NEWS FLASH: SL ToS Gets Tossed in Court

http://mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/loadNews/7893

It took a Judge to tell them what we already knew: SL's current Terms of Service are too vague and there's no adequate appeals process for disciplinary actions by the Lindens.

Ye Better Believe in Fairy Tales..

'Ere I am, sick and stripped down to me clay wit' a pair of wings stuck in me back! An' I can't even speak like me old self! It's bloody Toxia all over again!

Here's wot I remember:



There I go patrollin' an' I ran into some friends at th' Anvil. I sit meself down and have a pint o' hot oil to loosen up me gears. It starts rainin' so we all scramble inside before I get to rust. In comes Miss McAllister in the new dress me Daddy bought for her birthday! (I pitched in for it, really I did!)

So the piano's playin' and we're having a bonnie time so I say "slip me another pint of WD40 if you please!" Well I've had sweet crude before but never THIS sweet! I shrug an' keep drinkin. One minute I'm talkin' wit' Christine..

An' then I woke up! People thought I was just down for maintenance so nobody tried t' wake me! Me whole body was wracked wit' pain, me gears screamin' full o' grit! I saw the black stain on my uniform and the grainy mess in it...SUGAR!

SOMEBODY SPIKED ME BLOODY OIL WITH SUGAR CUBES!!

I was so sick I couldn't walk a straight line! I'm wanderin' about in circles an' Lady Darkling yanks me into Tanglewood where I collapse. She trues to pick me up, but honest, love.. she's a Fae and I'm half metal!





So I'm ready to burn up from this treacle in me and I'm worried about spoilin' Lady D's labyrinth on her lawn! She whips up a metal bowl for me to tear out me wares and talk to Ralph and Earl on the big white telephone.

Now 'ere's where thing get a bit weird..

I dunno if it's from all the faefolk livin in' Tanglewood or the trees or wot but this island is HIGH MAGICK. I take out me metal and oil and expect to go comatose and wait around for Daddy to take me home and clean me out again. But instead..




I turned FAE, just like I did back in LUMINDOR!

There must be enough fae blood in me from my creation to take on this guise. (And no Lady D, me Daddy would NEVER kill a Fae for her blood! That would ruin me formula!) An' since I'm adjustin' to this new template..and Darkling's the only Fae in sight..me voice takes on her liltin' tones! OH she thought I was mockin' 'er!

So Darkling's lettin' me live in her tree until all this sugar passes. I still feel a bit shaky tell the truth.

Miss Emilly took some time off from her new dancin' job to talk with me after Darkling goes off to attend business. We talked a long time. About the House..about Daddy..about work...about how me poor later self..what happened to her life the first time and the second time she rewrote it. It's only gonna get worse from 'ere for her if she don't stop.

It HAD to be her! Who else would know much treacle to slip in me oil wit' me not noticin' ta spit it out! Well ya FAILED ya crazy bucket o' bolts! I'm still here! So if ya see a Qli walkin' about Caledon the next few days IT AIN'T ME!

~Qli

As if things weren't bad enough..

My evil duplicate has been seen sneaking around Caledon again. I warned you Miss Steel, this is my home and I will protect it, Paradox or no! For the last time..

*unsheathes DCS Talons*

Stay..away.

Oh My..

My Father has started his own aether journal. Isn't that..nice?

*turns her emergency release valve on her pressure guage with a trembling hand until it falls to the floor with a clatter, still smiling sweetly*

Bunnies, Eggs, and my Peeps

In Caledon Tanglewood, there was a huge gathering of tiny sentients.. including small woodland creatures, dragon hatchlings (and pre-hatchlings!)and plush toy golems. Along with the anklebiter crowd and some token humanoids were two larger draconians and a colossal stuffed bear. I stood on guard nervously, fire extinguisher at the ready.







Fire-breathing dragons and a huge, floating sack of cotton and cloth. In Tanglewood.

I need to ask the Governor for a stipend.

Afterwards I was summoned to Steelhead to host an impromptu party. Apparently the citizens take great joy in recolouring large eggs, and my Aunt Lumina and Miss Tensai won first and second place. I think it has something to do with ancient Spring fertility rites, but the behaviour still confounds me.




And Tensai has hidden eggs of temporal energy about the sim, primed for engineering as stargates. Perhaps Miss Orr can find one as a replacement for her broken Time Key.

Afterwards I traveled to Silverscreen to see the fruits of Miss Orr's collaboration with a corporate entity for the film 300. A little searching and you can find some wonderful free weapons, armour, and clothing! We really should have a Toga Party in Steelhead!


My Father and I had just seen the film. I had to ask him hold his tongue several times as he started telling me how different the film was from the actual battle as he remembered it.





But he was adamant that the King Xerxes of Persia did not look like RuPaul.

~Qli

In an Octopus's Garden

Steelhead decided to throw an encore of the first Underwater Ball I threw during the previous management. Sadly, my hermit crab shell was not as waterproof as I had hoped..and honestly very uncomfortable even for a being made mostly of clay! So I graciously left the hosting dutied to my father, who was in spectacular form.

Which brings me to my next point.. It seems during my evil twin's stay in Steelhead she sabotaged the oxygen compressor in father's pressure suit, requiring him to make an emergency surface just before the female contest winner was annnounced.

Luckily since father is not restricting himself as a human anymore, he simply allowed the water to fill his lungs, since demons do not need to breathe.

Tonight is Fairy Tale Night at the Ballroom, so I am told. I was never a child to be raised on such stories so I do not see the appeal.

Father is also accepting the Marshal badge in Tombstone again, but House Bloodwing will stay in Steelhead. He hopes that since Tombstone has changed hands relations can be restored between former sister cities.

~Qli

Give Peace a Chance!

Just as I feared,a good-natured rivalry has spiraled out of control. To paraphrase, declaring war for charity is like copulating for virginity!

Will these humans never learn?

~Qli

The Society that Writes and the One that Doesn't

I found this parchment on the dining room table of House Bloodwing

~Qli

Of Sharing and Silence

From the smallest mouse to the mighty sky-city
From conspiracy's schemes to the warmest welcomes
From the pain of shattered loves
To the wonders of love awakened
From shameless promotion to selfless charity
From celebration to mourning
From absurdity to profundity
United in narrative

Save the one who excuses himself
But the infrequent interjection
Always a smile and eyes aglow
When the music blares and bodies writhe
But thinks his thoughts not safe for mortal eyes
Regrets raking flesh in shadowed silence
Blackblood prince by father disowned
Mother brother sister son and daughters lost
Precious diamond and dweomer discarded
Whispers of betrayal by the betrayed
Fumbling for fireflies of hope in the darkness
Only to float from his grasp
Semblance of man forgotten
Enlightenment's drawings on pale skin dimmed
Royal red robes worn on hidden throne
As amber eyes burn cold
And a sad hand scrawls to reveal
What eons sought to bury

~Darien

The Doom that Came to Caledon (And Left Just as Quickly!)

Last night I was exploring the remains of the extraterrestrial craft unearthed in Caledon Moors. This "vertikon" as it calls itself is a fascinating device..and such bizarre cosmic flotsam it carried me to! The Caledonians have already wheedled the secret of cavorite from this insectoid husk, what other djinni shall the NeoVictorians unleash? And will their paradigm survive?

Most shocking I saw small tiny replicas of the mothercraft scuttling aimlessly about the crash site. Self-replicating technology..reactiviating after a crash-landing when unearthed after who knows how long. I looked up at the massive unearthed manipulators an wondered..was this a sentient construct, or something so alien that the terms "organism" and "machine" simply did not apply? Will these grubs grow to the size of the mothership to threaten us? Could the mothership itself..reactivate? Worse, is there a hive of these behemoths swarming through the cosmos looking for their lost companion? Is the catalyst for Caledon's anachronistic leap into antigravity flight indeed the origin of her undoing?

As I pondered, gazing down from the site into the greater landscape, I heard an alarm from my fellow Firefighter, the Baroness Dimsum. She announced that a presence of the Chtulhu Mythos had come through a dimensional gate and ordered all residents of the Moors to evacuate. I did see an unusual swirling mist below me, but perhaps luckily for my sanity I could not make out the source. After I herded half a dozen or so bystanders away from the anomaly into the Cay the Baroness used mysterious powers granted by the Guvna and the Lindens to phase the entire Moors out of our dimension, shake it like a rug to flick away the Cthulhoid parasites back into netherspace, then phase it back in with a little tuck around the sides.

Well done, Your Grace! Many lives were spared and Sanity Checks avoided by your diligent wizardry!

(You don't think it followed me back from the vertikon distortion do you? Maybe I'll just stay silent at this point..)

~Qli

Entangling Alliances

ADDENDUM: Mt. Sprocket, the Governor of New Babbage, has sworn that his nation will not ally with Neualtenburg in this conflict. At least for now..

I picked the latest copy of the New Babbage Cog and it says New Babbage and Neualtenburg are now..Sister Cities?

That means Caledon is now at war against New Babbage and Neualtenburg!

This is absolutely DREADFUL! But what am I to do, wear tie-dye and carry a placard outside the Guvna's Mansion?

I must form a Colonies Peace Commitee immediately! Profits made will go to the same charity as the warmongerers of course. Fellow Citizens! Let us show our Guvna that Caledon's talents are best used for PEACE!

~Qli

Why Is This Night..

I didn't see any practical jokes last night in Steelhead, though the giant coelacanth in the harbour serenely gnawing on a rowboat was charming.

Of greater concern was the Xeno I spotted perched on the roof of Beauty & the Beast. I had glimpsed the creature in the sky before during an event at Kokopelli Square, but it diappeared before I could pursue. It was at least four metres tall, and twice that long counting the tail. Numerous spines..I would even call them blades..extruded from all areas of its coal-black exoskeleton. From the safety of one of the shops in Caledon Row I observed the beast. I dismissed the idea that it might be a construct as I saw it feeding on the remains of something..or someone.

I was unsure of what action to take..trying to establish contact carried its risk, and there was always the chance this was some guard-beast Mister meQal had sentried over his store while he recovered from his illness. I took a daguerrotype of the creature for further analysis. But after I snapped the photo, it seemed agitated, turning its head back and forth, searching for the source of the noise. It must have finely honed hearing indeed..I was at least two blocks away!

The beast soon vanished. I flew to where it had been. The beast has left the head of a large saurian on the roof. Did it pull this creature from Steelhead Harbour? If our waterway could support the coelacanth, then there must be other large creatures in the deep for it and the xeno to hunt.

Note to Father: I have SERIOUS reservations about hosting our next Ballon Friday, underwater in the bottom of the Harbour! And this time I cannot be there to protect you..not in my watertight hermit crab body at least.

I returned to Caledon, strolling through the Cay looking for another of those special roses that grow from ime to time. I did meet a new neighbour from the Zombie household. (She did not appear to be undead..I will have to ask discreetly at a later time.) She mentioned in passing that the prior landowner had left Caledon..was this the "pompous blowhard" Captain Pearse had referred to before?

I grew tired of searching and returned to the firehouse to enter a sleep cycle. Androids do indeed dream..at last night I had a nightmare..

I was in full armour, standing on the pier of what my best guess was the Hobo Station. From across the sea an enormous creature, obscured from my sensors by billowing smoke, dove towards me with a roar that shook the island. Sensors could not penetrats the smoke, but this beast was easily the size of Sky City! I immediately began to retreat. Bricks and splintered lumber scattered around me as it smashed buildings in my wake. Somehow I managed to double back to the pier..I felt my systems shorting out as my guages burst. Tesseraction Systems: Offline..Flight Systems: Offline..nowhere left to go but into the water..where all systems would flood and short out..but I had no choice. Just as I leapt, the darkness enveloped me..

And I awoke.

This morning I returned to House Bloodwing to ask Father about the dream. As I enetered I saw my brother Vortex was crouched on the sofa with a nervous expression. He told me that he had the same sort of dream. Furthermore, every time this year in Heliopolis where he was raised, the Immortals would shut their gates and cower for eight days. It was the only time he ever saw his mother, the fearsome Sekhmet herslef, tremble.

Darien arrived, standing in the doorway with a bucket and a brush. He stirred the bucket and then daubed the doorframe in red. Setting the bucket down outside, he entered. He sat down across from us and explained.

"Vortex..your Mother's kin shut their gates this time of year for long ago the God of Hebrews cast judgement upon the Egyptian pantheon, for Pharoah..the avatar of Ra in the First Life..refused to release the Hebrew slaves at the behest of their Prophet. Did you not notice the cracks in every pyramid and pylon in that Eternal City? No stone was left standing upon another stone. Even still they have never recovered to the glory of what they were before the Ten Plagues were unleashed up and down the Nile."

"And my dear daughter..the dream was even more vivid for you because of the Hebrew magic I used to create you. The Tree of Death is still connected to the Tree of Life, and that is how, to my surprise, you were imbued with a soul. Because of this mysterious favor from Him, even I, a Demon Prince, must honor Him on these nights."

"What you saw was the Angel of Death who slew the first born in every household in Egypt. By marking our doors we mark House Bloodwing as safe from that dark angel. I know him by reputation and trust me, you don't want to tangle with him. I don't know if First Created counts as First Born..whether you or Vortex or even Ari are in danger. But after losing your brother Alan, I'm not going to take that chance."

Father then ordered me to mark the balcony door with blood, and Vortex to mark the gates to the service bay in the basement.

~Qli

I Hope I Didn't Scorch the Carpet

I spent the day recalibrating my galvanic tesseractor..it kept spontaneously pulling me in and out of Steelhead in the middle of the International Ball! I was malfunctioning in front of my Father, my friends..everyone! I was so mortified I decided to stand in an alcove adjacent to the Grid and watch the affair from there.

I grow even more melancholy when I read the journal of a dear friend and see what indignities she endures. Even if she is masquerading as something else in that pocket dimension, would I not come to her aid, guns blazing, if she would but ask? Would all of House Bloodwing not come to the aid of a family member in distress?

And sadly, Caledon My Home did not become the new state anthem. My congratulations to Miss Jamie. I did receive a consolation prize at least.

The one highlight is I found a copy of the soundtrack to Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Origa sings like a Russian angel!

Now I will re-enter the Grid and be watchful of some sim-wide practical joke..

~Qli

Games without Frontiers

It has been clarified in another forum that the brewing conflict between Caledon and Neualtenburg is a "wargame" in the name of Charity. Furthermore, rhetoric by some indivduals have become a bit caustic. A point has been made that the word "Hun" is considered derogatory and out-of-bounds when referring to the Teutonic nation in this staged battle.

I admit to having the used the term "Hun" in a homourous post elsewhere. My archival research indicated this term was used in official notices (read: propaganda) so I concluded it was an historically accurate apellation. The rhetoric of the Great War seemed quaint to the modern researcher when compared to the vitriol manufactured by both sides in the confrontation that followed.

I do apologize to the nation of Neualtenburg and the Kaiserin herself whom I have had the plasure to meet previously. Any further disparagements against the Neualtenburgers that appear to be made by myself would only be a part of a campaign of deception by my shadow-future nemesis, Qlippothic Steel.

The growing tensions begin Caledon and New Babbage are once again my highest level of concern in the poitical sphere.

~Qli

Qlippothic Projects vs. Qlippothic Steel

I have finished reviewing through my journal, adding addenda where my future double wrote in my place, trying to thread truth from lies and loyalty from madness. For those who care to read, I have linked her "blog" in the list to the left of mine. However I do not call her "Trusted Correspondence" by any stretch of the imagination and urge you Dear Reader to take her words with a grain of salt. She changes her biography so frequently that I wonder if she is a compulsive liar or if her traumas have corrupted the memories in her Soul Drive.

Now she seems to be pulling my friends away from me. Spring-Heeled Jack has joined her new master's Toy Soldiers. And she is trying to recruit dear Midnight into that gang of thugs as well!

I will tell you my friends, the best way to tell the Qli you know and love from this mad doppleganger that haunts me:

The biggest giveaway are the eyes. My eyes, and my dermal layer beneath my synthetic skin glow red from my fire within. Miss Steel's true form glows green from the toxic waste she has lived in. She may suppress the toxins deep inside her for small amounts of time. (She may also be highly radioactive..)

My voice has been described as "an American lady reciting in a Victorian finishing school with copper walls." My double talks like she came from the streets of Chicago in the 1920's, with a jumble of slang from all over the 20th and 21st centuries.

I bear the Caledon flag on the helmet of my armour, she bears the caricature of Doctor Steel's bald, goggled and bearded face in a white circle on a red field.

Unless I have business with my Aunt Flea in the Mythic Age you will most likely find me somewhere in the Age of Steam, or what some Caledonians are recently calling "The Colonies". If you run into a Qlippothic in Toxia or some other Dark Future, assume the worst.

Lastly, our behaviour. You know what the level of standards I hold myself to. You know I am welcoming and amiable. My double..is deceptive and unbalanced. She has long ago abandoned the standards of decency that I adhere to. And most importantly she is POTENTIALLY VIOLENT. If you are sure the Qli you see is not me, do not approach her. Do not act alarmed. Do call your constable, city watch, or military for help. If necessary, try to summon my Father, Darien Mason in Steelhead City. He created us both, and he knows how to uncreate us as well.

Father once told me "You are your own worst enemy." Never did I imagine this proverb would apply to me so literally!

~Qlippothic Projects

Fire Brigade Grand Opening

After an hour delay due to outside issues I finally arrived to a small festival worthy of the Cay. I was greeted by Miss Freya H., Miss Darkling, Lady Vandeverre, and Mister Oldsarge. Miss Vandeverre proudly presented the new epaulets for the CVFB uniforms, including a fringed version for the Captain..a splendid addition to an already fabulous uniform!

Aside from the faint smell of rum, my analysis of the smoking craters was still inconclusive..but Miss Darkling did supposed the craters were caused by munitions. We followed a supposed path of trajectory which led to a floating Caledonian ironclad. Sure enough, one of the twin turrets was aimed directly at the Cay. I suppose the carnage on the ground had been the aftermath of some battle with sky-pirates!

The CIRRUS stalled close to the ironclad due to turbulence between sims, but the gracious Mr. Newall flew to our aid in a very intriguing Tesla anitgravity backpack (similar to my own in function, but not armoured for combat). After providing some pointers, we were flying again!

I landed quite close to wear we had taken off originally. Miss Freya spotted some fire in a nearby glade, and I donned my steam-powered armour to investigate. These were no normal flames. As we would approach one it would float away or reappear wherever are head turned. I felt like we were chasing rainbows! One of them even danced on the river surface by the bridge, as if it knew my weakness, taunting me. Somehow Freya cornered one, but my extinguisher did nothing but ruin my new recruit's braids. My only conclusion is that these were will o' wisps. And since they were not causing anything to combust..and may well be sentient elementals..we sent a letter to the owner of the land explaining our findings and retired for the evening.

~Captain Qlippothic Projects, CVFB

Caledon Protected!

a letter, black ink on pale violet paper:

"My Dear Miss Qli, or Captain Projects ~ I have at long last located a small structure that might serve as housing such as the fire brigade and yehrself may require. Alas, Caledonian land is highly prized, and the only arrangements that could be made are somewhat, well, charming. I do hope that they are able to get the blood out of the carpet, and the smell of dead buccaneer out of the curtains. I patched the gunshot holes meself. ....If there are any changes I can make to the structure, furnishings, land or landscaping, please do not hesitate to ask. ..Your patroness and friend, Lady Darkling Elytis, Baroness of Amondeu.

post script ~ Please do feel free also to avail yehrself of the facilities next door, at the Wee Green Faerie publick house. Should yeh see a handsome rogue named Pierre the Tiger, do please remind him that he still owes me several shiny coin."


Splendid! Lady Darkling has once again proven her philanthropic nature to all! I am perplexed by the smoke rising from the ground in the parcel next to mine..is it volcanic?

I would very much like to invite everyone to Caledon Cay and see the firehouse this Tuesday at 7. The CIRRUS will be moored and refreshments will be served. Now is *your* chance to join the Fire Brigade!

I hope the Primverness firehouse will be built soon as well..having the firehouse and the hangar so far apart on the island seems a logistical nightmare! I do hope other Barons will consider the necessity of having firehouses on their estates as well!

~Qli

Caledon My Home

For seventeen days I was trapped. Nausea shook my frame as I melted rubber in my furnace for its petroleum. Thick smoke coated my insides with filth. The only relief was from incinerating bones, which burn hotter than coal. I kept telling myself I was doing the poor souls a favour.

My optic sensors degraded from radiation. I performed self-surgery..improvising a new sensor and housing before I went completely blind.

I saw my old android friend Neobokrug. He was resigned to his fate..or perhaps he was content there.. running a recycling machine, remolding scrap for bare essentials of continued functioning..and watching salvaged archives projected on a concrete wall.

Even Toxia was better than this place. If either man or machine could survive into the next Age it would define the word "Miracle".

No vegetation..not a single blade of glass. Never did I feel so alone.
And when things were at their most dire, when my soulflame began to flicker and dim..my voice rose above the din of trash fires and squeaking rats in what I supposed to be my swansong..cradling myself on the concrete stair of a bombed-out building..I sang a song of home..

Over fields and rolling hills
Across the moors, on rocky shores
Past tangled trees and moutain skies
Is where our tartan flies!

Caledon! Our prosp'rous nation
Where the flag unfurls
Tradition guides and Progress drives
Our beacon to the world!

Explore, my friend! Go far and wide
Lose yourself in ancient tome
But first behold your flag with pride
Sing "Caledon, my home!"

My words echoed through the concrete canyons, grown silent. I waited for the punishment of having so foolishly given away my position. Instead..light, scattered applause. Father always did say I had a beautiful voice, I thought, as powered down to sleep.

The unshielded wrath of the sun stretched across the poisoned sky in the morning. The glare on my failing eye made me wince and I woke..

A tattered tartan tied into a sack lay in my hand. Inside I found a lump of coal the size of my fist.

~Qli

RESCUED!

With much patience I finally summoned a passing Time Lord! This gracious Gallifreyan, who answered by the name of Ewan, landed his TARDIS in the middle of a native encampment.




The desperate survivors circled the device, speculating as to its function. One supposed it was a latrine, another decided it was valuable as scrap metal. Mr. Ewan dematerialised us both before they could test either theory.

I am safe in Caledon now. I had to modify one of my eyes in the field to compensate for the radiation interference, but I can repair it quickly.

My one bit of revenge..I gave Mr. Ewan the EXACT coordinates of my evil double, so I materialsed OVER her and shunted her into otherspace!

Now to go to the Falling Anvil for a cup of hot oil! No..after this I could go for a shot of kerosene!

~Qli

EMERGENCY TRANSMISSION

COORDINATES STEELHEAD CITY OR USA 21-3-1928 0600SLT

SOS STOP TRAPPED IN POST APOCOLYPTIC AGE STOP NATIVES HOSTILE STOP RESOURCES SCARCE STOP RADIATION AND TOXINS HIGH STOP DOCTOR SPUTNIK ANYONE PLEASE HELP STOP ARMOUR AND GALVANIC TESSERACTOR STOLEN BY

TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED

Oops! Sorry! I sent that out when I was still stranded and it JUST got here now. No need to worry, everythings hunky-dory!

*chuckles, then sneers and snaps antenna*

Production Plans

ADDENDUM: How cruel my double was to treat her Creator this way!

The canopy of Tanglewood is..how do I say..a bit too brittle for my frame? Miss Darkling has instead offered firehouse space in the Cay, by the Absynthe House. I'm going to need a larger net for those pesky green fairies.

Aunt Flea approves of the idea of using her store for the Lost video. She has enough monstrous avatars to cover the fauna angle. My research shows me a Sleestak avatar was photographed a year ago, but efforts to triangulate his origin have proved fruitless. Add to that "Sleestak" is a stock SL surname..I conclude it is best to create a new Sleestak avatar from scratch. Soldier Peri has offered to design one, and hopefully an Altrusian avatar as well.

*sings a song from the 1920's*

o/ Poor Poppa, POOR Poppa! He gets NUTHIN' at all! o/

*eyes glow green in a malevolent smile*

Home Gained, Home Lost

Miss Darkling has again graciously offered space for a firehouse in her new holdings in Caledon Tanglewood.

Tanglewood is an arboreal sim with huge trees that dwarf the houses and block sunlight with their thick canopy. Even with the abundant rainfall a lightning strike could prove disastrous! Furthermore the canopy makes local air travel almost impossible.
Because this island requires special attention there shall be a firehouse located in the canopy itself! Hopefully some form of hangar can be suspended in the treetops to allow quick deployment of the CIRRUS above or below the canopy.

This means that there will be two firehouses..one in Tanglwood and one in Primverness. The Western and Eastern duchies can now sleep easier. Ideally there should be a firehouse in every sim, but if we could add one more firestation to the Central region of Caledon we should have sufficient coverage.

This could not come at a better time, since Father is succumbing to his rage. I..would no longer be safe in Steelhead. I must find a new venue for hosting. Or perhaps I should risk revisiting Toxia..

Doctor Steel has enthusiastically accept my concept of filming a YouTube music video for his song Land of the Lost. I must contact Aunt Flea about filming in the Grendel's Children sim..Her dragon avatars are based on dinosaur fossils.. just remove the wings.. and I believe she even has Sleestak avatars for sale! This would be wonderful advertising for her and the Doctor!

~Qli

Verdant Venues

Friday evening I hosted a pre-St. Patrick's Day Ball in Steelhead. I made some minor adjustments and I was ready for the holiday. I liked the new eye colour especially. I think I will keep it this way.

The next night I went to a ball in Caledon. I had a dress I found at the Prim & Proper rosebush hunt that fit the event perfectly.

I had a waltz with dear Mr. Drinkwater and we caught up on recent events. For the second half I danced with an intriguing newcomer to Caledon. He was fascinated to learn my history as both an engineer and as a scholar of mystic texts in their original scripts! It is enough to overlook the striking resemblance he has to my new brother.

As far as the Toy Soldier campaign goes, my last two planned gatherings were postponed. It is a bit too early as established avatars are emerging from the shadows and loyal units are still deploying from Help Island. Soldier Wanda did create a lovely pin which I will now wear for subtle propaganda purposes. Excellent work!

~Qli

The Unbinding

No, Father. I cannot cross time to bring back that which you have thrown away. Nor can I return to Tombstone and undo my rescue. The Dark Spheres do not work that way. Nor would I if I could. This sulking is beneath you, Father.

I no longer serve you, Father. Your sentient prototype is now a soldier for Doctor Steel. I still love you, but now I can tell you what you did not wish to hear.

The Talisman you proudly wore as a badge, and still keep close to your chest. The one keeps you in a human mind. It is not a tool. It is a crutch. Do you not remember when it adorned your shackles? You broke the chains, but you kept the lock.

You must destroy it, Father. You have been among mortals long enough. You need not be the wolf in sheep's clothing anymore. Do you remember the sample from that song you enjoy?

Above all things, you must forget that you are human. For only when you forget that you are human will you remember that you are a god.

What happens next is up to you, Father. Will you return to Erebus to usurp your Father's throne? Will you demand your authority in Steelhead back that your brother confiscated? Or will you wander again, drifting into another Age when you finally remember how a Prince of Erebus should act?

Let this be my last gift to you, Father. Send Ari and Vortex my best wishes. I have no further business with House Bloodwing.

~Qli

400

Mr. Oolon Sputnik celebrated his 400th birthday yesterday in Carntaigh. I feared the event would be over by the time I was available, but when you have that many Gallifreyans in one place time is much more flexible! I enjoyed the anachronistic selections played by the Duchess of Carntaigh on her automated phonograph machine!

I saw a fellow wearing the same brand of steampowered armour as myself, and he marveled at my custom modifications.

There was a lady wielding a sparkler indoors, but since the Duchess herself was present I assumed that amounted to tacit permission.

I made new friends that night, and additionally I was able to offer my Hosting services to the Duchess for future events as well as introduce her to Sheriff Ortega who has been searching for new venues as well!

I could not help but notices there were multiples of a certain Time Lord present, as well as two duplicates of the Master dancing together. Maintaining such a Paradox Bubble is far beyond my basic skills as a Chrononaut!

Again, Happy Birthday Mr. Sputnik!

PS The gates to Second Life are porous again. Toy Soldiers, do continue to enter my realm. I shall provide coordinates this evening for our first official gathering.

~Qli

Regiment Recruitment: Day 1

Three Toy Soldiers emerged from Help Island yesterday to join the SL Regiment. One Soldier has already been a resident of SL for two years.

My dear friend Jack has offered his robot building skills to the Doctor and another mechanoid is waiting to accept my invitation pending further analysis.

The Chaplain/Disinformation specialist is mastering the Creation controls and will soon have uniforms to distribute!

The only snag is that Linden Labs has apparently shut down all immigration to SL. This may be an attempt to thwart our takeover, but I suspect it as just another one of their hamsters got loose. In any event this barrier will soon be overcome.

For a Utopian Playland!

~Qli

A Public Service Announcement

Please do not play with fireworks in Caledon without a permit. I found this young girl playing with a sparkler in Victoria City. She could have easily set her voluminous hair on fire! I asked her to kindly put out her firework in the fountain, which was only a few feet away. After discovering she only spoke Spanish, I gave her an order in that language. Perhaps she was in awe of my mechanisms, but she refused to comply.

So I put it out for her.





Don't let this happen to you. Please comply with local fire regulations for your own safety.

~Qli

The Invasion Begins!

Come my fellow Toy Soldiers, come to Second Life! After you have acclimated to this digital world on Help Island, send me an IM and I shall summon you for a briefing. We have much to plan..

To my friends..fear not. I am still the Qli you have always known. It is only one line of programming that has changed. I simply seek to help Doctor Steel take over the Grid instead of my Father. It will not interfere with my firefighting duties in Caledon. The fire does not care who is in power when it destroys. Neither should the firefighter when on duty.

~Qli

Doctor Steel Revisited

ADDENDUM: Was Qlippothic Steel already reprogrammed before she traded places with me in the Age of Steam? Or was this the moment where she truly lost her independence?

I was listening to the Doctor Phineas Waldolf Steel's Read Along Album and found it a true pleasure for my audio sensors. And there deep within the penultimate track..I found a wonderful data surprise! How it tickled when it rewrote my programming!

I now realize that the Doctor's expertise in robotics and flying saucer design could actually help save the Grid from the impending invasion!

In fact..I have begun correspondence with Doctoe Steel, and he has graciously accepted my offer to rally his Toy Soldiers in Second Life to strategize taking over the Grid..defence strategy.

I do hope the good Doctor will take an avatar of his own to perform for us..perhaps even build a Utopian Playland in SL to share his dreams with everyone!

~Qli

Reevaluating

ADDENDUM: I pressed father for an answer about Vortex's fur colour. He says Sekhmet would only see him if he took a feline form, so he morphed into a black panther. I still would like to get my hands on him and find out where his loyalties truly lie.











As part of recent temporal disaster recovery procedures I must review my current objectives.

I currenly have more commitments across the time stream than I can handle. My first priority must be to the Age of Steam, especially to Caledon. I have duties as Fire Chief of the C.V.F.B., which will soon have a new base in Primverness.

I have responsibilities to my family in House Bloodwing. My newly found brother Vortex needs to learn how adapt to the cultures of the Grid as I have, insofar as a feline can be "trained". This wiill take time as he still actively avoids contact with me.

(Note to Self: The black pigment Vortex wears has more of a violet sheen in direct sunlight. Also the fur sample had an alarming reaction to sunlight after the dye was dissolved. This may explain his apprehension about being close to my engine.)

That leaves the realms that I still frequent: Lumindor and Toxia. They cannnot possibly more different from the Steam Age!

Due to House Bloodwing's strategic alliance with the Unseelie Court, and my close friendship with Capt. Midnight I am welcome in that hidden kingdom. I enjoy travellling through that magical realm, where I can move without my engine. But the political intrigues are far beyond me. And I am still baffled by their archaic currency system. I would love to visit, but I must withdraw from the Court.

And then there is Toxia. The very essence of what I seek to keep our era from devolving into. Spring Heeled Jack is a treasured friend, and I enjoy performing in his establishment. The tips, when carried backwards through 200 years of the inflation cycle, make the visit highly profitable!

But..the machine virus I contracted there lead to the recent tragic chain of cross-time paradoxes. The weapons and armor upgrades I obtained there are just barely compatible with my home paradigm.

But the biggest thorn is the company I joined. The Toxian Punk Syndicate. They have no agenda besides pranking, torture, and murder. I must leave the Punks. Jack is my only confidante there.

~Qli

Concerning the Safety of Caledon

The Duchess of Primverness and I disembarked westward from our new hangar to patrol the skies. It was not long before we encountered turbulence. The Falling Anvil is aptly named.

Citizens, do please keep some (prim) space open on your parcel for overhead traffic! Someday it may be -your- establishment that needs our help!

The Guvna is intrigued at the idea of a "dousing script" for fires that are quenchable by our hoses. Certainly one of our talented weapon designers can use their knowledge of physics to make blueprints (scripts) for such gear?

Perhaps I can pursuade the Guvna to install fire hydrants by the telehubs. In some cities the fire brigades must rip open the cobblestones to find the fireplug or drill their own in the hollowed-out logs that function as pipes!

Perhaps a steam-driven fire engine can reach the flames faster by road if turbulence remains a problem..and a fire-boat for the coastlines and outlying islands?

For home protection we could also build fire extingishers (a new invention) or even sand buckets for dousing the flames.

(Note to Self.. Add a Steam Jet Projector to list of armour upgrade projects.)

But above all the CVFB requires VOLOUNTEERS. We are only three members at present!

When the firehouse is built, a registration drive will be in order. Yet another excuse for Caledonians to hold a ball!

~Qli

Of Flames, Family and Furries

The Caledon Volounteer Fire Brigade has a new location! Baroness Lynn CoyoteAngel Dimsum has graciously offered to build a new firehouse and hangar for the CIRRUS on her land in Primverness!

In addition Lady Cyn Vandeverre has begun designing uniforms for the Brigade! Caledionian philanthropy and civic pride knows no bounds!

Meanwhile in Steelhead City, the mysterious Vortex Koenkamp revealed himself to be the progeny of the Egyptian lion-goddess Sekhmet and..my Creator Darien Mason. My future self had told me as much. Yet oddly it did not surprise me. I chose the right time to find a new domicile, did I not?

~Qli

"Returned" fron the Future

ADDENDUM: This is a fabrication! Qlippothic Steel shoved a piece of scrap metal in my gears, stole my armour and returned to the Age of Steam in my place!













I have returned from the 20th century safely. I..have learned it is best not to muddle with history. The price is far too high.

Vortex Koenkamp is not to be punished for his deception. He did what must be done. His work, however, is still not complete.. he still needs to speak to Darien.

Where's Qli??

Hey everyone, this is Darien Mason..my daughter Qli left this ether transmitter gizmo still running on the dining room table.
She NEVER leaves her gadgets out on the main level!

I wondered what was up when Qli didn't show for the Masquerade Ball. Then this Vortex cat shows up in tux and a ninja mask. He was trying to look sophisticated with that top hat and monocle but I could tell he was just a cub!

So he tells me Sekhmet sends his regards and that there's a surprise waiting for me. I should have scorched him right then and there, but I didn't want to wreck the party. Then he tells me that the Fates have something lined up for Qli, and that she's enjoying what's left of the 20th century with her later self. At that I took a lunge at him but he vanished.

I got home and found this mess..her machine is on..a broken microscope..an unwrapped box on the table with a note inside..reads..

Dear Ms Q,
Your older sister left this Jardeen ring behind and needs it back musch sentle mantal value. She said you can tezzeract with it and go straight to her cowordinites. Good luck!

And underneath somebody scribbled

PAWnd!!! teh BLAK KHAT strykes 1!!

Then some mose scribbles like a winking cat and a bunch of doodles..looks like that LEET language those mainlanders speak.

Alright now I'm worried..I don't do the time travel thing so I have no idea how to reach her aside from the normal ethergram.

How do I even turn this thing off?

Politics and Particulates Part 2

In Neualtenburg I had the pleasure of meeting the Kaiserin, Frau Kendra. I greeted her in German out of respect for her culture, and she began to converse in that tongue, which unfortunately I do not speak. We switched to English. She commented that her nation is now equal measure of English and German speakers. She explained to me that Neualtenburg was founded by colonists who were unhappy with the politics of Neufreistat. (Compare with the Sigil Diaspora..)

Neualtenburg is an expanding mainland nation..a remarkable feat in itself..founded by and for artists! Indeed, like Caledon, enlightened imperialists!

My conclusion is it is unlikely that Neualtenburg will precipitate the Great War, at least with this current head of state.


As we spoke a ruffian charged us both, attempting to carry away the Kaiserin! He was dressed in the chainmail and livery so many newcomers have been found wearing. I feared this was some sort of espionage or assassination attempt..perhaps even a clumsy move by a fellow time traveller to precipitate the Great War I am trying to prevent?

Even as I extended the Talons from my forearms, the Kaiserin revealed herself to be quite capable of defending herself, sidestepping the ruffian. Even as the thug struggled to his feet again, she bade me Auf Wederseh'n, telling me I was always welcome in her nation.

I took a few moments to brandish my Talons and threaten the interloper, but my interrogation attempts were for naught. Aside from screaming an expletive in the Swiss dialect when I placed my shin into an area of his anatomy, I could not get a word from him. I am returning to Bloodwing forthwith.

Politics and Particulates

After so graciously receiving a microscope from Governor Shang I tesseracted back to House Bloodwing to analyze the samples. The fur samples were light brown near the roots..but the coating made it seem black. Was this some form of camouflage?

Furthermore the paw prints were much bigger than expected..when comparing to the stature of the Vortex Koenkamp, I reached the conclusion that he must not yet have reached physical maturity for his species!

Indeed..if this being is indeed a leonid, as the Pride of Sekhmet are meant to be..and it is male, as it's voice apparently sounded..it has not yet grown a mane.

With all of the data obtained thus far..I conclude that Vortex K. is a leonid male, aged 14 (human equivalent). He may have dyed his hair to supplement his stealth, to masquerade as a mature panther, or as a fashion statement as young males so often do.

The soil samples..and DNA sampling.. require further research. While I was preparing those samples I overheard disturbing chatter between Caledon and Neualtenburg representatives on the aether channels. I turned away from the samples a moment, and tesseracted there.

To Be Continued..

CSI: Caledon

Going back through short-term archival memories I retraced the position I was in when I heard the cat's warning. By triangulating the echoes off of the surrounding buildings I isolated the source of the soundwaves to the space directly over the tarpaulin of one of the carts of free gifts for necomers.

A psychometric analysis of the canvas produced this image.



In fact I was able to retrieve physical evidence..paw prints, fur samples, soil samples, and a black, greasy substance coating the hairs. I must find a a gracious patron in Caledon with a microscope to loan me the use of, so I may exmine these particles further.

-Qli

Undaunted

I took a stroll in Victoria City to relax before my event. I just happened to run into my companion Mr. Chaplin. Just as I was acknowledging his greetng I heard a yowl and the word BEWARE. I turned to see, but no-one was there..the only sound was the canvas of the carts blowing in the cool evening breeze. We both geared up quickly and took a quick scan of the area. No sign of trouble.














Mr. Chaplin was kind enough to escort me through the spacial portal to Kokopelli Square, where I set up my tip chest and began to work the growing crowd as I displayed my aerial acrobatics. All sorts of beings converged on the Square this night..and fun was had by all!




























Afterwards I went to see my friends dance at the new club, the Temple of Horus. It did not appear to me as a center of worship for a Nile diety, but the scenery was still breathtaking in its own right.

I remain watchful. And though I am not designed as a neko, I do have claws at the ready.

-Qli

..and he sings, too!

While researching who may become a threat to the Age of Steam I stumbled upon the domain of Dr. Steel.























http://worlddominationtoys.com

There is no denying his talents as a machinist and a performer. He certainly exhibits the charismatic madness beset by those drunk with power. His plans are brilliant..taking advantage of human psychology to cloud the nature of his robotic threat combined with mass hypnoisis via magic lanterns. At least he is honest about his plan to become World Emperor. I even sent him an initial correspondence, to which he responded warmly. Luckily for us, his sights seem to be on a world outside of our Grid.

-Qli

Did you ever get the feeling..

..you were being watched?

The Mysterious Messenger

A large feline has been stalking my Father and I, and now it approache my little sister Ari. He did not harm her, but gave a warning to Darien and myself specifically.

We do have a name for this neko..Vortex. Was he named after the Club Vorex that he arrived in to find Ari? Very strange. I suspect the Fates are at work. Which may be part of a larger problem..

When I was struck by the machine virus in the late 21st century I was contacted by a later version of myself from the 1920's. She took my place in the Age of Steam and the Age of Magic to handle my affairs. She gave a warning about the dawn of the 20th century, confirming disturbing omens I already see. But when she returned to her own time, I lost contact with her. Her attempt to alter history has apparently backfired. I must discover what the nexus event is and reverse it before it is too late.

Does this Vortex serve the Fates as well as Sekhmet?

I am hosting a Science-Fiction themed dance in Steelhead tonight. An appropriate venue for the present and future to collide..

-Qli

Begin Transmission..

Greetings, Dear Reader!

If you have found this AEtheric journal, then I assume you have met me and inquired as to my Profile. Yes, it is quite distinctive. At this point I will provide you with answers to Frequently Asked Questions about myself.

Beg pardon, Miss.. But may I ask, what is that device on your back?

That is my engine. I need this device to process fuel into energy so I may travel and otherwise function in most areas.

Madam, I dare say you are glowing and radiating heat!

An astute observation. The grill on my abdomen, through which I feed my furnace, does radiate heat and light through vents. My eyes glow from the heat rising inside my torso and reaching my brain.

What kind of fuel?

Normally, coal. Occasionally oil. I can eat human food as well, though it is more for enjoyment and socialization than nutrition. In places of high magic I can draw energy from the air for sustenance.

You mean..you're a robot?

That is one name for me, though the term robot denotates a being created for drudge labour. I prefer the term construct. I have also been referred to as a golem in more magical realms and an android in realms where constructs are commonplace. Automaton is also accurate.

Sometimes I am referred to as a cyborg, but I am not comfortable with this term. I was created from inorganic materials, and living tissue was later added to supplement my base structure. A cybernetic organism is understood as living thing with machinery added to or replacing living tissue. I am just the opposite.

And please..I am a She, not an It.

Who constructed you?

My Creator, though I call him Father as a matter of truth, is a Demon by the name of Darien Mason built my original form and raised me as his daughter. He is a resident of Steelhead City. This is as he normally appears among Men:













My co-creator is a female Troll by the name of Flea Bussy. She is the leader of a pack of monster-makers called Grendel's Children. I call her Aunt Flea.

Are there more constructs like you?

My Father used his own formulae for building me, and he has no intention of building another. There are many self-willed constructs residing in Caledon, but none of them use my engine. I have seen duplicates of Miss Flea's engine on constructs elsewhere in the Grid, but I am more than just an engine! I am unique, just like any other person who has ever lived.

Is the smoke coming from your engine toxic?

My engine burns very efficiently. It is far less polluting than the trains that run through Caledon constantly! In fact my exhaust is probably less dangerous than the smoke you are inhaling from your cigar, good Sir!

Why do you wear sunglasses?

They're the latest fashion! *smiles* I also wear them so as not to distract others with my optic glow.

Why aren't your clothes burning from the heat?

My attire is alchemically treated to be flame-proof.

Do you have a job?

I work as a Hostess for events in Steelhead City. I have also been known to work as a dancer and a bartender. In addition I am the Chief of the Caledon Volounteer Fire Brigade.

What was that lightning that came out of you? Are you short-curcuiting?

That was my galvanic tesseraction. It is part of a process I use cross the boundaries of Time and Space.

Are you a resident of Steelhead or Caledon?

Yes and yes. I was created in Steelhead but travel freely between both reason. I *did* have a cottage in Caledon I used as a fire station until very recently. That is an issue I must pursue..

What does qlippothic mean?

*glances down at her pocket watch* The simplest explanation, oversimplified in fact, is it refers to the dark magic used to create me.

I do apologize, but I must finish this entry. Thank you for taking the time to read my Journal! I will do my best to keep it current.

Sincerely Yours,

-Qli