The LEGO® Dungeons and Dragons collectible Minifigures were a treasure trove of useful elements. I’ve started working on a Viking themed MOC, and many of the parts from the D&D series lend themselves very well to my project. This week, I decided to put some of those elements to use in the creation of a new character for my build. Previously, I shared my Viking Merchant. Adding to his crew, I am proud to reveal my Viking Raven Master.

What is a Raven Master, you ask? For starters, it is not a real person or role. It is a character I made up for the story I plan to tell with my build. In Norse mythology, ravens are associated with Odin, the God of all Gods. Odin had two companion ravens who would travel the world and bring him knowledge. The ravens saw all; past, present, and future. They symbolize thought and memory.

My Viking raven master is a fictional character of both practical and spiritual importance.

Crows were also associated with Odin, and both species were seen as intermediaries between the world of men and spirit realm. Legends tell of crows being used on Viking ships too. While I don’t know of any evidence to actually support this, some stories tell that Vikings employed crows on their ships. When lost at sea, Viking sailors could release the crow from atop the ship’s mast and it would invariably fly towards land. Following the crow would lead the ship to safety. The legend also tells that this is where the term “crows nest” comes from… though that is probably just a story.

Since I am telling a story through my build, I saw no harm in incorporating possibly fictional elements with no basis in history. Consequently, I created a Raven Master for my Viking ship MOC. Her role is to tend to the sacred raven housed on the ship. Since it is a bird of the Gods that also helps the crew by leading them to safety, it must be well cared for by a devoted Viking. Someone that invested in a spiritual creature would flaunt it somehow and distinguish themselves due to their important role. So, I picked face markings.

The face and body

The Viking Raven Master is largely an amalgam of two LEGO® Dungeons and Dragons characters. The face is that of the female Gith Warlock. As previously mentioned, I liked her face markings. They make nice distinguishing tattoos for her role in my story. The torso, fur collar, and battle axe all came from the Dwarf Barbarian.

The hair

Her hairpiece is the female hair known as the “elaborate knot bun”. I have seen this piece in the Build-A-Mini station at the LEGO® Store. However, AFOLs might recognize it more from the modular Detective’s Office set (from the police woman minifig). You can find it in 14 sets and in five different colours. As of November 2024, they are:

• 10246 – Detective’s Office (dark brown)
• 21344 – The Orient Express (dark brown)
• 40145 – LEGO Store (dark brown)
• 40166 – LEGOLAND Train (dark brown)
• 40263 – Christmas Town Square (dark brown)
• 40634 – Icons of Play (dark brown)
• 43202 – The Madrigal House (dark grey)
• 43245 – The Magical Madrigal House (light grey)
• 60271 – Main Square (black)
• 71037 – Minifigures Series 24 (medium nougat)
• 75021 – Republic Gunship (dark brown)
• 75226 – Inferno Squad Battle Pack (black)
• 75347 – TIE Bomber (black)
• 75354 – Coruscant Guard Gun Ship (dark brown)

The legs

Since the dwarf torso I used includes dark tan, I decided to pick legs that also used that colour. There are dark tan legs that come dual-molded with reddish brown. I like dual-molded legs that are made to look like a minifig is wearing boots. I have seen these particular legs in the Build-A-Mini station at the LEGO® Store. They are also available in six different sets. As of November 2024, those sets are:

• 21320 – Dinosaur Fossils
• 21325 – Medieval Blacksmith
• 21335 – Motorized Lighthouse
• 21338 – A-Frame Cabin
• 76384 – Hogwarts Moment: Herbology Class
• 910033 – Old Train Engine Shed

The Raven

Now, let’s take a moment to appreciate this amazing raven figurine. As I write this, it comes in eight different sets. All of those are from the Dreamzzz theme. Incidentally, I don’t own any of them. So far, I have only ever built and reviewed one Dreamzzz set, the Sandman’s Tower. I own the Nightmare Shark Ship and Cat-Owl sets. However, they currently languish in my pile of shame. I occasionally acquire Dreamzzz sets because I really like some of the Minifigures and their parts. But, I only buy them with steep discounts.

Consequently, I have not had the chance to get one of the raven sets yet. I wanted the raven for my MOC, so I ordered a couple of them off of Bricklink. It is beautiful despite not being all black. For my purposes, I like that it looks mystical. It fits in well with the fantasy Vikings scene I am thinking up. If you’re curious what sets the raven comes in, as of November 2024 they are:

• 71478 – The Never Witch’s Midnight Raven
• 71479 – Zoey’s Cat Motorcycle
• 71480 – Logan the Mighty Panda
• 71481 – Izzie’s Dream Animals
• 71483 – The Never Witch’s Nightmare Creatures
• 71484 – Cooper’s Robot C-Rex
• 71485 – Matteo and Z-Blob the Knight Battle Mech
• 71486 – Castle Nocturnia

More to come…

I’m only getting started with my Vikings themed builds. My first MOC in the series is pretty much done. I am just touching it up with some details at this point. You can look forward to hearing more about it in an upcoming post. I also have more Minifigures to design for it. I need four more (I think). I’ll share those in upcoming Minifigure Monday posts. Let me know what you think in the comments or reach out on social media.

Until next time,

-Tom

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