Caledon SouthEnd--Walking (and Shopping) Down Memory Lane

Last night, Wrath and I spent a bit of time in Caledon SouthEnd.  SouthEnd has long been known as one of the shopping areas of Caledon. (One year, the shop owners there actually united and had a Christmas shopping weekend, complete with owners/designers on location to greet shoppers, touring carolers, and events scheduled throughout the day. I loved it. Back then, I was new to Caledon and still had dual citizenship in both Caledon and Covenstead--events such as that weekend made me decide to move fully to Caledon.)

We set down not far from Mr. Smashcan's home in southwest SouthEnd and set off from there, first stopping at the Caledon Merry-Go-Round. The Merry-Go-Round has been in SouthEnd for as long as I can remember--quite a feat in a world where things can be so fleeting.

Wrath and I couldn't resist hopping on!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20SouthEnd/80/72/24

Right next to the Caledon Merry-Go-Round, the SouthEnd Ice Cream Shoppe allows visitors to treat themselves to a cone as they walk around and shop.

And it's calorie free too!

Walking through the ice cream shoppe, we came across another landmark in Caledon history (and our own), the Eye of Caledon Ferris wheel. The Eye of Caledon is another fixture that has been in SouthEnd for years, indeed Wrath and I rode it on one of our first "dates."

Riding the Eye in 2013

Christmas 2008 on the Eye of Caledon 

(with a human Wrath!!!)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20SouthEnd/90/71/24

Just across the pier from the Eye of Caledon is one of the long-standing businesses in SouthEnd, Port Royal. Port Royal specializes in harpsichords and organs, but they have a lot more. (I can't resist playing around on the merchandise when I visit.) ;)

Instant virtuoso!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20SouthEnd/113/104/24

Not far to the north of Port Royal, the Caledon Air Transit (CAT) station allows visitors a scenic method of getting around the nation. There's also a McSushi restaurant right next to the station--so you can feast on virtual fish while waiting on the next airship to come around.

Feesh and airships, what could be better?

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20SouthEnd/61/170/23

Not far from the CAT station, SouthEnd's menhir stands silently watching over residents, shopowners and visitors alike. I have yet to figure out the menhirs' secrets, but there are a handful spread around the nation and they've become part of Caledon's mythical lore.

What's the mystery of the menhir?

On the other side of the sim stand the shops of long-time shop owners Taff Nouvelle and Brioni Rossini which sell goods to properly feather Victorian nests. Rossini's tower is yet another long-time SouthEnd feature. (Again, some personal history here--Wrath's original home in Caledon was located right across from these two shops, on the eastern coastline of SouthEnd.)

Brioni Rossini's shop and tower in SouthEnd

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20SouthEnd/182/108/23

Finally, Wrath and I found ourselves outside the shops of Mr. Alastair Whybrow. Mr. Whybrow is best known as a jeweler, however, to the side of his jewelry shop, Sparkle of Sound (which got it's start in Caledon Sound!), stands a smaller shop full of a variety of builds including tools and vehicles. I had to pick up a solar-powered newfangled car contraption and a penny-farthing. 

I had to steel myself before entering the Sparkle of Sound shop.  You see, I'm partial to Whybrow tiaras. The first one I bought had a mermaid theme and, at one point, I swore that it helped me catch 7Seas mermaids (it never missed!). Later, Mr. Whybrow designed a cats-ear tiara that I wore in my virtual wedding to Wrath. While the Iron Cloud was being built, I again went back to Mr. Whybrow and the Steampunk Empress tiara was created for the IC's opening night.

How'd those bunneh ears get in the shot of Mr. Alastair's shops?

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20SouthEnd/139/78/24

We weren't in the shop for long before Wrath heard me exclaim "MINE!" Yup, another tiara--this one called the Steampunk Supremo--not as sim-crashingly primmy as some I've seen, but still really fun with moving gears and a power station--in jewels--on my head!!

As we left Mr. Whybrow's shops, I noticed a sign on the side of the railroad tracks. One can't say that our Guv'nah doesn't have a sense of humor--to read the sign, one is trespassing on the track. ;D

Railroad warning--what's the exchange rate of L$ to shillings, anyway?

It was fun, this little jaunt down memory lane--and I bought a few goodies while at it. I look forward to repeating it in a few other shopping areas. (Whatever excuse to buy some new prettehs!)

Have some memories of Caledon SouthEnd?  Share them in the comments section! 

The Games Caledonians Play

It's been much too long since I've chronicled here.  Since mulling over adding some attractions to Caledon Sound, I was curious as to the subject--what games do Caledonians play?  I set out to find some locations with regular or ongoing activities.

The first location I visited is high over Caledon Prime.  Every Friday night, Duke AV Parabola and crew host Primtionary, a game where players build "clues" to the titles of books, movies, events, etc.  (Think charades but with prims instead of gestures.)

Primtionary over Caledon Prime

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon/151/44/1004

For those who like exploring and shop style hunts, they can fly a few sims south of Caledon Prime to find the Caledon Quest in Caledon Oxbridge University.  Questers start off in the Hall of Caledon on the Oxbridge campus, but quickly find themselves following clues to locations all over the nation, ending up in the skies over Middlesea dodging air kraken.

Caledon Quest Starting Area at the Hall of Caledon

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge/141/216/30

Not far from the Oxbridge campus, in Oxbridge Village, the Oxbridge Fencing Club caters to those who want to hone their swashbuckling skills.  Using the En Garde gaming system, mentors and champions help beginners learn the finer skills of the game while working their way up the ranks in the En Garde system.  The Club also has an in-world group to arrange tourneys and team activities.

Inside the Oxbridge Fencing Club

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/224/152/23

You'll need firepower more than sword skills in the skies below Middlesea's Iron Cloud.  Kraken hunting has become infamous in the sim.  Kill enough kraken and your name will appear on the leader board in the Iron Cloud lobby.  (The sim has avatar flight turned off, so vehicle flight is required--may want to bring a partner to navigate the skies while you blast a few tentacled critters from the aethers.)

Kraken Lurking below the Iron Cloud Airbase

(photo taken by Wrath Constantine)

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Middlesea/130/131/401

Finally, for those who prefer a more leisurely pursuit, full of pets and prizes, there are multiple locations in Caledon that offer 7Seas Fishing.  To catch best fish and custom prizes, you'll need a pro rod and bait--these are usually available at vendors at the fishing sites.  I have fishing set up in both Caledon Sound and Caledon Speirling at Tempest's Point.  Kitiwickshire Fishing Supply is also listed on the 7Seas website as having customs (in this case, a Jaeger Duck!), but there are many unlisted locations--just wander around and you'll probably find some fishing holes. 

A Wee Pink Jaguar Fishes from the Tempest's Point Dock.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Speirling/166/22/24

Crimson Pirates: Humble Beginnings

I've noticed way too many groups in Second Life wither and die or grow to the point that no one knows the history behind the community and culture that was built.  Being one of the early members of the notorious Crimson Pirates in Caledon, I thought it was important to chronicle the saga of those who don the "Bunneh Roger".  This is the first in what will be a series of posts, highlighting the founding and history of the CP.

The Crimson Pirates formed as part of a smuggling ring out of Constantine Castle in Caledon Southend.  Rachire Wulluf was the captain then, running his Crimson Fang I in and out of the Castle on various rather shady runs, while under the protection of the Castle's owner, Lord Wrath Constantine.

Constantine Castle at SouthEnd

When Lord Constantine "acquired" the center of the Caledon Firth in Middlesea, Wulluf and the Crimson Pirates found a centralized hub, surrounded by plenty of open sky and water to run weaponry and other sundry supplies to their buyers.  While tourists were welcomed by the new Duke of Middlesea, Lord Constantine, little notice was made of those who disappeared after haplessly stumbling upon areas that were better left unseen below the island.

Smugglers' Dock under Middlesea Castle

 

Duke Constantine surveying the evening's swag

 

Times were good for the Crimson Pirates and their leaders.  Because they were operating with little notice, the hauls were enormous.  Wulluf and Constantine were also well paid for staying discrete as far as the names and holdings of their clientele.  Needless to say, Caledon's Firth was well supplied with firepower, kittehnip, and rum--but they had bigger visions.

It was during this time that two ladies entered the picture.  Ger Udimo was a (mostly) quadruped tigress who periodically transformed into a raven haired beauty with a penchant for creative ballistics.  Wulluf was enamored and quickly, the Crimson Pirates' base in underground Middlesea was transformed into a home for the new couple. 

There was one problem with this arrangement.  Wulluf's former mistress, Aettrynne the Firth Witch, had a front row seat of the new love affair and was not pleased.  As they took their vows to partner, she also vowed to get her revenge.

Her first weapon of choice was her young student, Aevalle Galicia (moi!).  Daughter of a fae goddess and Cath Palug, an Irish changling cat demon, Aevalle certainly had powers, but after being abducted by Aettrynne as a child, she had been shaped into the little priestess that served the Firth Witch well.  Aevalle was to be a ticking time bomb--get in and seduce those in charge of Middlesea and then pull them apart from within.

Fate had another plan however.  Once Aevalle met Duke Constantine, her heart was his.  After several months, they made their partnership official and the Crimson Pirates earned its first two female protectors.

~~End of Humble Beginnings~~
~~Coming Next...Aettrynne Seeks Revenge, Middlesea in Flames, and Spreading Out with Rum~~

Caledon Machinima Mania

Caledon has a long history of machinima, from both the uber creative residents in its midst and non-residents who view the nation as a jewel of SL.  When I first moved into Caledon, the place for machinima was Penzance with it's Caledon Studios nestled under the Hollywood-style Penzance sign in the hills.  Oolon Sputnik was the mastermind behind the Studios and gifted us with memorable classic Caledon movies which were doubly poignant as they were used for fundraising for Relay for Life.

 

 

 

Not all of the Caledon Studios videos were for entertainment, though.  Mr. Sputnik captured Caledon history with this video of our Guv'nah Desmond Shang terraforming the then baby sim of Wellsian (a place that I have a particular soft spot for).

 

 



 

 

 

Caledon's Armed Forces have had their share of machinima work done over the years as well.  Once upon a time, the RCAF dogfight footage was collected and archived via film.  A couple of examples can be seen below.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

The Caledon Fire Brigade even got into the act with this short film, documenting a fire in Caledon Moors.

 



 

 

 

Visitors to Caledon sometimes can't resist capturing the aura of the place to document their travels (some even decide to settle here!).

 

 



 

 

(I'm partial to this one--that's my first Caledon home and Mr. Bingle on my roof at about 1:45!)

 

 

 

Finally, last year, I threw my hat into the ring of creative machinima making, using the Caledon Cavorite Mines in Moors as the setting for "They Came for the Cavorite".

 

 



 

 

Hopefully machinima makers will continue to document Caledon using this form or get inspired from Caledon to create their own fictional films.  We have the history--now let's carry on into the future.  Make masterful machinimas merrily! :D

 



Back to the Beginning: Revisiting Caledon Prime

To kick off this blog, I figured I'd take a short tour around the sim that started it all in Caledon, the sim "locals" call Prime.  Who would have thought that when Desmond opened Caledon with this one sim back in 2006 that it would grow to a size of fifty sims at its largest?

I have to start any visit to Prime at my "pet project," Aether Education and Travel Bureau.  Having done tours in Second Life and beyond for nearly 4 years, I've amassed a lot of tour cards (understatement)--Aether is where they're housed in-world, along with pictures of the locations. There's also a Caledon Air Transit (CAT) terminal just behind the building which is nice for those wanting to tour the nation by air.

Funny story about this location--when I first arrived in Caledon, I saw an open meter right behind the Caledon Welcome Center and I paid it, excitedly shooting off a notecard to a Desmond Shang, letting him know how excited I was to be a new resident.  Well, the open meter was a mistake, but Des managed to put me in touch with a few people and I settled under the floating mountain in Morgaine.  It took about two years and multiple tenants, but eventually I finally got that first parcel I noticed in Caledon, the one in Prime nestled right behind the Caledon Welcome Center. :)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon/184/143/23

Right across the way from Aether stands the Prime location of retailer lassitude & ennui.  L & E is a long time fixture in Caledon--the first time I came across them was in their old Mayfair location (circa 2008).  They specialize in Victorian Steampunk fashions and are worth a looksee (visitors can pick up a free box of shoes!).

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon/196/140/23

To the south, visitors will find Fable Gardens and the entrance to the Caledon Primtionary stage.  The area on the ground is nice and relaxed, looking out over the sea under Steam SkyCity, but on Friday nights at 6pm slt, the place comes alive with the weekly Primtionary games, hosted by AV Parabola.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon/167/49/23

Further down the southern edge of the sim is Ordinal Enterprises.  Ordinal Malaprop is one of the founding members of Caledon and, any Caledonian worth their salt must have at least one of her firearms (usually several)--it's like a right of passage.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon/88/55/24

Right across from Ordinal Enterprises is the Vannevar Bush Reading Garden, hosted by Caledon Library founder and head librarian, JJ Drinkwater.  The Reading Garden is, of course, focused on books and the love of reading.  One of it's tongue-in-cheek features is the Inter-Library Loan, a book slinging catapult.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon/91/81/23

Walking north along the eastern side of the sim, visitors will come across RavZstein Cove Gardens, currently outfitted for the haunting season.  The Gardens here have a great view of the islands to the east, including Loch Avie and Llyr.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon/58/163/23

Not far from RavZstein Cove Gardens, visitors can find the Virtual Kennel Club Dog Park, another long standing Prime feature.  The dog park allows patrons to adopt virtual dogs and play with them on the various obstacles stationed around the park.  It's a fun way to spend a bit of time, plus you get to take home a virtual furry pal. :)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon/102/213/23

We end this short tour just shy of where we started, at the Caledon Welcome Centre.  Sponsored by the Caledon Library, the Centre offers newcomers and visitors information about Caledon, it's culture and it's history.  It's also a comfy spot to just hang out with a few friends and chat.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon/173/178/23

Exiting out the back door of the Welcome Centre leads to...tada!...the Aether Education and Travel Bureau.  See?  Full circle. :)