[SR-FB1] Nov '616 - Fortune Favours the Gold

[Kwatchi]

[This build is a follow-up to  Improving Prospects]

Life had become much better since that fateful fall day on the shoreline.  That evening, when she came back with a bag full of crabs (she was very proud of that fact) and she told her father about the shiny rock she had spied on shore, Liza had no idea how much life would change.  The next day, father had her take him back to that rock outcrop, and upon seeing with his own eyes the shiny yellow glow, he swept her up in a great hug and proclaimed that everything would be alright from this day on.  That afternoon, the family savings were used to buy a winch ride up to Hightown, where Mr. Leo Kozlov presented his findings to the mayor and chamber of commerce. 

The whirlwind that followed left Liza's head spinning.  That night night, they were whisked away from the squalor of the Lowtown warrens, and put up in a hotel suite until such time as a house could be built for them.  Her father now had an official writ of claim issued by the Bishop himself! (That he was out to sea at the time made no difference to her.  The Bishop Meloche knew who she was and they'd be best friends she was sure) They even had their own company now: Kozlov Metallurgy and Mining Limited.  Next day she overheard the Ashen Guard soldiers were dispatched to guard the mine site while her father oversaw the building of the head frame and the initial digging of the shafts by the provided prisoner and slave gangs.  Soon after, the gold start to flow.

But most importantly, she now had her own bedroom and a pet kitty cat!  Life could not be better!! But every night, she still said her prayers.

"Bless Mommy, and bless Daddy, and of course bless Ms. Mittens.  And bless all people of Charlatan Bay and I wish nothing bad to happen to them ever.  And finally, thank you very much Hades for letting me find that gold that has made everyone so happy.  I love you Hades. Good night."

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Once the first shaft was dug, it did not take long for the gold seams to be located and extracted.  Leo Kolzov spent every day overseeing the operation and assessing the quality of the ore prior to it being shipped up to HIghtown for smelting.

The initial shaft was dig rather quickly thanks to the discovery of an underground stream bed, though that water did raise some structural concerns.

The mining work itself was conducted mostly by the various prisoners kept by the colony, and their life expectancy was not considered very long.  This was supplanted by a few overseers made up of former pirates to old or injured to find a berth.

While not the epitome of engineering, the mine construction was sure to support Charlatan Bay's nascent economy.

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This build is being licensed as a gold mine in Charlatan Bay.

While this didn't turn out exactly how I envisioned, and I found that I have a real constraints with taking pictures of large builds at the moment (my set up is a couple of cardboard sheets on my washer/dryer with flashlight lighting, and I photograph that with my cellphone), but this was a fun challenge for me.  Having never done rock work before, I had challenged myself last month which led to a mine exploration build that was a complete non-sequitur from my story line.  After two builds of snot cliff walls, I tried my hand at vertical rock work and luckily years of castle collecting meant I had a lot of grey on hand. :) 

But I am still trying to improve, so C & C is always welcome.

More pictures:

 

 

Edited September 12, 2017 by Kwatchi

[Capt Wolf]

Very good! I like how you created the cutaway looks into the mine.

[Kai NRG]

The long shaft with the cutaways is a really intriguing way of presenting this!  Mind if I borrow?  I've got a silver mine on my to-build list...

[dr_spock]

Good build and story.  I like how you made the mine. 

 

[Mengish]

Cool story & MOC!!

[Garmadon]

I agree with Kai as to the down-the-shaft way of presenting the mine here, and the holes in the side are an excellent way to improve visibility as well!   Very nice story and congrats for striking the gold!   The SNOTted rock-work around the opening in the front is your best so far, keep it up! 

[Kwatchi]

Thanks for the comments everyone.  The fact that I have posted a design idea that people want to borrow has got me all smiles at the moment.  It's that or the fact I just got back from 2 hours at the dentist and my mouth is bloody sore.

51 minutes ago, Garmadon said:

I agree with Kai as to the down-the-shaft way of presenting the mine here, and the holes in the side are an excellent way to improve visibility as well!   Very nice story and congrats for striking the gold!   The SNOTted rock-work around the opening in the front is your best so far, keep it up! 

Thanks, but if you compare the original exploration to the entrance of this one you might be surprised to see they are essentially one in the same.  Having said that, my "carving out" the entrance and adding the wooden head frame does break up the grey wall visually, which I think is why it adds up to a prettier scene.

 

[Franco Clarke]

The presentation is really good here, both with the mine crossection/cutouts and the irregular flooring in the first section. 

[Garmadon]

2 hours ago, Kwatchi said:

...Thanks, but if you compare the original exploration to the entrance of this one you might be surprised to see they are essentially one in the same.  Having said that, my "carving out" the entrance and adding the wooden head frame does break up the grey wall visually, which I think is why it adds up to a prettier scene.

Ah, I had thought it might be!  But you are right that the wood frame really finishes it off very well and adds just the amount of color and detail needed! 

[Bregir]

This is by far the best way I have ever seen to depict a mine with visibility, while still maintaining the feeling of being underground in an enclosed mineshaft. Great work!

Also, I am surprised the "good" bishop didn't just appropriate the gold mine for himself!