Exetrius

Thanks y'all! For the shields I found good inspiration in the Creator viking ship set, but wanted to add some kind of patterns for detail, which is where the modified 1x1 tiles came in. Glad you also like the water, seems like it was worth the effort to change it all up! @Kai NRG I'd say definitely get the smaller one, it's too cuuute! The larger seal feels a bit oversized and the underside is awkwardly open. Thank you! I will agree that the rockwork is nothing fancy. In fact, it was the age-old game of disguising BURPs! I used two "mountain" shaped BURP at each end, and two "cliff" shaped BURPs as well as two 45-degree wall panels in the middle. I personally don't really mind it, but I appreciate the feedback!

Magnus Gudmund, Lord of Spróggefjell in southeast Mitgardia, had recently had his farmlands raided by a band of thieves. Rumour has it they took to the coast, so Gudmund hired a group of soldiers to patrol along the Southern Shores. So far, the search has been unsuccessful. This build is a modified version of my Summer Joust collab entry (see spoiler) from three months ago. I was happy with the ship, but the water and terrain wasn't convention-worthy. So I tore down the water, I acquired a lot of dark blue tiles (just barely enough, though!) to cover the new base, which I shortened on both front and end. I finished the creation halfway into August, but there was a problem: no camera! I had been borrowing my sister's camera for years, but at last she permanently reclaimed it, so I had to get my own. And then holidays happened, and other LEGO projects, a job application, Skaerbaek Fan Weekend, LEGO World Utrecht... but this weekend I finally spent some time figuring out my new camera (Nikon D3300) and taking pictures. Little note: I didn't bother changing the figures of the collab, but I did change the story to fit Guilds of Historica. It's not much, but it's something. Glory to the Guilds! C&C appreciated!

Cool minifigure scene! A good variety of townsfolk and of facial expressions. I like the doors as well, and the balcony/porch (don't know which is really the correct term here). The snow is well-executed. Could be a little more smooth on the upper roof of the middle house, to make it clearly stand out from the texture of the stonework, but that may be personal preference. Great bleak winter scene!

I have no doubts whether I love the use of the 'double arrow' tiles here: I do! They add lots to the look of the exterior, and in general the timber frames are very well-done. I like the other fine details on the outside too, like the silver lute sign, the patches of foliage and the stone pavement. The tree has good height and density. I wish the trunk had a little more texture somehow, but I do like how the 2x2 rounded brick with technic holes serves a double purpose. There are many ways to create a LEGO tree, and this one feels fresh. One the interior, there are many things to admire too, but what strikes me most are the attic filled with viking treasures, the brickbuilt chests of various sizes (love the printed Unikitty plates there!), the corner bench and the cradle! Really good stuff! Also, respect for making modular sections. I am currently making kind of a similar building, and it is harder than it seems! And last but not least: the minifigures... Wow! These combo's are so good! Asceline herself is fantastic, and I find Roland and the female adventurer with the sword particularly inspiring, for their legs and torso respectively. In conclusion, one of your best builds yet!

I don't think so

Cool lantern, and fence. You've done well squeezing a courtyard in a limited footprint! In this scene, I think there's some room for improvement in the back wall. There's quite a big contrast between the arch that looks rather thin, and the thick merlons. I know arches are really strong, but that would be a lot of weight for the arch to bear. Adding a layer of one or two bricks of just wall between the arch and the crenellation would help make the wall more realistic, in my opinion. I like the left wall though, nice texture, colour accents and decorated fountain.

Kind of, yes! Thanks kahir!

*performs some thread necromancy* "Rise, my figures!" Ninjago figbarf: Transcendence In a world of ever shifting balance, the forces of good and evil are pushed beyond their limits. Left to right: Hell's Chasm Journey Cole Ultimate Frakjaw Heaven's Kingdom Journey Kai Supercell Eclipse Jay Ultra Combat Garmadon Forgotten Realm Wu Ghost Venom Eclipse Lloyd Endless Wilderness Journey Zane Eclipse Stone Army Scout Phoenix' Sanctuary Journey Nya Biggest figbarf yet, not counting custom CMF series or the figures to fill my metro. Numbers aside, I enjoyed paying tribute to Ninjago again; returning to my figbarfing roots as you can see above. Hope you like them as well!

Blue-violet? I'm afraid it's just the common dark purple! Thanks for your compliments, and happy that you enjoy the history and find the links helpful!

Thanks a lot! It's always a pleasure to receive such elaborate, thoughtful feedback, especially on the parts usage! I'm glad to hear you like NPU of the helmet and the triangular pieces, both were satisfying to give them a use! And at first I had the flames directly in the palm tree connectors, but I thought it looked a little basic, and too low to break up the the plain part of the column, so that's where the black candle pieces came in. But they surprised me too! For the blacksmith, had minimal space to work with, but I'm pleased to hear that the fence and the chains are effective. As for the suitcase, I hope it makes more sense in the context of the full build. On one side there is the wizard hat that represents the teachers, and on the other side there is the case that should represents the students. I imagined they would bring a case for their writing equipment, maybe even homework, but I admit that the one I used might not be boxy enough. This one from HP CMF might be a better fit, but I don't have it and it's a lot larger. Thanks again!

Thank you! London, you say? Perhaps I've seen a different part of the city...

Congrats guys!! And a thanks to our hosts and judges!

A build with character, I bet this one would get a lot of giggles at a convention. It's clear that Cedrica's defenses are strong, but they have clearly lost against the gulls! You can't fool me. Those helmets used to be regular metallic, like the other guards of Cedrica, but with the inevitable gull poo stains on them nobody could take them seriously anymore, so they painted their helmets white to not make the stains stand out so much! Great vibe! Also, as a sand green junkie, I approve of this tower and wall! The window and gate have a nice amount of detail, love the use of the shield too! And last but not least, cave shark! Man, he's probably been in there way too long. Really needs to socialize and catch some sun, before he loses all pigment and his eyesight.

Lots of exploration of techniques here. I too like the use of rollerskates, particularly in the large arch. Speaking of which, I like the part just behind it too, with those white "bricks with curl" and white carrots, perfect! The decorated band of tan is nice and breaks up the white well. Awesome tan deterioration on the wall too.

Lovely build, Dan! Impressive stone technique indeed, and (correct me if I'm wrong) impressive how you emulated the Cedrican style from Ecc's builds, for the tower and quays. The quarter circle tile decoration is a great return motif throughout. I like the double awning a lot, also matches really well with the soldiers and red and white flag! Furthermore, awesome tudor house, it's got good depth of architectural features thanks to SNOT and half-stud insets, and nice shading in the wall, cozy windows with plants, and beautiful lighting! The little pier is a neat touch. Not 100% if I like the Kali building in this context, but I like it by itself (concave slopes, nice!). Lastly, I dig the figs! Especially the red orc/demon girl with the drumstick, and the white-haired mage. Cheers man!

Thanks, Geneva! That was the balance I was looking for: not too dark and not too whimsical. :)

Rockwail School of Orphans Rockwail has seen the passing of many kings and rulers, each leaving their own mark in history and on the city. Not all that long ago, relatively speaking at least, the iron fist rule of king Zoroaster took a particularly heavy toll on the residents of Rockwail. Many lives were lost due to his warmongering and exploitation of miners and labor slaves. As a consequence, the amount of orphans peaked during this period. When Theophraster I, Zoroaster's half-brother, claimed the throne, he sought to repair some of the damage Zoroaster had done. He believed orphans were a key to turn the ravaged economy around, so he built an orphanage and established an education program. His efforts bore fruit, for him and the city. His apparent philanthropy earned him the respect and support from the scarred people of Rockwail, and the word also spread beyond the city. In rough and tough Nocturnus, these 'soft' policies were looked down on by some of the greater Lords, but merchants and craftsmen flocked to the city! Later, despite dwindling numbers of orphans because of peaceful times, Theophraster II continued to invest in the future of the disadvantaged, by founding the Rockwail School of Orphans. The School of Orphans is not as big as it used to be at some point, but one of its most prominent and remarkable buildings is still in use today, and is maintained with funds from the royal treasury. And somehow, it's the place Exetrius Centario of Zotharith found himself in... He looked up from his reading material and gazed at the window. He put his book away for a moment and stood up to overlook the square of the Four Virtues. It appeared peaceful, a little quieter during daytime than Zotharith. The sudden thought of home, so far away, made his mind wander between the turns his life had taken ever since the Civil War, the places he visited and the people he met. Before the war, he was just a mage trying to climb the ranks. Okay, maybe not your average mage, but the second son of the wizard ruler, Onicius. Sometimes, he was sent out for a task by the Order of Zotharith, but generally he was around his home city a lot. Once, he traveled to Kyrrath to visit his aunt. That was the furthest he had ever been. His elder brother, on the other hand... Anyway, during the Nocturnus Civil War he joined the 1st Corps of Zotharith, which was hunting down Raavage through the Rakath mountains, and he eventually ended up defeating him. But if that wasn't hard to believe enough, he also got to attend the victory party in Cedrica, with Queen Ylspeth! As well as the legendary Warlords, with some of whom he discussed the future of Nocturnus, in Merodaquinas. No big deal, right? It was hard to fathom. After the storm of events, he returned to Zotharith. Luckily, he found his father, mother and sister (who served in the 2nd Corps) in good health. Furthermore, the city seemed to be completely unharmed by the war. It seemed like he would be easing into his old and familiar life again, until a letter from Rockwail came. It was a personal request from King Yurdtroth, the city's new ruler (since Raavage's occupation ended), adressed to Onicius Centario. He was looking for someone to fill the position of Wizard of Rockwail, as well as an ambassador for Zotharith, and had heard of Exetrius' hand in the victory against the Black Spire. Exetrius and his farther agreed that this could be a fantastic opportunity, thus they accepted the request. And so, within a month or two of being home again, he left for Rockwail indefinitely. From the letter, it was not fully clear what the position would entail, but that was a risk he was willing to take. Upon arrival, he met with King Yurdtroth. He was not as intimidating as he imagined, on the contrary actually. He soon learned that one of his tasks would be to teach magic at the Rockwail School of Orphans. Of all things, teaching children was somewhat daunting to him, and something he hadn't anticipated. On his first day, the stairs he had to climb to get to the oddly placed school building seemed to never end. An old wizard dressed in blue, which turned out to be the retiring Wizard of Rockwail, welcomed him. "Don't worry, it'll be fun", he said with a smirk. With the old fart's perception was nothing wrong, that much was clear... The earth sciences teacher, named Ruppert, asked him to come into the class. Still nervous, Exetrius climbed out of the study room. A little awkwardly, he introduced himself to the three kids in class. But soon, he found himself wondering why he had been worrying at all. The kids were very interested and asked him lots of questions. This wasn't so bad at all! ---- Later than planned, but here is the full build! Mine entrance part here. Figuring out the layout of this build, with the mine entrance, school and blacksmith was a fun puzzle, and I enjoyed putting my limited number of purple, magenta and pink bricks to good use. I'm also glad to be able to give an update about Exetrius. While writing the recap it became clear just how few and far between his backstory is. I don't blame you for never getting into the Exetrius Saga if you haven't. It's a mess, though it has good parts that still hold up, imo. Anway, if you read the recap, click the links and look at the images, that should give you a decent idea of Exetrius. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks, guys!

Long ago, one of the first dwarven Kings of Rockwail ordered the construction of a sacred mine entrance, right in the heart of the city. For decades, even centuries, miners receive the blessing of Mòhria (represented by the statue on the altar) before descending into the perilous deep. Rockwail has one of the most diverse populations in Nocturnus in terms of races as well as ancestry, so there are a number of religions within in the city due to the many different backgrounds. However, be it through belief or through superstition, the vast majority of miners always descend to the mine and tunnel complex of the city in the morning, via "Chapel Gate". They may take a different route to the surface, as there are multiples entrances annex exits in Rockwail, but the ritual of entering through Chapel Gate is one that persists across miners from all kinds of backgrounds and beliefs. Today again, two miners are venturing into the deep with the hope of bringing riches to the surface, but above all hoping to return safely. Perhaps empty-handed as they did yesterday, but there's always that sliver of a chance to find something truly extraordinary. Something that will have all of Rockwail looking and talking about them. And since they are 'free miners', they get to keep everything they find, unlike those employed by a mining company. It has its disadvantages, but if they find "The Big One", as they call it, they may not have to work for the rest of their lives! Fame, fortune and comfort... a miner can dream! Unfortunately, today was just another day at the mine. No fame and glory, just bits of ore and barely a grain of crystal. Tomorrow, maybe... Meanwhile, behind Chapel Gate, a blacksmith has just started working on some iron ornamentation. It is for a very important commission, which was made to the guild of smiths. It's too large of a task for a single smith's shoulders to bear, especially in the given timeframe, but his experience and craftsmanship will be invaluable to give the end result it's desired flair. --- Hi, happy to share (part of) a new build with y'all today! I felt that it was necessary to divide this build over two posts, because the writing would otherwise become a bit long and messy. And it's also more practical for the HSS. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks for the breakdown, nice piece of insight! Well, I must say my guesses turned out to be quite accurate, with a score of about 5/9!

Thank you! The string isn't there for show actually. The big tree has a flextube on the inside and is rather top-heavy, so I found it would bend within some of tens minutes under it's own weight. So I added the small tree, which is more rigid, and string, to keep it in place, and that works. Thanks! The small spaces were a real challenge to fit in an interior indeed, while also thinking about how to access it. But it was worth going the extra mile! Thanks a lot, high praise! And now I will look out for these type of fountains in other builds, haha! Thank you! Yes, that would be a sight! To be fair, not much of a surprising comment coming from the guy that has single-handedly built fortified cities. One day, man! I feel like it's not too far off, as far as collection goes. Btw, glad you like the kitchen too! Thanks, man! I had a blast!

The tightest tights shop for the tightest of tights. A man excitedly approaching a tree with opens arms? Refined GoH comedy! You really worked your magic here, Henjin. Massively impressive work! The rooftop garden is definitely a place I'd love to hang out, especially like those elves around! I also want to call out the tree with the silver bark, and lime and lila leaves. There's no way that it should work so well! Also really like the moneylender's from both the inside and outside. Finally, the jeweler's shop is crazy. So tight, and even with the odd-angled wall you managed to cram in a detailed desk, cabinet (with interesting door) and room to sit. Cheers to this wonderful piece!

Great entry, kahir! Once again an original approach to the challenge (as last time, with the lore writer's office), showing what time can do to a town. The wall is pretty nice with the ornamentation, texture and mix of greys. I like the back side, I'm charmed by the tower with the 'attached' section (with the roof). Maybe it's because of the door, which looks just right for the tower, and its unusual off-center placement. Another interesting choice is the little wall on the back, possibly to prevent soldiers get knocked off the wall, but I like it. One critique for the tower is that the top three layers of bricks on the tower look a little plain, compared to the lower part of it and the ornate wall, so perhaps some SNOT texturing or decoration or some more masonry bricks could improve that? Furthermore, the front of the build is impressive! The vegetation immediately draws the attention, of course the flowers, but also the plant variety and different shades of green used. However, the traces of what some would call 'civilization' , like the road sign, the fence and lanternpost, as well as the nice Y-fork cobblestone road are breathing more life into this scene. Keep up the great work!

Yes, the Elves vibes are strong with this one! No bittersweet feelings at all... I'm excited for the larger and smaller crystal elements! The 1x1 rock crystals seem trans (opal?) purple to me though, not blue. Maybe I'm just seeing what I want to see, because trans purple crystals have been on my wish list for years! Hadn't spotted the reeds yet, nice!

Really hoping to get black suit Rocket Racer from Stuntz, the price of the set he's in is ridiculous...