Menzoberranzan

[pijani]

Menzoberranzan is a dark elves city ("Drow"), located in the Underdark.



A shining jewel of the Drow nation, Menzoberranzan is sparkling from spiderwebs. But nevertheless, The church of Lloth does not bear the spider symbol. It because "every Drow bears spider essence in his soul", she used to say.

Tall, slim towers are reaching for the top layers of the caverns; these are homes of the numerous wizards and rich Drow from noble houses.

City is famous by its bridges. Although every Drow city has its share of beautiful bridges (remember Ched Nasad?)

Menzoberranzan has the longest and tallest bridges in Underdark (although there are some whispers about two lost cities (yet to be seen in Lego) that have even sumptuous and more glamorous bridges, but that is another story)

Avanturists that travel to the Underdark know that pure water is hard to find here; but not in Menzoberranzan; there are waterfalls on almost every step that you made, and in the middle of the city there is beautiful square, filled with water. Do not forget, Drow are elves, and they do have that esthetic side.

Heavily guarded, it is almost impossible to lay siege to the city and succeed: a long bridge is going over the lava flow, connecting rest of the world with great entrance fortress. Its angled walls are very hard to climb, and inner walls are impregnable. From there the longest bridge in known Underdark is connecting city and twin guarding towers

"NO SUMMOING ON THE CITY SQUARE!" says the sign. With good reason, because someone summoned something and that something is not happy, not happy at all!


If you look hard enough, you can find Solaufein (remember that Drow from Ust Natha, from Baldur's Gate 2? When he fled the city, he found save haven in Menzoberranzan. Little help: he is crossing one of the bridges.

Yup, Sisters-of-sword are here to! But they are not here to fight. This time, they came to shop, because Menzoberranzan has the tastiest mushrooms EVER! but, old quarrels can not be forgotten so easily, and look, a mage is casting "nine-eyes" protection spell, under the bridge, trying to fight of that greater-troll. It is spell from Icewind Dale, originally called "seven-eyes", but paladins wouldn't be paladins if they did not put something of their on.

You will notice that the highest tower has some kind of strange magic glow around itself: that is because, some time before he relocated to Ust Natha, it was home of Deirex the lich. Actually, he did not left by his own will, but the pressure of the hunting Drow parties was too much, even for a lich.

Down-town is a place for castaways. Lot's of bars, cheep wine and suspiciously smiled women. Beneath down-town there is a low-town, full of castles Drow and slaves. Noble Drow like to hunt here when they are drunk. Under the low-town there are pits. Demons are known to come from there, and elementals.

Somewhere in between there is a famous arena, where gladiator-like fights are every day entertainment. Monsters from all over the Underdark are brought here to fight, or just provide distraction between the matches, trying to escape beholders.

It is rumored that a green dragon has his lair somewhere around the city, but few are the ones that saw that animal, and remained to talk about it.

It is sad that famous Drow Valsharess stood on one of the bridges and told that Drow look like ants from there... also, it is sad she rhymed it, and that she was as good as poet as she was as cleric, but that is some other story.

Drittz is also somewhere in the city, but I will not reveal where he is this time he is not in fighting armor, with weapons, he is just enjoying the fact that he is in his hometown. Viconia (De'Vir) is also in her home town, she is also relaxing, playing fetch with axe and her pet beholder. Easy to find; You can't miss her blonde hair and brown ball with lot of eyes, asking for a axe-throw :0)


It is, by far, the tallest, widest, largest, sparklest Drow town that I've build
Menzoberranzan is 2.5m x 2m x 2.5m high; it was build in 10 all-day-full-time-24-7 building; and again, it took nine hours just to assemble it for display ; also, it took three full days to disassemble, with sorting.

Parts of the city are "overflowing" over the edge of the table, and some structures are hanging holding only to the upper parts of the castles. 85% of the castle is made from 1x2 bricks, other 5% are 1x1; 9% are slopes, inverted slopes, arches and plates and only 1% are other bricks

Here's one photo with yours truly, for comparison (I'm 184cm high)

Check out the main castle gallery, for many additional details, like evil clerics, rogue dealing with sneaky ghosts, vortex, Viconia, Dritzz, many other Drow and their slaves and summoned demons, notice windows, secret passages, hidden balcony, hidden artifacts, and, of course, spiders. This time, they are not in the open. There are 40 spiders hidden in the castle, and they are hidden hard.

(in interest of fast opening, I've made extra small thumbnails , but each one is leading to the bigger picture)

Thank you for spending so much time with me, and with pride and a smile, I present you: Menzoberranzan!



Main castle photographs
"Main"
Construction photographs (how it was build)
"construction"
Minifigures photographs (Drow rule supreme!)
"minifigs"

Here you can see some other Drow cities from me:
Ched Nasad
Ust Natha
Chaulssin
Eryndlyn
Maerimydra

Drow rule supreme!
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angel ... 18.jpg[img]

[pijani]

The city should be finished at the beginning of April; It should be the tallest castle in minifig scale, but that is yet to bee seen

Here are few construction pictures of the entrance to the city
Entrance to the city is especially difficult, and any invading force will think twice before attacking Menzoberranzan: there is an entrance tower, and a bridge to the entrance keep. Somewhere on the middle of the bridge there is a branch going to the one of the houses; Drow wizards wanted to be near to the exit

From the entrance keep there is a high bridge leading to the city; and I will not talk much about the city itself at this time, but I will show you few of the construction pictures of the arena and high towers

[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-09.jpg[img]i
This is just a construction
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-27.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-29.jpg[img]
The Arena
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-31.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-34.jpg[img]
The arena will be beneath city gates, beneath of city, under the table of display
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angel ... -37.jpgimg]
Here's some painting on the wall: winged demon; but my friends call him "muscle imp"
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-20.jpg[img]

I have a tendency to change buildings a lot during construction, so until it is final version, there is some place for surprises

[Blego7]

The idea for a window is extremely effective. Well done!

[theboywarrior]

Awesome build, but please educate me. What is a Drow?

[gedren_y]

Who's description are you using for your basis? I ask this because (according to R.A. Salvatore) many of the major structures of the city are supposed to be built in and/or connecting between stalagmites. I think I'll re-read Homeland.

[pijani]

Thank you, I was playing with windows, giving every building different type, trying to conjure Drow looks

The idea for a window is extremely effective. Well done!

Thank you, I was playing with windows, giving every building different type, trying to conjure Drow looks

Awesome build, but please educate me. What is a Drow?

The Drow, or dark elves, are a generally evil, dark-skinned subrace of elves in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. My inspiration is from Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 games (And Icewind Dale 1 &2). My first Drow city was Ust Natha and it is directly from Baldur's Gate 2; And my best and most favorite by now is Ched Nasad
Notice in minifigs, all Drow have dark faces; With Nizam from PoP and anubis warrior I've got great Drow bodies (or precisely I will get, when I earn the money

Whose description are you using for your basis? I ask this because (according to R.A. Salvatore) many of the major structures of the city are supposed to be built in and/or connecting between stalagmites. I think I'll re-read Homeland.

Well, there is one saying in my people "pesnicka sloboda", translated as "freedom of the poet" meaning that an artist can do what ever he wants, make Sun square as a box and green, and when people say "but Sun is spherical and yellow" he defends with only "freedom of the poet", and it is enough

I've never read any of Salvatore's novels, and I am using my imagination

--

Some towers will be more then 3m high (this only depends on the height of the exhibit room
The castle will "overflow" over the edge of the table, and go down, pointing to the ground, like in Avatar (animated). Also, if a friend jump to help and borrow few thousand blue 1x2 bricks, everything is going to be interwoven with water streams (I do not know if you noticed in Ched Nasad , if you look at third and forth row of pictures, there is one stream, emerging in the wall, falling into a lake with a tree, and then again falling into the sewers. I do hope to integrate dozens of streams like that, and I do plan to waterfall-them over the edge of the table

What I would REALLY like is few thousand of trans-orange cheese bricks and to make that first part of the city that you see on pictures, with bridges, to bi in lava; but, this will happen only if TLG borrow me five, six thousand of these, and I am too embarrassed to ask )))))))

On the exhibit, there will be two girls dress up as Drow, or just as warriors (we are still arguing, they want to be princess warriors, fairy like, and I am for leather and spikes and white hair; and they will discuss the castle with visitors. But, they will make up stories from hart, talking everything fantasy that they can come up at the moment "See that tower? A lonely Drow priestess used to live there and she had a little spider pet, and after she left, the whole tower was called "Spider-nest"; "See that minifig? He is unofficial ruler of this city, look at his eyes and you will know the truth" etc

As always, I will enjoy so much making minifigs for this town

[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-four.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Miniatures/spajz/thumb3.jpg[img]

[svede]

Just an idea for you... the werewolf Collectible minifigure (series 4) has the elf's hair/ear piece, but with dark skin.... maybe a good mold for dark elves?

[pijani]

Just an idea for you... the werewolf Collectible minifigure (series 4) has the elf's hair/ear piece, but with dark skin.... maybe a good mold for dark elves?

Yup, a good idea, but the hair is dark, and Drow have white or silver (or tan:) hair <-- (says who? ))

I will try if I can put my hands on that minifig, but I do fear Drow would then be so dark...

But nevertheless, he will be build! and he (or she) will get a whole tower to rule on the exhibition next month, and you can name him, and decide what armor (or body wear) he's going to wear Let him be your new ambassador in my Drow world

[Hikaro Takayama]

Excellent Drow City... I also like how you did the window decorations.

Oh, the English expressions that would most closely fit the meaning of "Pesnika sloboda" would be "Artistic License" (in this case where you are re-creating something's looks or form) or "Poetic License" (when writing or telling a story)...

Finally, Well done! This city is definitely one that would bring joy to the hearts of any Dwarf Trollslayer (although not for any reasons that the Drow would be especially happy about )

[pijani]

Excellent Drow City... I also like how you did the window decorations.

Oh, the English expressions that would most closely fit the meaning of "Pesnika sloboda" would be "Artistic License" (in this case where you are re-creating something's looks or form) or "Poetic License" (when writing or telling a story)...

Finally, Well done! This city is definitely one that would bring joy to the hearts of any Dwarf Trollslayer (although not for any reasons that the Drow would be especially happy about

Yup, it could be translated like that
Just to be on the same page, this, on pictures, this is just an entrance of the city There will be a lot more to follow

And this time, Drittz have to be in his best form
Drittz from Ust Natha, my first Drow city
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/ustnatha/Thumbs/t-drittz.jpg[img]
Drittz from Ched Nasad; New, improved Drittz
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Ched-Nasad/thumbs/thumb-13.jpg[img]

I do not know who are his friends from Salvatore's books, but I do know that I've took care of them in Baldur's gate 2, and that Viconia is now part of his new party
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Ched-Nasad/thumbs/thumbk5.jpg[img]

[pijani]

Menzobrrenzan is slowly growing I'm already without bricks, and start the fun part, how to make it to look good, and use tires and windshields for construction

This castle must be demountable, so some of the parts will be shipped like this (particularly the hanging ones)
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-39.jpg[img]
It is pretty big, and thumbnails can not show details
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-43.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-44.jpg[img]
From some reason, the more I build the more I am reminded about Orzammar (Dragon age:)
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-45.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-47.jpg[img]
If everything goes as planed, there should be a lake with great tree in the middle, from which all the waterfalls starts
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/t-46.jpg[img]

[K3G]

Well done, Red Lord!

[pijani]

Well done, Red Lord!

It is not yet done, dear ser; t his is just a beginning, I do plan tower 4m high, but we will se if I will amas enough bricks

Edit:
here are some of the actors
Drow:
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/drowthumb.jpg[img]
High-elf
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/elfthumb.jpg[img]
Gnome
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/gnomethumb.jpg[img]
Greater werewulf
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/greater-werewolfthumb.jpg[img]
Seraphim
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/seraphimthumb.jpg[img]

Edit: few more:

Made from 100% Lego parts
Gnome and smal myconid
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/gnome_and_young_myconid-thumb.jpg[img]
Seraphim lord
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/seraphim-lord-thumb.jpg[img]
Seraphim runner
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/seraphim-rynner-thumb.jpg[img]
Seraphims
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/seraphimsthumb.jpg[img]

[pijani]

Adventuress party, assembled on a short notice on this castle there will be visible three or for parties like this (you who played FRP know what I am talking about, warrior, rogue, wizard, cleric I can make what ever I like, and everything fits

[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/avanturistithumb.jpg[img]

She Drow and battle-formian; notice her shield; it will be wonderful in the hand of an elf
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/drow-shethumb.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/battle-formianthumb.jpg[img]

And my favorite, wood-gnome
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/wood-gnomethumb.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/wood-gnome2thumb.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/wood-gnome1thumb.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/wood-gnome3thumb.jpg[img]
Stroll trough everywere, but come to home ;o) If I had a Lego bottle of bear, I would give it to him
All of these parts are genuine Lego parts

[pijani]

Without much talking, this is how the castle is progressin

[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/thumb-48.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/thumb-49.jpg[img]
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/thumb-50.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/thumb-51.jpg[img]
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/thumb-52.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/thumb-53.jpg[img]
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/thumb-54.jpg[img][img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/thumb-55.jpg[img]
[img]http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/Angeli/Menzoberranzan/Thumbs/thumb-56.jpg[img]

best seen if enlarged (click the pictures:);)