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DISCORD: https://discord.gg/4UPpRSdCsW Revision History: Guilds of Historica New Member Guide Hello fellow adventurer, it looks like you have decided to move to the land of Historica to join us in our quest to flesh out one of the greatest Lego stories ever told. I have prepared this guide to help “ease” you into the guilds project. Perhaps the first question we should answer is “What is the Guilds of Historica?” The simple answer is that it is a building community on Eurobricks that is open to all who wish to join. We tell stories about a land called Historica which currently has five guilds. Each member joins a guild, and builds to win points (Gold Darics) for their guild and to better their building skills. At any given time of the year there may be one or more building challenges that a builder may win recognition and sometimes prizes for themselves. The current official description by ZCerberus is: “The Guilds are a Castle MOCers paradise where builders can connect with other castle fans to build in a connected world of five distinct Guilds, each with their own territory, history, and geography. The world grows as builders compete in challenges to win prizes, enhance their building skills and progress the official lore of Historica. Guilds score gold by competing in challenges and by "free building" in their own guild to grow their world.” Table of Contents 1.0 Choosing a faction 1.1 Choosing a Signature Figure 1.2 Common starting questions 2.0 General Guilds of Historica Guidelines 2.1 Where are we now? 3.0 Some links to important Guilds of Historica information. 1.0 Choosing a Faction The first thing a new builder needs to do is choose a faction. Sometimes guilds are closed for official membership, but you may still build there (see below). Avalonia – A land of that reminds us of Arthurian legend and classic European medieval style. Kaliphlin – A land where desert culture has become king, but also one of the more diverse styled guilds ranging from Mediterranean to Middle Eastern, and from the Far East to pre-Columbian American. Mitgardia – The northern guild, which is more akin to Norse tradition along with some of the other northeastern European styles. Varlyrio - the western island guild, similar to the Mediterranean on the east, dry wasteland in the west, the Venetian capital is closer to Renaissance in feel then the rest of the Guilds. This was closed for Books I and II. CLOSED GUILDS - While members can still build here, new members can no longer join this Guild, and it is no longer included in challenge participation. Nocturnus – A guild of pure and dark fantasy for the most part, but elements of each of the guilds in its own twisted style. This was closed for Book III. As a new builder you should decide to join the guild which you feel the most akin to. Are you looking to step outside of your building comfort zone? Are you looking to stay within the bounds of your own collection? These are all questions you might want to ask yourself. For example, conventionally, you may need a lot of tan pieces to build in Kaliphlin, you may need a lot of white pieces to build in Mitgardia, or a lot foliage to build in Avalonia. (There is no rule that says you need any of this, but there is a common consensus that these elements make it easier). If you think your lack of a certain type of piece will slow you down, maybe another guild is right for you. I personally would suggest joining the guild that most interests you and to start building your collection in that direction. Others will suggest the opposite. Varlyrio is the newest Guild, first opened to members in mid-2018. 1.1 Choosing a Signature Figure After choosing a guild, it is time to choose your signature figure. This figure represents you in the builds that you will be making and in the builds of others (with your permission, of course). You will need to introduce your signature figure in a post in the homepage thread of your chosen guild. Most members post a backstory to their “sig fig” in their initial post. This can really be anything, that is the beauty of the Guilds of Historica – although there is some “cannon” history, it is open enough that whatever you make can stand. If you want to be an ex-slave looking for a new life, you can. If you want to be a high lord of Avalonia, you can! If you want to be a peaceful farmer, you can! Please remember that your signature figure doesn’t have to appear in your builds, but you do need to have one for scoring purposes. (It is also good to have an “In Character” voice to speak with.) 1.2 Common starting questions: Can I have more than one character? Yes! Although one should be your sig fig, and your main character, you can have as many other characters as you wish. The world needs to be populated after all! Can I join Nocturnus? No, Nocturnus is no longer available to new builders for Book III. That guild is available for anyone to build in, but it does not have an open membership. This Guild is no longer included in the active Challenge and Build system of Book III. Can I be a wizard, mage, witch, omnipotent death god? Well, errr…. Yes? You have to remember since this is a community, it might be hard to get everyone on board with a superhuman being that could “consume the Avalonians with fireballs from his eyes, and bolts of lightning from his bum.” ~ Victor Revolword. Which guild is the best to join? They are all the best! Pick whichever you have the most interest in. What kind of challenges are there? 1) Overarching story line challenges: For Book II, this was civil war in all the guilds in turn which give you a couple of months to build. For Book III, this included many builds to further a storyline set forth by the challenge prompts, and a large one near the end that allowed for more direct storyline writing on the part of the participants. 2) "Mini challenges" set as a contest within your guild in between the civil war challenges, with (sometimes) lower stakes. Typically these have shorter deadlines, such as the Sultan's Gate community build, or the Avalonian monarchy challenge. 3) Ongoing skills development challenges like the ages of Mitgardia, the Albion community build, or Historican Settlements. These are basically open ended and which are measured by your own progress rather than in competition with other builders. Participation in any of these is entirely optional and up to you. Some people do all of them, some do one only, some do one and skip a few and then do another. I am lost, there is so much history to learn! There is already a lot of history, but the Wiki along with our very helpful membership base is willing to help you out along the way. The Wiki has not been updated much recently, but is open to anyone who might wish to update it. A good place to start is the Story and Challenge Index. Also, as I said before, there is so much Historica, if you just start creating, it is unlikely you will come into conflict with other storylines. Lastly, there is always some good bedtime reading buried in the many threads of the forum. If you really want to dive in, the actual history is somewhat daunting, but was compiled here in its entirety. Some people here have a shield tag with the colors of their guild. What do you have to do to get such a tag? Those builders participated in Book I challenges. We are currently in Book II, but those who participate in these challenges should also have a chance to earn a special shield. Wow, I want to get into GoH, but I would like to learn more, where can I go? I am glad you asked, here are some helpful links: The Historica City Guide The GoH Wiki(not a Eurobricks link) Nice Marmot's map-making guide A good post by Gabe on how to get your small collection to a more useful collection when just starting off with GOH (this link is broken, need to fix it) Some fun, ongoing projects that you can join right away! The University of Petraea's Doctorate of Historica Program (and the University Tracking Thread ) Age of Mitgardia List of Historican Settlements Current Gold Standings for the Guilds (As of Bk. III Ch. III FB Period 3 8-4-2019): Avalonia: 678 gold Mitgardia: 501 gold Varlyrio: 409 gold Kaliphlin: 331 gold

It feels good to be once again active in the Guilds after a bit of a hiatus! Here's an updated look at my characters for Book IV - my Guilds sigfig Kars has pledged himself to Avalonia. From left to right: Gerard Renwick Sinclair III, Cobold McTavish, Kars, Fieryn, and Ayra Valken In the wilds of Avalonia’s Enchanted Forest, a mysterious woodsman named Kars has decided to settle down after several years of bounty hunting. After completing an impossible job for a very powerful Avalonian (who will go unnamed – client confidentiality is no laughing matter), he now has enough gold to build a dwelling for himself. Maybe even a fortress or settlement… To help with him this task, he has enlisted the help of his old friend Cobold McTavish (right)– simultaneously a brother-in-arms, master architect, and top graduate from the University of Petrea (whose colors he passionately brandishes at sporting events). The pair have also encountered Gerard Renwick Sinclair III (left)– a Valyrian socialite who (vain as he is) might prove helpful when establishing alliances within Avalonia and across the sea. Kars and company have discovered that they are also neighbors with Fieryn – a wily and enigmatic inhabitant of the surrounding forest. She is quick with her blades and can transform into a flaming owl - unfortunately she can only communicate in various hoots and screeches. The group will have to figure out how to breach the language barrier... The last member of the group is Ayra Valken. A centaur from the east, she has crossed paths with Kars while on a pilgrimage to the western edge of the Enchanted Forest. Grieving the loss of a loved one, she seeks the Emerald Flame – a holy site and the location of a magical order who she hopes can help her hone her healing powers. With them, she hopes to mend the wounds of the world along with those of her own heart. All five of these character were a lot of fun to build! Gerard Renwick Sinclair III underwent the least amount of changes from his original design (posted back in 2021). I overhauled the outfits for Cobold, Kars, and Ayra. Fieryn is the only totally new character. I'm very happy with how here design turned out - I wanted to evoke owl wings with her massive cloak. I look forward to fleshing out Kars' realm in future posts!

Previously in the story: Bull's Eye (Prelude) This still takes place long before Raavage Davok: "We gathered our forces rather quick, and then marched for Falconstone. The supply train would arrive later, 'cause I wanted my vanguard to move freely.". "We were only halfway through the Frozen River fords, when some riders blocked our path." Unpleasant encounter (1) by David de Rijke, on Flickr "Three riders from unknown origin where standing in the river. One of them was their leader, obviously. He seemed to be some sort of wizard scum, given his hat and his staff from which icy sparks were coming. Never liked this kind.. The worst part, was their faces. They did not seem to have any..." "The wizard could speak, however. Immediatly when we saw these fellows, I raised my shield and took a defensive position. I saw my men do the same while my chieftains looked at me what to do. But the wizard told us about that messenger I spoke at the Bull's Eye. He said they were sent to help us. They lowered their weapons to prove it. I started to get an uneasy feeling about this whole mission. Who was our client, and why did he venture with wizards of this kind? Might he be some sort of wizard himself? And WHO is this stranger, if his value is so big these... powers... are sent in to deal with it?"

This is my entry for Stage 1 in the Warlords of Nocturnus community build. My warlord is Gryphen Hammerking. Story: Gryphen Hammer was always a tall dwarf, and all dwarves want to be tall. No, don't get me wrong, dwarves understand that they are so strong because of how short they are, but they still wish to be taller. So Gryphen was respected for his height, and he was always friendly and a good leader. He was never afraid of a fight, either. So when the old king died without any family left alive, there was no doubt Gryphen should be the next warlord. The suffix -king was added to his name, and he was then known as Gryphen Hammerking. About the build: The build is Gryphen Hammerking standing outside of the Lone Tower, one of the many outposts in his land. Unfortunately, the Tower was built for a normal sized dwarf, so Gryphen is a bit tall for it.

Category C It was a splendid day in the kingdom of Historica. All the guildmasters as well as the king of all Historica, whom had been unseen by many until this day, were gathered for the Tournament Of Kings, which would decide the next king of Historica after the soon passing of the current king. The guildmasters had chosen their champions to fight for the title of king of all Historica and were ready to begin the battles. Elon Chorian- Ahhh it has been so long since we have all been together without fighting amongst each other. Lord Artorious- Yes old friend not since we banded together to fight Algus, and even then we still had our constant bickering. Dextrus Flagg- I agree but this peacefulness among us is quite sple… Lord Raavage- Speak for yourself fool. This peacefulness makes my body ache. I would rather be watching the battles and the blood and death.You are lucky I have decided to cooperate insted of taking the throne by force. Don't test my patience though, I'm still considering that idea. I have my men outside the stadium as we speak so tread lightly. Artorious- Oh Raavage you haven’t changed a bit!! Dextrus and Elon chuckle and Raavage gives a growl. *The King enters* Dextrus- Ah your majesty, shall you start the battles? King- Of course we shall, who shall fight first? Raavage- I Lord Raavag, the ruler of the black spire and Nocturnus, would like to present the power of one of my warriors. Artorious- As do I my lord. King- So it is settled Nocturnus against Avalonia in the first battle of the day! ____________________________________________________________________________ __ *Cheering and shouting among the crowd breaks out as they see Avalonia and Nocturnus’s gate opens allowing their fighters to step out* Raavage- This is where the fun begins. You will see Artorious, the power of Nocturnus. Artorious- I hope so old friend. Or else it would be such a bore now wouldn’t it. Raavage-Watch your tounge boy before I cut it off! *The the Avalonian warrior comes out from his gate and the Avolonians give a cheer* Artorious- avast Redirst show this Nocturnian your power! *The warrior lifts his sword in reply and the crowd screams louder* Raavage*to himself*- Where is Nioxo he is supposed to be fighting! Artorious- What is the matter Raavage? Did your Nioxo get scared off by the pure might of his opponent. *Suddenly the crowd falls silent as they see the severed head of an ogre roll out from the Nocturnus gate* Raavage*in outrage*- WHAT!!! You cheat you killed Nioxo so your fighter can get the win!!! I will see you killed by my hand you filthy cheat!!! Artorious*in shock* W-w-what?? Raavage I did no such thing. I have been up here with you the whole time remember?? Raavage- Liar!!! You killed Ni… *Just then a figure steps out from the Nocturnus gate. He is covered in all black and a purple aura radiates from his body* Raavage-You killed my Nioxo you will die!! Artorious- Don’t worry Raavage. Redirst, destroy this disruption of the battle!!! *Redirst charges at the man sword in hand and in a flash he is stopped in his tracks.The crowd stares in horror as they look upon the battlefield. The cloaked man had thrusted his hand through Redirst’s body and taken his life force from inside of him. The man pulled his hand from Redirst’s body, Redirst’s life force in hand. Then with a sudden movement crushed it in his hand. A scream left Redirst’s mouth and his body was engulfed by darkness and disappeared.* Raavage- W-w-what is he…. ____________________________________________________________________________ __ *The cloaked man removes his hood to reveal his identity which is still unknown to the crowd except to one man* King-Thradak… Thradak- Yes it is I, I have grown since the last time you saw me haven’t I sir. King- I thought that… Thradak- I was killed? No no. You see father… *The crowd gasps* Thradak*continues*- That night when the Hand attacked forcing you to leave me alone as a baby in the castle, a female orc came across me. She was a soft hearted woman and she took me and raised me as her own. I lived with a tribe of orcs on an island off the coast of Nocturnus and that is where I remained the majority of my years. On my 18th Birthday I left home and set out on my quest for power and to have revenge on you for abandoning me.One day on my travels I came across a cave and inside the cave was a tomb. I opened the tomb to find a skeleton with a locket in the shape of an eye around its neck. I felt a strange sensation pulling me towards it and I reached out and touched it.The eye opened and I was instantly encased in chaos. It covered me and changed me into what you see before me. Then I heard a voice, a female’s voice. She spoke to me in an almost enchanting tune. She told me she was “The Mother”, she told me she would give me the power I needed to obtain my revenge but in return I must awaken her from her slumber. Now alas that is my tale and that is as much as I am willing to tell as of now. It is time at last to do what i have wanted to do for 17 years. *He draws a massive sword glowing in a dark aura from the folds of his cloak and aims it at the King* Royal Guard- Protect the Ki..!! *In a flash a bolt of black and purple magic shoots from the tip of the blade and strikes the king in the heart. The king clenches at his heart as the chaos spreads through his body taking the color from the king’s body and constricting him but not enough to kill him.* Thadrak- What I came to do is done, for I am now ruler of all Historica and this is just the beginning. Just wait once you see what I have you will all tremble in fear. Even you, guildmasters… I tell you this, in order to awaken the mother I must create 5 lords of chaos and for each lord, a monster of chaos of their choice. After all 5 are awakened the portal to unleash The Mother opens and she is set free. I will select the 5 Lords one from each realm of Historica at random and one from a land a sea away from Historica. I will unleash one at a time and if your 4 best champions manage to defeat all of my lords then I shall allow them to have the way to challenge me but be warned I am 50x stronger than the final chaos lord. With that I bid you all farewell and good luck, you will need it. *With that wings of bone emerge from underneath his cloak and expand and he flies off. There is now much commotion and fear among the crowd and guild masters themselves. Raavage jumps from a top the colosseum down to the battle arena where the kings crown laid. He picks it up and he thinks to himself "If I can get close to this new threat, maybe I will be able to use his power to conquer Historica and when the time is right I will kill him myself and Nocturnus shall rule all of Historica!" To be continued…. ____________________________________________________________________________ __ What will be the fate of Historica? Will it fall under chaos or will the champions defeat Thadrak and his chaos lords? If this so happens to win category C I shall write the rest of the story and continue the next chapter as “The Rise of Chaos".

Historica United A story illustrated by builds, for Category C of Challenge V of Book II. Like most of the Category C entries, this is a picture- and story-heavy post, so it may take some time to get through. I hope it will be worth your while. Part I: In the Halls of Hesperia The story of the beginning of the end has been told elsewhere, in the tales of the build-bards of old, of intrigue, murder, magical items, quests, and alliances. Thus this is not the beginning of the end, but the beginning of the end of the end, if you follow. And the beginning of the end of the end begins in one of the furthest corners of Historica, in the far west of Avalonia, in one of the last remaining pockets of High Elves in the known world, the Kingdom of Hesperia. High Elves seldom get involved with the affairs of men, yet in times of the greatest peril they will venture forth with their glittering array of armor and gilded weapons. This is one of those times, with the threat of Raavage and his magically-unleashed threats of doom for all the living, and yet it is not so simple for the King of Hesperia, Fingolë the Golden. In his halls in his summer palace, at Istolia, he met with his trusted advisers, his two eldest children, Falaria and Fingalad. Suddenly, ignoring his guards, his youngest daughter, Galaria, and several others burst in. "Father," cried Galaria. "You must listen to me!" "And why should he listen to a child as rude as you?" retorted Falaria, speaking in place of her father, who sat on the throne glowering at his impetuous, almost wood-elf daughter. "Surely you have heard the message that Celdrian has brought?" said Galaria, gesturing to the blue-clad Eagle-Rider beside her. "Of course I have," spoke the king. "But neither he nor you were invited to this meeting, were you? And is that a human in my presence?" "Yes, Father, it is. This is Henjin Quilones, a knight of the Druidi Order, whom I found while on patrol in the forest. You also saw the fireball flying through the sky, did you not? That was his arrival, and the sign that the fulfillment of the prophecy is at hand. The true king of all Historica returns!" "Bah!" exclaimed the king. "A druid he may be, or perhaps not. I have no use for humans, nor dwarves, nor even lowly wood-elves. Begone from my presence! And think well before coming before me again uninvited, Galaria, my daughter." "May we have permission to search the library of the palace here, Father?" Galaria asked before leaving. "Search all you want, just do not disturb my councils again!" shouted Fingolë. __________________ "A charming fellow, your father," said Henjin when they were safely in the library. "Indeed," agreed Galaria. "I would like to say that he takes some getting used to, but even after four hundred years I am still not used to his arrogance and pride. He is obsessed with the proper place of the High Elves, and as the years go by he thinks less and less about what is good and true and beautiful in the universe, still less about the fate of Historica." "Are you sure this is the proper section of the library, Galaria?" asked Henjin. "These stacks are palatial; I have never seen such books and scrolls in my life." "Well, whatever else can be said of my father, he takes it very seriously to have a record of every book, parchment, decree, spell, recipe, or anything else ever written in the four lands, and beyond, in his libraries. There are plenty of maps here, but which is the correct one?" "We need something referring to a helm, the Necromancer's Helm," chimed in Celdrian, the messenger, who had joined them in their search. "I thought there was just a battle over helms a few years back," said Yavenna, Galaria's most-trusted elf-scout. "That was the Elemental Helm, this is the Necromancer's Helm," corrected Galaria. "Very different, though both helms." A shout came from the balcony level and the others saw Henjin waving a tattered scrap of parchment over the railing. "I have found it! This scrap tells of the location of the Necromancer's Helm!" "Quickly, then, let us compare it to the maps and mark the place where the Helm may be found," said Galaria. "Then what?" asked Yavenna. "What do we do when we know where the Helm is?" The group fell silent. They had not thought that far ahead. Henjin joined them below and they stood around the table in the library, pondering. "We need some way of neutralizing the magic of the Helm, I think; something to control the arcane flows that radiate out from a magical artefact like that." Celdrian looked up at the druid in surprise. "Did you say 'arcane flows'?" This time it was Henjin's turn to look surprised. "Yes, I did. Why?" Celdrian smiled. "I know just the people who specialize in the regulation of arcane matters, on a very practical and technical level. Make a copy of the map and everything we know about the Helm, and I will bring it to Zotharith and Onicimus; they will know what to do." "We also need to have the armies of the various guilds ready to fight, in a unified front against our different, and yet united, enemies," said Galaria. "I will bring letters to leading men in the guilds, telling them where to bring their troops and when, while I am on my way to deliver the map to Zotharith," said Celdrian. "Aeriglaaac flies faster than the wind, so we can have it done in no time." "When you are done, return here and collect us," added Galaria. "We still need to make sure the True King can retake his throne." Part II: Heroes Assemble And so Celdrian mounted on Aeriglaaac the Great Eagle and visited the four guilds, bringing messages to leaders far and wide. As he flew eastward over the forests and plains of Avalonia, he stopped in Eolas first, to deliver the message to the Maestro: Soon he met deGothia in the halls of Sionnach: Then he flew north across the mountains of Mitgardia and visited Fin of Terydian on the edges of the tundra: Sir Glorfindel was next, near the gates of Nordheim: Then the mighty eagle flew on the back of the North Wind, faster than the currents of aether, and was soon in the lands of the south, in the Guild of Kaliphlin, where he stopped in Barqa to meet the half-elf Lord Gideon: Katoren was next, with the Lord Aymeri greeting him by the gate: Finally he flew further east to Nocturnus, and visited Lord Vladivus at Shadowmere: A stop in the lowlands near the Reach allowed him to visit Gal-Turok, Leader of the Goblin Clans: After many miles, though only a few hours aloft, Celdrian and Aeriglaaac circled down over Zotharith. Part III: Zotharith Council Meeting In Zotharith, a council meeting was underway, with Exetrius standing in for his father, Onicimus, who was busy tinkering with his gadgets far beneath the city. That such an inexperienced and low-ranking member of the Order should be leading a meeting rankled some in attendance, but all held their tongues out of respect for their leader's wishes. Exetrius called them to order. "If we could find the Helm, my father thinks that we have both the manpower and the technical knowledge to disable the Helm and its magics," the white-haired mage said. "But what of Raavage?" said one of the others in attendance, General Zeruko Urima. "My armies are well-trained and well-equipped, but I am not sure they are ready to face the dreadful power that is Lord Raavage." "Even Raavage cannot defeat an entire army of warrior-mages, General," replied Exetrius. "We will bring a combination of your warriors and some of our best mages, so that we shall not fail. We will also be provided with several of the arcane-regulation devices that link up to the core that my father has been building, which should, if the calculations are correct, neutralize the artefact entirely. If only we knew where it was!" At that moment, Celdrian knocked at the door and entered. "I think I can help you there, young Exetrius," said the elf-messenger. "My friends have pored over the extensive libraries of Hesperia and discovered the location of the Helm you seek. They have included instructions in that letter, and marked the place here on the map in red." "Thank you, Celdrian, and may the wind be ever under Aeriglaaac's wings." "May your mana never run short," said the elf as he bowed out. "We start tonight!" cried Exetrius after the elf had left. "We cannot afford to waste even one day in this quest, since Raavage has already had several days' head start. Let us go!" Part IV: The Great Battle of Historica While the Zotharians were travelling to the location deep beneath the Rakath Mountains that held the Necromancer's Helm, the armies of Historica were on the march, too. From every guild, from every race and people, the armies came forth. The enemies of the guilds also marched forth, drawn by the reports of spies that the guilds were gathering. And so the battles were fought between the armies of the four guilds and their deepest enemies, enemies united behind the banner of the Black Spire. The Battle of the Moruth Highlands In Nocturnus, Gal-Turok led his goblin armies in the charge in the Battle of the Moruth Highlands, joined by the armies of Anfauglir, Lord Vladivus, Anzar the Dragon Master, and Lord Jorrith, among others. The press of black horses against the charging Uruks of the Hand of Corruption carried the day, despite the chanting of witches giving the Uruks strength. The charge was glorious and valiant, and the army of the Resistance won the battle, scattering the remaining Uruks in every direction, to be picked off one by one. The Battle of the Shifting Oasis In Kaliphlin, it was the Barqan fire that won the day, burning through the armor and flesh of the High Council troops who had joined with the Spire. Not all had, and many within Kaliphlin chose not to fight at all, as the scars of the civil war were still too fresh; but those patriots who desired peace and the return of the True King to Cedrica bared their blades and fought with those who wished for dissension. In the shifting sand dunes outside of the famed Shifting Oasis, the two armies met, and the High Council soldiers, and the occasional orc, were routed. Led by soldiers of the Desert King, Barqa, Katoren, and Khadira, the armies loyal to the cause of the True King rode off victorious. The Battle of Crystal Tarn In Mitgardia, the Algus were stopped once and for all at the Battle of Crystal Tarn, when the Mitgardian men, led by Sir Glorfindel, Lord Fin, Sir Gunman, and Davok Shieldbasher, among other great northern heroes, and an army of dwarves met the onrush of the mysterious ice-people. Despite the blasts of cold and ice launched by the sorceresses of the Algus, the Mitgardians stood strong with their dragon-forged steel and destroyed their enemies. The Battle of Green Leaf Pass In Avalonia, the Drow armies were annihilated at the Battle of Green Leaf Pass, with not a twisted dark elf left alive. The Flight of Dragons, led by Lords de Gothia and Alric Drondil, together with the Maestro and Brandon Stark, some elves, forest men, and one strange half-elf, charged up the pass and broke through the Drow lines, and Laesonar did the rest with a few well-placed leaps and swings of his katanas. The back of the Drow army was broken, and it would be years before they could muster another army and pose a threat to anyone. All of the free peoples of Historica were participants in the Great Battle for Historica, fought on many different fields but all joined together in one spirit. Part V: The Chamber of the Necromancer Meanwhile, beneath the Rakath Mountains, Lord Raavage finally reached the crypt that held the Necromancers helm. The only problem was that instead of one helm, there were eight. "Which one is the Helm I seek?" Raavage muttered. "Which one is it?" He reached out to first one, then another. Each felt distinctly magical, but he could not tell which was which. Behind him he heard a noise, which caused him to turn around to see who had made it past his guards. It was those infernal Zotharians, the mages who refused to join him despite his many threats. No matter. They would be dealt with once he had the Helm. "Raavage!" the white-haired one in the front shouted at him across the chamber. "Step away from the Helms and we will not hurt you." "Ha!" snorted Raavage. "Hurt me? You? A half-grown, 39th-ranked mage? Did Zotharith have no one better to send? Did Daddy not want to come himself, so he sends his little runt in his place?" "I am not alone, Raavage, as you can see. I have behind me some much more powerful mages than I, and what is more, I have the knowledge of which Helm you seek, which, from the looks of it, you lack." Raavage growled. "How can you be so sure, Little Mage? Did Daddy tell you?" "No, an Avalonian druid and elf princess did, after studying the lore available in their library. It is really quite amazing what you can learn if you read, I hear. Not that you would ever bother with such mundane matters yourself, I am sure, being a big, tough beast like you are." "Grr! Which helm is it, Zotharian?" "The helm you seek will call out to you, if you listen. But be warned, Raavage, the lore says that if you choose the wrong Helm, it will destroy you utterly." "Are all of these fake, then?" growled Raavage. "Except the one real one?" "No, they are Helms of different powers, but they are not powers for the likes of you and me to tamper with." Raavage turned his back on Exetrius and felt along the alcoves with his magical intuition, seeking the call that the Zotharian had said he would feel. He was not sure why he felt that the mage was trustworthy, at least in this matter, since he seldom trusted anyone for anything, but he did. At last, feeling over the second-to-last helm, he felt a small tug. Nothing much, nothing he would have noticed if he were not on high alert, but it was there. He lifted down the helm and began to laugh. "The power is mine! After I don the Helm, I shall slay all of you and raise you back up, and you shall be my undead slaves!" He put on the helm, still laughing. But his laughter soon turned to a scream, as the powers of the helm he had donned began to age him and rip apart the fiber of his being. His fur turned grey, and then white, and then all his flesh wasted away until he had nothing but a skeleton remaining. The body of Lord Raavage fell to the ground, lifeless, his soul sucked from him by the Helm he had chosen. Even the bones vanished, leaving nothing but the Helm and the armor of the once-mighty lord. Exetrius and two of his companions came forward, carrying arcane devices. "It worked, just like you said it would," one said. "All we had to do was use the device you are holding to alter the flow from that helm just enough to make him choose it," Exetrius said. "It was rather simple after all." "What does the other device do?" said the other. "That will close up this cavern and lock it into another dimension, inaccessible to Historicans again. Let's get out of here and activate the device. Raavage is defeated." Part VI: The Throneroom of Cedrica "Are you sure the King is in here?" asked Henjin as they stood outside the door. It had been recently repaired, it seemed, and the mortar was barely set around the new hinges. There had been no king in these halls for years, and some work had been necessary to get things back in order. "Yes," said Celdrian. "The King is in here, as everyone has told us." "Very well, let us enter." To Henjin's surprise, however, it was not a King who sat upon the golden throne, but a Queen. A young, very beautiful queen. "Welcome, my friends," the Queen said in a gentle, mellifluous voice. She stood up and came forward to greet them, and they bowed before her. Henjin proffered his sword to her, and she accepted it kindly. "Your sword, Knight Henjin Quilones, of the Druidi Order, I accept and return to you. Bear it well, for me, Ylspeth, your queen, and may you always fight for the cause of truth, justice, and right." "I shall, my queen, Your Highness." "You have done me great favor by bearing tidings to my people, allowing our armies to overcome on the field of battle, and our mages to overcome in the realm of the arcane," continued the Queen. "I shall bestow upon you whatsoever you wish to show my gratitude." "I wish nothing, my Liege, save to be counted among those loyal to you," said Henjin. "That, and I would like to know how you came to be on the throne, alive, when all the rest of your family is dead." Queen Ylspeth laughed, and it sounded like clear water flowing over rocks, like the the honeyed song of birds. "I shall tell you, then, Druid Henjin, but not here. I am parched, and the wine here has been awful without the proper government in place. Do you know the Grand Griffon Tavern? The proprietor, Master Gabbold, is an old friend of mine, and he keeps all the best in his cellars. Let us go thither and talk over some drinks." "Do you mind if I bring a few friends?" asked Henjin. "Not at all! The more the merrier!" Part VII: At the Grand Griffon Tavern "When Henjin said a few friends, I assumed he meant a few friends," said Queen Ylspeth to Princess Galaria as they were pressed by the bodies of many sweaty warriors fresh from battle. "Well, he has made connection with many folk from the different parts of the kingdom, so getting to know them all will be helpful for you," said Galaria. "In fact, Your Highness, in this room are many of the most important figures in your kingdom, all eager to hear your tale." A voice somewhere in the room shouted, "Three cheers for Queen Ylspeth!" A loud cheer erupted from many voices. Then the room grew silent. "Thank you all for joining us here. Master Gabbold will be happy to serve you whatever beverage you like, and the tab is on me, so do not stint yourself. Aymeri, I see you drinking tea, you can get something stronger if you like. Lord Vlad, O-positive? Good. Many of you are wondering just how I came to be here. My father, the late king, was killed by Raavage soon after Revolword was deposed; the rescue party came too late. I, either by good fortune or bad, was away from Cedrica at the time; indeed, I was away from Historica at the time. I was aboard one of my father's ships, sailing from distant land to distant land, exploring the different islands, meeting new peoples. I hope that all of you have a chance to do so someday, as the world is so much larger than you think. It was my father who sent me, perhaps realizing the danger the kingdom was about to face, on my sixteenth birthday off to sea. One day, on an island far, far from here, away off west, I came across news of my father's murder. I wondered about the fate of my brother, fearing the worst, and the worst was confirmed at another stop. My mother, too, was cruelly butchered at the hands of Raavage. Knowing that I was not prepared to rule, and that to come back then would be suicide, I stayed at a western island, training with an order of warrior monks. They taught me their wisdom, gave me access to their library, and trained me in their manner of combat. When I was judged to be proficient, nay, a master of both wisdom and war, I came back. It seems I was just in time to inspire the last forces of good to make a stand, and to do so with success. My eternal thanks to you, my brave warriors, for all you have done. I am forever in your debt." When the queen had finished, those in attendance gave another loud cheer and called for another round. Lord Gideon, who had arrived late after grooming his horse, got his drink. And as the talk went on, Laesonar, who had never moved far from the queen, finally managed to strike up a conversation with her. "So, Queen Ylspeth, are you seeing anyone?" "Not currently, no," she replied. "But surely you will need heirs to the throne, right?" the half-elf persisted, putting out the vibe. "I suppose so, yes, but I have not yet met the right man." "You have met me, now," he said with a cheeky grin and a wink. "I am sure I shall have hordes of suitors lining up. Perhaps I shall hold a joust of some kind, or a contest, to winnow down the candidates?" The end. ________________________________ ................................................................ Wow, so if you read the whole thing, good for you, and thank you! I hope you appreciated it and enjoyed it. More pictures can be found on my Flickr page, especially of the battles. C&C is of course welcome. I tried my best, with the parts I had, to make as many sigfigs as I could, but I know that I missed many, many figs of some really excellent builders. Please take no offense at any omissions, as I assure you that no one was left out on purpose. I for one am glad this contest is over now, and I can go back to regular, leisurely building. And spending time with my family! If this wins, by the way, Queen Ylspeth can be made easily with either Rey's face (from Star Wars: TFA, for fleshies) or Wyldstyle's face (from The LEGO Movie, for yellows) with Barbara Gordon's hair from The LEGO Batman Movie. I tried to pick elements that are currently available from relatively cheap sets (the hair is found in a CMF, for example,and Rey's speeder was only $20US) that will continue to be available (with more SW and another TLM in the works) for a while, while still being distinctive.

Across Avalonia, disagreements are traditionally solved in duels if words do not prove enough. In Mitgardia, the equivalent is usually drinking contests, and in Kaliphlin they often use the strategic board game Jeddar to settle disputes. However, in the wild lands of Nocturnus, it is not uncommon to see arguments solved the old fashioned way. No finesse, no wit, and certainly no rules are involved; in Nocturnus, they prefer to brawl. Of course, brawling is more than just a way to settle arguments nowadays. In fact, many consider it a sport (of course, many innkeepers who have to break up the brawls would argue otherwise). Drunken or otherwise, brawling is a part of Nocturnian life in many areas. In Rockwail, they do it differently. Across the sprawling city exist several buildings marked with red rings above the doors, telling those in the know that the building is home to silent brawlers. One such building is the Black Rat Inn. Silent brawlers do it differently to most- instead of stopping when the opponent submits, the fight stops and the winner is decided when someone makes a noise. Most claim to fight for pride and glory, but it does help that winning a silent brawl can yield a good deal of prize money. Red ringed buildings- usually taverns- also feel the benefits of hosting the brawls, as many customers flock to watch and bet on the fights; and, of course, drink. Two fighters stood on a raised wooden section of floor by the bar. One was a snarling red orc with tied back hair and fists wrapped in bloodied rags. He was huge by human standards (though terribly average amongst orcs), and covered in muscle. Broader than the door to the inn, his opponent wondered how he even got into the place. The red skin on his bare chest seemed to be scarred and mottled, in some places discoloured, due to a skin condition. His opponent was a heavily tattooed Kaliphlinian man of medium height with wide shoulders and toned body. Though he looked strong, he was not nearly as fearsome as the orc. His hand wraps were crisp white- they had not yet seen a fight on that day, whereas the orc was on a long winning streak. "Go on," one of the onlookers hollered, "hit him!" "Alright, silence now!" yelled the barkeep, and quickly the audience's murmuring died down until the Black Rat was silent. "Begin!" The orc moved fast despite his size, but the man had been watching his previous fights and knew to expect it. Smoothly, the underdog feinted to the left then strafed to the right, avoiding the huge, scarlet fist of his opponent, then swiftly jabbed at his stomach with his fist. The orc smirked ravenously, and the underdog knew this would not be easy. He swung again, but all his fist hit was air as the Kaliphlinian ducked under his punch. The only way to beat someone bigger than you is to be faster, this the Kaliphlinian knew, but it was proving difficult to dodge the swinging hammer arms of the orc. As he swung again, he scraped the face of his opponent, who glided towards him and landed a strike on the orc's shoulder. Without so much as a grimace, the orc shrugged off the hit and used his newfound nearness to his adversary to his advantage, forcing his arms under the human's shoulders and clamping his hands onto his head, then lifting him from the ground. The Kaliphlinian winced, but knew better than to make a noise, and drew his legs upwards, then kicked back into the orcs knees. The titan's legs buckled and he fell backwards, releasing the human from his grasp. With a slam he hit the floor, and the Kaliphlinian grinned broadly. He raised his leg above the orc's head, preparing to stomp him, but the orc grabbed hold of his foot. The man kicked back against the crushing grip, hitting the orc in the face with his own hand. With a snarl, he then fell onto the bloody-faced orc, landing elbow-first onto his heaving, scarred ribcage, which let out a dreadful crack and caused the orc to grunt in pain. "That's a noise! The challenger has won," the barkeep announced, to the roaring cheers of many amongst the crowd.

Somewhere among the shores of Avalonia... A rider sent from General Aeldric of Vanhorn races the soldiers of The Spire to send word to Albion and the surrounding reaches word of the True King's return, the True Heir to Cedrica! The Orcs of the coastal regions have always bore crude weapons and armor. Not nearly on level of that of Soldiers directly from The Spire. The rider must be diligent, swift, and unrelenting on his horse, for the forces of Ravaage do not falter. (Welp, this is my Category A (Riders of Historica) Entry! It's Alliance side. CC Welcome!)

My phase 3 for the Gate category of AoM. I hope this is sufficient for the title :D I had fun making this, because I did not plan anything, and just looked how it would turn out. The building has some interiors, but the bad part of not planning, is that I couldn't really make pictures of the inside :P Im quite happy with how it turned out, especially with the stonework. I need to work on the roofing though, yet thanks for the guide SK :P I spent most of my salary on lego this month, but maybe I should go for a suitable camera one time. One way, I feel the money used for a camera could have been spent for bricks, but the pictures will probably improve a lot :) Usually I edit the photos with photoshop, but due to me quitting my studies, I do not have the license to use it anymore. Im starting an IT study this year, so I might get the licenses at discount :D Gatehouse phase 3, AoM by David de Rijke, on Flickr

The Chronicles of Hesperia Vol. 1: The Sky Man Ch. 2: The Crash Site The previous chapter: DISCLAIMER: For those of you who may be extreme GoH purists, the following build may be disturbing, as it does contain some Sci-Fi elements. To ease your concern, however, let me assure you that after this chapter those elements are gone and a pure medieval fantasy vibe is all that will remain. The unwholesome elements are my way of introducing a character that I had been using for many years in builds with friends, in a different galaxy, far, far away... [edit: Druidic magic is behind these events and causes the non-Historican elements of them to be erased from the memories of the participants after they happen, so do not be concerned that they will be entering into Historica on a full-time basis; such 'pollution' is not, and never was, my intention.] Galaria peeked through the trees and bushes at the sight before her. Her wolfsteed, Laika, she had left back in a small meadow with the wolfsteeds of her fellow Hesperian Wolf Rangers, so that they could approach closer without being seen. Some of her rangers climbed trees for a better vantage point on the smouldering mass in the clearing. The fireball had landed in the center of an ancient ring of druid standing stones, erected long years before the first elves had come this far west in the world. The druids themselves were gone for many centuries before Galaria's father, Fingolë the Golden, first established the kingdom of Hesperia, and that was an age ago in the land of sunset. The smoking hulk did not look like any meteorite that Galaria had ever seen before nor like any she had heard tell of; if she were not certain that it could not be true, she would have said that it looked like metal, a giant steel cylinder that fell from the sky. As she watched, a panel on the side opened, revealing a brief glimpse of the interior as a man stepped out. The man was clad in tan robes and wore a brown cloak over them, and carried in his hand a metal tube that vaguely resembled the hilt of a sword, though no blade was attached. His tousled, wavy brown hair framed a handsome face with a roguish grin. His eyes moved over the landscape swiftly and Galaria shrank back into the bushes instinctively. Soon the man was fully out of the sky-cylinder, and another, also clad in tan robes and brown cloak, carrying the same type of metal tube followed, and then came a small army of helmeted and armored figures carrying some sort of black thing in their hands, held almost like she had seen a crossbowman hold his weapon during a marksmanship contest two summers before. Weapons of some sort. With the exception of two of them, the armored figures were clad in greens and browns, camouflaged for thick forests. They quickly made a defensive perimeter around the sky-cylinder. The two cloaked figures examined one of the druid columns, together with one of the white-and-green clad figures. Galaria could hear their voices talking in a strange tongue, one not spoken in Historica, at least not by elves, dwarves, men, orcs, drow, or any of the tribes of Nocturnus that she knew of. The other white-and-green figure came over, and both armored ones took off their helmets, revealing a brown-haired man and a golden-haired woman. The woman clearly thought that they ought to move away from the crash site, by her hand gestures, and followed that up by stepping past the Druid column. To Galaria's amazement, her clothing and gear changed the instant she passed the standing stone, looking like a typical human warrior woman with a bow and quiver. The armored man, amazement on his face, also stepped past and underwent a similar transformation. "That was incredible," the man said in perfect Hesperian Elvish. "I cannot believe what just happened, Thorra; can you?" "No, Gree, I cannot," replied the woman in equally excellent Hesperian. "Henjin, Bu'kanjin, you two step across now and see what happens." The robed-and-cloaked men also stepped through and were transformed, the one called Henjin now wearing ancient druidic armor and Bu'kanjin wearing a different style of the same. The others wearing armor gathered around the edge of the stones and began to take off their helmets, revealing more men, of colors more familiar to Kaliphlin traders than Avalonian forestmen. Suddenly one of Galaria's Rangers, Ankeria, stood up and drew back her bow, letting an arrow fly. In the blink of the same moment, the man called Henjin caught the arrow that was aimed for his heart in his hand and Bu'kanjin fired an arrow of his own, piercing Ankeria in the neck and killing her instantly. The humans were on high alert with arrows nocked on taut bowstrings, with more of them stepping across the stones and transforming all the time. Galaria's small band was vastly outnumbered and, by the signs of it, outmatched in skill. She stepped out from behind the foliage she was using as cover, right in front of the Henjin, the Sky-Man, and said, "Put down your weapons, we mean you no harm." Henjin smiled at her and she felt her fate entwine with his as his voice spoke to her. "Greetings, we are strangers here in this land. My name is Henjin Quilones, son of Henjin Quilones, and this is my brother, Bu'kanjin. We have journeyed far across the heavens, called here to this land by the Force." Galaria nodded. "And I am Galaria, daughter of Fingolë the Golden, the king of Hesperia. If you have been called here, it was not by us, but perhaps by the power of the druids in whose circle of stones you landed and whose armor you bear. There is an ancient prophecy that said that the true king of Historica, the great and vast land of which Hesperia is but a tiny part, would arise, after a star fell from the heavens, to battle and defeat the dark scourge of the land. Are you he?" asked the elf maiden. Henjin shook his head. "No, I know nothing of your prophecies, and I am no king. A humble Knight am I, not yet even a Master. But I shall gladly join you and your father the king in the battle against that dark scourge. My sword and bow are at your disposal." "And mine," said Bu'kanjin. "Thank you both," said Galaria. "Now, you had better follow me away from the stone ring, called Stangraf by the Druids, O Knights of Stangraf, before any orc or drow patrols come and investigate. I shall take you to Istolia, the city where my cousin governs." "Very well," said Henjin Quilones, the newly dubbed Knight of Stangraf, and he and his companions followed the fair elf maiden into the eaves of the forest. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Thanks for looking and reading! It has been a long time since my last Hesperian build, but much has happened between then and now (moving twice, starting a new job, etc.) so it is good to be back building in the Guilds again, C&C welcome!

Since departing from Baron Lonnidas, night had fell, and Remington wandered through the lamplit streets almost aimlessly. "You can't miss it; they say all paths in Rockwail lead there." Remington was dubious as to wether Lonnidas's statement was true, as he had been walking for several hours and the only thing he'd found that even resembled the mausoleum was a small undertaker's shop, the owner of which was convinced that Remington must try out one of his coffins. He also noted another peculiar thing about Rockwail; while there were quite a few people out and about during the day, it was nowhere near the amount of people on the streets at night. It seemed the entire city was nocturnal- even cold-blooded creatures like snake and frog people. Somebody around must have known how to get to the mausoleum, but asking for directions was more than difficult with no voice... If he could curse under his breath, he would have. Eventually, the bard came to a cross in the roads. He looked down the pathways and saw that they all seemed to diverge out into more and more roads, all expanding outwards from his point. So where was the mausoleum? Suddenly, Remington was distracted by the sounds of a struggle, and peered down the unlit path where the noise came from. Out of the darkness ran a snakeman, clutching something in his hand. Under the light of the lamp beside him, Rot could make out that it was some sort of yellow gemstone. Then another figure burst out of the shadows, wearing a leather cuirass, and a large helmet. "Stop that man! My diamond!" cried the figure. Remington shrugged. What was the worst that could happen? As the snakeman passed him, he swung his loot into his nose, knocking him down onto the ground. The other figure caught up quickly and stumbled to a stop, panting heavily. Once he regained his composure, he picked up and pocketed the gemstone, then turned to Remington. "Good sir, that was a mighty swing for a bard! I do hope your lute is undamaged." He spoke loudly and with a regal accent. Remington looked over his lute and ran his gloved fingers across it. Other than a small blood stain, it seemed to be ok. He raised his thumb to the man. "Excellent! That is good news. My name is Sir... Sir Knight... Ahem, Sir Knightington!" The bard raised an eyebrow. "Sir... Crownknight?" "Fine," he sighed, dropping the accent to reveal the ragged, hissing voice of an orc, "it's Keel. That diamond is a family heirloom. Listen; I owe you, big time. If there's anything you need, I'll do it." With a smile, Remington pulled the letter out of his pocket, wiped a droplet of blood from the snakeman's nose, and scrawled 'mausoleum' on the back of the paper. "The mausoleum? It's right there... How did you not notice it? Anyway, if you're going in there, I can help you out. It's pretty dangerous, but I've been before," Keel responded. "So... What are you waiting for? Let's go!" --- Sorry about the poor quality of some of these photos, I didn't notice until after I'd taken them. Some more pictures of the moc: I'm not as happy with this as I was with my last moc, because when I built it I was pretty low on parts from being too lazy to break down my previous builds. I'm probably going to build some more Rockwail stuff in the future, but this should be one of the last builds of the Rockwail streets for a while. The next build you can expect from me will be of the catacombs beneath the city... C&C are welcome, have a great day!

Remington Red was once the greatest and most famous bard in all of Historica. He was well known for his talent across all instruments, but he favoured the classic lute when he sung his songs. His talent was so great, that it is said he could beat any challenger in a musical duel; however, this turned out to be more of a gift than a curse, and many other bards from across the country grew to despise him. Red's ego grew and grew until he started to get noticed by forces greater than himself. A great and powerful demon, Zoroaster Bombaster, challenged Red to a battle of the bards and, using his demonic talents and trickery, managed to beat the bard at his own game. The price for losing was his soul, and Red died soon after. However, in Nocturnus, death is only temporary. Theophraster Bombaster, the half-brother of Zoroaster, brought the bard back to life as Remington Rot, in hopes that he would defeat Zoroaster so that Theophraster could take his throne. Upon death, one generally finds that they lose their ability to talk- and despite no longer being under the ground, Remington Rot had no voice. Thus, he found himself in the swamps of Moruth in search of Baron Lonnidas, one of the few people he knew would be able to get him his voice back. After all, how could Rot once again become the greatest bard in Historica without being able to sing? --- This is the start of the adventures of my sigfig, Remington Rot, and my first set of mocs for GoH! C&C is appreciated :)

The Chronicles of Hesperia Volume 1: The Sky Man Chapter 4: The Banishment of Galaria The Previous Chapters: Princess Galaria sat in the gardens of the palace of Istolia, awaiting her father. She knew he would be displeased by her actions, yet she could not, would not, apologize for doing what had been necessary to save not only Hesperia, her father's High Elven kingdom, but all of Historica. She had returned after travelling far and wide, having used information taken from her father's library to defeat the threat of the tyrannical Lord Raavage. She had been keeping company with humans, in particular the druid, Henjin Quilones, but also lords and ladies of many lands from all corners of Historica. This was behavior decidedly atypical for an elf of the blood, scandalous, even, and Galaria had been hesitant to return to her father's halls to receive what was certain to be a stern censure. She heard sounds from the hallway outside, and pricking up her keen elvish ears to listen, caught the full conversation between her brother, Fingalad, and her father, King Fingolë the Golden. "Father," began Fingalad. "Surely you have heard that Galaria has returned from cavorting about with half-bloods and humans?" "Yes, my son, I have. I was on my way to see her now, in fact. My ministers informed me that she is awaiting my presence in the gardens." "And what are you going to say to her, Father?" Fingalad said, a note of anger in his voice. "I will demand an accounting for her irregular and dishonorable behavior," replied the king with patience. "No, Father, you must punish her for her disobedience to your commands." "What command did she break, my son?" "She stole from your library, she used the eagle riders without permission, she acted in your name without consulting you, and above all, Father, she violated your express prohibition against getting involved with the human affairs of the outside world." "You speak wisely, my son, and yet..." "Yet nothing, Father. She has disrespected and dishonored you, our family, our people, and our land. She has taken up with humans, in particular that pseudo-druid and charlatan, Henjin Quilones, becoming inseparable from his side. I have even heard that she has fallen in love with him, and would mingle our high blood with his baseborn mud. Surely you cannot tolerate such an affront and insult to our kingdom, Father?" "I will speak to her, and shall keep my own counsel, yet you have given me much to think on, my son," said the king. "Now depart from us, and I will enter and speak to your sister alone." _________________________________________ "My daughter, what have you to say for yourself? Why do you bring yourself back here surrounded by such clouds of gossip and accusations of scandal?" "Scandal, Father?" asked Galaria, as though she had not overheard her father and brother speaking in the corridor. "Will you agree to renounce the disgusting human Henjin Quilones, never to see him again, to remain here in the palace of Istolia for the next century or two, never going out into the woods like a lowly wood elf, to serve your sister Falaria as her handmaid?" "Father, no!" "Then will you dishonor me and your whole kindred?" "No, Father, I helped to save our people, and all people of Historica, by stopping Raavage and bringing the High Ruler of Historica to the throne, joining as one with the many realms out there! I did nothing to dishonor our people or you!" "You disobeyed my commands and in so doing have dishonored me and your kindred. To atone for this, I ask you again: will you agree to renounce the disgusting human, Henjin..." "He is not disgusting, Father, and neither are most humans out there that I have met!" interrupted Galaria hotly. "So you do love him!" shouted the king accusingly. "I don...I...I...I said nothing like that, Father!" yelled Galaria, now angry past her ability to contain it. "But you do not deny it! You would mingle our pure blood with the corruption of humans!" "Father, please..." "No, Galaria, the time has come. Either accept the terms I have given you, or depart forever from this land, an exile from the Elves of Hesperia, banished until the end of time." "Father, don't..." "Choose." "If I must choose, Father, then I shall leave, and maybe someday you shall repent of your foolishness and allow me to come back. Until then, farewell. I shall take a ship from the harbor and my companions, including the 'disgusting' humans, and not come back." "You have chosen wrongly, Galaria, but you may have the ship. Do not count on my heart softening for you, however. Time only strengthens the resolve of a High Elf's oath." "Goodbye, then, Father." ____________________________________________________ ........................................................................................................ The latest installment of the Chronicles of Hesperia. Feel free to make any C&C, though, to be honest, the build came together in an hour or so, and is mostly just a filler build to move the story, so it does not do anything particularly nice or fancy. Better stuff is coming soon! Another chapter should be up later this week, since it has been built, photographed, and dismantled now for several months! It just needed this story to fill the gap first, and I have been concentrating on other builds.

The Queen's Council A prelude to Challenge II High Queen Ylspeth sits on the throne of her father in Cedrica, the unlikely victor in the war against the forces of Lord Raavage. The combined might of the battered guilds was enough to secure her rule, but now the young and inexperienced monarch must find a way to keep the guilds united in relative peace. She has assembled a council to help her in her duties, to advise in difficult matters, and to guide her through the complexities of politics. Each of the four guilds has two representatives on the council; they are second sons, old uncles, pensioned war heroes, and strong-willed daughters passed over in the inheritance in favor of younger sons, chosen by guild leadership to represent their interests and secure the future prosperity of each realm. Also on the council are a few ministers, of war, of finance, and of state, drawn from ancient political houses of Cedrica itself or else having arrived with Ylspeth when she came to seek the throne. Today, HIgh Queen Ylspeth and her council have convened to discuss the rumors of discontent that are circling throughout the lands... Ylspeth surveyed the room, meeting the eyes of the members of her council cordially. Some of them she enjoyed tremendously, and some, well, not so tremendously. They all meant well and were devoted to serving the realm. She took a deep breath, uneasy with the topic she knew they must discuss, ever since the reports began coming back that her people were not completely happy with their new ruler. Where to begin? "My lords and ladies," she began, "I called today's council session to discuss the negative reports that we have been hearing. Why are the people upset with the crown?" Amar was the first to speak up; she was a decorated soldier from Kaliphlin, the veteran of many battles in the civil wars despite her relative youth, and the third daughter of one of the more powerful lords from the High Council in the south; rather than marry her off to some man against her will, her father had petitioned to have her sent as a representative to Cedrica. Her advice was always action-based and typically fiery. "Your Majesty, if I may be so bold, perhaps it is because they are feeling oppressed by the Desert King's tyranny, who is no subject of yours, I might add, and military action to relieve them of his cruel rod would bestir them to think kindly of you." Khufu of Sultan's Gate, beside her and the other representative of Kaliphlin, glared at Amar; he was the Desert King's personal appointment to the council, and thus he was always quick to contradict anything said by his guildmate. "His Divine Majesty is not a tyrant, and does not rule under a cruel rod. Perhaps the people of Kaliphlin need to be liberated from the lies of the High Council's treasonous supporters, and an army should be sent to crush their last remaining strongholds!" "No one is sending an army anywhere!" interrupted Faluiel, an elf princess from the Enchanted Forest of Avalonia. "After the civil wars, the last thing the people want is another army being raised from their menfolk and sent off to die on some foreign plain. What they long for is something to mend the wounds done already and build the land up again. The elves have been doing as much work as they can to renew the deep magics, but these things will take time to come back to a semblance of the balance they had before Revolword and Raavage upended them." "My people need food, not magic," growled Thurl, an old dwarf from Mitgardia, the uncle of one of the kings of one of the mountain clans in the north. "The tundra came down farther than ever when the Algus attacked, and our fields have not thawed properly yet for growing; the reserves of many Mitgardian keeps are dangerously low, and there is little hope of filling them from this season's harvest." Faluiel nodded. "But restoring the deep magics' balance would push the tundra back and restore your croplands, and thus give you more food next year." "But the North is hungry now!" yelled Thurl. "I hear every day about families leaving their farms, gaunt with hunger, desperate for a crust of bread from their local jarl or thain." Eckbert, a grey and balding old general from Avalonia, cleared his throat. "If I may interrupt, my good Dwarf," he said, his old voice still strong and always polite, "the eastern plains of Avalonia have reported a bumper crop of grain this year, more than they have room to store, even. I know many of the lords there, such as my old messmate de Gothia of Sionnach, have been selling it to Varlyrio at a hefty profit, but surely with they would be willing to sell to their northern neighbors, for slightly less, even, due to reduced shipping costs; though the extra coin from the Varlyrian market has been much needed to repair the ruined cities and pay the pensions of soldiers and their widows." Cortucius Amancio, one of the Varlyrian councilors, agreed. "That grain has been cutting into the profits of our own farmers on Varlyrio. I know much of the discontent on my island guild is about how Her Majesty has opened up trade, threatening many of the leading families' lucrative monopolies. They would certainly be amenable to those goods being diverted elsewhere. And anything else from the mainland, too." Ylspeth nodded to each of her councilors' thoughts, mulling a way to try to meet each of their needs without upsetting the always precarious balance that was the Guilds of Historica. She could not seem to favor one over the others, lest the others be jealous and hurt. Surely there was a way to make everyone happy. While she was still pondering, N'ri, one of her closest advisors, second only to Kars, the commander of her bodyguard and Minister of Defense, stood up. N'ri was one of the warrior monks who had taken her in at their monastery on the far-western island, just a bit to the north of Mwamba, where she had taken refuge after the death of her father. He was wise in many ways, and his approach to matters was always fresh, not clouded with the self-seeking agendas that the rest of the councilors held. "My fellow councilors, this is a difficult moment, and perhaps it will be impossible to make everyone happy;" he paused and looked at the bickering Kaliphlinian representatives before going on, "but I think we can do something. Back in my home, long before I left for a new life at a monastery, the king used to throw public games, free to all comers, whenever discontent and unrest fell upon his people. He also made liberal use of handouts of food, particularly that lifeblood of civilization, bread. His philosophy, it seemed, was to fill the belly and soothe the soul with those two tools. My advice is that we use the funds of the crown to purchase the surplus grain from the Avalonians at a fair price -- perhaps not what they could get at open market, but we would not swindle them -- and then distribute that grain to the hungry in Mitgardia and Kaliphlin, especially our northern brethren. If we need more, perhaps the farmers of Varlyrio could supply a bit extra, too. At the same time, we should encourage, perhaps with a promise of lower taxes for those who agree, the wealthier nobles of the different realms to put on spectacles for the enjoyment of their peoples, in the name of our High Queen. Every lord knows what his people would enjoy most, and so he could provide that, encouraging the common citizens to be grateful for such beneficence from Cedrica." Ylspeth thought the advice sounded good, though she was concerned about the price and the state of the treasury. A murmur of displeasure swept the room, though, which surprised her. She walked around a bit trying to hear snippets of conversation as her councilors talked amongst themselves. Thurl was upset, grumbling about how the Mitgardians were being given charity, treated like the destitute, while the tights-wearers were only getting richer. Eckbert was certain that the Avalonian lords would in fact be swindled on the grain price, for bearded women, no less, in addition to balking at being expected to pay for lavish entertainments from their own pockets. Amar and Khufu were still arguing about the best way to fix Kaliphlin, though both were certain that their nobles would refuse any handouts from the tree-huggers at a minimum. Cortucius was silent, looking over the whole affair with smug superiority. Finally, Thurl pounded on the table and said, "This is a terrible plan!" N'ri held out a hand to pacify the old dwarf. "May your beard grow ever longer, my good Dwarf," he said in a conciliatory tone, "but I think it is important to think of matters beyond just the pride and pockets of the nobles. They are very few, but the common people are many; if there is no bread in the bellies of the peasants, how much longer with the lord sit on his throne? Will not the people revolt? Or whom will he rule if they all die of hunger, being good and obedient subjects? Yes, everyone will need to sacrifice a bit to make it work, but is it not worthwhile to secure the happiness and contentment of the people as a whole? This is about the poor child starving in the street, the veteran whose life is nothing but a hollow shell; what is a pile of gold in a locked room compared to those? Let's bring them bread and circuses, to improve their lives!" High Queen Ylspeth nodded in agreement with N'ri. She stood next to Thurl and said to the whole council, "This is what I decree: grain shall be purchased from the Avalonians to be distributed to the hungry in the north and south, as needed. My own treasury will handle that expense. Nobles of the different realms shall also, to the extent that they are able, contribute to the morale of the commoners by hosting some sort of grand entertainment. Those who do shall see a reduction of their tax burdens of ten per cent, and those who do not will see their tax burden rise by five per cent. Each guild shall provide a list of those lords and ladies who have put on a spectacle, enumerating the type and price, in order to qualify for the tax easement. Any further details will be worked out by the Treasury Minister and his aides. Am I understood?" "Yes, Your Majesty," came the words from each mouth, though not all of the faces showed agreement. Such is the life of a monarch, thought Ylspeth as she swept out of the room. _____________________________________ ...........................................................................

The Long Discussion A prelude for Challenge II of Book III Word of High Queen Ylspeth's decree has spread far and wide across the four realms. A mixture of excitement, relief, and unease accompanies the decree, depending on the one hearing the message. In Avalonia, the Mistress of Dragons, Lady Galaria of Druidham, has brought together some of her fellow nobles to discuss the news and plan a way forward. Lady Gwenllian of Prenmôr and Lord Arthur are with her today, brought to Druidham by a short ride on dragonback, ready to be brought back home by another short ride with little interruption to daily life. They are walking in the loggia off of one of Druidham's many courtyards in the late morning, conversing. "I am not sure that we can do anything particularly extravagant in Prenmôr, of course," Lady Gwenllian was saying. "We are only just getting the settlement built up a bit more as it is, so coin is tight. And I'm afraid we are still some years away from being profitable with our farming, it being tedious labor just to break new fields, plant, and harvest, let alone shipping it across half of a continent!" "Of course, no one expects you to be selling your grain," Galaria assured her. "We here in Druidham will also not be selling any grain, since we have very little farmland working as of yet. Like Prenmôr, Druidham is a new settlement, too." Lady Gwenllian bit her lip in thought. "But we should still have a sort of mass entertainment, you think?" "Yes," Arthur and Galaria said at the same time. "It need not be extravagant," continued Galaria alone. "What is important is that you show the common people of your land that the High Queen is not so high above them that she does not care about them; that High Queen Ylspeth indeed wants them to be happy and fulfilled. Surely you have musicians and storytellers, yes?" Lord Arthur said, "Everywhere has musicians and storytellers, Lady Galaria, even Nocturnus. I'd reckon even the Drow have musicians and storytellers, though I've never been to one of their underground cities to find out." Lady Gwenllian smiled. "Nor I, Arthur, but yes, we have such professions, and we have cooks to throw a feast; would that be enough?" "Yes, as long as there are stories and songs that praise High Queen Ylspeth and the Unicorn of the royal house of Cedrica. Have your bards come up with something new, have your cooks try something exciting, and pull out all the stops that you can possibly afford to pull out. Here in Druidham, Henjin has already had our musicians begin composing a whole score for a new epic saga, which the poets have been tasked with composing. The events of Raavage's downfall have already been turned into countless ballads and tales, and those should be played and performed, too. Injini and the other gnomes will be putting on a light show with all sorts of explosive powders; the dragonriders will be doing aerial stunts, perhaps with some sort of skills competition; my husband's druids will be doing something with the deep magics to awe and delight; even the children are putting some plays together. This is not Kaliphlin, where we might watch some sort of gladiatorial combat or ostrich race; we have our own ways of having a festival, every city, town, and village of Avalonia knows how to celebrate in its own way. This is the time to do so!" * * * At the same time, the serving folk of Druidham were busying about as usual, doing their daily tasks around the island keep. "Have you heard?" asked Dervin, the steward of the household, as Hylena, the lady's attendant, approached carrying a tray of bowls from the brief luncheon the lady had had with her guests. "Heard what, Dervin?" asked Hylena. "You know I hear everything, same as you. To what are you referring?" "We're having a party, a big one, in the next month or so!" said Dervin triumphantly. "Old news, you know. Old news. Besides, who will be responsible for throwing the party except us, as usual? Nothing changes for a servant; parties are just another occasion for work, except on a bigger scale." "You're no fun," scowled the steward. "We get to have fun, even if there is work before and after the fun. I, for one, am excited. I hear that there will be dragon races around the island, and magic shows. All I have to do is make sure that everyone is fed and housed, and that there is money for it all, which I do all the time anyways, so this is a real treat for me. You should lighten up, Hylena. My son will be over the moon at the news." "I'm sure he will be," the lady's attendant said. "In the meanwhile, I need to bring these bowls to the kitchen to be washed. The party can wait for another day." __________________________________ .....................................................................

Equos Valley - The Valley of The Horses A free build for Avalonia Task 3. Front by The Nev, on Flickr The Equos Valley is home to one of the few remaining villages of the Equicius Clan, Vallis. Nestled amongst the rugged cliffs is the river known by locals as the Equos River, the namesake of the valley, and source of one of the valley's landmarks; the Tonitrui Falls. Waterfall by The Nev, on Flickr The other primary landmark is an ancient staircase, carved into the side of the cliffs by the hands of men long past. The stairs serve the village as a useful route to the lush plains upon the plateau where they can foster their herds when feed is scarce among their usual ranges in the plains below. Cliffs & Stairs by The Nev, on Flickr The cliffs are rumoured to support other, less wholesome forms of life as well; legends of old tell of trolls that inhabit the cliff-side caves. Although no one has encountered any such creature to the knowledge of the villagers, there are tales of some brave few who ventured out, seeking the trolls, to never return... As for the village itself, a strong wall surrounds the buildings within, protecting its inhabitants from any external force. These inhabitats are mostly distanced members of families within the Equicius Clan, although there are a few residents foreign to the clan. The village sustains itself on the breeding of horses, regularly engaging in trade down the river, as well as along the roads to the north and south. The local blacksmith forges shoes for the steeds and tools for the farmers, as well as armour and weapons for the troops that guard the gate. The market serves as a place for villages to buy, sell and barter goods amongst themselves, occasionally even hosting a trader or two from downstream who ventured to the valley to sell their wares. labelled village by The Nev, on Flickr River by The Nev, on Flickr Extra views of the whole build: Wide View by The Nev, on Flickr Back by The Nev, on Flickr OOC: Overall I'm pretty happy with this, my first large build. I wanted to draw emphasis to the cliffs and topography of the land, without crowding things with too much busy noise.

After the Heroes of Mitgardia, here is a new GoH custom minifigure serie! This time all the Guilds are featured, seen through the eyes of little Solveig, 8 years-old - the niece of my Mitgardian sigfig Sigrid. So be warned : the depictions of the characters may be biased! Italic text indicates in-character descriptions. Hidden sections contain back views of the minifigs. Custom Collectable Minifigures : Ladies of Historica Avalonia 1 - Forest Kid If I were from Avalonia, I would live in the forest and my best friend would be a Spriggan. 2 - Beastmaster Snorri the Skald says that Avalonian Druids are able to tame all living creatures - even dragons and direwolves! 3 - Mermaid A fisherman once told me that the mermaids from the Mystic Isles lure sailors to shipwreck with their enchanting bagpipes. I have already heard bagpipes and did not find it enchanting - I think the fisherman lied to me. Kaliphlin 4. Fire Dancer I went to the Erikson fair once, and there was a Kaliphlini fire dancer! 5. Efrit We have ice sprites in Mitgardia. Do Kaliphlini have fire sprites? 6. Illusionist Snorri the Skald says that Kaliphlin is more than just a desert, and that there are beautiful temples in the mountains where mages practice a very fine and elegant kind of magic. Mitgardia 7. Shieldmaiden We Mitgardians are the most fearsome warriors of all the Guilds! 8.Shaman We also have some of the most powerful sorceresses. 9. Huntress There are centaurs in the Clan lands. I have never met one, but I'm sure they're awesome! Varlyrio 10. Messenger I don't know Varlyrio very well. Do Centaurs live there too? 11. Swashbuckler Snorri the Skald has never been to Varlyrio, but he has heard that Varlyrian ladies can be fearsome too! 12. Harpy Snorri has also heard that a group of winged warrior women lived in the Varlyrian mountains. It should be so great to be able to fly! Nocturnus 13. Necromancer The men who went to war against Nocturnus said that even the greatest, the fairest of all people could fall into evil. 14. Strix My dad never came back from the war. He was killed by a stone creature called a Strix. 15. Mermaid The men also said that in Nocturnus, merpeople hunt fishermen. And last but (definitely) not least... 16. Queen Ylspeth I have never really seen our Queen, only on silver coins. Auntie Sigrid says she's a very clever lady!

Lady Galaria, Mistress of Dragons, and Daeara the Earth Dragon A freebuild for Avalonia Lady Galaria, Mistress of Dragons, is the wife of Henjin Quilones and co-ruler, with her husband, of the Isle of Druidham in the Mystic Isles of Avalonia. She was exiled from the High Elvish kingdom of Hesperia by her father, King Fingolë the Golden, for joining with her fellow guildsmembers in defeating Raavage, rather than sitting back and doing nothing like her father wished. In her exile, she journeyed aboard the Nagra Luca, a swift Elvish ship, far to the west and south, to the city Bandari and the land of Mwamba. There, amongst the equatorial High Elves of that land, she learned much about elemental dragons and how to best raise and train them. In a gesture of unequaled generosity, King Mfalme allowed Galaria and a few of her companions to form soul-bonds with young Mwamban dragons, who then, after a few years of training under Kufunzi, returned all together to Avalonia, where they settled on the Isle of Druidham. Now Galaria and Daeara, her soul-bonded dragon, lead the other dragonriders of Druidham, teaching a new generation of dragonriders how to manage their companions, and protecting Avalonia from elemental threats. They fly here and there, meeting the people of the land and bringing messages, and sometimes passengers, from one corner of the land to the other. _____________________________________ .......................................................................... I had originally built this months ago for the Summer Joust, but never posted it since I wanted to build an all-LEGO scene in which to place Daeara, rather than the stand-alone display base here. I never got around to that all-LEGO scene, however, and decided instead to just post it now as-is. Ah well. Daeara is the same size (frame-wise) as Hewa and Moto, despite being female like Kijani and Maji, due to growing to full stature in earth-magic-rich Avalonia rather than Mwamba. C&C welcome.

The Nest of the Fying Tiger God An entry for the Ancient Wonders category of the second countdown challenges. High up in the Rakath Mountains, close to the roof of the world, lies the Nest of the Flying Tiger God, a monastery and temple complex devoted to the worship of the deity who is said to have once dwelt in Tiger's Nest Cave. The structure is built above, around, and even in the cave, which is very ancient and filled with the marks of the claws of some giant beast. Numerous experts from the University of Petraea over the centuries have come and explored the scored furrows in the rock, and all agree that they appear to be the marks of very large tiger claws, claws larger than any tiger ever heard of. The experts could not agree about whether such a mighty tiger could have existed, or whether a flying tiger had ever existed (for of course, the only way out of the cave is by flying, since the drop from the cave mouth is a thousand feet or more to the valley floor below). Some suppose that it could have been an extremely large and striped gryphon, but no further evidence supported such a claim. But the inconclusive opinions of the experts have done nothing to quell the fervor of the followers of the Flying Tiger God who tend the shrines, nor quench the ardor of the pilgrims who brave the arduous and often deadly trek up into the highest peaks of Kaliphlin through bandit (and dark beings come south from Nocturnus) infested passes. Some say they have seen the Flying Tiger God far over head as they hike the mountains and heard his voice roaring in their dreams. Fresh claw marks occasionally appear in the cave, and shakes caused by his roars have caused parts of the temples to be rebuilt over the years. It is no wonder that this deity is one of the most popular in eastern Kaliphlin and even beyond. ____________________ ......................................... Based, of course, on Tiger's Nest Monastery in Bhutan, a real-life place. But it seemed too good to not include in the Guilds somewhere.

Hello, since the other thread is becoming a response to the Call for Arms, I wanted to move the contest thread here. If you have already posted your entry, go ahead and post a link to it here. If you are posting an entry, make sure to link to it here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART TWO: Bringing the pain We are going to try something new this time around; we are going to have other people “build” weapons of war that will be used in both battles. The builders will build LDD models that we can use the show construction mode on. (Alternatively, a builder could photograph “instructions” to participate in this battle). Then, we will build some of these models for the battles. This is what you have to do: Create a separate thread for your weapon of war, then link it in a post in this thread. The title tag for the LDD contest is {WotB} In your thread you should have a completed picture of the siege weapon. You should have the capability to email us the design or “print” it. (Links to this material in your thread are highly appreciated!) You can add story to your weapon (maybe what company / person built it, etc…) You can also tell us what side you hope will use your weapon (Petera or Dugal’s). Is it a one of a kind weapon that has special properties? Or could there be multiple on the battle field? There are two categories, and each builder can enter both up to three times. The first category is Field Pieces. These will be used at the Battle of the Wither Woods. This battle will most likely take place in a lightly wooded area, but overall very few fortifications will be present on the field. The weapons can range from catapult to ballista, from twirling death machine to cow crusher… the limits are endless, other than it really should not be a siege engine. The second category is Siege Engines. These should be the heavy duty battle machines that are designed to take down walls, assault fortresses, and get men in close to fight the enemy. The siege engines will be used later on in the year at the Battle for Eastgate. One caveat -- the portion of the battle portrayed at the end of summer will be an invasion from the sea... So, any siege weapons that fold up nicely, may have the upper hand in the judging. (MAY HAVE) Specifications: Since we are going to try and build these, we are going to set a 400 piece limit. You don’t have to use 400 pieces, you can use fewer. We just won’t be able to build anything larger than 400 pieces. The one thing I do not have in my collection is a lot of technic gears and pieces, staying away from these would increase the chances of seeing your weapon in built form during the battle. However, containing many technic pieces won’t hurt your chance of winning. Just like the call to arms, anybody in the Guilds of Historica can participate. Deadline: Field Pieces: May 15th Siege Engines: July 30th The winner of each category will be forever known as Artillery Captain of Eastgate or Siege Commander of Eastgate

I am building a Medieval farm MOC for my Historica guild and I am building a stream next to it and building a bridge over the stream. The dimensions for the bridge is roughly a 12x8. My plan is to make it wooden, so brown in color. I have come up with a few ideas, but just wondering if anyone here has any good ones. Thanks

Hi everyone, As you may or may not know, there's a very popular thing going on in the Historic Themes forums for quite some time, called "The Guilds of Historica". There are different groups of MOCers (guilds) who compete agains each other in an imaginary world with a great storyline. I've already had quite a few suggestions from members who'd like to have a similar thing in the Pirate forums. So I thought, before we start anything, I'd like to get an indication as to how many people would be interested, and I'd also like to get suggestions as to what such a Guilds thing would look like for the Pirate forums. So if you have ideas and/or of you'd like to participate, post a comment!

When Altonio De’Ran felt the world shake, surely he was dreaming. Unfortunately as the Kaliphlin Guardsman of Dompei--un’Erezhi (Town’s name translates to “Damp under the Lone Mountain” in ancient Kaliphlinese) looked out his window, the worst thing possible filled his vision. Erezhi was erupting. No, not erupting, exploding. The Lone Mountain had blown its top, and now fireballs were raining down on the three towns around her base. on Flickr He screamed to his leiutenent, but when he finally got out of the barracks, he could see the steady stream of people running for their lives. DSC_1461 by skaforhire, on Flickr Black, fiery rock was falling from the sky, the residence next door had already been hit by a large piece of the mountain. DSC_1468 by skaforhire, on Flickr He looked over to his left and saw at least one person who had been ended by the flying fire missiles. DSC_1459 by skaforhire, on Flickr And the world kept shaking. DSC_1457 by skaforhire, on Flickr To his right he saw a woman grasp her son. After placing a kiss on his head, in defeat she covered the boy’s face and said “Goodnight, sweet prince.” DSC_1462 by skaforhire, on Flickr Then the ash came. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- It was said that the mountain shook for two days, and the lands bordering the Southern Ocean felt the earth cry out for three more nights before she washed away her pain in a great wave that devastated the coast. Although the devastation was enormous, Kaliphlin’s sorrow was just beginning. trustnobody by skaforhire, on Flickr edit by skaforhire, on Flickr

A small but sturdy fort built to protect the settlements of the tribe of Ritzen. Untitled by mlarbconnor, on Flickr Overall view. Note the kaliphlin colors on the roof of the tower/ladder housing. Untitled by mlarbconnor, on Flickr View of the front gates. [url=https://flic.kr/p/rxtNXp][/url]Untitled by mlarbconnor, on Flickr View of one side, part of the wall there is natural cliff, the short tower behind it has a ladder to get up. Untitled by mlarbconnor, on Flickr A guard relaxing in the crossbow nest. Untitled by mlarbconnor, on Flickr View of the ground level with a weapons stash and beds for off duty guards. Hope you like it, feedback is appreciated.

Before his death in the Mystic Isles, Cassius's advisor, Alfred, had taken on the duties of a father and had begun looking for a suitable match for his young duke. His death, however, hindered him from ever finishing his search. When Alfred's body was retrieved from the swamplands to receive a proper burial, there was also found in the tower several sheafs of paper, one of which had a list of potential suitors inscribed on it. Acting on this list, Cassius began to search for a woman to marry. After pursuing many leads that led to unsuitable (sometimes bearded in the case of the northern neighbors) people, he eventually met the one for him in a small, yet politically important Kaliphlinian city. Her name was Kathryn, of the House of Belloc. After being engaged for some time, the two were finally joined in matrimony in the Great Cathedral in Burnby. And thus begins a new chapter of the history of Burnby, now under the rule of not just a Duke, but now also a Duchess. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wow, it been a while since I've posted something here! This has actually been built since, like, March maybe, but I've just now gotten around to posting it. Sorry for the hiatus, but I should be back regularly now!