#askarchitecture

[loominggaia]

I was just reading the asks for Gultopp when I noticed a reference to Blomi slipping laxatives into Hestal's food. Such a sibling move! But it got me wondering: How would a centaur toilet work? Like a slightly modernized one. Not shitting in the woods when you needa go, or into a cesspit. Like, how would a civilized centaur how drinks their tea with their pinky stuck out shit into a chamber pot/toilet? I MUST KNOW NOW PLZ

She likes to pretend she's a goody two-shoes, but Blomi is secretly a menace lol. Crossing her is a big mistake. She retaliates against her enemies in the most underhanded ways, and it's so sneaky that most of the time they don't even realize she's the one messing with them. This behavior is uncharacteristic of centaurs, so she's kind of unusual in that way. Hestal doesn't know he was poisoned by his sister...he just thinks he ate some bad meat or something.

A lot of public toilets on Looming Gaia have regular toilets and urinals (if plumbing is available) or just latrines (if no plumbing), but for centaurs and other heavyweight species, long trough-like toilets are installed as well. I imagine a centaur would have to kind of straddle it and squat to use it properly. This is also a solution for ogres, because I think their big tails would get in the way trying to use a regular style toilet that sits against a wall.

These toilet-troughs might empty into a latrine pit. Or they may have to be shoveled out periodically, medieval-style. If the bathroom has plumbing, then they probably just flush like a normal toilet.

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[loominggaia]

Architecture of Looming Gaia: Seelie

Someone asked about architecture of Looming Gaia, but the answer was too big to fit into one post. So I will be making a series of posts comparing real-world architecture to what you might find around Looming Gaia!

These pictures aren't an exact replication, just a vague inspiration for what kind of styles you might see.

Here are some of the building styles you can find around Seelie Court's various regions...

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[loominggaia]

Layout of a typical zareenite house

Actually there are many types of houses in Zareen Empire, so you can find all kinds of layouts, from little shacks to big mansions. Most Zareenites live in apartments though, and these will have different layouts depending on their size and price.

We must also consider what species these apartments/houses are made for. Apartments meant for dworfs will have lower ceilings and fixtures compared to ones for humans. Likewise, apartments for ogres and minotaurs will be bigger with higher ceilings and so on.

Sometimes an entire apartment building will be designated for just one size class (lightweight, midweight, or heavyweight). But more often, they will be divided by floors. Heavyweight units are usually placed at the bottom, with midweight units on higher floors, and lightweight units at the top. There are exceptions to this, but that's the general rule. Zareenite engineers do it this way to make sure the building's weight is distributed properly. Heaviest materials and people at the bottom, lightest at the top.

The layout of a Zareenite dwelling is limited only by the architect's creativity.

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[loominggaia]

Could we learn alittle more about the Farfarus elves and Mogdir’s “living architecture”? What kind of trees do they typically use for their homes and how much of the structure is organic? Do they add more typical stone and woodwork to help add structure or aesthetic?

And if their homes are grown from living trees, what else could they make grow from them? Furniture? Tools? Weaponry?

Good questions! There is now a dedicated Faefaras elf article that answers some of this, but I will get into more detail here.

The original Faefaras seemed to prefer a tree called the "Arcadian oak" to grow into homes, because it is a very sturdy and resilient tree that is tolerant to growing in many different shapes.

There are a few different ways the Faefaras make homes out of these trees:

Method 1: Growing. They build a dome out of soil blocks and grow a tree on top of it. Over time, the tree's roots secure the soil blocks into place and create a sturdy structure. The family lives in the roots of the tree, partially underground. This liveable space can expand depending on how far the roots stretch out. The roots are what keeps the structure from caving in, so it's important to stay within their boundaries when digging expansions.

Method 2: Carving. They find an existing mature tree and carve cavities in it where they will live. This has to be done very carefully under the supervision of an expert, or else the tree can become sick or structurally unsound. Botanical spells are used to heal acute damage to the tree and strengthen the trunk as part of regular maintenance. If the tree is not taken care of by residents, it can die. The more cavities it has, the more care it needs to survive.

Method 3: Hanging. Instead of living directly in the tree, residents build houses out of sticks, mud, and straw, and hang them from the tree's branches like ornaments. Rope ladders, bridges, or levitation is necessary to get in and out.

In all of these cases, the Faefaras did not usually add stone or other materials to the structure of their living house. The idea was to make the tree healthy enough to support itself and shape its wood into additional walls if necessary using magic.

Botanical mages can force trees to grow in whatever shape they like. They also use this power for carpentry and weapon/armor forging.

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[loominggaia]

You say In the odazi part of the human article that the obelisk that they built became the centerpiece of settlements so any of these settlements still exist and prosper?

Yes! Duali and Edelrhun are such places. There are also many smaller settlements that don't appear on the map, and so they are still unnamed in the series. They appear as villages, either compact or sprawling, in a radial formation around a central obelisk.

The obelisk towers high above all the other buildings and can be seen from far away. They are made from stone, usually polished to reflect light, or lit with a flame or magical glowing orb at the top. These measures increase visibility.

There are no roads out in the Serkel Desert because they quickly get covered in the shifting sands. Instead, it's these massive obelisks that help travelers find their way around. These constructs helped Yerim-Mor Kingdom ascend as a world power, as they opened reliable trade lines in regions where it wasn't possible before.

Today, those trade lines are plagued by bandits and Crescent Cultists...but that's a whole other story.

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[loominggaia]

Architecture of Looming Gaia: Folkvar

Someone asked about architecture of Looming Gaia, but the answer was too big to fit into one post. So I will be making a series of posts comparing real-world architecture to what you might find around Looming Gaia!

These pictures aren't an exact replication, just a vague inspiration for what kind of styles you might see.

Here are some of the building styles you can find around Folkvar Kingdom's various regions...

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[loominggaia]

Architecture of Looming Gaia: Lamai

Someone asked about architecture of Looming Gaia, but the answer was too big to fit into one post. So I will be making a series of posts comparing real-world architecture to what you might find around Looming Gaia!

These pictures aren't an exact replication, just a vague inspiration for what kind of styles you might see.

Here are some of the building styles you can find around Lamai Nation...

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[loominggaia]

Architecture of Looming Gaia: Matuzu

Someone asked about architecture of Looming Gaia, but the answer was too big to fit into one post. So I will be making a series of posts comparing real-world architecture to what you might find around Looming Gaia!

These pictures aren't an exact replication, just a vague inspiration to what kind of styles you might see.

Here are some of the building styles you can find around Matuzu Kingdom's various regions...

Matuzu Capital

Gawe

Kelloru

Pukmur

Uekoro (Lukas' homeland)

Matmili

Zhoulcha (Linde's homeland)

Rodanga (Balthazaar's homeland)

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