Show & Tell: My Loot from Backyard Bullion
Before presenting my next Episode of the Blood Raven I’d like to share more about My Beautiful Silver from Backyard Bullion!
I came across Backyard Bullion (BYB) just over a year ago in my YouTube Journeys when his first pours from out of a small tabletop furnace into small simple heart, square, and bar molds literally in his Back yard. He was just establishing his brand by his quaint little Leaf perfectly stamped on finished Rippled surface of the bar and his personal BYB Brand stamp that appears on the bottom. I can recall him saying how critical the Stamp placement is otherwise all the pouring, cleaning, and polishing work up to this point will end up back into the furnace and start over.
Today his product line has undoubtedly expanded and improved upon since. A great value added feature is having his “BYB” Trademark recognized and with his “Investment line” of products Hallmarked by the Edenborough Assay office. His Brand has grown with many followers and collectors internationally through The Silver Forum , the YouTube Community and his own website Backyard Bullion and as a member of our #steemsilvergold community. @backyardbullion Smashing!
My first silver from Backyard Bullion of course had to be his Pirate 1.96 toz. shiny round (pour 040) to fulfill my first Pirate collecting criteria.
The second was this 1.25 toz.“Ripple Heart” (pour 048) which was the inspiration for this Episode 6 Video. Not to mention the video was originally released just before Valentine’s Day. And a quick thanks to @silvervessel for accommodating me on this or this video may not exist at least in the form it is now.
Next is a Collaborative product also made by Backyard Bullion for a fellow Stacker Canadian Silver Saver (CSS), are a pair of Dragon Buddy Maple Ripple Rounds. They are cute little rounds but a little tough seeing the dragon figures on such small rounds. These are part of a professional arrangement between BYB and CSS as the Canadian hub for BYB’s product line. So that if any of my North American Steemian brothers and sisters would like to add an original BYB piece to add to the Stack with a better cost of shipping, here’s your chance.
My last BYB Piece is this 2017 1 toz. 0.999 Silver Forum Hand Poured Investment Bar, number 68 of 200 bars made. Security, guaranteed authenticity, limited quantities, with Silver Forum’s Community recognition, and the passionate work BYB put’s into each bar, all ADDed value to this collectable piece. He now carries this on into the 2018 series bar.
Original BYB Video
From left to right:
BYB maker’s registered mark, 999 representing the Bar’s purity, the Castle Keep is the Hallmark of the Edinburgh Assay Office, and finally the letter ‘S’ represents the date year 2017. A better detailed picture below from BYB’s website.
Chronicles of the Bloody Raven: Heart of Ezio - Episode 6 Part One
Firenze Italy 1495
The sun was already slipping below the houses and building as caravan began packing for the next morning's open market. The theatrical reading of Thomas Malory wasn't very convincing but enough to remain entertaining in keeping with the festive market atmosphere. The women seemed more jovial and relaxed than most, while the master in charge of this transient brothel appears not quite alert. Many scum of that type barely act civil to their merchandise especially when it comes to time and profit. He wasn't very eager in flogging his product with his troupe of fine woman posing as theater actresses for hire. "Thank you Sir, you are very generous. "Mario dropped a silver coin in the woman’s hat before returning to his brother's side.
Giovanni is a master study of the arts, politics, war, and human nature, above all a master Assassin.
Among the older woman was a child, her eyes made a brief contact with his barely hesitating in the rhythm of her sewing task. She glanced to her master observing his progress in securing the harnesses of their horses then resumed her sewing. She appears barely ten years yet she carries herself beyond her years.
Giovanni pursed his lips then turned to his brother Mario, "That little girl, what do think?" The man shook his head, "There's more to her than what she is pretending to be. But a child sex slave? What an abominable life. I know what Father Antonio would say. If I know better she has been terribly abused."
"Nothing very flattering but as long as he need not know as he would be too quick to throw them all in prison, Antonio's solution to also punish the victims goes beyond reason. Yet to think the authorities can turn a blind eye to this."
"She has anger in her eyes, a spirit of revenge."
"I see potential in her. She controls her master in a way like ...." Giovanni forked two of his fingers down.
"You think she's a Night Walker?"
"It took three of the Brotherhood with grandfather to finally take down Ambrogio the Vampire."
"Living dangerously my brother but if she is a spawn of Ambrogio or whomever she descended from him she is very young."
"I will take her into my house, Mario; train her to be our hidden Blade, an ultimate assassin in the side of the Light. We know the enemy becomes ever stronger and their numbers greater, she can be the difference in the future, our future. "
Mario's eyebrows arched in surprise, "You understand the risk my brother?"
"I understand she needs a good nurturing home, and mama, she always wanted a daughter and to keep little Frederico and Ezio on their toes."
"Giovanni, Father Antonio is a gifted priest and may sense her cursed soul when he attempts to christen her into your family."
"I still have the pendant of Ambrogio in safe keeping, it will distract Father Antonio if he notices and we simply destroy it as our alibis."
As the brothers approached an elder woman stood up and addresses them, "Sirs, the show is already over unless you have other business in mind other than the ladies?"
"Madame, we have a business proposition but it concerns more the welfare of the child, is she your daughter?"
She immediately assumed a defensive posture. "She is off limits sir."
"I am sure she is my lady."
"Is there a problem Sirs?" The master of the caravan approached his right palm resting on the hilt of his dagger. "It is too late to have the company of any of the ladies, you should have before or during the reading."
"We mean no harm." Giovanni did not mirror the man's posture but relaxed his stance as not to prevent any misunderstanding. His eyes we're responsive but somewhat without spirit. "I sometimes practice as a physician and you Sir seemed to be of questionable heath, may I be of assistance?" Giovanni examined the man's neck noting a familiar old scar, a pair of punctures at the base of his neck. He looks into the eyes of the elder woman, "You don't control this man." Then turns towards the girl, "But you do."
The elder woman in between Giovanni and the girl and protested. "Sir, I do not..."
The young child nodded silently to the elder woman dismissing her, “I can see you see the play within the play sir."
"You have quite a powerful gift." Giovanni didn't want to sound accusatory but supportive.
"More a curse." Said the child without missing a beat in her stitching, "but I do not control the women, because I protect them as they protect me. He is a bad man, so I control him."
"Any man or woman should have the right of free will; you could have left him, all of you."
"Some of my sisters do, most do not have anywhere to go. They continue with this caravan under my protection. You understand that It is a cruel world."
"Where did you get this ability?"
She stopped her stitching taking her time placing her work aside. She replied slow and deliberate as if to gauge their reactions before continuing, "Several months ago we passed through the Pyrenees mountains where a talking Raven led me to the house of Machel the Despised. He demonstrated the power I desired in exchange for the brief company he desired. Machel warned me of the curse that comes with it. Hundreds of years old he was weary of his existence hiding alone in the mountains being hated. I spent the hour with him as a warm human to make him feel human one last time before he passed his abilities to me then he committed himself to his eternity. He was more a gentleman that all the men put together that had me since." The girl reached over pulling her hair aside revealing the punctures upon her neck. "I returned to the caravan before my Master made good his threat to harm my friends my sisters. A few days later my master decided again to rape me but as he laid himself upon me I held fast and bit into him, I felt much more power and strength flowing in my body and I have easily subdued him, found his deepest fears then draining out his will like water upon the ground!" He is now what you see, a pitiful man without will. We have been traveling returning those who still have a home while those who do not stayed together with me."
Giovanni's eyes crinkled as he understood her plight. His voice softened into a more empathetic tone, "You did what you had to do to survive so I cannot blame you for what you have done." He watched her lips tremble followed by a hidden pain that coursed deep behind her young hazel eyes. "This no life for a young woman like you, I can tell this man has harmed you. People of his type are dishonorable scum."
With my influence I can offer your sisters a place here or in Firenze, find meaningful work and a home.
We know you can't have things back the way they were, that is the past, but I offer you a place away from this life, a family, fine clothes, respect and position as a fine courtesan of Roma. We will live at Palazzo Auditore and I will be pleased to introduce you my wife your new mother Maria. She will be more than delighted to have you as her Daughter Auditore. And most of all I will teach you the skills, ways and secrets of the Assassin Brotherhood. Then one day you can avenge your parents. What do you say?"
There was long hesitation. She had every right to be suspicious of anyone outside their circle. This gentleman and his brother made a reasonable offer and her deepest instincts didn't reveal anything dishonest or malicious about their intentions, a man of firm principle and conviction much as she remembered of her father. The troupe began to gather in sensing some hope. The girl looked into the eyes of her traveling sisters. She knew they wanted a better life, a stable life rather than living day to day as whores.
Giovanni knelt down and held out his hand. "We can begin with your real name?"
The girl stood in a practiced manner of noble linage. Placed her hand onto Giovanni’s, "I am a daughter of Gregory, Taska Menine of the Kharzian house , foreign men came to my kingdom and converted my king of their religion then one day those same men falsely accused my father of high treason, my family were killed and I was sold to this horrible man as a sex slave. I vowed to one day return to destroy them and the king that betrayed my family's loyal trust."
"Ha ha ha, I believe you will. Taska, I shall give you a new identity. I know Mama will want to call you... Claudia, Claudia Auditore Da Firenze. What do you think?”
Picture sources: Assassins Creed Brotherhood Fan fiction and Pinterest/Ubisoft.
Website http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Assassin%27s_Creed_Wiki
YouTube Video Version
Heart of Ezio: Backyard Bullion – Treasure Map Update 6
Back Stories:
Opening Video (Click on the Raven and Katana)
“Et lux in tenebris to serve laboro, sum sicarius” “I work in the shadows to serve the Light, I am an Assassin”
I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favourable presumption that they did no wrong. If there is any presumption it is the other way, against the holders of power, increasing as the power increases. Historic responsibility has to make up for the want of legal responsibility. Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority, still more when you superadd the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it. – Lord Acton, in his famous letter to Bishop Creighton, 1887
See full letter
I love the show and tell of your BYB silver, SIS. That story.... wow!
A little teeny-weeny-itsy-bitsy part of her origins flashback type of episode. Since I don't have the Episode 5 part three quite ready yet and I don't have to give away everything. I'm awake at this time so fixing a few typos.
Thank you for your continued support of SteemSilverGold
Always! You're welcome.
I crossed that bridge in Firenze/Florence. Cycling tour Tuscany!
It's one of those recognizable landmark of Florence. When in Florence "check out the Bridge" so one day when I can afford to travel to a number of places all over Europe.
@kerrislravenhill awesome work by @backyatdbullion! He is extremely talented and detailed in his pieces and craftsmanship! The origins are awesome and so well done! Great job! I will have to go back and catch myself up.
Wanted to see if you could check out my entry in @britcoin latest contest. I am entry #8 and if you like what I said please vote for me in the comments. Here is the link https://steemit.com/steemsilvergold/@britcoin/9t6e69jd
I would appreciate your support and thanks again for the amazing post!
I love BYB's work!
BYB makes some really great pours :). I visited Florence just after finishing AC 2, had lots of deja vu moments. Great city.