robuko

Beautiful map, NM There are bandit encampments on the Rakath foothills, and nomadic settlements on the river, maybe reaching the status of a town downstream of The Loop. We do not recall if this river is in a fertile oasis valley, or a forbidding chasm of canyons, or maybe it was both... This semi-lawless area is governed mainly by proxy thanks to the unique justice of the mountain mummy tribes. Desert names - The Undead Desert? Lifeless Desert? Here be Sandworms?

Welcome de Gothia! Looking forward to your build! There is of course the famed (mythical?) city of Lost Vega, but we ain`t telling where you`ll find it.

By your leave, I have set up a flickr group for WIP C&C, I hope it will be of some use. I saw Nocturnus has one now. The idea is really just to have another place for helpful WIP comments for people who use flickr. Might be useful for the next challenge. The address is http://www.flickr.com/groups/kaliphlin/ It is my first time to set up a group, so apologies for when I get things wrong in it. Anyone can see photos but only group members will see the comments. My flickr name is robuko, the easiest way to join the group is please add me as a contact and I'll send you the invite. SI-Mocs, I hope this is ok with you.

Brickmaestro, this is the quote from the Category 2 challenge: "Category 2: Embassy. Build an embassy in enemy territory. Knock yourself out, it can be a point of trading if so desired, but preferably a fortified structure to allow protection for its homeland residents. Make it interesting how your style of guild dwelling integrates into another lands unique flora and fauna. Will a Nocturnus embassy be polluting a pure environment? Will their be mystical snow fall in the desert? Trees growing where they shouldn't? desert in amonsgt a swamp? See how you go!" The Petreaea General Trading Company has many friends but it does not have any enemies, only trading partners in foreign lands. We interpret this missive to mean a Kaliphlin embassy in any of the other guild lands. Darecold, you and your people are always welcome here in peace. Perhaps you will like it so much you will decide to stay My Lord Flagg, our Embassies in Albion, Abyssan and Valholl are justly famed, but do we not also have an embassy in Cedrica? Perhaps it is only a trading post? It might be an effort of great valour to build there, where the local style is yet undefined.

Welcome traveller! May you find peace and prosperity in Kaliphlin Yours Aye, Rasputin

Challenge on! This size and time limit seems to invite larger and more epic builds - it's not so good for people without a large brick collection, so I hope we can have a lot of free building too. Technically I guess there can only be 4 embassies, for Valholl in Mitgardia, Albion in Avalonia, Cedrica, and Abyssan in Nocturnus. Are we all meant to do the same 3 buildings? I feel I may have to build a consulate instead. I have ideas for all 3 territories, though I do not yet see them as "enemy" turf as per the brief. I'm glad there is more time for round 2, better for those of us with families. I have a few free build ideas, one for the welcome feast for the World's End Caravan Co, which could lead to a Mitgardia consulate - I don't have much white though, so it might be better to visit in summer. So envious of all there great US deals, if anyone has time to pick up $7 Ostriches or $10 Ramses Pyramids for me, I would be hugely grateful!

This will make orlando Bloom by my count the third actor to be immortalised in lego for roles in different franchises after Alfred Molina (Satipo and Doc Ock) and Harrison Ford. Lego Liv Tyler and Scarlett Johansson in the same year?

Thanks all for your kind comments. Let's see.... I am planning for all of the board members to have some kind of character arc, depending on the evolution of our Guild Masters' stories. I feel that we are all writing together this great story of Historica, it's really awesome to see characters cross over into other people's MOCs. Thanks NM. It took ages to work out how to make it stick there! It is a Bionicle Glatorian Zesk head Thanks, they don't have to worry too much . So far the solar furnace has the relatively limited application of directing ginormous heat to something at a distance. It cannot substitute for the night heating or lighting applications of oil. It may be suitable to drive a steam turbine if the concentrator is near a river, but this would not be much more effective than a windmill. If anyone were ever to discover galvanic properties in mineral ores, we could see some very interesting applications... The Watchtower was primarily conceived as a defense capability. The watcher sees an invader, turns the mirror, burns it. End of invader. The idea for came from the famous Archimedes Burning glass used to incinerate the Roman fleet at Cyprus. Initially I thought, as Kaliphlin has a lot of Sun and oil, we could use Burning glasses to ignite oil traps under any approaching armies, but from the MIT experiment it seems that we can just set fire to all their ballistas and dwarf-tossers directly. As I took the idea further, I realised we first needed to have the basic glass technologies and knowledge of optics to know about lenses and mirrors, hence the Laboratory scene. You can imagine I was pretty delighted when Cristoph came out with his observatory! While the point of the tower is to set fire to invading armies, It occured to me that we could use a solar concentrator of glass and mirrors to manufacture glass and mirrors, ie it is a self-replicating system, which is an idea that I really liked. Frankenstein is using a float glass line, which is a bit anachronistic, though there was nothing to stop the technology being invented earlier. As for the tertiary use of the Heliotrope as a signalling and communication system, this was inspired by Sir Terry Pratchett's clacks towers, best explained in his book Going Postal, which is a favourite. I see Rasputin as having something of the Reacher Gilt about him, for those that know the book. We now have the technological base to manufacture and lay glass fibres across the country, and send signals of different colours down them, but what on earth would be the point of that? I think we can stick with a network of heliotropic towers. By making this tertiary communication purpose our primary purpose in public with the other guilds, we can probably underplay our hand of massive defensive capabilities. Essentially we are now uninvadable... in daytime... if only we could find a way to trap and store the energy... I am still pretty much interested in taking this glass technology idea further, so depending on the subsequent challenges, Doktor Frankenstein may be back with his grinding and polishing factory and Optickal Emporium. I would like to send some Fresnel lenses out to Basilicus and to Gabe for the lighthouses.

Great depiction of the dune, and I agree the roof looks marvellous. That ladder is beautiful, really good alternative to a rope ladder. Great second build!

So many great details here Gabe, Sir Barold's bed looks very comfortable, and the Standard is very cool. I really like the way you incorporated the guild colours into the new part of the building. The sand green looks good too. What I like best though, is that it means you recovered!

I love this story and tower. So cool to have a demon onsen in the desert! Doktor Frankenstein has a highly developed interest in all types of the life sciences, and is very grateful for the opportunity to study such interesting specimens when it arises.

I am really hoping this part will have a hole all the way through - Steampunk heaven. I'll take 500.

Oh my Gosh, this is just fantastic. The story is brilliant too, internal factions always make things more interesting!

This is a lovely build. It feels very Avalonian. I like the wood planking, and the door details are superb. Your sigfigs are excellent, by the way.

I really like this. Part 1 is brilliant too, "Fancy a cuppa?" is a killer line, and Sulphurion is superb. Great story-telling and photography, and very inventive build. Well done

Love those colours on the buildings! This would make a very nice Kaliphlin free build too!

Following the great success of the Heliotropic Crystal Glass Manufactory, The Petraea General Trading Company has erected a second Heliotrope on the ruins of the Colossus of Legomandias, one of the most Ancient Wonders of Kaliphlin. Signals between this tower and the Manufactory give us more timely and accurate information from the market as to what is in hot demand, and cuts the communication time to the Manufactory by a day. Environmentalists and preservationists are outraged, but the benefit to our crystal glass production schedules from having more accurate market price information overwhelms this outmoded thinking in the view of all right-minded citizens. I am sure you know the famous site of the new tower, one of the Oldest Remains of Kaliphlin. It was immortalised in verse by a celebrated poet of Qarkyr, "I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: "A vast and trunkless leg of stone Stand in the desert. Near it on the sand, Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed. And on the pedestal these words appear: `My name is Legomandias, King of Kings: Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!' Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, The lone and level sands stretch far away". " Conveniently, the ruins sit on the main trade road between Petraea and the Manufactory. This will allow the PGTC to serve all of Historica's needs faster and at better prices, Yours Aye, Rasputin

So glad you're feeling a bit better Gabe! And your tower looks like it will be awesome. Following the success of the glass manufactory, The Petraea General Trading Company has erected a second Heliotrope on the ruins of the Legs of Legomandias, one of the most Ancient Wonders of Kaliphlin. Environmentalists and preservationists are outraged, but the benefit to crystal production schedules from having more accurate market price information overwhelms this outmoded thinking in our view. This Tower is near the Petraea-Qarkyr road, about 1 days' ride from Petreaea. While there is no light pipe in this tower, it does have the significant defensive capabilities of the first Heliotrope through concentrating the power of the sun. Range of 3 miles to the south, 2 to the East and West. Yours Aye, Rasputin

This is a lovely build, very Elven, or Elfish. As many others have said, both the overall design and the detailing are top class.

As always, The Emir chose wisely in his use of the red sandstone. The anchor window is a lovely detail, and the base is very nicely rendered on both land and sea. Many lives and ships have been saved from the treacherous coast by this tower, and for that we give thanks, and lower insurance premiums. We will be pleased to send the Emir a complimentary shipment of Fresnel lenses from our new Glass Manufactory, in the hope it may save more lives at sea. Yours Aye, Rasputin

This is a great concept, and I love the backstory. The desert flora is a really great touch, and the micro build does superb justice to the proud city of Queensgate. I really would like to build some escarpment too after seeing this, great job!

Greetings from the South, Good Fellows of Mitgardia! Mr La Flaga, we offer many thanks for the shipment of delicacies, basic commodities, furs and your wondrous festive trees! We hope it will please you to learn of the full-scale opening of our Heliotropic Crystal Glass Manufactory. We are pleased to send you sample shipments of our Flawless Window Glazing, and to offer the EMTC the distribution rights for all of East Mitgardia. With our patented Double Crystal Glass system, the beauty of the Northern Winter can be enjoyed from inside your own homes. Without fur cloaks! We applaud the innovation of the North and we are sure the Petrea General Trading Company will find good customers for your cloth, if it please you to supply some to Kaliphlin. With respectful best wishes always, Ingvar Arnoldssen, Mitgardian Trade Representative on behalf of Rasputin

More excellent towers from Dugal and Yakob! And great backstories too! Captain Hardiel, our Industry should indeed be celebrated! Although, I belive we have found a partial substitute for some uses of oil, in Kaliphlin at least. The Petrea General Trading Company has discovered a new technology that makes use of our 2 greatest natural resources, Sun and Sand, and turns them into, well, money! Details of the Heliotropic Glass Manufactory of Kaliphlin are here. Unknown to the good Doktor Frankenstein, the accidental design flaw he found in the Parabola that allows it to set fire to moving objects 3 miles away, is not a design flaw at all. I had Herr Leibniz ensure that is was part of the specification. After all, our friends the Mountain Mummies, who will operate the facility, value their security as much as we do. We anticipate much reduced unlicensed bandit activity in the area. Yours Aye, Rasputin

From the Journal of Doktor Frankenstein "Following the Revelation of the amazing Properties of the Crystal Lens, our Renovation of the Research Facility has progressed well. The speed of the Rebuild is entirely thanks to the strenuous work of our friends the Mountain Mummies, who have leased us the Facility. Apparently their own Experiments at this Site once had good results, many years ago. They seem quite keen to embrace our Newest Technologies, and allowed us to build a new tower for the Heliotrope. Those old days of using Dragons and Black Oil for heat are long behind us. We are now producing Crystal glass of the highest quality using only the raw Power of Kaliphlin`s bounteous Sunlight, and pure Dune Sea Sand. Today was a big day, which I record now for posterity. We dispatched our first full shipment of Double Crystal Glazing to our good friends the East Mitgardia Trading Company. Soon all Mitgardia will enjoy their beautiful Northern Winter views from the warmth and comfort of their own homes, with no drafts to chill them. What a Happy Christmas they should have! Herr Liebniz supervised Handsome Jim in the loading the Caravanserai with Crystal glass. Handsome Jim appread to be more in need of Muscular Assistance than Managerial Direction, but we must all play to our strengths. The camel took the unfamiliar Load well, and contributed One of its own. While One Eyed Jack completed the surface renovations, the Shaman Mola Ra spent considerable effort in Prayer at the Sarcophagus of the Unknown King, conjuring Spirits to guide us. For these people, the sacrifice of a Desert Scorpion is sure to bring safety and good Fortune to the Adventure ahead. As we were preparing for the long Journey to Petrea and Barqa Beyond, a cry came from The Watcher. He had spotted one of our Caravanserais, many leagues hence. Thanks to our Grinding and Polishing of the Crystal, we can now use Mirrored Glass to reflect the Sun, and send Coded Signals to the Manufactory from afar. The Watcher patiently deciphered the message. Good News! "Festival Tree received from Friends in North. Make more Lenses." What a way to celebrate the New Year! And, even better, our first shipments of Crystal Lenses for Eyeglasses, Spy Glasses, and Scrying Glasses, have been a Success in these times of Intellectual Awakening! I am so glad all Historica can benefit from the Manufactory, and our coffers with it! The Watcher unfurled the Tower's Golden Dome and deployed the Heliotrope to send our message in reply. It gets hot up there in the Chair, hot and lonely. But The Watcher never complains, he says he has been lonely for a thousand Years already. He just moves the controls that blink the mirrors, and sends the Code. "New batch coming. Raise prices for Christmas". And he calibrates the Heliotrope, to channel the Infernal Power of the Sun down to the Manufactory Below. For the secret of the Tower is this - the Heliotrope has a Double Purpose. The intricate Parabola of Mirrors concentrates the light so strongly, that it shines down the Light Pipe with the power of a hundred Suns, hot enough to melt the Dune Sand below. Rasputin Jones, The president of the Petrea General Trading Company, seems extraordinarily interested in this method of transmitting Heat, but I have told him it is too Dangerous and uncontrollable. In fact we accidentally set fire to Scrub Bushes fully 3 Miles away in our early Calibrations of the Heliotropic Parabola! But here in the Manufactory, the power is safely controlled. No more intemperate hot-blooded Dragons in this Modern Manufactory! The Molten Sand floats by reason of relative Density on a bed of superheated Quicksilver. This circulates by convection, pushing the molten Crystal to the edge of the furnace, where it cools and can be safely handled. A full cutaway diagram of the Manufactory has been recorded by Petrea GTC artists, and will be made available for the edification of the General Publick, as soon as our Patents are confirmed. Indeed, today was a great Day for Science, for Manufacturing, and for Commerce. But something Herr Leibniz said so casually made me wonder, is this Progress really such a great thing for us all? "Doktor", he said, "This Glass is Flawless. Just think how perfect the image it produces will be." "Yes, Herr Leibniz," I thought to myself, "A Perfect image, and a Monstrous one. I See it clearly for the first time. What have we done? How could a girl like Sally Templeton Smyth ever want anything to do with such a Monster as me? I see that my Dreams of Her can only ever be just that, the pointless Dreams of a Fool." "

Lovely Tower, SkaForHire! Love the micro town and oasis too! I have a few ideas on building for forced perspective that may help. I would think of a vanishing point somewhere below the base of the canyon, and try to aim for that by using a few methods: You could make the top of the tower wider than the base, and/or have the bluff overhanging the town at the bottom - eg the tower is further towards the camera, compared to the base. In general, you can see less detail further away, and things look smaller. You can go for this effect by using plates instead of bricks at the bottom, and by using shorter bricks (I will post specific examples on your flickr, if you make me a contact). Your brick patterning is similar at the top and the bottom, which makes it look a similar height, and the pattern details at the base of the tower look a bit too big compared to the top. I think it would look good to use more vertical-type patterning at the base as only vertical details will be strongly visible at that distance. I love the windows overlooking the ravine - though I think they would look better if they are higher up, nearer the tower.