Aemera's Beach

Recently, I went to visit Aemera's house, which is located at 48 The Foxhole, Razorewind Shores.

Unfortunately, she wasn't at home when I arrived. Like many Tauren, she had already left to look for injured creatures and tend them back to health. For sure, that was a better use of her time than accompanying me while I nose around her house.

Amateratsu, who had the house keys, was the one who kindly showed me around.

Outside

The plot had two buildings connected by a narrow passage. She was inspired by Tauren architecture and the surrounding towers.

Amateratsu showed me Aemera's humble hut that was on the ground floor of one of the buildings. She had all the essentials covered.

Against a tree laid Aemera's canoe, as she frequently goes to check on the turtles and feed the fish.

The windmill, on the other side of the buildings, was used to mill grain for different feeds and bread. When I noticed an oven nearby, I couldn't stop salivating as I thought about bread coming out of the oven with butter on it! Yummy!

We went up to the second building, and the view above was something else. A table with chairs had been placed so anybody could have a cup of coffee while enjoying the view of the surrounding lagoons and lands.

Amateratsu: And to keep a good eye on Wyverns nearby

She was right! There were loads of Wyverns! There seemed to be a nest on top of one of the rocks! Yickes!

We used the narrow passage to reach the main building.

Amateratsu explained that the idea was to build a rope bridge inspired by Thunder Bluff, but the house budget wasn't enough. This really was a recurring problem for many players.

Near the entrance, another table with chairs had been placed so the stunning view could be enjoyed, and in the corner, I found Aemera's canvas. I would love to come back and see the final result.

Cave

Once inside, I was told that the beach was on the right.

What kind of magic had been used to conjure a beach on top of a tower? I was sure that I would never get an answer, but honestly, who cared?! Outside was boiling hot, and Amateratsu told me that an ocean existed nearby! I grabbed my flip-flops and followed her.

At the entrance of the tunnel, there was a wagon with some supplies. Next to it, I noticed a pickaxe. Amateratsu believed that it had been used to make the tunnel, but in the end, somebody had abandoned or just forgotten it.

Amateratsu pointed out to a camp behind me. She told me that if it was too hot at the beach, I could always come here and cool down. I wasn't going to forget that.

At the end of the tunnel, you could hear and see the water dripping from the walls. Humidity was everywhere, and everything was very slippery, but you could also feel a warm wind coming from the top of the stairs. We were getting close!

Beach

This beach was amazing! Full of murlocs, but amazing nonetheless.

Amateratsu told me that the beach was on a rocky outcrop and that seafarers were warned to keep a safe distance from the shore. A lighthouse made with … and … could be seen in the distance.

Amateratsu: The murlocs are luckily quite friendly, and they live down below.

Thank Elune! I was here to relax, not to fight!

While I was enjoying the feeling of sand under my feet, I noticed all the colorful seashells. They were made with different types of pillows, and they really added a lot to this place.

Fishing Dock

The fishing dock was connected to the beach through a suspended bridge.

Amateratsu: For the fisher who wants to be in a quieter place.

While looking around, the fishing rod started to pull! Something got hooked! We jumped onto the floating debris and saw a murloc helping make sure that whoever was fishing got a chest! What a loot!

Campfire

We sat for a while at the campfire.

While it was too hot to fully enjoy it, in the evenings this is the perfect spot to enjoy some food. Marshmallows were already being roasted and there were more (actually, tiny …) in a nearby …, so nobody ran out of sweets.

Ah! This is what the wagon at the tunnel had brought to the beach! This and all the food I could see on the food stall behind me.

By the Ocean

Looking at the ocean, some murlocs were surfing the waves, and one of them was holding onto a floaty. Either way, you could clearly see that they were all having fun.

The boat, which was quite close to the shore, had its fishing net stuck on some kelp. A murloc was trying to move it away, but he was struggling.

Lounging Area

As I sat on the sun loungers made with … and …, I couldn't stop noticing how comfortable they were. I just wanted to stay here and vegetate. There was shade, a book for me to read, and a bucket with chilled drinks! This was paradise.

But I got distracted! Behind the chairs, a murloc was building a sandcastle! Amateratsu pointed out that it looked like it was an alliance castle by the shell choice. She was right!

Nearby, we also saw 3 cute little turtles and a starfish! Honestly, this was the best! It's not every day that you could see these creatures so close to you.

On this side of the beach, a volleyball match was ongoing. Murlocs were having loads of fun, and I wanted so badly to join them! But I didn't! Amateratsu still had loads to show me, and I couldn't wait to see it all!

The beach hut establishment

An establishment overlooked the beach. When I arrived, I felt like I had been transported to a tropical area, and I got really excited to explore the menu of this place.

Amaterasu told me that they served cold drinks, cocktails, coffee, and tea. For food, they had access to the latest service from Dalaran cooks. How? Through a portal that was hidden behind a door. The latch had been put there as a safety measure. From what I was told, they previously had some issues with seagulls getting in the kitchen!!

This really was a welcoming place for all races and blends of groups. The same colour palette as the seashells was used instead of the colours used by the Horde or Alliance. We had a good time here!

Amateratsu: Want to see if we can jump straight into the ocean?

Our stomachs were full, and there was always the risk of thermal shock once we hit the water... But, yeah! Sure! We should go for it! As a last resort, we could always talk with the Spirit Healers!

Bottom of the Ocean

We survived the cold exposure and arrived at the bottom of the ocean.

Wow! It was beautiful in here! And I really felt like I was underwater!

To create the perfect illusion, besides the use of … on the ocean surface, Amaterasu had dyed the ocean floor the color white sand would have at the bottom of the sea. She also changed all colours to have less red in them and more blue (e.g., a brighter pink shell on the surface became darker and bluer underwater).

The vibrant flora and fauna also helped create the environment and bring a richer life to this place. I felt the excitement of a small kid with a lot to explore.

Shopping Corner & Diver

Where we landed, there were some shops.

Murlocs had decided to open curiosity shops with random objects for sale. I had a quick look and saw a … that could be useful for my builds... Maybe I would come back for that later!

Above me, a diver was totally engrossed with the fish. He had a … as a helmet and air supply, and the … worked as a connector between the air tank and the suit (just like a rebreather occasionally expelling air).

Murlocs corner

We saw where murlocs lived. It was right below the beach.

Besides having several places to rest, they also had a small gathering place and a pile of treasures laid against a wall. This was the moment that I stopped myself before curiosity overtook me and I touched something that I shouldn't.

We left through one of the entrances, and what I saw made me feel like I was inside Frank Herbert's book, Dune. A small murloc was riding on the back of a huge sea creature, and he was in the process of taming it. He had just avoided going into a net that a fishing boat had lost! Awesome job!

Nearby, we saw some murlocs hunting for some food. We decided not to disturb them and left to have a chat by the campfire.

Chat with Amateratsu

When Amateratsu saw r/WoWHousing’s Summer Beach Party contest, she got inspired and wanted to see if she could make a beach where there was a bit beneath the surface to explore the ocean. She built this beach as an entry to the challenge, as you can see here.

At that time, she had been exploring what could be done with …. She felt like they would work great to make the waves! She was spot on. The visual effect they give is amazing.

Inspiration

She mostly used her own experience as a diver to create this world.

The colour of the ocean floor and of the rocks came from her own diving experiences.

Would you change or add anything?

Amateratsu said that she wouldn't do much differently.

She would like to get Draenor fountains because of their water effect. She also has a design to make a small music player so the Housing Music has a place to come from. That will be a cool composite decor!

Budget inside the house

Inside, Amateratsu didn't have problems with budget, as the rest of the house is not fully decorated yet.

In the end, she spent around 2000-2300 of the budget in this room.

Gold Spent

She thinks that she spent somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000. Cuddly Grrgles are expensive, and bottles can cost 250.

Advice to other builders

Even though sometimes this is a hard question to answer, Amateratsu gave me several answers:

Amateratsu: Make your build tell a story or think about who uses it. Think about what they would bring, and what needs to be scattered around.

Same for structure and plants. Does it make sense?

For waterscapes and beaches, use colours. Anything beneath the water is more blue and less red. It helps if you bring things from above below and change the tone as if filtered through green/blue colour.

Amateratsu also mentioned that clutter is important to make things tell a story and feel more lived-in.

Amateratsu: I try to make triangles or lines of color that draw the eye on.

When asked to elaborate, Amateratsu explained that she uses a lot of colours with different shades and tries to make lines of a colour group.

Creating a path with the same colour creates cohesion and makes you focus! What a cool tip!

To conclude

It was a pleasure to visit Amateratsu's beach. In the end, I got a tan, saw many cool things, and learned a lot!

Amateratsu: I always try to tell a story and have it make sense. Items don't just magically appear. You bring them with you and have them next to you. So I try to bring those things in too when I build.

Watching players use their builds to tell a story is very interesting to me. We all have different imaginations, experiences, likes, and dislikes... Interviews like this one and Thorne's Hidden Town allow me to enter a player's creative space and understand what they really want to tell others.

To all of you who share a bit of your world with us, thank you!

Now I'm going home to take a shower. Sand really gets everywhere...