Book IV Prelude Challenge: Category A: The Travelling Bard Tavern

[SimWies]

The Travelling Bard Tavern

In the oldest parts of the city of Everwater, built even before the city walls surrounding today's Everwater, stands the tavern The Travelling Bard. Built in a time where there were no city walls yet, the tavern has thick and heavy doors and no large windows on ground level, which is entirely built out of stone and features arrow slits to defend the tavern. Just a few steps outside the main castle gates, but nowhere near today’s large town square at the centre of the city of Everwater, it has become a far less frequented address to the common traveller. 

But for those that know the reputation the tavern has, it is a must visit location in Everwater. The wooden outside-stage, which is accessible via a second door from the tavern, has seen many rising stars among the bards of Everwater and beyond. There is a simple saying among the older generations of bards of Everwater, that: “If the travelling bard has approved of you, you are ready to travel beyond the city walls.”

Today is a special day, Cyrill Waterbend has returned to the tavern after completing his recent travels throughout the county of Everwater and other, neighboring counties. Once a year he travels beyond the city walls, but his true home is the city of Everwater. It is the place he grew up in. The son of an unknown sailor of one of the merchant ships that regularly lay at the piers of the port, he lived large parts of his youth with his mother in a small chamber in some shabby house down by the port. This all changed, when his mother met the owner of the Travelling Bard, the two became a couple and she also started to work in the tavern.

From then on, Cyrill’s life was filled with music, stories and people from far away carrying news from everywhere through the heavy doors of the tavern. Naturally, Cryill picked up an instrument, the lute was his first choice and he started to write his very first songs. This was eight years ago and since, Cyrill has become a local celebrity among the bards of Everwater, not for his skills with the lute, but for the stories he brings home from his travels that he weaves into his songs. His mom and step-dad still own the tavern, allowing Cryill to freely use his time to travel around and gather news, someday he might take over as the owner of the Travelling Bard, but until then, he enjoys his freedom.

The story he is telling today tells of the peace that has been built throughout Historica, how this peace brings freedom to grow and to develop. But his story also tells of the blood that was shed to build this peace and how it has to be protected, he tells of the fallen heroes and those that have endured and remain. His story now changes, starts centering more around Everwater, how the city had to endure difficult years, but he also tells of the hope their recently killed Lord Ellerion instilled in the people of Everwater. He mourns the dead soldiers from the skirmish within the castle and city walls and he closes his story with the news that the rightful heir to the county, Alric Ellerion has been seen crossing the border of Everwater together with Sam Weatherstone on their return to Everwater.

Not only the people around the stage are happy about this news, Cyrill himself is a close friend of Alric and his friends. A certain person in the audience is also really happy about this message. Cyrill expected this shadow in a green coat already.

We meet Cyrill late after his performance in the upper room of the tavern, where there are two beds available for travelling bards, stopping by. The shadow in the green cloak has revealed herself, it is Anna Ellerion, the sister of Alric Ellerion. Cyrill already expected her, they have been close friends since Cyrill made his first steps as an upcoming bard and Anna invited him to the Everwater castle to perform at a small  reception they had for a guest.

…
A: “Is it true Cyrill, has my brother been seen at the border?”
C: “Yes, Anna, he took one of the small paths through the hills and came by one of the southeastern watchtowers. I met a horse courier this afternoon at the city gates, the news should by now have reached the castle and you, had you not been at my performance”, he winked at her, “he will soon be here, and then this madness with your father and your uncle will hopefully find an end.”
A: “I hope so yes, thank you for the news Cyrill, and for being the friend you are to me and my brother.”
…
They kept talking long into the night, of their friendship, of the turmoil the death of her father had brought to Everwater and how Historica on the contrary was starting to enter into an era of hopeful peace and growth.

 

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This is my entry for the Prelude Challenge Category A of Book IV and I had great fun building this.  The build originally was planed to be a bit bigger and include a large audience and the possibility to also have a look into the ground floor, but as the build progressed and time got a bit short I had to replan, notheless I am very happy with the result. I even managed to get some glimpses of my main Everwater story into the Challange, which I am especially happy about. Below are some more pictures to the tavern and its features. The roof, as well as the walls of the upper floor (in segments), can be removed to have the upper floor accesible.

Spoiler

 

  

Edited August 29 by SimWies

[TalusMoonbreaker]

I like the simple style of the Traveling Bard. It makes it look like the inn is very well taken care of. The bottom floor is a great bit of Romanesque architecture! Some diagonal crossbeams might look good in the segments without windows on the waddle and daub section. You could use slope bricks and tiles. I also like the story. Tragedy about Lord Ellerion of Everwater, though it’s good that the townsfolk have some good news. 

[LordDan]

Looks like a classic Avalonian establishment, great work! The outdoor stage/ deck is a nice touch, and the arrow slits give the place a sturdy and fortified feel. One suggestion I have for future builds is that the sides of the building feel a bit too flat, I think it would benefit a lot from having the wooden sections protrude just slightly, or having the white walls indented. The stone section could use some tiles or ingot pieces on the side to give it a less sleek feel and more textured look. The irregular base and ground terrain look good, and the interior is great!

[Seagull King of Vaughan]

I like the idea of a fortified inn, overtaken by the city growing up around it! Hopefully Everwater will do well in the coming years.

[jtooker]

Great story.  The roof design is simple, but works very well with the build.

[mrcp6d]

The classic styling here is adeptly done.  Solid MOC!

[Kai NRG]

Really nice solid little inn.  I like the simplicity that allows the details to pop out at us, like the rafters under the roof.

[SimWies]

On 8/30/2025 at 3:46 PM, TalusMoonbreaker said:

I like the simple style of the Traveling Bard. It makes it look like the inn is very well taken care of. The bottom floor is a great bit of Romanesque architecture! Some diagonal crossbeams might look good in the segments without windows on the waddle and daub section. You could use slope bricks and tiles. I also like the story. Tragedy about Lord Ellerion of Everwater, though it’s good that the townsfolk have some good news. 

Thank you for your kind words @TalusMoonbreaker and your feedback! I totaly agree with you on the diagonal crossbeams that would have been nice for the segments without windows...I ran out of time a bit and I thought about reworking those sections, but did not have the time to do so, but I will for sure keep that in mind for my next build. 

 

On 9/1/2025 at 7:41 PM, LordDan said:

Looks like a classic Avalonian establishment, great work! The outdoor stage/ deck is a nice touch, and the arrow slits give the place a sturdy and fortified feel. One suggestion I have for future builds is that the sides of the building feel a bit too flat, I think it would benefit a lot from having the wooden sections protrude just slightly, or having the white walls indented. The stone section could use some tiles or ingot pieces on the side to give it a less sleek feel and more textured look. The irregular base and ground terrain look good, and the interior is great!

Yeah I was going for that classic Avalonian style, happy it worked out @LordDan! I'm definitly going to implement other styles of stone walls again that look more realistic and not so flat...I succesfully used another technique in my first story build for my Everwater story and I'll be using that for sure again.  As I wrote above, I got into a bit of a pickle with the time constraints and had to go with a simple and faster technique  Thanks for the compliment on the base and the interior, I'm happy how that turned out and especially the base has improved compared to my last build on GoH.

 

On 9/2/2025 at 4:41 PM, Seagull King of Vaughan said:

I like the idea of a fortified inn, overtaken by the city growing up around it! Hopefully Everwater will do well in the coming years.

Happy to hear you like the idea I had around the tavern @Seagull King of Vaughan! Everwater has some turbulent times ahead but we will see where that leads...

 

On 9/2/2025 at 7:06 PM, jtooker said:

Great story.  The roof design is simple, but works very well with the build.

Thank you @jtooker! The story was especially important to me, I am happy you like it!

 

23 hours ago, mrcp6d said:

The classic styling here is adeptly done.  Solid MOC!

Thanks @mrcp6d!

 

18 hours ago, Kai NRG said:

Really nice solid little inn.  I like the simplicity that allows the details to pop out at us, like the rafters under the roof.

The rafters are one of my favourite details @Kai NRG and I am happy you spotted them! I added them last minute  Thank you for you kind words!

[Ben S]

I really like this! As others have said, its simplicity makes the details stand out even more. Sometimes mocs can be overloaded, this is just neat. I really like how you built the roof with the four wooden supports. The arrow slits are also a nice touch.

[SimWies]

3 hours ago, Ben S said:

I really like this! As others have said, its simplicity makes the details stand out even more. Sometimes mocs can be overloaded, this is just neat. I really like how you built the roof with the four wooden supports. The arrow slits are also a nice touch.

Thank you very much @Ben S. I appreciate your kind feedback!

[Grover]

Great build!  I love the detail in the story here. You have really nailed the spirit of the challenge, and you've done well building some characters and leaving questions in the reader's mind that compels them to read more.  The build itself is very clean, which is a matter of taste in my opinion. It has a very classic feel, and reminds me a lot of the 3739 Blacksmith Shop.  You do a nice job describing the lack of windows for arrow loops, and I like the Avalonian colors! Well done to include them!  I like the peak of the roof as well. It is many times difficult to make the peak cleanly.  You have done a nice job with the curved slopes on the beds inside, and the 2 plate steps to the stage are great and proportional.  Your irregular base looks great and breaks up a square feel.  If you want a challenge on your next build, figuring out how to build a SNOT or half-plate indented Tudor wall is challenging and subtle, but many times worth it!  Look forward to more! 

[SimWies]

Thank you very much @Grover for your kind and, as always, detailed feedback! I appreciate it very much.

Until you wrote that the build reminds you of the 3739 Blacksmith Shop, I didn't realise the do really have some similarities...and in fact, 3739 is one of my most cherished sets I got as a kid...I must have taken inspiration from it without realising it. :-)

The next challange for sure for me will be figuring out how to do a SNOT Tudor section...