TeslaCon 4: The Congress of Steam

Lord Bobbins, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, presents the fourth annual TeslaCon. This year it runs October 31 through November 3. The suspicious Baton Faction may be lurking, attempting to thwart Bobbin’s aims of steampunk unification.

Fancy dress will be encouraged for the Halloween commencement; Chicago’s pantheistic theatre troupe Terra Mysterium will debut a special play.

Delegates will venture to The Congress of Steam in Olso, Norway. Entertainment will be provided at the Grand Ball and the Steerage Ball.

Bobbins describes the revelries on the TeslaCon website:

• The main dais is exactly that–a very large 30 foot by 12 foot high stand. It is the embodiment of what TeslaCon has become. On Friday the 1st of November at exactly 7:00PM, we will officially begin opening ceremonies.
  1. First, we will have the entrance of the Steampunk Flag
  2. The opening song will be performed in Norwegian by our host country.
  3. Norwegian folk dancers from the principality of Stoughton shall grace us with a traditional number.  I imagine it will be all whirling skirts and rosy cheeks.
  4. Then shall commence the parade of nations!
     • Each nation present is asked to be represented with an ambassador and flag of their nation.
     • The Ambassador with the flag bearer enters the Congress and  presents the flag to the Congress.
     • After each nation those airships that are part of that nation come forward with their standards as well.
     • They, in turn, are followed by groups and organizations of the nation.  (I do hope Finland recognizes Iceland’s sovereignty…we certainly do not need another fish-throwing incident like we had in Helsinki…)
     • The parade of flags will officially signify the opening of the Congress and will be gaveled in by the Presidium President and then opened by a few words by Lord Bobbins.

The main idea of this weekend conference is to bring the world of Steanpunk, in its infinite subgenres and appreciations (Clock/Diesel/Weird west/etc.) to the forefront, and to let people experience each other’s talents, beliefs, passions, and, of course, methods of creating their own Steam experience.