. One of the soldiers started begging for mercy: "Wait, wait... Please don't kill me! We have found them, we have found the shipwrecks! I'll tell you everything, but don't kill me!". The Lotii laughed. Probably they didn't even understand a word, or they didn't believe him. "Shut up and die like a man!" Yelled the Carnite officer. The Lotii soldiers laughed again. Meanwhile, completely ignoring the brutal spectacle, the Lotii commander was pointing something on a map. Probably, he was planning the itinerary, looking for the next prey. Tristan had definitely seen enough. At first he wasn't so sure about attacking the Lotii band, but he couldn't just sit there and watch unharmed prisoners being slaughtered in front of his eyes. Moreover, those Lotii were dangerously near to Fort Arltrees, and he probably wouldn't have had a second chance before they noticed the settlement. With only five soldiers and a native scout, his forces were largely inferior in numbers, but Tristan had learned an important lesson during his previous campaigns, from the woods of the Varcosian border to the alleys of Charlatan Bay: if you appear out of nowhere, screaming as madmen and shooting on sight, the enemy will hardly have a chance to react, regardless the real force balance. Not exactly what instructors teach in the Royal Military Academy, but simple and quite effective. Or, at least, this was the plan... if things went wrong, Tristan wouldn't have had time to regret his mistake! Well, there was no more time to think now... Tristan gave the signal, a low whistle, and jumped forward, followed by his men. Soon, the Lotii would have learnt that some Madricians knew irregular warfare too! As they had already done in similar circumstances, the Raiders attacked the musketeers first, before they could become a real treat... ...while other soldiers ran towards the guards, blocking the execution and setting the prisoners free. The Carnites were taken by surprise too: most of the prisoners simmply ran for their lives... ...while others remained motionless, paralyzed by terror. The officer alone, probably the only veteran, attempted a reaction, trying to disarm one of the enemies. A Lotii warrior... ...and the last thing he sees! The battle was fierce but short. The Lotii fought well, but were surrounded and disorganized, and soon everything was over. Tristan Rimbaud would have had something quite interesting to write in his relation, including the exact position of the Lotii settlement and of some mysterious shipwrecks, probably the remains of the lost Lotii fleet. Moreover, he had just saved a Carnite patrol from annihilation, probably gaining some useful allies... not bad, for a tiny skirmish in the jungle! Overall view
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Fort Arltrees, November 620, El Oleonda People called it "The Tavern", nothing more. The simple wooden building didn't have a real name or colorful signboard, but still everyone in the little settlement knew it... quite unsurprisingly, since it was the first real tavern on the island. The first wave of colonists had arrived on El Oleonda even before the end of the battle. Hunters and adventurers arrived first, though men looking for their fortune on the island, and ready to defend it weapons in hands. Soon, however, the ships started carrying also farmers and artisans, fishermen and priests... common people who decided to leave a miserable past behind, or who simple tried to improve their lives with a new start. Wooden houses replaced the first shacks, while the first shops and stores started opening their doors. And, among them, The Tavern. The owners, a young couple from Breshaun, had moved with a little money and a lot of enterprise. Currently the meals they serve are drastically influenced by what is hunted, fished or collected around Fort Arltrees every morning. However, the customers seemed to apreciate the sometimes strange stew served in The Tavern, especially if accompanied by a glass or two of Fatu Hiva booze... currently nothing was brewed in the settlement, even if a few guys down the main street were already trying something a boiler and an alembic. The settlement was growing at sight, with a certain satisfaction of the major, Lieutenant Marcel Dubois. With the new tavern, the settlement could already be considered a Town, and new colonists were arriving with every ship. After all, Fort Arltrees would have remained on the maps for longer then he had expected, and was quickly turning from a temporary camp into a real settlement. However, the political situation in the area was far from being calm... Carno was friendly, and had also provided the settlement some mercenaries, while the Lotii had signed a treaty and had withdrawn eastwards, at least for the moment. The Corrish declaration of war, however, concerned Marcel. For this reason, he had given order to raise a little militia, nicknamed "the Ragamuffins" from the untidy and customized uniforms of the soldiers. Corrish redcoats, however, were definitely far, and a real fight there in the East was quite unlikely. Life in the settlement continued exactly as before Corrish declaration of war, vibrant and colorful: a tiny market had started appearing along the main street, with new stalls sprouting each time. A fortune teller had also arrived into the settlement, a clear sign that money had started moving. However, she should probably make more favorable predictions, if she wants to keep her customers! The tiny colony established excellent relationships with the nearby villages, with Halosian and Tyree'De hunters and traders regularly visiting each other's neighbours. Quite unsurprisingly, some of the colonists took a local wife, while others left the settlement to live with the natives. An overall view of the scene: I will license it as a Large Artisan in Fort Arltrees, using the license awarded in the challenge. As usual, I preferred a downsized, minifig scale build to a microbuild, but please let me know if there is any problem. In this case the "excessive size" of the license compared to the build accounts for the overall growth of the settlement.
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Fort Arltrees, November 620, El Oleonda As the battle for El Oleonda arrived at a stalemate, the Oleander presence on the island could become more stable: the first wave of colonists arrived in Fort Arltrees, with small farms, houses and workshops sprouting near to the fort itself. This was for sure something absolutely positive, but also started turning the small settlement into an interesting prey for hostile natives, Lotii soldiers or deserters and, even worse, for Corrington. A small militia was therefore raised in the town: currently, a single platoon framed in the 1ere Compagnie Milice Coloniale de Fort Arltrees, together with a small unit of Essener mercenaries. The soldiers of this unit are nicknamed ragamuffins, due to their untidy and "customized" uniforms: the blue coat, ubiquitous in the Royal Army, is often torn and mended in several points, due to the long marches in the thick jungle; for the same reason, several parts of the uniform are replaced with robust and comfortable hunting clothes. These soldiers lack most of the formal training and discipline of the regular army. However, they know how to move and survive in the hostile jungle of El Oleonda, and how to fight in this unique environment. An attacking army must cross the jungle to reach Fort Arltrees, and there the ragamuffins would make their stand, shooting from the bushes and hunting the enemies, one after the other. These soldiers are expert trackers, who can find and follow the little clues that a group of people inevitably leaves. (Note: the color of the little piece of cloth, possibly ripped off a coat or a jacket, is not so casual) The whole figbarf The officer discussing with a native warrior. (Note: the credit for the warrior's design goes to @Khorne). ------ I'll use this small building to raise a platoon of soldiers in Fort Arltrees.
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The ruins of Jiangkai, December 620, El Oleonda Wisps of smoke rose slowly in the sky, from right beyond the hill... they had almost arrived. The small party, led by the "governor" of Fort Arltrees Marcel Dubois, spurred the horses, and a desolate landscape appeared in front of them. It was even worse than they had imagined: the crops in front of them were a stretch of mud and ashes, turned into a marsh by the recent rains. Further beyond lay the ruins of the city: blackened walls, piles of rocks and burned beams, nothing more... the Corrish sacking had damaged the city, but the retreating Lotii army was far more scrupulous, blowing up the city fortifications and setting all the other buildings on fire. In spite of the devastation, several people had remained among the ruins, building a series of miserable shacks. Civilians frightened by the long march towards Luyang, stragglers who returned from the jungle just to find their barracks devastated, some deserters... all the people left behind by the Kingdom of the Lotus, now struggling to survive with the scarce food available. Technically they were still enemies of Oleon, but most of them would've not arrived to the following summer without help. This was the reason why Lieutenant Dubois was there, with a dozen of mules loaded with food and a small bodyguard. The organization of the rescue expedition was the last order left by Tristan Rimbaud before leaving for Terraversa. Marcel personally approved the plan, but he also knew that it could end very, very bad for himself: scared people can be dangerous, especially when they have weapons and poor discipline. As expected, the sight of armed horsemen set the nearest encampment into complete caos: some people started running towards the ruins, others grabbed weapons, tools and sticks to repel the "attackers". In spite of the immediate reaction, the signs of scurvy and denutrition were already clear on those men. Calming down the spirits required a lot of time, diplomacy and all the limited knowledge of the Lotii language Marcel had. Then, the distribution of food could finally begin. Lieutenant Marcel Dubois spent two of the following areas trying to understand who could represent the local heterogeneous community, and several more discussing the terms of a treaty: Jiangkai would have become part of the glorious Empire of Light, although with a certain degree of autonomy. In exchange, Oleon would have helped with the reconstruction, and would have provided military protection in the future, especially against Carno and the hated redcoats, but also against the Lotus Empire, which considered deserters and traitors the ones who had remained behind the retreat. Marcel didn't know if he, or -for what mattered- even Tristan Rimbaud actually had the authority to stipulate such an agreement, but it was the best thing to do. He signed the paper, frankly hoping that the Crown would have agreed. At least, this time he only risked a degradation, not his own head... following Tristan's orders, for sure, was quite far from a boring job in the colonial administration!
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Name: Fort Arltrees Ownership: Squatter settlement founded by Tristan Rimbaud Location: El Oleonda, New Haven Sea Map: Mayor: Lieutenant Marcel Dubois (@Keymonus) Who can own property in Fort Arltrees: Citizens of all the Empires, and the independent traders who call themselves "Sea Rats" Who can freebuild in Fort Arltrees: Citizens of all the Empires, and the independent traders who call themselves "Sea Rats" Description: Fort Arltrees was founded as a small military outpost during the first El Oleonda Campaign. The nearest settlement, Fatu Hiva, was several hundreds of miles far from El Oleonda, and the Kingdom of the Light needed a stable foothold in the area. The fort was at first nothing more than a fortified camp with a few warehouses and a pier, a place where soldiers could rest and friendly ships could resupply. Located in a little bay on the North-Western Coast, Fort Arltrees is in a strategic position between the Carnite cities in the West and the Lotii settlements in the East, and also represents an excellent starting point to explore the northern part of the archipelago. The settlement is surrounded by a thick tropical jungle, but a nearby river -recently named River Rimbaud- offers easy access to the interior. Most of El Oleonda inland is still unexplored, but the recent expeditions have mapped quite well the surroundings of Fort Arltrees. The first expeditions in the interior confirmed a limited presence of other nations in the area -substantially some small military units hunting one another- and found a number of small native villages, likely inhabited also by indigenous people and early Lotii explorers stranded on the island. The jungle around Fort Arltrees is also spotted with large ruins, ancient roads, and a system of canals, likely remains of an advanced civilization. During the last months, the settlement has grown quickly: after the end of the first hostilities, the small tent camp surrounded by a palisade has grown into a bustling, large town. The first wooden shacks were soon replaced by large stone buildings, including a new impressive fort guarding the bay. However, small wooden buildings such as farms and hunter shelters are common in the outskirts of the settlement. Despite the fast development, Fort Arltrees is still a frontier settlement, where life is hard and can end with a sudden, violent death. However, thanks to the new, imposing fortifications, it is very unlikely that Fort Arltrees can be simply wiped out of history. War is raging again on El Oleonda, but everyone feels safe inside the settlement, and both businesses and services are rising. Outside the palisade, on the contrary, almost everyone carries a musket in everyday activities: the natives of El Oleonda are mostly friendly, but bands of both Carnite and Lotii stragglers still haunt the jungle. Even if the settlement has grown quickly, most of the future buildings are expected to be simple stone or wooden structures, and development plans are still focused on the basic needs of the inhabitants. Most of the residents are currently soldiers, hunters and adventurers, but more and more colonists are looking for fortune on El Oleonda. With the growth of the population and of the settlement economy, large stone builds have appeared in Fort Arltrees, and important urban development plans are ongoing. Outside the settlement, instead, most of the buildings are still simple wooden houses and small farms, often fortified against the bandits. More Information on El Oleonda: El Oleonda is one of the four main islands of the New Haven Sea region. Like most of the lands of the New World, it is largely covered by jungle and thick tropical forests, but grasslands, marshes, and a variety of other biomes are also present. The central part of El Oleonda is crossed by a range of rocky hills, one of the highest in the whole New World. The island is inhabited by several native tribes, each with its unique traditions and culture. Moreover, the abandoned ruins of an ancient civilization (imposing temples, canal systems, even large cities) are scattered all over the island, and often host the -far more modest- settlements of El Oleonda tribes. In 620, El Oleonda was the theatre of one of the major wars of the Second Era of colonization: tensions and fights between Carno and Lotus Empire quickly escalated into an open war. The Madrician Empires were soon directly involved in the conflict, with the military campaigns against the Lotii forces and the Lotii raids against Spudkirk and Jiangkai. You can find more about the first El Oleonda Campaign here or in the spoiler below. Garrison: 1 Company of Essener Totenköpfe El Oleonda Ragamuffins - local militia unit Builds in Fort Arltrees: Please post a link to your build and specify if licensed or not. Licensed properties: 37 Size for EGS purposes - Level 4 'Large Town’ Properties required for the next level Artisan: 10/8 Commerce: 14/8 Cultural: 7/2 Educational: 4/3 Factory: 8/8 Residence: 13/8 Royal: 0/1 Total points: 69/61 Notable Events: A fort in the jungle - Founding of the settlement, in February 620 The Battle for El Oleonda - The First El Oleonda War, started after the Lotii raid against Spudkirk The Seawatch Campaign - Military campaign of allied Madrician Nations (Carno, Corrington, Eslandola, and Oleon) against the Lotii forces on El Oleonda, started after the Siege of Seawatch and the Lotii raid against Jiangkai The Foreign Merchants' District - A new commercial district of the settlement, attracting several merchants from foreign nations Residence: Fort Arltrees Vicarage - medium Hotel in Fort Arltrees - small Tree House - small An Essener House - small Marshal DeQuesne’s Flat - small Homestead - large A mostly warm reception - small Forward HQ Corrington Expeditionary Force - small Tamish bothy - small Fort Arltrees brig - small Factory: Vin de riz brewery - medium Small Factory Sawmill - small Smoked meat for the Fort - small Candy Factory - small Smith’s Smithy - large Plantation: A'Chua's people - small Rice Plantation - medium LBSF wheat farm - large Mine: The mine at the World's End - gold mine Artisan: The Tavern - large Fort Arltrees Bazaar - large Mr. Shur's Lotii Curiosities - small Ship repairing workshop - small Rimbaud Aqueduct - medium Commerce: Sutler's shop - small Lighthouse of Fort Arltrees - medium Small Commercial Wharf - small Dress Shop - small Among thieves - small Fort Arltrees military HQ - medium The Altonian Commercial Mission - small The Ferrer Family Commercial Enterprise - small The Essener New World Trading Company - small Terraversan Commonwealth Rum-Runners - small Garvian League Guildhouse - small Miroslav Dobric's Trading Emporium - small Education: A Little Schoolhouse - small Fort Arltrees public school - large Art & Culture: Church of Hades - large House of the Ancestors - medium Gardens of Poseidon- medium Forts: Fort Arltrees - small Gatekeeper Point - large Unlicensed Builds (similar to EGS properties): Essian Reiterhaus - a small garrison of Essian light cavalry Other Freebuilds (not similar to EGS properties): Sweet, sweet rotten eggs - A sulfurous spring, somewhere in the interior Monsieur le Filon - Prospecting outside Fort Arltrees found a gold vein A patrol encounters a bear outside the settlement - an unpleasant accident Return to the Tyree'dee - Bishop François returns to El Oleonda Introducing General Hercule François - General Hercule François arrives at the settlement Adieu, mon général - General Hercule François is deadly wounded during the Battle of Seawatch
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Fort Arltrees, February 620, El Oleonda The fort giving the name to the new Oleander settlement was finally completed. Fort Artrees was not much more than a palisade surrounding a few buildings, but now nobody could dislodge the small contingent without a hard fight. Lieutenant Marcel Dubois, the officer in charge of the garrison, was quite satisfied by the result: now, at least, nobody could take them by surprise, and more soldiers would soon have flowed towards the settlement… or at least that was the plan. Meanwhile, he had decided to reinforce all the weak points with additional defences: the soldiers built some cheval de Frise to protect the cannon loopholes... ...and deployed a real forest of pointy poles to prevent an attacker from approaching the wall with ropes and ladders. The garrison spent the rest of the time doing little jobs, such as unpacking tools, sharpening a blade with a whetstone or "testing the quality" of some Oleander aquavit. Others spend some time gambling, something strictly forbidden in most garrisons, but allowed in Fort Arltrees, considering the absence of any leisure or distraction. Everybody, however, was ready to run to his position in case of need… and more than grateful for the 24-pounders just unloaded from the warship Scamander. Overall view: Not so much to say about this build… I wanted to show the complete fort before licensing it. Despite the plot size (32x32) I will license it as a small fort, due to both the simplicity of the building and, storywise, the rushed and not exactly irresistible defences. Thank you for watching!
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Infero Pordejon, December 619, Charlatan Bay Tristan followed the instruction received… an abandoned warehouse in Lowtown, no guards, just before the dawn. He couldn't refuse the "invitation", considering that it came from a department of the Oleander administration in charge of some "special duties", but the possibility of disappearing without leaving a trace worried him a lot. By sure, he thought caressing the hilt of his sword, he wouldn't go without a fight. Fortunately for him, Tristan's suspects soon proved to be wrong. In the old warehouse he only found a man… he didn't seem the one that he had met in the morning, but the men of the Secret Service of Oleon were known for their ability in disguises. "If you want to assassinate me, you should try now… by sure, you chose the right place!" Said Tristan with a half smile. Not to find a platoon of hired killers waiting for him was a great relief. "Nice to meet you, monsieur Rimbaud. You know who I work for, and I think you understand that we don't want anyone to hear or see to much. We are in a turbulent settlement, but the elimination of witnesses may always rise some troubles. I'll be brief: some big wigs wanted you to be charged with treason, but in general the colonial authorities were satisfied by your personal endeavour here in Charlatan Bay. Bringing here regular soldiers was impossible due to the political implications, but the stabilization of the pirate settlement was functional to our interests in the region. Probably you will even find a medal waiting for you in Astrapi, where you must return as soon as the circumstances will allow. In this letter you will find all the instructions you need for now, but our men in the settlement will give you more details." The man didn't show any emotion saying this. Curiously, Tristan noticed, he was speaking with a light Altonian accent, probably part of his cover identity. "I imagine that there is something more than simply some handshakes for my role in the end of this awful civil war, isn't it?" He knew well that the man wouldn't have said anything he had been ordered not to say, but still hoped in some more details. "What do you know about the Lotus Empire?" Replied the man. Tristan was completely surprised by the question. He answered frankly: "Almost nothing. I know that some commodities are imported from that state, such as expensive pottery, tea, silk and a salty sauce beloved by our aristocrats; on the contrary, we export there only a few goods, mainly tobacco and silver, but in both directions goods pass through several hands and borders, while direct contacts are very rare. Once I met a sailor who claimed to have visited a Lotii port, but I don't know how much was true and how much a tavern history…" It had happened almost eight years before, but by sure it was enough to ignite the imagination of Tristan, at the time a young captain hunting for Saleeki pirates. The sailor described a lively and rich settlement, with beautiful women… ...floating markets, selling fruits never seen before... …exotic foods, such as a strange roll of seaweed, rice and raw fish. The settlement, said the young sailor, was called Sazanparu, that meant roughly Pearl of the South... one of the evocative names that make sailors dream. -Far more pictures in the spoiler- "Did you hear me?" Tristan was recalled from his juvenile dreams of adventure and exploration. "I said that Lotii activity was recently reported by our agents in the New Haven region" "The Lotii? Here in the New World?" "Yes... and what's more, it seems that they are going to start an open war with Carno, due to their conflicting interest on El Oleonda. I don't know much more, but all the details are in the letter. Read the new orders, then destroy it." Tristan cracked the seal and started reading, while the other man walked towards the door. "Wait a second! -uttered Tristan- YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT???" Overall view. The little warehouse in Charlatan Bay is in truth the base of the tower on the left… A little of magic, time travel and teleport!
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Seawatch, El Oleonda, June 624 Matthias walked into his room, staggering a little. At that hour of the night, it was hard to remember that he was Major von Stern, the Stonewall, the Hero of Seawatch. It was hard shutting down the voices of the men he had killed and of the ones who had died under his command, mercilessly accusing him… only whisky seemed to work. He threw his black officer coat on a chair, stumbling against the low table. He was pathetic, but he didn’t care much: that night, he was alone with his ghosts… many more than the previous time. He poured himself a glass, then he immediately gulped it. That awful man had deceived them all, and many good soldiers had died for nothing… for nothing but his greed, and Matthias’ own foolishness! He poured a second glass, but this time he only took a short sip… he had planned to get terribly drunk, but that excellent Essian whisky deserved some more attention! The audacity of von Undingen’s plan amazed and disgusted him. That man had fooled everyone: the Governor’s orders had been forged, and nobody in Neustadt seemed to know anything about their expedition, nor about Professor Wagner’s one; the Perseus, who should have collected the salvaged treasures, didn’t exist in any register, and was probably nothing but a Garvyan privateer. The whole expedition, prepared in plain sight, was only an elaborate ruse: von Undingen had planned to use the Essians for his own purposes, just to abandon them and disappear with the gold. Now Matthias was back in Seawatch, along with his personal ghosts. They had given him a medal for bringing part of his men back “despite continuous attacks from overwhelming enemy forces”… something he couldn’t accept. Too many of his jaegers had fallen for nothing, and now were looking at him from the corners of the room. Von Undingen had also died: Matthias had seen him falling, surrounded by the Daca warriors. That scoundrel had received what he deserved, at last. Matthias raised his glass in a spiteful toast: “May you burn in the Tartarus, miserable bastard!” In that moment, the shadows in a distant corner of the room seemed to take form. A man in a black cloak, who until then had remained still, was lighting an oil lamp. “Always a nice thought for an old friend, I hear. But I fear you’ll be there before me.” Said the man, with a creepily friendly voice. It was impossible! Matthias rushed for his pistol, but suddenly he felt terribly tired, and fell heavily back on his chair. “Oh, don’t bother to try.” The man continued, friendly as before. “It was in your whisky. One part of stramonium, two of foxglove, and one of belladonna. I’m surprised your heart is still working, but it won’t last long.” Matthias looked with hatred at the man who had just killed him, then at his pistol again… it was on the other side of the table, but it seemed miles away. “Scourge! My men were killed because of you!” He whispered. If only he could have reached his pistol… “Yes, and you left me behind to die. We are even then. Or maybe not, I don’t care much!” Matthias would have loved to remove that hateful smile with a cobblestone, a sharp detail in a face that was starting to fade. “But you also did me a favor, in a certain sense. Now that I’m dead, nobody will look for me. There’s a little island where I had started some fruitful activities, during the war… but before that, you are not the only friend I plan to visit. My best regards, Major von Stern! I hope to see you again as late as possible!” With these words, von Undingen left the room, two fingers raised to the brim of an imaginary hat in a last, mocking salute. ------------------------------------------------------------ Overall view: Details of the furniture: -------------------------------------------------------------------- This will probably be the penultimate part of my storyline, with the last one focusing on my main character. I hadn't planned it, but I didn't want to leave von Undingen "dead" for too long, and I still have to think a little more about where Tristan will be sailing to next. The story is dark, way darker than usual... I hope you still like it!
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Inside the hold of the Meduse, South of El Oleonda, May 624 Tristan walked into the cargo hold of the Meduse. He had little time, and a fundamental decision to take. After days of exhausting marching in the jungle and a few skirmishes with the Daca warriors, Tristan and his men had finally reached the Southern Coast of El Oleonda, where the Meduse was waiting for them. For some reason, the natives seemed to be afraid of the Ocean: the sight of the sea put an end to their chase, allowing the Oleonese to safely board the rescue ship. Now that the danger had ended, the captain would soon have asked where to set sail... and Tristan's answer could have changed the future of El Oleonda. Konrad, the only survivor of the Carnite expedition, was waiting for him... and basically represented the source of Tristan's problems. The young Carnite explorer, together with the maps and diaries from his unfortunate adventure, could lead to a fabulous treasure: gold and silver, jade and other gems, sunk with the old Lotii fleet and dozens of its sailors... a treasure worth thousands and thousands of doubloons, enough to make an empire move. At this point, Tristan could order the captain to sail west, to Neuburg, and return Konrad to his nation. This, however, would have surely renewed the interest of Carno for El Oleonda, inducing them to organize a new expedition to the shipwrecks... in other words, Tristan would have thrown a huge pile of hay on the embers of the war. On the other hand, he could order him to sail east, to Jiangkai. The military intelligence would have acquired the documents, and Tristan would have likely received a medal. Then, Oleon would have tried its luck with those cursed shipwrecks, angering both Carno and the Lotii. The war would have likely started again, and many more would have died. There was, however, a third possibility. The mysterious Cypher could open the route to unknown islands, to the discovery of a mint-new part of the World and its wonders... even if the very existence of that object proved that "discovery" was not the right word at all! Before the unfortunate expedition, Konrad had spent years studying the artifacts of the ancient civilization of El Oleonda, and could represent a valuable help to decode that unusual, ancient map. Moreover, that task would have kept him safely far from both the Carnite and the Oleonese authorities... definitely better than "just shooting that Carnite dude and throwing him in a pond", as one of the scouts had suggested! Many questions remained, and the answer was probably out there, somewhere in the Southern New Haven Seas. Who had built the Labyrinth? What had caused their end? Did something survive of them, apart from old ruins and a few tribes of barbarized descendants? Well, someone might have complained, and he might have received an angry letter from a ministry or two... but the decision was taken. The Meduse would have sailed neither to Neuburg nor to Jiangkai, but southbound, towards the unknown! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unfortunately, I will be away from most of my bricks for a while, but I wanted to provide a proper conclusion also for my main character arc in this long storyline! There is not much to say about the MOC itself. The shiphold comes from another storyline (the Tale of the Charon), even if I refurnished it. Chronologically, this part comes before "Aftermath", and is still set in May, immediately after the escape from von Undingen's ambush.
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Somewhere in the jungle, El Oleonda, May 624 There was a little shrine, somewhere in the jungle of El Oleonda. A dozen miles East of the mysterious Dead City, it was probably built by the same ancient civilization, centuries before. The old building had almost completely disappeared in the undergrowth, crumbling under the weight of time... impossible to say whether it originally was a temple to some pagan deity, the mausoleum of a forgotten chief, or something else. For Commander Lei Feng, these old ruins had represented a fundamental waypoint during the exhausting guerrilla campaigns against the Carnite. That day, they also seemed a good place for what he had to do. Lei had received one last chance to escape the deadly trap set up by his enemies in Oryant, and he had lost it. In a normal situation, he should have been proud of saving his soldiers from the double ambush in the Dead City: he didn't manage to capture the three Carnite explorers, but those men had most likely been slaughtered by the Daca natives; the Carnite attempts to find the shipwrecks of the old Lotii fleet had been thwarted again, and the Oleonese seemed to have completely different objectives... for sure it wasn't a victory, but it wasn't a complete defeat, either. However, it was not a normal situation: his enemies in the army had chosen to use him as a scapegoat getting rid of him once and for all. In Oryant he could only expect an execution, and surrendering to the enemies of the Empire was out of question. Lei unsheathed his dagger: he still had one honorable way out. Following an ancient ritual, he would soon have stabbed himself in the abdomen; then, a loyal assistant would have beheaded him with a sword. It would have been a gruesome end, and the result of a terrible injustice, but it was the only way for Lei and his clan to retain their honor. Maybe he could become a yurei, a specter, to haunt forever the nights of his enemies... the High General Wang, coward and traitor, deserved never to sleep a quiet night again! Lei was ready. He made a nod to his assistant and hardened his grip on the dagger... then, he noticed something. There was a pile of rubble, in the far corner of the little shrine. Nothing too weird by itself in a ruined building, but something looked out of place. There were several ceramic artifacts, scattered all around, and they looked surprisingly well... they had been exposed to the weather for ages, not for centuries. He looked better: the pile contained also some tiles from the pavement, and was topped with bricks from the nearby pillar. Someone had likely dug a hole in that place, and then he had covered it carefully… but why? Well, Lei’s honorable death could wait for a while… Within a hour, the rubbles had been completely removed, revealing a little niche. That hole was probably an ancient native tomb, similar to many others he had seen on Jinzi: his men had sacked many of them, usually finding nothing but old bones, ceramics, an occasional golden trinket. This time, however, they were far luckier: someone had replaced the original content of the grave (including the ceramics scattered all around) with Lotii coins, gold bars and, even more importantly, old maps and documents! The objects had been for sure left there by the first Lotii expedition, marooned on the island years before: nothing, compared to the treasures still laying on the bottom of the Southern Bay, but still a considerable fortune! Lei looked at the documents. They were exactly what he had hoped, and even more: maps of the archipelago and of islands he couldn’t recognise, the log of one of the ships, the precise route of the first expedition… something the Empire had looked for ages! With those, he could now return to Oryant as a hero… and provide some annoyances to General Wang even without becoming a vengeful ghost! ——————————— Overall view of the build: After a long delay, here you can see the aftermath of my challenge storyline from the point of view of the Lotii officer. I plan one more MOC (the one about my main character) before moving to something different! I hope you enjoyed this part and this storyline in general!
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The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, May 624 The Carnite guy, Konrad, spent two days between life and death. He didn't seem to have eaten or drunk anything in several days, and was feverish from an infected wound. Tristan had little hope for recovery, but the young man surprised everyone: his fever decreased, and he soon regained consciousness. After a few more days, he could even walk with a little help. Despite the gratitude, Konrad remained extremely vague about the original purpose of his expedition. In return, he talked widely about the mysterious Chiffre: at first, the Carnites had mistaken it for a Lotii military cipher, but it was soon clear that the object was far more ancient and fascinating. Despite the appearance, that little gold cylinder was a sort of map of the New Haven Seas and beyond. The first and last disc seemed to represent the start and destination points; the ones in the middle indicated the relative distance and direction of the two points. Tristan was utterly impressed by the complexity of the mechanism, and even more by the level of knowledge owned by its mysterious builders. Whoever had lived on El Oleonda, whoever had built the Labyrinth, had also traveled across the whole archipelago before disappearing from history: Tristan recognized clear references to Cascadia (the little jaguar) and Ile Dyonisus (the crocodile), but completely deciphering the object would have taken weeks. It was clear, however, that the cipher exceeded the Madrician knowledge of New Haven Seas, with several symbols falling East or South of Noveau Oleandia, far out of the most recent maps! Before trying to sail towards the Rising Sun, the Flower, or the Idol's Mask, however, Tristan and his men still had a little priority: leaving those damned ruins. Alive, if possible. The last point, at the moment, didn't seem particularly easy: heading towards the Southern Coast, Tristan's unit had to cross a dangerous choke point between some cliffs and a large Daca village. One wrong move, and dozens of warriors would have soon come for their heads. The soldiers marched forward as quietly as they could, sometimes mumbling swift prayers to Artemis or Poseidon. None of the gods seemed particularly inclined to oblige, however, since a twice damned Lotii patrol suddenly appeared among the ruins. The Lotii seemed as surprised as the Oleonese soldiers. For a moment, everybody froze. Tristan could almost hear the thoughts of the enemy commander: he knew, or imagined that the blue barbarians were probably in the Labyrinth for his same reason; he had met them as they were trying to leave the ruins, meaning that they had found what they were looking for; he knew he had to stop them, at any cost. But he also knew how close the Daca village was, and how bad could be facing dozens of their warriors. Indeed, nobody had shot his musket... not yet. Tristan brought a finger to his lips, gesturing for silence. Then, he slowly put his pistol on the ground and unsheathed his sword. The Lotii commander nodded and did the same, soon imitated by the soldiers of both sides. It would have ended that way, then. No muskets, cannons, or ordered formations: only sword against sword, warrior against warrior, as in the legends about the heroes of the past. Seen in that way, it didn't seem a bad conclusion for his story, if things had gone wrong. Tristan looked around. If they had been in the Old World, that place could have been one of the ancient arenas, where prisoners were forced to fight for the amusement of the noblemen. Maybe it was something similar, or maybe not... but in a few steps, the Oleonese and the Lotii would have been at a sword distance, and the fight to the death would have begun. At this point, the ancient gladiators would have yelled "morituri te salutant" to the Emperor, right before trying to butcher one another. That day there wouldn't have been any salute... but if the ancient inhabitants were still watching from the other side, they would have surely seen one last, glorious show. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: As my story gets closer and closer to its conclusion, also the time to the deadline is starting to run short. I hope you'll enjoy this part and the next one (that hopefully will be out tomorrow), even if I had to overpack them with way too much story for such small builds. Just to clarify, "morituri te salutant" (meaning "those about to salute you) was the classic salute of gladiators to the organizer of their "games", even if it's more a historical fiction trope than a real thing. The idea of the silent fight that is going to happen here, instead, is a sort of reference to a similar scene of the movie Kingsmen: the Origins (where the problem is represented by WWI machine guns, and not by angry natives).
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Somewhere in the jungle, El Oleonda, May 624 They had snatched the prize out of his hands! But it was not over, not yet. He would have put his hands on that treasure, in one way or another. A warrior appeared in front of him, the face horribly painted. The Daca raised his wooden spear, but he was a second too slow: Frederick von Undingen cut him down with his sword, without even slowing down. He would have returned, he swore. He would have returned with more men and some good cannons, maybe a company of Namerian mercenaries... and he would have wiped out those savages from El Oleonda, he would have killed them all! Then, the treasure of the Lotii fleet would have become the key to a new life of wealth and, even more importantly, power! Frederick only needed to reach Seawatch alive, and the cards would have turned in his favor again. Some would have been angered with him for his failures, but nothing he couldn't handle. Professor Wagner's group had been massacred, leaving no useful notes behind. In their abandoned camp, however, Frederick had found a little booty of Lotii gold: not much, but enough to convince his friends in Aden to forget some little things and support his future endeavors. They had little time to lose, however, since the Oleonese seemed to have captured a survivor of Wagner's expedition... if he only had ordered Kurt to shoot that man first, he would have felt safer about his plans. The bushes in front of Frederick disappeared, suddenly replaced by a small clearing. Somehow, he managed to stop his run, just a few steps before a cliff and the violent rapids below. Frederick realized immediately that he was in deadly danger: his little group had been cut out from von Stern's column, which was now on the opposite side of the stream. The Daca, instead, were all around them again. The Essians jaegers were fighting fiercely -they were excellent soldiers, he had to recognize that- but the warriors seemed just too many. His loyal Kurt shot a warrior at point blank, killing him on the spot. A second and a third one were already running towards him, spear in hand... with no time to reload, his musket was now nothing more than a robust club. Two warriors were almost upon him. There were no battle cries, as usual... only the low, menacing hiss anticipated the attack of the Daca, together with their hellish drums. Frederick raised his sword in a high guard, bracing for their attack. He deflected a spear lunge directed at his face, then turned to his right, aiming for the chest of the incoming warrior... but his right foot found nothing but air. Before he could even realize it, Frederick was falling. Frederick tried desperately to recover his balance, but the dirt at the edge of the cliff was too slippery. For a moment he remained almost still over the roaring water, staring at the triumph on his enemies' face. Then, the bag with the gold dragged him behind, towards the rapids and a watery grave. He was still holding it, he realized. His ticket towards wealth and power. Ironic. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This MOC, as you can see, represents the aftermath of my TC2 storyline, from the Carno point of view. I plan to publish a conclusion scene also for the other parties involved, that is the Lotii and Oleon, before moving to my future plans. Since I really liked this storyline, the setting, and the characters I had created, I thought they deserved a proper conclusion for their journeys. I hope you liked my storyline and these conclusive scenes too! For possible newcomers, Frederick von Undingen, graf von (Count of) Wiesemberg, is a borderline psychopath, a villain in my storylines, and probably a sort of loose cannon also for his nation. This should explain his very questionable points about massacring all the natives of El Oleonda, the complete disinterest in his comrades dying, and similar amenities. Here he receives what he deserves, but there will be no body available for burial... if this is really von Undingen's end, or if you'll see this character again, remains to be seen! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Lotii gold falling into the river from a different angle. A better angle, in my opinion, but the MOC was too small to show the scene from this point of view. Since I like the result, I'll attempt something similar in the future. Overall view:
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Palace of the Imperial Envoy, Oryant, April 624 Commander Lei Feng walked through the door of the Red Dragon's Hall. He was expecting that convocation after the defeat in the Battle of Seawatch. Four years before, the Emperor was promised an easy victory against the barbarians from Carno. After two long campaigns, the deployment of hundreds of soldiers, and considerable expenses for the Imperial Treasury, the victory was as far as on the first day of the war. And now, with the Imperial Envoy on the island, someone was going to pay. Lei bowed deeply before the Envoy and sat on the low bench prepared for him. Then, following the ceremonial, he deposed his sword on his right and drank a sip of liquor from the bowl prepared for him. Now, according to the traditions, he was considered a guest, and couldn't be touched... even if, in the past, this sacred rule had been violated multiple times by particularly unscrupulous noblemen. The commander took a deep breath. The man in front of him represented the eyes, the ears, and the voice of the Emperor in Oryant, and he was there to decide who was responsible for the disastrous course of the campaign... one wrong word, and Lei's head would have been exposed on a spike before the sunset. "Welcome, Commander Feng. It's a pleasure for me to finally visit the famous island of Jinzi, the topic of so many discussions in the Imperial Court." The Envoy didn't even try to sound convinced. "However, I would like to know why I cannot ride freely, from East to West, on an island that rightfully belongs to His Majesty the Emperor. An island that our commanders promised to conquer in a few months... four years ago." His tone remained calm and unexpressive, but Lei Feng didn't miss the fierce gaze in the Envoy's eyes. "So, Commander Feng, can you help me understand why this military expedition keeps frustrating the Emperor's will? How could our best commanders be utterly defeated by the Northern barbarians?" Lei expected the question... all the commanders did. After the retreat to Oryant they had agreed on a half-true version of the story, in which most of the blame was put on the poor cohesion of Lotii, Monomonto, and mercenaries, on the lack of modern artillery, and the distance from the supply lines. Before he could begin, however, the Envoy added, almost casually: "Oh, it's fair that you know that the High Command considers you responsible for the defeat of Seawatch. General Wang claims that you refused to retreat your unit, out of personal pride, and that your foolish move compromised his ruse. His version was confirmed by most of the commanders. If this is true, then you are either an incompetent or a traitor. Wang suggested I should order the captain of my guards to behead you immediately. I feel generous, so you have two minutes... you can try to convince me, or use this time to jump on your sword and die with honor." For Lei, this was a punch straight into the stomach. He was used to the duplicities and treasons of the Imperial Court, but this was far too much. He had been chosen as a scapegoat by his own commander, and by the men he had fought with, shoulder to shoulder... and after what he had truly done during the Battle of Seawatch! For a fraction of a second, Commander Lei Feng considered his possibilities. Most of his men were still loyal to him, probably, but he had no way to reach them. There were five armed guards in the room and dozens more between him and the closest gate. He was in a trap with no way out... after what he had done! To hell with the etiquette! "This is an outrage!" -without almost realizing it, Lei had stood up, and was almost yelling. "I remained behind with my unit, and we fought almost to the last man. This is what saved a part of the army from destruction, despite our great General! We delayed the barbarians as long as we could, and gave our men the time to escape!" The guards rushed towards him, sword in hand, but he didn't care. At a nod of the Envoy, the guards froze, still as statues. "So, Commander Feng, you are telling me that General Wang's plan had failed, and that he is a liar. That the whole high command is lying, apart from you. Please, what went wrong in Seawatch?" The tone of the Envoy had again changed. Weirdly, he seemed... pleased? What was happening? Lei recovered a little of demeanor, then continued: "As you certainly know, your Excellency, General Wang had planned a fake retreat. He wanted the barbarians to rush forward, with only some light infantry to harass them... they would have arrived at our real battle line tired and unprepared, without their heavy artillery, and they would've been destroyed. General Wang, however, completely ignored the real state of our troops. Our forces were entrenched in a long, fortified line across the jungle, and some units didn't even receive the retreat order! When the barbarians attacked, we were still disassembling the batteries, and the soldiers were still funneling on the bad jungle roads. I rallied my man to cover the retreat, and we gained as much time as we could. At this point, reforming a battle line was completely impossible, so our forces retreated eastward, as well as they could… Then, we tried to disengage across the Dead City, where... where..." "Where your unit was almost completely exterminated." Concluded the envoy. "By savage natives, demons in the shape of men, I was told. Commander Feng, you probably saved some of our troops during the Battle of Seawatch, but you also ignored your general's order, and this is treason. You saved a part of the army, but you caused the annihilation of your whole unit.” Lei held his breath... the next sentence could either mean life or death for him. "However, today I will hold the executioner's sword. You have one last chance to redeem. As we are talking, three Carnite men are trying to cross the Dead City, heading for Seawatch. A column of barbarians is trying to reach them, but they must fail. You don't need to know more, but these men carry vital information. Bring them alive to Oryant, or kill them if you can't. But if you fail, I only wish you to die with honor." Without another word, Commander Lei Feng was dismissed. He had been betrayed and sent to death by his own comrades, by his own commander, but he had survived again… probably headed to a suicide mission, but alive! Better than he had hoped a few minutes before! Then he remembered what he had seen in the Dead City, back in that damned jungle, and the screams he could still hear every night. Suddenly, the merciful blade of a sword didn’t seem such a bad option… ------------------------------------------------------- Far later than expected, here you can find the fourth (and last) character headed towards the Labyrinth, where their stories will finally cross. The hall is freely inspired by the Phoenix Throne of the Korean Emperors, which has a painting of the Korean mountains in the background. I hope you enjoyed this part! Overall view: Without minifigures: No minifigures, canopy removed:
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The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, May 624... or another time? Konrad was exhausted. He hadn't eaten anything in days, and for sure he hadn't slept at all... not after what he had seen. The previous days were only incoherent flashes for him, but that was enough to keep him walking: the bivouac with Hans and Professor Wagner, somewhere in the Labyrinth. Hans shooting his musket to scare a jaguar away. The drums, those damned drums in the darkness, getting closer and closer. The javelin piercing Hans' chest. The guards trying to run away, just to fall after a few steps. Professor Wagner placing a backpack on his shoulders, pushing the cipher in his hands, and yelling him to run away. Then everything he could remember was jungle, ruins, and jungle again... and the parrots, repeating Professor Wagner's last words, again and again. He tripped into something and almost fell. It would have been so easy... falling, and then just lying down to rest. But Konrad had something important to do: he had to bring the cipher to someone, but at the moment he couldn't remember to whom. What he knew for sure, however, was that the cipher was actually something else, something that could change their understanding of the New World... but he was too tired to remember exactly why. He was so tired... but he had to keep walking. In a corner of his mind, Konrad noticed that the ground was scattered with countless artifacts: style B terracotta bowls, and a jasper statuette of the same age... probably lying there since the fall of the ancient city. Finding so many objects from the old times was extremely unusual, even in the Labyrinth. For some reason, the modern natives must have avoided that place, out of fear or respect. But where was he? Konrad had never been there, he was sure. The palace was incredibly well-preserved, despite the plants growing out of every crack. However, it was the first time Konrad had ever seen a building retaining so well the original decorations. If it had been possible, that place almost seemed... alive? The walls seemed freshly painted. There were bright curtains at every window, and Konrad even saw a bird feeder for the parrots. Then Konrad saw that there were people all around him. How was it possible? How could have not noticed them before? They were clearly natives, and their paintings resembled the ones of the savage Daca who had slaughtered his friends... but everybody seemed friendly, and Konrad couldn't see any weapon. Konrad realized he was in the middle of a marketplace: people were selling fruits, fish, and wonderful terracotta objects... ...but also corn, spices, and the huge eggs of birds that -Konrad was sure- didn't live on El Oleonda. Native merchants from all over the New Haven Seas, or even further, must have gathered there to sell their wares! Looking better, Konrad thought to recognize some of their tribes: a man from Salida Este, with his bright cotton jacket, and a woman from Fatu Hiva, with her peculiar scarf.... ...even a Myzec from Cascadia, wrapped in a jaguar skin. However, there was something strange: that place, the way those people dressed and behaved... everything seemed different from the native settlements Konrad had seen around the archipelago. Everything seemed at the same time more ancient, but more advanced and civilized. Konrad roused himself. All of a sudden, he realized that he was hungry, thirsty, and shaking from the fever. He tried to ask for help, for food and water, but nobody seemed to hear him. He tried in Carnite, in Tyree'De, and even in Lotii. Desperate, he even tried to barter the cipher for some food, but the merchants didn't even notice him... as if he wasn't really there, or as if they were only shadows of a distant past. All of a sudden, Konrad was alone again, back in the jungle. Back to his time, and his desperate situation. He started crying. The natives, the market, the colors on the building... everybody had disappeared, and he was probably going to die. But... but there was still someone! A man in a blue tunic, coming in his direction! That man had come for him, he was sure... to bring him back to the city, to that wonderful market, out of that damned jungle! He started thanking him in tears. Maybe that place was the afterlife, but it didn't seem bad at all! Konrad was outmost surprised when the man answered, in a stumbling Carnite: "Mon ami, I have no idea of what you are talking about... but we'll bring you out of these damned ruins, you have my word!" -------------------------------- Overall view: Note: I planned two more parts after this, but probably (due to the deadline approaching), I will probably only publish a conclusive part. As you can see, here I decided to join two different "versions" of the same build in a single 20x20 build. The use of the medium nougat limited me a lot in the part choice, but I really like this color... and I hope you'll enjoy the result!
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The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, May 624 "Well, this is clearly not the right way!" Mumbled Tristan Rimbaud. A stream of water, narrow but extremely fast, had suddenly appeared in the middle of the ancient road. The river seemed to cut the whole city, as an ink line on a map: it crossed roads and even some of the ancient buildings, from North to South, as if it had appeared out of a spell. "Let's rest for ten minutes, men! Then we'll have to find a way to cross!" For some reason, Tristan knew that trying to turn around was not an option... it seemed that someone had stretched a map of El Oleonda a little too much, creating a laceration. On the other side, Tristan could see the rest of the city. Houses, palaces, temples... the ruins continued, but everything seemed to be shifted of almost one meter to Tristan's right. What force could move half of a city, ripping the ground as old paper? With a brief prayer to Poseidon, Tristan hoped never to find it out. Nobody knew who had built the Labyrinth, nor all the ruins scattered across the New Haven region. The catastrophic events that happened centuries before on El Oleonda, however, had probably signed the end of that advanced civilization. Tristan couldn't help but think of a legend he was once told by a Tamaco scout: a legend about a tribe so powerful to make the Gods themselves envious, and that was destroyed in a single night of wraith and storm. The ancient constructors of the ruined city and their fate surely represented a fascinating mystery. At the moment, however, Tristan was far more concerned about the current inhabitants of the Labyrinth… the reason why all every soldier was on edge, with the musket firmly in hand. A ferocious tribe, called Daca by the other people of El Oleonda, had taken over the place. Nobody knew how they called themselves, as every attempt to communicate had resulted in a fight. For some reason, those savages seemed to fear the sea, and to ferociously hate the foreigners living on the coast: the scouts had reported about whole Lotii units massacred among those ruins… the Carnite had chosen a dangerous place for their stroll. With the cliff in front of them, Tristan and his men were in a dangerous position. They had to cross that stream of water, and they had to do it quickly, if they wanted to anticipate the Carnite to their mysterious destination Suddenly, a voice broke the usual sounds of the jungle. It came from the other side of the river, no more than fifty meters far. Tristan couldn’t understand the words, but the man was clearly speaking in the language of Carno… alone, apparently. Then, among the confused words, he heard something, loud and clear: “Die Chiffre”. The road they had taken was not that wrong, after all. ————————— A different view: Overall view: The editing took me far longer than expected… I hope you’ll enjoy the final result!
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The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, May 624 Tristan inhaled deeply and flexed his wrist, loosening his muscles. His sword answered as an extension of his arm, and the blade of Guelphian steel whistled in the air. It would have been a difficult fight, that was clear. The Oleonese and the Lotii were similar in number, but the latter seemed better equipped for a melee fight: the chasseurs would have faced their long swords, spiked clubs, and partial armor with knives and sabers. As usual, however, the men could make the difference, and his chasseurs had proven their worth several times. All of a sudden, a slow clap arrived from the bleachers. A man in red civilian clothes had just appeared on the balcony, surrounded by soldiers in black uniforms. The Carnites, somehow, had found their track... and in the worst possible moment! "What a dramatic show, mein Herren. I would almost be tempted to let you finish... or to order you to do it. As you can see, there are quite a few muskets pointed towards your heads! By the way, I am Frederick von Undingen, Count of Wiesemburg, at your service." The man's voice didn't betray any emotion, but the half smile and the polite nod were absolutely unsettling. For some reason, he reminded Tristan of Slim Bill, a gang leader that during Charlatan's Bay civil war used to collect his enemies' ears... a complete psychopath, that Tristan had personally sent to Hades years before. He went on smiling, as if he hadn't just suggested watching them dying just for fun. "I have to make you my congratulations. We had fallen behind, and we had little hope of finding Professor Wagner, or any of your gracious groups. If it hadn't been for my good friend, Major von Stern, we would still be trudging at the border of these ruins, back North. At last, he convinced me to leave behind carriages and porters, and to precede you on the way to the shipwrecks... so here we are!" They were falling out of the frying pan and straight into the fire. Oleon and Carno were allies, but Tristan didn't think it would have mattered much. He didn't know which shipwrecks von Undingen was talking about, but he seemed to consider them a matter of life or death. By going there, von Undingen had cut them the road towards the sea, where an Oleonese ship was waiting! That wasn't even the worst part... in the distance, a drum had started to play, soon followed by a second and a third one. Konrad widened his eyes, but Tristan gestured for him to remain quiet. At least ten muskets were aimed in their direction, and any sudden movement could trigger a nervous soldier. At the moment, the best strategy was letting the eximious von Undingen talk, hoping to get alive out of that situation. Meanwhile, the man continued, impassive as before: "I'm sorry we meet in this situation, General Rimbaud. You provided great service to my nation, in Seawatch and Neuburg. Unfortunately, the treasures of the lost Lotii fleet are too important for my masters... you meddled in something too big and too dangerous, mein Freund! I don't think I can let you go, I fear." He also added something in Lotii, that Tristan couldn't understand, with the same voice of ice. The Lotii officer stared back with hatred, then spat on the ground. Everything seemed clear now. The Carnites hadn't abandoned the hope of finding the old Lotii fleet, even if their greed had cost way too many lives. The expedition Konrad was part of had finally succeeded, before being slaughtered by the natives. And the Chiffre, probably the most amazing part of their discoveries, was only a fortuitous finding in their insane gold hunt. "Monsieur von Undingen, I have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about." Convincing the man to let them go was impossible, but Tristan could gain some time. Pierre, on his left, was adjusting the grip on his knife. He was on a good angle to hit the man, if things had escalated more... The Carnite acted surprised, even embarrassed... impossible to say whether he was sincere or was only pretending. "Oh, monsieur le General, I'm sincerely sorry. I would have killed those Lotii dogs in any case, but this is an unfortunate accident. I fear I told you too much, and now you have to die. My fault, please forgive me. Let's close it here. Mayor von Stern, please, order your men to open fire!" The officer in black -von Stern, apparently- hesitated. There was a moment of silence, broken only by some native drums... way closer, this time! "Herr, Graf... might I remind you that Carno and Oleon are allies, and that we just fought side by side in Seawatch... the governor would never approve this move. And I can't approve this order, either!" "Ah, von Stern, you are a traitor and a coward! But you know, you can never trust an Essian for something important. Well, let’s make things easier for everyone: if anyone ignores an order again, I’ll have him hanged as soon as we return to Neuburg. Now, where were we? Oh, right! Kurt, would you please oblige? And make General Rimbaud the courtesy of being the first one.” “Yes, sir!” Without other comments, the man lowered his musket and took aim. Time seemed to slow down. For a second, everyone remained still, and only the sound of a drum broke the unreal silence. This time it was close, very close, but nobody seemed to notice. Then the world seemed to run faster and faster. Pierre sprang as a bow, throwing his knife in Kurt’s direction. He missed by a little, but the blade passed close enough to make him lose the aim. The musket fired, but the ball only hit the sand at a half a meter from Tristan’s feet. Then, before anyone could react, the battle cries began. “Idiot, you killed us all!” Yelled in Carnite the Lotii commander. He was probably true, but it was also their best chance to run! The Daca emerged from the bushes, right behind the Carnites. The musket shot had given up their position, and apparently also angered the natives a lot. Von Undingen seemed too busy to notice that is prey was escaping, and seemed in a quiet dire situation. Tristan, however, had the feeling that he would have seen that hideous man again, sooner or later… probably he was so evil that the Boatman would have repelled him! As the Carnite soldiers were fighting for heir lives, the Oleonese and the Lotii started running away under a rain of spears… trying to fight each other didn’t seem particularly important in that moment. With a map to unknown lands and a ship waiting for them along the Southern Coast, a few miles far, Tristan felt almost as when he first sailed to Astrapi, many years before… an unknown world was waiting for him to explore, and a new Era seemed ahead, both for him and for his nation! ———————— Overall view: With this last part, I conclude my storyline about El Oleonda, the Labyrinth and the “cipher”. I hope you enjoyed it, for sure I had fun with the buildings and the story! I will for sure reuse some of the characters: Tristan will remain my main one, and von Undingen will probably be his nemesis in a future story… Note: sorry, I had left the “wip” in the title even if everything was over!
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Somewhere in the jungle, El Oleonda, May 624 Rain was falling on El Oleonda. The violent storms that had flooded the island's southwest had finally ended, and water had finally returned to the riverbeds, but cloudy skies and heavy showers were still taking the place of the endless summer of New Haven Seas. It was not like the cold rainfalls of Eranos woods, slowly soaking your clothes and freezing you to the bones: instead, the large, warm drops seemed to hit the ground violently, almost with anger. Everything in the defensive position was still, apart from the rain. No other movement could be seen, no other sound could be heard. The position seemed completely abandoned, but this could have easily been a trap: on El Oleonda, every little imprudence could be paid with the life of someone... yours, most likely. That day, however, there was no trap waiting for them. The trenches were filled with rainwater almost to the rim, and weeds had started to grow on the earthworks. One of the chasseurs moved closer and closer, while his companions prepared to cover him. At the end, with a silent prayer, the man stood up. Nothing happened. "All clear, General! There's no one here! This place seems abandoned!" Tristan advanced, followed by the rest of the unit. After the return from the rescue operation in Neuburg, Tristan's unit was taking part in the search operations into the jungle, between Seawatch and the Great Northern Bay. And, once again, they had stumbled across an abandoned Lotii position. Apart from occasional skirmishes with bands of Lotii stragglers, this was all they had found up to that moment: trenches, well-positioned batteries, warehouses... all completely deserted. The enemy had retreated after the Battle of Seawatch, but how far remained a mystery. Well, now they could move a little forward the line on the map, and mark a new site for the engineers recovering abandoned artillery pieces. Tristan didn't understand. From a position like that one, a company of soldiers could have repelled a regiment, allowing an ordered retreat of the rest of the army. They were distant enough from Seawatch, and the Coalition forces had not pursued the enemies that far. Still, the commanders had not managed to rally their soldiers. But why? Was everyone still in panic, after the defeat and the attacks from Du Pont's Tigers? Or was that place considered unsafe for some other reason? In any case, they wouldn't have found any answer in that place, this was clear. There was no point in remaining there, standing under the rain. Tristan ordered his men to set up the camp, but also to double the usual number of sentries, just to be safe. He would have also ordered not to light a fire, but with the tropical rain, unfortunately, this seemed completely superfluous... If the Lotii had abandoned that place in haste, it was better not to lower the guard. ----------------- Overall view: I don't know if or when the Lotii will be removed from El Oleonda in Era III, but I still want to "use" them for this storyline. As with the reconnaissance operations before the Battle of Seawatch, only isolated patrols or individuals will appear, and nothing about the real plans of the Lotii commanders will be defined.
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The Labyrinth, El Oleonda, May 624 The jungle was loud and suffocating as usual. The inextricable mass of bushes, the uniform sticking to the skin, the mosquitoes, the urticating herbs... for a Madrician recruit, that place represented a real nightmare. Tristan and his unit were not newcomers, but they would have gladly avoided that umpteenth vacation in that green hell. Once again, they were following a trail. This time, not the elusive trail of the Lotii troops, but the track of a mysterious column departed from Seawatch and headed South: the Carnites had left the settlement in forces, with at least a full company of jaegers and several heavy carriages. They had provided no notice or explanation to their allies, claiming they had started a reconnaissance, and refusing to elaborate more. Due to this weirdness, Tristan's unit was sent to investigate, possibly without being discovered: also for them, the official mission was scouting the Lotii positions. The slow chase went on, day after day. Tristan and his Eranos chasseurs had to follow the slow pace of the carriages: once again, a peculiar choice for a swift recognition mission. Soon, it became evident that the Carnite column was headed to the Labyrinth, an impressive complex of ruins covering several square kilometers of the jungle. In that place, Tristan had fought countless skirmishes against Lotii patrols, but he had only seen a fraction of it: the abandoned city must have once been at least as large as Breshaun or Mesabi Landing, decades or centuries before. This represented a peculiar choice at best, and utter insanity at worst: the Carnite unit, with its heavy carriages, would have spent weeks traversing the rough terrain of the Labyrinth, a maze of ruined buildings, canals, low walls, and piles of rocks. Choosing a different trail, or even bordering the ruins, would have taken half of the time! Whatever the objective of the Carnites could be, therefore, following them seemed a complete waste of time. After leaving some scouts to tail the column, Tristan decided to anticipate it in the ruined city, proceeding further south with his light infantry... and there he was, in the middle of the dead city. Among those ruins, the air seemed heavy, even compared to the humidity of the tropical jungle. Still, and unusually silent. Then, suddenly, the voices started: "Lauf, Konrad, lauf!" "Kra, kra, Konrad!" "Kra, lauf, lauf, kraaaah!" "Krahaha, lauf Konrad!" Tristan grabbed his pistol and took cover against the wall, then he realized. The parrots were imitating a human voice, laughing and squawking... a Carnite voice, inviting a certain Konrad to "lauf", to run. Not very encouraging. That dead city was already eerie enough, even without some colorful chicken repeating ghostly voices! Other birds, amused by the chorus, decided to join. Several birds of the New World, including the parrots of El Oleonda, seemed to have fun imitating sounds they had heard around, mixing and mangling them: songs of other birds, animal calls and, in some cases, even human voices. In the cacophony of calls, laughter-like sounds, and flutters, Tristan believed to recognize a couple of other words: "Trommeln", drums; and "Chiffre", which could mean number, code, or cipher. "Run, Konrad", "drums" and "cipher"... a strange combination for sure. Something weird had happened, probably not far from there. Something weird and probably terrible. At least two men, speaking the language of Carno, were among these ruins... not long time before, considering that the birds had not mingled the words before recognition. Something had given them a good reason to run... the natives, considering the reference to the drums? And what was the Chiffre, for Poseidon's sake? Why was it so important for them? A sudden rustle in the undergrowth stopped Tristan's thoughts and scared the parrots, that started flying in every direction. Right beyond a ruined arch, something was moving in the bushes. The soldiers raised their guns, preparing for the fight... ...until they saw a wild pig! Grunting, the animal disappeared again among the ruins, clearly annoyed by the visitors. ”Uff, just a pig!” Said one of the scouts. “These damned birds are getting on my nerves!” The parrots seemed to like the word: ”Kraaa, porc, porc! Krahaha, lauf Konrad!” ”Kraaaah, chiffre, chiffre!” ”Kraahahah, porc, chiffre, konrad!” Well, thought Tristan, the next visitors of the Labyrinth would have been even more confused than him… ————————— Overall view: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note: I thought this build as a generic recognition in the jungle, showing better the ruined city of El Oleonda I introduced a long time ago. Due to its size, it cannot qualify as an entry for the challenge itself, but rather represents a sort of prelude for it. Stay tuned to discover what the mysterious "cipher" is!
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Military activity report - Intelligence Office of Seawatch, to New Haven Military District Strategic Command Confidential report - to the exclusive attention of the General Staff Our operatives in Seawatch report an unexpected movement of Carnite troops (est. strength of two jaeger companies), leaving the settlement southbound. The status of this information is certain, independently reported by two of our informers in the settlement and directly confirmed by our operative Minerva. As it stands, the purpose of the expedition is unknown. No communication was given to the liaison officers of the Oleonese 3rd Division nor, to our knowledge, to the headquarters of other Coalition Forces. On official army reports, the operation is reported as a "recognition mission", but the marching order is not coherent with the declared objectives. Our informers report that the contingent is mostly formed by Essian soldiers from elite units (Jaegers and Totenkopfe infantry), suggesting that military confrontation is expected. Moreover, the expedition is equipped with heavy carriages, not particularly suitable for the bad roads of El Oleonda islands. The expedition seems to need abundant supplies for a prolonged mission, to aim to recover heavy materials, or both. Rumors claim that a group of Namerean coral divers was seen in one of the port taverns, and has recently disappeared. As it stands, it is impossible to verify whether the two events are connected. The commanding officer of the expedition is Major Matthias von Stern, an experienced soldier decorated twice during the Battle for El Oleonda. The choice doesn't seem coherent with the limited purposes declared for the expedition. Considering the inconsistencies and the secretive nature of the mission, a light infantry contingent was ordered to track the Carnite expedition, if possible avoiding any contact. Our forces consist of a company of Eranos Chasseurs and two platoons of Astrapi Colonial Chasseurs, under the command of Regiment General Tristan Rimbaud. One of our assets, with direct access to the Carnite Governor's private correspondence, reported seeing a coded message of unknown content, together with a map of the Southern Coast and a note about a "cipher". The meaning of these reports is elusive, but it's clear that an object, identified as a cipher, is considered of utmost importance by the Carnite high command. Updates will follow in case of further developments or reports from our operatives on the field. With the best regards for Your Excellency, Morpheus -------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall view: The heavy carriage: A view of the muddy road with the carriage tracks: An obvious credit goes to @Khorne, who first invented and developed the Essian culture and units within the NPC nation of Carno.
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South of Seawatch, El Oleonda, April 624 The cannon emerged slowly from the murky water, one centimeter after another. Despite the time spent in the water, the barrel seemed in a good state. With a few blows of a shovel, one of the engineers removed the remaining pieces of the wooden carriage, buried too deep in the mud. Soon, that cannon would have been cleaned, inspected, and most likely mounted on a new wooden support, in the military workshops of Fort Firmo. A cannon barrel was too valuable to let it rot in a bog: that Lotii weapon would have become instead part of Seawatch port batteries, or maybe of a field artillery unit. After their defeat in the Battle of Seawatch, the Lotii had quickly withdrawn toward the Eastern settlements, leaving traps and ambushes to delay the pursuit of the Coalition forces. The attacks of hostile native tribes and guerrilla operations of Jiangkai troops, together with bad roads, terrible weather, and mass desertion of mercenaries, however, had soon turned the orderly retreat into a complete rout, and countless cannons and heavy carriages were abandoned along the way: what had started as a brilliant disengagement had quickly turned a desperate march for survival. The Lotii had lost a quarter of their army, and an immediate new offensive seemed unlikely. Therefore, that represented an excellent moment to reorganize the coalition forces in Seawatch, repair the town fortifications, and, indeed, salvage as many as possible of the abandoned Lotii cannons... better to have them in safe hands, than to allow the enemies -or the armies of other allied empires- to recover them! With the help of workhorses and mules, the military engineers of Oleon towed the cannons out of bogs and rivers, or out of the mud of the jungle trails. In most cases, the carriages had been damaged, but only a few artillery pieces had been spiked or blown away... a few days of work, and most of them could have been put easily back in battery! Other units, scattered all over the jungle, were recovering cases of ammunition, gunpowder barrels, small arms, and other abandoned equipment, and occasionally also accepted the surrender of stragglers and small Lotii units left behind during the last months. Even though no organized resistance was usually encountered, some Lotii soldiers had resorted to banditry or had chosen to continue the war on their own. Therefore, all the salvage expeditions were accompanied by chasseurs and soldiers of Fort Arltrees militia, who knew the jungle as their own pockets. A small MOC set on El Oleonda, with the military engineers of Oleon recovering a Lotii cannon from a bog. Build inspired by @Ozzy_4321's MOC about salvaging/capturing abandoned Lotii cannons.