Seraph City - Dieselpunk and Deco

Courtesy of Dr. Augustus Dayafter, I learned of the "pre-sale" of parcels on a new themed sim, Seraph City.


To quote Dr. Dayafter:

Imagine, if you will, a place where The Shadow stalks the night, preying on those that would do us injustice. Where The Rocketeer soars over the city, combating some evil villain that is hell bent on crushing the government and taking over the world. A place where Sky Captain, flies at break neck speeds to do battle with invading forces. A city with hot jazz and cold gin, served on the sly because of prohibition. Monstrous Art Deco style buildings dominate the landscape with the city's elevated train zooming between those buildings, taking citizens to their various destinations. Old cars putter down the streetand fire hydrants in the tenement areas are opened to afford some cool relief from the hot days.

The lavish Art Deco designs and skyscrapers of the 1920s and 30s exhibit a feeling of progress and a sense of optimism after the austerity of the World War and its aftermath.


Add to that an attractive alternative history, and Seraph City has the potential to be a winner!

Does the Air Feel Thin?

I heard from Lord and Lady Middlesea via ISC chat that Miss Ilsa Munro had pulled up stakes and left our fair land. One hopes that this is only a temporary retrenchment, as Miss Munro, in addition to making very fine airships (my attachment to the Steamray not withstanding), is a very fine person. If she has indeed departed forever, I wish her happiness and good flying wherever she finds herself.

The news made me decide to take the Steamray for an idle spin about the Firth.

The things one finds when flying about Caledon!

At the edge of Kittiwickshire, Miss Storm Chatnoir has a property. On the property - or, more precisely, above this property - is the structure shown both above and below. The intake fan appears to be sucking material out of the very aether! Below, a closer look at the system. I had to steer clear of the area to avoid becoming part of a second story, or perhaps a sun room.

If the air feels thin in Caledon, now you know why.

Temperance - A Romance

She sat the sherry decanter back on the trolley. The amber color was perhaps a little more pale than when Howard had left for the office that morning, but it would take a sharp eye to notice, particularly in the dim light of the parlor. She sipped the beverage, letting the nutty taste swirl in her mouth before swallowing. If the first glass of the morning was nectar, the third was still captivating, a tonic for the dull existence she felt, trapped within the large house. She held out hope that small sips would take her through to mid-afternoon, when she could take a lengthy nap and be refreshed for Howard’s return that evening. It was easier with brandy, she reflected. Brandy was more powerful, its effects longer-lasting and, truth be told, she never learned to really enjoy the strong, woody taste, so it was easier to think of the brandy as her medicine. However, Howard also kept a much closer eye on the level in the brandy decanter, and she was on notice that she needed to keep away from the spirit.

Naturally, the servants all knew, or so she assumed. While once she had taken to her job of running the household with a certain enthusiasm, buying drapes and curtains, supervising the menus, and generally finding fault with the dusting and sweeping, she was now content to let the servants police themselves. They could hardly have failed to notice. She no longer cared.

Howard cared, though. Not so much about her as about how her behavior would affect him: his position, his status, how others perceived him. He let her know this often enough. His nagging about her drinking, and his constant suspicions, had the perverse effect of encouraging her to drink more out of spite.

She no longer recalled, if she ever knew, what started the process. As a young bride, she had what she believed were the normal expectations of marriage: she would keep a good house, provide Howard with several children whom she would raise, and find fulfillment in the achievement of domestic tranquility. Perhaps things started to go wrong when, after several years of marriage, they remained childless. The doctor suggested that a mild childhood bout with typhoid left her unable to conceive. Whether this was true or false she could not say, but the end result was the same. She and Howard were both frustrated with this, she silently, he more vocally. She felt badly for him, but found her feelings toward him changing as he constantly berated her for her failing to provide him with offspring, and this led her to spend more nights making excuses for staying in her bedroom, leading to still more complaints. Perhaps she became angry that he had the privilege of leaving the house every day, heading to an office, chatting with colleagues, taking lunch at his club – seeing things, doing things, living. Instead, she talked with the servants, called upon the neighbors and the few friends she had, and was in turn called upon, making the same banal conversation about the same tired topics.

Was she not clever enough to do man’s work? She was always very quick in learning things, whether it was reading, playing piano, or sewing. When she asked if she could go to school with her brothers, her mother just laughed and said it wasn’t the thing for little girls, and she could learn everything she needed right there at home. Looked at one way, her mother was certainly correct. That answer now seemed so inadequate, however.

Taking a drink now and then during the afternoon was harmless enough, and she continued in this fashion for some time. Howard even remarked that she seemed more cheerful in the evenings, a positive development from his perspective. He fussed a little about the brandy, so she stuck with sherry until one day it occurred to her that Howard had set in a very nice cellar. If she opened a bottle in the back, how would he be the wiser until far in the future? But he was the wiser, perhaps because he came home to a wife less cheerful than headachy, and he eventually guessed the cause. He fumed, he insisted she stop, he threatened to divorce her, he threatened to send her to a sanitarium, all to no avail. In part this was because she knew he was bluffing – he cared too much about his social standing to insist on a divorce, and even sending her away for the cure was risky – but she also did not care one way or the other.

She drank more sherry, reflecting that it was difficult to drink enough to forget. Difficult, but not impossible. To hell with Howard: she was going to do what she wanted to, and damn the consequences. She took one final glass with her to her bedroom, some of the liquid sloshing out the side as she moved a little unsteadily up the stairs. Tomorrow, she would tell him how she felt. She would insist on having her own career, even if it was as a stenographer or a seamstress, even if it meant his leaving her.

As the alcohol took hold of her brain, she locked onto the thought of freedom, and fell asleep.

She woke several hours later, her head pounding and her mouth dry. A glance at the clock showed she had let the afternoon slip away again. No sooner had she splashed some water from the basin on her face and donned her house dress once again than she heard the front door open and the servants greeting Howard. She gritted her teeth and walked down the stairs to meet her husband. Dinner would be served shortly, and she was determined to conduct a cheerful conversation, headache or no. Tomorrow was Friday, and she had shopping to do.

An Account of the Heinous Attack on Steam Sky City

Miss Riven Homewood has kindly posted a detailed account of the attack on, and subsequent destruction of, Steam Sky City the other night; this rendering may be found here. As with any effort to cobble together various eyewitness accounts immediately following a shocking incident, there are discrepancies among the participants and a disjointed feeling, as though key facts are missing. This is only natural.

Miss Homewood also recounts some curious personal events - she claims to have "died" at one point, and conducted a conversation with another shade who purported to be one of the perpetrators. She is, of course, distraught at the events of the night, and such an episode, though improbable, should be read with sympathy. (And, as strange events occur with improbable regularity in the Steamlands, one should not reject the hypothesis that such a death did, in fact, occur.)

On a personal note, I fervently hope that the villains who perpetrated this foul deed are brought to justice swiftly. Furthermore, despite the unpleasant outcome, it warms my heart to hear of the courage and sacrifice I have come to expect of Caledonians and, indeed, those in the Steamlands more generally. I also commend the Volares for turning almost immediately to rebuilding the city so that it will soon return to its position as a shining monument to the triumph of Steam.

Alpha et Omega - The Future is Retro

Steampunk obviously grew from roots in science fiction, from the proto-Steampunk of Verne and Wells to the early authors in the genre such as Gibson, Moorcock, and Powers. Still, despite the gee-whiz gadgets and science fiction tropes of the unintended consequences of technology for which Man is Not Ready, much of the genre - particularly of late - is not SF in important dimensions. Boneshaker is an adventure tale; Soulless is a romance. Steampunk is a Big Tent genre.

Still, one must acknowledge Steampunk's SF roots. And if Steampunk is rooted in the Victorian era, one can wonder how such a world would develop - not 50 or 100 years afterward, as in Moorcock's Warlord of the Air, but half a millennium or more.

Alpha et Omega is such a vision, albeit a limited one. Shimmering columns, floating platforms, powered by mysterious bursts of energy - with gears and brass fixtures acknowledging a steamy past.

It's more pretty than anything - the devices don't seem to be particularly useful - but it's one man's vision of the future. Thanks to Mr. Lucien Brentano for mentioning the sim.

Clothing Fair and RFL

It's that time of year again: Relay for Life, also known as the Spring/Early Summer social season. (Only half a joke in that statement.) Because one dare not be seen at such events in last years glad rags, it seems logical to start things off with a Clothing Fair to benefit RFL.

I started in the London area.

The square evoked Trafalgar Square, with Nelson's Column in the center...

...except that, upon closer reflection, the statue did not seem to be of Lord Nelson. At least the London Eye was there to reassure me I was in the right place!


Good cause or not, I find these fairs to be frustrating experiences, and this was no exception. Too many people and too many shops with too many textures create an immense amount of lag. Moving is painfully slow. Worse, some of the textures never rez completely. Far too many items were nothing more than gray panes; most of the good that were to benefit RFL seemed to fall into this category. I bought a few items, but concluded that my time and money would be better spent buying things I liked in low-lag sims and then donating money to RFL directly.


As they say, your mileage may vary.

Extra - Piracy Aboard Steam Sky City!

[This is a rush account of the accounts described below. Though the author has made every effort to portray events accurately and thoroughly, this Journal makes no assurances.]

Yesterday afternoon, at approximately 2 p.m. SLT, word came to This Correspondent that Steam Sky City was under attack! Several fires were burning, and the perpetrators of the foul deed were unknown - yet were possibly lying in wait to assault any would-be salvage attempt.


Lady Caer Firnas (Mrs. Volare) sent out a garbled but troubling distress call, reporting fires aboard the Sky City. I believe her exact words were, "Has anyone noticed that Steam Sky City appears to be on fire?" Such calm in the face of adversity!


I was in the area and already aboard my airship, so I changed course and flew to the affected area. Several large fires were immediately visible, as was the large charred section of the landing deck (see three figures below). I was unequipped with fire-fighting apparatus, so I attempted to stay out of the way of those coming to the rescue.


Captain Rachire Andel of the Crimson Pirates flew in and executed a daring landing on the blazing deck. (His craft is below mine and about to land in the photograph two below.) He immediately took steps to douse the blaze.


He was joined shortly by a committed group of Caledonians intent on stopping the remaining fires. This was largely accomplished, though one or two small conflagrations could still be seen.


By then, the RCAF, in the form of Captain Dan Gervasi, had arrived. Captain Gervasi attempted to secure the scene. With so many aircraft in the area, however, and, being good Caledonians, all armed to the teeth, the inevitable happened: several friendly fire incidents. However, though good fortune, no one was hurt and no aircraft seriously damaged. Everything was sorted out through a comedy of errors series of communications through the ISC channel. Captain Gervasi declared that the airspace was secure, and ordered other pilots to remove themselves from the scene.




I landed and began a brief reconnaissance of the city. It was clear that the villains were not content with setting fires; they had also vandalized parts of the structure. Below, Mrs. Volare surveys the damage in the Volare Warehouse.


The Green Fairy Tavern was also severely damaged. Mrs. Volare's beloved Abney Park daguerrotypes were thrown to the floor, a large fire still burned,...

...and her entire absinthe supply was tossed carelessly about. This is an unspeakable crime!


The deed was committed on the eve of the celebrations for Guvnah Shang's fifth Rezday. Coincidence? This reporter thinks not.

At the risk of editorializing, we can only hope that the perpetrators of this foul deed are brought to justice forthwith, and dealt with as severely as the law permits!

Closings, Openings, and Hanging On

Changes. I seem to keep harping on them, but perhaps this Journal is nothing but a chronicle of the changes I see.

First up is the sad news: Mr. Mako Magellan reports that he is closing Magellan Straits. Magellan Kinvera, the adjoining sim, will remain, and house Mr. Magellan's line of clothing, as will with clothing stores locations in Victoria City and Kittiwickshire.

This likely means the demise of the famed Crystal Palace - an architectural marvel in both our realm as well as that Other Life. As spectacular is the Palace, one cannot help but feel that it never was an efficient use of space. Still, I'll miss this silent gent:

He was always sharply dressed, but I could never start a conversation with him. And what other sim has kangaroos?


Moving back to Caledon Penzance, Royal Caledon Air Force leader Zoe Connolly reported that a sale of the Connolly-Messmer Aerodrome was imminent. Fortunately, only hours later, she posted an update that the financial pressures were reduced for the next few months.





I'll keep my fingers crossed for a more permanent solution to maintain Caledon's air defences.

Finally, we have the discovery of an older piece of Caledon's history. I traveled to the Highlands, disembarking from the train near the Museum of Steam recently noted in this Journal.

From there, I descended into the earth to find this Mysterious Cavern:


According to Mr. Ambiant Kukulcan: "During the recent construction of the Harbour Shoppes in the southern portion of Caledon Highlands an unusual cavern was unearthed containing the well preserved remains of an early 19th century electrical laboratory."

So there you have it: comings and goings. Changes.

Steam Hunt

The second Steam Hunt got underway on March 1, and continues through the end of the month.

I might have said this before, but it bears repeating: obsessive people should not do SL hunts. One tries to moderate one's pace, seeking perhaps ten items per day, so as to not tax one's system and to not interfere with other duties. Then ten items seems too few, the pace too slow, and, all of a sudden, it's several hours later and muscles are crying out for relief.

For those of you who might be less compulsive, the Steam Hunt is an opportunity to collect items of varying degrees of Steaminess, and to see a variety of shops - some familiar, some new to me. After I finish the hunt, unpack, and figure out what to do with the items I've collected, I'll have a number of places to revisit at a more, ah, leisurely pace.


Miss Emilly Orr has an impassioned rant on the short-sightedness of some of the merchants who participate in the ever-growing number of grid-wide hunts. In her post, Miss Orr laments the widely-varying quality of gifts, the difficulty of finding the prize in some locations (which increases the time it takes to complete the hunt, which in turn reduces hunters' incentives to participate), and, most importantly, the attitude some merchants take toward such devices as lists of participants and clues. I left the following comment:

I have participated in exactly two grid-wide hunts: Steam Hunt 1 and, er, Steam Hunt 2. From your description, though, it sounds as though they all fit a similar pattern and vary only in degree.

Your point about using a list of locations is well-taken. During last year's Steam Hunt, when I knew nothing of such lists, I made it through about four locations when I couldn't find the gift, and hence had no place to go next. As it turned out, the store had pulled out of the hunt and had been replaced - so the LM in the previous store was out of date. Without the list, I would have been dead in the water...and stores number 5 to 130 would have been out of luck, too.

It strikes me that 130 stores is too many for one of these hunts (especially for those of you who do more than one a year). I have an obsessive streak, and the desire to grind it out as quickly as possible is not a healthy one.

But you raise another good point with respect to where the gifts are located. I'd think that, in the spirit of fair play, store owners should make the clue difficult to find in inverse proportion to the size of the store. That is, if I have to search over Hell's half-acre because you have a store that sprawls across a quarter sim, I want the damn thing to be easier to find than if you have a small booth in a mall. I'm sympathetic to the idea that store owners don't want to participate if hunters are going to stay no longer than the time it takes for the search object to rez - but if you embed the item in a wall, I'm not really looking at your merchandise, I'm camming through objects and using wireframe view to spot the dumb thing....

With a smaller number of stores, I'd find it less frustrating to have to solve clever clues, or to look in obscure places, or to find a series of false objects that ultimately lead to the real gift. I've seen some on the Steam Hunt that have been quite clever indeed, but my admiration is dampened a bit by the thought that I have another 100+ stores to go.

Finally, I don't understand the objection to hints at all. I thought the most effective placements of all were those near an item for sale in the store - not under the stairs, not embedded in a wall, or under a decorative object - in which a clever clue led the hunter to the prize. I have to look at your merchandise to see if it fits the hint - and isn't looking at the merchandise the benefit that the store owner gets?

I think I'll go find a deep-tissue massage now.

Steamed - A Reading

Miss Riven Homewood read a selection of passages from the recent novel Steamed, by Katie MacAlister, in the garden of the Steelhead Public Library.


From the author's Aetherweb site:

Computer technician Jack Fletcher is no hero, despite his unwelcome reputation as one. In fact, he's just been the victim of bizarre circumstances. Like now. His sister happens to disturb one of his nanoelectromechanical system experiments, and now they aren't where they're supposed to be. In fact, they're not sure where they are when…

…they wake up to see a woman with the reddest hair Jack has ever seen-and a gun. Octavia Pye is an Aerocorps captain with a whole lot of secrets, and she's not about to see her maiden voyage ruined by stowaways. But the sparks flying between her and Jack just may cause her airship to combust and ignite a passion that will forever change the world as she knows it…

In the passages Miss Homewood read, we heard of Jack and Octavia's meeting, a raid on the airship by the Black Hand, and a raid on the raiders by a Mogul lord.

Miss Trilby Minotaur listens.

Behind dark goggles, I listen as well.


As the author deems her book a "romance," one has an expectation of where things will end. Still, there are always airship adventures along the way!