Old School Roleplay returns to SL with Aglarond Yuirwood!

I  have now become quite adept at using the apparatus in the basement to shift the sentient energy from what I call my "normal" body, into the vehicle. Is it not strange? I am sure that those born human would say the human form should be the norm, but having become sentient first in my clockwork form,  it is really much more,,, is comfortable a proper term?

A good RP friend of mine, named Immortalknightage, had sent me the most intriguing request to come see his Roleplay sim! A map, ancient and mysterious,,, how could I not go see?

My Oxbridge Village Victorian home, Autumn has changed the flowers - preparing for Winter

In the back yard of my home, rez a free sailboat! enjoy, just click the sign and sail Caledon

The sailboat was waiting patiently and I do confess the long peaceful sailing along the changing coastline of Caledon sounded wonderful!

Actual sneaky way in the castle, If  a doll can find it, you can, right?

 Transferring however from sailboat to the back side of the sim was a bit tricky,, but I really wanted to see my friend's new sim! In my clockwork body I would not have felt the fatigue in the arms, the shaking of the thighs as the coarse rope cuts the hands,, Advice- wear gloves.

NPCs abound, like this one, and can interact, many have notecards for input

Down the dark tunnel, having to wait momentarily for the guard to look away...

The landing point, very well supplied for the new Roleplayer

..and enter the Sim!
     The info isn't just the stack of notecards, like some other RP sims; Eline Serendipity has used blogs, Wikis and websites to explain everything you need.
     The "world" is Aglarond Yuirwood, from Forgotten Realms, an old school roleplay game environment and rule system of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, by Wizards of the Coast. It is easy to adjust to, plenty of wikis and videos to show and entice you, and everything had a familiar feel.
     The HUD used is a Roleplay HUD called Prohawk. If you turn on "Auto Media" in your graphics preferences, the HUD does all the work for you, popping open  and revealing tips and points as you walk, advice rocks blink as you approach, and sounds and animations load into your viewer directly instead of having tons of scripted items causing huge lag simwide. The sim also has RLV use, interacting with a Weather Bug HUD. Areas that are freezing, or super hot (lava, fire) will affect you, quicksand will hold you until certain things are accomplished to free yourself, and the HUD has a "chicken" button to stop all RLV affects, so no reason to worry at all.

Does this armor make my butt look big?

Once you get the HUD going, you are taken on a little tour, following the directions in the HUD, using the plentiful TP pads like this one in the photo.

Combat is done with the Dice tab in the HUD- each combatant rolls,, lowest roll loses a point. The HUD adjusts for things like fighting in your faction's home area,  so choose your faction wisely!

I chose a cleric, a priestess of Sune,  so I could heal people and use cleric spells, yet still wear armor. There are many moderators on hand to help you make choices and they truly seem to like helping people "roll up" a character.
Clerics are usually from the Yuirwood forest, so I went there to see my new faction home area, worried if it was the same old looking RP forest. . . . .

What was I worried about? Gorgeous builds of woodlands, items to interact with, not to mention all the people that will be playing there starting October 10th!

Below are some of the links used,  October 10 2015 the sim opens,  Join me sometime in Yuirwood!

* You do not need all these links to play- go to the sim, get the HUD and you could be playing in one hour, which is pretty good considering how in depth the Roleplay could be here! If you want to just don armor and run around with a sword,  meet sexy serving wenches in Delthuntle, or invest time and effort into immersing completely into the backstory and character's new world, all should find some fun in Aglarond Yuirwood. Finally a really good RP sim returns to Second Life , created and run by dedicated and committed gamers!

The sim of Aglarond Yuirwood
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Aglarond%20Yuirwood/160/105/1014
   
http://aglarondyuirwood.jimdo.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgotten_Realms

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Wendy
aka Aurael, Priestess Acolyte of Sune in Yuirwood!

*Sims are moderate, or mature, and players should be 18

Triumph for Clockworks, Dolls and robotkind! Steam Powered Giraffe!

My new poster in my house!

One sultry summer day in Oxbridge Village, Caledon,(Second Life) I was polishing the silver, and turned on the audiograph to enjoy some music.  Usually I listen to Radio Riel, but this time had typed out "steampunk" on a punch card and slid it into the Pandora machine.

I was greeted with the sweetest, most romantic tune! singing of his lady friend as if she was a "honey bee" which seemed to be the name of the song,, it was subtle, beautiful harmonies, and infectious hip swaying rhythm.

Imagine my surprise when the lyrics said:

You didn't have to say my name

Ignite my circuits and start a flame

But you did,,,

 Circuits? I had to sit my silverware down into the velvet lined drawer. My hands were shaking so, I had to sit at the kitchen table, but the lovely yet desperate lyrics continued,,

Oh, Turpentine erase me whole

I don't want to live my life alone,,,

Could it be, that other clockworks and cybernetic beings had also become sentient? Could it be, that like me, their conscious media longed, their synapses and sinews ached for companionship of like kind? Did they also feel, as it is written in the book of Shelley,

"There is something at work in my soul, which I do not understand?"

 

Well, I do not have to tell you, that as quickly as I could screw my newly polished brass key into its orifice,  and grab my lace draped hat (for it was the mid day sun after all) ,  I held my skirtings and nearly sprinted to the general store! The nice elderly man was his cute, usually terse self:

"Music by Clanks? No we ain't got no ,,, but for a *snicker* professor here, s'pose I kin order it fer ye,,"

 

 I gratefully paid him and retired to the repose of my doll box in my bed room,  in anticipation the day my things arrived!

Now, I sit in the parlour, staring up at the poster, listening to the beautiful music made by those who are like me, and I wonder,, 

 

Should I go see them? Will they think it strange that I should be so attracted to my own kind? I am ignited inside, my springs feel tighter than ever before!

 

Should I dress in more modern attire or my own, befitting the station of Professor of a first rate Victorian university?

 

Should i make them tea?

“Thus strangely are our souls constructed, and by slight ligaments are we bound to prosperity and ruin.”
― Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

 

 

 

 

A few Musings While Bobbing in Bacta

Candi in Sanctuary now looks quite a bit like Wendy due to an Angel Possession Roleplay

I was floating in the healing waters of a Bacta Tank recently, hooked to a breather while the medicinal fluid worked its magic. As a Clockwork person, I would simply replace broken cogs, but finding the right replacement parts is always difficult. In my human vehicle, though I seem much more prone to injury, the parts replicate and repair themselves! Whoever the dollmaker is that designed and created humans, must be by far the greatest there ever was or will be!

Here are a few musings I learned of recent, while travelling in both my mechanical, and biological bodies:

It is bad to hurry along the eventual deaths of all living biological organisms, and those that do, are bad.
   All things seem to have a wear out date, which in itself is sad, so those who would hurry that date along, are what "Bad" means.

In this case, Candi handles the aftermath of an attack by an evil clan in the RP city of Sanctuary.

The Cat is Belial, owner of the Hookah Bar and an exceptionally good Roleplayer

Cats, it seems, can and will jump on your head and balance there. And when they wield really big axe things,, you should probably let them.

I have a new beach house! I really missed having a beach house, with the surf and seagulls and sunsets

Angels do not need Tesla Coils or a room full of machines to possess a biological organism. here one has possessed Candi, turning her hair white and curly and skin porcelain and extremely dense! She had no wings that were visible, which is odd because they show in the photo,, Very peculiar...

Club Zero moved but Still Inworld!
  A lot of my favorite clubs have now gone into the Forever De-Rezzed. I will miss them terribly! I love lots of genres of music and dance but for the dark exciting club dance, the best was always Club Zero but I went there a few weeks ago and the landmark said the club was gone! I did much eye leaking. But where I thought Club Zero was gone, it was just moved!  So if you like Euro, EBM, Industrial, and dark dance music, great lighting and effects, and a second floor with sofas and pillows filled with animations for all the vampire types.
   Warning, it is an adult place, and can be laggy on older machines due to all the amazing visual effects.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/HOUSE%20OF%20WHACKS/75/63/3002

I should be healed up in no time, hopefully for Easter! I have this awesome latex Chocolate bunny outfit I want to wear and give people eggs but the Latex won't stretch over the cast on my leg.


Wendy~

Run in with a demoness at Sanctuary (NSFW Nudity)

Humans taste good to Vampires and Demons.
I learned after reviving the body of my human friend  who had become forever broken, that she met her end by a vampire.
  I have had many friends that were vampires and in fact, still do.  We talk for hours, play Greedy, they watch me swim in the ocean, (they don't like moving water I think) and they occasionally ask me to take them in their stylish carrying boxes  on vacations or to new homes, and stuff.

   I was not prepared for the feelings they can twist and arouse, excite and compel. And I had no idea how selfish it can seem, their only concern being a few more drops of life,  which is in fact the exact same as a few more windings of the key, or a human's few more breaths of air.really.
   Are not we all, just clockwork dolls?

One issue I am having, is, like Doctor Jekyll, Whichever body I am inhabiting, believes it is the "true" being, that the other has been assisting or worse, is just a vehicle  for amusement. Enlightened, I now recant having ever given that impression, and see that in whichever form, life is precious and individual and special.

  This particular night I was working for a few hours in the infirmary at Sanctuary, where I put my medical knowledge to good use, healing werewolf wounds, treating Mercury poisoning and  such. Kheira said she was in the area and said hi,, inviting me back to "her cave",, where she had books. How could I refuse, I didn't want to seem impolite, and she was the most normal thing I had met there!

Dressed well, smelled nice, in Sanctuary that is in rare supply. Plus owns books on healing?, Of course I went!

Demon skin is smoother and more oily, like a sweet heady lotion.  I suspect the oil has properties that affect mental faculties. in my normal clockwork perfection, I have no strange urges or deleriums, but in my human vehicle, I mean, form,, it was difficult to breathe, or speak.

And then,, I had hooves,, and horns,,  and a tail.  I copped around for several minutes, adjusting to the feel of hooves, yelling,, I remember being very angry,,,,

Then she said something in the guttural language, that demon tongue, and my horns moved for her,, hooves walked for her,, tail swayed and went where she wanted,, I was trapped in my own body, my will was only to escape!

...Then she touched me,, and my wings and horns and tail and hooves were on fire, and laying with her.. I do recall saying "no" at least once,,,

I don't remember much after that,,,

I do recall cuddling,, but,,  I do not remember what she said,, maybe it was a dream. I keep thinking it might have been a dream.

The fire was warm,, the air was cool in the night forest,, and she was gone. I tapped my hoof on the rock, moving it left and right,, listening to the insects and woosh of the moon as it roared thru the Heavens.

The fire crackled and its warmth was mesmerizing,  its dance. had I danced tonight with fire? had I been permanently burned? Was this what it meant, to be human?

No time passed, and I was in the infirmary. It smelled like alcohol and bleach, but it felt good to be back. I was dressed somehow in my nightgown. This is another reason I suspect this had all been a dream. But what did it mean?

I woke of course like normal except for this strange tale,, and no other "tail"!
   After cleaning the  office and penning half of this,, word reached me that on Yavin4 a man I knew was wanting to become a Jedi padawan! I ran for an hour till I got to the transport site out of the city. By that I mean, Ran ten minutes,, rested ten. Blood - oxygen transfer issues,, emotional and mental and religious issues,,  Must learn these drawbacks to the human form...

Wendy

NEW RCAF 's 1ST Week out- Of Air Kraken and Scoundrel Pirates- A Fair Assessment

 

I was resting comfortably against the side of my ship, the ironclad RCAF Shutterclunk , when I realized this was a wonderful opportunity to stop, take stock of this past week of successes and failures, and appreciate how far we have come in the 1st week since the RCAF Reorganization in Caledon. If you do not do such, I might recommend it! Clearing the head and re-establishing your goals, and appreciating what you have done,, for good and bad, is very healthy. And, no better time than when you are resting on the very bottom, back against your ship, feeling the warm currents flow though your wool uniform,, and waiting,, waiting...

 

 

The sun set last night on Oxbridge Village,  the sky and the sea in tune with their hue, warm lofty winds prevailed, and the orange pekoe was the perfect temperature. We must never forget to acknowledge these moments when they appear, because like tea, life does not stay the perfect temperature for long. Having the use of my new human vehicle, I have been learning so much, but when in the human (she would detest called a vehicle, or rather I would, when I am in her body), everything seems to be from the subjective perception- "why is this happening to me" and "I hope it gets better", is a constant mental swelling place for my human brain,, such a waste of time and energy. Though "she" did go through a vampire attack, capture by slavers, brainwashing and three jobs overturning in a month, "why" is a research tool, and hope is not a plan. She (I) even despises returning to my clockwork abode, but seems compelled to do so. She is incapable of surmounting her raging tempest of emotions and near-lethal levels of hormones, let alone make a plan for her life,, let alone make a plan for the good of Caledon! And we have a plan- the reorganization of the Royal Caledon Air and Sea Forces, timed with the capture of the dread Scoundrel Pirates plaguing the Blake Sea! I think best when I am in my balloon, aloft,, so ...

After stoking the coal, and setting the steam valves, I got the chance to run our first patrol with the new vessel! The RCAF Merlin, Long Range Patrol Airship! I must confess I find its rhythmic "pocka-pocka-pocka" very comforting! Oxbridge was quiet as the sun sank into the western sea.

 

 The Merlin floats so effortlessly, less affected by updrafts and downdrafts than the shorter dirigibles. Though if someone did attack Port Caledon (seen below), they would hope the RCAF got to them. Dame Ember has her scientific laboratory and factory of experimental craft there, and is always in need of test subjects. Poor souls would not have a chance . . .

  AIR KRAKEN! TEN-O'CLOCK BEARING 090 AND RUNNING FAST! What was making them so aggressive and single minded that they were avoiding me? Coal was stoked, Steam was turned up to full,  and both cannons loaded. True I may have been overreacting, but  someone was probably in distress, and with an Air Kraken, you only get one chance. 

And there was two of them...

There! Master Geoffrey Xenobuilder! The Merlin handled elegantly, pulling alongside him as he made repairs, and I told him of his plight. below him on the ground was the carcasses of a dozen  Air Kraken.

"Miss Charisma! I can take care of those beasties but I need time to finish the repair,, can you lure them after you, and buy me ten minutes?"

Did your dolls ever say no or let you down when you were in a moment  of dire need and ultimate distress?

Neither did I.

 

 

 I leaked from my eyes and other places,  shaking with fear, but managed one good shot  which slowed them enough to lift  away too high for them to withstand.

Later I refueled and took on water at the Iron Cloud, and of course stopped in for a waltz at the ballroom on board. Truly The Iron Cloud is a wonder and marvel of modern Victorian engineering!

 

 Back at Oxbridge I closed up the recruiting shop, and headed for...

 

 Crab Key! Commander Cornelius Fanshaw seemed less than pleased, but the rest of us were very excited! Hope did have some issues with her uniform as she was so short, and Thomas did to, since he is so tall. But we worked it all out, then received our briefing on  our new vessels-

 

The ironclads! The sun was rising fast and we wanted to hit those pirates before our shapes were clear on the horizons,, how hard can it be to operate, anyways?

 As it turned out,, very hard! We were unfamiliar with its gunnery mechanism, and we had 1 gun in a turret, they had 3 guns each side in fixed ports. If we had known the strategy involved and practiced, we might have avoided their broadsides, stayed in their beam and popped them into submission! But instead,, our ships were each one sunk  and our new recruits taken hostage by pirates!

 I followed at a distance as the pirates took their captives back to the secret Scoundrel Island,  and landed on the far side to watch them closely. Cornelius was there already planning the next move, so I snuck forward to observe for him.

 I hid behind their marksmanship training dolls and took notes as they played numerous seafaring games, partied and played music,, it looked like so much fun! And the pirates were such snappy dressers too,, I could almost see myself as one of them, but i am not. I am the XO of the RCAF! I ran terrified, back to Commander Fanshaw!

 Sidney Arctor, Ceejay Writer, Vernden , and many other hideous Scoundrels laughed at the Commander as he warned them about taking RCAF prisoners. We would make them sorry for that! But how?

 

 The plan was simple,,  Cornelius would attack them with the Da Vinci Clockwork Attack Craft, Experimental. I would steam in and help scatter them, and sink one in the harbor's bottle neck, blocking them from returning to the island as the Commander rescued the prisoners! Then away we would go, back home. My hair stood on end, main gear ticking loudly. The ship rocked and pitched, and I wished very much to be in The Merlin again.

 Initially everything worked great! The Da Vinci was terror crom the skies! It soared gracefully, banked sharply, spit fire and bullets and rockets, dropped earth shuddering torpedo bombs,  and headed off toward the sun, unscathed! This could be a victory!

 

 COULD be a victory, but not if you are staring skyward at the soaring banking spitting  flying machine and waxing poetic. I was quickly outmaneuvered by the experienced pirates. Too close for me to engage well, and being separated, I knew the end 8 minutes before it actually happened. But I did have one smart thought, and for a doll that is doing pretty good. I backed up into the bottle neck, deciding that the ship that would block theirs, would be my own. It worked! The plan was a success, stopping them from returning to prevent the rescue,, till they pulled along both sides of the Shutterclunk, and blew her sides out.

So,, here I am, finishing this on the bottom of the Blake Sea. The pirates have some familiarity with clockwork people, and are circling, dropping explosives into the water. I shall have quite a long walk to Crab Key, through seaweed and shark infested brine, but all was not lost. We had utilized our three new vehicles, effectively, if not successfully. We had given our new RCAF its first outing, and though it had not won, it had survived to fight another day, a little smarter, for the next time we meet the Scoundrels. Much to plan when we regroup! But, for now,  there is resting on the very bottom, back against your ship, feeling the warm currents flow though your wool uniform,, and waiting,, waiting...

RCAF Promotions, PREPARE FOR PIRATE WARS!

A small box came today diary, just after I had put my human vehicle into the storage cylinder. When occupying her,she, or rather, I, seem completely self-centered. Life appears to be a subjective experience, and all those involved in it seem to feel that it is "their" life, and everyone else is there to enhance their world, not vice versa.
   I understand now- Lord what fools these mortals be! But I have never felt things before, and when I ride in my human vehicle (she would take such offense to that term), I cannot descibe yet properly what it is like. It might be, that when I shift back into my original, clockwork form, that I lose the ability to put the experience into words. So much to learn and explore and research!
   The box came with a letter, and I was shocked about its contents!

Pirates were attacking up and down the steam coasts! Babbage had been ravaged, Steelhead cities were in flames,, and the intelligence reports said, they were heading our way! The plan was to head them off and attack them out at sea, near their ports. I was being ordered to recruit local cadets and seamen for a major attack!
   Accompanying the letter was a beautiful medal in a case, and equally gorgeous calligraphy certificate.  I read it quickly,,
   "Duchess Charisma, having learned of your heroism, bravery and many admiral qualities, The Royal Caledonian Air and Sea Forces is mindful to promote you this day to the rank of Executive Officer, of all Flying Command!"
   I quickly jumped up and ran to the kitchen, throwing on a kettle of water and preparing the best tin of Earl Grey I possessed.  This moment simply could not occur without the very best tea.
   As it steeped, I read the award- "The Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to..."

I placed it on my uniform, saluted toward the Guvnah Mansion,  and then poured two cups of tea. One symbolically for TRM, of course, and one I slowly enjoyed, proud, and yet quite somber.

   "Pirates,,,, not just any pirates but the Dread Scoundrels,,,  We would have to call up everyone!"

 I popped in on Cornelius Fanshaw, the Commanding Officer of the RCAF. He congratulated me and assured me I could do this duty.
   "After all we have been through,, I know your qualities, and know you will do well. What do you think of our new pirate hunter zeppelins?"
   I was impressed as he explained the listening device, installed,  the bombs, the torpedo, the guns, speed, distance, all that.
   We were to meet in just 48 hours for the big attack- I had work to do!

 I painted over one of my doll houses, I never liked the chairs in it anyways, and threw some posters on its doors,, Voila! Recruiting Station!  Many students were out at the University, so I set up at Oxbridge first.

Becca asked many questions, and others quickly gathered. In the end, four new cadets enlisted!

Bit would it be enough?

STAY TUNED, NEXT POST- PIRATE WARS!