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Gideon

Challenge II: Category C: Plotting in Barqa

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This is my entry to Challenge II: Bread and Circuses, category C. The lore in this entry is also intended to summarize the status of Barqa “today” as a general canonized backdrop if someone else wants to build in or related to the city, which you are very welcome to do!

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Houses and street life in Barqa

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Houses and street life in Barqa

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Houses and street life in Barqa

Barqa was never conquered by the Desert King but suffered heavily from being on the losing side of the civil war. The number of Barqan lives lost fighting for the High Council and later fighting Raavage and his allies, number in the tens of thousands. The trade which is the lifeblood of the city also suffered heavily due to the disruptions caused by the widespread turmoil. Different sides controlled different stretches of the Arkbri river’s banks. This almost completely strangled the prosperous river trade through central Historica, normally flowing to Barqa via Cedrica all the way from the river’s tributaries in southern Mitgardia. At the same time most of the sea trade southwards was blocked by the Ulandus navy from it's stronghold on the island of Gorr. Only the sea trade towards Varlyrio in the west and Avalonia and Mitgardia in the north was flowing more or less unhindered, but when supply dried up of many of the Kaliphlinite products normally shipped in these directions this trade also suffered a sharp decline.

After the cessation of hostilities the maritime trade has opened again more or less unhindered. The Desert King is also allowing traffic along the Arkbri river again, but it has come at a price. The forces of the Desert King are demanding high tolls from all the passing river boats and thereby thinning out the profits of the Barqan merchants. The merchants are growing ever more restless, and an increasing opinion is advocating giving in to any demand from the Desert King as long as he lifts the tariffs. Is the City Council opening the city’s granaries and so generously distributing grain to the people only an innocent expression of Kaliphlinite charity, or is the council buying the support of the people before submitting to the Desert King? After all, despite not being allied the forces of Barqa fought side by side with the forces of the Desert King against Lord Ravaage and his Black Spire.

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A small street in Barqa.

A constant in the city is the black cats, ever roaming the city living well off the hundreds of thousands of rats inhabiting the darker corners of the city. Many of the city’s small shops still remain closed, a stark reminder that times are still not back to the good old prosperous days.

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Enough Black Oil still finds its way to Barqa to chase away some of the shadows also at night

Fresh produce are not in short supply, as the fertile floodplains of the lower Arkbri valley are once again at peace.

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Uruk fruit merchant

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One of Barqa's many small rooftop gardens

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A small shrine, dedicated to some minor deities venerated by the owners of the house

On one of the city’s countless rooftop terraces, councilman Mordoch, a wealthy merchant, is meeting what seems to be an emissary from Sultan’s Gate and the court of the Desert King.

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They think they are having this meeting in secret, but in Barqa eyes are everywhere...

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Later that day, a pigeon is flying towards the Queen’s court in Cedrica. In the encoded message strapped to the leg of the pigeon, the Queen is informed that leaders of Barqa are negotiating with the Desert King! Will Barqa soon openly declare fealty to the Pharao? Or is the City Council divided into different factions and is this only the actions of a splinter group of influential merchants? Was this meeting held outside with the intention to be seen? What is the true position of Lord Gideon on siding with the Desert King?

One thing is certain, if Barqa joins with the Desert King he will control lands all the way from the sea to the Rakath mountains. What would that mean for the Queen's prospects to consolidate her reign over Kaliphlin...?

More inhabitants of the city and angles of the build:

 

 

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Wow, very awesome!! The colors are really nice, the tan compliments the sand green and red colors nicely! The roof gardens are my favorite though. Keep up the good work!

Edited by TheLordOfBricks

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Really interesting color choices on the buildings, I think the purple works well here.  The tile roofs are great.  The arches throughout the build are excellent.  I like the flower garden and the different vines and flowers in the build.  The figs are great too.  

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Turned out fantastic man, love every little part of this build. The arches on the balcony work great :wink: .

Fun story as well, looking forward to where this will end up...

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When I see things like this it makes me realise that I am a very very envious person...

Having got that out of the way! Another excellent build showing a range of details of life.  Love the minor gods and gardens.  Lovely colors and use of the light bricks  too.

Also glad to see that  some figures in the city are pushing for greater links with the Desert King.  Now we need @SkaForHire to give some updates on how the Desert King plans to  rule so we can find out  if he is also going to be pushing for peaceful integration, otherwise I'm going to look pretty stupid!

 

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Gorgeous!  It looks like sand red on the right hand building... if it is, I have no idea where you got so much of it, but it really looks good.  The color choice itself looks great and fits the area well.  The orange roof texture is awesome, and I may steal it sometime because I have lot of orange slopes.  The lighting is great, and the minis look fantastic in it.  I love the texture between the orange and medium dark flesh on the outer wall.  The archways look well done, too, and I like the plants growing on the walls.  One question: What are the pieces making up the jars/barrels in the street?  Are they older parts?  I can't quite place them.  They look great, so I am just curious.  All the little details, like the roof garden, the spies, and the small shrine really add to the liveliness and realism of the scene.  Very nice!

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Wow wow wow Gideon! Once again you spoil us with some great mocs! The colours in this one is so great! Sand red in those amounts? Where did you find them? :)

 

Is "Streets of Barqa"still intact? I would love to see this brilliant moc attached to one of my favourite mocs of all time!  :wub:

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Wonderfully detailed MOC, the roofs in particular are beautiful!  The sand red is pretty beautiful too. :grin:  Great use of the new plant pieces and the lighting adds a lot to the whole build.  So many great bits too - the little statue niche, the fruit vendor, the arched entry into the alley... 

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Once again I love the lore you manage to pack your builds with, yet this time around the highlights is the build itself, a beautiful 360^ ! :wub: Lovely palette and architecture all around (awesome offset windows with the arch at the back as well as the gable with the lion head) and loads of nice details without being overwhelming. Insteresting roofs too - I believe this is the first time you've tilted them 'inwards', right? They look really cool, I need to try that out myself. I'm also really intrigued by the story, can't wait to know what's going on in Barqa!

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Beautiful work with the colours, with the lighting, and with those roofs of course and the layout, lots of detail, and all the vines and trellises look excellent! I like how it is kind of cluttered, but not too much. 

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Thanks for the comments! :classic:

On 2/1/2019 at 8:05 PM, Grover said:

Gorgeous!  It looks like sand red on the right hand building... if it is, I have no idea where you got so much of it, but it really looks good.  The color choice itself looks great and fits the area well. 
...
One question: What are the pieces making up the jars/barrels in the street?  Are they older parts?  I can't quite place them.  They look great, so I am just curious.

Yes, it's sand red. I bought a big lot "used once in an AFOL project" from USA a couple of years ago, but have not really made enough use of it. A bit challenging to build with almost only 1x2, 2x2, 2x4 and 1x6 bricks. The only plate I have is 2x6...
The jars are salmon 33008 and 6995 from Scala.

On 2/3/2019 at 10:33 PM, en_zoo said:

Insteresting roofs too - I believe this is the first time you've tilted them 'inwards', right? They look really cool, I need to try that out myself. 

Thanks! I tried out the technique for the first time when I built a granary in Barqa for the Book II challenge IV prelude series, and liked the technique well enough to invest in 1,5 litres of dark orange 2x1 slopes :wink: 

On 2/2/2019 at 12:26 PM, de Gothia said:

Wow wow wow Gideon! Once again you spoil us with some great mocs! The colours in this one is so great! Sand red in those amounts? Where did you find them? :)

Is "Streets of Barqa"still intact? I would love to see this brilliant moc attached to one of my favourite mocs of all time!  :wub:

A Bricklink store in the USA had a fairly big lot as I wrote above.
Streets of Barqa is still intact (when will I ever dare to sort that??)
Will you come to Borlänge in May if I promise to put them next to each other? :wink: 
Otherwise, I'm going to at least put this build next to the Aslanic temple.


 

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Gorgeous build again!  That roofing technique is fantastic!  My favorite parts would be the roof, the shrine, the lighting, the plant and the fellow hiding in the plans.  Beautiful as always!

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Oooh!  Lovely build, Gideon, brings back the epic Streets of Barqa vibes all over again! :wub:  The architecture is classically Barqan, and the lighting is fantastic too.  There are too many great details to mention them all, but I will mention that shield in the wall and the black cats! :grin:

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Typical Barqa beauty :wub_drool: Wonderful use of sand red, and the roofs look incredible repeated throughout the scene :thumbup:
I love the stairway to a second story entrance, with boarded window beneath. Very smooth incorporation of lighting too!

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Lovely build, Gideon! The colors are nice and muted, as one might expect in the desert, and the use of the lighting is excellent. I'm considering getting me some 3rd party lighting systems so that I can light up chandeliers and other hanging lights. The arch between the two main buildings is my favorite part, followed closely by the very nice balcony with the spy. The printed arch over the shrine seems a bit out of place here, though, and I think it would look better without it. 

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