THIS IS THE TEST SITE OF EUROBRICKS!
Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'nocturnus civil war'.
Found 12 results
-
May I present to you an important piece of Nocturnian history! And it is not just for Guildies! I've taken extra care with this one, so that anyone should be able to jump in and get a taste of Historica's lore, without needing to rely upon extensive knowledge of the Guilds at all. If you're new here, welcome! Abyssian's DemiseA new dawn was on its way for Nocturnus, and it was about time. This dark province of Historica had seen ample bloodshed throughout most of its history, but the seemingly everlasting Nocturnus Civil War was beyond any comparison. The struggle for dominance over all of Nocturnus had pitted father against son; brother against brother, and had torn society (as far as that could be considered thing in this savage land) to shreds. One man - or rather, beast - was at the center of it all: Lord Raavage. Through his army of undead and powerful alliances, he had gained control of nearly all of Nocturnus. Only three major strongholds still stood up to his reign: Shadowmere (City of Vampires), The Reach (City of Goblins), and administrative Capital of Nocturnus: Abyssian Castle. Despite the enormous control he had, and though backed by his allies (the Zugal, Drow and Varlyrians), Lord Raavage had been unable to overpower the remaining resistance strongholds. He needed more force. Raavage knew of one thing in Nocturnus that could bring total domination: the Orion Sphere. This immensely powerful crystal artifact, held in Abyssian, was said to hold the power to raise an army of millions of undead! If it fell into his hands, the rest of Nocturnus would soon follow, but until then it would take at least one additional ally to breach Abyssian's defences. Even more so after the Drow and Varlyrians turned on him, and definitely more so after his subsequent (dubious) attempt at getting the Dragon Masters to his side not only failed, but backfired... However, though abandoned by his former allies and with the forces of resistance starting to unite, Lord Raavage was heading for victory. Against unfavourable odds, he had managed to establish an alliance with the Algus - an ancient, faraway race of icy warriors from the Frozen Beyond. Truth be told, having to rely on agreements made with nation half a continent away; with unproven strength; born from a minimum of correspondence, surely worked out better than it could have. In early summer, exactly as agreed upon, an elite division of the Algus landed on Nocty shores. A mere month later they stood in front of Abyssian, ready for their infiltration. The objective was straightforward: take control of the Orion Sphere and harness its power to fight the castle's defenders from within. Raavage was cautiously optimistic about the outcome of the operation. Unlike previous sieges and assaults on Abyssian, which much relied on strength in numbers, this operation was carried out by a powerful few. Moreover, the Algus had natural advantages over their enemy, too: as elementals, they carried the frost with them. Abyssian's population consisted mostly of reptilians, who have a high vulnerability to lower temperatures, and the high humidity of a swamp in summer meant that they were permanently surrounded by a thick mist; ideal for an unseen approach. There were still numerous challenges to overcome, but there was a chance... Of course, Raavage himself would not be participating in the operation, much too risky! Approach successful. Assault team - ready. Ascent team - ready! Decoys - ready. Commence infiltration. Expected losses in Assault team. Critical losses in Ascent team, backup! Touchdown at Orion Tower! Deploying arcane specialist. Commence system takeov-~~~----~----~----- And so the alliance between the Algus and Lord Raavage was terminated, although neither side knew that immediately. From one moment to the next, the swamps and forests around Abyssian, as far as the eye could reach, were frozen solid. In Shadowmere it started started snowing, in the summer... Raavage had somehow managed to evade the blast, and resilient as ever, later started his quest for the Necromancer Helm, which would ultimately become his demise. In the aftermath of what became known as The Orion Incident, several attempts were made to scout the now-defunct Capital; to recover the remains of late former leader Lord Ssilyrrlith, the Orion Sphere, and anything else valuable, but the cold remained too fierce. Abyssian, the mighty fortress at the heart of Nocturnus, was no more. --- Well, I had a blast! As you may tell, time nor effort were spared in the creation of this whole article. The two micro builds, one modeled after @I Scream Clone's original Abyssian Castle (still as awesome today as it was in 2012), the other a transformation of it, were a kind of a new experience to me, as was the stopmotion! I'm so excited to hear your thoughts on it; I think this is the first time anything GoH has been animated? I'd gladly be proven wrong though, haha! Cheers!
-
Rendezvous at Slime Bay - Enter the Algus![NCW] Ambush in the Rakath[NCW] Onwards, to the Moruth Highlands![NCW] Turmoil in Camp Carakath[NCW] Zotharians in the Underworld [NCW] Rockwail's Catacombs: Rise of the Undead [NCW] Feathers of Fate (Ssilyrrlith's Retreat)Dependable, trustworthy allies are hard to come by. And even when you think you have found them, they may still turn their back on you after a while, or gain an unfair advantage over you, which will inevitably lead to being bossed around further down the line. You never know who will betray you next, so it's important to keep looking for tomorrow's allies. Also, the war between the Black Spire and the Resistance was moving towards a stalemate, and as anyone knows stagnation means decline. Therefor, Raavage had been much determined to draw in external forces. At last, he learned about an ancient race from the North. Banished from Mitgardia by humans, forced to inhabit a forsaken frozen wasteland. Maybe there was some common ground in their agendas... Raavage sent a couple of messengers to the Great North. Few of them actually reached the Frozen Beyond, and the remainder froze to death. However, by sheer luck the last frozen messenger was discovered by a patrolling Algus squad, and the message he carried found its way to the halls of Algugoran. The Algus reciprocated with a messenger of their own, and so the foundation for a potential alliance was laid. Raavage, not intending to waste precious time on endless and risky messenger traffic to gauge interests, demanded a meeting with the highest notable figure straight away. Rendezvous point: Slime Bay, an inlet of the rocky northern shore of the Nocturnian peninsula, around the twentieth day of summer. A bold invitation for sure, disproportionately less favourable for the Algus, with their mostly neglected nautical force and lacking knowledge of the eastern seas. More than a few swears and curses must have been heard at Algugoran at the time. However that same year on the eve of the twenty-third day of summer, a single foreign ship, bruised and battered by the hellish journey it had endured, appeared at the bay. It was at that moment that Raavage knew: he had found a new dependable, trustworthy ally. Raavage's guts were right indeed. They got down to business, and their discussions ended as follows: Lord Raavage "We will meet again in this bay, exactly one year from now. Bring your best soldiers and mages. I will make sure nothing stands in our way towards Abyssian. Nocturnus will be mine, and I'll let you have Mitgardia." Algus commander "Very well. But what about the rest of Historica?" They both laughed boisterously... --- Thanks for reading! Pics of the full build: So there's another GoH creation done! It's a shame that I have no event to display yet, because I have a whole pile of them! So much that I'm actually starting to run low on grey bricks, tiles and plates, but hopefully that will not stop me from making the two more NCW builds that I have planned for this summer. Btw, following your tips on my last build I put a bit more effort in the editing of the main image, which didn't take too much extra time. I think it looks a lot cleaner. Any tips or tops on the writing particularly are appreciated, even nitpicks on word choice (I don't have the intuition of a native speaker)! Cheers!
-
Goblins aren't the biggest or the strongest of the denizens in Nocturnus, but their ingenuity is matched only by a few of the peoples in the east. Various war machines and have been deployed across the dark lands in preparation of war, the newest being the Goblin Siege Boat. Covered in wood, save for a few oar and firing slots, this ship can deliver up to 10 warriors to most anywhere through out the swamp. It's light enough to propelled by one oarsman, but strong enough to deflect or absorb arrows and spears. Inside there are various supplies, including ladders, pitch for fire arrows and bombs, axes and saws for constructing a temporary battlefield outpost. This particular vessel is on a mission to hunt down a certain necromancer...
-
Somewhere high in the Rakath mountains... Orc (crossbow) What's that sound? Orc (axe) Aye, what? Orc (crossbow) Rustle of the air, round the back of the mountain. ... It's getting louder, better check the pass! Orc (axe) Aye, gonna look, boss. ... Aye, something fly'nour way, kinda fas.... At that moment, a knight of steel shot past the mountain ridge at incredible speed, and leaving behind a blazing trail of deep blue flames... Zotharith's research institute recently developed a flying magical device, powered by exceptionally durable blue arcane crystals. Damascian of My'athar, a cunning, skillful knight, was entrusted with it, to carry out an important mission: calling all wandering wizards to return to Zotharith. His target being in some town in the Rod's Peaks, a long period of continuous flight ahead, Damascian was killing some time by doing nose dives and scaring a few mountain orcs out of their wits... Damascian Spire or not, these guys are just too much fun to mess with! ------------------------------ Hello guys, here's my Cat. A entry, for the Resistance! I hope you like it! I designed Damascian way back in April 2016, but I never really knew how to introduce this character or what his role would be, until this challenge came around. Also, I had been playing with the idea of a mountain ridge outpost for a very long time, so it was great to finally have a go at it (though maybe I got a little carried away with that part, given the catagory). I wanted to make the most of the 256 stud area, so I didn't go with the standard configuration. Extra images: Area is 217 studs, counted from the ground up to the third layer of plates. The original design for Damascian. Thank you for looking, C&C appreciated, as always!
-
Exetrius Saga 1: Fallen leaf 2: Message in Kyrrath 3: Equipment upgrade 4: Subjection of a legend 5: Family Dinner 6: Attack of the Hunters 7: Taking the Runestone 8: Supplies Arrive! 9: Festival of the Ranks (part 1) 10: Festival of the Ranks (part 2) 11: Festival of the Ranks (part 3) 12: The ranks are out! Episode 13: Taking a stand, for Nocturnus! Three weeks ago, a messenger from the west brought the word of the new heir of Cedrica to Zotharith. The prevailing mood was positive, but some warrior folk and a couple of small bounty hunters groups were clearly displeased with the unfaithfulness to the rightful ruler of the land, Lord Raavage. His influence in Zotharith had been minor up to this point, since its existence had been little known by the non-magical society. That is bound to change, for a city that is continuously growing in size, prosperity and strength... In the heart of the city hall, also known as Zotharith Headquarters, Onicius was leading a periodic council gathering. Onicius Minister of the Department of Magic, please fill me in on the latest developments of the crystal reserves. Have the stocks recovered from Festival of the Ranks yet? Durkon (Minister) Your highness! The total volume of crystals is exceeding the last recorded level, before the Festival of the Ranks, by one fifth. However, two thirds of this total volume consists of mere red crystals. I estimate that the total mana capacity will be around 62.500 equivalent spells, which is a decrease of two fifths. On a more positive note, we once again created purple crystals, which means that it should be possible to reach the power level of... Onicius I assume the matter is urgent? Damascian (Messenger) Sir! My apologies for interrupting the Council. In the town of Carakath, a dark figure, who claimed to be an archmage of the Black Spire, gave me this letter. I heard they have been recruiting lately... Onicius Thank you for your duties, Damascian, take a seat. As for the rest of this council gathering, we will continue at a later time, you are dismissed! The councillors quietly left the room. Onicius took the letter and looked at the seal, it was genuine... He went into cold sweat, put the letter aside for a moment. He took a deep breath, opened it and started reading. "... By order of His Majesty, Lord Raavage, rightful Ruler of all Nocturnus, each settlement in the Darklands is obligated to send armed and trained troops on His call. ... Zotharith is requested to deliver an army of 500 worthy men, trained and equipped. ... Any resistance shall be obliterated under His own hands. Hail Nocturnus!" It was as he feared... Onicius Damascian, summon the Order of Zotharith, whoever is in the city right now! General Zeruko, Taskmaster, 1st and 2nd Division commanders, Lady Asagrim, Ryo, my son, wherever he is hanging out these days... Also, I want Durkon to be chronicler of this gathering. ... This is of utmost importance, be quick! Two hours later, everyone had assembled in the overcrowded conference room. Onicius recited the letter. After the tumult had subsided, he continued. Onicius My esteemed fellow wizards in the Order of Zotharith, gentlemen, ladies. Lend me your wisdom! Today's decisions will inevitably carve out our fates, even that of the city itself. Give me a piece of mind. Zeruko was the first to speak. Zeruko First of all, an army of 500 strong is ridiculous! Theoretically, we would have enough men, but what would that mean for the city? Farmers, tradesmen, fishermen; they would become soldiers, but soldiers don't feed themselves. Kira Derisquar How about the equipment: helmets, chestplates, swords... iron, barracks, everything! Our resources are gravely insufficient to support an army that large, am I wrong? Ryo Kokoro Can't you use magic for that or something? Zeruko Look kid, it's not that simple. You need... The discussion was getting out of hand and everyone was talking at the same time. Onicius SILENCE! ... Alright, continue. Exetrius Eh.. If I may say something? .. Let us start with our motives. Is there anything we can gain from having Lord Raavage as our ally? Zeruko Our motives? I suppose we want to save our pride, Zotharith, from complete devastation.. We built this city with our own hands, a place where we can all research the ways of magic to our hearts content and become powerful wizards! This is our home, is it not? We may not be rich, but we have powerful knowledge, which we must protect from falling into the wrong hands. Exetrius Then, is it right to entrust Raavage with this knowledge? Sooner or later he will certainly find out that the true power of Zotharith is magic, if he doesn't know already. Deliora Asagrim Lord Raavage already holds a vast amount of power, but he craves for more. In his vanity, he would slay anything and everything that stands up to his ultimate dominance. Mark my words: Raavage will take down his strongest allies, one by one. It happened to Covenant Lord Anfauglir, and the same fate will befall the others; the Algus, the Drow and eventually the Archmage Senurhem... It would happen to us as well. Onicius But, even if Raavage himself will try to take our power for himself, perhaps we can at least retrieve knowledge and power of his allies for our own benefit. Imagine the incredible advancements we could make, if we were to lay our fingers on Drow magic, or Algus... Deliora Asagrim With all due respect, Sir, but do you really think, there will still be a 'we' after our submission to the Spire? He will shatter our unity! When we are all on our own, what would happen to our ambitions? Our powerlessness as isolated individuals would break our spirit. Fear, despair and the terror of war will bring us to our knees, enslave us to the iron will of Raavage, until all that's left of us are shells without soul. Are we going to accept this rotten destiny? NO! We must join the Resistance! Onicius Thank you, Lady Asagrim. .... I have made up my mind. We shall protect our city, not only for our own sake, but for the fate of Nocturnus! Henceforth, I, Onicius Centario, Leader of the Order of Zotharith, will ensure that Zotharith becomes the most powerful Resistance stronghold of Nocturnus! All Hail Zotharith! Hail the Resistance! Hail Nocturnus! To be continued.... in the next episode: Ride through Nocturnus Hello everyone, here's a pretty small MOC with a pretty big story! Altogether, it took me long enough, so I hope you enjoy! Anyway, now that the epic revelation is done, I can finally do my Cat. A: Rider build without spoiling the fun. Thank you for viewing/reading, C&C appreciated! Oh, I also took an overview shot, I know some of you can appreciate : -
Rockwail's Catacombs: Rise of the Undead[Nocturnus Civil War] Ambush in the Rakath[Nocturnus Civil War] Onwards, to the Moruth Highlands![Nocturnus Civil War] Turmoil in Camp Carakath [Nocturnus Civil War] Zotharians in the UnderworldWhat enabled Lord Raavage to take over Nocturnus so quickly? That is a question Nocturnian lords, leaders, and strategists alike would kill to get the answer of. Figuratively speaking, of course. Though the truth might never be fully uncovered, one clue is to be found in the city of Rockwail. One would be forgiven for not having heard of that place, because it is in fact one of Nocturnus' better kept secrets. Rockwail is an ancient stronghold city in the middle of the Moruth Swamplands, located not too far from the Capital, Abyssian. It is a place even most lords haven't heard of. Of course there are folklore tales, and songs of old, but any more concrete evidence of its existence would take serious determination to find. Raavage, with his insatiable lust for knowledge and boundless determination, managed to find it. When he learned about the extensive catacombs and dungeons underneath this secret city, a plan began to form. One that would grab Nocturnus to by the throat... From the mausoleum at the centre of Rockwail, a staircase spirals down into the deep, the spill in a network of layers upon layers of tombs. The catacombs were carved out by dwarves in ancient times, but are still used to bury the dead to this day. They are said to contain the remains of thousands of dead, of all shapes, sizes and races, but the full extent of what lies buried is a matter of pure speculation. In one of the tombs, the workers and crates with equipment have arrived, and the first skeletons are being taken out of their eternal resting places. Now they just need to wait for one of Raavage's necromancers to kick off the revival process. Orc supervisor "Ah, there you are! I was wondering if we'd be waiting here all day!" Necromancer "Keep your voice down! Don't you have any respect for the dead?" Orc supervisor "Like you're the one to talk..." Necromancer "What was that? I'd shut that mouth of yours, if you don't want to be exorcised. Now, show me to the skeletons." Orc supervisor "Aye sir." And so the necromancer performed one forced soul embodiment after the other, and the workers put on boots, chest plates and helmets, before sending the recruits to the surface. An army was rising in Rockwail, and the world outside didn't suspect a thing! --- Additional pics: The latest installment in my Nocturnus Civil War series. I'm jumping back and forth a in time a lot with the depiction of these scenes. Apologies if it's getting confusing, I'll probably arrange them in chronological order once I've built some more scenes. Anyway, credit to @-Sunder- (now inactive, like most of the Nocty gang) for thinking up the City of Rockwail. His vision and incredible writing made me want to build in Rockwail too. I used his build of the catacombs for reference: If you want an inspiring read, I highly recommend you check out his story builds. They are all linked in the Nocty Settlement Index, under "Rockwail". Thanks for reading!
-
So, when I said that I possibly didn't have time to make an entry for this contest, because of Nocturnus Civil War (NCW) stuff I'm doing, someone suggested I could combine the two. And so I did. Side note: I'm starting to see that I'm way more involved in building architecture, and much less in building scenes where lore actually happens, so I still have two large creations from last year that I haven't posted yet. I do have a plan though, trust me™. Anyway, I'll put the entry first and then the NCW lore part. Royal Nocturnian Outpost (Ssilyrrlith's Residence) Before the days of the Nocty Civil War, Lord Ssilyrrlith, ruler of Nocturnus, would once and so often leave Abyssian and swamp that he calls home behind, and move to his summer residence (quite literally). It is situated in the Siccus Badlands, specifically on the northern banks of the Fallen Angel, where skies are often clear, the air is dry and temperatures are high. This small military outpost was initially built to gain more control over the disputed Badlands region, and as such it serves as the southwesternmost cornerstone of the Nocturnian Empire. The little stronghold residence is a place where Ssilyrrlith comes to gain some peace of mind - up in his tiny tower room, and do a bit of voluntary studying. Nevertheless, sometimes his duties catch up to him, in the form of his trusted feathered messenger! The tower opens up in multiple sections to reveal staircases, ladders, and Ssilyrrlith's detailed tower room, featuring furniture (cabinet, desk, bed, chair, sadly not all in the picture...), luxury items, writing and reading material, and a functional toilet which exits at the back of the tower! Feathers of Fate [Nocturnus Civil War] Ambush in the Rakath [Nocturnus Civil War] Onwards, to the Moruth Highlands! [Nocturnus Civil War] Turmoil in Camp Carakath [Nocturnus Civil War] Zotharians in the Underworld [Nocturnus Civil War] Rockwail's Catacombs: Rise of the Undead It had been quiet at the residence outpost for months - no, seasons on end. This far out in the Siccus Badlands region, major events of the Nocturnian Civil War; of the Algus invasion; the conflict in Kaliphlin; or even the rise of the true Heir to the Historican Throne, were little more than clouds on the horizon, or rumbles in the distance. With two exceptions. The first was eight months ago, when an elven messenger on their way to Avalonia passed by and reported that Abyssian Castle, with Lord Ssilyrrlith in it, was under heavy siege, and for some time already. The military staff present was shocked by this news, brought to their ears by a stranger, and initially didn't want to believe it. For all they knew, the "Hesperian", as that messenger had claimed to be, could be anyone. So, in a higher state of alertness and preparedness, they waited for orders. Those never came. Three months later - this was the second instance, the Hesperian returned, with a army of warriors seemingly drawn from all corners of Historica, and they were heading towards the battlefields at the Moruth Highlands. Now realizing the gravity of the situation, the full military unit, save for a couple of caretakers of the residence, joined the army and left for the blood-drenched heart of Nocturnus. And since then, it had been quiet... Mael, on of the caretakers, gazed out over the Fallen Angel stretching out before the stronghold, mostly shrouded in mist and fumes. Another empty day? Probably. But then he heard a familiar squeak, coming from the sky. He look around and was both delighted yet nervous at the sight of Aras, Lord Ssilyrrlith's loyal messenger bird, which was making a rapid circular descend. He hurried to the platform in front of the gate, while notifying the other guard. Aras greeted him quickly with a nod, but the look its eyes was insistent. Mael pulled a letter from behind its broad white-feather collar. He passed it on to his colleague, who was more literate. "Mael, I can't believe it..." he stumbled, as he went over the letter again and again. "It says... it says Abyssian.. has fallen." --- So that concludes both the entry and the story continuation, I hope you enjoyed!
-
It is said that war knows no winners, only losers. That everyone loses something, but some lose more than others. But there are fruits that grow from a bloodstained soil, though rotten and bitter they may be. Merodaquinas was a town that lost less in the war than most of Nocturnian towns and cities. Before the war, the affairs of the interior of Nocturnus would rarely affect the town much, being located far away and on the outside of the Rakath mountain range. It didn't have particularly strong connections with the outside world, though it served as a resting stop for people traversing the mountains or the nearby Kelra Labyrinth. To Ravaage, conquering Merodaquinas would have had little strategic benefits. So instead, he sent a raiding unit to pillage whatever there was to be pillaged, and maybe turn some of the wretched souls in the town to his side. And burn the rest. And so Merodaquinas was shaken up by a raid and fires. The local lord's troops couldn't stop the raiders from pillaging parts of the south and east of the city. However, unexpected help arrived! A witch from the nearby witch village, which had not always been on the best of terms with Merodaquinas and its lord, had seen the skeletons approach. Soon, and without much hesitation, the whole witch village rushed to town. With the aid of the witches, the pillaging and plunder ended and the town was purged of Ravaage's raiders. The leader of the raid and a few scummy turncoats managed to escape, but the town was spared a much worse fate. It is said that war knows no winners, only losers. However, the fruits of the terrible Civil War tasted rather sweet for Merodaquinas: it had rekindled the relationship with the witches, united the town, and partly purged the shady individuals and their businesses from it. In a later stage of the war, unseen numbers of Mitguardians and Avalonians passed through on their way to reinforce the Resistance armies in the Rakath. These days, the sun seems to shine just a bit brighter in Merodaquinas than it did before! --- Here's another build that I should have posted a long time ago! Initial plan was a raid scene with bloodshed and burning houses, but when I built regular houses instead everything started looking more quaint and peaceful than I had foreseen. So to not ruin the vibe (and avoiding the extra work) I posted the peaceful build "Merodaquinas - Trout's Crossing" in 2020. However, the idea of a raid scene was still kicking around and I wasn't completely happy with the photos, so I set out to finish what I started. I finally created a scene and took some additional pictures! Not only for this build. I hope you like them! More pictures:
-
Ambush in the Rakath In the ever so restless Nocturnus, the civil war that eventually brought Lord Raavage to a fall carries on. Following his defeat, many armies under the command of the Black Spire were either annihilated or liberated by the forces of the Resistance. The remainder scattered and fled into the Darklands's wilderness, in a desperate attempt to avoid immediate death. However, the struggle to stay alive is not a capability possessed by all beings in Nocturnus, and particularly not in Raavage's armies. Once the magic casters are taken out, the undead soldier puppets collapse. But some are different. Those that have been infused with souls can maintain their existence, but their time is limited. They had been on the run for several days. Every bone was aching, several places had started to go numb. They seemed to have lost their pursuers somewhere along the way, but they were on their last legs. The Rakath mountains are a harsh place for the living, cold and barren, but the skeletons faced different problems. Their souls were on the verge of disembodiment. The magic energy that moves their bodies wouldn't last a day longer, forcing them back into dangerous territory. At last, they sensed the very faint presence of mana, coming from an abandoned tower. The door wasn't shut, one of them entered while the others stood guard. A window opened on the upper floor, an arm held out a mana crystal and waved it around triumphantly. They were saved! However, the moment of joy was only brief. The enemy appeared too quickly; it had been set up from the start! With stronger will than ever, but practically defenseless, the skeletons headed into their last battle... For the glory of Free Nocturnus! Additional shots: Hello Guildies and others! It has been a while! My apologies for my inactivity, I hope this Nocty build is to your liking. In my opinion, too little of the Nocturnus Civil War lore has actually been built in bricks, so I thought I'd start with that instead of my personal saga. Some techniques that were new to me here were the wall texturing and the modularity. Though not really visible on the shots, it features an opening roof, a ladder, a staircase, and an opening front door. Also, I had a bit more practice with trees/scrubs, which I think turned out nicely. Btw, I want to thank my sister for lending me here excellent camera; my shots are a lot sharper because of this! That's it from me today, comments and criticism always appreciated!
-
Onwards, to the Moruth Higlands! The Civil War of Nocturnus was yet to reach its climax. Lord Raavage had moved into the Rakath Mountains to retrieve the Necromancer's Helm, accompanied by a strong military force to ensure the perilous descent into the underworld was victorious. With part of Raavage's attention and strength diverted, the forces of the Resistance moved to the heart of Nocturnus - the Moruth Highlands - by the thousands, to strike the Black Spire as hard as they could. Gal-Turok's army split up in numerous groups, each heading their own way through the Moruth Swamplands. One such group had almost crossed the Moruth, when they ran into a checkpoint. Guard In the name of Shadowmere, I require you to state your name and business! Goblin chief I have orders not to answer to mere minions. Let us pass, or bring me your superior! Guard Well, aren't we being a little rough, Southerner - Guard 2 - He will be here shortly. Messenger Sorry to keep you waiting, sirs. Our chief is busy at the moment, but I can authorise you to pass if - Goblin chief - Authority or not, the battle is out there, and we gotta go! Messenger Hang on, hold up! I have intel on what's up ahead, but first I need you to verify you are men of Gal-Turok. Goblin chief Isn't that obvious then? Messenger I'm terrible sorry to tell you this, but there have been reports of complete goblin squadrons resurrected by the Spire, sir. That news had to settle. The goblin chief promply removed his helmet. Goblin chief ... Unbelievable, that can't be! How... vile, they are! Alright, here is my seal ring. I can assure you my men are alive, even if some don't seem like they are, and we are twenty-four in total; six canoes. Messenger That's all I needed to know, sir. Please proceed! Goblin chief My men, we are moving! Thank you.. eh- Messenger -Keruem, sir. Be wary of the friends who are foes. Goblin chief We will... --- Hi, here's another scene from the Nocty Civil war (previous one: Ambush in the Rakath). I hope you like it!
-
Turmoil in Camp Carakath [Nocturnus Civil War] Ambush in the Rakath [Nocturnus Civil War] Onwards, to the Moruth Highlands! The Civil War of Nocturnus was yet to reach its climax. Lord Raavage had moved into the Rakath Mountains to retrieve the Necromancer's Helm, pursued by the 1st Corps of the Zotharian army, which was moving at a strenuous pace, beyond the front line, into unconquered territory. The 2nd Corps was assigned to fend off any attacks on the city of Zotharith and the surrounding area. Meanwhile, a division had been stationed at Carakath, a miners town in the Rakath southwest from Zotharith. The division was led by Vauranglir Merehgrim, 2nd mage in the Order of Zotharith. After defeating the Spire squadron that initially had the town's surface in control - underground, the dwarves defences were holding out - no attempts had been made to retake the town from the Resistence, and life was actually relatively peaceful. One morning however, Camp Carakath woke up to a baffling sight... Contrary to popular belief perhaps, skeletons are one of the toughest enemies for humans to face. Due to the lack of flesh, they are obviously invulnerable to flesh wounds and virtually invulnerable to arrows. It also makes them incredibly light and swift. Additionally, they are maintained by magic, which means they don't need to eat, drink or rest, and they can't drown. While it is true that they only have a very faint perception of physical world around them, their souls see the underlying spiritual world much better than humans can, enabling them to track down their enemies in complete darkness and regardless of obstacles. It goes without saying that the fact that a pile of them, plus a mage, lay lifelessly in the middle of the camp, seemingly without any witnesses of what happened, gave rise to great confusion. All that could be done was wait in suspense for the moment Vauranglir would step out his tent and lay his eyes on the bizarre scene. The previous night... It was the middle of the night. Vauranglir couldn't sleep. The bed he had been provided with was too soft and comfortable to his taste, thus got up and sat down in front of his tent. The two guards in the little trade hall were craving for sleep, so it seemed, and it didn't take much to have them both drop to the floor, fast asleep, before they had even noticed their commander. He'd take over the nightwatch, but to keep him occupied he started working out a spell that he had had in his mind for a while. The hours slipped by unnoticibly. Suddenly, he sensed something was approaching. He blew out the candle. For a moment, the thought of waking up the guards and soldiers crossed his mind, which he quickly rejected it. Too much of a hassle. He would treat himself to some nightly fun. Skeletons, several of them, charging towards him. Vauranglir was quite amused. Time for some exorcism... He slayed them one by one, and then their master showed up. He strengthened the sleeping magic for the whole camp, as he felt things could get a little rougher from here. Mage "Surrender yourself to the Spire and I will leave your comrades alive!" Vauranglir "You have me absolutely terrified. Come on, Spire lord, show me some magic!" Mage "Not a step closer, I will..." Vauranglir "An advanced targeting spell, excellent choice, very impressive! Though it feels like I've seen it somewhere before... oh wait, I DEVISED IT! Guess what, boy? I also know how to break it!" And thus, the unfortunate lad was done for, and Vauranglir could finally rest as well, though in a more temporary way. The morning would surely bring turmoil, but whatever... Hi, I'm back. I spent my (whole) weekend on setting up the scenes, experimenting with nighttime photography and editing. So, I spent quite a few hours in the dark, and right now it's past 2:00 AM here, so I guess I'm starting to turn nocturnal, just like Vauranglir. Now, let's hope someone will actually read all of this. I'm off to bed, lol.
-
Zotharians in the Underworld[Nocturnus Civil War] Ambush in the Rakath[Nocturnus Civil War] Onwards, to the Moruth Highlands! [Nocturnus Civil War] Turmoil in Camp Carakath Lord Raavage had been turned to dust at the hands of the 1st Corps of Zotharith, somewhere deep beneath the Rakath Mountains. While the Nocturnian civil war was still raging on in the Moruth Higlands and several other places on the surface, the 1st Corps was finally enjoying a day of relative peace, perhaps the first in weeks. Even though the Underworld was clearly a hostile place; lava lakes, blazing heat, razor sharp rocks, toxic gasses, and the ever-present chance of running into the Drow and other monsters; Exetrius could not help wondering at the eerie beauty that the place had. Also, the fact that it harboured villages and citizens, not much unlike the world above, fascinated him. Aestelle, a Hesperian elf who had who had been tasked with guiding the Zotharians through the underworld and who had studied its pathways like few other surface dweller, called him out of his thoughts. Aestelle "So.. do you look forward to meeting the Queen?" Exetrius "The.. Queen? How do you mean?" Aestelle "It hasn't really landed yet, has it? You defeated Raavage; of course you are going to meet Queen Ylspeth! What did you expect?" Exetrius "Oh, well eh... I suppose I didn't think that far ahead..." Aestelle "I hope your father has gifted you more than just white hair and a talent for magic, something like farsightedness could be helpful when being the future ruler of Zotharith. Exetrius "Ho, hang on.. I'm not --" A sudden scream from the back of troops stopped their conversation. A wave of panic broke out among the soldiers, who had started to rush to the front of the convoy. "Demon attack!!!" Exetrius turned around and saw a huge devil heading for them a high speed. Where did it come from? Was it a survivor of Raavage's battalion they fought earlier, or had the Drow of the Underworld taken notice of them? It didn't matter; the only thing that mattered was to find its weaknesses and to kill it. They would return to the surface, to Zotharith... all of them! -- A sign of life from Nocturnus! Feels good to be back, I hope it was worth the wait. C&C appreciated!
