More Tales from New Babbage

The third volume in the Tales of New Babbage series is out (and can be ordered through the link, hint, hint). Almost two years has passed since the previous volume, and at times I wondered if this one would ever see the light of day. (People have busy lives, I know, and this is a labor of love.) Seventeen new stories about the grimy, crazy, and wonderful Steampunk city. Stories of urchins and airships, carnivals and kraken, inventors and evil geniuses, monocles and megalomaniacs, raving lunatics and revenge. I don’t know who all was involved in assembling and editing the book, but Mr. A. E. Cleanslate, Miss Bookworm Hienrichs, and Miss Junie Ginsburg, and Mr. Mosseveno Tenk all played important roles, and all deserve a big round of applause. My apologies to anyone I have missed.

I won’t try to summarize all the pieces in the book, but here is a flavor of what one might expect:

The title of Tepic Harlequin’s “Hunt Reversed” is apt, as the story is one in which the hunters become the hunted. “Test Flight,” by Joseph Gatch, is a humorous piece about the trials of inventors - and their hapless assistants. “Elements of Revenge: A Trio of Travelers Tale,” by Travis I. Sivart, is a straight-ahead adventure story - except that nothing in New Babbage is straightforward. Emerson Lighthouse has two pieces in the book, and the longer of the two, “The Great Race,” is a wonderfully comic story of racing, danger, and one-upmanship. A.E. Cleanslate gives us “The Expedition,” which explores the mysteries of the air kraken (and which I hope is merely the first installment of a much longer work, as I was left by the end wanting to know more). Other stories are no less worthy of the reader’s attention. I’ll confess to having a story in there as well, inspired by Erin Morgenstern’s novel The Night Circus.

If New Babbage is indeed a “consensual hallucination of a Victorian-era steampunk city in a time that never was,” as the back cover proclaims, then it’s a mighty satisfying one. And if, one day, that consensual hallucination disappears forever, I will be glad to have these memoirs of that time that never was.

Traveling to Oblivion

Thanks to the explorations of the indefatigable Honour McMillan, and a little sisterly nudge, I visited the Steampunk area of Oblivion.



Oblivion is pleasantly sepia-toned, reminiscent of New Babbage in that regard (though perhaps, unlike Babbage, not because of the incessant use of coal). Although one starts near ground level, where signs welcome visitors, much of the city is aloft. Alas for English speakers, the signs are auf Deutsch, but one gets the general drift of things.



Transportation takes the form of teleportation via the above-pictured person-sized cages, a smart-looking design, though cozy for more than one at a time.





As one is many meters above ground level, one must be careful not to stray too far off the path. And if one sees a “road closed” sign - in English, no less - one would do well not to depend on the macadam extending much beyond that point.



The sim is rated “adult,” and indeed one of the buildings in the floating city does house some… interesting contraptions, along with a few traps for the unwary. Keep your eyes open and step lively and all should be fine.

It’s exciting to see new Steampunk areas arising. It gives hope that the 19th century is not yet over.

The Station and the Dead City

A new(-ish) Steampunk build and RP area, I first learned of The Station from the inimitable Honour McMillan. Above the ground, it’s a floating Steampunk city, with a high-speed train, a Fun House, the Orpheum theater, and more.

The central area of The Station

The entrance to the Fun House

The Orpheum

On the ground is the Dead City - an older, disheveled part of town, so to speak, but a misnomer because the city isn’t dead at all. To get there, one can take the civilized route - a balloon - or the Fun Ride, a wild, careening shot through a series of tubes. Naturally, I chose the latter.

Below there are a number of other places to visit, including the hotel (with Chev’s Attic, a nightclub, and a ground-floor casino), an amusement pier, and the old Orpheum theater.

The hotel, where rooms by the week are available

The entrance to the amusement pier

Shopping in the Dead City, with a passing trolley

The two cities constitute an RP area. Fortunately for my ability to take pictures, but unfortunately for the continued viability of the area, no one else was there during my visit. It’s an intriguing setup, so I hope it catches on.

Revisiting the Steampunk Museum

Some time ago, I had visited Miss Knowledge Tomorrow's Steampunk Museum in its old location. I realized recently that I had not revisited the museum in its new location.

The entire sim is a collection celebrating Steampunk contraptions, from airships...

 



…to the Steamlands...



…to steam railways...



…to Steampunk-inspired structures (hey, that raised-railcar house looks familiar!).



A floating house hovers above the scene.



Exhibits continue even below the waves.



Inside the main building, both above and below ground, are smaller objects as well as a substantial number of pictures on the walls.





The Steampunk Museum is a great collection of gear, and well worth a wander about. The number of objects has expanded greatly since last I saw it, and the setting is much nicer as well.

Warren Town - Steampunk Roleplay in the 1860s

I made my way to Warren Town, a new RP sim, set in the 1860s.

Some background:

It was 1863, on the west coast of England. A small town founded by the Warren family, earns a spot on the map just at the very end of the industrial revolution by their advances in chemistry, astronomy and last but not least, the rubber industry. There was something about the town that has attracted great intellect.

Yet, as the industrial acceleration slowed down, Warren started receiving new visitors from the neighboring towns who came in search of some of the famed prosperity. To the locals dismay, these were not the most lectured of scientists or renowned minds, but gypsies (at times called 'carnies', since they traveled with a carnival circus) and a considerable troupe of burlesque entertainers. While in previous times the locals would have simply hanged them or blatantly expelled them...they were injecting good money into the town and attracting all sorts of tourists.

Things were just starting to heat up.

Various roles are advertised as still available to fill:

Warren family members - The eldest family member and head of the house is Baronet Henry Warren who has two siblings: Julian and Anna. A widower, now is juggling to keep the balance between the old order and more traditional part of Warren, with the newcomers (gypsies and burlesquers). Stubborn, strong and resolute are the most marked characteristics of its members.

Rothschild-Pinkerton family members - At the moment we two siblings of these prestigious American families, and one cousin. The Rothschilds of the United States were perhaps one of the most wealthiest families, in 1850 having a net worth of over six billion dollars, theirs was a collective to which few could rival or thwart. Frederick and Georgiana Marie, born of famed tycoon Gregory Rothschild and Wilimena Pinkerton, was in her own way an aristocratic noble.

Gates American family members - The Gates family is one of the older, more distinguished families in New York. In 1863, a small portion of the family decided to try and spread the family fortune to Europe, believing that this was the best way to expand both the family name and the family business. At present, Paul John Gates is the patriarch of the family. In his absence, his eldest son Jackson Anthony Gates, is in charge of day to day family matters and business (The Empiric Electric Co).

Astrology Center Director - A position suited for the fanatics of Steampunk and where to explore this sub-theme fully. The position comes with an observatory near the harbor, and all sort of experiments and odd ventures are encouraged.

Hotel owner - The hotel is one of the most fascinating of our buildings, and it is said that is it haunted. We are looking for a spooky character to run it, and welcome visitors. Someone who will somehow work on the shadows too, knowing everything about who stays there, and using it to his/her advantage. Opportunity exists for espionage and why not, murder. [Why not indeed! - KJ]

School Headmaster/mistress & Priest - A different type of roleplay, not for anyone. These two roles should be filled by people who would enjoy being the ultimate ‘grinch’ as they would be the most affected by the upcoming circus and specially the burlesque theatre –(erected just in front of their buildings). As the congregation and pupils leave the premises, they would run into scantily clad can-can dancers, and smoking, devious men. Ironically, we have named the chapel “St. Mary’s”, as in Queen Mary Queen of Scots, but these institutions respond to the Church of England. Oh English sarcasm, you do us good.

Merchants - We are looking too, to fill the roles of: baker, dressmaker, florist and hashery owner. These merchant roles have a specific small house assigned with the shop on the ground floor. There are also two of these houses empty for any store you may want to come up with. Contact Hilda Bellingshausen if you wish to fill any of there roles.

As I wandered the town, there was a "50th anniversary" celebration in progress…with many of the townspeople gathered by the pub.

The sanitarium is a fearful place, whether in its heyday or in its current ruined state.

Warren Town is advertised as a fully-immersive RP sim (i.e., all remarks are to be in-character), using paragraph-style play, which is not everyone's cuppa. One nice touch is that there is no HUD, no "Observer" name tag - observers should just be discreet and not interfere with ongoing RP.

We'll have to see what story lines emerge!

Mieville, part 2

The first part of our journey through the Mieville sims focused on the southern five sims. My trip continued through the north.

Below, a Steampunk house in Mieville Kipling (apologies for the viewer controls visible on the picture):

The harbor in Mieville Twain:

More refreshments! The exterior of the Mieville Brewery and Pub...

...and the interior of the pub. I like the gears on the beer draws.

A moss-covered building in Twain:

The disc jockey's musical apparatus on a floating dance floor:

The sun sets on a Steampunk house in Mieville Shelley:

Another Steampunk house - with observatory! - in Mieville Stevenson:

Stevenson and its neighboring sim, Mieville Dickens, are described as "Victorian Steampunk Chinatown," and the Chinese-in-America theme can be seen throughout, including the gates below:

This pagoda sits at the top of a hill, surrounded by lovely gardens:

There you have it: a whirlwind tour of Mieville! I didn't mention the shops, most of which are Steampunk-themed, so take a full purse when you go.

Mieville, Part 1

I started the Steam Hunt - full of good intentions, but got bogged down somewhere in the 30s and lost, uh, steam - and noticed the large number of participating shops in the Mieville sims. I thought a little exploration was in order.

Mieville now consists of 10 sims, all vaguely Steampunk-themed (that is to say, some seem more so than others). I started in the southwest corner, in Mieville Lovelace, and worked my way through the

Lovelace and its neighbor to the east, Poe, are both described as "Victorian Steampunk New Orleans." Lovelace itself is mostly empty, so it's hard to assess that description, but Mieville Poe definitely has a New Orleans feel to the buildings, much like New Toulouse or Caledon Cay.

There's even a steamwheeler:

Leaving Poe and continuing east, one reaches Mieville Doyle, which is described as "Victorian Steampunk San Francisco" (as are the next five sims we will encounter). The area just to the east of Poe is dominated by the Mieville Magical Academy, a sort-of Hogwarts without the millennium-old castles and cathedrals used in the talking pictures about that other wizarding school.

The interior courtyard of the academy:

Elsewhere in Doyle:

The waterfront:

Haven't I seen that quantum-physics-reading cat before?

Of course, I can't help but stop in the local for refreshment. Below, the Laughing Penguin pub:

Below, the Perryn Lord Mieville Theater:

Mieville Verne, to the north of Doyle, is rural and residential, as the treehouse below indicates:

To the west of Verne lies Wells. Below, the Timeless Curiosities airship and shop:

The village in Mieville Wells: