GoH 11: Toll House in Barqa

[Gideon]

The city of Barqa is one of the most significant trade hubs in Historica. It is located where the mighty Arkbri river meets the sea, after providing an artery of trade from the mountains of Mitgardia through much of central Historica. Barqa sits in the middle of the southwest coast, also making it a great place for seaborne trade between Avalonia, Varlyrio, and the southern parts of Historica. Sometimes, traders from the eastern side of the continent or the islands in the Great Southern Ocean also bring their goods here.

All this trade passing through the city gives Barqa's authorities a chance to collect a small portion of the wealth. They do this at the city's grand toll houses, designed to impress travelers used to more modest towns. This building was recently rebuilt and extended, as much of the city of Barqa has been in this current era of peace out of the ruins and neglect from the Elemental and Civil Wars.

Every morning, merchants queue up, anticipating the bell that signals the beginning of the day's trade at sunrise. Before long, the initial toll of the day will be gathered, and the coastal breeze will carry the distinctive sound of gold, silver, and copper coins—the quintessential commodities of Kaliphlin.




Lines of merchants in front of the toll booths.

To be bestowed with the duty of tolling the commerce bell is a noble distinction for a junior guardsman of the City Watch. They reassured him that the hearing loss is typically temporary, for most guardsmen.

In the bustling crowd waiting for the toll booths to open, some merchants, instead of holding their place in line, are drawn to the street musician's melodies, perhaps seizing a moment for flirtation.

Chancellor Gideon, chairman of the City Council, halts during his morning stroll to exchange greetings with the toll master.

The toll master, on the balcony outside of the fiscal hall.

One of Barqa's numerous alchemists, deeply engrossed in his arcane pursuits, goes about his own business.

As crucial as the City Watch for order in the city, the renowned black cats of Barqa play a vital role in keeping the rodent population in check.

More pictures:

 

 

[zoth33]

This is really eye catching.  The bell tower is great with the large horn pieces on top.  The way you used the white 1x2 tile pieces really is stunning and works well with the nougat and tan colors of the building.  The gold trimming around the top of building is nice, I like the use of those Monkie Kid pieces.  Great build all around.  

[Kai NRG]

The lights are such a good addition to this, they really bring it to life.  I also love the bell tower and that dome technique.  Blue flowers are the perfect dash of color too.

[Simon_S]

This is so cool! Many nice details. As Kai said - the dome technique is really cool. And the colours work well together. And I love how you used white details to bring some contrast to the large tan walls. Great job! Brick on! Btw. do you collect als these Barqa MOCs and show us one day the whole city? Or did you break down the lighthouse to build this one?

Edited February 6, 2024 by Simon_S

[Puvel]

Brilliant build, another insta classic for Kaliphin!

The colour scheme feel very typical and the splashes of colour definitely show to vibrant atmosphere of the city of Bakra.

It's probably the only place in the world where people are eager to queue to pay tolls :D 

[Gideon]

Thanks! 😊

On 2/6/2024 at 8:44 PM, Simon_S said:

 Btw. do you collect als these Barqa MOCs and show us one day the whole city? Or did you break down the lighthouse to build this one?

Yes, so far I have most of these builds in one piece and I have some idea to display them together as a large harbor layout at some point! 
I'm however a bit uncertain if this build turned out to be a bit out of scale with the older builds (the temple etc), but next to the lighthouse it will still look small 😁

15 hours ago, Puvel said:

It's probably the only place in the world where people are eager to queue to pay tolls :D 

I had some thought about that it should be in order to be able to do their business (or else get on the wrong side with the City Watch! 👮‍♂️)

[Grover]

This is a real work of art. You have a great eye for these Kali builds, and I love that you have a consistent color scheme and style for Barqa.  It's huge, but also detailed, which is awesome.  The white and gold accents are well done and tasteful (love the gold fish) and the light blue flowers add excellent contrast.  The lighting is superb, and all the mini details down to the bard and the bell ringer are great.  The white flowers are great decorations but subtle.  Outstanding!