THE CHAMBERS OF CHALLENGE!
After last year’s perilous trek across Challenge Island, culminating in the arduous ascent to Snow Lord’s Peak, our doughty band of adventurers have discovered a map describing a strange dungeon beneath the mountain. What treasures and arcane mysteries could be hidden in this strange labyrinth? What untold fame, what unimaginable glory, what peril awaits those who dare to uncover the Altar of the Snow Lord? Indeed, what could possibly go wrong?
Welcome to the Chambers of Challenge!
Here are the rules for exploring the multitude of mysteries of this maze of magnificent malice (ahem).
Each chamber has a hobby task associated with it (see below). You must fulfil the task and post your work before continuing on to the next chamber;
Each successfully completed chamber awards you 20 bonus points;
In order to descend a level, at least four chambers have to be completed on the level you are presently exploring;
There are three ways you can move between levels: by stairs, by the aquifer, or by being teleported by a witch (see below);
When you complete the ritual at the Altar of the Snow Lord you will receive a prize figure from one of your fellow Challengers!
Sarah the Sorceress
Along the left side of the “Chambers of Challenge XI” map are three dungeon denizens. Imagine them as being three witches, three graces or three dungeon sorceresses, if you prefer. Each of these three witches has the power to enable a Challenger to relocate from one room to another other room on the same level - and at the (very reasonable) cost of you painting one single female figure, per relocation, in tribute to the Snow Fiend’s fiendish companion, Lady Sarah. 20 bonus points will be awarded for these teleportations (with any bonus points to be added by Sarah). At the end of the Challenge, Lady Sarah shall judge all the female figures painted during the Challenge - including those painted to facilitate Challengers’ relocations in the Challenge dungeon - and award the winning Challenger a special prize.
Level 1
Hall of Traps: A figure or unit which is trapped, stuck in a trap, snared, or lying in wait. Watch your step, Challengers!
The Pit of the Pendulum: Paint something torturous, terrifying - or just something with a slowly descending pendulum-blade… swoosh… swoooooshhhh….. arrrghhhh!!
The Golem’s Haunt: “..IT WALKS…!!” Paint something re-animated, stitched-together, bolted-together, re-created from steel, clay, earth, etc.
The Chamber of Darkness: For this chamber challenge, you’ll need to paint a model in luxurious greyscale. Quick, buy some more Vallejo “Neutral Grey”, dear Challengers!
The Aquifer: Anything with a nautical, or waterbound, theme.
The Larder: A figure or vignette themed around food, drink, meals, patisserie, cooking, cordon bleu and culinary over-indulgence. Bonus points for vignettes of halfling chefs or French sommeliers.
Level 2
The Hatchery: In this chamber, your model or terrain will need an avian theme, or could depict anything hatching - ideally, out of an egg .
The Armoury: Paint a figure, a vignette or unit which is armoured - plate, steel, iron, ceramic, chain-mail - the choice is yours.
The Gallery of Ancestors: Paint a figure, unit or model with an ancestral theme - an ancestor of yours, or a connection to your own family’s history, or maybe just the ancestors of the last unit you painted. Revel in a glorious past… even if it’s an imagined ancestry for your tabletop heroes!
The Guardroom: This chamber-challenge is to paint some donut-munching, soundly-sleeping, or professionally competent guards. Bonus points for painting things they might be guarding, as well.
The Orcs’ Pit: In this scruffy, dirty and unpleasant chamber, you need to paint one or more orcs, kobolds, goblins, or troll-kin of any kind!
Adventurers’ Landing: A chance to paint a landing on a home or foreign shore to collect some points. Try not to get your feet wet...
Shrine: Dearly beloved Challengers, let us bow our heads, and create … a religious-themed entry in this chamber. A model which is worshipping, praying, genuflecting, preaching, pilgrimaging, scourging, crusading, venerating … or maybe just visiting parishioners for tea. Clerics welcome!
Oubliette: Your challenge in this chamber is to paint something forgotten, or lost. A figure you thought you’d sold years ago. Or a model from a long-forgotten project. Resurrect what excited you, long ago, with a flourish from your brushes.
The Tomb: Paint a tomb, a burial-mound, a barrow or a henge. Bonus points for any ghostly guardian which lives, entombed, within...
Level 3
Knights Solar: A chamber for painting Knights of all kinds, and their knightly deeds, loves, pastimes and quests.
The Hall of Heroes: A location for heroes and the heroic things they do.
Graveyard Beach: Spooky, ghostly, undead and undying things arrive, or resurrect, here under Challenge Mountain. Bonus points if combined with a watery or nautical theme.
The Laboratory: From bubbling glass jars to smoking bunsen-burners, from Dr Frankenstein’s experimentation chamber to a alchemist’s study - laboratories and scientific figures, terrain and vignettes are the things created in this Challenge Chamber.
The Snow Lord’s Treasury: Your challenge in this Chamber is to paint a figure, unit or vignette featuring treasure of any kind. Go crazy with figures carrying gold, jewels, silver bullion, priceless artefacts, Elven-rings or strong-boxes with bundles of Confederate dollars!
Lair of the Great Beast: Yes, we know the map says ‘ Lair of the Spider’, but the spider was forced out by several things which are monstrous and nightmarish, terrifying and humongous. Shhhh…. If you’re very quiet, they may not notice we’re here… Do up a figure describing one of these great beasties.
Level 4
The Altar of the Snow Lord: In this final chamber our very own Snow Fiend will select a challenge for you, as a tribute to the painting Gods.
I have been waiting for this with bated breath! I'm keen to delve that dungeon but it will take some creative thinking...
ReplyDelete"There are three ways you can move between levels: by stairs, by the aquifer, or by being teleported by a witch (see below);"
ReplyDelete- But the witches work only on the same level, so there are actually only two ways?
Sorry if there is some confusion on this. Once you have completed four chambers on a level you can decend to the next level by stairs (if you are in a stair location), by acquaduct (if you are in acquaduct location) or by witch/sorceress (anywhere). BUT if you choose to relocate by sorceress then you need to paint a female figure to have her zap you to the location of your choice on ANY of the three levels (but not the Altar of the Snowlord).
DeleteOk, so the sorceress can be used within the level (paint a mini for it) or she can be used to move to another level (paint a mini for it), once four chambers are completed on the current level.
DeletePrecisely!
DeleteThis looks like FUN!
ReplyDeleteTime to get creative, paint some things I had never thought about and get bonus points in the process. Challenge accepted!
Let joy be unconfined!
ReplyDeleteBut there are only 22 locations. What are we going to do for the other two months?
I believe that, in your case, you are required to paint a twenty 28mm figures for each location. Oh, I see what you mean. What will you do for the other two months... ;)
DeleteYou could always do it twice over and really show us all up. Nah, what kind of madman would do something like that?
DeleteNoel, this is completely voluntary. You don't need to do it. Or you can do it and then do something else as well. Like paint army in a month or something like that.
DeleteA most interesting set of challenges that are making my pointy little head spin a bit. I must, however, protest about the use of the term "witch" being used to describe the kind and generous Lady Sarah - that, sir is an outrage. My comments should not be construed in any way as an attempt to curry favor with a judge. Nope not in any way at all....
ReplyDeleteThis is why I fell back on the optional 'Sorceress' nom de guerre. She seemed more at ease with that as it sounds somehow sexy and mysterious. :)
DeleteBold move Curt, bold move.
DeleteI hope the new Gaming studio is heated
Both are still better than "she-bear"- eh, Ray? ;)
DeleteI usually reserve the term "witch" not for my wife but for her mother...
DeleteYou're a wise man Benito. :)
DeleteThis Challenge is becoming very challenging for me... out of my comfort zone as I am basically a historical wargamer. And now a question: for The Chambers of Darkness, a German Early War vehicle is valid?
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! We tried to make most of the Chambers' themes such that you could exercise your imagination to submit for almost any period. That being said, there are a few that are quite proscriptive, such as 'The Orc's Pit'.
DeleteI'm sure I have a figure or two stashed away in the Garage of Shame. But which ones to paint first? 🤔
ReplyDeleteThis looks great, Curt! I am looking forward to seeing us all twist and squeeze the painting of miniatures we love into the descriptions of the Challenge Chambers. Heaven knows how I'll squeeze in Louis XIV into all these rooms ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all your help Sid! The Chambers of Challenge will be heaps of fun. I look forward to all the outrageous wigs and lace!
DeleteI don't know about all of you, but I'm feeling very "productive" going into this years Challenge. Stock tip - go long on Vallejo shares.....
ReplyDeleteMiles is feeling 'productive'... This should be interesting to watch unfold.
DeleteOh dear... that was the sound of my heart dropping into my boots at the thought of venturing into this haunt of the Blue Beast! I am still trying to finish last Years Challenge Island let alone finish this new Quest. We'll see how far I can go before getting lost...
ReplyDeleteIs there a theme for the Curtgeld entry figure?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure how that works either...
DeleteYou can paint whatever you like for the prize figure. If you want to gift a specific participant just let me known and I'll make note of it.
DeleteQuick question Curt. Say for example I start level 1 at the Aquifer. I go to the Chamber of Darkness next followed by the Golem's Haunt. I want to exit the level at the Larder, do I need to double back and resubmit something at the Chamber of Darkness before I can move to the Larder?
ReplyDeleteGood question Scott: Once you finish a chamber you don't have to do it again if you were to backtrack. So in your case you could move to the Larder without having to resubmit anything for the Chamber of Darkness.
ReplyDeleteApologies if this has already been covered somewhere. Are you only allowed three teleports, one per witch? Or can you have as many as you want with the required miniature entry of course.
ReplyDeleteYou can have as many teleports as you like. The only limitation is that you can only teleport from your current level if you have four completed chambers first.
DeleteThanks
DeleteHoly moly... I will just muller my way through this I think with Camels
ReplyDeleteYou know Dave, I think a camel would work for each one of these...
DeleteI'm confused (again) I totally didn't get the island thing last year, too much for a thick country lad 😁
ReplyDeleteCan you do any 4 rooms on a level at random or do I need to move through them in order ie start at Traps, then do Pit etc
If I do want to move between none adjacent rooms or between levels I need to paint a female fig ?
So Traps, Pit, female fig to jump to Chamber of Darkness, Larder, female fig to exit to level 2.
My head hurts 😞
Except for using a witch to teleport you where you want, you need to complete the chambers as if you were walking through them, so they need to be linked.
DeleteYou can move from a level once you've explored four (4) chambers on that level.
You can move between levels by stairs, aquifer, or by a witch who can teleport you to anywhere in the next level.
And finally, remember, like last year you don't have to do this malarky if you don't want to. :)
I didn't do it last year cause I didn't understand it 🤣 I will give it a go this time I'm sure people can put me gently right if needed 😁
Deletetick, tick, tick
ReplyDeleteLate to the party but this is freaking awesome. Fantastic work curt. You put a lot of effort into this. Good luck everyone. cheers
ReplyDeleteThanks Brendon! You're very much missed this year. No Beer & Bacon! Whaah!
Delete