Photographs

I've started to bring some of my pictures inworld and right now I'm negotiating with several gallery owners... I'd like to exhibit them and make them available. Of course, the gallery of my own would be ideal, some small place in Caledon or Babbage would be just perfect, but right now, unfortunately, I can't afford it.

But in the future, who knows...

Huge Airships!

Again, it seems I'm not able to keep this journal of mine up-to-date (sigh). Too many encounters worth mentioning in past weeks... One of the last was several days ago in the city of New Babbage (yes, it has been brought to life finally, and I have to admit it's a glorious town!), where I've met this wonderful Dr. Sputnik's steamdog (not mentioning Dr. Sputnik himself of course, with all his friends)...


If I want to write on airships again, I have to return several weeks back to the encounter with CoyoteAngel Dimsum, Duchess of Primverness (who is by the way creator of those giant sunglass I've mentioned earlier). I've heard rumors that on the island of Lovelace, property of hers, a huge Sentinel vessel can be seen...


I arrived at Lovelace and when I looked up to the skies I was overwhelmed. The airship was there, huge as almost half of the island. It was absolutely monstrous. It was weird. It has tentacles! I loved it.
The tentacles seemed to be made of steel, yet they moved slowly in the wind, giving the airship feeling of some ancient monster, waiting for its pray...


On the deck I've met, briefly, Miss Dimsum and Mr Reymont, one of the brave explorers of Caledon, whose journal I've also mentioned before. Later I examined inside of the vessel. The scale of it was breathtaking...


I'm sure it's not only me who is convinced that airships simply should be huge.


More on airships next time...

Airships!

Airships. If you wanna adventures, you'll need airship. Don't tell me there could be some adventure without a proper airship, that's ridiculous. Dozens of them could be find floating across Caledon sky and some of them I'll try to introduce here.
Myself, I own only two small vehicles. The Airship Pharaone I was given as a present from Grey Nolder, gentleman who I haven't met since then (I wish there would be more real gentlemen like him, walking the streets and giving out the aircrafts to the ladies). It's a practical explorer's airship, very small, easy to operate, yet a little unpleasant in a cold weather (nothing a good cup of hot chocolate couldn't fix).

Mr. Nolder came from Dogfight Atoll. I traveled there to find him again, unsuccessfully, but the Atoll is surely place worth seeing, speaking of aircrafts, especially the wreck of the huge Zeppelin Pandora on the shore of Last Ditch Lagoon is very impressive. Maybe I'll try to find more about that disaster...

Above the island hover several hangars, all of them were empty during my visit, but I'm sure they are not abandoned – there were tracks of recent construction activity...



Back to my vehicles: my second ship is the Cloudshifter from Scurvy Tower. Although it's capable to move both in the air and under the water, I usually use it only as a submarine, it seems to be designed more for that purpose, and in the air it's sometimes more difficult to operate it than in the water.


By the way – Scurvy Tower: one of the best place to purchase airship, if you don't count Abbots aerodrom of course. Located near the shores of Yurim, raising from the sea, it contains several floors of aircrafts and hot-air balloons of all sizes.


Another great merchant specialized on Airships is Kyyp Fredrickson, his huge store is floating above the Caledon Cay. He's got second store also, located in the Cowel village near Kahruvel forest... Strange, seems everytime I write about something, I end up with Kahruvel. I have to return there as soon as possible.


More on airships next time...

The Rise Of Caledon

It's almost impossible to keep track of every important thing happening in Caledon in last weeks. This year's ball season just started (detailed reports with lots of pictures can be found for example in Mr. Pearse's excellent journal) and it seems each week there is opportunity for a new event to be held. A new airships are flying over city roofs (which I will explore closer next time), and Mr. Reymont was charged with establishment of an Adventure club, a central place for Caledonian explorers. He appeared to be an excellent architect and the building looks fabulous even now, before opening to public. A new vehicles can be seen in the streets and in the skyes (I haven't inspected shores yet, but I'm sure something can be find even there). And when I spotted a device apparently intended as an underground vehicle, I started to wonder where it will end...

The rise of Caledon is so rapid some great buildings and inventions last only for several days and then give up their place to new ones, like this magnificent sunglass, which was capable to light the candle apparently only by force of the sun, and which stayed on it's place only couple of days...



It's allmost time to launch out for new journeys. I've mentioned here the letters from Ms Begonia's and Mr Avalanche's journeys already. Reading them I decided I can't wait any longer with exploration. Unlike most of the great Caledonian explorers, I'll focus mainly on the islands. The legendary wild gardens of Svarga seems to be a good starting point, although they have been covered by detailed description of Ms Begonia already. I've met her – briefly – at an Wheel & Hub Inn opening in Mayfair, with her husband Alfonso Avalanche, former circus strongman, and Dr. Sputnik. I shall visit doctor's “cabinet” one day, an device designated either for transportation to far places, and apparently also for scaring poor pixies by it's malfunction. (Have I mentioned Ms Begonia is a pixy? I haven't seen any real pixy yet, but it only means I really should move off...)

The Glorious Departure of Caledon Victorian Expedition

It seems whole caledon is living with this expedition. In despite of some travelling difficulties I managed to make an apperance at departure of Duke Carntaigh’s brigantine HMS Ellen, which carried another team of Caledon explorers in their journy to the Great continent. I just wished them bon voyage and happened to make this photography... I'm still learning the way how to achieve a satisfying result. I've already talked with Mr. Whittlesea about possibility to exhibit my photographs in Caledon gallery, and if he will agree, I'll have a long way ahead until I'll reach some fine result.

Winter in Caledon

It has been a long time from my last journal entry. I've spend my time mainly in Caledon since then, winter came into the country and lots of pleasant events were held, this season seems to be really amusing. Victoria city has been build, the gate into the Caledon, which central square with merchant caravans has became in a short time a true heart of the town. New shops were open, new residents built their homes, balls and celebrations were arranged almost each week, ice skating, snowball tournaments... I have attended several art shows and exhibitions, bought a Cloud Shifter aircraft, became member of Miss Wind's Society of Undaunted Ladies and just lived joyfull and peacefull life, enjoyed delights of Caledon winter.
And slowly, without even realized it, I started to became lazy.
No adventure. No long time journeys to unknown continents or mysterious islands. No stories. I even stopped writing this journal of mine.
And then I've heard about the Great Caledon Expedition to the mainland. Mr. Desmond Shang in the name of all citizens of Caledon sent forth a group of brave explorers in order to cross the big continent in the East and return with fame and glory. Or return with pieces of knowledge about natives and their customes, and, of course, new territories and markets. Or simply return alive.
I hesistated for a while and in the end decided not to join. Partly because I'll be not able to keep the tracks of my journey periodically, partly for my lack of language ability, but mainly because I have my own plans. The old names started to echo in my head again. Svarga. Shivar. Arcana Nuevo. Isle of Rfyre. Numbakulla island. There are rumors that a steampunk city New Babbage finally has been build. And, of course, Kahruvel forest.
Reading journals and letters from the members of Caledon expedition was only reassuring: after the winter will pass, I'll change the pretty Caledonian dresses for my old traveller's boots and pants (if I'll be able to button them up) and will set up for journeys again.
In the meantime, of course, I'll be following the Caledonian expedition closely and with great anticipation...

The Expedition discussed in public by Desmond Shang

Rusty Buchanan's “Frontier Horizon”

Fist-Hand Account of an Hitherto-Undiscovered Wonders, Dangers and Customs... by Justy Reymond

Proceedings of the Royal Society by its president Kate Nicholas, F.R.S.

Watkin Museum of History by Mylinn Ofeq

The Galloper's Dispatch by Prof. Power

Letters from the Caledonian colony on the Mainland by Fuchsia Begonia & Prof. Avalanche

The meeting of a Steampunk club

Something new is on it's way, something big is going to happen. The foundation of a city! I was there, at the meeting of Steampunk society, on Caledon's manor, just beneath the house of professor Gould, floating in the air.
I was standing above the model of the city with fellow members of Steampunk club, drinking champagne and listen to great plans of a future. And all the members of the Steampunks seemed to be a true extraordinary ladies and gentlemen, as you can see by yourself from the photographs I've made that evening.
Anyway, one thing is clear: it seems that very, very soon, the foundation-stone will be deposed and a new city will arise. A big, industrial city, unlike Caledon's peaceful countryside (which is lovely, of course, but maybe a little too peaceful).
And more than that, Mr. Shaunathan Sprocket, who has organized the whole meeting, came up with the idea of a World Fair, while Salazar Jack offered Kahruvel forest for this event. (I have to find some time to explore Kahruvel more, this place hasn't revealed all its secrets yet).
I felt that day that this could be beginning of a new era. A new world! Industry Marches On!

Caledon Impressions

During my journeys I often visit The Independent State of Caledon, a remarkable town with lots of places of interest. I'll surely write more about the city and it's residents in the future, because there is something interesting literally on every corner. I often walk it's streets, in times when I need some little rest from my journeys.
Recently, when I was exploring Caledon cemetery and talking with one rather annoying ghost, I've met a young aristocrat named Carricre Wind. She was pretty new in Caledon, and she seemed to show as much excitement as I did during my first encounter with this city. We've met again, later the same day, while I was admiring a new Time machine exhibited in front of Tesla Associates. I joined her and a Mr. Per Lagerkvist, a very skillful inventor, in nice conversation about aircrafts and balloons. Mr. Lagerkvist showed us a very fine skycopters and in the end he arrange a short trip in his balloon over the rooftops of Caledon. Maybe this could be a promise of future team expeditions, who knows?

Discovery of the obelisk

The day when I found the old map on the table of Armord Lab changed my life in Second Life world. I mean – it's the proper beginning of the story, right? “One day I found a mysterious map in the back room of a laboratory...” The map, and the note written by Salazar Jack, described a discovery of an strange artifact on a little island not faraway from the shores of Rodeo, an ancient monolith with some old mysterious text. It appeared nobody is able to translate it. I was excited! Of course I set up to journey immediately!

I located the island and found the monolith. It was half buried under the ground, only one side completely visible. The text was in the language I was familiar with, it didn't take too long to translate it. “Here in this place, three races begin a guest for peace...” Seemed that on the island and maybe on the land which is known by these days as Rodeo somewhere in the past a long war was brought to end, and three nations joined on their quest for peace. I was thrilled! Of course I wrote to Salazar Jack about my success. “Excellent”, was his answer. “Have you already red about forest of Kahruvel?” And he send me some links. Damn! Reading the materials and the history of the forest, I understood the text was translated years ago! And I was so proud of myself!
I felt desperate for a while, but after I started to realize there is still lots of things to uncover. The mystery of Kahruvel ruins is still far from being solved, cleared and described. Even if this attempt was useless, it doesn't matter. My story already has begun...

The story begins

I've come to the virtual world of Second Life some time ago. I was just walking around for a long time, didn't know what exactly to do. Sitting on the money chairs, visiting events, meeting people... I've seen some marvelous places, but I felt that's not enough. Something was missing. I felt like bored teenager, walking the neigborhood, doing nothing reasonable and waiting for something to happen.
Then I discovered Caledon, Victorian steampunk city. Seemed like perfect place to me. Lots of steampunk gadgets, victorian dresses (which by the way doesn't fit me at all, I'm a plus sized girl and in each skirt I look just like Zeppelin - why there are the same problems with fashion designers in Second life like in real life? They just couldn't imagine their dresses to be worn by somebody else than barbie dolls!), but still there was something missing.
A story.
Than one day, when I was looking for some nice little steambot to have a company, on a table in Armord laboratories I've found an old map of Salazar Jack. And that moment changed everything...
(to be continued)