The Bishop Of St Diesis

Diatoms Are Forever

O.K. no, they are not forever. But the artwork? It could last forever. During these times (maybe one day we shall enter 1900...) we are seeing a number of artists competing for the best diatom arrangement & some of the more talented amongst have vowed to new share the secret of their immaculate methods. Many of us are familiar with the Cloistered Diatomist (the Monastic Diatomist is also a rising talent). While he would not allow his method to be shared nor publicised (very reclusive), we did find several Bohemians willing to share.

In the process of trial & arso...error, I found some amusing ways to break the diatom’s place on the Great Chain & found a way to have a large window created with diatoms (stained glass is very 1899 [the first one]) in my Embassy Suites. Millions of diatoms & like the people who must silence the surrounding grounds of the palace over & over, the Monastic Diatomist is giddy (for him) to continually make a living piece of art that people HAVE to look at to get in my home. Especially since it requires a very secretive method & the diatom art movement loves nothing more than secrets...

A Free Evening, circa 1899 (the 2nd)

What do you do on your free evenings? Some London citizens get dressed up & dance. Whether you find yourself in a very fiery dance of correspondence with your beloved or some of the... more interesting characters out & about. Or maybe a bit more lively than the Palace, but less fiery than The Rose Giveth Poetry readings, but still with fabric flying. Or perhaps you have found a hidden salon, bohemian gathering, or a ball for something or another. Perhaps you are after a bit of Scandal. 

Either way, London has it! Now go find it.

(sorry I couldn’t get it to grasp the concept of Rubbery folk for this... it just tended to behead them... use your imagination on any of the above tho! As for the few that seem in sunlit rooms, it’s umm... it’s Crimson Engineering! Yeah... self-illuminating glim? [checks her mith level] Yes, it is that.)

The Roof Below, circa 1899 (the second) [Part 2]

The Roof Below, circa 1899 (the second) [Part 1]

So, I’m not sure if anyone reading this has done a cave tour? Like Carlsbad Caverns, Þríhnúkagígur volcano, Grotte di Frasassi, or Jenolan Caves. Or smaller ones like The Caverns in Tennessee, Fingal's Cave in Scotland, or even just a lava tube in Hawaii. But when you go to these places, they aim to make an impression from the outset.

These were my first tries at it & it feels like what you’d see on the first visit to the Roof Below. Some of these had blue water, some honey-coloured, and others it’s almost red. Some I almost disregarded until I remembered there is blue amber and the colours we’re more familiar with. I mean there is even “purple” & green. So I just rolled with it.

Saint Dunstan’s Sacristy, c 1899 (2)

I’m late on this, apologies. None of these came out quite right (but these were some that I liked best), then I was trying to figure out if the new version MidJourney might help... then I realised I hadn’t even gotten to 2500 Spirit of Hallowmas & spent a frantic while trying to do that before the end.

BUT! This is what I got & I like to think it captures the venue as much as I can. From the beginning prep, the dark revels, the slip out of the carved doors into the night past a handsome devil, to the end of festivities. An empty place & people fleeing into the dark.

I have The Roof Below as well, but I couldn’t stop it from adding a load of light. Then I couldn’t get the “water” to be amber. BUT, I just got it tonight & will post the best ones in a few days. 

The Saturnine Duke, circa 1899 the 2nd

I’ve tried to post this four times & it keeps being eaten. So, short story shorter (tired of retyping):

I think the first (very top) is what my brain thinks of as closest. His mask is brighter, different hair (or some for of a hat to better disguise himself). The others? Perhaps Neath visitors paying tribute? Or joining the revels & just looking dapper. One, once again, is the Merry Gentleman passing through. You can choose which. As for the unmasked fellow in red? Anytime I tried to unmask The Duke, he looked a bit like that (which I know means I only found his decoy).

Someone (2 anons actually) requested some “The Saturnine Duke” fuck ups. While I prefer to think of them more as a misunderstanding between MidJourney & I, the fact is… I am fairly sure I didn’t request a tango leg, a crown, or whatever that one thing is.

Every prompt was key phrases from the game. All I added was the lighting, the setting, & the parameters (aspect ratio, style, etc).

Hey... guess what time it almost is in London?

HALLOWMAS! I am excited. I love Hallowmas in Fallen London. Even though you can get neat affiliations at the end, provided you did enough for that “spooky faction,” I always even up a moth (nightmares). There was talk last year that the Queen of Air & Darkness would not be attending London’s Hallowmas this year & would instead be rotated out for one of the others (since we now have four & only three spots in London for venues). 

If there is no Pavillion of Butterflies this spooky season, I will probably end up a demon or a crown. Or... maybe there will be a new faction in town!?

That would be exciting... though 4 menaces probably means four factions. Alas. (Or maybe 6 locations for 6 kinds of confessions? That could be fun...)

While there is a description of the Pavillion several places during the event, telling an AI ONLY that gets you some... well, greenhouses. But explaining who’s INSIDE the Pavillion? Gets you much cooler greenhouses. Adding extra touches (victorian era, architects, interior or exterior, etc) makes the outcome even neater. However, it also makes my brain start wondering how other people see the Pavillion in their mind's eye. Do the candles give it a warm glow or do you think it’s all tinted a bit red because the Queen is there? Or maybe the colour is based on the butterflies inside? Perhaps it’s just an ordinary greenhouse, only made extraordinary by the festivities? 

Feel free to send a message or comment (or reblog) & let me know how you see it. I’d honestly love to know! Also, Hallowmas is my favourite Neathy holiday! So, if you want to share in the excitement, I’d love to see your posts about that too!

London, Down In The Underground c. 1899 (either one)

When I first learned of MidJourney, I did what anyone might do... I wasted time & image hours doing stupid things. Then I got it together & attempted to make a universe in a geode & it looked O.K. It was also sparkly & dark. So I thought, “Why not make London? But FALLEN London...”

Did it work? Kinda. I didn’t have the knowledge of prompts or aspects or art movements or whatever else made it do amazing things. I was armed with the knowledge it was Victorian London in a cavern far under the surface of the Earth.

So, this is what happened. Is this all of it? Oh, gods, no. I made so many of these before realising that isn’t how it works that I have like... piles & piles & most look the same but aren’t. Someday, I will not be a chaos dragon & I will clean out my horde. Until this, THIS IS MY CHAOS & YOU CANNOT HAVE IT!

The Red Handed Queen (sort of...)

Well, the zubs seem popular… so instead of other Fallen London AI outputs, let’s play another round of “Failed Zubmarines” that I’m going to call “That’s a Zhip not a Zub, mate.”

As the last batch, help yourself of you see one & think, “THAT is my ship/zub!” These are in my “That’s Not The Lady Crow” folder. So, if it’s your ship, take it & tell me!! (It’s a request not a demand) I love seeing ship names & even just seeing Fallen London/Sunless Sea/Sunless Skies OC lore or tumblrs.

Cheers, stay safe at zee!

PS. Extra sci-fi output for those who liked them.

So let's talk zubmanines. These were early attempts at creating my in game "ship" Lady Crow Leviathan. Clearly, with all the lights & tech this is more scifi than "Fallen London" which is the only reason I count them as a fail for my ship.

This does, however, mean that if any other players, or RPer's, want these as their ship/zub they are welcome to them. If you use MidJourney & want to modify off these, let me know if you want the job ID.

Lamp Cat, Fallen London (from @failbettergames) Principles of Coral

These do not look like the description of a Lampcat. But I tried... maybe one day I will try again, but I am giving up for now. I like to think this was my ‘Neath OC trying her hand at painting a Lamp Cat from memory... 

These won’t be in the order I make them... it’s a bit overwhelming as a bot & over-stimulating.

My first try at it… was not what I was aiming for.

Prompt: a dark haired woman with mirrors for eyes