Housing Scavenger Hunt 2014 FAQ

Updated 08 April, 2014

Q: May I submit more than one home to the HSH?
A: Not this time around. Last time we had 50 people and over 75 homes in the hunt. We'd like to cap it at 60 people and 60 homes this year. So pick your favorite home and submit it!


Q: Last time, you allowed guild halls in the HSH. Will you allow them this year?
A: That depends on how many submissions we receive. The more homes we receive, the less likely it is that we'll accept guild halls as submissions. You're welcome to request that we include it, but we may decide not to. Currently, it's looking like guild halls will be included.


Q: Do I have to build a new home, or can I use an existing home?
A: You can do either! You have a couple of weeks if you want to build a new one, or you can use one that exists already. It's entirely up to you.


Q: Does my home have to have a specific theme?
A: It does not. Pick your favorite home. It can be anything from a single-person cottage, to a bar, to a castle, to an island of snowglobes... whatever you feel your best work is!


Q: Can I submit a home that I decorated, but that doesn't belong to me?
A: You can, but only if the homeowner doesn't mind. The HSH lasts for a month (to give people the time to figure out riddles and run through the various homes), so the homeowner needs to be willing to allow visitors for that amount of time. Additionally, as you can only submit one home, whether it belongs to you or not, you may prefer to encourage the homeowner to submit the home, and you can then submit one of your own.


Q: By what date do I need to submit my home?
A: Please have all home submissions in by Sunday, April 20th.


Q: If I submit a home, am I still allowed to participate in the scavenger hunt?
A: Yes you are! As long as you promise not to start the scavenger hunt until the hunt begins.


Q: When is the Hunt happening?
A: We're looking at early May. We need time to organize it. I organized it in two weeks last time, and I was practically in tears by the time it was all over. Never again!


Q: Can I submit a home that’s already on the Leaderboards?
A: Yes, but please keep in mind that you will have to pull your house down off the leaderboards in order to place the clue.


Q: Do I have to put my home up on the Leaderboards?
A: It’s preferred! For one, it allows goodies easy access into Neriak. For another, it allows people to vote on your home, to show their appreciation for what you've done!


Q: I’m from another server and I want to rebuild my home on AB. How does it work?
A: Post in this thread, and create a character on Antonia Bayle. We’ll get you in contact with a carpenter who can help you reproduce your item list. You'll need to save a layout of your home so that you can create a manifest of what you’ll need, and so that you can load it once you’re on Antonia Bayle. Please make sure your home doesn't include SC items (unless you’re willing to buy them yourself for your AB home) or too many rare/quested items. Remember, people on AB are going to have to help you obtain your items, so try to make it as easy as possible!


Q: I’m from another server. Can I just build a brand new home on AB?
A: Of course! Feel free to build a completely new home. You have a couple of months! Members both of Homes and Tomes and the larger Antonia Bayle community are just waiting to help you get started with gathering items.


Q: I’m from another server and don’t have any character slots, but I’d like to participate. What should I do?
A: Create a new account, and create a character on AB with that, of course! You can also buy a character slot on the Marketplace and use that. But the new account is free, and the character slot is $10.


Q: The other HSH had a theme--Helping an Erudite Find Her Voice. What's this year's theme?
A: Shhh! It's a secret! (That means we haven't actually figured that out yet...)


Q: Do I have to write the clue?
A: No, that's my job. All you have to do is describe to me where you want the clue to go, and to make sure that I have trustee on the house so that I can place the clue where it will go.


Q: How do I prepare my house for your clue?
A: Leave your house as it is! Just be sure to give me (Jazabelle) trustee to your home, so that the clue can be placed when the time is right.


Q: Where should the clue go?
A: My advice is to pick your favorite spot in the house, and have the clue go there. That way, that spot in your house is sure to receive traffic.


Q: How will you give out prizes?
A: Once a week, prizes will go out to those who have completed the hunt. Prizes will be assigned via a random number generator, and there will be a large assortment of prizes. Your prize will be a surprise!


Q: I want to donate some prizes. What do I do?
A: Send a message to Jazabelle, either via the SOE message boards, in-game mail, or an in-game tell. Include what sorts of items you'd be interested in donating. From there, you'll receive instructions on how to donate items. Please offer only rare or hard to obtain items. No regular Mastercrafted house items, etc!


Q: What happens if I donate a prize and no one receives it?
A: If you donate a prize and it isn't used as a reward, one of two things will happen. Either you'll be sent the prize back, or the prize will be saved and used as a prize for future events run by Homes and Tomes.


Q: So what are the prizes this year?
A: We're still receiving prizes, and will be right up until the event starts. If you want to see what the prize list looks like, you're welcome to click here.

Planning the Housing Scavenger Hunt 2014

Back in February 2011, before the Housing Leaderboards existed, I ran a “Housing Scavenger Hunt” (HSH). For the most part, it was simply an excuse for people to tour homes while following a player run quest by answering riddles.

In a few months, the HSH will be happening again. I've learned a lot from the prior event, and this time, there will be some differences. Homes and Tomes will be hosting this event.

However, for this event to be successful, we will need people to submit their homes. Because Homes and Tomes is on Antonia Bayle, the HSH will take place on Antonia Bayle. But that doesn't stop other servers from participating!

If you are ON Antonia Bayle and you would like to:

• Help people from other servers replicate their homes on AB, please post in this thread.
• Submit a home for the scavenger hunt, please post in this thread. Do not post the character name nor the home address. After posting in this thread, please PM Jazabelle with the name of the character who owns the home and the address of the home, as well as where in the home you would like the clue to be. If you don’t know yet, that’s fine!
• Donate prizes, post here, along with what sorts of prizes you have available for donation.
• Participate in competing in the scavenger hunt--hang tight! It won’t be happening for a few months. This is all planning right now.

If you are NOT on Antonia Bayle and you would like to:

• Submit a home for the scavenger hunt, please post here. We will get you in contact with someone who can help you fulfill your manifest of items for you home.
• Participate in competing in the scavenger hunt--hang tight! It won’t be happening for a few months. This is all planning right now. However, if you want to make a character on AB early, feel free. You’ll need one in order to do the HSH.

If you’re interested in seeing what the prior Housing Scavenger Hunt was like, please click here.



FAQ

Please click here for the FAQ.

How To: Commission a Decorator

The following post is also sold on the broker on Antonia Bayle in a book (as long as I remember to keep it stocked).

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To begin with, please remember that your decorator is a player, just like you. While decorators enjoy decorating, often to the exclusion of all other aspects of the game, that does not mean they are a second-class gamer.

Please also remember that you are hiring someone in a GAME, and real life may come up to bite your decorator in the rear. Try to be understanding.

If you approach a decorator right before or during an in-game holiday or event (check the in-game calendar for holiday dates), you’re unlikely to be able to hire them. Most decorators spend the holidays stocking up on furniture and materials.

1. DETERMINE THE SCOPE

Before you approach your decorator, determine the scope of what you want done. Do you just want one room? A section of a room? Half a house? An entire house?

Which house do you want decorated?

How elaborately do you want it decorated? Do you just want furniture in the existing house? Do you want the walls of the house “skinned” (covered over with tiles, dividers, or other items to create false walls directly in front of the existing walls, so that you can have the walls look different from how they currently look)? Or do you want an entire house built from scratch?

If you want a house built from scratch out of building blocks, how big of a house do you want? Small? Medium? Large? A castle?

Are you having a home built? A bar? An orphanage? A medical center? Be sure you know what the theme of the home you’re commissioning is before you approach your decorator.

2. PAYMENT

You don’t have to know an exact amount you want to pay your decorator. You and the decorator can come to an agreement. But you should still have an idea of your maximum price you’re willing to pay. Your decorator will know the minimum price they’re willing to decorate for, and the two of you can haggle from there.

Remember that the price you pay will depend on how large a project you want, as well as how experienced the decorator is. As a rule of thumb, the more experienced a decorator, the pricier their minimum price will be. This makes sense--they’re a desired commodity. You aren’t the only one who wants to hire them, and so their price will be high enough to make decorating your home worth their while.

If you aren’t sure what a good maximum price would be, think about how much you can make in an hour of gameplay. Then think about the fact that the average home takes at least a week of gameplay, if not more. (A smaller house will, of course, take less time. And a larger house will take longer.)

Also consider whether you’re comfortable paying everything up front, or whether you’d prefer to pay half at the start and half at the end. Make sure your decorator addresses WHEN you are to pay them. Keep in mind that in addition to your fee, most decorators request that you also cover fuel costs for any items they have to make, or commission costs for any furniture they have to commission. Find out beforehand whether you’re expected to cover these costs, or whether the decorator will take it out of their fee.

Never, ever, EVER insist that the decorator is to receive the payment after they’ve decorated. Too many decorators have been burned by people refusing to pay after they’ve done the work, or claiming “It isn’t quite what I wanted,” and then refusing to pay the agreed upon amount.

If a home isn’t quite what you wanted, TALK TO THE DECORATOR and see if they can make it closer to what your vision is.

3. HIRING YOUR DECORATOR

There are a multitude of ways to choose a decorator. You can visit homes on the Leaderboards, find a style you like, and go about contacting the homeowner to find out who decorated their home. From there, you can contact the decorator directly (assuming they still play).

You can browse the Homeshow forums (http://bit.ly/eq2homeshow) for decorating styles you like, and send a Private Message to the decorators there.

You can post in the Homeshow forums or in the Homeshow channel (/join Homeshow if you're on Antonia Bayle, or /join Antonia_Bayle.Homeshow if you're on another server, barring Nagafen), requesting the services of a decorator, and laying out the scope of your project. I don’t advise this route, as very few decorators are willing to step up unless you’re offering a large chunk of platinum. It’s much harder for decorators to say no when you approach them directly, especially when you’re praising a home they’ve already built.

Much better are the first two options--talking directly to the decorator of your choice via in-game or the message boards. This has the added benefit of ensuring that you like the decorator’s style of decorating.

4. TALK TO THE DECORATOR

Your decorator may have ground rules when decorating. Some decorators don’t like having housepets out while they work. Others insist that the homeowner not touch ANYTHING until they’re done. Still others don’t mind you adding items, as long as you’re willing to allow the decorator to move them around.

Talk to your decorator. Converse with them to find out what they find acceptable and not. Yes, it’s your home, but why make it difficult for the decorator? While you’re paying them, they’re still taking THEIR playtime to do something for YOU. So treat them with courtesy, and try to create the appropriate decorating environment for them. If you want to add things after they’re done, that’s your prerogative; it’s your home. But while the decorator is decorating, it’s THEIR home.

Try not to offer too much advice, or too many opinions, either. Yes, it’s your home, but if you’re constantly telling your decorator how they should decorate, you might as well decorate the home yourself. A request here and there doesn’t bother decorators. When every little thing has to be changed, it does.

5. DO A WALKTHROUGH

Walk through your house or zone with your decorator, and discuss with them what you want each room to be, and any ideas you have for how each room should be decorated.

If you’re having the decorator build an entire house from scratch, still map out ideas.

It’s always helpful if you have pictures of things you want the house to look like. Do a Google search, and come up with some images that are similar to what you want, so that you can direct your decorator to them. This will allow them to have a clear picture of what you’re interested in having your home (or whatever you’re having the zone decorated as) look like.

6. GET IT IN WRITING

Whatever you decide, get it in writing. Have the decorator create a player written book with all of the details you discussed, including:

• Pricing
• Estimated decorating time
• Whether you’re paying before or half before, half after
• Whether you’re covering the fuel cost separate from the fee
• What you want the zone to look like
• If you’ve already paid for the work, make sure the decorator includes that you’ve PAID IN FULL on the house.

Have the decorator give you a copy, and have them keep a copy. That way both of you will have everything you need to know right in front of you.

How To: Take Housing Commissions

Original post up at the Homes and Tomes Information Desk.

This information is for sale in a book on the broker on Antonia Bayle (as long as I remember to keep it stocked).

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Always remember when accepting a commission that YOU are building a home for SOMEONE ELSE.

That means that what you build may not match their vision of what they want, and they may ask you to change aspects of what you have already built. DO NOT BE OFFENDED BY THIS. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while what you built may be wonderful, it may not be what the homeowner wants.

But also remember that you are just as much of a player and are equal in status to the individual who is commissioning you. The fact that you are working for them does not make you inferior to them in any way. Do not feel guilty if you need to take breaks from the commission to do other things in the game. Just because you have accepted a commission does not mean that all of your time must be spent working on the commission.

On the flip side, always be polite to your homeowner. A big part of receiving future commissions is the reputation you build. A decorator who is a pleasure to work with is more likely to receive commissions than one who is a prima donna, no matter what their decorating skill level.


1. FIND OUT THE SCOPE
The very first thing you should do when someone approaches you about a commission is to find out the scope of the project.

Does the homeowner want just a room built? Just a feature in a room? An entire home decorated? An entire home built from scratch?

Knowing the scope of the project will help you to determine how much you should charge the homeowner for your work.


2. AGREE ON A PRICE
After you have found out the scope of the project, you should agree on a price and payment plan for your work with the homeowner.

Are you including the fuel cost in your fee, or is the fuel cost an additional fee that they must cover? This is something you should think of before you discuss payment with the homeowner, and that you should tell them up front.

Will you be charging them per room you build? Or will you charge them a flat rate based on the estimated amount of time you think it will take you?

Are you charging them in Krono? Station Marketplace items? Platinum? A combination?

Is the homeowner expected to pay you everything up front? Or will you accept half now, half at completion?

No matter what payment option you go with, it is suggested that you bank the payment until after the completion of the home. If for some reason you must end the commission early, before you have completed the scope of the project, this will allow you to refund the homeowner.

If you have done some decorating, but not all, you are within your rights to retain some of the payment. You have done work, after all.


3. INFORM THE HOMEOWNER
Often, we as decorators find ourselves busy during the 1st through the 7th of each month, as well as the 20th and 21st. We put our projects on hold in order to stock up on City Festival and Moonlight Enchantments items. If a holiday makes an appearance, we may be even busier collecting the once-a-year items holidays offer. MAKE SURE YOUR HOMEOWNER KNOWS THIS BEFOREHAND.

It may be necessary to remind them that you are a player in addition to being a decorator, and that you will be stocking up on items during those times of the month, so that they do not look at their home and wonder why it has been a week since any work has been done.

If for some reason you are unable to work on a project for an extended period of time, communicate with the homeowner and let them know what is going on. Even if it is something as simple as, “I have been having a hard time on your project and will be taking a weeklong break to work on other things and clear my head. The project will resume in a week’s time.”

Do you have problems with other people changing things as you are building? Let the homeowner know in advance. It is often a good idea to inform them of things such as, “I understand that this is your home, and you may wish to make changes or add details. Please refrain from doing so until I am finished with your project.”


4. DO A WALKTHROUGH
There are two walkthroughs you should do before you start on any project.

The first walkthrough is a tour of your own work, if the homeowner has not seen any of it yet. This will ensure that the homeowner likes your style before agreeing to the project. There is nothing worse than agreeing to a project, beginning to build to the homeowner’s specifications, and then for them to say, “I am sorry, but your style does not suit what I am looking for.”

The second walkthrough is of the house zone you are planning on building in. The homeowner should give you a tour of the zone, noting any specific ideas for the home that they have. TAKE COPIOUS NOTES! Forgetting an important feature that the client requested is always a pain!


5. GET IT IN WRITING
It is always a good idea to create a player written notebook with the scope of the project, the price you are charging, the payment plan the homeowner will be using, any details about the project that the homeowner has given you, and any information you wish the homeowner to remember.

Make two copies. Keep one copy for your own records. Give the second copy to the homeowner. This will allow them to reference your information easily, and will act as a reminder that you are a player with your own game to play (as long as you include that reminder in the book you give them).



IF YOU FOLLOW THESE FIVE STEPS, YOU SHOULD HAVE VERY FEW PROBLEMS WITH YOUR COMMISSIONS.

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EXAMPLE NOTEBOOK

Jazabelle's project for Jadirah

SCOPE
A copy of the Qeynosian Riverfront Property (created by Jazabelle), modified to fit on a Tenebrous Island Refuge. A shed for tinkering will be added on, and the entire island will be landscaped.

PRICE
3000 platinum for the Qeynosian Riverfront Property.
1000 platinum for the landscaping and shed.
Fuel costs included in the prices.
Total: 4000 platinum
HALF PAID UP FRONT. Other half to be paid upon completion of the project.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
I will be busy on the 1-7 and 20-21 of each month. If any holidays occur during the time I am working on your home, I will be taking time to do the holiday quests for furniture and the like.

I will not be able to work on your home 100% of the time I am online. I too have a game to play, and while I love decorating, sometimes I feel the need to do other things.

I understand that your home is an extension of you in game, and I will do my utmost to complete it in a timely manner.

It is likely it will take me anywhere from a week to several months to complete your project. I apologize about the time, however, as we discussed, I am not able to play as often as I would like. This impacts how quickly your home will be built.

If for any reason I find myself unable to work on your home for an extended period of time, I will do my utmost to give you warning in advance.

As we discussed, I prefer not to have anyone else working on a project when I am. You are welcome to make any changes or additions to the home once I have completed the project. Until then, please refrain from adding or changing anything without first discussing it with me.

DETAILS WE DISCUSSED
The kitchen should have two large ovens, an old fashioned stove, and pan racks. This is the kitchen of someone who /loves/ to cook.

The shed should be a tinkerer's dream. It needs to be sturdy. It also needs to be /messy/. This is a tinkerer who constantly wanders off in the middle of projects to work on other projects.

There should be some sort of support structure at the edge of the island, for someone to hang over the side.

Cogworts 2013 Judging

In a fit of over-achievement (kind of like the gnomes in question), the Homes and Tomes Judges decided to judge the dorm rooms of the Cogworts School of Tinkering and Mechanomagic Builds a Better Mousetrap Contest several days early!

Eureeka’s Dorm Room (Antonia Bayle, Small Homes)

“The creativity was great. The computer and microwave really caught my eye and the rat traps were wonderful as well.” - Judge 1

“Well thought out and executed. Traps were highly complex and very Gnomelike! Very elaborate designs on the traps. Job well done!” - Judge 2

“This is an exceptional entry into the Cogworts 2013 competition. The documentation was well-written and humorous, describing each of the working parts of the machine and exceeded the requirement. The dorm room had a very pleasing layout, including a kitchen, well-appointed bathroom and even futon rails. The documentation was easy to find and had a continuous ether theme throughout. I liked the thesis tying it all together and the diary was very, very good. There was a lot of attention to detail in all aspects of the dorm room. Each of the machines seemed to be very plausible for working in Norrath, especially after reading the notebooks.” - Judge 3

“A very well put together dorm. Strong use of a consistent theme (ether energy), and an impressive assortment of contraptions. Each device is unique, utilizing an array of mechanical, electrical, and elemental forces to trap the pesky vermin. The devices also preserve said vermin (more or less) without any messy cleanup. The addition of a thesis paper concerning the ether energy system was icing on the cake.” - Judge 4

Gnonny’s Dorm Room (Antonia Bayle, Small Homes)

“Enjoyed the magazine ordered dorm pieces, very creative in that aspect. Journal kept was funny to read and kept in line with the project. Great use of space, considering item count and what needed to be done.” - Judge 1

“Loved loved loved the candy monster! Though I’d have to say that it would be non lethal, as it would be eaten before it could do anything :)” - Judge 2

“The layout of the dorm room was very pleasing. The living area had all the amenities. I liked the loft bed with the desk underneath and the bathroom was interesting. The windows with a view was also a nice touch. The overall theme was Better Homes and Sprockets which tied it all together. The notebooks were thorough and fun to read. I found the mousetraps to be very plausible in Norrath. I would like to have seen more working parts and more steps in the documentation, but it was very well done. Congratulations on your thoughtful interpretation of a gnome dorm room.” - Judge 3

“Very creative dorm! Each trap is distinct and unlike the last, with very creative ways of dealing with the rodent. From drowning, to electrocuting, to shredding, to being chased by a giant freakin’ candy robot, this dorm has it all. I liked that the additional two devices shared a theme, and that they’re both initialized by triggers beside the bed. Those gnomes sure do love their creature comforts.” - Judge 4

Nikoll’s Dorm Room (Antonia Bayle, Small Homes)

“Most of the rat traps were very complex builds and very cool to look at.” - Judge 1

“Wanted to give points for DOMINO, but did not see a full steps guide. Otherwise, it was a very well thought out Gnome workshop.” - Judge 2

“The gnome completed the steps for each mousetrap. There were tinkered creations here and there! All of the mousetraps could plausibly be used to catch mice in Norrath. I only wish I could be as good as the contestants.” - Judge 3

“The coffee grinder/brewer is a fantastically detailed piece of equipment, and looks the part too. Small details like the spinning cog as part of the door controls are a nice touch. The traps are particularly evil in this dorm. Launching the rat into a spiky wall, or burning it alive, these traps don’t fail to deliver.” - Judge 4

PRIZES

Judging was very close on this contest. Because the rest of our contestants were eaten by the rats they were attempting to trap, or were blown up by their creations, we’ve decided to offer the following prizes:

EUREEKA wins the GRAND PRIZE of a fully decorated home designed and decorated by the members of Homes and Tomes.

GNONNY and NIKOLL each win a Tinkerer’s Bedroom Essentials AND a Tinkerer’s Shop Essentials, to be gifted to the character of their choice!

Unfortunately, the sheer detail these gnomes put forth explaining their machines precludes a single tome holding the contents of their work. However, once their dorm rooms reach the Hall of Fame, the dorm rooms will be taken down briefly so that each gnome may pop on in and copy the books for themselves. When the dorm rooms enter the Hall of Fame again, the second trophy shall be placed in the home of the gnome’s choice.

The Chapel Maze to Anashti Sul 2013

Somewhere hidden amongst Freeport's streets
A temple to the Forgotten sleeps.
Every Nights of the Dead it awakes,
Mortal life it forever forsakes.
If for prizes death you would cheat,
Proceed to Jazabelle's to partake!


When: October 14 - November 22, 2013

Where: Jazabelle's Lavastorm home in Freeport on the Antonia Bayle server. Alternatively, you may visit The Chapel to Anashti Sul on the Leaderboards, under Massive homes.

Why?: Because Nights of the Dead is awesome, but sometimes you need to take a break from grinding for the house items! So instead you can run a maze and answer a riddle for prizes (I know, I know, not that different...).

Prizes?: Yep! Prizes will be awarded on the 23rd of November. Details can be found in the book inside the chapel.

Other servers offering prizes:
Possibly! It depends on whether other people are willing to hand out prizes on other servers.

Other NotD fun:
The MazeMansion from 2011 is open again, and offering prizes to anyone who completes it!

The Peaceful Crypt from 2012 is open again and offering prizes to anyone who completes it!

This year's maze is The Restless Crypt.

Yes, the Restless Crypt does look rather similar to the Peaceful Crypt. However, the route to run and the riddle at the end are quite different. Happy mazerunning!
You are welcome to run whichever of the three mazes you wish, but if you have run mazes in prior years, be warned that you will only receive token prizes for running a maze you have already run. You will receive a full prize for running a maze you have not yet run.

(For those interested in seeing a photo album of the construction of the zones, click here. Don't worry, there are no spoilers.)


Riddlemasters:

1. Kiosha
2. Tiercen
3. Senya
4. Lealani
5. Malicce

The Homes and Tomes Credit Union

The first time prestige houses went on sale, I excitedly purchased several. Unfortunately, one of my purchases was a Personal Dojo, which I'd sworn to never buy--I had selected it while browsing the sale, and forgot to move off of it when I went to purchase the house I actually wanted.

The default dojo.

To my mind, the dojo was much too small for the amount of money SOE was asking for, even at sale price.

But I'd purchased it.

What was I going to do?

I tried a variety of things with the dojo, from a small home to a general store. But nothing quite worked out. The house just wouldn't cooperate with my ideas. The center dividers kept getting in the way, and I couldn't seem to get my mind to see them as anything other than center dividers.

The dojo sat mostly empty for months. Then a chain reaction happened. First, I remodeled the Homes and Tomes guild hall (now outdated--we've moved to a T3 in the Commonlands). Everyone had a 20 item limit for personalizing their office space. As guild leader, I decided that rule didn't apply to me. My office took several hundred items. That was fine for a while.

However, guilds are not static creatures. They grow. And as members moved up in rank, more and more people needed offices. That meant that my several-hundred-item office was taking up space that was needed for other offices. So while everyone else had an office in the hall, I moved my office to a prestige portal which linked to the guild hall. This way, my office would only take one item instead of several hundred, and I could decorate to my heart's content.

Once I'd created my office, the depots, crafting tables, and apprentices that once lived in the Everfrost home I used as an office needed to move somewhere else. Why not the dojo? It was a small space, perfect for housing apprentices, depots, and crafting tables! I just had to think of a theme that would work for the space.

I was standing in the guild hall, staring at our banker and wracking my brains for an idea when it hit me. Homes and Tomes' concept is that of a construction and interior design company. Many companies have their own credit unions. Additionally, the guild had elected to leave our harvest depot public, and to move our rares to a home controlled by the officers. If I put the rares in the credit union... the ideas began to flow.

And so the Homes and Tomes Credit Union was born.

Located on the Leaderboards under Small Homes on Antonia Bayle, "The Homes and Tomes Credit Union."

The teller windows disguising the center divider of the dojo.

As I was building the Credit Union, I looked around and realized the bank was very empty without employees. I thought about using plushies, then realized I had the perfect employees available: tradeskill apprentices. Tradeskill apprentices were another item that I just couldn't seem to work into any of my existing homes. I had originally planned to create a "bunk house" for the apprentices, but moving them into the Credit Union to act as tellers was a perfect solution. Plus, I'd have personal harvest depots available, with the supplies for the apprentice dailies ready and waiting. So I moved my apprentices into the Credit Union (along with the apprentices of a few friends), and wound up with Tellers and Guards. Hooray!

Windows I and II.

Of course, that isn't as much of an issue now that they made the apprentice daily items stack, but when the Credit Union was first created, the items didn't stack (yes, the Credit Union has been mostly done since February. I just didn't have an urge to post it. But then three people in under a week asked me why they couldn't find it on the leaderboards, so I had to clean it up and post it...)

The bank has a suggestion box. Be sure to leave your suggestions!

Having a mailbox in a bank didn't sit right with me. At first I had the mailbox tucked away behind the window in Teller I's area. But I soon realized that I didn't like how hard it was to get to (while the windows are big enough to squeeze through, it's a bit of a hassle having to run and jump every time you want to reach the box). However, while it was back there, I had it sunk into the counter. I realized that it looked a lot like a simple box with the bottom hidden. And a suggestion box seemed like the perfect solution to the mailbox delimma. I could have it in plain sight, yet not have it be a mailbox. (Duh.)

Back of the Credit Union, where the vaults are.

The vaults came about because I hate how the default personal harvest depots look. They're too tinkered. Flipping them and tucking them back so only the trim shows creates a perfect vault door, however.

Each has a plaque overhead detailing what's inside, so that guildies and non-guild individuals depositing items don't accidentally store guild rares in with my personal stash of items. Holiday items are separated out from commons and rares, and Frostfell has its own box.

Closeup of one of the deposit boxes.

The wall of safe deposit boxes used to be a wall of sales crates. Inside, I kept my fuels. Then SOE kindly added personal fuel depots, and the sales crates were no longer necessary.

I firmly believe that sales crates should be easily visible, so I removed them from the wall (they were only holding my fuel anyway, and now I can use them to sell other things!), and replaced them with normal crates.

It makes sense for a bank to have safe deposit boxes, doesn't it?

The signs are Coldain Signs, flipped and sunk.

The safe. AKA the fuel depot.

Speaking of the fuel depot, I had it hidden under the counter behind teller window VII at first. Then I decided that it was too much of a hassle to hop through the window to refill it, so I moved it to the wall and turned it into a safe, complete with key. I'm not particularly happy with the gold frame, but it's functional and matches the rest of the Credit Union.

This was pretty much the only thing I had to complete in order to get the Credit Union ready for publication on the leaderboards. The home has been done for months (aside from the clutter I left sitting around as I used it as a dumping ground to empty out my inventory when necessary, which I cleaned up when I published it).

Windows VI and VII.

I have fond memories of banks from my childhood. My grandfather's house was situated right next to a bank, and my great grandfather and I would walk down to the bank approximately once a week.

My grandmother used to treat her daughters to the complimentary coffee from the bank. So of course, the Credit Union had to have complimentary refreshments in honor of that.

Mmmm refreshments. The coffee is missing (I forgot to put it down).

 I'd meant to have an urn of coffee and cups, but I forgot to put them in before I published. They'll have to be put in after the Credit Union hits the Hall of Fame.

Behind windows VI and VII. Tellers hard at work.

And here's a peek behind the teller windows off to the sides. I made sure to put in a ledge so that the poor Coldain can see over the edge...

That concludes the tour of the miniscule Homes and Tomes Credit Union.

I did make sure to tuck crafting tables under the counter at teller window IV, so that apprentice dailies are easy no matter which side of the counter you're on. Additionally, the Credit Union acts as a portable crafting room for homes I'm working on. I can just plop down a portal to the CU, and easily travel back and forth between a home fully stocked with tables and materials, and the home I'm decorating. The crafting tables are reachable from the zone-in point of the CU, so there's no need to even take a step!