Stop the Presses - Crime in Seraph City

[Not a real "stop the presses" moment because I didn't make it to the opening of the Primgraph's offices in Seraph City, where I would have learned of the delightful brain-teaser situated there. Ah well. - RJ]

Some days a dame can't get a break. One minute I was minding my business, on a bender in a sleazy bar in Tanglewood Forest, ignoring dirty looks from the tinies who were the regulars in that place, and the next minute I was in the Blue Angel, a dive of a diner, polished chrome all around me, my head pounding. That could only mean one thing: some metaphysical rift in the space-time continuum had placed my hangover and me in Seraph City.

The first thing I did was to order a plate of bacon and eggs and and entire pot of coffee. Something told me I was going to need my wits about me.

My head still ached, but I no longer felt as though an entire baseball team was taking batting practice inside my skull, so it was time for the next-most important item: finding some clothes that didn't make me stick out like a sore thumb.

I visited the offices of the Daily Prim, Seraph City's rag, hoping to find out if this time rift was affecting everyone, or if I was just special. The hour was late, though, and no one was about.

What caught my eye was a chalk outline on the floor. "Good idea," I thought, "bringing the news to the office, instead of chasing it all around the city." It seemed that one of their reporters had been kidnapped and poisoned. His notebook, which might have a clue to the antidote, was missing. The clock was ticking. Could I find him in time?

Ahem. This is no place for false modesty: of course I could. And, to be meta about this, so can you. Clues to the whereabouts of the notebook are spread about the Daily Prim building.

I marveled at the modern sights of the city: the Carrington hotel, the clubs where the played "jazz" music (horrid modern stuff, but it seems to be all the rage), the elevated trains, and the wires everywhere carrying the electricity.

I stepped into the Seraph Club. Perhaps if I drank enough absinthe cocktails I would find myself back in Tanglewood...

The Grand Tour, The Seraph Club, and Best-Laid Plans

This past weekend saw the latest version of the Grand Tour, that grueling two-day trek across the grid, showing solidarity within the Steamlands and similar areas through a common feeling of exhaustion. Bless those who have the stamina to make it to all the stops, and doubly bless those who have the strength (and the slight craziness) to organize such a thing. A round of applause, please, for Miss Breezy Carver and Miss Rose Springvale for assuming the co-chair roles this year.

My typist has neither the time nor the energy to make all the stops, but I try to make it a point to come to some of the events to be sociable. High winds at the typist's estate led to the inevitable power outage, which kept me away from the Tour until the evening. I had particularly wanted to attend the Sparking Gears Ball in Steam Sky City (who could resist "romance among the robots"?), but, alas, it was not to be.

I did make a brief appearance at the Seraph City Club, where Mr. Edward Pearse was playing the latest hits of the 1920s (and music of a similar feel, whatever the date of composition). I sat an listened.

Others were in a mood to dance.

Seraph City, Part 2

The two most fully-realized places in Seraph City are The Carrington and The Empire Club. Below, The Carrington.




In addition to several shops selling period clothing, there are several lounges (including the "secret" lounge below) that highlight the deco building.


The Empire Club looks ready for some cool jazz and bootleg liquor.

I sit at the bar and smoke while waiting for my martini to arrive.

And then...the show!

Seraph City Revisited

Having traveled to Seraph City earlier, while the 1920s Dieselpunk city was in its infancy, I thought I should revisit it and see how things were coming along.

There's a gasoline station, with my favorite logo: Sinclair Oil, and the friendly-looking brontosaurus, no doubt representing the fact that the dinosaur is happy to have been converted to petroleum and then refined, for Your Driving Pleasure.


Buildings are springing up everywhere, and the streetcar system is rolling along.


The telephone lines are also in working order, should you know your party's number. (Sadly, no operators were on duty.)

The diner provides a spot for a quick meal.

This movie theater's exterior appears finished, but more work is required on the interior.

The town even boasts a number of those newfangled automobiles!

In my next post, a closer look at two of Seraph City's landmarks: The Carrington and The Empire Club.