Grover

Book IV - Prelude 2: Royal Visit to the University of Petrea Previously: Prelude 1: Queen Ylspeth's Tower Study With her council behind her, the Queen had travelled to Petrea, Kaliphlin, to offer her proposal to the University directly. The Professors of the University of Petrea had gathered in the main hall of the University to receive the Queen. They were used to being the invited guests and not hosting others, but it was hard to see that a visit from the royal palace was anything other than special, so they all put on their best robes and manners. Before she arrived, there was some worry amongst the professors that the Queen was going to try and interfere with the academic freedom of their studies at the University (a point of contention in the past with rulers such as Raavage), but the Queen had been very receptive to continuing exactly as they had been, only expanding the reach of the University to each guild. This was exciting, but new, and there was much discussion. “Your Majesty,” one old wizened professor began, “to be sure, we are happy to hear we will retain our will to teach, and expanding our campuses is an exciting prospect, but how will we find enough academics to teach? We are only so many at the University, and our vetting process is not particularly fast.” The Queen listened carefully. “I agree, tenured academic positions cannot be hurried or quality may suffer, and there may be too great a gap between students and professors if this happened immediately. We propose to begin the search for more professors immediately, and while this is ongoing, begin building new campuses. Building will take time, but there will still be a gap before professors can be fully vetted, so to cover this time, a royal grant has been approved to bring in guest lecturers, academics, and experts from all of the Guilds and beyond, each giving keynote lectures on various subjects at the opening of each new campus.” The professors quietly discussed amongst themselves, and then the head addressed the Queen. “Your Majesty,” he said with a slight bow, “we find this proposal acceptable, and we welcome expansion of our University.” Prelude 3: Unjust Deserts

Avalonia Welcome to Avalonia! If this this is your first time to the Guilds of Historica, it is suggested that you check out each of the guilds and decide which best fits your tastes as a builder and storyteller. An overview of Avalonia is provided below. If you've chosen Avalonia, please (re)introduce yourself in this thread and post a picture of your sigfig and a short description of your character. The guild colors are dark green and sand green, so please include some sort of standard bearing these colors with your sigfig. Your standard can be with molded flags, brickbuilt flags, tabards, or whatever you can come up with. You can check out the current challenge or post free builds. Free builds can be any size, and whatever you wish to build. There is a Guilds of Historica Discord server for friendly banter and chitchat additional to the main forums here. Part I: Origins of Historica See the main Book IV thread for the origins and current story status. (For a complete telling of the history of Historica, click here. But be warned: it is 203 pages long, so make sure you are sitting in your leather armchair by the fire, with a mug of mulled wine before you begin.) Part II: About Avalonia The Western Paradise Avalonia is the westernmost realm of mainland Historica. It is often referred to as the 'Sacred Paradise', due to its lush foliage and mystical origins. From the fertile rolling green fields and countryside around its capital, to the great lakes, hidden waterways, and mystical islands of its heartland, and all the way to the Enchanted Forest at its far western-most point, its beauty is one of a kind. Home to all kinds of life and treasures, it is a land full of myths and legends and the stronghold of the mighty Guild of the West. History of Avalonia: Avalonia has always been a sacred place. From its very beginnings it was home to a powerful race of Druids who settled there. Attracted by its beauty and mystique they lived in harmony with the land for many centuries and used their skills to protect the land, which flourished under their rule. As time moved on, their numbers started to decline and the last few remaining took it upon themselves to create one final enchantment. They gave all their power and their lives in one ultimate spell, a treasure, that if found, would bring peace and protection to the land for all eternity. They hid the treasure in their most sacred shine, and with their final task now complete, they vanished into dust; today many of their shrines and temples can be seen in ruins throughout the land, a relic of those days. Days turned to months, months turned to years, and years turned to centuries. During that time the land became inhabited by all sorts of mysterious life and became a very dangerous place. Unknown beings lurk in the Mystic Isles, and there is both darkness and light under the eaves of the Enchanted Forest. Eventually tribes of Elves came who made their home in the forest. The Elves were drawn to the land's sacred power and vowed to watch over the land until the day came when a suitable ruler could be found. One whose people could bring peace and prosperity back to the land. And so they waited... The Guild of Avalonia: Avalonia's Guild is the youngest of the four original lands, although that is many years now. When Avalonia was at its darkest hour, armored warriors mounted on huge war horses and led by Artorious Rex thundered through the land. No enemy or evil could stand in their way. They are never ones to back down from a fight and have no fear in battle, for in battle lies their true calling; in battle they are free; and as the joy of battle takes over them, their minds are focused towards one thing, the slaughter and destruction of their enemies. Riding into battle, the sound of charging horses echoes that of the beating wings of a mighty dragon. Hence they are known throughout the land as 'The Flight of Dragons'. For seven years, these newcomers ruled the Avalonian guild, and in that time they gave protection and stability back to the land, secured peace with the other realms, and trade flourished. But then, one day, the king of Avalonia, Artorious Rex, vanished. In his absence, High Lords were appointed: Lord Simon of Nalderic and Lord de Gothia of Benoic. The High Lords were unable to rule as effectively as Artorious, however, and it became evident that a new king was needed to sit on the Dragon Throne. By universal acclaim of the citizens of the land, High Lord de Gothia was elevated to the kingship as the second King of Avalonia and Lord of the Dragonflight. He currently rules in Albion, the capital. Historical links: Book I Avalonia Guild thread Book II Avalonia Guild thread Book III Avalonia Guild thread Part III: The Regions of Avalonia: The East Region: Countryside and Capital This is where Avalonia's capital city, Albion, is located. It is an area full of lush green fields, mighty stone castles, quaint rural villages, and shimmering lakes. The area has very rich farmland which gains much trade between the other great Guilds. We regularly supply farm produce to the other three corners of the world in exchange for oil and other resources. So you may often see a raised flag from another land when their emissaries come to barter goods. The area is primarily inhabited by the race of Men, but many other peaceful races have also made their homes and lives in this area, so it is not uncommon to see all races and walks of life in the busy Capital and its surrounding villages. Ongoing challenge: Challenge to build the buildings in Albion, the capitol city. Link to The Great Gatehouse of Albion and Greffen Bridge. The West Region: The Enchanted Forest This whole area is engulfed by an ancient enchanted forest. According to legend, the forest sprung from the grave of a mighty Wizard. When the Wizard died, his followers plunged his staff upright into his grave, which then grew into a giant Oak and the rest of the forest grew up around it. No one has ever found the mythical Oak, but some claim it’s guarded by the Elves. The Forest can be a dangerous place for those who venture here without a guide, as it’s known to have a mind of its own and is constantly shifting and changing. It is home to the Elves who live deep in its heart. Not much is known about the Elves, but they are a proud race, and feared by all in battle. They are allied with the Guild but will only fight alongside them if the cause is a just one and threatens the land. The forest is also home to many bands of outlaws and other unknown races and beings who have taken shelter in its depths. The Middle Region, Heart Of Avalonia: The Mystic Isles This area is the most sacred of all Avalonia. The Isles were created two thousand years before when the Desert King, Ark'Mora Raa, attempted to destroy all of the Western Marches (the current Mystic Isles and the Enchanted Forest) with a curse due to their rebellion against his rule; but powerful practitioners of the ancient Faerie magics, among them druids, elves, fairies, and goblins, and many more, stopped the curse from completing its course. The magical battle imbued the region with powerful Deep Magics that make it among the most magically potent places in Historica. Here too is where the legendary ancient Druid shrine is supposed to reside, with the mystical treasure hidden within. Many have lost their lives in search for it, and most now believe it is simply a myth. The Isles are shrouded in a think mist, supposedly cast by an ancient Druid to keep the evils of the world at bay, or else as a result of the counteracted curse of Ark'Mora. Now it acts as a gloomy curtain, concealing the unknown within. The Isles are surrounded by mazes of twisty waterways, lakes, marshes, and tidal estuaries. It is not known exactly how many islands lie in this area, for many say that you can never find the same island twice. The only reliable way of travel through these waterways are by the 'Water Folk', dark figures who are the only ones who know the safe hidden routes across the Isles. Who knows what creatures and tribes have made their settlements deep in the center of the Isles and remain hidden? The thick mist makes visibility difficult and Will O' The Wisps have been known to frequently lead unfortunate souls to their doom. The main route across to the Enchanted Forest is on the outskirts of the Isles, and allows a relatively easy passage to and from the Capital. What really does lie deep inside the heart of the Isles? That's for you to decide... Note: Settlements are not currently allowed on Devine Isle. The Map: Part IV: Current Tasks and Challenges Gold Count: This will be here we have our ‘gold’ count for bragging rights of the guilds. Challenges: Current and previous winners of Book IV challenges will be posted here. Tasks: (Note: these do not need to be completed in order, though of course it does not hurt to do so.) FIRST TASK Avalonians! Our guild is composed of many different realms, and in these troubling times, it is necessary for each realm to muster militia at a moments notice or maintain a standing troop of soldiers. While there is a standard uniform for Avalonia's common soldiers and Army regulars, what do your troops look like, and what crest or device do they bear on their shields or tabards? How would one differentiate them in battle? For the first task, you should provide a picture of your realm's soldiers/defenders/mercenaries, etc. I have displayed a number of different soldiers common to Avalonia in the pictures above. Are your troops garbed the same, or do they display a different coat of arms or unique helm or weapon, or are they a mishmash of warriors? Remember that you should be displaying flags in the guild colors (dark green and sand green) or incorporating these colors into your uniform or standards. SECOND TASK Avalonians! Your Lords and Ladies (Sigfigs) have need to travel the realm. Who accompanies them on these journeys? What is their standard retinue? For the second task, you should provide a picture of your Lord/Lady and their entourage. They can be mounted or on foot, but it should be how you'd expect to see your sigfig about in the realm. Remember that you should be displaying flags in the guild colors (dark green and sand green) or incorporating these colors into your uniform or standards. Entries for this task should be posted in this thread. THIRD TASK Name and describe your realm/territory/region. What would one encounter as they traveled across your realm. Are there great forests or rolling plains? Is there a great lake or river of note? Who are the residents and what are they like? Do you have a tribe of hostile goblins living on your lands? Some Avalonians have already provided a very vivid picture of their realms through their builds. Any entry for this task should be posted as a separate topic and a link should be posted on this thread. This topic should include description in the form of words and pictures. The pictures may be in the form of builds, photos of real life locations or art. Note: Territories/settlements are not currently allowed on Devine Isle. FOURTH TASK - Open to all Historicans Historica is home to many towns, villages, hamlets, and even a few Cities. The Royal Cartographer's Guild of Albion and the Avalonia's foreign affairs minister wish to officially recognize the many settlements of Historica. As a prerequisite to official recognition and inclusion in the "Royal Registry of Historica's Locations of Note" and "Avalonian Sites and Monuments: a comprehensive guide" each settlement must prove that they contain the minimum facilities to provide for their residents. To establish your settlement, you must post MOCs from specific categories common to all settlements. These MOCs CAN be already completed, but they MUST NOT already be referenced to a different location. To find out all of the details, check out the thread on the Historican Settlements (HSS). FIFTH TASK Avalonians! All Lords and Ladies need a stronghold or fortress from which to rule their realm. Do you have a castle, a keep, a fortified farmstead? Where is your base of operations? For the fifth task, you should provide a picture of your stronghold. This should be your main fortress, not a small outkeep or tower. Remember that you should be displaying flags in the guild colors (dark green and sand green) or incorporating these colors into your uniform or standards. Entries for this task should be posted in their own topic and a link should be posted in this thread. SIXTH TASK - Open to all Historicans Merchants ply their wares throughout Historica, bringing Avalonian wines to Nocturnus and Kaliphlin spices to Mitgardia. But some brewers are renowned for their finest stouts or lagers, certain Kalihplin oil magnates that are known to provide reliable cheap lamp oil, there are prized meats that can only be purchased from specific breeders. These are the goods that are known throughout Historica by name. What are these goods, and who provides them? For the sixth task, you need to establish a brand of trade. This "brand" could be the maker/sewer/brewer/carver/grower of goods, it could be a specific region (this should be very specific to a location or small region, not "Nocturnus Cake" or even "Mystic Isles Pizza") or it could be more of a large trade conglomerate that provides a multitude of goods, or has stores throughout Historica. Some of these "brands" are already established in previous MOCs or posts, and some have not yet been established. To find out all of the details, check out the thread on Historican Trades. Part V: Membership Avalonia's memberships is open for those who wish to pick up arms and fight to expand our land and extend our Capital with stone castles, villages, farms and anything else they can think of to help the land. Do you fancy yourself as a tradesman and want to set up a business to increase our wealth? Or maybe you wish to cut out a life in the forest with the Elves and help strengthen the alliance we have. Or maybe, just maybe, you're brave enough to master the Mystic Isles, find the shrine and fortify the Islands with your own designs? We welcome all races, but on the agreement that you will be loyal to the land and fight for her when needs arise. The royal colours of our land and our guild are based on the land's lush earthly feel. We combine two shades of green: dark green and sand green. The law states that you will need to represent at least one of these flags and colours within everything you build for the land. If you choose to be a member, there is much in store for you, but your first task will be to create your sigfig and introduce him or her with a bit of biography (even a sentence or two will do). Then start building! Examples of Avalonian People: (An important note: both flesh-toned sigfigs and yellow-skinned sigfigs are welcomed and accepted here in Avalonia; your personal preference and your collection should dictate what you choose! The examples here are flesh-toned, but you can do whatever you prefer, as great builders fall on both sides of the debate.) Perhaps you think, "There have been no new castle themes since 2013, and therefore I cannot join the Guilds since I don't have any castle people!" Well, that's not true. Having Fantasy-era castle or Lord of the Rings/Hobbit minifigures is great, but there are other options, several of which are currently available. You can also make your own figures by mixing and matching parts etc. There are fewer torsos with dark green and sand green coloring available than there were at other times in the past, so massive army building may not be quite as straightforward as it has been previously, but below are examples of some figures that are made from available components now and some of the older historical figures for reference. We have made some suggestions and ideas of how one might 'assign' some of the new torsos to various guilds (e.g., traditionally the Lion knights were Kali and the Black Falcons were Nocturnus), but many of these factions (see the Black Falcons in particular) have been used with multiple Guilds, and there are some generic armored bodies now (see for example the serpent knight from the latest 31168 Medieval Horse Knight's Castle) that can have any guild color added. Browse the following pictures if you are having trouble coming up with something for yourself, and remember that these are ideas not rules, so be creative! (Credit to @Henjin_Quilones for the older fig pics!) Figures made from recently available parts: Avalonian Soldiers: Forestpeople and irregulars: Magic users: Commoners: Elven Stag Cavalry: (Not particularly recent but fun!) Figures made from legacy parts (Thanks @Henjin_Quilones !) Fantasy Era and LoTR based Avalonian soldier figs: Classic Castle figs that still work in Avalonia (for those of us who are old): Farmers: Common people: Elves and woodspeople: Witch and forest creatures: Members of Avalonia: LEADERSHIP: Grover: Lady Gwenllian, of Prenmôr Role: Guild Leader (contact if you have questions or concerns) Henjin_Quilones: Henjin Quilones, Jr, Master of the Drudi Order, and Galaria the Exiled Elf, Mistress of Dragons, of Druidham Role: Guild Lieutenant Ruler: King de Gothia of Sionnach (de Gothia) Historical: derfel_cadern: Artorious Rex Role: Fellow and founder of Avalonia ZCerberus: Lord Trian Burress, of Mesodraconem Role: Fellow and Guild Leader Emeritus Members: SimWies: Sam Weatherstone funemlefox: Lord Edrin Stoneharbour Aurore: Alrune d'Embervale socalbricks: Kars Zilmrud: Parzival (in center)

Here ends Book III.

I hope everyone has had a restful break. Book III draws to a close. We are preparing the launch of Book IV near the end of the second week in January. Stay tuned!

Thank you, @T-86(swebrickLUG), King @de Gothia, @LordDan, @SimWies, @MrLind and @kahir88! I'm trying to find all of the sigfigs I've built through the years and build a few more of the newer crowd as I find the parts. We are revamping several aspects of the organization/mechanisms to try and make things run a little smoother, so it's taking a bit of time, but we hope it will be well worth it for everyone. Stay tuned!

The first Avalonia Guild was posted for Book I as the Flight of Dragons thundered across the land. Things have come a long way since then. Thank you all for your patience. We are still working behind the scenes, and we think we have a lot of fun things in store. In the meantime, here's a little Avalonia teaser picture of a few things to come of some of the current alumni. (Apologies if your sigfig isn't in here, I had to grab what I could easily find). This is a snapshot of some of the Avalonia members on the Greffen Bridge in front of the Great Gatehouse of Albion...

Gorgeous! I love the drawn maps matching the forced perspective build. Well done! The colored skies actually work here because of the pink reflection you have in the build itself. Nice job!

Wow! This build is huge and amazing! I think if you put this in HSS, you may have a record, since I don't think anyone has satisfied all the requirements in a single build! The detail shots you provide are fantastic, since it's kind of hard to see everything in the overall shots. The detail in the woven sticks, the various vegetation, the color choices for the vegetation, the working waterfall and incorporation of the old bridge pieces, the awesome statuary, the niffler in an innertube on the river, the decorative mixel joints under the bridge and SNOT cheese slope stairs... I would encourage anyone who has not to click on the Flickr link and look. There's some fantastic techniques in here from the round mill and the stone archway on the sand green roofed round building to the broken slope pathway at the base and the fantastic olive leafed tree. Amazing work!

Awesome! I love the design with the tiles on the walls. The overall vibe here is really cool. I'd love to see it with a little less retouching, but I do understand how it works for the spookiness. You did a great job incorporating the thestrals into an amazing creepy scene, and the various 'tails' as tentacles is great. The reaper is similarly creepy, and the bright light blue color from the flames is fantastic. The statuary here reminds me of the cover of the 1st Ed. Temple of Elemental Evil adventure. I think this would make a great entrance to a gate of some kind in Nocturnus...

Very nice work! I like the color palette, with the sand green and the tan. The fall colors on the tree are very nice, and I like the tan for the unfinished wood. The thatched roof is decent texture, although it's a little confusing the base is the same color as the unfinished furniture. It might have been nice to use a dark tan base with some light tan highlights, as opposed to the opposite that it is now. Regardless, the building is nice, and I like the teaching scene. The story is funny, with the family and the disagreement between the husband and wife. One aspect of this that I did not get was the bardic one. This is a master-apprentice type relationship, not as much a bard traveling about spreading knowledge from far and wide. The small kindling pile is great, and I like the brick built door (the cheese slope door arch is a subtle nice touch!). I also like how you used the brown for the frame, which I can assume to be larger timbers, and the dark orange etc. for the walls, which is a very nice color blocking choice. Overall, you have a great little build here, and I look forward to seeing more!

I love this build. You really captured the viking hall in my opinion, and I must congratulate you on your lighting for the photograph. It is incredibly difficult to get a good picture of multiple shades of brown, and you totally nailed it. It's clear without being overexposed, and the texture is not overlit for a viking long hall. I am also quite impressed with the huge exterior. I love the size, the tons of wood panels, and the great olive plants outside. The cheese wedge roof is insane too! The story for the bard is good, although I would like to have seen it detail more about your sig fig's home community. I hope to see more of these builds!

Well, sir, this is some amazing work. You have always made beautiful creations, but you have really knocked this out of the park. Before I jump into the build, I must congratulate you on nailing the story call in a clear and succinct manner. This is an excellent example how you can clearly meet all the requirements without rambling on for pages (like I tend to do... ). As for the build, there's a ton going on in this tiny package. The figure placement and the sandbox are great. There's a bunch of tiny plates and wedges here that all add together with the nano figures to bring your story to life, and the minis are great. The new tiles really stick draw attention, but your subtle blending of the SNOT on the sides of the arches, especially with the juxtaposing colors from the blue and white turntable frame overlay, quietly add texture while maintaining clean lines. And, let's not forget to mention the incredibly subtle and awesome job you did with the inverted build of the columns. To get that inverted and back again in such a small space so cleanly is brilliant. The photography is crisp and sharp, and I appreciate the grey background to differentiate from the white in the bricks. I love the story and the idea of the oral history being used as a classroom tool as well as a way to capture historical knowledge. I always look forward to your builds and appreciate you input and advice here. Keep up the awesome work!

What a spectacular build! This really packs a ton into a tiny scene. I appreciate the closeup of the floor, since it's a great texture, and there's so much other fantastic work going on that it could easily be overlooked. This is really a tour de force in techniques, many of which are quite subtle. The not pressed all the way down gold plates, the mosiac door, the perfectly blended SNOT walls and brick walls, the arched doorway technique, and the stained glass fence windows are awesome. The music stand is great, and the violins along with the various horns are quite nice. The rubber bands around the horn for leather straps is great, and I love the idea of the old horns being taught. You do a great job describing the history here, which is not dissimilar to many historic horns. The photography is fantastic, and you have some nice closeups. Outstanding work!

Fantastic build! You have managed to pack a lot of detail into this build through a number of means. First, although there is a lot of LBG, which some don't care for, I think you did a great job juxtaposing it with a cohesive color palette which really sold the scene. The dark red really pulls the scene together as it threads its way through the build. The way I see this scene, is that, despite being 'old town', it is well cared for and maintained, so it is clean and the stonework is uniform. You have some dark tan and some old light grey in there that help sell this idea. I like the textures you achieved with the various arches, clips & bars, and the masonry inlay with the cheese wedges near the bottom is great. I particularly like the multi-elevation scene that really 'elevates' the scene (ha!). For sure, though, complex elevations do generate interest when viewing. The story was also compelling: it fit the call, generated some interest in the bard and the town, and did a nice job of explaining some of the bard's history and motivation. Great job!

Nice work! You have a lot of really nice things going on here: I particularly like the transition between two roof slopes. It breaks up the mono-slope and adds some detail. I like the snow overhanging the roof edge. If you have a few small white wedge plates, you can put some smooth angled lines on the roof to break up square snow. Additionally, if you want to make a snow or ice pile under the roof drip line, you can use some cheese slopes, since snow usually falls off directly under the roof edge if it has no gutter (common in the medieval) and piles beneath it, melting there or having melted runoff drip on it and turn into ice. It's a small detail but a fun one. I like the stacked hatched windows, and the texture (but not insane greebling) of the tavern walls. The fireplace is at a great location mid wall, and the chimney is nice. I also appreciate the extra shot with no minis so we can get a good look at the interior. This has the same issue that a lot of builds do, in that trying to depict a crowded hall is tricky without getting it too 'busy'. Unless you have a huge area, usually having only 2 walls and taking a diagonal shot helps lighting and the 'crowded' feel, as opposed to 3 walls. The keg tap with the keyed valve and the king's coin head is great! I love Jenessa's story, and the verse you wrote! I did have a little trouble picking Jenessa out of the crowd since she's sitting and not standing above the crowd on a table singing or with space cleared around her by the fireplace, but the story is well done, and you have a great character here. The shield and flags by the fireplace are nice, and I like the use of the green slope as some painted stone over the fireplace. I also like the detail of the cellar stairs and the bags under the bar in the cellar suggesting more room than shown. I think my favorite detail is the story about the 'raven' that hangs at an odd angle over the door. In trying to explain away the falcon shield as a raven, you have managed to add a ton of realism to the story, since that's exactly the kind of hilarious tales spun by bartenders and innkeepers! Great job!

Wow, that is phenomenal! Thank you! I had looked into trying to make a map like that, but alas, I lack the skill. I'm super happy you made it, and that it looks so good! I was thinking a rasterized map, but the vectored map you made is even better! Great job! I would love to see the full world map when you are done. You have my vote for "Historica Cartographer"!

Great to hear! We look forward to more of your builds! Welcome back! Mitgardia will be very happy to have you! Outstanding! I am glad to have you building for our guild! And Lego in the garage? Oh no! I use the garage for unimportant things, like food, money, etc.

This build is a lot of fun. I love the all-Lego first shot. It has a great perspective at almost eye level, and there's a ton of detail here. The stained glass, the wooden rafters, the minis having a great time... you can almost feel the music and excitement in the room. The wagon wheel chandelier is very clever, and your half-stud inset stonework windows are very nice. The floor tile color choice is festive, but works with the colorful environment and the culture of Varlyrio. Your story shows a good understanding of Varlyrio, and I like you tying it in to the bard's story and that of the lord of the manor. Great job! I look forward to more!

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!

Very nice build! I like the angle, the great density of the foreground with the slightly out of focus Lego shrubs, and the stage. The audience is a lot of fun, and the candles are great! The Lego trees are well done, and the overhead banner is a nice decoration. The ground is fine, although a varied elevation, even slight, may have helped show more of the scene. I am not a fan of the background. I think it detracts from your tree builds and makes it too busy. Had you had a busy background with all Lego trees, I think it would have worked. I would have also liked to have some more backstory and description of the bard, his home venue, and how he ties into your sig fig's hometown. As is, it's a nice build, and the candles are a real stand-out in their use. The lighting from them is just about perfect, and you did an outstanding job photographing them and selling their authenticity. Well done!

Great job! You have solved one of the problems of photographing a square room not by looking along the diagonal, but by removing a third wall, which actually works nicely here. I like your lightly textured back wall and love the wooden supports running down the wall. The scene in front is nice, and I like the color choice for the floor. The mitgardian rug is great, and the printed tile border makes a good transition to the dark orange floor. I also appreciate the Mitgardian shield in the back! (Designed by our very own @soccerkid6!) I like the direction the story is going, leaving some threads for the teacher to go in several directions, and the school setup. The shadows around the minis are a bit dark, which can be tricky with darker colors. Light photoediting might help, or a little more light, although that can be tricky to avoid washing out light backgrounds like your white wall. I have at times used a 'spotlight' such as a reasonbly bright LED desk lamp to shine light in tighter, darker color areas that would otherwise be too dark. One other technique to draw viewers in is to take the shot a little closer to the eye level of the minis. It has a different perspective that tends to help the viewer feel closer to the action. Overall, a very nice build, and I look forward to reading more of the history and meeting more of the residents of Thanesford!

Lovely little build! You have a great angle on this scene to maximize lighting and sightline to the action, and I like the framing with the bookshelves. In particular, the all Lego shot close up in the first picture is great: it draws the viewer in and makes it feel like you are in the conversation. I appreciate the zoomed out whole scene shot, since it allows appreciation of the technical features of the build. The tile floor is an older technique that still looks good today, and you did a great job blending it seamlessly here. I also like the double stacked wedges on the top corner near the ceiling, with the 45 wedge tiles over the larger wedge plate. The torch holder is excellent, and I like the detail of the log rafters protruding into the room near the top. Incorporating the printed shelf tile isn't always easy, but you did a nice job of it here. My only critique as it were is that the scene appears to be an exchange of information for money rather than instruction (teaching) of some kind. This may be somewhat semantic in some sense, although it does fit the Varlyrian culture well. You have done a great job integrating the story into the culture there, and it works well. The color choices in particular fit right in, and I think you will do well there! Keep up the good work!

Well done! I was so impressed by the out of the box approach to the challenge prompt. This is the only non-minifig scale build, and you did a very nice job with it. As others have said, it's pretty difficult to pose a mini with a bow, and your lessons are depicted well with the larger figures and posing. Both the recurve and the long bow designs are great, and it's very obvious what is going on. The figures are posed well, and you did a great job with the colors. Some others have noted some photography advice, although I really like the neutral background. One thought for something to give you more flexibility would be to have an irregular base with this build. The call was for a 16x16 area, so 256 studs. Instead of a 16x16 square, with some plates, particularly wedge or curved plates around the feet of the figures, you could minimize the area and then have a 1 or 2 stud wide plate running out maybe 20-40 studs into a small 4x4 area with a target, taking advantage of your area requirement. In any case, it is a very creative and well made build for the challenge! I look forward to seeing more!

I really like the concept of this build: the various blocked elevations from the water up is great, and with the various stories going on, it makes a lot of sense. I also love the creativity in the 'pick up band' of the bridge troupe, I think you nailed it here! You fell into the trap that most of us have fallen into at one point, I think, which is you have so many good ideas in one build, it becomes difficult to fit them all in. Since viewing angles are single perspective each, it is better to look at a 45 degree angle into a room corner and only have 2 sides as opposed to straight on with 3 walls for two reasons: 1. You have a wider viewing angle when looking at the corner and 2. You usually get better light. I think that your build would have benefitted from a little more light and some more space between figures. It's odd, because you can still make a scene feel crowded (as I think was your intent with the marketplace) with space by doing exactly what you did with the close up shot. That shot is an excellent perspective, since it draws the viewer in and narrows the focus to the scene at hand. On the technical side, you have a nice use of the 45 degree square columns supporting the bridge down by the water and the similar columns with tiles above. The bold but well chosen color choices for the houses work, and the brick built one shutter windows on the top are very clever! The birds and statue details are great, and I love the boat of people going under the bridge. As for photography, @Gideon taught me to hold the camera further back and zoom in to give a wider focal plane, which means you can get more things in focus in a close up shot, so you could have that fig in the purple dress in focus as well as more of the background too. Light, but not flash, would have helped here. I built my own light box out of cardboard, staples, a couple of cheap LED desk lights and some white cloth initially, before I could afford a real one, or you can find a good day with natural lighting outside or through a window. As for the anachronisms.... I use them for humor in some of my builds, but they are definitely a difficult thing to use in a medieval setting without crossing a line. I don't want to derail your thread here, but I wanted to point out a few details of anachronistic use that can work in a medieval setting, particularly in a fantasy medieval setting that allows more leeway. 1. You can use them in joke builds, where the builds are obviously not serious and not really part of the world. They are 'meta', that is, they break the 4th wall, aren't part of the setting, and are there to give fellow builders a laugh. You can get away with things like beer cans and radios, but these builds are one-offs and not serious. 2. You can use anachronistic items if they are not declared as such, are explained away by magic or other supernatural means, and are only recognized by the reader as something other than described. In your case, describing the electric guitar as an electric guitar broke this model. If you had described the guitar as a magical dwarven instrument, or an amazing lute strangely carved by elves and enchanted by a crazy wizard, and that it sounded loud and harsh to everyone, but one person loved to play it... then it would be left to the reader to recognize it as an electric guitar and would still be within the bounds of the world, however funny. Similarly, in the Highway to Hell build, the undead and magic explained the music, which was obviously meant to allude to a modern rock concert without being such (much like @LordDan's amphitheater build for this challenge). 3. You can, if you are careful, add a character from another time or universe, but you then need to really sell the entrance of the character to the Guilds and minimize the technology brought in. After my joke build with Bob, people really liked him, so I introduced him to the world. He had his tools, clothing, and even a cell phone, but the phone didn't work and the batteries died quickly, and the tools were a small, low tech item. Similarly, @Henjin_Quilones's sigfig is actually a jedi who crash landed in an Avalonian Druid circle. Can these work? Yes, but you need to be careful with them, and you can't bring in technology that would create huge imbalances of power (firearms, explosives, light sabers, faster than light travel, etc.). Can Bob wear his trucker hat? Sure, it's funny and doesn't imbalance the game. Can he drive a jacked up 4WD around Historica? No. So can you use them? Yes, but it can be subtle and tricky. Feel free to ask questions or PM some of us who will post anachronisms from time to time if you have questions and we can help bounce ideas back and forth to make them humorous and yet still fit the world. In any case, you have a very nice build here, and I really love the bridge idea. It and the story were very creative, and you did a great job. Keep up the good work!

This is a fantastic build! I love the expansiveness of it, and the technical end is awesome. The trees are fantastic. I think it's hard to make a realistic-looking, not insanely parts intensive tree, and you did a very nice job here. I also love the large elevation changes. Elevations are difficult to do right in Lego in my opinion, and you made it seem very natural. I also like how you used various angles and foliage to cover some of the seams from the sloped rockwork, which can get very pixellated if you don't break it up. The tongue in cheek nod to modern concert venues with the terraced seating, bathrooms, and drink area are hilarious and well done. The story is a lot of fun and I hope to see the bard again, although I didn't pick up on how this venue or the bard fit into your sig fig's hometown. I thought you did a bang up job of the slightly askew tiles making the quarter circle amphitheater, and your splashes of color with the flags and figures were great against the greys and greens. I also love slowly looking through all the figures. It's like a who's who of Lego castle figs through the ages. Awesome job, and I hope you are able to incorporate the bard into the world some more!