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Book II Challenge II Category A – Simon/Drow Assault (providing intelligence) Tracking the Drow to Avalonia After the devastation wrought by the Spire and Drow armies in Nocturnus, the only remaining stronghold, Abyssian, was leagues of enemy troops away. For a time, Nimueh and Dark Horse (her shape-shifting companion) took refuge in the shadows of the Rakath foothills, picking off a few Spire scum here and there. While waiting for an opportunity to strike east to join the remaining loyal Nocturnians at Abyssian, they came across a large Drow army heading under the mountains, moving west. Why move away from the fighting in the east? The vile scum plan to try and take the rest of Historica before they’re even finished here! If we can get word out to the other guilds and cut them down before they have a chance to establish any great threat… With the hope of helping to stop the Drow infiltration, and perhaps gain allies in the fight against the Spire in Nocturnus, Nimueh and Dark tracked the army through dark, winding tunnels all the way into Avalonia. “Ser! The Drow threat is imminent. I have been following one of their hosts all the way from Nocturnus, and I have followed them here!” And a peek into the moat: There's a few more pictures over on flickr. Thanks for looking, c&c always welcome
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C.II: DG Collab: Cat B: The sanctuary of Bloodleaf Shrine
Gabe posted a topic in Guilds of Historica
Bloodleaf shrine lies near the edges of the mighty forests of Avalonia, built in honour of a famous elf warrior who fell there centuries ago, fighting in the first drow wars. It is said that when his blood stained the heath, the undergrowth grew up and strangled his foes. The area is famed for the red heath that now grows around the shrine, which has been used by the priests and priestesses there to make their special incense, which they burn day and night in the shrine’s braziers. Researchers from Kaliphlin’s University of Petraea have long been interested in the healing properties of these and other herbs that grow around the area. Medical lecturer Dishan Rubati and her centaur research assistant were already deep in study there when the plague struck Avalonia. As refugees from the surrounding villages began to arrive, they used what they had learnt so far to start producing not only healing pastes and potions, but also disinfectant from the volatile plant oils. Previous chapter Next chapter Note: the above are revised photos after Z convinced me of the need to spruce up the staircase - thanks Z for the good suggestion! I made a few other tweaks here and there as well. The photo below is of the original version, for comparison. Anne and Edith, exhausted from fleeing Brevis, managed at last to find their way to the sanctuary. The shrine guards, whilst overwhelmed by the constant stream of refugees, do their best to offer what small comforts they can. While relieved to have found a safe place to rest and regather their strength, Anne still frets about her missing family and is keen to move on soon. Young Edith worries too, but is momentarily distracted by the tall elf who leads them to spare beds and offers them some food. "You don't see beauty like that in Brevis!" she muses to herself. Secretly she schemes to find a way to talk to him alone, but he seems preoccupied dealing with the current influx of people to the sanctuary. Dishan Rubati impatiently waits for Brix, her centaur research assistant; "Brix, how are those bindweed samples drying out? Also, do you have any more hedgehog pine needles, i need more for this batch of disinfectant!" Although Dr. Rubati is a hard taskmaster, Brix wouldn't be anywhere else - the work is fascinating and his botanical knowledge has increased markedly since coming to the shrine. Above the bustle of the ground floor, preistess Dryadelindas performs her daily offerings of fresh incense whilst the rangers keep watch. A bonus shot of the furniture from Dr. Rubati's laboratory on the ground floor - it was a bit cramped in there to see properly, so i thought i'd take a separate pic. The bench is set up with a custom press for extracting plant oils. As the plants are crushed, the oil seeps out of a hole in the base of the table and into the bucket below. Of course, it's a bit tall for Dr. Rubati to operate, so she has a step ladder to reach the crushing mechanism and lever. Safety first! ~~~~~~~~~~ Thanks for looking everyone! Best of luck to all in the challenge! Ps: I am seeking UoP certification of the following credits for this build please: Architecture - 1x Roof technique Architecture - Advanced SNOT (for the circular 1st floor balcony) Landscape Design - 1x Tree Anthropology - Life in Avalonia -
Searching for a Cure When Lasvor heard about the plague in Avalonia, he rushed into a town near the Mitgardian border. I physician friend of his lives there, who let Lasvor into his lab to help finding a cure for this terrible sickness. He's been working for weeks, doing countless experiments using blood and other body fluids from the patients. There are still many combination of herbs and other ingredients he hasn't tried yet, so maybe the liquid that is going to be condensed into the bottle will be the one...
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My lord Simon, After our fortification efforts I decided to see what information I could gather about the leaders of the enemy force. One of my men spotted a drow scout, and I followed him. Soon I found a few of the enemy at a small camp in the ruins of a tower. There were three drow, one of which wore a mask, a Hand warrior, and a raven. They seemed to be arguing about their leadership. The Hand soldier didn't think a drow should be leading them. I overheard them talking about their leader being back at "the Keep". I will investigate. Regards, Sir Jamus Sir Jamus. Whole build. I tried to make the landscaping similar to the landscaping in my other build set in Avalonia. Figless! I love mushrooms... Campfire! Wall detailing! Well, that's my Category A entry! Hope you like it! . More pictures here: http://upload.bricks...ry.cgi?f=544257
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After many days and nights of trekking through Mitgardia's wilderness, Berelan Gryffen finally reached Avalonia. With a sigh, he stepped over the border into his homeland. His companion and close friend, Crynis Elchafron, followed, looking over her shoulder in case of a surprise attack by the Drow. Their task was simple: capture one of the Drow and learn of the enemy's plans. From the little he knew of the dark elves, they tended to favour vantage points from which to be alerted of an incoming attack. Looking ahead, he saw a hillock rising above the wooded glens, the crumbling ruins of a watchtower atop it. A perfect vantage point. Motioning to Crynis, he drew his sword and quietly began to scale the small hill. Sure enough, the dark shape of a Drow scout was visible behind the wall. The two adventurers took the soldier completely by surprise. As they rushed him he hastily grabbed his spear and leveled it at Berelan's head; just in time the warrior ducked. Knocking the spear out of the scout's hands, Berelan jumped on him and set his sword against the Drow's throat, "Surrender or die." Unbeknownst to them, a pair of Avalonian Elite Rangers silently watched and waited from the nearby undergrowth. They recognised the bearded Mitgardian instantly. An ally- or a mortal foe? Figless: Enjoy
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Here's my Cat. A entry. Sir Brychan Cedry entered the plain chamber of his old friend, Peredur, a highly regarded member in the secretive group know as the Black Guardians. The Black Guardians have been in Avalonia longer than anyone knows, save maybe the elves. They keep to themselves, maintaining a fortress in the mountains near the Mitgardian border, though Brychan managed to gain their help in securing the lands of Ferinwald, and befriended Peredur. Sir Brychan: Peredur, old friend, it's been to long. I hope all has been well with you. You say you have important news regarding the Drow? Peredur: Yes indeed. I will not waste time nor words. I have acquired knowledge that the Drow are planning an attack in Ferinwald before the next new moon. Sir Brychan: The Drow have been raiding our lands for months, this is not new news. We have been working to rid our lands of them. Peredur: These raids, as you call them, are merely the Drow testing us. They are locating our strongholds, so that they will be able to strike us hard and quick when they launch a full-out attack. They have formed alliances with various Orc and Uruk tribes, and have ammassed an army far larger than our own. I have sent messengers to those of my brotherhood in other lands, but we number only a little compared to the forces of the Drow. Sir Brychan: How have you learned of these things? Peredur: We... have our methods. The important thing is that we know of this attack, and are ready for and assault by the Drow! Sir Brychan: Yes, we must be prepared. I will alert the Lords Simon and de Gothia of this, and shall begin strengthening our fortifications, old and new, at once! Overall shot: "We have our methods": I decided to use Yazneg from attack of the wargs as a Drow, rather than just a black head. I think he looks like he could be of a different lighter skinned race of Drow, so I'm using him and others as more of a lesser race of Drow that serve as messengers etc.. Edit: I just realized that I forgot to put Team Simon in the title... Erg.
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Ch II - Prologue - New Leadership - Discussion by mpoh98, on Flickr Part 2 of the GoH Challenge Prologue. Enjoy! Feren sighed happily, breathing in the fresh night's air. Nothing like a walk in the night to freshen you up. Feren was taking another one of his nightly walks, pondering the change of leaders in Avalonia. Even though I will miss Lord Varis, Lord Simon is a very good friend of mine, and his loyalty to Avalonia is unquestionable. His leadership skills will prove useful in the coming times, as we will most likely soon learn what the Drow are up to, and what we need to do to defend. As he trudged through the alleyway, next to the tavern, his fine-tuned ears picked up a conversation. Cocking his head to one side, he concentrated on the source. It's coming from the 2nd floor of the tavern, he realized. Flattening himself next to the wall, he debated whether he should climb it, but discarded the idea. If someone walks by, that would be extremely embarrassing to be caught spying on 2 of my citizens. He listened in, and was just in time to hear them talking about their new leader. Ch II - Prologue - New Leadership - Discussion by mpoh98, on Flickr "What do you think of this new leader, Simon of Nalderic?" Feren's eyes widened, it was one of his Elite Rangers, a man by the name of Roger. He must be taking a break from his shift. "Meh, I personally don't care, as long as he doesn't do anything stupid, and is fair, I'm good." Feren nodded, this man was one of his friends, Gavin was his name. A good man, but slightly on the easygoing side of things, he was very lenient in political matters. "Well," Roger said, "I am glad in the change, as my Lord Feren is a good friend with Lord Simon, I know him to be a fantastic leader, and a good man. I am sure he will make a wonderful leader." Good man, Feren thought to himself. He yawned. It was time he went back to the keep, and to his toasty bed. I've heard enough, things seem to be going well here in Marrock Fortress......I really need to change the name of my castle, it's to repetitive with my island.....anyway my Rangers seem to like him, so that's good. I pray that Simon will turn out to be a good leader as we think he will be, we will need one soon..." Turning around, he silently padded around the corner, and back to the keep. Well, this is my 2nd entry into GoH for the Avalonia mini challenge, and it was an extremely fun build. I had fun building the interior, I need to experiment more with that. Tell me what you think of it, I would love to get better with interiors! Critiques appreciated! Thanks for viewing! Soli Deo Gloria! ~Matthew~
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Ch II - Prologue - Listening In... by mpoh98, on Flickr "Feren, what about the Drow? Have you heard the rumors?” Feren, and his archer master and friend, Robin, were strolling down the street of the massive castle Marrock Fortress. Robin, always inquisitive, had heard rumors spread by the Marrock farmers, and now wondered if his Lord knows about them. Feren inclined his head thoughtfully. “Yes, in a way. I have heard from my spy agency that there are rumors about the Drow invading our land. But I have not heard them personally myself, or if they have come this far inland to our island.” Just as Robin was about to respond, their fine tuned ears heard whispering, faintly carried along by the wind. Feren scowled silently. That whispering was in no language from Avalonia, it was barely perceptible. Feren, motioning silence, slowly drew his sword, making not a sound. Quietly he and Robin inched along the wall, concentrating on following the faint murmur. Slowly they approached the corner of the building. As Feren listened, he realized it was a man, and a Drow conversing. Feren’s eyebrows drew together thoughtfully. A Drow could only mean trouble. Listening closely, he was able to catch snatches of the conversation. “…….yes, we have finally arri……Lord Terrowin, prepare your troops……….Drow…….invasi……” Feren nearly exploded with surprise. Lord Terrowin was a popular Lord among the leaders of Marrock, and one of his trusted advisors. Feren’s eyebrows clashed together in anger. This man, his friend, had sold himself over to the Drow. He could barely contain the anger inside, and, if it wasn’t for Robin restraining him, he almost dashed around the corner. Controlling himself, Feren and Robin silently ran off, back to the keep, deep in thought. ‘This news is not good,’ Feren thought, what could it mean? ‘If only I could have heard the full conversation.’ For know, all he could do was ready his men, and wait for what was to come…. but, Feren vowed, whatever was coming, he would keep Marrock safe from this evil. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4th Wall: Whew! Glad I was able to get this entry in! After I wrote the story, I had no time to build until today, so I cranked out this small build quickly for the story. I am not satisfied with the roof, as I realized I forgot to add the overhang on one side, the brown wall is meh as well. But I am glad I was able to enter. :)</i> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4th Wall: Whew! Glad I was able to get this entry in! Great challenge! After I wrote the story, I had no time to build until today, so I cranked out quickly this small build for the story. I am not satisfied with the roof, as I realized I forgot to add the overhang on one side, the brown wall is meh, etc. But I am glad I was able to enter. :) Enjoy! God's Love, ~Matthew~
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Challenge II - Avalonian Civil War The Road to Civil War - Prologue Southern Avalonia - just northwest of the Kaliphlin border A drunken Avalonian sailor is hard at work downing his bottle of grog. From the stench of alcohol surrounding him, it is obvious that this is not his first bottle today. Sailor: What wash shat!? Sailor: That maybea ship, but that maaay be jussht the grogg talking again - It wash lasht time.... Sally, whu, whuddu think? Sailor: You shink sho? Aright, I'll take a nutter look The sailor gazes off across the sea for a long minute - almost as if in a stupor. Sailor: Shally, you were right again! Twash tha grog making me she shings again. Shanks for shetting my sail straight, mate! Sailor: Me bottleshrun out. Shally - hold down the fort fer me.....'burp' Out across the sea, the mirage appears yet again, but this time it can't be the grog, and there's noone left to witness it. What is the mysterious ship? Where did it come from? Is it friend or foe? Only time will tell. End Prologue. -
Part One Part Two Part Three It was a getting to the hottest part of the day, past noon but still ways until the sun set and offered relief to weary men. LT. Sully Tanner had made great time to the far off fort by following the Native woman and her escort and cutting through paths he hadn't even known existed. Eventually the Native woman lead him to a point in the path where he knew to be near Prospectors Bluff. LT. Tanner quickly Took over and decided to pull double time to get to the fort dreading what he was going to meet. prosbluff by Paul Vogel, on Flickr Meanwhile at the fort the 27th had affectionately named "Fort Nichols" K.G. was clearing brush from the ever growing vegetation that seemed to never stop growing on what he called "This gods forsaken island", K.G. rarely called anything by a proper name most of his men followed his orders only when there were "Cleanies" as they called the more respectable troops of Corrington, and even then after they were alone they would relentlessly mock him if he abused the power. Overall K.G. couldn't complain he'd served nine of the ten required years in the Penal Regiment, The 27th known as the "Rough Necks" for their crude manner their constant state of uniform undress and lack of respect for superiors to the point of insubordination, They were hated by the whole army and the nobles back home that committed them to this fate in the Juniper Wars. As he Cleared more brush due to losing a bet the night before his mind drifted to how he came to his current condition. He was once a successful arms smuggler, his weapons were in the hands of eight out of every ten pirates and the Juniper war just helped business, the first four and a half years were golden he made money hand over fist enough to swim in some might say. But it all went awry when one of his contacts turned on him a pirate who traded him for a pardon from the crown and a note of mark to allow him to work in service as a privateer. "The dirty bastard...", K.G. thought. He found himself in a prison owned by some wealthy noble he later learned to be Steward Pennington, cousin to the Exchequer, and all around stuff shirt. He had a stint of 30 years ahead of him in a pit of squalor. Not six months later though the last of "The Queens Own" the 27th Regiment was wiped out. They were one of the most decorated regiments in Corrington history, beloved by all, they struck fear into the hearts of their enemy. That was until they got themselves killed in a fools mission guarding one of the major ports of corrington from an O'lean invasion, sure they saved the city but they all died. "Fools", K.G. thought. That was just the beginning of the story though. That stuffed shirt Pennington back in Belson had the brilliant idea to recreate the 27th as a Penal Regiment, it past with 3/4ths consent in the house and thus the Rough Necks were born. The hatred was immediate but the need even more so with Corrington losing the war, many men even blamed the Rough Neck as their sins were "Infecting the army" that was seven years ago and this was now, K.G. was almost a free man. K.G.'s thoughts were disrupted when he heard a snap of a twig from the uncleared forest, he turned his head and there was a native and a sleeveless Cleanie approaching. As LT. Tanner approached he saw two disheveled men pull out their flintlockes and point them at him, but he was quick to draw both his in time to lock them in a stalemate. DSC_2932 by Paul Vogel, on Flickr "Looks like we've got ourselves, an ol' Eslandolian standoff here" Said the man that Sully took to be in charge. "I'm here on business from the governor, he's sent me to gather Lieutenant Nichols and the rest of his platoon.", Tanner said coursely." "Yer talkin to em' what'd ya need Cleanie.", K.G. Spat "Surely this can't be all that's left, you forts in shambles. You're all out of uniform, he doesn't even have a shirt! And worse yet where are you're colors!", Tanner rattled off. DSC_2933 by Paul Vogel, on Flickr "Don't care. Don't care. And I'm using it as a blanket.", K.G. replied equally as fast. Tanner looked on in shock at the band of disheveled criminals that called themselves the 27th. "Well the governor has a mission and you're going to help, it's his orders, we have word that O'leanders are conspiring with Ténotclaxcans in dark rituals.", Tanner said with a note of worry in his voice. "Hear that boys the Tino's er playin' with the blues. And it's the Governors 'Orders'.", K.G. yelled back to the fort and a raucous laughter erupted from all the men. DSC_2940 by Paul Vogel, on Flickr "Are you denying a direct command from the official on this island?", Tanner said pulling the only card he knew would get them to fall in line. "Alright, guess we have to if the governor is going to have a fit and load his pants over it." K.G. Mocked. And more laughter erupted from the Fort DSC_2938 by Paul Vogel, on Flickr This is a continuation of Ska's story for Challenge II, Help Me, Erie Flynn, You're My Only Hope.
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PART THREE: Return of the Torturer and K.G. Strikes Back Part One Part Two What a strange man K.G. Nichols really was, he had a thick draw, but Sully Tanner was unsure of where the accent was from. Nichols had proven himself valuable in the Juniper War years ago, but he was still serving out his sentence in the 27th Regiment, a penal regiment, called by some “The Roughnecks” by others, “The Murderers.” Sully knew a little about Nichols service, he was captured during the Juniper War, and instead of paroled like other officers, he was kept in an Oleon prison. At least he had some combat experience, for that Sully was thankful for. Nichol’s men were a bunch of misfits, most were not wearing proper uniform, and those who did word tattered, dirty, or mismatched uniforms. There was a reason Governor Flynn did not want them at Port Raleigh. They were too rough around the edges for his vision of civilization. Their guide, Qui’to, as Sully had found out when he set out with the man, had led them into the Jungle from Prospector’s bluff towards the Temple of the Snake. Tanner had actually been to the temple once before, that was where the Ténotclaxcans had made their last treaty with Port Raleigh. It was a “squat-looking” step pyramid, nothing like those of Ancient Halos, but still an impressive work of architecture in the middle of what seemed to be a deserted jungle. Of course Sully had been here long enough to know that was definitely NOT the case. When they go within spyglass distance, Sully brought his to his eye. His heart sank. There was a high priest, his fellow priest-warriors at the top of the pyramid, and they were holding up a baby above the alter. The alter sat in a pool of blood and former sacrifices’ body parts. On the golden alter lay a Corrington flag, already with some blood on it. DSC_2951 by skaforhire, on Flickr They could hear the priest shouting. Qui’to in rough Corrish translated. “They do ritual to give favor to your enemies. They wish you to fall from the earth. This ready war for them.” sac by skaforhire, on Flickr If that had not been bad enough, Sully moved his glass down to see who was on the top steps of the pyramid, about 20 feet in the air, watching the show. A Garvian officer and a few Meleckas, another tributary tribe to the Ténotclaxcans, stood on one said, a few other Halosians among them. Only a quarter of the pyramid was in use at this time, and the other top steps were occupied by a Eslandolian merchant and some of Qui’to’s tribe. Finally, in the middle was the big problem. Sully swallowed hard. “There is a platoon of Oleon troops up there, and a captain with them.” He said to Nichols. He gave Nichols the spyglass and immediately the underdressed officer swore. “That is Raphine Aramore – he is the bastard that tortured me during the war. I thought I gutted him good last time I saw him.” Sully was shocked, he had heard of Count Aramore, he was an elite commander during the war, and a known inquisitor for the Brotherhood. K.G. had been his prisoner? “Well, we don’t have much time if we are going to save the baby.” Sully said trying to formulate a plan. “Your man is already on the attack” Nichols pointed to Qui’to who was running full speed at the temple. “Damn it…” Sully now swore, not very gentlemanly he thought. “we are not supposed to…” he left off as all of the 27th started making their way towards the backside of the temple in an eerily quiet manner. Sully followed. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* As they stormed up the rear steps, K.G. had one thing on his mind – Count Aramore must die. He had spent too many years in an Oleon prison for a crime he did not commit, Aramore torturing him every day knowing that Nichols had no answers for him, for it was the count himself that was guilty of the crime. But right now there was no time to think about the act of betrayal that got him put in that cell. breakingupthesac by skaforhire, on Flickr The Roughnecks charged straight into the ritual, and halted the sacrifice. Still, the priest held the baby tight and his men began to fight. Many of the Andequotans began to flee, they didn’t want to die for their master’s sick games. Nichols saw that pretentious lieutenant Tanner knock down the alter and charge the priests. He was brave, K.G. would give him that. breakingupthe by skaforhire, on Flickr Nichols found Aramore two steps down. “YOU!” he shouted! duelb by skaforhire, on Flickr Aramore recognized his voice and his aged face instantly. “Oh, Nichols, so you are still alive? You look well, devilishly hansom in fact! “ Nichols looked into an all-to-familiar face, and winced as he thrust a sword at it. Aramore ducked and countered. The rest of the battle went still around them. “You know I am the better swordsman!” Aramore said. “Give up now!” “I believe I left you with quite a gaping present the last time we saw one another! “ Nichols said. “You stabbed me in the back!” Aramore cried, “I had no defense!” “Neither did she!” K.G. grunted. “Neither did she!!!” A swing went wide and cut open another Oleon soldier. As fast as it had begun, the battle was wrapping up… and Aramore knew this. The Count pulled a powder from his pouch and threw it into K.G.’s eyes. Nichols swung thw sword violently, temporarily blinded, but no deathblow came. In minutes he could see, and saw that the Corlanders were victorious. The Roundup by skaforhire, on Flickr The native had got his babe back, a Garvian foot soldier had been captured, and a Eslandolian merchant had surrendered. No doubt some MAESTRO scum. Nichols was furious, but there was no sign of Aramore. The only good news was that the single casualty among his men would recover quickly from a bump on the head. Oleanders couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with a cannon anymore. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Sully thrust the flag in the Ténotclaxcan’s face and screamed. “What were you doing here? Where is your king?” Qui’to, now holding his baby translated. “He say he came to watch, no king.” Qui’to said. Clearly Sully was not going to get anything out of this man, and he had no one who spoke Garvian or Eslandolan well enough to interrogate the other two men. Tanner knew there was a Olean prisoner, but in the chaos, somebody had slit his throat – Sully suspected Nichols, but did not see him do it. “Round them up, lets get them back to the fort before Aramore regroups. He noticed Nichols scowl harden further at the mention of the Count’s name. Lord Flynn was going to have his hands full here, and if there were more Oleanders on Annetta, war may not be too far behind. -
[OL - CH2B] The Diary of Derelin Magini
Kolonialbeamter posted a topic in Brethren of the Brick Seas
Ahoy once more, mateys! I'd like to present my entry for Challenge II B: Strike your Colors! Warning: Contains not only much text, but later also violent scenes, blood, and general misery... better go grab some popcorn first, to enjoy this properly Here goes. When Ivo Fortesque set foot on the island, nothing was the way he expected things to be. None of his men were here! Instead, all he and his crew found were burnt remains of a wooden structure. There was no sign of any living soul. Fortesque was terrified. What had happened while he was gone? As they continued searching for clues, a member of his crew found some pages of what seems to have been a diary, buried in the sand. As they deciphered the increasingly shaky hand writing, they froze in agony... The Diary of Derelin Magini First entry: After leaving ten volunteers behind on the island our captain named 'Berelli', we sailed north-east, only to be caught in a storm, causing much damage to the Santa Clara. Fortunately, we found another island close by. After some repairs to the ship, the captain set sails back to Terreli with only a sparse crew, to report to the King about this new paradise-like island here. He promised to return with more supplies in a matter of two months. We – that is another twelve volunteers, including myself – have so far set up a small outpost here at the beach. It's been a tough job these past days, chopping down trees, building a cabin, setting up a defensive perimeter... I'm tired as hell, but we're all pretty positive about being here, and eager to start exploring this island. I wonder what riches await us! Second entry: Yesterday we took a first trip into the jungle, looking for fresh water, since our supply will only last another three days. We didn't find any river or creek so far. As nice as the isle looks from the beaches, all that vegetation in the interior gives me the creeps. I find it hard to orientate, and the heat is awful. But what I find most irritating, is that the natives we saw on our arrival here seem to have disappeared. Of course it was Velasques who had to tell a story about them being evil demons, going to kill us all. I'd much rather believe we're just not that interesting to them. Third entry: Still no fresh water. And we cannot penetrate further into the interior, the jungle is too bloody dense. Tensions are rising here, Velasques is turning into a source of trouble, scaring everybody. I don't want to believe what he's ranting, but I could swear during the night I heard the sound of drums coming from the jungle. This is turning into a nightmare. Fourth entry: Velasques has gone mad! He ran off into the jungle tonight, and returned covered in blood with the head of a native this morning! What has he done, he's doomed us all!! Fifth entry: Drums! All night long the sound of drums echoing from the jungle! No sleep, no water, no relief. We're all praying to the Gods... Sixth entry: They're coming! There's no way out... The following is a depiction of what could have happened to the brave volunteers. And a 360° view: For higher resolutions follow links to flickr! about: This scene was to some extend inspired by the fate of 'La Navidad', the first Spanish settlement in the New World, established by Christopher Columbus. Lego wise, well, all parts exist, all is buildable, just to display minifig action I turned gravity 'off'. Minifig placement in LDD is no fun at all, and the roof of that hut must have been the single most annoying thing I've ever build digitally. However, I kind of liked portraying all the bloody stuff The renders are made with Bluerender, which has the advantage of being much faster than Pov-ray, and also more realistic in lighting. Only thing is the water here doesn't really 'shine' in light transparent blue. Oh, and the 360° view consists of 100 renders, taking two full days to finish. I hope you like it, C&C as always very welcome! -
Capitan Alonzo, late of the Royal Army of Eslandola, now found himself in the employ of the Merchant’s Colonial Trading Company. When agents of the MCTC discovered the island of Ferro Azure in February of 616, the MCTC quickly established the settlement of Salida Este to secure their claim. Capitan Alonzo was tasked with fortifying Salida Este and protecting its anchorage. Protecting the settlement itself should be a simple matter of building a palisade, and so he assigned several men to this task and then turned his attention to the trickier task: finding a suitable location for his artillery battery to command the harbor. Alas, at this early stage, he had only one cannon for such a battery, but such were the conditions so far from home at the far end of the world. Scouting locations on the heights above the harbor, Capitan Alonzo and his men found a spot that offered a clear view of the harbor while maintaining excellent defensive cover. After a few weeks of hard work, they had cleared the trees, leveled out a gun platform, and built defensive earthworks. Powder and shells were in place. Capitan Alonzo was pleased with the progress of his men. More guns would be needed in the future, but this was a good start. *** About the uniforms: Capitan Alonzo still wears the golden armor and morion of his Royal command. His MCTC militiamen wear sleeveless buffcoats over green shirts, and their morions are of blackened steel.
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Ahoy, mateys! This is my entry for Challenge II A. Shields and Daggers The race for New Terra is heating up. More and more land is being claimed every day. Fortune seekers from everywhere are heading out looking for riches, and settlers follow. But most newly established settlements are very short lived, perrishing as quickly as they were set up, either due to a lack of supplies – or defensive capacity. Everyone knows the terrifying stories of the very first settlement attempts of the Mardians and Eslandolans, everyone knows the consequences of neglected protection. New Terra isn't quite the paradise it looks like. So in his infinite wisdom His Majesty the King of Oleon has decided that all colonizing efforts undertaken by the loyal subjects of the realm will be determined, but cautious ones: The claim we lay to the land will stretch no further than the reach of our swords. So as we claim the Île de Zeus for our glorious Empire, His Majesty has dispatched additional King's Guards to the island. Their task is not only to crew the forts that are being set up along with new settlements, but also to establish a multitude of smaller gun batteries along the shores, shielding the Île in all directions. These defensive positions surely aren't enough to repel a fully-flegded invasion, but they are certainly capable of dealing with smugglers, pirates and other predators. And when push really comes to shove, 'La Royale' will always fly Oleon's colors on the waves. Small patrol boats might not be seen as mighty swords, but handled with determination and skill, a dagger can do serious damage, too. about: As always, everything except for the vessel's sails can be build. The water is a delicate matter, consisting of many rows of 1x2 plates linked by 1x1 round plates wherever possible. This is my first ever attempt at rockwork, and it only caused me to despair and curse a high two digit number of times... Not sure if it's to the liking of the experts among you. Sorry for the back of that cliff looking so dull, but all I managed to come up with in order to 'close' it were slopes. Oh, and the boat's curvature is done with hinge bricks, all held in place by a multitude of flex tubes and clips, most of them well hidden below the deck. I hope you enjoy, C&C welcome! Vive le Roi!
