Book II - Kaliphlin: Guild sign-up and Discussion

[Yzalirk]

There is a lot of controversy in GoH even with minifig creatures. Some people even dislike my use of the yoda head. Everyone has their own preferences and will express them. As long as you have a logical explanation to back up how your build fits into the GoH, I would say go with whatever you want.

Okay, thanks for the advice.

[robuko]

Congratulations Gabe! On both the awesome new job and on winning nearly 2 categories. And Kayne, woooooot!

[Gabe]

Yeah, challenge II results are in! I think most of us were on deGothia's side (or got honourable mentions, hi Mike!), so congrats all round, but specially for Kayne and Gideon - nice work fellas!

Congratulations Gabe! On both the awesome new job and on winning nearly 2 categories. And Kayne, woooooot!

Haha, thanks robuko! Yeah, starting work on Tues, i'm so keen to get into it!

[Kayne]

Great showing from Kaliphlin! Way to go guys!

-Gabe- congrats on landing that job! Very impressive, and I'm a little jealous too

[Yzalirk]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know some good sellers on BrickLink with lots of good parts and minifig parts and sell them cheap?

[SkaForHire]

Back for the day, then I have to fly to Detroit for more research.

Flickr offers, I believe, a terabyte of image storage free. There is a premium service, but it is mostly unnecessary.

I am over a terabyte I believe, but I bought the service during the Battle of Queenscross because I went over the original 400 megs or whatever it was... then they gave everyone a terabyte free. But Now I am definitely over the terabyte, and I still have the pro subscription for another year.

Hello all. Back again for a short visit after a few months... Haven't touched a brick in over two months -- we have a new puppy who loves to chew things, so all the bricks have been put away for a while. (Anyone have any good suggestions for building while you have a puppy? Unfortunately, we're unable to dedicate a room to LEGO.)

I have a baby gate that separates the building room. The two older dogs don't chew LEGO because a i gave them a few cracks on their noses when they were younger. But the youngest is too stupid to train, just better to keep him away from the LEGO.

Good to see you back!

Lore is found in mocs made by other people; people follow broad precedents for lore set by others. You are however, able to make up pretty much any lore you want so long as it does not conflict with pre-established histories and motifs or present a trans-formative issue such as the introduction of steampunk aspects. This is what I have found, though I am still kind of a rookie in GoH, and thus am no expert.

Don't worry if someone gets too out of cannon with their story, DM calls them out on it lol.

[Yzalirk]

Don't worry if someone gets too out of cannon with their story, DM calls them out on it lol.

I can't wait!

Do you guys care if I post the stories (for my sig-fig, faction, ect.) even if I don't have pictures yet or no?

Before I ruin Kaliphlin anymore, (Sorry if I'm making Kaliphlin look bad by posting too much) but am I allowed to set up "base" in The Withered Woods? Somewhere near prairies or wooded areas (Ones that have orange, red, and different shades of green for foliage) would be ideal for me since I like building natural things.

Edited August 10, 2014 by Behemoth

[SkaForHire]

The wither woods is a big place, yeah more residents are welcome.

I would wait until you at least have some figs or buildings to show, just to keep it more in line with the project goals.

The kaliphlin talks to much was an old joke that Avalonians used to make, they said we like to discuss a lot and never build. Although our builds are worth three of theirs. :P

[Yzalirk]

The wither woods is a big place, yeah more residents are welcome.

I would wait until you at least have some figs or buildings to show, just to keep it more in line with the project goals.

The kaliphlin talks to much was an old joke that Avalonians used to make, they said we like to discuss a lot and never build. Although our builds are worth three of theirs. :P

Sweet! I'm so glad I can set up resident in The Wither Woods!

Alright, I'll hold off until I start ordering from BrickLink, which will be in a few weeks.

Thanks for cheering me up, I needed that! Kaliphlin will rise, although it already has ages ago!

[NiceMarmot]

First of all, Gabe, big congrats on landing the dream job! That's amazing (although you're very well qualified)! Please keep us all informed about the types of builds you're doing for your job.

Next, re storage in drawers, bins, etc -- I used to use bins exclusively. SnapWare makes these stackable plastic bins that clip onto each other; they're really great (although they eventually crack). We used to build with 20+ bins on the floor surrounding the building area -- much more convenient than opening and closing drawers all the time. However, with the new puppy, no more building on the floor. Everything will have to be built on tables now. So I think we'll need to move most of the parts to drawers, as there's just not enough tablespace to put 20+ bins.

I've always sorted by part type, not by color, as I've found it easier to find a light blue 1x2 brick in a bin of 1x2s of all colors, than to find a light blue 1x2 brick in a bin of all light blue bricks of different sizes. My eye just spots the color much more easily than the part type.

Re steampunk and other non-medieval technologies, I think the steampunk look is great and wouldn't mind people doing that at all. As for actual steam powered technology, I'm not so keen on that, and never liked previous use of cannons or muskets. Maybe we could have some things that are magically run with steam assistance? Or perhaps magical golems that eat/burn wood or black oil. I'm sure there's some way to position it, but I wouldn't go whole hog and build a railway locomotive for Historica.

And lastly, Bricks by the Bay was great. The conference sessions were hit and miss, but generally good. I met Lisqr, who used to be in Nocturnus; he gave a few talks, and exhibited his awesome Minas Tirith MOC. My wife and son thought the public exhibition day was awesome. There were a ton of great MOCs; it was very inspiring. Alice Finch exhibited her incredibly huge and detailed Rivendell MOC (google it on Flickr). I saw it on Flickr a while ago when she posted it, but seeing it in person was awe-inspiring -- it's massive (10 feet by 5 feet), and the filled with great details. (She could not have been nicer, by the way, and answered tons of questions about it. She's also now working for BrickLink, and we had some good discussions about its future.) I also picked up about five pounds of used bricks (individually selected) from MonjeBricks (at $10/pound) -- that's probably 2000 pieces (not looking forward to sorting all that).

So now I'm all fired up with no place to build. Starting a new job Monday, but will have to see about getting a new building table that is high enough to be puppy proof, and get back to building!

[Yzalirk]

Re steampunk and other non-medieval technologies, I think the steampunk look is great and wouldn't mind people doing that at all. As for actual steam powered technology, I'm not so keen on that, and never liked previous use of cannons or muskets. Maybe we could have some things that are magically run with steam assistance? Or perhaps magical golems that eat/burn wood or black oil. I'm sure there's some way to position it, but I wouldn't go whole hog and build a railway locomotive for Historica.

And lastly, Bricks by the Bay was great. The conference sessions were hit and miss, but generally good. I met Lisqr, who used to be in Nocturnus; he gave a few talks, and exhibited his awesome Minas Tirith MOC. My wife and son thought the public exhibition day was awesome. There were a ton of great MOCs; it was very inspiring. Alice Finch exhibited her incredibly huge and detailed Rivendell MOC (google it on Flickr). I saw it on Flickr a while ago when she posted it, but seeing it in person was awe-inspiring -- it's massive (10 feet by 5 feet), and the filled with great details. (She could not have been nicer, by the way, and answered tons of questions about it. She's also now working for BrickLink, and we had some good discussions about its future.) I also picked up about five pounds of used bricks (individually selected) from MonjeBricks (at $10/pound) -- that's probably 2000 pieces (not looking forward to sorting all that).

That's a lot of pieces for a good deal! If I only I got that lucky...

Alright, so could I still use Crossbows and Flamethrowers? Only at the cost of there being a few because having an entire army using them would seem unfair and granted, they aren't easy to make because of materials, time, and money. As for constructs, like "Robots", using magic would be ideal to bring them to life but the larger the construct is, the harder it is to grant it life. But I will be doing a storyline of how my sig-fig goes on a conquest to obtain a powerful relic when Gods roamed Historica and can grant life to anything when the "beam" hits it's target but has to be recharged over a certain ammount of time. And hopefully it'll somehow tie in with a future event for Kaliphlin or the entire GoH! It will be an interesting story and I guarantee that you guys will like it!

Edited August 11, 2014 by Behemoth

[SarahJoy]

Greetings, Kaliphlin!

Please allow me to humbly introduce myself.

My name is Siedna Ruadh, acclaimed artist and founder of both the settlement of Ruath, and Atelier Ruadh, Historica's most reputable artists' workshop.

After some years of traveling the width and breadth of Historica, building my reputation as the kingdom's preeminent portraitist, I decided to establish a settlement of my own, and create an artist's commune. The settlement of Ruadh was founded with three specific goals in mind:

• provide a home community for the traveling artists throughout the kingdom, where they could rest, relax, and engage with like-minded folk, in between working for patrons throughout the lands.
  
• establish a formal workshop, in which fledgling artists could hone their craft, and trade secrets could be passed on to future generations.
  
• offer a centralized location for travelers with distinguished tastes to buy a variety of the finest artisan goods available.
  

Over time, Ruadh has become renowned for the spirited community and exceptional artisan marketplace. The reputation and quality of the fine arts education at Atelier Ruadh ensures that graduating journeymen are sought after, even in the farthest reaches of our explored world. Despite the Kaliphlin heat, Ruadh has even built a bit of a reputation as a resort town for those looking to spend a bit of gold in a more bohemian, laissez-faire location.

Ruadh, as I'm sure you all know, is located on the Oil Road just west of Petraea.

----

Again, greetings, Kaliphlin!

I'm a new AFOL, interested in becoming a better builder. I'm attracted to Historica, and Kaliphlin in particular, for the dedication to improving LEGO building skills through specific constructive criticism and encouragement. The quality of the builds here serves both as inspiration and goals.

Over time, I intend to show the early founding and establishment of my settlement of Ruadh, and how my settlement has grown and continues to grow. I hope my small portion of Historica, as an artists' community, will provide interest and richness to the Historica tapestry.

My plan is to start small and then build to larger MOCs, as my bricks and skills will allow. I intend to use AoM as a loose inspiration, and work to establish recognition of my settlement through the Royal Cartographer's Guild of Albion. As my skills improve, I hope to earn credits through the University of Petraea.

I'm looking forward to improving my build skills and creating an interesting settlement/story-line with the Historica community.

[Mike S]

Welcome Siedna Ruadh! I am looking forward to "visiting" your settlement of Ruadh and its artists' community soon... Great intro btw!

[Scaevola]

Welcome Siedna Ruadh, I look forward to seeing your settlement come to fruition

[Yzalirk]

Welcome Siedna Ruadh, it's always great to have new members in Kaliphlin! I hope you enjoy being here and I can't wait to see what you can make! If you need help on building particular things, we'll gladly help out and share links to topics that have lots of examples to choose from.

[Kai NRG]

Welcome Siedna!

Boy you Kaliphlins have been busy in my absence... four or five pages of comments (which I do not plan on reading!). Congratz to Gabe, on the job and the win! And Congratulations to Kayne as well, well deserved both of you!

I now have four Tradesman degrees from our Petraea University Doctorate of Historica program; Architecture, Geography, Anthropology, and Culture. That makes me a Master (with one to spare) now! (You can check the credits out here.)

[TheUtilityBelt]

Welcome, Siedna! Nice intro and the town sounds very nice!

[Gideon]

Welcome Siedna! Do I understand it correctly that there might be artists from Ruadh settled in various other cities in Kaliphlin?

[SarahJoy]

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

Welcome Siedna! Do I understand it correctly that there might be artists from Ruadh settled in various other cities in Kaliphlin?

That's a good question!

To some extent, yes, as much as any artists are settled. The artists of Ruadh come from all over the kingdom to train at Atelier Ruadh, and after training, they leave to seek their fortune. Traditionally, artists of this time period often lead a somewhat nomadic existence: They'll be hired by a wealthy family to create one our more pieces of art. When the commission(s) are complete, the artist will leave to seek a new patron. One might work for a family (or city, religious leader, or anyone else looking to hire them) for as little as one month, or be kept on retainer for several years.

Many Ruadhic artists will return to Ruadh between patrons, to catch up on kingdom-wide gossip, share and learn new techniques, and stock up on materials, as well spend a bit of time teaching at the Atelier.

(Then there's the family Ruadh, some of whom are nomadic artists, and some of whom live in Ruadh full-time, engaged in other occupations.)

tl:dr Yes, kind of. :)

[Gideon]

Ok, my question was basically if a Ruadhi (correct term?) artist might have set up a workshop in Barqa and can appear in a Barqan MOC some time. Am I interpreting it correctly that the answer is yes if some wealthy patron in the city has employed the artist?

[SarahJoy]

Ok, my question was basically if a Ruadhi (correct term?) artist might have set up a workshop in Barqa and can appear in a Barqan MOC some time. Am I interpreting it correctly that the answer is yes if some wealthy patron in the city has employed the artist?

Yep, absolutely! In fact, it's very likely that there are several Ruadhi working in a city as large and wealthy as Barqa.

[Yzalirk]

So you are a royal painter? Awesome idea and it can make you very wealthy in GoH!

I have a question myself. I'm assuming all cities revolve around a particular skill set, can my city maybe be mastered in smithing (especially)? I also do like architecture, stone-working, woodworking, military, and wealth. So perhaps can mine be maybe good at all the skills, like a little empire? I like metalworking a lot for my concept in GoH but I'd love to choose all I listed.

Edited August 11, 2014 by Behemoth

[gedren_y]

Welcome to GOH SarahJoy.

The Nestlands Clans of the Armored Eagle Goddess recognize Ruahd as a good trade partner. Much of the vibrant paints and dyes found in Kaliphlin come from Nestlands base pigments. Ruahdi artisans are welcome in the trade city of Cobalt Vale.

[Gideon]

I have a question myself. I'm assuming all cities revolve around a particular skill set, can my city maybe be mastered in smithing (especially)? I also do like architecture, stone-working, woodworking, military, and wealth. So perhaps can mine be maybe good at all the skills, like a little empire? I like metalworking a lot for my concept in GoH but I'd love to choose all I listed.

Smaller towns might definitely be specialized in a certain area (for example due to natural resources nearby), but larger cities of course have a more varied mix of craftsmen and traders.

Generally, if you build quality MOCs showing what your settlement is producing no one will contradict that claim

[SarahJoy]

I'm assuming all cities revolve around a particular skill, can my city maybe be mastered in smithing (especially)? I also do like architecture, stone-working, woodworking, military, and wealth. So perhaps can mine be maybe good at all the skills, like a little empire? I like metalworking a lot for my concept in GoH but I'd love to choose all I listed.

I'm sure this could be better answered by more experienced Historicans, but I'll give it a go. Here's the thing: while many cities establish a reputation for a particular skill or product, they still need a broad set of skills in order for the community to thrive. For example, while Ruadh may be famed for the skill of its artists, we also have stone-cutters, farmers, and other tradesmen who live in the settlement -- without them, our community would collapse. This is a good thread that describes some of the things necessary to have a viable city. So, while your city might be famed for metalworking, you'd still get to (and be somewhat expected to) have a variety of other types of tradesmen and their MOCs in your city.

Welcome to GOH SarahJoy.

The Nestlands Clans of the Armored Eagle Goddess recognize Ruahd as a good trade partner. Much of the vibrant paints and dyes found in Kaliphlin come from Nestlands base pigments. Ruahdi artisans are welcome in the trade city of Cobalt Vale.

Thank you gendren_y!

Indeed, Nestlands pigments are unrivaled, and we of Ruadh are pleased to work with such fine materials, and such good trading partners!