Grover

Nice work! There's a lot of great things going on here: I love the roof--it's a great use of tan and dark tan to make a thatched roof, and there's a lot of nice detail at the top with the legs and the golden snitch; the goats are well done and make sense with the dog indoors in a medieval setting; the interior is well thought out and very nice. The grain for the goats, the cloaks for linens, and the boxes of food I like the path outside, as it looks like an intentionally laid path from river stones. I like the snot clear trans wash from the falling water. I like the curved pieces to form the footbridge, too. A few things stick out to me as small things that could be changed easily: the cleaver and some of the kitchenware is pointing up, but in most kitchens I've seen, the heavy blades hang downward, so if you put the clips higher it might look like the utensils are hanging. On the other side, the pathway and river look quite straight. Putting in a bit more of a bend here or there, even one brick wide, could help. If you have the bricks, which I know not everyone does, you can put wedge plates across the pathway to increment the elevation changes, which helps break up the 90° angles that we commonly see. As for the water, it's hard to get the trans tiles together, but smooth water is nice for calm water, and if you want more of a rushing mountain stream, putting the studded trans plates down with height differences of 1 plate here and there, interspersed with grey pieces for rocks. As for photography, I built myself a cheap light box, and with 4 LED bulbs, I can take decent pics even with a cell phone. More light is better, just don't use a flash. That will get you about 85% of the way there. Well done, though, and I look forward to more of your builds!

Congrats to all of you. This was a really nice collab and a lot of great builds. Well done, all!

This is a great scene! It's difficult to set up underwater scenes and you did a great job. Never seen a white dolphin, but it looks really good. Great job!

This is absolutely phenomenal. What a great idea, as well as a great setup--the details on the windows, and the creative use of the window grates--but the lighting is what really kills. Absolutely awesome work with the light coloring on the furnace. This is one of my favorite builds from this At Work series. Great job!

Hilarious! Great use of the wheel. Love the dark brown carrots, too. The textured wall is nice. Great little vig!

What a wonderful build! I am loving these A-frame roofs and the color scheme for the shingles. I really like the details that go in, too--the winch and pulley over the top of the door, the broken down cart... well done. I like the idea of a wainwright, too--there has to be a lot of them in medieval society and yet it's not done all that often. The texture you get out of the dark grey on the walls is great, too--not too overdone and yet you have a varied texture of the wall. Do you have any pics of the other side of the roof? I'm curious how you put the chimney on. Great job!

Very nice job! I really like that the build is simple, clean, and yet manages to pack a lot of details into a small space. The winged serpent on the wall, the golden carriage wheel and the statuary are great, and then in the pullback shot you can see the excellent tile work on the left. I like the plants on the right hand side as well. Nice work!

Gorgeous build! The tudor styling, the choice of colors, the cobblestone... all excellent. The roofs are well done, and the textures that you get with the various windows are awesome. Although it seems a little close, I think it's realistic for the medieval times. Very nice work, as usual!

What a great build! I love the colors and textures that you have with the 1x1 round plates and the dark tan mixed with tan, while still keeping some clean lines for the build. The beaded doors are awesome, and I love the stone arches made with the plates and cheese wedges. The MDF works well with the dark tan and dark orange, although it almost looks like sand red in the photos. I've noticed that it is a weird imposter in a lot of photography and appears to change color depending on the lighting. Also like the mini posing and the nice use of the curved bricks on the edge of the porch. Excellent all around!

Really gorgeous. I love the choice of colors, and the light yellow with MDF is very nice. I assume the leaves are from Alt bricks or are shaded unusually from the light, but they are lovely. I really like that you make excellent use of the small amount of MDF and that you used a number of varied bricks to get the color. The irregular base is also awesome. The story is compelling, and the hut is a great idea as well. You should submit this to the classic castle contest if you haven't already. Very well done, and I can't wait to see the next chapter in this story!

The terrain is fantastic. I love the snot techniques that blend seamlessly in every direction. The tree is also great, and the use of the helmet for the top of the chimney is brilliant. I personally like the less textured stone walls, but that is just preference, and you do a great job here. The tudor style room looks really nice for a run down, high fantasy style home. It reminds me a lot of the Quest for Glory computer games. The overall color pallette is gorgeous. Great job!

You've definitely got some great things going on here. I like the light blue water, the animals, the men relaxing around the pool, and the dark tan near the water. I also like that you put together a waterfall out of clear bricks instead of light blue trans or dark blue trans, which I see a lot. I think the trans clear is much more realistic. There is something about the build that seems out of place to me, and it just struck me that it is likely that a waterfall of that size is from a river, so there's usually more than just the oasis. On the other hand, there are the rare places around like Havasu Falls that are actual oases in the middle of a desert along the river, so it could be a place like that. Overall a very nice build!

Very nice! I really like the clean lines and the colors again. I like how you tucked away the baker in the corner of the build as well. I'm not sure of the tiles--is that supposed to be a road or a part of a stairs? It's at the edge of the build, so it's hard to say, but it would be interesting to see with another part connected at that edge. Another great build!

This build is fantastic. Not only is the architecture awesome (the structure is well thought out, from the A frame roof that sheds snow to the stone foundation that helps life the milled grains off the ground), but the color pallette is great. In contrast some of the other comments, I love the dark tan and olive combo and think it works well, especially with the fall colored tree. The story is great, too, and the use of the aquaman hair is awesome. Well done!

Absolutely outstanding! I love the build, and especially the story. The story is very compelling, and I'm excited to read the story as it unfolds. As for the build, the colors, especially the use of the gold, is excellent, and the round dome up top is awesome. I think most amazing to me is that it comes apart! I didn't notice any light leaks, either. Great job!

This is an excellent build, not only for the colors but also for the slight slope to the ground, the irregular base, and the creative use of the wargs. I'm glad you posted this early, so now I won't enter the fantasy siege weapon category, because there's no way I can build anything close to that good, especially with that quantity of the rare olive and even rarer dark brown. Great job!

Nice work! I really appreciate the closeup shots, as there's too much going on to see everything from the large shot. I really like the ideas and detail that went into this build, all the little things--the diversity in characters, many from the SW universe--and the fountains, carts, etc. I like the whole build, but if I were to critique anything, it seems to me that the tall building on the left is a little too busy with color. I'm not entirely sure the medium nougat/flesh color in the middle looks a little out of place. I love the incorporation of the sand green and all the texture you put in with the 1x1 round plates, though. Very well done.

Really nice! I like the texture to the stone without resorting to an obscene amount of snotted texture. The upside down boats on top are certainly unique, too! I like the round tower that you built in, and think it's really neat that all the builds fit together. I like the landscaping, too, the blend of bright and normal greens. The use of Hans Mollman cracks me up too, and it works well! Great job!

What a great build! I think it really works that you wrote the story without the distraction of the larger build, then put the large build at the end. Hilarious story, by the way. :-) I love the color pallette. It's obvious to me that you spent a lot of time thinking about it. The blues are amazing. I really like their incorporation, especially in the top of the Tudor structure. I think the building really looks great, too--it looks like an older building that has been ravaged by time and war but maintained by caring hands. I appreciate that you can make a building look old and worn without going to an overly textured surface. I am really enjoying reading the story and seeing all your builds!

Avalonia Task 2: Lady Gwenllian of Prenmôr Although Lady Gwenllian and her household were already introduced in Book II, I thought it would be nice to update her pic and that of her household, along with a more lengthy description, and to complete Task 2 for Avalonia. When Lady Gwenllian fled her homeland of Albers, she brought with her only her closest and most trusted servants. From left to right: Myellan: An elf originally from Avalonia, Myellan is an expert archer, tracker, and woodsman. He serves as an ambassador to the elves around Prenmôr and helps to log the forests in a sustainable and environmentally conscious manner (lest they offend the elves). His keen eyes were of great value when sailing across the sea to Avalonia, and he continues to help keep watch at night. Sven: A human from Mitgardia, Sven grew up learning to fight with an axe and shield. In the cold north, he learned how to blacksmith from a dwarven smith, and then learned to sail on the icy waters of the sea. Years ago, he sailed off from Mitgardia in search of adventure and found Albers across the sea, finding work as a smith for Lady Gwenllian’s mother. After Lady Gwenllian’s family was killed in the civil war in Albers, Sven swore his fealty to Lady Gwenllian. After captaining the Cedar Serpent over the sea to Avalonia, Sven now serves as Lady Gwenllian’s blacksmith and armorer, and is the oldest of the household. Alis: Alis is the human daughter of Lady Seren, from Albers. She is only 12, but is quite precocious and is a daring child. She helps with the chores around the household, including feeding the chickens, sweeping, and collecting twigs for kindling. Her main interest, however, lies in learning to smith, and she spends much of her day apprenticed to Sven at the forge. Lady Seren: Lady Gwenllian’s most trusted servant, Lady Seren (human) serves as Lady Gwenllian’s woman-at-arms. Raised in a military family in Albers, Lady Seren was trained with a longsword and shield from an early age and is a dangerous opponent on the battlefield. She studied with some of Albers’ best generals before the war and is well-versed in battlefield tactics and fortifications. She played a critical role in developing plans for the current castle and choosing the most defensible ground. She has one daughter, Alis, whose father deserted them years ago in Albers. Lady Gwenllian: Lady Gwenllian herself hails from Albers, from a long line of minor but loyal nobles who made themselves well off with ocean trade of their brewed beers. She had a wide variety of interests growing up, and was trained in the sword and jousting by her mother, trained by the house wizard in a small amount of magic, and by a local ranger in the ways of the woods, where she spent much of her time as a child. Her household remains loyal to her because of her and her family’s kind nature, and she seeks to protect those in her charge. The horrible civil war of Albers taught her many hard lessons, having lost the rest of her family. Fortunately, she was able to escape the siege that held her family’s small keep with her household (pictured here), along with her family’s small fortune in gold. She plans to use this wealth to build a fortress, raise a number of warriors, and eventually sail back to Albers to retake the land from the evil emporer. Cedors: Cedors is Lady Gwenllian’s trusty steed, and the only horse from Albers to make the journey (it was quite a feat sneaking him out of the Sally port during the siege). A 21 hand tall heavy draft horse, his gait is sure but slow. He is, however, loyal to Lady Gwenllian and is a nearly unstoppable force once he reaches a full gallop. Chwyd: Another human from Albers, Chwyd is usually gruff and somewhat coarse in language, but he more than makes up for these shortcomings in strength, loyalty to Lady Gwenllian, and gentleness with children. He is quite proficient with the spear, but otherwise has few skills of measureable worth. Despite this, he happily takes up mundane tasks suited to his brute strength, including hauling equipment and supplies, cleaning out the latrine, and digging ditches. Floro: A faun from Albers, Floro descended from ancestors in Avalonia. He is quite the prankster, and along with Castwyr, keeps the others in good spirits. He prefers less lethal weaponry, including a whip and net, but will defend himself and his companions when necessary. He is one of the ambassadors to the nearby elven, satyr, and dwarven communities, as they all enjoy his company. He loves music and will sing and dance with any bard who comes through town. Castwyr: A human bard who originally grew up in Nocturnus, Castwyr is one of the more interesting characters in Lady Gwenllian’s household. She is a musician by trade, but has many more skills of a nefarious nature, and is an excellent lockpick and pickpocket. She keeps morale up with Floro, and collects rumors and information from the locals. Edit: Don't know what happened to Lady Gwenllian's original picture on here, so it's copied below so you can see her more easily. For pieces: Head: Classic smiley (I hope everyone has at least one of these!) Hair: Dark red with ponytail (Any dark red will do in a pinch) Torso & Legs: from CMF 15 knight (hands can be swapped for yellow, or stay gloved) Armor: Dragon insignia plate Shield: Long oval dragon shield Helmet: Dark green Visor: Dark metallic Feather: Dark green triple Sword: Greatsword in pearl dark grey (hand and a half bastard sword) Alternate: Dark brown scabbard (for when not in full armor) She's free for others to use in their stories so long as she doesn't get killed, married off, kidnapped, or other story-changing events. I suspect it would be unusual to see her in her full battle regalia, so she can be put in other gear although she won't be seen in a dress or skirt, preferring more practical garments, and usually wears her normal chainmail (the CMF torso and legs), as she likes to be prepared, and she is never without her sword. The main things for the figure are the classic smiley and the dark red hair.

The lighting is brilliant. I love the fireplace, the small statue on the shelf, really the whole thing. The lighting on the plant on the hidden pic is awesome. The story that went with it is great too. I am curious why the rafters don't connect to the roof, although perhaps the crossbeams only support the walls to each other. Lovely use of the hogwarts windows and the wands still attached the sprue, too. Great work! I really enjoy looking at your builds while reading the story, then going back and looking at all the little details again. Well done!

I really like this build. The juxtaposition of the dark orange and olive is really nice, and it works well with the tan bushes and paved road. The dark tan fills in the loose dirt well. Great idea for a swineherd rather than a traditional pig pen. Makes sense with Kali since there's probably not enough grass and food anywhere for long. Great job!

Nice build! Very cool idea with the land sail. I love all the detail on the cart and the very nice, varied landscaping. I'm not entirely convinced of the light yellow, but it makes a nice barrier between the tan and dark tan. Well done!

Love the landscaping and the subtle gradients in the green plates. The pine trees are great, as is the river. I love the scale of the small town, too. My only question is how many people are living in this town? There would seem to need to be more houses to support the industry there. Also, medieval towns usually had a number of houses outside the town wall, so you could add in a few houses there. The villagers usually ran into the walled portion in case of attack, so it's a way to expand without moving the wall. Well done! I really like how nice your LDD drawings are. I really stink at that program, and I appreciate how much effort goes into that design.

Really lovely build. I like the scale, the attention to detail, and all the lovely decorations around the ballroom. Excellent as usual!