Ellis of Helsport Printer Friendly Version   By DUKEDREAL - Dec. 31, 1969 Ellis of Helsport Fluff: This is the entrance to the city of Helsport for new immigrants. It is a fortified tower located outside of the city walls. The Ellis is a loud and noisy place were many different languages could be heard spoken. It is the gateway to the city of Helsport where its new population registers as citizens, owning land and paying taxes, or as workers for the factories. The Ellis is located outside of the city to help control the flow of immigrants into the city. Because of its location outside of the city it must also be defensible from Orcish tribes raiding the city. But at the same time it must serve its main purpose as the official entrance to the city. The walls of the Ellis are decorated with carvings and sculpture proclaiming the might of the city. Many of the scenes on the relief panels depict important battles in which the city’s troops were victorious. Why is this place called Ellis? It served as the chief immigration point into the city as refugees and player characters came into the city. Since most of the players in the Helsport campaign have been Americans, most people instantly recognized what the building was and what it was like. Most of us have never seen Ellis Island in real life, nor will we ever be able to experience it the way it was when it was still operating, but we all have an instant understanding of what it is. We mentally see new immigrants to America moving through incomprehensible lines, being poked and prodded, scared of doing something wrong, speaking foreign languages. That's the mental image I wanted to extend to the players. In this case it worked. The first few players through Ellis Island had collectively horrible experiences. It became a right of passage into the campaign. In fact for me to allow any player into the campaign without them having to go through Ellis Island became unimaginable. The players insisted that everyone had to go through the experience, both because it was so scary, and because successfully completing the immigration process was viewed, as a player was actually entitled to play with his comrades that had gone before. I also know that it worked because later on the players dubbed another similar facility in the city "Little Ellis Island." By using such "modern" names I hope that you will be able to transpose the known into the fantastic. It also frees me from having to be so exact in description for the purpose of the building. As additional support for the Ellis, the top floor houses Hippogrif riders who do long range reconnaissance missions to spot invading orcs. Currently the riders are out on patrol. Molds Used: Mold #44 Gothic Additional Accessories, for the large arches for the window on the round tower. Mold # 50 Wizard's Tower Mold Mold# 60 Prison Tower Mold for the staircases to the second floor. Mold #61 Turret Mold, for the floor tiles, and the top dome. Mold # 64 8" Round Tower Mold, for the tower. Mold # 65 Ruined Tower Mold For the decorative columns and arches. Mold #205 Gothic Floor Tiles Size: The base is 12 inches wide by 18 inches deep and 18 inches tall. Construction: The building consists basically of a rectangle structure attached to a round tower with decorative arches.   1 Ratings     12345      Public Comments Please log in to post a comment    You must be a registered member to post comments. You may sign-in Here.

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