The Adventures of Natacha Chernov

The Crypt of Malkuth

2010-12-03T12:17:00.001-08:00

(WARNING – MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS)

I'm sitting in the Absinthe bar, writing these notes. I know who are the men in the black robes, the Followers of Malkuth, and why are they here. And I think I know more about the nature of the Babbage beast already, although I still have no clue about how to get rid of it. But first things first.

Shortly after Mr. Blindside disappeared, his satchel was found near the excavation site. It contained several letters from a man named Frederic Von Battersby to Mr. Blindside, mentioning the old crypt of Malkuth under Cobblestone street, the same place where poor Willard Steamweaver provided his experiments and which I visited already last year during the search for information about The 13 Club, and a document from Van Creed archives (signed as „The Light“). It seems there was another, old excavation site in Clockhaven, with some interesting finds about the Order of Malkuth. I decided to explore both of these sites.

The crypt under Cobblestone street was my fist choice, since I was already familiar with the place. The Steamweaver's laboratory was still there, untouched, even the old phonograph cylinders with his recordings were still on their place. But something terrible must have happened recently – two coffins were open, empty. I thought it was a case of a grave robbery at first... but I was wrong, as I understood later.

I managed to open the third coffin (although I had to consult the Babbage library first), very well aware it could be me this time who could be accused of grave robbery. There was a body of a man (it's hard to tell, it must be several hundreds of years old) covered with a large shield. I thought it's a dead end this time, since I had no idea who the dead man could be, but only by a happy accident I found something which led me later to the grave of poor Helen, to understanding where the Babbage beast came from, and who are the Followers of the Malkuth...

The Beast of Babbage

2010-12-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

Again, some matters forced me to leave the city for almost two weeks and couple of days ago I returned pnly to see the city is burried under the heavy drifts of snow. Now I'm not sure if I'll be able to recollect everything what happened during my absence, since I have to rely only on rumors. I doubt I'll provide a whole picture here, but I have to sort the fact for myself anyway.

http://www.babbagechronicles.co.uk/

Strange beast is lurking the streets of Babbage, apparently something which has been imprisoned inside the artifact before and now walks around the town free again. It haunts the citizens and we can consider ourselves lucky that no one was killed so far. The urchins, who are of course in the greatest danger, tried to entrapped the beast (which is described here http://natmerit.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-babbage-monster-attacks.html), repeatedly and unsuccesfully, but only thing they achieved is the detailed photography of the monster.

http://cityofnewbabbage.com/reader/node/1282

A strange black-cloaked men was seen several times in Babbage, talking about the beast as about „something which feeds the flesh of others, and cannot die“. They were recognized by urchins as followers of Order of Malkuth, an ancient cult once present in Babbage and involved in unfortunate events, which happened last autumn and ended with the burning of the place where nowdays the strange statue was discovered. Later, Mr. Cleanslate intercepted a message while experimenting with his radiowave monitor:

http://tinyurl.com/2u2kxrz

It's Van Creed society again, and apparently the followers of Malkuth attacked their headquarters, trying to destroy Van Creed archives. Why? Because there were some informations regarding the origin of the beast perhaps? Or even the way how to defeat it?

Later the urchin named Victor Wunderlich was saved from the beast by one of the black-cloaked men, who managed to injure the monster, and took care of the poor boy. Which brings only more confusion, of course... What are the intentions of followers of Malkuth?
And more than that, Mr. Blindside, the archeologist who doscovered the artifact, is missing, just after he informed the babbage citizens he's got some new informations about the artifact...

For more informations I reccomend notes of Myrtil Igaly:
http://myrtil.blogspot.com/2010/11/beast-takes-bite.html

The Artifact opens

2010-11-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

The next day I returned to the excavation site to explore the artifact more and was lucky to met Mr. Blindside himself, working at the artefact at the same moment. He managed to dig out the whole object from the ground and was just adjusting it in vertical position when I disturbed him. We talked, briefly, and he admitted he will be much wiser after he'll remove the mud and dirt from the artifact, which, finally visible, vaguely resembled a cloaked human figure. And of course, there was the heartbeat, stronger maybe this time, but I didn't want to disturbe the archeologist with more questions as he seemed to be quite exhausted. He'll probably attend tonight's Bonfire Night and make some public statement, unfnortunatelly I have some affairs out of town tonight.

I felt comforted more or less, after all, mr. Blindside seemed like he knew what he was doing. That was until today, when I visited the site once more.

The artifact was still there, standing in the same position as Mr. Blindside left it, but there was a huge crack almost at whole it's lenght. It seemed as someone shattered it's surface with a great force, and took anything what was hiding inside. Or, maybe... maybe as something from inside broke the shell and run free. There was a splash of a dark liquid just in front of the artifact, probably blood. Maybe someone tried to use some explosives to disturb the surface of the object, and was hurt? Or maybe someone just stood there when the... thing... from inside broke free and... I hope Mr. Blindside is allright.

The artifact is still standing there, silent, no heartbeat resembling sound could be hear. Just like an empty shell.

Return to Babbage

2010-11-04T05:08:00.000-07:00

Long time ago I left this Journal, same as I left the City of New Babbage. But recent events forced me to wipe the dust from these old pages and start to write again...

It was a cold October day when I stepped out of a ship in Babbage
port, returning to the city once more. The thick Babbage fog covered
the streets as the city train approached my old house in Canals and
the memories came back to me, almost as I've never left. The Porta
Terranum Device, Babbage Cuckoos, Cloud Angel, Prof. Eliot, Nareth
Nishi, The Thirteen Club, Van Creed society, Jasper Renfield, Jason
Moriarty... These names are already half-forgotten in Babbage, only
amongst some street urchins the tales are still told. So when I red
in the Newspaper a short note about the discovery of a strange
artifact under the basement of a destroyed building very close to the
Old Imperial Theatre, the place related very closely to these old
events, I couldn't wait any longer.

After I unpacked my things, I hurried to visit the place of the
discovery. There was the artifact, a large piece of stone still half
burried in the ground. And exactly as the rumor said, there was some
sound, almost like a heartbeat, clearly hearable when I leaned
closer...

According to the Newspaper, a famous archeologist Mr Bernard
Blindside was called up to excavate the site and find out more about
the artifact. The only information I was able to find about the
gentleman is that he was the man who discovered the obelisk of
Datramarr, although I'm not familiar with this part of history and
have to admit I have no idea what Datramarr obelisk actually is...

First commission work

2007-10-03T05:20:00.001-07:00

Meanwhile I was engaged into the mystery of Porta Terrarum Experiment, I managed to find time for my fist commission work. Yes! It's a photography of Mr Mondrian's factory and I hope doing more commissions in the future...

I found out that I owe several week rent in Cetus Gallery, and since I'm trying to live in SL only from my SL income, that could be a problem. And besides, I need to buy some gun, in times like this one can never be too sure in Babbage... and some new steambot droids,... and some new clothes. And shoes. And makeup... well, basically, I just need to go shopping.
I've tried to do a portraiture work also, for this time it's my self-portrait, but I think some commission work in this field would be great fun...

Murder in Babbage - Epilogue

2007-09-25T10:52:00.001-07:00

No one knows what exactly happened that day in the underground of Eliot's old theater. As far as I know, Prof. Nishi managed to convince Moriarty she is on his side (which actually confused even some of the street children, who thought Nishi is “evil”), and while he was showing her Porta Terrarum device at work, she somehow damaged it, overloaded, and caused huge explosion, which apparently killed Moriarty. The gate between worlds was closed again. The device was left broken beyond recovery, and still can be seen in the underground of the theater.

According to orphans, Moriarty confessed the fact it was him who killed Prof. Eliot, his former tutor and friend. And most probably he killed the other victims either, Mr. Canning and Mr. Reifsnider. He was mad, with no doubt, a murderer, and he deserved such an ending, but sometimes I think... he was only child, one of the orphans, when he started to help with experiments. Did Alexander Eliot noticed Moriarty's mind slowly fallen apart? And if he did, couldn't he help him? Or he just doesn't care? Could this whole madness be avoided, years ago, by saying some word to the child? We'll probably never know...
Nareth Nishi is women of lot's of mysteries. Some urchins thought she is a vampire and she destroyed Eliot's device by drinking Loki's blood. Other children says she is time traveler, some claims she is not human at all... No matter how deep her secrets are, New Babbage is bound to her for it's very existence. And maybe not only Babbage...
Porta Terrarum device is exhibited now in the theater as some attraction for visitors, calm and harmless. But some questions still remains unanswered. There is powerful masonic Lodge, with some agent in Babbage. There are remaining members of “The Thirteen” club of scientists, and I wonder – what if some of them will be able to repair the device? And there is of course Van Greed. Several days after the horror above Babbage was defeated, Bow Street police received the footage of the vortex, together with note: “To The Mayor of New Babbage – Best Regards from the Van Greed Society”. Which means some of society members must have been in Babbage at that time...

The Van Greed Footage

And there is another thing which disturbs me a little: the body of Jason Moriarty was never found...
(the end)

Murder in Babbage - Grande Finale

2007-09-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

So it is over. At least I think so. And since all Babbage has seen it on that day, up in the skies, I feel I should try to recollect here what exactly happened. I've spoken to orphans, Myrtil, McKay and Loki, and to other people, and here is the chain of events of that day as I understood them...

There was a town meeting in the evening, as every other month, but today it was held under the Babbage square in the engine hall. And while we, citizens of Babbage, were listening Mayor's assurance the Eliot's device is kept safe and guarded in Bow Street police department, the real Eliot's device was at that very moment in the secret room under the floor of the Imperial theater. I still don't know how has Jason Moriarty found all three parts of the device, but one was given to him by McKay Beck, as an exchange for the life of Victor Wunderlich aka Ally Wunder, whom Moriarty has kidnapped. In that secret room, Moriarty plugged the device, fueled now by human blood, into the big mechanism under the theater. I was true – the Moriarty's painting in Absinthe house was really portrait of Eliot's device, connected to this big machinery and fueled by human essence. It wasn't symbolic painting, it was almost an operating instructions!

So while we were listening to Mayor, Moriarty was working, trying to open the gate and bring the old gods into our world. The Eliot's device was the most important part, but it worked only connected to the Imperial theater. Not only the big machinery in the attic floor, but all the pipes and forcers, covered by dust, all those old distribution systems everybody ignored, because Babbage is full of stuff like that, even the old projector and screen... I'm sure no one has ever seen the theater working as a theater. As a matter of fact, the whole building was designed by prof. Eliot to multiply the effect of his invention, and open the gate. Now is clear why Reifsnider and The Grand Lodge wanted to tear down the theater so bad.
The building was the gate.

And so we saw it, the monstrous vortex raising from the old theater, beam of energy of unbelievable powers. I just stood there with the others, unable to think of anything I could do to stop it. And then McKay told me Prof Nishi is inside, with Moriarty, helping him to open the gate! I couldn't believe that! She couldn't be traitor! Or could she? Was I wrong all the time about her?
But I had no time for thoughts like that. In the center of the vortex, something appeared. Something big, a monstrous cluster of tentacles... The Old Gods were coming!

People, standing on the streets, sitting on the rooftops, were in shock. Some of them tried to fight this monstrosity; Miss Frye was shooting at it, Mr. Mayo used some kind of his peculiar magic, Mr. Shepherd with his new aircraft tried to get closer... all without any result. Even worse: two other, smaller monsters appeared and begun to hunt the Babbage streets... We were doomed.

We heard Moriarty shouting at Prof. Nishi something that they can be stopped, then Prof. Nishi's voice ordered everybody leaving the theater. And then, with huge explosion from inside the theater, the vortex and the big monster disappeared.
But those two lesser monsters still hovered above Babbage streets! And again – no one was capable to defeat them, until Prof. Nishi appeared above the roof of theater. She looked... different. Like she was some creature from another world herself...

She started to fight those monsters. She used something like blasts of very powerful energy... but those creatures were though ones. And whole Babbage just stood there, breathless, and watched those unbelievable duel.
Suddenly, it was over. The monsters were gone, sky was clear again, and Prof Nishi was falling down from those height, exhausted, probably unconsciousness. She hit the pavement hard, and the crowd gathered around her. She looked dead, laying there, fragile and broken, her hair turned completely white.

But thanks God, she was alive, and her friends took her to the museum to take some rest. There were no more Old gods coming, no vortex of energy, no Moriarty.
The Babbage was safe.
(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage - part eleven

2007-09-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not very much in Babbage these days and I'm afraid I'm loosing touch with the latest events . It's hard to recollect what happened recently, since I know only tiny bits of the story...
Victor Wunderlich is missing, kidnapped by Jason Moriarty. It's the worst new I've heard today. Not only one part of Eliot's device is probably in the hands of Moriarty right now, but the child could be already dead, in the light of the facts I've learned recently...
Moriarty's lair in MaYifu Arcade was discovered by prof Nishi and Miss Paine, several days ago, hidden in a narrow space behind a fake wall in the back of one shop. On the walls there hanged photographs of children, together with disturbing drawing of a monster not unlike some giant octopus... I remembered notes about Old gods in all letters relating to Jason Moriarty, and one book I've red which lies in the attic above my little photographic gallery in Canals now. Old gods... if this is what Jason Moriarty really wants to bring into our world, then... then God help us all.

In the back of the room also the diary of Jason Moriarty was found, lying still there when I visited the place. While reading it, my most terrible fears was proved true. And although I felt almost sorry for him, I knew one thing: Jason Moriarty should be stopped.
He was a street child back then when he was helping Prof Eliot with his experiments, and almost like son to the old man. They were exploring some “Blood Mechanicals theory”, suggesting that manipulating with certain elements of human blood can drastically improve human abilities... and in Moriarty's case they were improved for sure, turning him into werewolf. He used orphans for his experiments, experiments with his own, smaller version of Eliot's device... And it's possible those experiments were killing them...

I still don't see the connection between Blood Mechanicals theory and Eliot's device. But one thing is for sure: it's hard to say when Jason's insanity began, but he wants to use Eliot's device to open the gate and bring the Old gods to this world, since he sees some relation between them and his lycantrophy. And he probably will need some children to do it. And I remember blood marks on the walls of the old theater, blood spilled on Jason's painting in Absinthe house... and writing on the wall here, made by blood, saying “I am ready to unveil the truth”...

(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage - part ten

2007-09-03T14:47:00.000-07:00

Last night, there was another death in Babbage. In the gallery of the old Imperial theater the body of Edler Reifsnider, the old man who ordered demolition of the theater, was found, hanged, but again - knife stabbed in his back. Seems the old Opera house is safe from a demolition for a while, but, no matter how rude that old man was, it shouldn't have ended like that... Refsnider tried to hang himself before, but Mayor cut him down, saying only “he didn't want to play this way”. McKay told me about last evening, since I wasn't there at the time. There was some fighting, arguing, shouting... Three notes was found near the body, correspondence between Reifsnider and some masonic “Grand Lodge”. When I went there the other day to see the place of the murder, I found a card lying on the floor, proving Edler Reifsnider was detective of their masonic investigative department.

The letters brought some new informations. Maybe it's good moment to summarize it all, hope this will help me, since I'm getting lost again, walking in circles:

The Grand Lodge. Powerful society, they financed Elliot's experiments as a part of “The Thirteen” group of scientists. They want to find the device and destroy it. (Refsnider shouting at Prof Nishi overheard by Loki - “when it happens, and by god it will happen, no one can stop it” - seems now more like warning than threatening.) They have agents, two of them dead in Caledon already, but at least one in Babbage, woman, still unknown. Refsnider was their agent too, entrusted to arrange the demolition of the theater. Because of the paintings on the walls? Could someone learn something from them? Or is there some bigger secret hidden in the walls of the theater? I've looked there for some part of the Porta Terrarum device and found nothing, but it doesn't mean it's not there somewhere...

“The Thirteen”. Group of scientists, financed by the Grand Lodge, Prof. Eliot was one of them. They believed in pure scientific explanation of all. For them, Elliot's device was a way how to find a new unlimited materials for industry. The disaster at Sunrise probably killed some of them, but several stay hidden somewhere. They have sent Giles Canning to Babbage, to find some parts of the device, with list of people he should have contact, probably. In my opinion, they want to find the device and continue the experiments, but I don't quite believe they would be able to kill for it.

Van Greed society. Still mystery to me. Elliot was frightened of them, so is The Grand Lodge, they killed two of their agents in Caledon, maybe they are behind the murders here in Babbage. Most dangerous player here, because nothing is known of them...

Jason Moriarty. Former participator of Eliot's experiments, suffering from some sort of side effects, probably lycantrophy. He started experiments of his own, but involving mysticism and “Old Gods”, unlike “The Thirteen”, who believed in pure science and decided to get rid of him, maybe even kill him. He wants the device for his own experiments, which, in my opinion, could be extremely dangerous, if the indications about “old Gods” are true...

Prof. Nishi. Again a little mystery to me, but she seems to gather a group of people around her who are trying... what exactly are they trying to do? I don't know, but I hope they are doing the right thing. Maybe I'll have to just ask her, as she told me once... And Babbage orphans do believe her, and that's most important for me.

But, as always, everything said above could be just my speculation...

(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage - part nine

2007-09-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

The week off Babbage cleared my mind a little bit. There were several things at the evening at Loki's absinthe house I almost forgot... When Victor Wunderlich arrived, Loki called him “Ally”, while Victor obviously didn't liked it very much. That means Victor Wunderlich and Ally Wunder are one and the same person, the orphan who should have delivered part of Elliot device to Caledon contact, probably to Mr. Canning. Unfortunately Victor vanished again...
Before my leave I've talked with Shay, one of the orphans who also tries to find out what's happening here. According to him the Eliot device found in Prof. Nishi's laboratory is fake, and I agree. But still – nobody hasn't seen even one part of the true Porta Terrarum device, as far as I know...

After a week of traveling, I've returned to Babbage and found the old Opera house, assigned to demolition just before my leave by some man I've never heard of, still there, open again. As I've learned from Loki whom I've met shortly after my arrival, together with Mr. Vella, Miss Rossini and Shay McDowwll, there were an incident in Opera house, when Edler Reifsnider, the same man who ordered demolition, threatened orphans and claimed he is the proper owner of the Opera house, even after mayor Sprocket denominated his documents as a forgery. There were even some fight, and if Prof. Nishi would not intervene, it may have ended rather nasty...
But one thing is bothering me: Loki heard Reifsnider shouting at Prof. Nishi “when it happens, and by god it will happen, no one can stop it”. And I'm thinking of someone wanting Elliot's device, which is probably capable to open a gate between worlds, so much that he has killed two people already. And I'm thinking about letter on the back of the Moriarty painting, speaking about old gods... And I'm afraid. Afraid that the best thing anyone can do if the Porta Terrarum device would be found is to destroy it once for all...
(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage - part eight

2007-08-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

What an evening! Yesterday seems to be one of that days when no matter what you do, everything is wrong... I attended art cafe party at Loki's Absinthe house yesterday, I even showcased one smaller photography of the place itself. My first mistake was my dress, I choose an old gown in deep green, thought it would be good idea for “Absinthe evening”. Sure. I haven't realized the gown was a little too old, even for those most formal events in Caledon. I couldn't move, I couldn't breathe and I looked like some big green thing from the deep (especially after I fell into the canals at one moment). Only tentacles was missing...

My second mistake was letting Eggberta, editor-in chief of New Babbage Cog, to publish excerpts from my diary in her newspapers. It would do no good for my searching, it has become too popular, people were reading it as an amusement story, and of course, it has attracted attention to me. I realized it fully when I met Prof Nishi, she apparently presumes Bow Street Police has closed her workshop according to my discovery there and I wasn't able to convince her it was closed before I even had written about it... Besides, she now thinks I work for the papers. And although she invited me to her laboratory, I'm sure her behavior towards me is several degrees below zero now... So it was great evening, when I messed whatever I could.
Victor Wunderlich, a boy whose name is also on the list, appeared on the event, only for the moment, and than vanished again. He was scared of “bad man”... could it be Jason Moriarty? Jason, sending death threads to mayor Sprocket, hiding somewhere in the Arcade shops (according to urchins),... and hanging a painting on the wall of Absinthe gallery!

Yes, there was a disturbing picture, painted by Jason Moriarty, hanging just next to my photography (what an irony)... And while Prof Nishi was talking about the mystical symbols on the canvas, I was wondering if anybody else has noticed it's actually painting of Prof Eliot's device, only as a part of some bigger machinery, and with human face in place of “Babbage mark 6” part. And finally, Miss Li discovered another note, on the back of the canvas, a letter from prof Elliot to Jason! He reasons him, kindly, to stop his experiments, and his letter is so warm-hearted that Loki pointed out Prof. Eliot probably cared more for this Jason than for his own grandson... I felt sorry for the boy...
“The thirteen” seems now as some society interested in science, and Prof Elliot was one of them, that's finally one clear thing from all this mess. Jason tried to sabotage their effort, and they wanted to prevent him from doing it, probably kill him. Prof Eliot tried to warn him... And there is something about Jason's affection to the destiny and old gods...
I'm tired, and maybe a little paranoid – I see clues everywhere, but don't know their meaning. There are drawings on the walls in the Opera house attic, with the same symbols that appeared on the Jason's painting, at least one seems to be made by the same hand – Jason's hand. There is another Elliot's device, locked in the Bow Street office – looks exactly like the one at Miss Nishi's table. And for a while, I found myself staring at Miss Li's feathered hat yesterday at the event, wondering what if poor Mr. Canning wasn't true Caledon contact...
I need some rest. For the next week, I'll be mostly traveling, and I don't know If I'll be able to return to Babbage soon and continue with my searchings... but I hope so.
(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage - part seven

2007-08-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

I've met Loki Elliot finally, on the rooftops of Babbage, while he was building a plank walks above the roofs. The urchins are scared to walk the streets, so they'll be walking the roofs instead. Besides it's more fun I guess.
Loki didn't know his grandfather very well, he even had no idea the old man was hiding next door to him all the time... he described him as a mad scientist who didn't care about his family. Loki's father died in some accident in the distillery years ago (although Loki have never seen his body – interesting, maybe I should find more about this accident), so I understood Loki can be upset his grandfather was hiding even from him, and the boy thought he was completely alone... And, exactly as Myrtil told me, Loki have no idea of the part of the device he should be given to. He invited me to his party, which will be held in Absinthe house. Don't know if it's good idea, all urchins on one place, announced far in advance, they could be an easy target to whoever wants to harm them. I hope I'll manage to buy some firearm before the event, somehow I have the feeling going there with bare hands would be a mistake...

Later I was going through my notes again, and seems I was wrong about two things at least. First, it's not clear Prof. Elliot has actually given the part of the device to Loki. “The second part is with my grandson...” What exactly does it mean?
Second – I can't remember how did I get the idea Jason Moriarty was Prof. Eliot first assistant. From the note it's clear he was one of the volunteers, who has developed psychotic behavior and started his own experiments on urchins. And another thing – Prof. Elliot was hiding both from Van Greed society and from “The Thirteen”. Are they the same group of people?
Other I've learned from Loki: his grandfather owned not only small workshop under the attic, but whole opera house. And, no one of urchins has seen Ally Wunder for some time. Loki told me that Jason Moriarty, not a wolf, but human, was looking for him and for Ally on Sunrise...
(to be continued...)

Murder in Babbage - part six

2007-08-21T09:48:00.000-07:00

I was in shock. The mysterious invention, separated into three parts, none of them could be find, the thing that already has caused two murders, was here, just lying on the table. What should I do? That would prove Prof. Nishi is involved into these murders, maybe she's even the killer herself! She has found the hidden part and somehow obtained second part from the Loki, and while Ally had given the last part to Mr. Cannings, she killed him... but why would she need the device? Is she in touch with “The Thirteen” or Van Greed society? She's scientist, so maybe she knows how to use the device... her name was on the list... But there seemed to be something wrong with this all. The device. It looked almost exactly like on Prof. Elliots drawing... except the small part named there as “Babbage Mark 6”. Although it's not very clear from the picture, it looks different. And whole device seemed to be too polished, too... new. But why would be Miss Nishi interested in making a new device? Does she try to repeat Elliot's experiment? I decided better not tell anyone for now, and speak with Miss Nishi first.

Walking the streets of Babbage, thinking about those mysteries, I've runned upon Mckay Beck, another urchin whose name appears on the list. Before I could talk to him, Prof Nishi appeared together with Miss Paine, and tried to learn something about those list of names from him, but he seemed to have no idea, same as Myrtil before. He apparently knows about Elliot's experiment, but told us he is not allowed to talk about it,... he was scared . But the one who seemed to be most scared was Miss Nishi. She too had no idea why her name is on the list. Later I talked to Myrtil again and I learned somebody has told Bow Street police and they discovered the device in Miss Nishi's lab and closed the place for further investigation.

I was trying to talk to Miss Nishi, but she is very distant and apparently doesn't believe anyone. No wonder. Too many people are already involved... But I'm still not sure which side she is standing on. I have to be careful...
Right now, the urchins seem to be the key to solve this mystery...
(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage - part five

2007-08-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've met couple of urchins near the Babbage Townhall: Shay McDowwll, Gin Flow and finally Myrtil Igaly, a girl who was couple of days ago asking me about a man with feathered hat. Shay made some investigation himself, (seems more Babbage urchins are seeking some clues about what's happening here) but – same as me – he's come to the dead end. Myrtil had no idea why her name is on the list, and seemed to be quite scared of it – I believed her. There is still possibility (although I doubt about it) the list contains names of next victims... But what she told me was very interesting.

She met Jason Moriarty on Sunrise island couple of days before - and she described him as a werewolf! He attacked her and several her friends, than vanished, more beast than human. Could it be some result of his previous experiments?
Myrtil asked Loki already about part of the machinery in his possession, but seems the boy has forgotten his Grandfather gave him anything important or weird... so possibly the part of the device is lying in some trunk together with other old stuff or something like that. Possibly...

Finally, we spoke about Nareth E. Nishi, or Prof. Nishi, according to Myrtil. And it was then when Myrtil told us, with quiet voice, that maybe we should take a better look at the new building near the pirate store, the place where Prof. Nishi is “making stuff”. If we will sneak through the backdoor, we will be surprised...
At first I wasn't sure to do that, after all it's a private property, but thinking of all what happened in the last days I realized I had no choice. And so I soon found myself standing in the backyard of the house, first making myself sure nobody's around. I opened the door... and for the next several moments I just stood there breathless (until I've realized closing the door behind me wouldn't be such a bad idea).
On the Prof. Nishi's worktable, surrounded by papers and test-tubes, stood Prof. Elliot's Porta Terrarum Device!

(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage - part four

2007-08-20T12:11:00.000-07:00

There was another note found near the body of Mr. Canning, a list of names. I've heard many guesses of what the list does mean, most people believe, it's a list of next victims... but it doesn't make sense to me. Mr. Vella came with interesting theory that those names are people somehow involved with the Porta Terrarum experiment, and that Mr. Canning came here to ask them if they knew something about Prof. Elliot's death. The name of the killer, according to Mr. Vella, could be on that list too, and has been asked incorrect question... which I don't quite believe.

On the list there are names of the urchins, Loki, Ally, Myrtil Igaly and Mckay Beck. But under the line there are two other names. First is Jason Moriarty – is he this mysterious Jason, the first assistant of Prof. Elliot, who made some research of his own and according to Prof. Elliot performed some dark experiments on Babbage street urchins? If so, there are several clues which points out he could be the killer... it even fits Mr. Vella's theory!
The second name is Nareth E. Nishi, a quite, pale, redhead lady I saw several times in Babbage. She is a scientist and will be opening a Palaezoic Museum in Babbage soon...

(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage - part three

2007-08-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

I've returned to the Babbage together with Mr. Vella, and we searched for the missing part of Alexander Elliot's invention under the attic of Imperial Theater which I considered to be his workspace.

We found nothing. I have a suspicion the missing part could be a giant cog, or some piece of the machinery which is turning and ticking under the attic floor, but it doesn't fit the drawing anyway... But still: what is purpose of the giant machinery in that room?

Later it occurred I had focused so much on finding the missing part of the invention than the really important things I seemed missed. I've met a young girl, one of the Babbage urchins, who wanted to speak with some policeman here and asked me whether I know someone in Caledon who wears feathered hat. According to her that man should be the “Caledon contact” to whom Ally Wunder should have passed the second piece of the invention. I didn't payed much attention to what she said, unfortunately, as it occurred later...
In the evening, I've recieved a note from Mr. Vella. Another murder. This time, the victim was Mr. Giles Canning. Again knife in his back with note stabbed to the body. And while the police was closing the area, I noticed the feather on the victim's hat...

There were a note, and a phonograph cylinder, with recording from the disaster on Sunrise Island. Mr. Canning is mentioned there as an assistant of Alexander Elliot. Now he is also dead. Which leads me to several questions: how many people was at the time of the experiment helping Prof. Elliot? Where are they now? Whose voice is it on the recording? Who are “The Thirteen”, signed under the note? They apparently desperately wants to stay secret. The note speak about Prof. Elliot's first assistant, while on the phonograph Mr. Canning was called “new” assistant... Was the first assistant Jason, mentioned in some previous note of Prof. Elliot? Seems so. The “13” wanted to warn Mr. Canning against “first assistant”, that's clear from the note...So is this Jason responsible for this murder? And if the victim really was the “Caledon contact”, has Ally found him before he was killed? Because if so, the second part of the invention is now in the possession of the killer.

“The Thirteen” wanted Mr. Canning to get rid of any evidence that could prove his connection with Sunrise experiment, and since the phonograph cylinder was found near the body, I presume he was trying to do so. But he was too late...
One thing from the phonograph recording was clear: seems on Sunrise Island Prof. Elliot probably found the way how to open the gate to another dimension...

The recording from Sunrise cylinder

(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage - part two

2007-08-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

I've arrived to the island of Sunrise and met there Mr. Tintas Vella, a fellow explorer who has visited me recently in my house in Babbage. This island is home of Loki Elliot, a grandson of murdered Prof. Elliot, and his friends. Now I realized the whole complex of small islands is truly an atoll, which appeared to form it's topology only after the disaster.

But the inside lagoon seemed calm and peaceful, with nothing strange there, as far as I could tell from the beach. The whole place looked like perfect vacation spot, until a strange woman appeared and shouted something about zombies in the cave, than run away. Perhaps she was just mad, but what if this could be some result of Prof. Elliot's experiment? I decided explore this later, since meanwhile I've found Minehouse Laboratory on the hill, a place which was somewhere in the past occupied by Prof. Elliot.

And there, finally, I discovered a schematic of his invention, “Porta Terranum Device”.

Three parts, one in the possession of his grandson, one carried by Ally Wunder into the Caledon, one still hidden somewhere. But where? From the note on the desk I understood Alexander Elliot had a laboratory under the attic of the old Imperial theater in Babbage, the same occupied by urchins at the present time...
(to be continued)

Murder in Babbage!

2007-08-16T10:41:00.000-07:00

Again, it has been long long time since my last journal entry. So many things has happened I'm not able to cover them all, not even briefly. Caledon in war with Neualtenburg, Werewolf hunting, several new sims, Allien attack, Steampunk expo, SLRFL events... I'll probabaly come to that again somewhere in the future. But early this month, in Babbage, happened something which led me to this journal again. I'll try to recollect here my notes, since it has been some days ago...

A murder. On the top floor above Loki Elliot Absinthe bar, a dead body was found, with knife in his back. The body was identified as Loki's grandfather, Alexander Elliot. I've visited this place, the body still there, with notes cluterred all over the floor. While reading them a strange story was arising, and as I red further and further, I found myself more and more involved in that mystery...

It seems Alexander Elliot was working on some great and dangerous invention. He was performing experiments on the Sunrise Island, and probably discovered forces such strong that failure of the last experiment has blown up the whole island and left only circle of atolls around the crater.

Anyway, after this catastrophe Alexander Elliot apparently stopped the experiments and destroyed his invention. Well, not really destroyed, he divided it into three parts, one he gave to his grandson Loki, the other to some urchin named Ally Wunder with instructions to pass it to some contact in Caledon. The last part he hid somewhere... There was also a note about someone called Jason, probably his assistant, who begun some experiments of his own – Prof. Elliot disagreed with his behaviour. And mysterious Van Greed Society, which he seemed to be scared of... Maybe it was them who killed him? But who are they?
The first step seemed to be explore the place of the disaster, the Sunrise Island, a little more...
(to be continued)

Babbage Gallery

2007-05-31T07:34:00.001-07:00

My gallery in Babbage Canals is finally set up, soon it will be filled with more pictures. (And more advertising posters, which are freebies, of course...)
The attic will be filling up also, right now inhabited only by several mouses and spiders... But I have left my diary there, also as a freebie...

Other than that, I rented a small gallery space on Cetus Gallery District, one of the most prominent gallery areas. I'm still not quite sure if anybody would be interested in my photographs...

Moving in Babbage Canals

2007-05-24T05:38:00.000-07:00

After long long break, I'm finally back. Again, it's impossible to keep tracks of all things which has happened during the last weeks...Caledon is in war with Neualtenburg; this has been covered by many journal entries and I hope I'll bring some links to them in very near future. Other than that, the biggest airship the world has ever seen, Caledon Steam city has been built and with no doubts it's a most wonderful part of whole Caledon yet. In Babbage, a new Canal District has been opened, And although I'd love to purchase the parcel in the Steam City, it's still a little too expensive for me.
So in the end I've rented one of the small row houses in Babbage Canals...

I'm still moving in. The whole area is still been build, I'm just a little aware of the railroad, which, according to plans, should lead just next to my house. The house is really small, but everything has to start somewhere, and this place seems fine. In the ground floor I'd like to have a gallery of my photograph, and under the attic... well, this place has a scent of some mystery there. In the meantime, I'll store there some stuff I've found on my journeys.

Last but not least, I've finally found good traveller shoes which fits me. This quest took me more time that you'd ever imagine... you won't believe how difficult it is when you're not size zero. By the way, this airship is Mr. Reymont vessel, docked on the rooftop of Caledon Adventures Club.

Photographs

2007-03-19T07:58:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-03-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-02-25T10:33:00.000-08:00

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

2007-02-11T14:21:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

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

2007-01-18T11:25:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-18T04:54:00.000-08:00

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

2006-11-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

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

2006-10-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

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

2006-09-22T09:05:00.001-07:00

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)