Travelogue: Glengarry

My neighbor to the west is Glengarry, a largely residential area with a substantial mountain ridge in the center. On the north side lies the CAT station, several private estates, and this lovely bridge:



One of the north side estates belongs to Miss Dagmar Kohine:



Nearer the Steam Sky City border is Dr. Animal Haiku's Tree of Life Medical Clinic:



Nearby is Mr. Peter Hyde's large, walled estate:



Following the pathway east is Jazz Beau's:



Next to it is Brigadoon Chapel (presumably moved?):



Miss Vickie Wunderland's Glengarry Tavern is on the eastern border of Glengarry, next to the Downs:



Behind the tavern lies a peaceful ruin:



Mt. Glengarry has several scenic overlooks:

A Laboratory in Glengarry

I walked through Glengarry, taking my time, marveling at all the changes since my last visit. Urban renewal will be the death of us all! I encountered the base of a mountain near the border with Ahavah that surely was not there before. This caught my attention. It is one thing for new buildings to arise overnight, and a completely different thing for the land itself to erupt within a single lifespan. Then again, in the Steamlands, such a thing seems less impossible than elsewhere.

Although I was hardly dressed for strenuous activity, I began to climb - and climb and climb - until I reached the top.

There stood an enormous structure - part house, part tower - that commanded a view not only of Glengarry but of all the surrounding parts of Caledon, as far as the eye* could see.

I stood at the door for some time, hoping to find the bell so that I might ring it and wrangle an invitation inside - the night was quite cold, and a cup of tea would have gone down nicely - but I saw no bell or knocker. Instead, I saw a small brass plaque that read "Von Frankenstein Estate, Mount Glengarry." Hmm, I thought, Von Frankenstein. Where had I heard that name before?

The cold got the better of me, and I tried the door handle. The handle turned easily, and I opened the unlocked door. Very trusting people, we Caledonians.

Inside was a small laboratory, with several arcane machines. Oh, that Frankenstein, I said to myself, the brain cells finally making the right connection. Bodies, electricity, reanimated, oops. I think I spoke that last word aloud.

The time seemed right to ignore the call of tea, ignore the cold, and make a strategic retreat before the owner of the laboratory returned.

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* Or draw distance, as the case may be.

Haunted Glengarry

(A belated Halloween post…)

As I ambled through Glengarry, my eyes were drawn to the small cemetery near the water. Indeed, who could resist a sign in a cemetery that reads "Enter at your own risk"? Not I!

I found myself in an old house in a long corridor, with doors lining either side. In an effort to find an exit, I tried one door after another. A diabolical laboratory, with an experiment on something human…or something that used to be human…in progress. Nope, not that one. A restless apparition…sorry to bother you, ma'am. Perhaps this door with the strange seal on it. "Eeeeek! Cthulhu!" Not that one either, I guess.

The demon attempting to make his way through the wall wasn't helping my concentration, either.

Something tells me that a spell has gone terribly wrong in the next room.

I had almost reached the end of the corridor when a hole opened beneath my feet and I fell, landing roughly on a stone floor. Nothing seemed to be broken, only bruised, and I started wandering the corridors, looking for a way out. Instead, I found only spiderwebs. Large spiderwebs. Then I found the owner.

After escaping the spider, I reasoned that things could only start looking up. Then I found the next chamber. Demons, anyone? Zombies? Fortunately, some kind soul had left an axe on the ground. Sure, it had some sticky blood stains on it, but I couldn't afford to be choosy. I picked up the axe and swung at the nearest creature...

…only to find myself back in Glengarry again. Whew!

I learned my lesson: never again enter a mysterious crypt in a cemetery...

…unless well-armed.

An Empty Stretch of Glengarry

This stretch of Glengarry, by the strait separating Downs and Glengarry from Kintyre, stands nearly empty.

A store called Fauntiques and Bram Designs once stood by the stone building in the foreground, while a 3072 sq. meter parcel owned by Miss Mary Nuyasaka constitutes the remainder of the empty space. (Miss Nuyasaka recently announced her intention to leave Caledon.)

One would think the waterfront property would be inviting to someone - an entrepreneur who could make use of a water landing (or a quick getaway!), or a Captain of Industry who wants a luxurious waterfront home in which to count her ill-gotten gains.

Oddly, ever since I've been in the Downs, those properties have had high turnover. I don't think I'm the reason why, but I shall keep an open mind about the situation.

The Very Expansive Definition of 'Victorian'

Perhaps I'm just crabby today.

First up, seen in Glengarry: Miss Nikki Kimono and Miss Violet Jolles. (I realize I risk sending the wrong message about Caledon to Dr. Beck, who will leave his home in Steelhead Shanghai in search of scantily-clad Caledonian beauties. So be it. )


Now, I'm not really complaining about their attire. The more people who see Caledon, the better. There's no dress code. Still, are you comfortable roaming about Miss Jillian Vayandar's estate dressed like that? Aren't you a tad chilly?

But what really made me cranky was to see the site of the old Steampunk Resource Centre transformed into...I don't know what. But take a look:

Note that the yellow house in the background is Rhianon's. The waterfall suggests the foundation is likely to be in serious trouble, what with the underground stream obviously eminating from beneath her house. The structure in the foreground is...Moorish? In any event, not remotely Victorian. Or Steampunk. Even by a generous definition.

One advantage of more tightly-controlled areas, such as Steelhead or New Babbage, is that the leader/mayor/dictator can ensure that builds adhere to the theme. The Babbage "brand" - grimy, sooty, industrial Victorian - is not diluted by random builds. Caledon is different...more relaxed in its adherence to theme. Fair enough, I suppose. But why would one want to plant stakes in Caledon, with its Victorian Steampunk theme, only to build something else? It's a big grid.

If this were an isolated incident, I'd say that things happen, and not worry about it. But these kinds of...unusual sights are fairly common. Hey, I can't build a lick, but there are plenty of talented people who sell nice Victorian homes!

Neighbors, Yet Again

Just a quick update this time: in my little corner of the Downs, where it meets Glengarry, more changes in real estate ownership. First, in Glengarry, the former site of the Gothlys is now owned by Miss Gerr Huntress and Mr. Rachire Andel, and has a small waterfall (behind the house in the picture below) flowing down from the hill behind the house.

As I flew over in the Hangover Two, the Caledon Air Transport airship was passing overhead, making for this interesting shot:

On the edge of the Downs, Miss Doris Frostbite is constructing her lair on the site previously owned by Miss Lavendar Beaumont. Construction notes suggest one of her interests is World Domination, so I will keep a close eye on developments in that parcel. Others who share her interest may consider themselves on notice.

Miss Parakeet Unplugged sold her property to Sir Thaib Yosuke and his wife, Lady Dawn Starbrook, and they erected this cottage:

The guard dog turns out to have a bark worse than his bite. Perhaps I simply intimidated him.

What On Earth?

I was walking through the Downs near the Jameson residence one fine evening when I noticed a bright light just to the other side of the Glengarry border. Moseying over to see what was there, I saw the gentleman in black (mostly obscured, but on the left-hand side of the picture) rezzing mushroom after mushroom, for what purpose, Lord only knows.

It's an interesting psychedelic effect, though.