Tragic adventure on Saint Kitt Islands (a delayed report)

It is long past due to document the events of the destruction of the Saint Kitt Islands, but I am pressed to now because of the disturbing seismic activity in Steeltopia -- in fact, threatening the Consulate itself there. As Steeltopia is more of a business area than a holiday spot, and has never been declared Perfectly Safe, it may be more of an economic tragedy for the business-owners and less of the human tragedy which characterises Saint Kitt.

On August 18th (a Monday), I had arrived on the main island, delayed due to office issues, at 13.29, dressed appropriately for the 'beach party' to which all Caledon was invited. The photographic documentation is in our image files here at the Society, but I associate them with the timeline below.

13.29: Arrival; find Herr Enigma wearing a sea urchin on his nose.
13.40: Large amounts of rock collapse from the volcano's crater walls and are thrown with great force for some distance.
13.41: Red-hot rocks are now being thrown into the midst of the party
13.44: A high view of the party area
13.45: Her Grace's yacht suffers a bouyancy problem. Hot ash fills the air.
13.50: (approximate time) Herr Nix Sands, burned by flying lava.
13.55: Wary observations of flying rock are interrupted by upthrusts of strata from the channel.
13.55: New landmasses start to arise; I am bitten by a vorpal rabbit.
13.55: The land drops beneath us by at least two Caledonian fathoms.
13.55: The effect the submersion has had on the party site.
13.55: One clever Caledonian has already converted their Chitty Chitty Bang Bang into flotation mode.
13.56: I move to the west for a better view...
13.57: Duke Otenth and some of the others struggle to find stable footing...
13.58: A flying camera's view of the changes over only 10 minutes.
14.04: Another high view, with details
14.05: Only a minute later, and the water levels have changed even more drastically
14.06: And nearly all is promptly submerged, including the volcano.
14.07: Scrambling for some sort of secure footing, or at least hovering.
14.09: Once again, the former beach site arises from the water, at least briefly.
14.09: Quickly enough, shallow waves broke over the 'dry land'. Duchess Diamanda's bar continues a brisk business.
14.11: A view from further west.
14.12: Sudden darkness.
14.14: Still in ash-induced darkness.
14.17: The bar, still intact. This may be one of the last images of Herr Miles before his presumed death and reappearance on the shores of Cavendish 21 August.
14.18: Lady Amber, the Baroness Bauerhoff, attempts to evacuate those remaining.
14.21: Alas, this was all that was left of Duchess CoyoteAngel Dimsum.
14.22: Evacuation airships, since boats were obviously useless
14.23: Was? Firefly class? Here?
14.33: A small (10 minute) patch of stability...
14.35: Fraulein Saffia Widdershins (by reports) and the Etheric Travel Cabinet crowd pick up a few passengers in the Rossini Dreamliner.
14.47: The land finally stops heaving under our feet.

We had no idea that only 30-odd hours later, Saint Kitt would sink beneath the waves, completely and finally, just before Cavendish arose with great peace and serenity in NE Caledon.

Other related accounts: Frau Duchess Gabrielle Riel, on receiving the geological report; Laird Brideswell, on the then-upcoming social event; Fraulein Boyarina Kate Nicholas for the Royal Society for the Advancement of Knowledge in the Natural Sciences; A letter from Fraulein Duchess Eva Bellambi to Boyarina Kate, on her reactions to the invitation; Fraulein Emilly Orr, first on the invitation, then her account of the event itself, illustrated; Duchess Diamanda Gustafson; Port Captain O'Toole on the fleet's rescue attempts; A five-page report recovered from the Spirit of Caledon, by Captain Tom Foster; Fraulein Rhianon Jameson reports in absentia; Prim Perfect magazine reports on the activity

(Surprisingly, I found no account in the archives for Herr Duke Otenth Paderborn.)

Please welcome Mr. Sands to the Society

To My Distinguished Colleagues of the Society,

Mr. Nix Sands has undertaken astounding historical and archaeological research into the Precursor culture known as the Aerodynes (not to be confused with the Heterodynes of course) to the point or restoring and reproducing some of their artifacts. From short conversations I had with him concerning his research, I gathered that the Aerodynes were a Steam-based culture with a more aggressive style of imperialism than the Caledonians. The record suggests that were ultimately destroyed when the peoples they conquered mastered their advanced technology and turned it against them.

I've invited Mr. Sands to our Society to enlighten us as to the mysteries of this fallen culture, what technological wonders they built that may be of interest to the modern Neo-Victorian, and what moral we may gain from their hubris.

~Dr. Mason

New Mainland Continent Ripe for Exploration

Copied from the Linden blog:

[Much to our delight, the intrepid explorer Magellan Linden has stumbled upon a new and beautiful land that had until now been mysteriously hidden from view. His ‘experiments’ with a new vehicle appear to have lead him to this discovery.

The abandoned city appears to have belonged to a great seafaring civilisation and while the culture and language of the original inhabitants isn’t immediately apparent, Linden Lab has decided to name the island “Nautilus” in honor of its maritime nature. Having claimed Nautilus as Linden Mainland, we would like to offer our residents the opportunity to live in this unique area and so will be selling off some of the land at auction.

If you would like to visit this new wonder, the regions are now visible inworld, all of the regions are prefixed with ‘Nautilus -’. There are many beautiful sights to be seen. The old harbour and nearby dry dock, the great canal and raised inner city, even the seas around Nautilus are rich with things to discover.

There look to be several hundred parcels available, all of them 1024 square meters in size. They cannot be terraformed and have twice the usual prim allocation. Our engineers are investigating how these regions came to exist, and whether they were always part of the Mainland, or were perhaps part of some earlier history. Residents who discover information about the true origin of Nautilus should contact Magellan Linden. We’ll also be adding to a public wiki page soon, where the latest information about Nautilus will be collected.

Auctions for the new area will go live on the 24th October with all auctions starting at L$2000.]

NOTE: Magellan Linden seems to have made the same blunder as Christopher Columbus in misnaming new continents. Residents of the mainland continent already known as "Nautilus" are quite perturbed.

A one-person excursion to Saint Kitt

This report is horribly late, for which I apologize, but Baron Wulfenbach more or less chained me to a desk and insisted I post this before he could post his report on Saint Kitt's destruction. I went there after Caledon's chat had scuttlebutt of increased activity in the islands' volcano. Okeanos Magic (my sort-of-niece) and I had explored it pretty thoroughly at one point in hopes of finding new minerals or unusual shells to collect, as we are both Mushroom Hunters of the Roses, so I was familiar with the quiescent look of the place, and where to climb.

It was not quiescent at all when I went there on 17 July. Herein I present my photographic documentation of the state of Saint Kitt on that day:

• Arrival on the large island. Everything looks fine over here.


• Checking on the volcano. Definitely more active than when Kea and I explored the islands


• A structure on the rim - I hate lightning, but I braved it for this shot. Ominous!


• Safer lower down, no projectiles from the lava. This is a vent on the south side.


• OK, no projectiles, but it's still pretty lively. [view of the crater from the air]


• Higher view [of the crater]. I love my broom.


• Something else pointed out in Caledon chat which prompted me to visit - strange water levels! See the raft is floating?


• Another view of the sinking water levels around the islands. That building is supposed to be underwater.


• There were the occasional outcroppings of... is this pahoehoe or a'a? Or is it a fumarole? Drat.


• I held my breath for one last shot - this is underwater smoke or steam from that side vent. The water was very warm, and I left as quickly as possible.

Although the heat and the flowing lava were alarming, as long as I had my broom or some other means to move away quickly, I never felt I was particularly at hazard. Sadly, this seemed to also be the conclusion of the survey team Guvnah Shang hired, except their overly-optimistic conclusions led to mass disaster.

In service to the Society, I am,

Tanarian Davies

I Come Asking For Assistance

I realize that members of the Society are all busy with their own perils and adventures, but I feel I must make this request.

As many of you are aware, as is evident from the minutes of Steelhead's recent town meeting, held on August 5, my cousin, and sheriff of Steelhead, Fuzzball Ortega, revealed that his home was fired upon. His front porch and his scarecrow was hit with silver tipped bullets.

My guess is that the assailant was firing from afar, and mistook the scarecrow as Fuzz. It is wearing his old gray outfit and hat.

What is very eerie, is the fact that I have been having certain visions.....which I know probably sounds daft, but it seems so real. I will begin chronicling each vision in my aether journal, to give everyone a more detailed account on what I'm seeing. I fear that the failed attempt on Fuzz's life is the beginning of something more horrifying.

Naturally, Fuzz will refuse any type of protection. Before leaving Moldavia, he had completed training for the warrior cast in his Lycan tribe, pride will not allow him to stay hidden. Perhaps, however, the Society could help in other ways, if possible.

I humbly await your reply,

Purdie Uggla

Bring the Fleet Around, Attack in Line Abreast!

On the Quarterdeck of the Lion of Cymmru, a slight altercation was taking
place. O'Toole snapped his telescope shut briskly and gave orders to the
signalman for the fleet to execute a turn in line and close with the enemy taking
advantage of the wind gage and favorable atmopsheric conditions.

Of all his captains, only one possessed the seniority, temerity, longstanding friendship,
to raise an objection.

Captain O'Toole of the Middlesea Fleet:

By God, Somme, they are allies, we cannot turn our back on our friends
and pretend to hold our head up high amongst the rank of civilized nations!

Commander Somme of the Middlesea Fleet:

Sir, as your subordinate, I would be negligent in my DUTY were I not to
REMIND you that the Fleet is legally constituted as a HOME DEFENSE fleet,
for securing the borders of Caledon, not for operating in foreign waters...

Captain O'Toole:

Somme, we are a long way from Caledon jurisdictional authority.
What happens out here will not be mentioned in the Naval Gazette,
nor will they write songs about it. We are in for some
dirty fighting, if my spyglass does not lie.

CDR Somme:

Sir, this is the THIRD extra-territorial cruise undertaken by
the fleet in so many months, and it will not escape the Guvnah's
notice this time!

Captain O'Toole:

(Quietly) Somme, if you do not tend to your ship on the instant,
I can find someone who can. Are you with me or not?

CDR Somme:

Dammit, O'Toole, you know I am, no man living can claim I showed
faint heart for an action,nor have any of my crew.. but you are
out of favor at the moment-- this could have
your career in ruins back home!

O'Toole's face broke into a wide grin.

Let us leave that into the hands of Dame Fortune, Ex.
We didn't join the service to sightsee, eh?
(louder) Now off to the L'Adventure, and see to your guns!

What do we know about psionic demons, bosun?
Should we double shot the cannon?
Heat shot? What?....

Tonight's Prizes...

The Best Mad Scientist receives a new Studley Toolchest courtesy of Cut & Pearsed.

The Best Guinea Pig wins the Professor Westheimer's Hysteria Reducer Mk. IV (Patent Pending), exclusively distributed by Mr. Iason Hassanov. This device must be seen and heard to be believed!

Hand Monster sighted in...Victoriana!

Next stop...Babbage?

I am using the blood samples of the beast and aether frequencies associated with the Unseelie to attempt to make contact with the Creature. If indeed it is intelligent, perhaps it can be reasoned with. Though if my hand were cut off, eaten, submerged, buried and burned I would most likely not be in the mood for negotiations.

Is it wrong of me that I'm starting to root for the monster at this point?

In any event, if any Society members would like to contact the local Babbage military garrison (GEARS - not to be confused with the Steelhead club with a similar name), they could use all the help they can get. I think they have their hands full with an air kraken infestation at the moment.

"Hand Monster" Spotted in Antiquity

Long Distance Sighting

As we speak a throng of drunken Babbagers are loading up with cold iron weaponry and swerving through the skies in their airships towards those green rolling hills.

Please warn the local populace.

Introducing New Members!

Mr. Iason Hassanov needs no intrroduction. A military-grade construct of noble character and unparalleled engineering skills.

Miss Beq Janus of New Babbage is an engineer specializing in submersible technology. She has investigated underground occult activities in her city, and her determination in disposing the remains of the contagious Monster Hand at great personal risk garnered the admiration of this author.

Mr. Huntington Albatros is a newcomer who has already taken several solo archaological expeditions, and was enthusiastic to hear of our Society. He is also a skilled musical orchestrator.

Also, my son Ash Mason has proven himself to be a concise reporter on the Selenite expedition.

Please welcome these members personally if you haven't already, and help them with the paperwork when needed. Don't hesitate to announce new recruits in the same manner!

~Dr. Mason

P.S. Has anyone run into that Hand Monster in Antiquity yet?

Of Cavorite and Sassenachs

The purpose of my addition to the very fine reporting on the exploration received by Society members thus far, is to further illumine the discussion held as we examined the grid or map and the engraved language (which will be reported by others of the expedition more fully, I am sure) found in various areas throughout the mine. Ash has provided a fairly thorough description of the physical findings. As well, Eugenia Burton has posted some excellent daguerreotypes on the Society's Flicker page.

After several minutes of high level exploration of the mines by the expeditionary party, Colonel O'Toole came upon what appeared to be a grid or map. Those of us who were nearby the sight joined him as he shined the lights from his gear on the west wall of the mine.

We were all quite surprised by the grid. It was clearly Caledon in the days before the Middle Seas and the northern and extreme southwestern lands formed. What was incredibly striking to me was that to the west of Loch Avie there was a depiction of land (South of the Moors and west of Loch Avie). Seeing this was nearly like a lightning bolt to me. Baron Wulfenbach noticed my shock and inquired as to whether I was quite alright. I began to explain.

There are stories passed down from generation-to-generation in my clan of the disappearance of lands that were once part and parcel of the area surrounding our homelands in Caledon.

The tradition of storytelling in Celtic cultures such as ours tends to be preserved within certain families. Where a few folk gather for an evening's ceilidh stories are told, particularly if a well known teller of tales was present. Phrases such as "Do you mind when . . ." or "There was a time in the highlands when . . ." nearly always set the ball rolling. Young and old gather round to listen spellbound to tales tall, strange or true. Few ever leave early for home!

Now I begin to wonder if this story told for many years among the Bellambi Clan is actually true. I have explored the seas around the Loch many times and have never noticed any evidence of a land presence. No ruins. No broken earth beneath the surface. Shortly after my mumbling about this, the Baron wondered whether any of our magikal citizens had ever used Cavorite in their rituals. I told him that I never had used it in the limited ceremonies that are still performed at Loch Avie, but that Lady Darkling or Lady Amber may have more knowledge about such matters than I have. Looking over at the Colonel I noticed his frown of concentration as he listened to this conversation. After Miss Annechen Lowey expressed her fear that use of Cavorite AND magik would be devastating, the Colonel recalled that my family's lands are much desired by the Vulgarians. In fact claims on my lands were made by their Ambassador, Barken Rolff, last year as he so boldly danced - an unexpected guest - in my home.

As all of us began to discuss the known, and the possibilities, before us, I remembered that one of the most popular stories shared by the Druis and Uelis of the clan were of a Sassenach tribe that invaded our lands centuries ago who were rebuffed by the Chieftain's elite warriors and other members of the clan. The story then went on to say that the Sassenachs boldly used dark magic, against which the Druis were powerless to defend, in order to "destroy what could not be taken by force". And the lands surrounding Loch Avie sank deep into the earth in a cataclysmic fire. As children we adored this tale for the uelis would imitate the actions of the Sassenach priests as they chanted and danced around the fire. Then our poet-magicians would throw green powder onto the flames of the family fires to make the smoke of the earth-shaking – earth-taking – event.

There may well be some connection to these drawings and the stories spun around our family's fires. There may not be. But it warrants some further investigation. As well I wonder if the writing found on the cave walls IS that of those ancient Caledonians. In truth the ancients felt that any writing of the traditions and stories was profane, but this may have been a warning….or so important a story to tell that they were written on the walls of the mines.

There is so much more to investigate.

Investigating the Selenites

The expedition went well, if a bit slow to gather all the Adventurous Souls together - Frau Annechen Lowey, Fraulein Eugenia Burton, Lt. Veles of the Jägerkin, Herr Ash Mason and myself descended in a lift-like vertikon device from the surface into the very depths of the mine site. Eventually we were joined by Herr Colonel O'Toole and Fraulein Duchess Eva Bellambi; then Herr Donovan Messerchmitt (a recently-arrived Europan emigre) and Herr Otto Robonaught, also of the Jägerkin; and finally by Herr Iason Hassanov.

Between the (Jesuit?) schooling of Hotspur's, and Ash Mason's unique memories, we made our way through the engraved scripts on the walls to determine this was a recording by ancient Caledonians of the disasterous Selenite invasion, long before northern Caledon arose from the waves (glacial suppression, perhaps?) and when a land mass south of the Moors still rose high enough to provide dry land extending almost as far south as Loch Avie.

You may see some of what we examined here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hthas/

Mushroom Hunters and Selenite Observations

Fraulein Tanarian, being a member in good standing, has been reporting informally to me that there are changes happening almost day-to-day in the deepest mine caverns. She also mentioned that she and Lady Kitla discovered an interesting workroom high over the Moors, much higher than the tethered Selenite ship.

When, comrades, shall we reschedule?

Wulfenbach

The Moors

Though we had agreed the Selenites must be investigated, the ruins have been there for ages, one week's delay does not seem to be a problem.

There is an investigation into age progression accompanied by rhythmic ceremonial gyrations and presentations of positive thoughts for continued felicitous existence in Boomtown this Thursday evening at sevenish.

::translation commencing::

Fuzzball Ortega's getting older, not deader - wish him a happy birthday.

~a

The Novem Gathering

I enjoyed hosting for the gathering there, and Miss Lily is most pleased that you came. We are proud to welcome Miss Eladrienne Laval and Her Grace, Eva Bellambi into our Esteemed Society! Furthermore it is my pleasure to inform you that Mr. Hassanov expressed in interest in joining. To top it off you all did our Society (and Victorian society at large) proud by being so gracious to the newcomers who dropped by!

And to anyone else reading this who is interested in joining in or contributing in any way, do give me or any Society member a greeting, and apply to join our outworld conference, hthas@googlegroups.com

~Dr. Mason

I believe we have our first adventure!

It seems Miss Orr and her companions have found alien ruins in a mineshaft in the Moors!

(Not in Wellsian as I had assumed perviously.)

*keeps stuffing his knapsack*

A new beginning

After having travelled to strange lands beyond anyone's imagination and faced dangers only defeated back-to-back, we, this fellowship of adventurers [looks around a room filled with gentlemen, gentlewomen, gentleJägers and clanks] gather together to initiate the High Tea & High Adventure Society. We shall dedicate ourselves to bold adventure and hearty companionship!