The Steampunk Travelogue: Steampunk Travelouge - Airship Caravan, Derezzed 2009

Steampunk Travelogue

The Steampunk Travelogue is a travel guide to existing (and defunct) Steampunk and Neo-Victorian locations and destinations. I'll be expounding on existing and past Steampunk locales from virtual worlds, on the average of one a month, but do take a moment to explore the archives of the history of virtual Steampunk and Neo-Victoriana history.

One additional note - the photos listed are a historical update of these worlds, past and present. If they are in color, they are still in existence. If they are sepia-toned, it means they have passed on, and are only a memory to those who visited and an entry in the history of virtual Steampunk.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Steampunk Travelouge - Airship Caravan, Derezzed 2009

Airship Caravan

[Ed Note - One of my favorite Steampunk destinations, from the "Classic SL Steampunk era", (say 2006-2008, and yes, its completely arbitrary), Airship Caravan burst onto the scene for a few brief months, then disappeared just as quickly. A unique, high quality build, I was never able to contact the builders, as I had hoped to obtain a version of it for New Babbage. Alas, it remains, as many distant gems, only a memory, and a few photos here as well. However, there is a Flickr slideshow for Airship Caravan, so if one cares to see a few more images, look no further than the side bar!]

Came across a very unique Steampunk build today, a different concept by a different culture. Airship Caravan is a stunning build consisting of a series of airships tethered to each other in the sky, comprising of residential and commercial properties.

Initial TP arrival point

Its owner is Japanese, and though I have attempted to make initial contact with him/her, I foresee that it will be a challenge to find out more on Airship Caravan in this manner, so I’ll work with what I have.

Walk through the corridor...

The initial tp arrival point is a circular metal deck, that leads into the main ship directly ahead. Upon passing through a corridor, one finds a park, with pools (a challenge to get out of when you fall in), columns of light, planted trees, and benches to relax upon (no built in poses on those benches, however).

... and a small piece of nature, artificially enhanced, awaits

Continuing forward, the helm is quite interesting, as it includes three columns with (decorative) controls: One navigational, one with a giant telescope, and one with the Ship’s wheel along with two grouping of gages.

Tapping the gages on the ship's helm

As I wandered about on the rope walkways, I noticed a good number of vacancies here, along with ads for rental opportunities in the sim. I’m gathering that the build is still in its infancy, due to the number of empty locations, and it appears that majority number of its residents are Japanese themselves.

Flying dolphin or Flying Crescent anyone?

Not exactly sure about the adherence to the Steampunk genre, as there is a lot of neon and what appears to be electronics and holograms, but there is a good bit of traditional gear work (not much steam, unfortunately). Additionally, the twist put on the tech (i.e. mechanical flying dolphins, metal moons that one can also fly), add a refreshing change to the typical Steampunk flavor.

One of *many* flying adverts - at least they're upfront!

Unfortunately, the prices charged for rentals seems a bit high, leading to a bit of apprehension about the future prospects of the sim. Nonetheless, it is beautiful, and by all means one should at least visit the Airship Caravan.