Themed Plus and Where the CodePoet talks of his origins as a Caledonian

There has been much worry in my head about whether or not Caledon is a Themed experience or a Role-Playing experience. While sitting at the Anvil in Tam, Miss Karin McElroy came up with the perfect description for Caledon and I for one will be using until such time a better descriptor comes along: "Themed Plus".

I think it perfectly describes Caledon, with its STRONG theme and its LIGHT role play (with the occasional bout of Heavy Role Play -- though always in a temporary manner).

Which leads me to what was preceding the birth of this phrase. That is the fleshing out of back stories for our "characters". This is something I will not be doing. Firstly I am more interested in my forestory. Where I am going, the stuff yet to be written, and enjoying the present moment in Caledon. The second is that I don't really have a character. I am just Zen. A Zen that has grown as one with a bit more politesse with his time in Caledon, but essentially still Zen the Code Poet.

How did I come to Caledon? Well I knew a bit about it from knowing Puck Goodlife during my time on the mainland, him being the best friend of my first serious SL girlfriend. So I knew a teeny bit about it. A couple girlfriends later, we were looking for a place to explore, and the name Caledon floated into my head. I had ONE suit (the morning suit I wore to the Haiku Duel) that would work, so I dressed up, and promptly landed in Caledon II.

We looked around from the hub and fell in love with the charm of the place. We noticed the giant chessboard, and decided to play a game. I won in about 7 moves. We hung around the chessboard and someone came up to us (I think another tourist) and asked how the game was going. I pointed out that it was in Checkmate, and then told him that I had lost. Then, a few minutes later I met my first Caledonian in his native habitat. Mr. Bastillion Bachman. He came offering a prize for the winner of the chess game, my lady friend would not let me lie again, and told him that I had won, where then Mr. Bachman gave me a hat. Which I still have to this day. He also gave my lady friend a gift as well for a game well played.

Bastillion was so kind and polite, it was truly unlike any experience I had previously had on the grid. He was so warm and inviting, and gave me several notecards about Caledon. Told me some places that were good to explore in the then 8 sims and we were on our way.

This was during a brief time where I was homeless, so I ended up logging out there in Caledon near Bastillion's shoppe.

I logged in the next day, still happy to be in Caledon, and it was there I met my second native Caledonian, Lady Amber Palowakski. She was offering discounted Tarot readings in celebration of Samhain, and I took her up on the offer. For those that do not know, Lady Amber has a gift with the cards. She gave me the best reading I had ever had up to that point. She also gave me the gift of a walking stick to go with my morning suit and hat.

I was smitten. I was in love. No, not with Lady Amber, with Caledon. I made it clear that I was, and as fortune would have have it, Lady Amber was wanting to divest herself of some Land in Caledon On Sea. Why she thought I would be a good recipient of the estate after only just meeting me, I think it must have been that 6th sense of hers. Well in a few days time, we arranged the transfer and I was landed gentry. A Caledonian. I had found a home.

So that's my story. Not much adventure, not much grandeur, but its mine, and its the truth.