Guild of Writers

As you might have noticed, I've begun work on my shell for Ahra Pahts.

Initially, I made the obelisks and central structure quite tall (as you can see below):

• External view of shell

But I was reminded about the height limit and had to find a way to lower them by 15 feet. After some excavating, I managed to get them under the 60-foot limit:

• Lowered structures

To keep the sides from caving in, I used the same strong material found in the canal walls. But now I need to solve the problem: how to prevent people from dropping 15 feet when they enter the shell?

Thank you again Robert for your last minute modification of your shell. I should have stated more clearly the size limits. Now I had added it in the new shell readme.txt that I had to the new shells and in the new Shell FAQ. That should be enough.

To make up for your extra work on lowering the whole structure if you want I will build a set of stairs for your shell.

That would explain why I broke my leg entering your shell...
Stairs, or even better, a dock and a bridge. A drawbridge as for a castle, or a gagngway as for a ship.
You'll also need a texture for masking the gap between your new floor and the wall.

Oh and the inside of the central structure is UGLY!

Tsk-tsk, Chacal: Fly mode is for cheaters!

Well, cheaters and maintainers.

Yeah, good thing I had my suit on.

I've done some more work on my shell. Lacking the means to enter the shell proved to be a great deterrent to trespassers (except those who can pass through walls), but it also prevented me from testing it. So, I added a gate. But since I wanted to be the only one to go inside, I added a security system. Woe be to those who dare to fiddle with the controls!

I also increased the height of the obelisks, since later on it will be important to see them from the outside...

• External view of shell
• Close-up of security system

All this reminds me of a great Arthur C. Clarke novel: Rendez-vous with Rama.
A must-read for all Writers.

I've been doing lots of masonry work as of late.

The interior of the central massive structure is complete. The gigantic moving slabs of stone have been precision-milled so that their sides are nearly frictionless. I've tested the walls for integrity, and they seem fine. I like the security control design so much that I've duplicated it at various stations within the structure for controlling the moving slabs. And while tunneling through the stone, I came across several colorful geodes. But none of this is visible to the outside.

Externally, I've decorated the obelisks with colorful carvings. While carving the rear obelisk, I noticed a hairline fracture just above the midpoint. The stone seems otherwise stable, but I'll keep my eye on it. I should give a name to these obelisks: maybe the Towers of Kloo? Nah - too obvious...

• External view of shell
• Close-up of carvings

I'm very curious to see what you have in mind for this shell. It all sounds so intriguing.