MOC: Thráin

 And once again it's the time of the year when the bearded old man in red clothes travels around the lands. But this time the sack full of toys is replaced with a huge brutal warhammer... And instead of "ho ho ho" loud "Baruk Khazad! Khazad-Ai-Menu" can be heard, when Thrain son of Thror rages around the valley of Azanulbizar killing orcs.

Building this MOC wasn't an ordinary experience. I had built the head and beard a few weeks ago, but everything else was done yesterday (with some tweaks today). The thing was, the sad thing, that our dog, Maikki, died yesterday at the age of 9 for a brain tumour. Probably building this was sort of therapy for me, I don't know. There isn't any deeper truth on this, as I'm pretty much down-to-earth type guy, but at least I had something to do.

As a creation, this is sort of a spin-off to my Company of Thorin Oakenshield project. Thráin, played by Michael Mizrahi, is unfortunately almost cut of from the theatrical version of the Hobbit movies, and is only barely seen in the prologue of The Unexpected Journey. In this MOC he wears the suit of armor he used in the Battle of Azanulbizar near the gates of Moria. It is seen in the extended prologue of Desolation of Smaug, and there are great photos of it in Weta Workshop's Hobbit Chronicles book Cloaks and Daggers. It also features crimson fur-rimmed cloak and his huge warhammer.

As usual, I began with the head and beard. The dark grey parts where black are first, but changing them to grey gave Thrain some deserved aging. Wings as a sideburns on his twin-color beard where there from the beginning, as wee the golden fez beard ornaments. Nose and brow tattoos are there too, with the lost left eye.

The armor was easy and pleasing. I got an order from Bricklink store ChromeBricks yesterday, and it had these dark red curved sloped, wedges and wedge plates, with some gold grill pieces (they were very cheap). I'm very happu with the overall shaping of the armor, with its raven motif chestplate and chain mail bits (they are dark red in the movies but TLG doesn't make dark red short chains obviously). The clean studless surfaces with the chain parts and studdy fur trim create the look of different materials, which is always pleasure to achieve. And I finally had a change to use those pearl gold 2x2 rooftop slopes which come in masses in Fantasy Era Castle sets!

And finally, to anybody and everybody alike, merry Christmas, no matter how good or bad it is.

-Pate-keetongu