SimWies

I am very much looking forward to what is to come! Great idea @Grover and really nice shot Love seeing Sam Weatherstone among his fellow Avalonians!

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...

What a great start to kick off Book IV! I had a lot of fun building for the contest and I am looking forward to what's to come. It was awesome to see the forum alive and bustling with activity. Concrats to @T-86(swebrickLUG) and @Gideon for winning, your builds, as well as all the other entries, where fantastic!

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

Beautiful little build! I especially love the color compination of the dark green grass with the shades of brown for the wood and the orange leaves on the tree, great choices.

The scene really feels alive and fibrent. Great composition, lighting and photograpy skills! I also like the brick builtcharacter, I followed it's creation over on Discord and it is great to now see it implemented.

A really nice little scene and the round base is something fresh and different. Great build!

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. 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. 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... Thank you @jtooker! The story was especially important to me, I am happy you like it! Thanks @mrcp6d! 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!

It has indeed been great to build for the prelude challenge and see how the subforum came alive! What a fantastic start to Book IV this has already been! Looking forward to what's to come. Happy scoring!

Impressive longhouse! That roofing must have taken some time to complete The scene also feels really alive with the crowded benches and all the minifigs.

Wow Great scene! I especially love the design of the central stairs and the arches at the bottom level! The "all light grey" scene goes really well this the dark red leaves on the trees.

Really clean and nice scene, the cess-board flooring is great! Do you have some WIP photos of that or could you explain how you achieved that really nice look?

Great work on the big figures, that's something really difficult to get right! I also really like the bow design!

I am astonished how much you were able to fit into the scene, great work! You even included the cellar and the stairs leading down to it. Overal great build, love it!

Everwater, Avalonia The city of Everwater is located at the northern coast of Avalonia. It is the capital of the county with the same name. Although small in size, the county has several small villages besides the capital Everwater. The landscape is dominated by the seaside consisting of cliffs, beaches and the relentless sea, and the backcountry made up of thick forests, lush meadows and fields. The people of Everwater make their living from the sea, the forest and from the meadows and fields. A large parts of the people of Everwater work as farmers, fishermen, carpenters or some other profession connected to the land they life in. The city of Everwater has the only large port of the county and has therefore become a central trading hub of the nearby region. On the markets of Everwater the products produced from the land and the goods manufactured in the city are traded and shipped to other cities of Avalonia or transported into the backcountry. Entertainers: The Travelling Bard Tavern

My entry to Category A of the Prelude Challenge. I had great fun building and I am looking forward to all of Book IV!

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. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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.

Great scene and I totally agree with you on the carpet, great design!

Awesome build @Simon_S, I love the design and especially the floor is great. I also love the walls, while rather simple in design, they look really good and real with just a simple technique. Love it! I also see where the inspiration for the tusk horn came from. Great idea and lovely to see that you found some spare time to join in on the prelude challange! Looking forward to your builds for Book IV.

Love it @TalusMoonbreaker! The Ponte Vecchio vibes are strong with this one I especially love the color scheme making the scene feel alive and fibrant with the different colors of the houses "clinging" to the bridge. The water is also nicely done!

Welcome to the guilds @Keymonus! Great introduction of Augusto, I am loooking forward to the adventures he will have!

That's awesome!! Looking forward to all the builds and stories.

Love the base, it has a really natural feel to it! And overall really nice build I might have to borrow parts of your mill design some time in the future... Lovely small tree design on the front left side too!

As I mentioned in the Avalonia thread, it's great to hear that @Grover is taking on the role of the guild leader for Avalonia. It's a great choice! Now to aswering your questions @Grover : I joined the guild just over a year ago, but I have been following GoH on here for at least eight years. I was initially drawn to the guild by all the great builds and the cohesive stories accompanying them. When I finally had enough free time to join, I was especially looking forward to receiving the kind of feedback that you tend to give to builds posted on here. You delivered — I've already received some great feedback and advice. Furthermore, I appreciate not being obligated to post according to a predefined timeline (exceptions would be challenges, of course). I can build when I feel creative and develop my story for my city and sigfig at my own pace. Since I joined just over a year ago I have not yet participated in a challange, but am looking forward to it! For me, of cource, Avalonia tops the ranking of the guilds, followed by > Mitgardia > Kaliphlin > Varlyrio > Nocturnus. I just alwaya had a great love for all things castles and I feel at home with the forests, meadows, sea of Avalonia. Mitgardia is a close second with its viking vibe and mountains. Kaliphlin is also very interesting, I really love the architectural and art style that developed for the builds in this guild and I would love to one day also build something for Kaliphlin. In terms of questions about the ins and outs of the guilds, I have more or less read up on them in the forum posts, so I am more or less all set but would for sure appreciate a shortened up version in one single thread.

Thanky you @Henjin_Quilones for your work and time as guild leader of Avalonia! I am glad you will continue to be around when there is time. Happy to hear that @Grover will be taking up the mantle. I agree with @T-86(swebrickLUG) on this perfect choice of our new guild leader. Here's to our old and new guild leader and to the mighty guild of Avalonia! ... and now I am heading over to your input inquiry @Grover, to aswer some questions