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Nazis now would only mean more trouble. Go General Grubby!!, he must hold Jerusalem a bit longer now, he can do it. ;) Didn't Alvaro learn what happened to his father??, he will only get in trouble
 
I'm only a few chapters away from this point in my catch-up reading, so I think there's something I haven't picked up on regarding the Timepiece in the New World. But I'm almost there, about chapter 70. I'm finally to the point where I started reading this story, so those chapters are making a LOT more sense now. Very good writing, sir! Tough break in Novgorod, but it'll make the difference in Jerusalem.
 
Grubnessul: Haha , I decided to throw a curve ball in there with the U-boat , but I think it'll have great action potential .

grayghost: Haha , you and scolding that girl ! Maybe feeling a bit fatherly ? XD I'm just teasing ! Yes , we'll get to see some U-boat usage soon enough !

Avernite: A good theory ; it would make sense that a vehicle would be used for travel ; and especially one that can easily be hidden and disposed of if necessary . As for Renault , haha , dying in his bed . He is gaining a bit of weight , I suppose XD

Capibara: Yep , these silly de Guzmans never learn . And poor General Grubby . He's got to hold them off a bit more in order to get some reinforcements !

Mettermrck: Hooray ! Glad to have you almost caught up . As for the Timepiece in the New World , I can clarify that now since it's not a 'major' plot twist , but that after the Disappearance , Renault was the only one outside of the 'radius' of disappearance so he retreived the used Timepiece afterward and was (we assume) entrusted with it by the administration and it was taken to the New World for safe keeping .
 
Alrighty folks , time to also announce what I've got planned ! We'll see another interview up tonight as usual , then we're going to have a very special feature on Monday ! The Obligatory ONSEN Episode is finally coming !! It'll be great fun ! Hope you're all having a good day and Happy Fourth Sunday of Advent !
 
canonized said:
Alrighty folks , time to also announce what I've got planned ! We'll see another interview up tonight as usual , then we're going to have a very special feature on Monday ! The Obligatory ONSEN Episode is finally coming !! It'll be great fun ! Hope you're all having a good day and Happy Fourth Sunday of Advent !
I have having a great fourth sunday of advent, thank you, what about you? :D A very special feature, man, can't wait to see that.

Anyways, I can't wait till the next interview, if you keep going there isn't going to be anyone to interview, but let's hope that day never comes ;)
 
comagoosie said:
I have having a great fourth sunday of advent, thank you, what about you? :D A very special feature, man, can't wait to see that.

Anyways, I can't wait till the next interview, if you keep going there isn't going to be anyone to interview, but let's hope that day never comes ;)

Having a pretty good one as well ! Yes , let's hope that day never comes XD
 
You’ve Been Canonized!: Calipah

(Still On Vacation Mode so Picture Coming Soon)​

Good morning everyone and welcome to You’ve Been Canonized! our weekly interview segment here on Timelines where we interview a patron author and get to know more about them , what they think of Timelines , and about their latest AAR or project ! If you’re new to the programme , I’m your host canonized author of Timelines: What if Spain Failed to Control the World? and today I’m with Calipah who is our friend from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and someone who is involved in the Interregnum mod ! Let’s get it on !

Part I: A Different Perspective
Calipah tells us a little bit about himself and his unique location and perspective .

canonized: First , thank you so much for being on the programme especially on short notice ! Please , could you tell us a little bit about yourself for our readers ?

Calipah: Im a Saudi national currently studying in one of the neighbouring Gulf states. I’m an avid reader of the AAR, and a big fan of alternative history regardless of the genre. Enjoy a good book from time to time and always party to a heated discussion when it comes to religion, history, and politics - my major after all, is International relations.

canonized: We're also very happy here in Timelines to interview someone from one of our wish list countries (The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) , could you tell us how you came about to the forums ?

Calipah: By accident actually. When I bought EU II, I was a complete failure as a player, so I searched for a few cheats online - quite embarrassing really! - and found the forum. Whilst I have been on and off with the forums, I joined several RPGs, but my chief commitment was, and still is, the Interregnum mod.

canonized: What got you started in heading into AARland and reading AARs ?

Calipah: In a word: Mettermrck. I loved his style in the RPGs, so I began reading his AAR "The Eagles of Avalon". I was drawn to the AAR world ever since.

canonized: What are your thoughts of AARland in general and did you expect something like it when you first came to the forums ?

Calipah: Didn’t really expect anything, I didn’t have any experience with forums back then. However, I have grown addicted to AARland, regardless of whether the tale is about an victorious Germany in WW2, a Dysken AAR, or an alien invasion.

canonized: What are your thoughts on how mods and AARs relate to each other ?

Calipah: They complement each other. A mod perfects the world in which the AAR unravels, and the AAR in turn breathes life into the soul of the mod. Those who stick with vanilla are really missing out on a lot of fun methinks.

canonized: How about your own writing , have you tried any AAR authorship yourself or plan to ?

Calipah: Once, if I recall correctly. It was a shortlived AAR on one of the majors in Interregnum, the Kingdom of Cordoba. My creative juices failed me

Part II: A Different Kind of AAR for a Different Kind of Reader
Calipah shares some of his thoughts of Timelines with us .

canonized: Something I'm always curious about with every reader: how did you come upon Timelines ?

Calipah: Oh I was going randomly through the AAR when I stumbled upon Timelines. Strangely enough, it was right after you posted the Mystery of Mecca Chapter. I was fixed ever since.

canonized: What would you say draws you personally to the story ?

Calipah: I have to admit, I've always had a grudge against Spain for expelling the Moors, but there’s something about the Timeline's Spain that’s so notorious, so overwhelming and unstoppable. Its that aura that really attracts me, aside of course from some dashing figures like Antonio.

canonized: As we have this interview we also have the Uprising in Granada as well as the great war with the Turks and Persians , I'd like to thank you for all the technical help you've given us on the matter ; how do you think it's been done so far ?

Calipah: Very well done I must say! Though you really have to give the Castillians a run for their money; there’s not enough gore and blood considering the propensity and geographic span of the Muslim revolt, but its still very gripping and exciting, especially considering that there’s also news of rebellion in England. Its really a give and take situation for Spain - either the isles or the east, and they've already received a blow in the Hedjaz.

canonized: What kind of comments might you have for our three main Muslim characters at the moment : Zeren , Leyla , and Abdullah ?

Calipah: I must commend you for adding these characters; they've embellished the Muslim east (i.e. the enemies of Spain) with a human face readers can relate to. Though there is a pervasive sense of idealism surrounding Leyla and Zeren, I guess its only natural considering their young age. Abdullah's character captures the essence of the 'Al-Rayi al-Mutaqi' quite beautifully, a 'protective' and 'fatherly' sort of figure for the rash Zeren.

canonized: We've also seen some of the "bad guys" so to speak , the notorious nephew of the Sultan , and the Persian Jafar , any comments on them ?

Calipah: I think its unfair to paint them as antagonists or 'bad guys' in the AAR. Shahim is a lovestruck youth lusting after the beautiful Leyla - its only normal he'd hold a grudge against Zeren. As for Jafar, he is General Schenkhuizen's only competent adversary in warfare, irrespective of the debacle in Jerusalem. He seems resolute most of the time, and he definitely holds the seeds of the Persian resurgence in the Middle east, and possibly beyond.

canonized: As far as the relationship between the Turks and their Spanish counterparts in their journey out of the Middle East , how does that touch you ?

Calipah: Its struck me as an illusion to the fruitfulness of coexistence and cooperation, the whole "You scratch my back, I scratch yours" Its beautiful, but unfortunately, its only a mirage in this world. For all we know, Constantinople will be taken by the Spaniards, and more war will ravage the east. Aside from that, I wish Madeleine would just shut up

canonized: Lastly for this section , do you have any guesses or ideas about what the Timepiece and Keys are ?

Calipah: Possibly artifacts of an ancient alien race that allow their possessor, when assembled in the correct fashion, to wield the dimensions of time and space. Or I can just ask Avernite, since he seems to be on top of things more than I

Part III: A Different World for a Dreamer
Calipah goes over his involvement with Interregnum for us !

canonized: For those people out there who might not be familiar with Interregnum could you tell us about it briefly ?

Calipah: Its an alternative history mod that offers players a dynamic, 'somewhat' plausible, and absolutely breathtaking world. History's losers are its winners in interregnum - the Byzantines still reign in Constantinople, England and France are asunder, the Moors threaten the remaining Christian states in Iberia, the Crusaders fight tooth and nail against a resurgent Caliphate, and the Union of Kalmar barely holds itself together. Add to that a totally different Christian reformation, and an alternative Muslim reformation as well.

canonized: Certainly what sets it apart from other mods is the twist it takes on history ; what might you say to someone who enjoys historical mods but might be hesitant to try an alternate history one ?

Calipah: Never hurts to diverge a bit from historical orthodoxy! If anything, it presents players with a new perspective on things, opening up countless possibilities and "what ifs" that might surprise some. Interregnum is also a mod that educates - it digresses from our timeline, but retains the notions, ideas, and ethics dominant in ours. It also infuses the game with new experiences - ever tried playing a Mesoamerican state or a divided China? What’s even better that most states, even the most insignificant, have a storyline embellished into them. Its really a worthwhile mod.

canonized: What about it appeals to you the most personally ?

Calipah: It discards the traditional Euro-centric view of history and replaces it with a more universal and embracing version. Development, progress and enlightenment are not synonyms of Europe exclusively, but of the Arab world, China, Africa, India, and Mesoamerica as well. You also don’t have a linear succession of events for Interregnum - every game is a totally random and different game in both experience and results.

canonized: Now please tell us what kind of work do you do for Interregnum ?

Calipah: I try to help out MattyG (to whom all thanks is due for this wonderful mod!) as the resident Muslim/Arab expert. My work mostly touches the Abbasid Caliphate, the Ill-Khanate, North Africa, the Mutazelite reformation and Al-Andalus(well, we're revamping it totally).

canonized: How long have you been working on this project and could you share with us how the experience has been ?

Calipah: I’ve been working on the project for a while now - I believe since the summer of 2005. Its been a wonderful experience so far, the whole process of uncovering some new deviation from OTL is invigorating and fun! This 'poking' around with historical fact never seems to end, and the mod just gets more 'original' and detached from our world.

canonized: What kind of developments in interregnum could we expect for the future ?

Calipah: Funny you should mention that! We're currently in the process of converting our map into the new (but still under development) AGCEEP map! Hopefully, Interregnum 2 will be out sometime soon but I encourage everyone to try out Interregnum 1.

canonized: Lastly , what other mods or projects might you be involved in for the future ?

Calipah: Well, university life has taken up most of my free time for the moment, but I will continue to commit to Interregnum, though unfortunately with less frequency than before. I’m toying with the idea of launching an AAR, possibly a joint project, but that’s still under wraps.

canonized: Well thank you again , Calipah for being on the show and I’d like to thank our audience once more for tuning in ! Please remember to tune in New Year’s Day for a special INSTRUMENTALITY edition of You’ve Been Canonized featuring a guest interviewer RGB who will be interviewing ComradeOm ! Please look out for that ! Good fight , good night !
 
Avernite said:
Gosh, I got mentioned. Thanks Calipah ;)

Also, nice interview :)

It was also pretty cool that I interviewed mettermrck last week and he helped inspire Calipah to read XD
 
Nice interview. Interregnum is IMO best EU2 mod up to date, with great deal of replayability and interesting alternative history startup.
 
comagoosie: Glad to have been of service !

thrashing mad: It was a good interview and certainly opened my eyes to a new possibility of the replayability of EU2 !

Capibara: Thank you , sir !

Christmas Special is coming along great ! Hope to have it released late tonight !

Merry Christmas All !
 
A Timelines Christmas​

Foreword: First , I’d like to thank everyone out there for their wonderful participation in Timelines here for almost one year now . Everyone has been so fun to talk to and we’ve made some great friends ! We are very glad you are reading for this , our first Christmas special here on Timelines and we hope it won’t be the last ! This following super bonus for you all is non-canonical but will contain elements that will hint to canonical elements and will definitely have some hints for future updates . I’ve also decided to release them as snippets every other day or so until New Year’s . I’ve decided to forego regular updates until after the New Year because I want to make sure that those of our friends who have been on vacation come back and not find themselves too far behind ! Thank you all once again and please enjoy !

A Timelines Christmas: Part 1​

22 December A.D. 2007

The ashen downpour did not let down and the graying atmosphere thickened as the Man leaned down at the now limp body of the Woman in his arms. His teardrop was already passing across her dirtied cheek and creating a streak of clarity that was quickly being re-assimilated by the falling particles. Light flashed overhead and the crash of thunder ensued not long after.

“And… cut!” was a megaphoned voice in the foreground. A bell rang and an eruption of applause surrounded the scene of the Man and Woman. Both figures slowly began to come to their feet as the winds around them died down and the suffocating precipitation ceased. Parts of the craggy floor started to fall away and the large green screen in the far back rolled back.

As headset wearing individuals helped the Man and Woman off of the rocky platform, a cake suddenly appeared from behind one of the many cameras and approached the pair.

“Happy Birthday to you!” the singing began all around while a half circle of individuals formed around the Man and Woman. “Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Antonio… Happy Birthday to you !”

Antonio beamed with a grin that shifted joyously in the flickering lights of the candles on his cake. He gave a quick look around at those circling him. Jakob and Sweet still had their sooty makeup on from their scenes in the same setting; Nia was in the middle of wiping hers off and revealing that sultry tanned skin underneath as she smiled in congratulations; The imposing figure of the elder DeWitt held the multilayered cake; and, of course, Isabella stood next to him applauding his special day. Others from the crew were crowding about offering their voices as well.

“Thanks guys, this really means a lot to me,” he told them as they finished their tune. The large figure holding the cake started passing some around and the others in the cast and crew started to break out into an impromptu party right on the set. Perhaps it was not just that it was his birthday, Antonio thought, but that it was the first time the cast was brought together for shooting ever since Season II started.

Antonio, now free from the focused gaze of his peers, looked around at the marvelous stadium setting. Those who weren’t opening wine and eating cake were still putting away props and machinery. Sio-pan was obviously somewhere in the back preoccupied with the hour process that would take those layers of make-up off of him in time for his evening trip home.

Jakob was as jovial as ever and it was refreshing to hear Sweet talking without his usual Korean accented Spanish-- it was just something they put into the show for authenticity. Nia, the usual lively young woman that she is, gave him a kiss on the cheek for his birthday, but not before wiping a spot off his face to not ruin those lips she sported. It was good to see the old group again-- but Isabella, it appeared, had already mixed into the throng of people celebrating the end of the first day of shooting for Studio 2.

Antonio had a silly smile on his face as he passed person to person thanking them for their hard work. It was not that he disliked the honour, but he did seem a bit preoccupied; there was someone in the crowd he wanted to find.

“Great work today, Antonio, and Happy Birthday,” someone greeted him as he weaved through the crowd.

“Thanks,” Antonio returned with that same smile that helped to get him the role as Season I‘s main protagonist-- although in overall polls he seemed to lag a bit behind the elderly Dewitt in popularity. He quickly moved on, however. He saw somewhere amongst the moving heads the glimmer of blonde that, despite the tinge of fake soot that enveloped it, still shone uniquely from the others. His smile grew genuine and he followed the signal. “Isabella!” he called out prompting the young woman to turn her startling blue his way.

“Happy Birthday!” was her immediate greeting. The two crew members around Isabella excused themselves and merged into the surrounding partying. Antonio met her in the rim between the regaling cast and the working crew busy unscrewing the bolts to the rocky platform Antonio and Isabella had just performed atop.

“Thank you! Great work today,” Antonio said to her as he unwittingly put one of his arms behind his neck to scratch at the base of his hair. His eyes seemed to look at her from a lowered position and his smile became less sure than usual.

“You too, it was good to get back to this project,” she replied enthusiastically, “As much as I’ve really enjoyed being in other shows, I’m a big fan of Armitage’s books and I even read the manga adaptation--” she stopped herself at that and punctuated her sentence with her usual grin: a casual smile rocked to one side.

“Yeah,” Antonio acknowledged, “plus it’s great getting back together and working with you all again.”

“Same here,” Isabella replied, “though we seem to be getting into darker scenes lately,” she added with a small laugh. It was then that Antonio realized that they both were still covered in mucky makeup. Somehow, he thought to himself, he had not noticed it on her for some reason-- she was still attractive even with all that dirt effect.

“You’re a hard person to get a hold of,” Antonio mentioned after a small courteous laugh. After he said it, he was surprised at how sincere his voice sounded. He tried to cover it up by another small laugh before saying, “Ever since we finished the season a few months back, you seemed to disappear.” Antonio noticed a slight change in Isabella’s face. She slid off the prop eye patch and looked downward ponderously for a moment before speaking up.

“After Season I ended, I decided to take a little bit of a break. I had been saving up for some vacation time so I thought I’d use it-- sorry about that, I didn‘t know anyone was trying to contact me.” She looked back up towards him with a meek smile. “I wanted to take some time away from the set and acting…”

“I understand,” Antonio said taking a step closer casually; he mitigated the approach by turning sideways as if to make it seem like they were both looking off to some horizontal together. “It can get a bit demanding after a while.” He couldn’t see the way Isabella looked at him for a moment and then off to where he was staring at.

“I just needed some time to get some perspective, I think,” she said cryptically-- almost quietly.

“Well…” the young man nearly coughed out, “Speaking of relaxing, it’s also Rodrigo’s birthday today as you know and they’re probably celebrating over there in Studio 1 just like we are here… but since we’ve been filming so much here in Japan lately and we’re so far from our families back home, he’s invited us all over for a Christmas party.”

“A Christmas party?” Isabella asked curiously.

“Yeah… Midnight Mass and then dinner at this onsen resort he’s got reserved for the cast and some of the crew.” Antonio peeked a look at Isabella from the corner of his eye. “I thought you had heard-- but I was wondering if you were going to go.” Suddenly aware of his question, he added, “everyone is probably going to be there.”

“At an onsen?” Isabella asked. “Hmm… I’ve only been to a hot spring one other time the last time we were filming here… might be a good idea.” Antonio could see her grin expand into a smile.

“Great!” Antonio said while turning toward her with a bit more enthusiasm than he had expected, “I’ll see you at the party then!”

“Sure! See you then!” she replied holding back a giddy giggle. At that, Antonio took a moment to look at the enthusiastic eyes that met with his before turning around and returning to the festivities.
 
:rofl:

Nice story, reminds me of a Stargate episode where they were doing something like this: the story was telling how a story was made of it. ;)
 
Nice story, at first I thought that Isabella would shoot him down at the end, but I guess it is Christmas time and it is important to been in company around this time of year. All that was missing was a chirstmas tree.

39.gif

There we go! Hope everyone had a nice christmas.
 
Oh, is that the Stargate episode with the ET who has repressed memories and creates the series Wormhole X-treme?!?!
I remember that!
Sci-fi FTW!!!
 
nice story :)

does this give us some perspective on the mainstory or is it just a side joke?
 
ColossusCrusher said:
Oh, is that the Stargate episode with the ET who has repressed memories and creates the series Wormhole X-treme?!?!
I remember that!
Sci-fi FTW!!!

Yeah, that's the one I meant :)
 
The series finale was a major let-down, though. When MacGyver (Richard Dean Anderson) left, it was doomed.