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The Marquis: Origins - Chapter 5 - The Poker Game The story so far: Chapter 1 - The Interrogation Chapter 2 - Early Days Chapter 3 - The First Mate Chapter 4 - The Storm Chapter 5 - The Poker Game (you are here) Lady Bonny continued: After some time in solitude on the island, the First Mate gathered his courage and decided to leave the island. The boat was still in terrible shape – and he was no carpenter, he was a sailor. So, just because of his seamanship and navigation skills, he barely made it to Oleon. Interrogator: Yes, you have already mentioned that. Lady Bonny: And this is when I first met him, later that same day in October We were sitting in this smoke-filled tavern, playing cards. The Nobleman, the Admiral and myself. The First Mate stepped in, looking as if he would like to join the game. It was a good point in time as that was when the Admiral had just lost everything to the Nobleman. The Admiral offered his seat to the First Mate, but the Nobleman raised his eyebrows and complained: We are playing for money, my friend. What do you have to offer? That seemed to be something new to the First Mate. He had obviously only been playing for fun before. After a moment of hesitation and with a heavy sigh he offered his sword. Slightly frowning, the Nobleman accepted the blade. And so, the game began. After a slow start, where he obviously had to orient himself and was playing very cautiously, the First Mate started to win small sums. He was becoming more and more confident. As if he could memorize where every card was that he had seen before. And then I was out. The cards were not in my favour that day. I sat back and watched. It was only the First Mate against that grumpy Nobleman. And the stakes were high. The First Mate risked every piece of gold he had won so far. The Nobleman cursed: A mere sailor is challenging me? Alright, I offer my title, as I do not have enough gold any more – is that accepted? The First Mate nodded in silence. They were both going all in. The First Mate won with a Royal Flush. He raised his arms in triumph. The nobleman angrily threw his glass to the bottom, tore the wig from his head and threw it on the table. He paused for a moment, then he said: What a disgrace: the Marquis d’Ape beaten by a mere sailor. But I will stick to my word. Here, with this letter you will become the next Marquis d’Ape. Then he turned and left. The new Marquis celebrated. He removed his sailors hat and put on the wig. He has never been seen without it since that very day. Then he was off to make his new title official. We all cheered! Lady Bonny: What he soon learned was that he had got nothing more than the title. The previous Marquis had lost all his wealth and fortune before – he obviously was a frequent but not such a good poker player But the new Marquis seemed determined to restore the pride of his old title! (to be continued) The monkeys have begged me to release this next chapter earlier than usual - to get over the sad last chapter. -
In the waning light of the day, on a nearly empty stretch of beach south of Terreli, Viscount Alexander Doblin tries to do his part to inspire the troops headed into the fight with Mardier. "I had this spear specially forged to be an exact replica of the one my ancestor wielded on The Day of Blood." Alexander waxes unnecessarily, "Bloody it well." The soldier doesn't really believe the drivel the nobleman is spouting. He accepts the spear with grace, though, expecting he'll get to enjoy some female attention tonight for the honor. He ships out in the morning. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Just a quick build. It took less time to build it than it did getting these two 'okay' shots.
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Challenge V: Princes of Garvey - Results! It is the end of an era – one which began with the discovery of a few islands and rapidly transformed many of the old regimes into colonizing powers. It has seen the birth of new rivalries and the rekindling of old, and the world of the Brick Seas has forever been changed… As the waves of the new seas grow more contested every day, the smaller nations look on greedily to get a piece of the pie. The valiant (or belligerent) Duke of Prio - depending on who you ask - has become a figurehead for a new movement, a movement of resistance. Now the King of Garvey, Leopaldis IV has begun to stir the pot. He has entered into the Mardier Civil War by declaring a state of war, snatching Mardierian ships, and signing a treaty with Eslandola against that unruly power. Openly taking the side of the Duke of Prio and Eslandola in that conflict, he has now begun to strike at Mardier’s settlements in the Far Islands. A declaration of war from the Mardierians was quick to follow. With Carno between the two nations on the mainland, however, this war, for the most part, will be fought in the far of Prio Seas. There is an old adage in Garvey, “He who rules the waves for his king, the same shall be made prince of the people” - and now the word has come to the far islands that Leopaldis will grant a new Prince title to the person, of whatever nation, who brings him the greatest victories in the Far Seas. Eslandola, too, has declared that it will grant special trading benefits to whoever will own its fight against Mardier, and a particular bonus to the one privateer who surpasses all the rest. But the Mardierians will not be deterred. King Alphonse XIII has finally taken the throne, and has the villainous rebels (more politely known as the “United Provinces’ forces”) on the run. It looks like without further intervention from the other countries, the Mardier Civil War may come to a quick close with Mardier on top. After that, only Terraversa lies between the King and absolute rule. Alphonse has declared that any privateer who defeats a Garvey or Eslandolan force in battle shall be given special trading rights with Mardier, and the greatest privateer of all at the end of the war will be named ambassador to his or her faction with special privileges. (Mardierian High Command - MOCed by our very own, illustrious, Bregir) (Prizes for Overall Individual Winners: Anyone who enters at least once for Eslandola and Garvey's side will get the prize of a 20% greater gain in the MRCA whenever visiting an ESL port for the next three months after the results of the challenge are posted or a 15% greater gain on any landbased properties placed in either Garvey or Eslandolan settlements built in the same time period (but the bonus would stay in place for those properties for all the foreseeable future), and the one overall winner for this side [determined by their average of entries from all categories] will receive the honorary title of Prince of Garvey, and will get a 40% greater gain when trading in any GAR or ESL ports during the next four months or a 30% bonus on all landbased properties in ESL or GAR settlements built during the same period (again, the bonuses would not go away afterwards - just any new builds would not be eligible for the bonus). Everyone who enters at least once for Mardier, on the other hand, will get a 25% greater gain whenever visiting MAR ports for the next three months after the results for the challenge are published or a 20% greater gain on any landbased properties placed in Mardierian settlements which are built in the same time period (but the bonus would likewise stay in place after that), and the overall winner for this side will receive the honorary title of Mardierian Ambassador, and a 50% trading bonus in MAR ports for four months/MRCAs or a 40% bonus on all landbased properties MAR settlements built during the same period (same bonus provisions as before). But we digress...) But what is at stake for the nations, you ask? The future of Mardier, Garvey, and Eslandola all hang in the balance! Will Mardier crush its opponents and regain its old position as the greatest empire of the world, or will Eslandola and Garvey be dictating its terms? Find out and tell us! (OOC: Another digression, I'm afraid! Overall Faction Winners: MAR, if the winning side, would win: The war... Isla de Many Names, an extra settlement on said island a royal fort license to be placed in any of its territories a monthly stipend of 300DBs to be paid by Eslandola as rent for the land on which Fuerte Unido is situated (the settlement, however, would continue to belong to ESL) ESL, if the winning side, would win: The war... Isla de Many Names, microbuild licenses (5 small, 3 medium, 2 large - free choice of category) to be placed in an extra settlement (if possible use one of the existing MAR locations) on the island, a royal fort license (to be placed anywhere on the island, three microbuilds required, showing different parts of the fort, or one large microbuild, license doesn't count against the fort limit of the corresponding settlement) In the case of no decisive win, one way or the other, the island would be peacefully (well, not really... but the war would be ended) split in half between MAR and ESL. first ranking faction among COR/OL/SR: microbuild licenses (5 small, 3 medium, 2 large - free choice of category) to be placed anywhere, which are the results of the efforts of those trying to escape the Mardierian war to settle in other nations' territory, a royal fort license (to be placed anywhere, three microbuilds required, showing different parts of the fort, or one large microbuild, license doesn't count against the fort limit of the corresponding settlement), 3000 FIPs second place: microbuild licenses (3 small, 2 medium, 1 large - free choice of category) to be placed anywhere, with the same reasoning as above, two large fort licenses (not upgradable, to be placed anywhere, one microbuild required per license, license don't count against the fort limit of the corresponding settlements), 2000 FIPs third place: microbuild licenses (2 small, 1 medium - free choice of category) to be placed anywhere, one large fort license (not upgradable, to be placed anywhere, microbuild required, license doesn't count against the fort limit of the corresponding settlement) 1000 FIPs End of prize info). This is the last challenge in Era I, The Discovery, and any member may build for either side – and it doesn’t necessarily have to be the side you think is best or right! There is not even any need to build for the same side in each category, and each member may build a maximum of one entry per side for each category – that is, you can have a total of 10 entries, max. Besides the usual category winners (one from each side [MAR or ESL + GAR], best build on the winning side being the winner and the best on the other the runner up of the category), there will be one overall winner for each team (the number of categories entered coming into play here), who will win the top individual prizes mentioned above. As per the usual, other factions will still compete against one another for the faction prizes as well (whichever side you build for, it will still help your own faction here - and note that, as there is already very much at stake for ESL, they won't be contending for this particular prize, see the faction prize info above), and the overall winning side (ESL and GAR or MAR and its allies) will end up being the winning side of the war. [Credit to the GoH leaders for many of the ideas above!] Category A: The Assassin's Creep Setting: The streets of Kings Port. Love and death are in the air. Panic has come over the island due to rumors that Alphonse has silenced the opposition back on the mainland. With their own leader in pseudo-rebellion, the Terraversans worry that Alphonse’s Death Guard will make their way to the island to reclaim it once and for all. Now is the time to make alliances and break previous partnerships. The best way to form an alliance is through marriage; the best way to break one is through bloodshed. Depict a romantic outing or a tragic end of life scene (or maybe both?) which affects the relationship between Terraversa and Mardier or some other nation. The MOC may be no larger than 16 x 16, and minifigure posing will be taken into account when judging. Due Date: February 28th, anywhere in the world Category Prize – 1st place - A battalion of Terraversan mercenaries, free of charge and upkeep - and 41149 Moana's Island Adventure Runner-up - A company of Terraversan troops, free of charge and upkeep - Results - Category B: ‘Till my dying breath… Setting: Skaford Heights. Mardier’s secret colony has been discovered by Eslandolan forces, and now there is a plan for a joint all-out assault! Builders need to pick a side and depict the Garvey and Eslandolan assault on the island. Your character does not have to be physically involved in the attack, but your sig fig has funded this expedition to defend or attack Skaford Heights (your sig-fig does not necessarily have to be involved with or funding the same side as the one you are building for). The MOC must depict a beach landing, a defense mounted by the Mardierians, and the death of a hero, and may be up to 48x48 studs. At least one picture must be a close up of the Hero’s death scene (artistic license for posing allowed, of course – see Death of General Wolfe for an example of artistic license.) Due Date: March 31st, anywhere in the world Category Prize – 1st place - 500 PIPs and a free medium fort (activated by a micro-build) to be placed anywhere - and 31063 Beachside Vacation Runner-up - 300 PIPs and a free small fortress (activated, likewise, by a micro-build) - Results - Category C: On Stranger Tentacles Setting: The Sea of Prio. Did you hear that Garvey has harnessed the power of the Kracken? Or perhaps you have heard about how King Alphonse rides on a giant Narwhal, destroying ships at his leisure? Terrible things lay in the depths of the Far Seas, and you will be depicting one of them. There are no size limits, but there must be a terrible sea creature, and it must be destroying a vessel or terrorizing a camp on shore from the side you are not supporting in the war. The monster must be natively aquatic (no jungle beasts, please). Due Date: March 31st, anywhere in the world Category Prize – 1st place - Cooperate with with the gamemasters in moving the Kraken in the upcoming quest! - and 70623 Destiny's Shadow Runner-up - Learn ahead of time the location of the Kraken (either to chase it or to run away!) for the first two MRCAs - Results - Category D: Yum Yum, Bumbel Tuna Setting: The far seas. The Mardierian fleet in the far seas has made their latest fortune in the fishing industry. Tuna has become the latest craze among the elite of the mainland. Mardier’s sailors have developed trade secrets and hidden away the best fishing spots to create a near monopoly on this most sought after fish, as the Eastern Bumbel Tuna Trading Company reaps massive profits! The Garvian privateers seek to hit Mardier where it hurts, their wallet. Builders depict either Garvian privateers intercepting a Mardier fishing vessel or show Mardier troops outwitting the Garvian privateers. This MOC may be up to 48x48 studs. The MOC must include TWO vessels, fish (brick built are fine!), and waves. Due Date: April 15th, anywhere in the world Category Prize – 1st place - A life-time supply of Bumbel Tuna!!! Reap a 300% profit next time you go on a Bounty Run (you'll have to let the automaters know after the KPA is published to triple the amount, or make sure they have already done so) - and 41150 Moana's Ocean Voyage Runner-up - Reap a 200% profit on your next bounty run - Results - Category E: The Treasure Trove Setting: The New World It is said that Mardier has been building up a massive fleet and army, which have been amassing at their ports to crush the rebels and Eslandola once and for all. There is only one wee little problem – Mardier is, essentially, broke. But rumor has it that somewhere in the newly discovered islands there is a fabled kingdom of gold, where the natives of the place have far more of the shiny metal than they know what to do with – and rumor has it, too, that the East Bumbel Tuna Company has found a map leading to this kingdom, and that they mean to use all means, fair and foul, to get this gold to support the Mardierian war endeavor and finish off the rebels once and for all! Such a sum of money could be the making or breaking of the struggling empire, but the news seems to have escaped and it is more than only the Mardierian who search for that lost treasure now! Show either one of your characters hearing about, discovering and/or carrying off this treasure, and dealing with the natives (and it doesn’t necessarily have to be for Eslandola! – as long as Mardier doesn’t get it, that is good enough for them!), or tell us how Mardier and the East Bumbel Tuna Company managed to thwart the treasure hunters and securely carry off this store of doubloons! But it is said that Mardier is not a nation with a track record of getting along very well with the native peoples… This is a story category, and you are allowed a maximum of three builds to portray this, the sizes being no greater than one 16x16, one 32x32, and one unlimited build respectively. There are no restrictions as to how you find the treasure or where this kingdom is located except that it is on one of the newly discovered islands of the Prio seas or the new Haven Seas region. Are the natives there friendly, or are they fiercely protective of their gold? Do pirates make off with the doubloons, do they fall into the hands of the rebels or Eslandolans, or is Mardier able to carry out their villainous masterplan? You decide! Due Date: May 15th, anywhere in the world Category Prize – 1st place - A new island (of the Prio seas, though your build could be in the new Haven seas) of your choice for your faction and 600 DBs - and 31065 Park Street Townhouse Runner-up - 500 DBs - Results - And now get to building those MOCs! The fate of the Brick Seas rests in your hands! -
Colonel Brickinson is happy to join the MUG-merrynight-fun: This is an answer to Kolonialbeamter's recent MOC. (Unfortunately a creation in yellow was not possible...) All the best for 2017!
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Part 1 - The Highest Position Part 2 - Glorious New World Part 3 - Handling Business Part 4 - Winning the people Part 5 - The Candidate Part 6 - The Safe Harbour Plan Part 7 - Beyond Part 8 - The Launching Part 9 - Denied Part 10 - Admius Legistrad Román, Clarissa and their loyal bodyguard Betito walked the streets of Elysabethtown. After a quick trip from Nellisa to the neighbouring island of Berreli - the Colonia had proven her value already - he had just held his speech to hundreds of people. Román intended to meet Lady Elysabeth and her husband later on in private, to discuss some of the more delicate matters with her. One of the main aspects was the "Colonial Knowledge Mission". Eslandola hardly had gained any real knowledge about the new islands so far. His geologists had started prospecting everywhere, and some results were there already... But where did that lead them? Rumors were that citrus plants grew well on Isla de Victoria - had anyone yet methodologically quantified the economic benefit of that? Probably not. Nor was there an all-Eslandolan catalogue of major findings of rare minerals on specific islands. Nor any other documents providing information on how to make the best profit from the colonies. He planned on setting up a big all Eslandolan explorer's library where knowledge for every single island in the new seas was collected, properly assigned and connected, and of course stored and made publicly available to all Eslandolans. He intended to hire some scientists to do the math, set up calculations and create hypotheses. Especially for raw minerals, but also for plants and other aspects. Even natural implications had to be considered. How likely was it that a volcano would erupt and destroy parts of a settlement? Like his son Joaquin's fiancee Poca from the natives used to say: "You know nothing, Joaquin Fontonajo", whenever they walked the forests. And she was so damn right about it. And of course contributors of knowledge needed to be rewarded. Which basically summarized the last main aspect of his campaign. Oleon had set up a fantastic reward programm, acknowledging the most successful pioneers' achievements with medals of honour. Eslandola needed a "Pioneer Reward Programm" as well. Especially one that was not purely - or even not at all - monetarily driven. Money was plentiful in the colonies, but honour was what most of the rich people lacked, and what the Colonial Council would have to get them with. He thought of some kind of reward tree, where eager pioneers could earn their rank up the ladders, and gain titles. Where... "Silent!", hissed Betito, pointing his ears, drawing his rapier, when suddenly a grim man jumped around the corner of the warehouse they were just passing - all clad in yellow, with a white bandana, a pistol in his hand, running towards Román Fontonajo, shouting "For Mardier!!!". Betito took a step forward, his rapier pointed towards the attacker. The Mardierian assassin lifted his pistol. While he slowed to find aim at Román, and while Betito drew his gun, a shot banged, echoing through the street. Still running, the assassin stumbled, fell, coming to a halt only before Betito's feet. Fontonajo's guard quickly executed the foe. Behind the attacker's corpse Román Esteban Fontonajo blew the smoke off his pistol, looked at his terrified wife, calmly stating: "Mardier? Denied, I say." Román then took Clarissa's hand, tapped Betito on the shoulder and gave a look of approval to his loyal guard, and continued their way. "Find someone to get rid of the corpse, and let the world know.", Román said with an icecold tone. MOC is inspired by the Elysabethtown-style from @TitusV.
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Part 1 - The Highest Position Part 2 - Glorious New World Part 3 - Handling Business Part 4 - Winning the people Part 5 - The Candidate Part 6 - The Safe Harbour Plan Part 7 - Beyond Part 8 - The Launching Part 9 - Denied Part 10 - Admius Legistrad "We really need to sharpen our diplomatic relationships", Román Fontonajo told the crowd, standing around him at the quays of Pontelli, two hours after his big speech. "What do you mean by that, governor Fontonajo?", a merchant asked him. "Are Corrington or Oleon our friends, our allies? Or just neighbours who we happen to have some singular good relations with? Is Mardier really our enemy, are we really at war with them? The fact that you don't know the answers any better than I do, at least I assume - and who could blame any of us? - is proof enough that our relationships aren't clear enough." "And how do you plan on changing that, governor?" "Talking, much talking. With them, I mean. Paired with mutual understanding. And mutual benefit. No agreement will work that only brings benefit to one of the parties, and only harm to the other. There always has to be something in it for both sides. And then we need to maintain it all in written words, a treaty. We should have many of those, clearly stating what all involved parties will do in the future.", Román explained. "Any example?", a guy from the crowd asked. "Sure. I can imagine some of the trading nations - like us, Oleon, Corrington, Garvey - agreeing on a treaty that we will always leave our ports open to each other. It's not so much about changing things, more about solidifying the current status. Like I said: Sharpen it." A wealthy cloth merchant, who had long business relations with Fontonajo, took the word: "Román, earlier in your inspiring speech you told us that you intend to make the seas safer again, especially in regards to pirates taking our trading ships. As you know I have only recently lost two of my trading ships, so I am more than curious, my friend, to hear your ideas on how to handle the pirates. Another Purge maybe?" Román didn't need any time for consideration, but had his answer ready: "The Purge was a great initiative, and I think may well be continued. But there sure have to be other options as well. When I think about the Sea Rats for example - anarchistic though they often are - most of them are far from being pirates. Some have been both your and my trading partners for many years. Others have helped us against Mardier. Many just look for profit, and due to lack of their own trading goods try to profit from other people's goods, like ours. Why not just offer them better profit? Many of them are fierce warriors at sea - why shouldn't we hire them to protect our convoys? Give it a moment of thought." Román turned his head and continued watching the launching of the "Colonia", one of the fastest ships that have been built in the new world so far. She was a true beauty. His true beauty. His fast beauty. "Governor?", one of the men around him interrupted his thoughts. "Where do you plan to take the Colonia for her maiden voyage and continue your campaign?" "Elysabethtown. And then to Salida Este on Ferro Azure.", Román told the people, making one of the most fatal mistakes of his life. Because little did he know that not all ears who listened to him were friendly.
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Part 1 - The Highest Position Part 2 - Glorious New World Part 3 - Handling Business Part 4 - Winning the people Part 5 - The Candidate Part 6 - The Safe Harbour Plan Part 7 - Beyond Part 8 - The Launching Part 9 - Denied Part 10 - Admius Legistrad "My dear friend Willem... no, that is weird.", Román said. "Keep it simple. Just dear Willem?", Clarissa suggested. "Dear Willem, today I want to inform you about a delicate matter.... no, that's crap.", he said. "plans? like 'inform you about my plans'?", she brought up. "Great! Dear Willem, today I want to inform you about my plans. My most secret plans. The thing that I call 'The Safe Harbour Plan' in my speeches. Something noone else knows,yet. And you are one of the chosen Eslandolans that I want to inform about it.", Román continued. "Stop being so dramatic. You have a great plan and want to inform your friend, not convince him with some overexaggerated speech about good and evil... No need to be such a dramaqueen.", she said, punching him slightly. "Gosh, I love you, my beauty." "Sure you do.", Clarissa smiled at him, her face expressing deep love. After a pause and some moments of thought Román started writing and murmured: "Dear Willem, today I want to inform you about the Safe Harbour Plan for Eslandola, as part of my campaign for... - ok, I will do that later. Let's talk about my slogan for now." "Making our Harbours safe again?", she said, laughing. He looked at her, smiling. "suuuuuure..." "But really, are you sure that Safe Harbour initiative is the right thing? I mean, not the idea, the idea is right, but... like putting it in your campaign, without being able to say a word about it? That does not seem to make much sense?" "Welcome to the world of dramaqueen, baby! No really, I think it gives the whole thing a special mysterious appeal. Some kind of elitism, which is one of the main unique selling points that we have left in a world where the general public votes, and can even candidate, don't you think?", explained Román. She took a brief pause to consider before she replied: "I guess. ... But you evade, my love. Your slogan?" "Juan suggested that "make great again" slogan. I don't like it. I mean, I like it, but everyone seems to use it already. So... mainstream, you know?" "Then it's not the right thing for you. I mean, after all, if you don't stand behind it?" "True that", Román said, "... but what else do we have?" Clarissa Raltessa Fontonajo deeply looked her husband in the eyes when she asked him: "What do you think really differentiates you... from the rest of the world? I mean like... What is that very essence that makes you... be more?" And in that moment Román knew his slogan. "Beyond", he said, nodding his head, smiling at his wife in full happiness. In the new world arranged marriage was considered a bad thing. But Clarissa was the best that had ever happened to him, arranged though their marriage had been, slightly awkward at first, but grown over time. And the love he felt for her went deep. And for the next hours on their trip to Pontelli noone said a word. Because noone had to.
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As you may recall, Guy’s Uncle had a wonderful get-rich-quick scheme. He plotted to force Eslandola’s cities to buy his hang-resistant palm trees so that justice could always be close at hand (having to walk to the beach was very annoying). So Uncle showed up one day as Guy was chilling out from a long day of work setting up the new Colonial Council, by admiring a model of a ship he had recently commissioned for the MCTC. “I’ve got a job for you.” “Uncle!?!?!?” “I’m going into the palm tree business.” “Um… I… how did you – palm tree business? You’ve been in that one ever since I can remember!” “I'm taking it to new heights. And I want you to help me.” “Um… well… yeah, that would be great, but – well, I’m kind of like… really busy right now…” Guy’s Uncle looked around the porch, clearly unconvinced. “I was just – taking a little break,” Guy explained. “Mm-hmm. What’s that?” Uncle pointed with his stick to the miniature ship. “Oh… it’s a little model ship. The original should be completed soon and chartered by the MCTC.” “Wyndzon Shipwrights?” “No, actually – a MAESTRO shipwright is building it for us. That is…” Guy instantly regretted having mentioned this fact. He went on, talking as fast as he could, “I really am very busy. Besides, you know me. Never could grow anything. Don’t have a green thumb!” “No, that’s not the sort of help I need. I want you to legislate a new requirement. Each city must have a grove of palm trees in the town square. To facilitate executing justice.” “Oh! That’s an interesting… well, let’s see. We have to wait until a new Admius Legistrad is elected, but then we could introduce the piece of legislation before the Colonial Council, and if they pass it…” “What?” “Oh! I had forgotten – you weren’t here – see, we developed a new constitution! Eslandola now has a Continental Council – that’s me, Wilkinson, Filamento, and Guilder – he’s been added recently – and we’re busy electing a Colonial Council – eight positions, three seats each. Exciting times, don’t you think, Uncle? We didn’t go to pieces without you, after all!” Guy rubbed his hands nervously and glanced at his Uncle, who seemed less than impressed. “No! You’ve done worse!” “Worse?” “Yes! You’ve gone mad! Stark, staring mad! Constitution, forsooth! Constitution be hung!” Guy’s Uncle left in a huff, but turned back to shout, “I’ll get you for this, or you aren’t my nephew! You can’t change Eslandola’s government system with impunity! It’ll come back to haunt you – mark my words!” This was a fairly quick vig mainly to advance the storyline... I'm getting a little tired of scenes that are just two people talking, and went a little wild with the colors on this one. To put it mildly. C&C welcome... and the sequel should come soon as Uncle begins to take his revenge...
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Building ships, licensing properties, raising troops, and financing expeditions to find new islands are not cheap endeavors. And when you bring back all that gold from your latest expedition, where are you going to store it? In all of these cases, the Weelond Investment and Financial Exchange is here to serve you. The Weelond Investment and Financial Exchange is willing to help you with financing expensive endeavors, for a fee or a percentage of course. And the secure vault is a safe place for you to store your gold and other precious metals and gems. You could even make a small percentage of profit if you allow the Exchange to use your gold in its transactions, while your total deposit value is guaranteed. You can post banking inquiries here or PM Capt Wolf if you want to discuss things privately. The Exchange is located on a prominent street corner in Weelond. Today we see a wealthy adventurer concluding a deal with the banker. A ne’er-do-well hiding around the corner will be disappointed to discover that all of the adventurer’s gold is safely in the vault. About the build: This MOC started out as an experiment to see what I could do with a couple of those big roof pieces from a Harry Potter set. I’m happy with how I was able to extend the length of the roof, but the depth of the building is still very limited, so I added the rear extension for the vault. Turning it into an actual operating bank was a spur of the moment idea as I was working on the write-up. We’ll have to wait to see if I make a fortune or go broke! More pictures without the figures: Thanks for looking. All C&C (and banking inquiries) welcome! -
Part 1 - The Highest Position Part 2 - Glorious New World Part 3 - Handling Business Part 4 - Winning the people Part 5 - The Candidate Part 6 - The Safe Harbour Plan Part 7 - Beyond Part 8 - The Launching Part 9 - Denied Part 10 - Admius Legistrad It seemed as if all inhabitants of Salida Este on Ferro Azure were on their feet, when Román Fontonajo's ship, the Colonia, arrived at port. The governor of Nellisa disembarked, and the news quickly spread, and a crowd followed him, already shouting his name. He arrived at the town square, more than hundred people already following him. More and more were coming. Perfect. He climbed a podium, that had quickly been set up by some of the Colonia's sailors. He gave Clarissa a hand and helped her up. Fontonajo gave the crowd a while to fully gather and calm down again, before he started. "Hello Salida Este, glorious Eslandolan beauty - here on Ferro Azure!" Jubilation. "And how great you all look today!" Cheering, again. "And I am glad I still look healthy as well. - As some of you may have heard already a Mardierian assassian tried to kill me while I was visiting Elysabethtown yesterday!" Of course none of them could know yet, and the crowd was shocked. Always use your harm to your advantage. "Only due to the alertness and great presence of mind of my loyal guard Betito Carpato we could bring the assassin down. Betito, my dear friend - I know you don't like the attention, but please, do me the favour and come up here. The great people of Salida Este want to give you your well-deserved applause!" Betito climbed the stage, feeling absolutely out of place when the crowd cheered for him. Don Fontonajo had been right, Betito thought. He had indeed never liked attention. But Román meant it, he really wanted to do Betito a favour. And in fact, he did. As the crowdapplauded noone but him, the man in the shadows, for saving the life of one of Eslandola's most famous men... positive shivers went down his spine, and he did enjoy it. "Let me tell you", Román continued, "I am glad to be here. Yet the failed assassination attempt on my very person has also opened my eyes. We need to think even further beyond! How can we protect our children from such harm?!" Betito was still on the stage. He really seemed to start enjoying it. Good. Sure he deserved the honour for all his service. But Román also had further plans with him. He needed people around him whose loyalty went beyond money. Betito was one of few. The guard had to get used to it. But time to continue convincing Ferro Azure. ... And for more than half an hour Román talked to the people of Salida Este, picturing his plans and visions for future Eslandola. ... And then it was time for the final blow. "Eslandola, I say! Beyond today, beyond tomorrow, beyond us! Standing here in front of you, the most wonderful pioneers of our magnificent new world, the people of Salida Este, I have realized that even I need to do more. Representing our beloved Sea of Thieves region cannot be enough to shape the future of Eslandola the way we all imagine it!" A brief pause, no more. "I hereby announce my candidacy for Admius Legistrad, first among equals in the Colonial Council, representative of all Eslandolans! Support me, and I will lead us all to the most glorious future, even brighter than you can imagine it now! FOR ESLANDOLA!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And thus the final part of Román Esteban Fontonajo's campaign for Admius Legistrad has been finished. It was a great journey and some huge fun. I hope you enjoyed the storyline and the small MOCs coming with it. Shots of the market booths:
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Part 1 - The Highest Position Part 2 - Glorious New World Part 3 - Handling Business Part 4 - Winning the people Part 5 - The Candidate Part 6 - The Safe Harbour Plan Part 7 - Beyond Part 8 - The Launching Part 9 - Denied Part 10 - Admius Legistrad "... First I will strengthen our economy. The treasuries of Eslandola are filled. Now is the time to invest our money and fund further ventures in all of the colonies. We should support all pioneers who set up new structures in Colonial Eslandola. We always have to look beyond, my friends. The more we invest today the more we will all benefit tomorrow. In the three months of my period I plan to invest at least 5.000 DBs from our national treasury, to increase our fixed monthly income by at least 1.000 DBs." Too much content? Too much math? Clarissa had not been sure, but Román knew he also had to get the intellectual, the merchants, the landlords. And the shipwrights, captains and sailors. "While our land based economy has no match in the colonies, our naval forces still lack. We MUST put an end to this. Eslandola will have to massively fund ships, both for private ownership - which includes Trading Companies or even towns - as well as for national usage. During my period I plan to invest at least 3.000 DBs in our naval forces. By the end of my period we need to have at least another 10 ships of a rating of 4 or higher. No Eslandolan captain or sailor should have to stay in port ever again - unless you want to enjoy yourself in one of my great taverns, of course!" Laughter from the crowd. Happiness of the people is key. "I have already talked a lot about my 'Safe Harbour Plan'. No need to bore you with that again, is there?" Of course he had not talked about it at all in public, but neglecting such truths was the power of speeches. Román knew how to use it. "We live in times of prosperty, of peace." An indignant shout from the back rows of his audience interrupted him. "Ahh, I hear you, back there. Yes, you, the grim warrior with the green bandana. You have recently fought the Mardierians at sea, I assume? Thanks for your service to our country, good sir! Your drinks tonight are on me!" The man shouted "Fontonajo", and the crowd started cheering. So cheap... But time to continue with business. "And while you are right that at sea our war with Mardier is still ragjng day and night, we will yet have to see a city being raided by them, don't we? I haven't seen their troops in our lands, either, have you? But beware, I say! We need to look beyond today. Pirates have recently started to gather and coordinate attacks, and Mardier is not the only potential foe out there. We need to further fortify our towns, the pillars of our colonial magnitude! Do you know how many forts Salida Este has? Well, I don't! Nor do I know for most other settlements. If we want to start thinking beyond, knowledge needs to be the first step. For every settlement I will list the current forts, and the maximum amount of forts each town could afford. Based on these facts we will craft a plan on the next forts that need to be built. And hear me, people of Pontelli, I ask you to go ahead and inform the best stonemasons, because the rewards will be plentiful! For Eslandolan Fortitude, beyond tomorrow!" More cheering. Good, they liked the idea. And Eslandola was in dire need of that initiative! But now the next step. Flatter them, and open their eyes at the same time. Not an easy ask. "And now to you, my dear people of Pontelli! Each and everyone of you is a true pioneer of Eslandola! Together in the past years we have all gone beyond what anyone thought was possible! Together we have shaped this new world! Colonial Eslandola! Who would have dreamt that we would get this far? Enjoy that moment, because it's for you!" He gave them a quick pause to see themselves in the middle, recipient of honour, for once. "But we won't be pioneers forever! Think beyond today! Pontelli needs you, you cannot all colonize new islands - but someone has to! We have to acquire new pioneers for our missions. We need to make Colonial Eslandola more attractive to new members. More financial rewards, more free properties in the new world. Maybe even a small ship to start with for every new pioneer of Colonial Eslandola? The attraction of new members will not go without effort, but together we can do it!" ... And thus Román Esteban Fontonajo continued telling the crowd in front of his warehouse in Pontelli about his plans. ... "Eslandola is strong, prosperous, magnificent! But I for one will not rest. I will continue to do what I have always done. Like every single one of you, I will continue to think beyond tomorrow, to plan beyond today, and will do it. And I tell each and everyone of you as well. Let's do it together, let us all GO BEYOND!" Another look at Fontonajo holding a speech in front of his warehous in Pontelli (I tried to match the city-style from Captain Braunsfeld):
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An old cook made butcher. When Felipe and Basil arrived at Fuerte Unido with their new vessel, they brang with them a crew of value. And one of those capable men was the board cook... He was a strong man burnt by the sun and a capable sailor in addition to be a great cook ! At the arrival to Fuerte Unido, he took on himself to develop a butcher shop and asked to Felipe to stay in Fuerte Unido to feed the soldiers. Felipe simply could not refuse. So he let his best cook at land to be a butcher. Now the butcher shop is newly open ! The pork gardian, a poor boy, too young to be a good mousse, is already bringing some piggies from the fortified farm built among the rocks. Inside the shop our former sailor is serving some clients. This is a small commerce built in Fuerte Unido for the Operation KMA. C & Cs are welcome. -
To outsiders it might look like a tense time in Eslandola, what with the attack on the treasure fleet and the war with Mardier, but we also like to party. And that’s why Weelond’s annual Octoberfest celebration goes on as scheduled, featuring drink, food, games and amusements, traditional Eslandolan costumes (?!), drinking (did we mention drinking?), and more. So regardless of where you’re from, come to Weelond and have some fun! Rules: Your entry must showcase an activity at the Weelond Octoberfest. Your entry must be located in Weelond (post in the Weelond settlement thread). You must provide a link to your entry below. You must submit your entry by the 23rd of October, 12:00 PM, your time zone. Your entry must measure no more than 12 studs in width and length. There is no height restriction. Your entry may only have a minimal (2 stud) overhang. Only one prize maximum will be awarded per entrant. Prizes will be paid in November, not October. You may only submit a maximum of two entries. You must be a BoBS member to participate, but you can belong to any faction. Prizes: A panel of judges, including the leader of MCTC and the mayor of Weelond, will judge all entries and choose a select number of favorites to be exhibited on the front of this year’s Octoberfest poster. Two winning entries with be awarded 30 DBs each (one for Eslandola entries, and one for non-Eslandola entries). Every entry chosen for the Octoberfest poster will be awarded 10 DBs.
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For looking at this build I recommend having this video open: Our lumberjacks are busy, every now and then they need a break, and what's better than making music while doing that? Even Gouverneur Monezterell decided to join them making music. Even some Soldiers decided to take a short break to listen to the music... Licensed as a small Art/Culture in Fuerte Unido -
After a good, healthy swim, William Oswald Brickinson reached the island: The mysterious island consisted of rocks – and strange spewing statues! While Brickinson stood still in amazement – looking at the spewing statue – he did not notice that he was not alone. Some islanders had been watching him for a while. But that was not the only shock for Brickinson: Right there behind the islanders rose the mighty statue of a monkey. The monkey's head was carrying a crown – and the left hand was holding a stone banana – or was it a long rock or a fossilized spear? Had the islanders built this massive statue? It was bigger than anything Brickinson had seen in all of Eslandola. It turned out that the islanders spoke the Eslandolean tongue reasonably well to allow for a conversation. Brickinson was introduced to the chief of the tribe, a guy called Toktawhoo. They sat down at the feet of the monkey statue and Brickinson told Toktawhoo what had recently happened to him. Toktawhoo was understanding and emphatic. A young island girl came and offered Brickinson a drink. He accepted gladly, being thirsty after his sea adventure. The drink was strong and strange. Somebody spoke and Brickinson fell into a dream. He felt like Brickinson in the Sky with Diamonds... .... and in his dream he started to see strange things... ... as if the true nature of the world was revealed to him .... ... and then: [First Speaker] I think he should be able to hear us now. [Second Speaker] Yes, hear - and understand. [First Speaker] Good. Listen, Colonel Brickinson. We made you perform many tasks for us, most of them quite dangerous. You have risked your life - and you have enabled us to achieve our goal. What was the total again? [Second Speaker] 23 pirate ships, 3 hidden islands and 2 pirate fortresses, [First Speaker] Not bad at all. Colonel, your service will not go without recognition. [First Speaker] So, please accept our gift as a compensation. Your good name in Pontelli has been restored. The dream seemed to come to an end. Strange colours and voices vanished. And when Brickinson awoke, he could not quite remember what he had dreamt, but inside he felt a sense of accomplishment and a feeling of happiness. He only had a vague sensation that something weird had happened. And he was holding two coloured glass pieces in his hands. Maybe something else had changed too. It felt like it was time to go home. Some more pictures of Monkey Island: I tried to build this as a reference to the classic islander sets. Albeit with some new elements: Here is the Simian-Plan storyline: 1 MRCA Result April & May: Sunk and Taken by Pirates 2 Has Brickinson gone mad? 3 The End of a Pirate 4 Visiting a Pirate Island 5 A Dream Within A Dream 6 Pirate Hunter King Archibald 7 Woe is me! 8 The Black Moustache and his Green Flying Dutchman 9 ... but I have signed the contract .... 10 Now, what have we got here ... 11 The Great Escape 12 Please don't dive .... 13 The Brickinson Case 14 Island in the Sun 15 The Rescue Mission Happy to see that Eurobricks is kind of running again. I had to pause for a week or so as I feared I would not get this picture-heavy chapter posted. Thanks for watching! C&C welcome!
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Prior builds: In the Captains Cabin (Bregir) Pieces Of A Puzzle (Ayrlego) Arriving at Mooreton Bay (Bregir) Plundering the Treasure Fleet (Ayrlego) Two weeks prior to the events in Mooreton bay... It was a busy day in Nova Terreli's harbour area. Captain Corvus Rohgert from Garvey and his daughter Ellissea walked towards a green house that was well known to many sailors and captains in town: "Mayne's Black Cannonballs". In his factory Aurelio Mayne pours good iron-made cannonballs. But that's not why he is well known. It's his special (and secret) black enamel varnish in which he paints the cannonballs, giving them a special dynamic and additional strength when hitting their target. Mayne also started selling other goods, like dynamite or bullets for guns, but only the cannonballs are actually self-made and the source of his success. Román Fontonajo had long ago realised the potential of Mayne's method and financed the factory for a fair share in profits. "Hello there", captain Rohgert said when he entered the sales-room. "Good day, sir! How can I serve you?", Aurelio replied. "I, Captain Corvus Rohgert, need quite a few cannonballs for my ship, the Shareka." "You are from Carno, right?" "Is that a problem?" "Not in the slightest, my friend! Your daughter, I assume?, seems bored. How is your name, little lady?", Aurelio asked. "Ellissea", the young girl replied. "That's a nice name. Your daddy and I need to do some talking, but we won't need too long." "... so 640 cannonballs delivered to the pier until tomorrow evening.", Aurelio said. "Yes." "But pardon, good sir, that I ask: What is that kind of ship, that needs 640 cannonballs? Your Shareka must be a 5-rated, no, that must be at least a 6-rated ship?!" "Haha! My Shareka is far from that. A class 3 at best, I'd rather rate it class 2, if you ask me. Quite well rounded she is, though. But..." "... yeah, I know, it's actually none of my business, am I right?", Aurelio replied. "Quite right. So we have a deal?" "Yes, Captain Rohgert. Our delivery will be in time." "And here is your money.", said the Garvian, handing over the golden coins. "Thank you, thank you. Good travels, captain!" "Good balls, ballmaker! Come on, Ellissea, time to go. Say bye to the man." Back on the street Ellissea asked: "Daddy, why do they need so much gold to make those cannonballs? Wouldn't iron be cheaper?" Corvus looked at her, frowning: "Gold? Cannonballs are not made from gold, my dear. You do indeed pour iron." "But they did take gold!", Ellisea insisted. "Gold? Really? That does not make... wait! ... gold... black colouring... hide it.... brilliant! ... oh... Ellissea, are you absolutely sure?!", he stared at her. "Yes, daddy. I am not stupid, I know how gold looks. They use gold, very much gold" "So that's where they have hidden the gold in here... Oh wow, Janszoon will like those news. He will indeed. Oh sweetheart, we are gonna be so rich! Rich, you hear me?", he said, laughing. She smiled: "Can we buy some chocolate then?" "It's cocoa-lait, darling. Like cocoa from Cocovia with lait, which is Oleander for milk. Don't ask me why they mixed it like this. But of course, of course, we will buy you cocoa-lait or chocolate or whatever you want to call it my love!" Yes. The young Ellisea had seen correctly: Aurelio's men currently also made cannonballs of gold instead of iron, which they then painted black. Román Fontonajo had been given order to organise the transport of a large portion of the gold for the old world and had been confronted with the task to bring it on board of the ship - without letting anyone know. Who would suspect black cannonballs to be made of gold? A brilliant plan indeed, Aurelio Mayne and Román Fontonajo had agreed. Little could they have foreseen that a small girl named Ellissea from Garvey would pry their secret and tell her father, who would then provide the information... to his boss, captain Janszoon of the Dark Oak, privateer from Garvey, just waiting for his chance to become rich... And it was a lot of information: Confirming what the treasury clerk had told them. He now also knew that at least a part of the treasure fleet started from Nova Terreli. And of course he now knew that even though the gold might not be visible it would still be on the ships. Well hidden in cannonballs.
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Prior builds: In the Captains Cabin (Bregir) Pieces Of A Puzzle (Ayrlego) Arriving at Mooreton Bay (Bregir) Dirk, Davy and Sergeant Gowan weren’t the only new crewman the Black Oak had taken on of late, and soon after boarding they were assigned various tasks and duties. It was not long before they turned up good intelligence on the privateer either. The crew were more than willing to talk of the rumoured Eslandolan treasure fleet they were going after and there was much speculation on how they would take prizes from the fleet. Dirk also discovered that on the way to Leopoldis the Oak had taken a Corlander merchantman and that deep in the hold approximately half a dozen Corlander prisoners were being kept in captivity. In Dirk’s mind, this fact, more than any other made the Oak a legitimate target for Captain Cooke and the Ironsides. Further evidence was uncovered when a ship named Shareka arrived in the bay with supplies for the Oak. The captain of the Shareka, Corvus Rohgert, came aboard briefly with a load of cannonballs for the frigate. He disappeared into the Captain's cabin with the Captain of the Black Oak, Hendrick Janszoon and the quartermaster. The trio emerged after an hour or so and Rohgert returned to his vessel. Of course the plan upon boarding the Oak had always been to conduct a quick reconnaissance, gather any information they could glean, and then sneak off as soon as possible. Unfortunately however that wasn’t quite how it worked out… Janszoon, now fully re-crewed and resupplied, had decided to quietly slip out of Leopoldis that very night. With no chance to sneak ashore, Dirk and his companions had little choice but to put to sea with the privateer with the hope that the Ironsides would catch up with them before too long. The three meet on the upper decks to conduct a whispered conversation. “Well a fine pickle we find ourselves in now isn’t it” declared Davy “Indeed.” answered Dirk, “The plan was always going to be for Cooke and the Ironsides to intercept the Oak after she left Leopoldis… of course we were supposed to be aboard the Ironsides and not the Oak!” “Aye well, when the Ironsides turns up we’ll swap sides I imagine” injected the Sergeant Gowan nonchalantly . “Yes, and if we can free the prisoners in the hold it will bolster our force – hopefully we can give Cooke the advantage he needs.” continued Dirk. "Some gossip you may be interested in Major, it appears that Rohgert bought the Captain some interesting news" said Davy. Apparently a portion of the greenback treasure will be disguised as cannonballs...." “Oi, you three, back to work you lubbers” screamed the quartermaster, spying the trio talking. With that the three men went back to their tasking. After three days sailing the Oak had spotted the sails of the treasure fleet on the horizon, but there was still no sign of the Ironsides. The next days were spent stalking the fleet from a distance. Janszoon was confident that a chance would arrive to pick off vessels one at a time. On the forth day cannon shot could be heard over the horizon, and it was assumed that the fleet had engaged other pirates somewhere to the north. The Oak’s chance came shortly thereafter. During a small squall that night, one of the fleet’s galleons became separated from the rest of the fleet and lagged behind. Janszoon took his chance and pounced, at full sail the Oak surged through the waves and gave chase. Dirk and Davy observed the Galleon from the deck. “Rather old fashioned looking” commented Dirk “An older galleon” stated Davy. “The greenbacks have been using them to transport their wealth back to the mainland since men first sailed out here.” “So the pirate’s confidence in taking her easily is well founded?” asked Dirk. “Nay,” answered Davy, “Don’t be fooled by her gaudy colours and stubby old fashioned appearance, the greenbacks still use them for a reason – they are strong and extremely tough and well armed for a merchantman. Also her decks are higher than ours, which makes her less manoeuvrable, but also means we will be at a disadvantage when boarding.” Davy pondered the situation some more. “This crew we find ourselves part of is new and has been hastily thrown together. Most of the men have never worked together before, although there are a sprinkling of old salts through the crew and most have had individual experience at sea actions.” “The notable expectation being me of course” quipped Dirk. Although an experienced army officer he had never fought on the high seas before. “Aye, except for you and the good Sergeant, landlubbers you are” replied Davy. “If we catch her it will be a close thing I predict. Her crew will be good and they know there will be no mercy from pirates – they’ll fight hard. I suspect that the Captain knows it too, that’s why he beefed up the crew in Leopoldis. The question I have for you Major Allcock, is what do we do in a boarding action” Both men pondered that for a while. While Dirk was still silent Davy added, “If things don’t go well for us we’ll never convince the greenbacks we are Corrie spies, they’ll execute us as pirates – if they even allow us to surrender… and even if the Oak gets away, the pirates here will know we didn’t fight and we will probably meet the same fate… or worse…” Dirk look up. “Then we hope that we don’t catch her… but if we do….” This next part came hard for the usually law abiding Major. “… then I guess we fight as pirates and hope Cooke catches up with us soon.” There really wasn’t any other alternative. Unfortunately for Dirk, a few hours later it seemed inevitable they would catch the smaller vessel. As the first cannon crashed out Dirk found himself crewing one of the cannons on the gun deck of the frigate. Thus Major Dirk Allcock, temporary military commander of the Corlander colony of Alicentia and Secretary of the Royal Society of Natural Philosophy reluctantly became a pirate. The two ships exchanged fire for only a short time. Janszoon closed in on the galleon, who was revealed to have the name Alejandro de Vargas. The approach was made as fast as possible as to not overly damage his potential prize. A lucky cannon ball from the Oak knocked out the Alejandro’s rudder meaning the Oak was able to rapidly approach alongside for boarding. The men abandoned the cannons and Dirk found himself with Davy and Sergeant Gowan forming up with the aft attack party on the main deck. Small arms fire began to ring out as the Eslandolan Marines opened fire with their muskets. Sharp shooters from both ships masts began their own deadly duel. Sergeant Gowan, the best shot of the trio, joined in the shooting, and to the delight of the nearby pirates managed to hit a marine perched in the galleon’s main mast. The first grappling hooks were thrown across from the Oak and men heaved the two ships closer together. It was now, with the two vessels locked in a deadly embrace that disaster struck for the pirates. Just as the men were about to surge forward and leap onto the galleon, a wave lifted her out of the water enough to give one of her forward guns a clear shot of the deck. The Eslandolans manning the gun had been waiting for just such an opportunity, and had charged the gun with a musket balls and metal scraps. The deadly grape shot crashed across the forecastle of the Oak, cutting down most of the waiting forward boarding party, including the ship’s Quartermaster. Before Dirk had time to fully comprehend this event, the ships crashed together with a terrifying crack of timber and Dirk stumbled and was pushed forward with the rest of the aft boarding party. He leaped up onto the deck of the galleon and had barely scrambled to his feet before being knocked back down by the body of the pirate before him. A group of Eslandolan marines, led by a Sergeant in an old fashioned breastplate, polished to a gleaming silver and carrying a wicked looking poleaxe. The marines charged. Dirk just had time to lift his pistol and dispatch one before the lines crashed together. Hastily discarding the pistol, his sword came up desperately to parry an attack from an Eslandolan sailor. In those first minutes of the melee, the greater numbers of pirates began to slowly overcome the defenders. However this ended when a party of Eslandolan marines and sailors who were stationed forward to repel boarders rushed aft to join the battle. They were no longer required forward due to the fact the survivors of the Oak’s forward boarding party remained onboard the Oak. Now evenly matched, things were becoming desperate for the attacking pirates. Dirk found himself alongside his trusted Sergeant and the two fought together as they had many times on land. Dirk found himself facing the Marine Sergeant with the breastplate and poleaxe. He was able to somehow parry the first two crushing blows, but was completely off balance for the third. It was then a pistol ball struck the marine’s breast plate and deflected up, lodging in the man’s jaw. Dirk glanced behind to see Davy holding a smoking pistol. “Was saving that one” he commented laconically. Eventually the Eslandolan defence collapsed due to the greater numbers of pirates and sheer ferocity of their attack. The survivors, including the trio of Corlanders, stood exhausted on the blood soaked deck. The casualties were enormous however, far greater than anticipated – almost half the Oak’s crew were dead or maimed to the point where they were useless. Not a single Eslandolan survived. Night was fast approaching, and to make things worse it seems so was another squall. Desperate repairs began on both ships. Dirk could never recall much of what happened in the next few hours, the men feverishly worked in a state of trance to repair the ships in order to get underway. It was clear that they would need to return to a safe harbour with their prize before attempting another attack on the fleet. Janszoon was furious. Soon both ships were limping forward, a skeleton prize crew including Davy aboard the Alejandro. Dirk and Sergeant Gowan remained aboard the Oak. Then as the last light was quickly fading on the western horizon, a cry from the lookout alerted the crew to sails on the southern horizon… -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An extra shot
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“World famous explorer Thaddeus Calvo claims the Fountain of Youth in the name of King Fernando and Eslandola. Calvo followed the clues that dozens of other adventurers failed to decipher to find the no-longer-mythical waters on an undisclosed island in the east. Calvo is now the toast of the Brick Seas, as leaders of various factions bid on his services.” Yes, that is how the report in the Kings Port Advertiser should read, thought Calvo. Publicity and showmanship are key in this new modern age! That is why Calvo, moderately famous in certain social circles, brought along a painter to capture the moment for posterity. Putting two of the finest suits of armor he could lay his hands on (it’s amazing how much like gold you can make an old brass breastplate look with a little elbow grease) on a couple of his crew, he had them stand in the background with the Eslandic banner. The natives were willing to pose for the painting for a few trade items. The hardest part of this “epic” quest, thought Calvo, was finding such an idyllic-looking spot that wouldn’t be instantly recognizable. The Fountain of Youth? Surely this large puddle from a recent rainstorm, dressed up with some border stones, has mythical restorative powers! Once back to civilization, Calvo would hire another artist to convert the painting to an engraving suitable for mass printing. Then this image would be all anyone would know of this “glorious” moment, and kings and trade companies would shower him with gold and everlasting fame would be his! * * * * * I decided to try my hand again at a FP build, but I couldn't get the background elements out of the field of focus. Other than that, I'm relatively happy with the effect. As for the story concept, I just wanted to poke fun at how various historic events are "preserved." All C&C welcome!
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Harr, yargh! Err....I mean hello good friends of BOBS! Here is my new ship, La Santa Catalina: Captain Green Hair and some of Eslandola's finest are ready on deck to go get some booty: More about this model can be read here, I will license her as a 3T2. She does have different flags and a different name in that topic though.
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As news of the Treasure Fleet spread like wildfire through the Brick Seas an enterprising groups of light fingered locals decided to see if they could "redistribute" some of the treasure themselves before it was loaded onto the ships. Having managed to find one of the warehouses by the docks the gang set to work, unwilling to confront the guards at the door they needed another solution. DSCN9548 by Phadeout, on Flickr It had all been going so well... DSCN9550 by Phadeout, on Flickr This treasure would at least make it safely to the ships, after that who can say.. DSCN9575 by Phadeout, on Flickr
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"News has reached me of a great opportunity to throw Eslandola into chaos, a great treasure fleet has been raised to bring the riches of the new world to the King and his court in Terreli. The perils increase manyfold now as you will make haste to your masters and give them these tidings, obviously my involvement will not be a subject of the discussion. So go now, back to Rassilon, Belson and Granoleon, spread the word that Eslandola's fabulous wealth is a jewel for the taking, incite the belligerent and cajole the weak-minded until all the ships of the Brick Seas are hunting this fleet." DSCN9541 by Phadeout, on Flickr "Now, they have gone I must thank you for the information again Castillo, so fortunate I was able to secure your release from the jail in Nova Terreli just as you overheard those guards talking about the treasure fleet wasn't it?" "Yes, yes it was, but if it pleases you sir, you seem to know everything already, I do not believe I was the first person to tell you." DSCN9542 by Phadeout, on Flickr "Well done, you are of course correct, I would be nothing if I couldn't find out information such as this without my own network but the truth is you have a link to someone of interest to me. I think it would be fair to say that you have no love for Alejandro de la Calle, his father is probably going to hang any day and although the son still rots in prison for a crime that never took place he will get out someday and would, I'm sure delight in taking some small measure of revenge on you for your part in his present circumstances." ".....ulp, yes..." "Let us say then that I will make sure the ridiculous legal system that is preventing de la Calle the younger's release continues to hold him for now, you put some distance between you, somewhere of my choosing, and you can be ready to assist me when i have need, as a way of showing your gratitude.." DSCN9540 by Phadeout, on Flickr
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At the King's Coast in the southwest of Nellisa near the village of Pesatori stands a lighthouse, above a grotto. The grotto got its name because a famous smuggler had her hideout here until a few years ago. The lighthouse is rumored to be one of the first buildings of Nellisa, and most people call it "The first Lighthouse of Nellisa", or just "The First Lightouse". Briso from Mardier stood at the southwestern beach of Nellisa, a torch in his hands. His men carried the gold into the grotto. Things went smoothly tonight. His men called him captain. Briso liked that. He gave some orders. Quiet. In the protection of the night. When Briso looked into the night he saw the boats coming. Things seemed to have gone smoothly. All was well! Less than a mile away General Alvaro Corteso and his men, the "Wardens of Eslandola", sat on their horses, close to the water. The Wardens of Eslandola held the true Eslandolan values in the colonies and protected Eslandola's growth. They were mostly financed by wealthy merchants, like Román Fontonajo, who had an interest in keeping the island in order. Yesterday they had heard rumors of some suspicious movements at the First Lighthouse. A light was burning. Leonando the lighthouse keeper never had lights burning inside the tower at the middle of the night. But now they saw light. General Corteso took his spy glass and looked out into the ocean where the Princessa was anchoring. Corteso knew the Princessa was one of Fontonajo's ships and carried lots of gold as part of the treasure fleet sailing to Terreli. When Corteso looked at the ocean his jaw dropped! Three smaller rowboats were sailing away from the Princessa, and the gold glittered in the moonlight. The Princessa had been robbed! Corteso took down his spyglass and directed his men's attention towards the rowing boats, which could be seen with bare eyes once they looked closely. Te boats were rowing towards the grotto. Corteso only needed seconds to complete the story in his head: Some pirate scum had stormed the lighthouse. In the secret of darkness those outlaws had rowed towards the Princessa, secretly stolen the gold and were now trying to hide it in the grotto. His men had realised it as well. There was no need for Alvaro Corteso to say anything. "CHARGE! For Eslandola!", he shouted anyway. The whole MOC (48 x ~70) with nightsky: The First Lighthouse (will be licensed as commerce): The Wardens of Eslandola (might be licensed): The Princessa (plan on licensing this as a 2A / 3A, unless rules forbid): Rowing boat: And the whole thing: This were my first attempts at forced perspective. I am still learning. :-) I used some image editing for postproduction (e.g. torch effects, adjusting colours to night etc.). All visible things were actually MOCed though. The ropes at the boats are the only non-LEGO parts. Thanks to everyone in this forum who I stole inspiration from (especially Garmadon for the micro ship). The lighthouse and its window are actually shining - finally a use for those light bricks.
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They knew about the Golden Fleet, but nothing about the escort... The Eslandian authorities, well aware of the leak of their intel concerning the Golden Fleet, had decided to keep more or less the same route, as it was considered the fastest and probably the safest (if we were not counting the numerous pirates that would try to plunder the fleet). So, they decided to recruit some new vessels to create a good escort. This is where the brand new vessel of Felipe de la Manzana had been sent for her maiden trip... Captain Log, end of September 616 : The Galleon we are in charge is peacefully setting sail to our next stop where we will resupply with fresh water, but I am not sure we will not see another pirate flag before. It was exhausting for my crew to protect this Golden Fleet... Every corner of every rock or sand bank from Nellisa to Terelli is welcoming a vessel ready to attack us. Bl...dy officials who are not capable of keeping this fleet a secret. I just left this log away a few minutes and we are already seeing a black sail... It has become a routine now, my sailors are well trained and my artillery crew has became more accurate. Finally, this escort will be a good training for them... Well, I am back to my log, just to report that we effectively intercepted a pirate ship trying to plunder the fleet. The Galleon had been touched but suffered no real damage. My crew managed to cut the road of the pirates apparently quite surprised to discover a heavy armed frigate to stop them. Apparently they knew about the Golden Fleet, but nothing about the escort. This is the official log Felipe de la Manzana left at the Terelli port officer when he arrived safely. After that run, he returned with his brand new Frigate to Elisabethtown to join Basil. He did not knew he would receive urgent orders from the crown just at his arrival... But this is another story... This is, finally, my challenge 4B entry. I hope you will like it ! I really wanted to try some micro ships based on LEGO canot hull. Garmadon made already one and it was so amazing that I couldn't pass on that technique. This challenge was the best opportunity for me to try several ship designs. Your comments and criticisms are very welcome !
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After some discussion the Islanders offered Brickinson to bring him home to Pontelli. It was a sunny day. Not a cloud was in the sky. Not a negative word was heard. While the catamaran was flying over the waves, Brickinson thought about what he had been given on Monkey Island. "Coloured pieces of glass" he thought. "Great". "I didn't even bring that when I came to these waters all these years ago" "And where am I now?" "In the middle of the ocean on a strange boat hopefully heading for Pontelli". What was puzzling Brickinson the most was not the islanders but the first mate The monkey operated the sails and seemed to give orders to the islander at the rudder. This was weird. But from what Brickinson could tell without proper instruments the course was alright. He smiled and relaxed while his newly found friends brought him home. [First Speaker] Everything is going fine. People are distracted by stories of an Eslandolean treasure fleet. [Second Speaker] Yes, they are talking about it everywhere. [First Speaker] Excellent. Banana shake? [Second Speaker] Yes, please. And some music by Bananarama. Here is the Simian-Plan storyline: 1 MRCA Result April & May: Sunk and Taken by Pirates 2 Has Brickinson gone mad? 3 The End of a Pirate 4 Visiting a Pirate Island 5 A Dream Within A Dream 6 Pirate Hunter King Archibald 7 Woe is me! 8 The Black Moustache and his Green Flying Dutchman 9 ... but I have signed the contract .... 10 Now, what have we got here ... 11 The Great Escape 12 Please don't dive .... 13 The Brickinson Case 14 Island in the Sun 15 The Rescue Mission 16 Monkey Island I came across bits and pieces of that catamaran and was able to reconstruct it. Then it was actually posted in the pirates forum! You can check flickr that my pictures were there first! When building the tiles I actually found an unexpected variation of blue. Something between the standard blue and dark blue. Or is it just ageing blue tiles? C&C welcome!
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Ahoy, fellow fleet protectors and plunderers! After the prequel, here's the continuation - Cat. B entry incoming! Bon Voyage! A week after the events in the green navy's HQ back in Terr... let's not do this again – green capital city – the esland... seriously?! – THAT nation's treasure fleet was on its way. The Kings Port Advertiser featured that awareness poster in its latest edition, the fleet had left Nell... that green island in the East – smooth, Mr. Narrator, smooth... without any incidents, and what was best of all – there were no rumors out on the streets about a large convoy filled with gold whatsoever. The green chief's plan had worked out. Kudos on that, Mr. green chief! Time to relax and have a look at one of the treasure ships en route, shall we? What have we got... this one right here, yes, the Santa Clara. Once famed expedition ship of whatwashisname Ivo Fortesque, now commanded by his son Pedro, and assigned a task not less important than the discovery of new shores – the collection of the riches of said shores. Yes, the Santa Clara, here she is. ...wait, is she being boarded by Oleanders? Ah, no, this is just a patrol, obviously helping the fleet to steer clear of the reefs and shallows in the tricky northern waters of LeBellan. Yes, Oleanders, what friendly folks, by the way much nicer than those uptight and arrogant Corries... but let's not go there. Back to the Santa Clara. Well, it seems she and the rest of the fleet will soon be on the final stage of their journey, on the finish-line so to speak, only save waters ahead – what could possibly go wrong now?! Bon voyage! … wait... I just thought I had seen something in the water... … WHAT THE...!!! What is this? What is going on?? Is this a... are those those... MINIONS??? *looses it* It seems... they've come up with a... device – wait, is that their toy from the sewers, but in big?! – and have drilled right through the hull of the Santa Clara... now vacuuming and shoveling the gold right into their dive boat! And nobody is taking notice!! They... they are sneaky geniuses!!! Oh my gods, actually, I'm not even mad, that's amazing!!!! *grabs popcorn* Well, it seems the narrator is gone for a while, so let me continue from here. Nice to meet you, let me show you my overhanging bowsprit... Ahem, let's better have some more pics of the MOC, after all we've barely just met... And lastly, the ships - together with their 'toy' versions: About: Well, where to start... as usual all parts exist, both vessels can be built. I finally managed to finish the Santa Clara, complete with a full hull - which in general is maybe the most annoying thing I've ever 'had' to build. Credits for the technique go to cb4 and Frank Brick Wright. As you can see the upper part of the ship merely rests on the lower hull, which might not seem that stable per se, but something tells me this works... Next, the 'device' - it's sort of a diving vessel, propelled mechanically, and - as the narrator has already pointed out - equipped with a circular saw and a drill for sneak attacks from down below. In case you're wondering where I got the idea from... well, I kind of grew up with it, as the 'Tauchboot' is prominently featured in an old GDR comic, that I've always loved. And the best thing: once the minions dive off, the cut out part of the hull neatly falls back in place... hopefully - otherwise the Santa Clara is doomed So, in the end it seems those Minions are to be reckoned with after all. Still not sure whether this qualifies as protecting or plundering the fleet Hope you enjoy C&C welcome! Vive le Roi!
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