Sultan's Gate Main Gate

[robuko]

The North Gate of Sultan's Gate is the main trade route out down the escarpment and into the dusty orclands below. It sits on one of the major trade routes into the other 3 guilds, so naturally the Petraea General Trading Company maintains a strong interest in the area. Although Kaliphlin stretches for leagues to the North of here, many consider Sultan's Gate to be the Northern frontier of Kaliphlin civilization.

Here we see His Grace the Duke LeStrange returning with a camel train of absolutely-probably-not-Nocturnian-contraband, accompanied by Pharoah Amset-Ra. Kaliphlinologists might interpret this as an interesting sign of further rapprochement with the mountain mummies. He notes the brisk trade in cavalry grade livestock going the other way, and is satisfied to see that relations between the ladies of the town and the orc gentlemen populations remain as cordial as ever. Umbart's diner is doing a good trade, despite the troubles in Nocturnus. All is well.

Map courtesy of Master Cartographer NiceMarmot.

I wanted to try a few new things with this build. It is about colour blocks and shapes, rather than my usual start-with-the-ornamentation approach. I also wanted to bring a Spaghetti Western flavour into the guild, as it has been neglected so far despite the massive growth in suitable minifig parts from CMF and Lone Ranger since we started Historica. I couldn't resist adding a few decorative elements though. Credit to Cristoph for the inspiration behind the camel pannier. This build was for some reason uniquely difficult to photograph, this is the least worst of nearly 200 shots. For the record, this is in the larger build category (>33x33)

Edited February 7, 2014 by robuko

[Gunman]

Hey you made a great job there... I love the patterns and colours you used... Beautiful!

[Gideon]

Many very nice details and a suitable level of ornamentation in my opinion. I also like the overall design with the large gatehouse and the buildings along the street hinting at what I interpret as a densely packed row of houses along the whole main street.

Good thing I had only planned building the front of the gate, now we know what the back side might look like and the approximate size of the gatehouse. I suppose that there's a customs office in the gate so that proper toll is paid for the goods passing through (except for the large amount of smuggled goods of course )

[Kayne]

Wow, you continue to use colors and style in a way that most Castle builders do not touch. This is another example of what makes your builds great! It is so very Middle Eastern/Kaliphlin, but also so unique, I love it!

[soccerkid6]

I always enjoy seeing your builds, your use of color is excellent and unique The double archway looks fantastic, great use of the rounded fence pieces, and I like the numerous different window designs

[HammerBro]

Very nice with the different colors and textures.

[Lord Vladivus]

Great build! I love the western influences. Nice use of the colour blocks too!

[jodawill]

What was Jar Jar doing there?

[Duvors]

What was Jar Jar doing there?

'Jar Jar' in this build is Duc Lestrange, the builders sig for GoH.

I like the idea of a Wild West/Middle East mixture town on the Kaliphlin/Nocturnus border.

[SkaForHire]

Well, that is just fantastic. I love the use of color and the atmosphere you have going. I liked what looks to be bricked in windows (maybe from a past siege?) on the walls. Or maybe they are not bricked in? They just look cool.

I only wonder about the size of the gate itself, as it seems that large carts could not come through. Although, the way you built it, it looks like a larger portal was walled off for some purpose... so still really cool. You set the bar high, my friend.

[-Carson Haupt-]

I agree about the colors, and also like the use of often neglected horse molds.

[Torgar]

Wow, I love the colors, and you conveyed the commotion of a city wonderfully.

[kabel]

The colors, the shapes the building techniques, everything about this is just perfect. Sometimes I really envy you Kaliphlins for how much phantasy you can put into a moc, but only sometimes and on very few occasions such as this one

[Mike S]

Excellent color scheme and architecture! I do however agree with Ska that the narrow gates would not be conductive to a well traveled trade route.

[qiadris]

The shape of the gates and the blue/white decoration is just great.

[Kai NRG]

Excellent work, the colors and all the details are great! The shaping above the entrance is really good too - as I mentioned on Flickr, the way the curves look like a Sultan's hat & hair is awesome!

[de Gothia]

Love the angels and the colours in this one! Great use of the fence above the gate!!

[MKJoshA]

I love how well purple works as a color for this build.

[robuko]

Hey you made a great job there... I love the patterns and colours you used... Beautiful!

Thank Gunman, this one is all about the colours and patterns.

Many very nice details and a suitable level of ornamentation in my opinion. I also like the overall design with the large gatehouse and the buildings along the street hinting at what I interpret as a densely packed row of houses along the whole main street.

Good thing I had only planned building the front of the gate, now we know what the back side might look like and the approximate size of the gatehouse. I suppose that there's a customs office in the gate so that proper toll is paid for the goods passing through (except for the large amount of smuggled goods of course )

Thanks Gideon. I originally planned to build the front side of the gate with a shanty town next to it but it just got too sprawling, so this seems a better approach. I am looking forward to your gate!

Wow, you continue to use colors and style in a way that most Castle builders do not touch. This is another example of what makes your builds great! It is so very Middle Eastern/Kaliphlin, but also so unique, I love it!

Thanks Kayne! I have a little secret - I don't have many bley blocks

I always enjoy seeing your builds, your use of color is excellent and unique The double archway looks fantastic, great use of the rounded fence pieces, and I like the numerous different window designs

Thanks very much soccerkid, I am glad you liked the colours. I was really happy with those rounded fence gateways and the dark tan windows, thanks for noticing.

Very nice with the different colors and textures.

Thanks HammerBro, I am glad you like it.

Great build! I love the western influences. Nice use of the colour blocks too!

Thanks LV! Time for some Western love in Historica. Kaliphlin has it all!

What was Jar Jar doing there?

His Grace the Duc LeStrange is on a sensitive diplomatic tour.

'Jar Jar' in this build is Duc Lestrange, the builders sig for GoH.

I like the idea of a Wild West/Middle East mixture town on the Kaliphlin/Nocturnus border.

Thanks Lord Duvors. Although I didn't use them, I just love those TLM Westworld cowboys, and that's what sparked it.

Well, that is just fantastic. I love the use of color and the atmosphere you have going. I liked what looks to be bricked in windows (maybe from a past siege?) on the walls. Or maybe they are not bricked in? They just look cool.

I only wonder about the size of the gate itself, as it seems that large carts could not come through. Although, the way you built it, it looks like a larger portal was walled off for some purpose... so still really cool. You set the bar high, my friend.

Thanks Ska! The bricked in windows on the buildings are just internal window shutters for the siesta (too lazy to build interiors) although the gate is deliberately walled off following earlier troubles. I see this as the top of a big mule trek up the escarpment, there's no way a cart could make it, so the doors are fitted to let a laden camel through and not much more. We control this trade route after all!

I agree about the colors, and also like the use of often neglected horse molds.

Thanks Carson, there's just no love out there for the friends horses but they do fit system scale and I think they look fine.

Wow, I love the colors, and you conveyed the commotion of a city wonderfully.

Thanks Torgar! Sultan's Gate is pretty bustling due to the troubles in Nocturnus.

The colors, the shapes the building techniques, everything about this is just perfect. Sometimes I really envy you Kaliphlins for how much phantasy you can put into a moc, but only sometimes and on very few occasions such as this one

Thanks very much kabel! Kaliphlin really gives a lot of chances to play around. I'm glad you like it.

Excellent color scheme and architecture! I do however agree with Ska that the narrow gates would not be conductive to a well traveled trade route.

Thanks Mike! The queue outside the gates can be a bit of a bother, but it is a treacherous path and we wouldn't want anything as big as, say, an orcish battle wagon to get through again!

The shape of the gates and the blue/white decoration is just great.

Thanks qiadris, I'm glad you like it.

Excellent work, the colors and all the details are great! The shaping above the entrance is really good too - as I mentioned on Flickr, the way the curves look like a Sultan's hat & hair is awesome!

Thanks Kai! Yes, it does look like a head with a big turban! Not deliberate, but I like it!

Love the angels and the colours in this one! Great use of the fence above the gate!!

Thanks de Gothia! I was quite pleased with those fences, I'm glad you liked it.

I love how well purple works as a color for this build.

Thanks MKJoshA. Many friends tigers had to be sacrificed for those pieces, but I knew that was what I wanted as the key motif for the whole thing. I still wonder if I should have gone for some decoration in the white blocks under the purple, but I was very strict with myself about it this time!

[gavralcraw]

Wow. Pure Eye Candy. Great job.

[Gideon]

I see this as the top of a big mule trek up the escarpment, there's no way a cart could make it, so the doors are fitted to let a laden camel through and not much more. We control this trade route after all!

We are thinking similarly there. I envision this to be a part of the great escarpment sloping just a little less alternatively being partly collapsed so that a narrow and winding path finds it's way up to the top. This means that wheels are not feasible, you need legs to get up. I also think that some of the orcs settling below the escarpment are making a good business as carriers, competing with those traditional mule or camel transports?

Edited February 10, 2014 by Gideon

[robuko]

We are thinking similarly there. I envision this to be a part of the great escarpment sloping just a little less alternatively being partly collapsed so that a narrow and winding path finds it's way up to the top. This means that wheels are not feasible, you need legs to get up. I also think that some of the orcs settling below the escarpment are making a good business as carriers, competing with those traditional mule or camel transports?

My son really wanted an elephant in here because elephants are cool. It would have been too big for this build so we agreed that the orcs run the bulk transport to the bottom of the escarpment via elephant, then the townsfolk transfer it to smaller lots via camel, mule or horse to get it up the pathway. A bit like shipping lines. There's always more backstory than I write up in the build pics!

Edited February 10, 2014 by robuko

[Gideon]

My son really wanted an elephant in here because elephants are cool. It would have been too big for this build so we agreed that the orcs run the bulk transport to the bottom of the escarpment via elephant, then the townsfolk transfer it to smaller lots via camel, mule or horse to get it up the pathway. A bit like shipping lines. There's always more backstory than I write up in the build pics!

Sounds like a very plausible backstory! Some beasts of burden like camels might be able to make the treacherous climb up the path to Sultan's Gate themselves, but elephants or the larger or less sure of foot of the various Nocturnian creatures used by their traders most probably won't. So I imagine there's good business also in just transferring the goods from the bottom to the top of the escarpment.

Maybe the makeshift transfer camp (at least partially run by the orcs now settled there) would be an excellent MOC idea in the Sultan's Gate CB?

I also generally find it easier to make all details fit together into a more cohesive build if I have a lot of backstory, even if some of it usually is just in my head and not stuff I end up writing in the descriptions of the MOC.