Softpaw the Fairy Cat of Second Life: For the Love of Steelhead

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

For the Love of Steelhead

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I belong to many groups in Secondlife. Most are just for stores I want to keep up on their offerings. A few are for sim groupings, communities if you will. Most are of the fantasy type and for some reason or another, I've just never really "clicked" and become a true part of a group in SL that is just straight fantasy. I don't know why, it not for lack of trying.

But there is one group I am a part of that I clicked with and is now family. A wacky, weird family, but family.

That group is Steelhead. A Steampunk fantasy group. My Teahouse garden is in it, as is my new home plot that I've not gotten around to talking about yet. It is a set of 7 sims "Nestled in the Coastal Pacific Northwest sits Steelhead City, an American Victorian Steampunk Community". It's steampunk, but very loosely Steampunk. The sim Nevermoor, where my home is at, is more fantasy then steam. But that's how we like it. No hard and fast "gotta be this and this and this" but very welcoming to anyone.

I like it, a lot. No it's not full of magical beings and fairies and the like. Oh there is a few of us. Ambrose has a store, the owner is an Elf, the marshal is a werewolf, But most of the folk are "normal" humans. But the differences don't really matter to us. I feel loved, welcomed and accepted here, wanted even. Which has not been the case in many places and groups in Secondlife, for a variety of reasons.

The above photo is from one of the sims. Steelhead Mt Helens. SLURL.

Lunar and Tensai, Lunar's wife, Lovingly sculpted the land using actual topographical maps of St Helen to create the sim's layout. As the sim is set in Pre blowing its top, St Helen has a full head on it. It is also landscaped in parts, of course leaving plots for people to rent and live in the majestic beauty of the mountain. All those that do so have kept in theme beautifully, though of course with the Steelhead wackiness every so often.

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Recently, due to RL issues one of the major land holders had to leave suddenly. They had 7 plots, there are also other plots with out anyone on them either. This has led to a bit of an issue of the sim not being able to make its tier to Linden. We got told this today at the weekly community town hall meeting. If someone, no one knows who not even Lunar, hadn't donated the $300 US Lunar's account would have been frozen till it was made. And we would have lost St. Helens.

But someone made it and now we have a month to get the sim full up again. Or we loose the sim. We are trying to fill it up as quickly as possible, many of us have already promised to buy a few of the plots. But there are still a lot left. Lunar wants to go in and make a few sim changes as well, such as moving the mountain to the middle instead of the side. But not to much, it's charm is in its rugged wilderness beauty.

He's said this about the sim, to give it a back-story

After fierce negotiations the land around the 'smoking mountain' was sold to the ever growing Steelhead to become the sixth region in the Steelhead territories.

Nestled in a quiet valley the settlement of pioneers called it St. Helens. The rustic frontier community is on a higher plateau dipping into a valley overshadowed by a massive beautiful Mt. St. Helens surrounded by Mt Hood and Garlic Ridge. Picturesque Spirit Lake rests at the bottom of the sleeping volcano surrounded by acres and acres of trees and wilderness.

Away from the busy urban area’s of Steelhead Capital City Mt. St. Helens is one of the last remaining frontiers of the Pacific Northwest. St. Helens is rugged wilderness, unpaved roads and full of dense trees. Geysers and geothermal pools are abundant casting a sulfuric smell in the air. Some of the local settlers harvested the use of the natural hot springs to create steam for power.

I went to it and took some photos to show off its beauty, and its quirkiness. It's not as stunning as it used to be due to the empty plots, But it will be once again after it is filled. You can see all the photos here http://softpaw.org/LJimages/SL/SHMSH/

Photos where taken with the sky setting coastal afternoon and the water setting Glassy. Sadly I didn't get a shot of the sims elusive Sasquatch that can be seen roaming about every so often.

Lunar and Tensai make no money off of Steelhead, they run it for the love of the place. Tier is quite reasonable and they will work with you if you have issues making a payment.

If your interested follow the SLURL above and take a look around. Then IM TotalLunar Eclipse to get your land. You will be added to the group The Citizens of Steelhead City.

Heck ask to join the group even if you don't want land. It's a fantastic group.

It's Family.

It's Home.