Thursday, February 26

All good things...

After some thought, I have respectfully declined to continue on as a Host for Captain Rachire Wulluf at the Wicked Wench, the successor to the infamous Port Novem. I've gotten behind in tending to the needs of my family, as well as working in my laboratory and the Hospital. There's a special presentation I'll be setting up in conjunction with Miss Kiralette Kelley for Relay for Life.

I may even have some time to try out my new fishing pole!

I must thank MissLily Nightfire and Lulu Seetan for a year of wonderful music and gainful employment. There was never a dull moment, that's for sure!

My daughter Gematria, true to form, has already gone back to the family business. She is now hostess for the SquidVenom Brigade, which is what Emperor SteelCobra was named his music stream and associated events. Do squids have venom? I'll have to do some research...

Thursday, February 19

the stars are right

It was a total lunar eclipse over Steelhead, with three planets aligned. I doubled the wards around the laboratory (including a Voorish Sign) and added structural reinforcements to the dolls.



Ash had led me astray with a false artifact. He knew I was not ready until I realized that she would not return simply because I missed her. She would only return for a reason.





Belhaven was in flames, and not from any act of Nature. Mr. Allen's build was especially designed to contain the Spheres. The frame's energy efficiency meant the steam engine was only a fraction



Kether! Chokmah! Binah! Da'ath!



The laboratory began to tremble as the veil between world began to fray. I heard the distant roar of something monstrous and reptilian. A moment of doubt. Was I bringing about the same disaster in Steelhead that Count Diablo wrought on Belhaven? The Sephirot were arriving and they could not be left separated. I had to continue.



Chesed! Geburah! Tiphareth!



The summoning was taking far more effort than I had anticipated. The vibrant Spheres materialized soon after I invoked them. It took our combined concentration to maneuver them in position.








One of my dolls, Becca, was entranced by the golden Tiphareth Sphere. Despite my warning, she touched it, and the power surge overloaded her systems. She collapsed to the ground, smoke streaming from her ceramic joints. I had no choice but to continue.



Nedzach! Hod! Yesod!






My voice trembled as I invoked the final Sphere.


MALKUTH!


The drew the Spheres into the cranial unit, and locked it. The world around me was becoming a blur as I collapsed over her frame.


The remaining dolls tugged on my laboratory coat.


"Father! You have to finish!"


I nodded and took a deep breath.


"SHE'S ALIVE!!!"


Gematria's arms caught me before I slid off the table. I stared into her glowing red eyes and smiled before I passed out.

Wednesday, February 18

Novem's Last Hurrah!

Novem's Last Hurrah!
We survived the move from New Babbage to Winterfell. We've had the best DJ's in SL play for us, and we threw the most infamous parties in the Victorian Grid.From absynthe house and burlesque and emergency clinic to pirate's tavern, we've seen and done it all. We've been entertaining you for over a year, which is a long time in SL . But all good things must come to an end.

  • Novem's Last Hurrah - Sunday, March 1st, 7pm until....? And you thought MissLily's Rezday party was Wild? HA!
  • Port Novem property FOR SALE - approx. 3000 square meters by the pier in Winterfell Laudanum. Asking price 20,000L. Contact MissLily Nightfire inworld for details.
  • A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT from Capt, Rachire Wulluf of the Crimson Pirates...


Much thanks to MissLily Nightfire, Lulu Seetan, Rachire Wulluf, Annastina Christensen, Mitsu Figaro, Nova Sakigake, Reaghan Straaf, Kiralette Kelley, Dybbuk Denimore, Frequency Picnic, Magdalena Kamenev, and everyone who helped make Novem fun!

Thursday, February 12

Belhaven is Burning

My brother's voice over the aether transmitter shook me out of my Spark fugue. I quickly turned off my welding torch and pulled off my mask. I dashed to the transmitter and pressed the trigger on the microphone.

"Count Marcus! This is Doctor Mason! How may I assist?"

I asked this question several times.

"Dammit, Marcus! Let me help you!" I shouted into my wireless console.

Every second of silent static felt like limitless sea of solitude.

"Negative, Doctor Mason. This is my realm."

"And I am your brother!"

My mechanical daughters huddled close to me, their glass eyes reflecting concern as I clenched the microphone in my glove with a death grip. Finally, a measured responce.

"Call for a rescue fleet for the refugees. Coordinate a landing space for Professor Bade's helicarrier."

"I can cast a summon..."

"Negative. The Hydra."

Yes, I knew his fate, and the world's safety for that matter, was bound to Belhaven by a mangled spell and a hastily improvised ward.

Regretfully I sent a final response, in Ereb'ai.

"Understood. May the Fates guide the safest path."

I looked down at Sasha, Becka and Spark. Their frocks were concealed by the laboratory robes I had sewn for them when they begged to assist me in the lab. I gazed back at the collection of brass and steel pieces lined up across my operating table.

"Girls? My brother needs a firefighter. Let's build one."

Monday, February 9

And then there were three

A large crate arrived at my laboratory over the weekend with a letter attached.


Dear Dr. Mason,

We are sorry for your loss of little marion. These newly imported pests known as mimmoths have been breeding rapidly and pose a risk to the entire doll population. We have increased security at our facility and for that very reason.

The marion unit was still under warranty, so we have provided a replacement unit at no charge. Furthermore as an esteemed and valued customer (and since we must rearrange our inventory for "mimmoth-proofing") we have provided you with an additional complete set of doll construction parts. We suggest saving them as replacement pieces in case of a second attack, but there is enough to create a second doll if you so wish. However please be advised that our warranty will no longer cover mimmoth attacks.

Sincerely,

Dr. H. Stauf
Turn Key Enterprises
I began work post-haste on a pair of nekos I had just...recovered, and soon Steelhead City echoed with my screams of "THEY'RE ALIVE!"

I think it was my use of the plural this time that brought the management and other neighbors to come see Sasha and Becca. I gave thema partial tour of the city. Oh you should have seen their faces when they saw the carnival! They had opposite reactions to the clown statue interestingly enough. We also ran into the Evil Kitty herself. I warned my little ones not to go poking in other people's factories.

The next night I brought sasha to work at Novem and yet another doll stumbled in, half-broken...severely damaged by mimmoths. (It's an epidemic I tell you!) After some emergency surgery behind the bar she was stabilized. She said her name was Sparky, and that her Maker was trying to make her fully human before he disappeared. Indeed, she had more organics than one would expect. I accepted her into my rapidly growing family with the promise that if she does indeed wish to become fully organic, I can arrange it.

In the middle of all of this, the specs on Gematria's new chassis are finally beginning to coalesce. At this rate I may have to summon Ash or Qli to babysit so I can get some work done!

Thursday, February 5

Those cursed MIMMOTHS!

A herd of those little pests slipped in while I was working at the Hospital and ripped poor marion to shreds! There's porcelain shards and twisted metal bits and shredded lace all over the laboratory floor! Oh well...her existence was short but sweet. I'll never get my Doll Army built at this rate! I'll just keep working on Gematria's new chassis and hope she'll return when I summon her.

Bandbots

Be the first sim in your region to have your own clank marching band! My thanks to Wagner James Au for finding this.


Bandbots - Second Life Musical Avatars from Chantal Harvey on Vimeo.

The only thing they need is a bagpipe clank...

Monday, February 2

I was not prepared.

I keep reading over Ash's report, trying to wrap my mind around it. It could only have been Marcus's idea...brilliant, but completely insane...even by my standards. What keeps me from declaring war on Count Belhaven now is that as extreme as the plan was, the End did indeed justify the Means...and it worked.

Marcus, Gematria, and Koen sacrificed themselves when they crashed the Midas into Winterfell. They had already mapped out the coordinates where they would arrive in the next realm...Erebus. From there, he convinced the former subjects of the Obsidian King that he was Bloodwing reborn (being a hybrid clone, he is at least partially correct), arrived with his children to defeat the Hydra and assume the crown. The three of them amassed the remnants of the Imperial Guard to contain the Hydra.

And of course, they kept the Sisterhood and myself completely in the dark, for our own safety.

My reanimation of Koen almost lost the war. His immortal self, the Vortex, resisted being drawn towards the light, but the mortal incarnation of Koen was brought back...without the demon's latent abilities, and without my genetic code. He was in such a state when I found him that only the Bloodtail pattern, and none of his human ancestry through me, survived reanimation. He is a neko separated from his ka. He has none of his "nine lives" to fall back on, he is as mortal as any human.

That is why Ash gave me an inert, useless soul chip...to keep me from pulling Gematria as well away from the battle on the other side of the Styx.

Count Diablo jeopardized everything. He not only pulled Marcus back to this world, but allowed the Hydra itself...not just a head or two, mind you, but the whole mountain-sized abomination...a chance to escape to this world.

Marcus saved Belhaven, but lost his chance to rule Erebus in the process. My guess is the Hydra was immobilized on the other side when it was forcing its way through the portal. Were Vortex and Gem able to seize on the Hydra's weakness? Did they defeat the Hydra? Can we bring them back? Do they even want to come back, or are they now so embroiled with Ereb'ai politics that they seize the throne for themselves...or fight each other for it?

I must journey to Belhaven to find out what Marcus knows. I don't know what sort of person he's turned into since I opened my soul to him. Maybe he has a conscience now. Maybe he doesn't use it. There's only one way to find out.