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 !