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In 1874, a group of local scientists founded The San Diego Natural History Museum in what was then called “City Park”, now known as the famous Balboa Park of California.

Before the turn of the century saw construction on the First World's Fair, the scrub-filled mesa of land that was to host Balboa Park had very little landscaping or development. The most prominent building at the time is one you won't find in the local history books, for the simple fact that many don't know it existed.

"The Cavalcadium Finishing School For Girls" circa 1891.

It was called the Cavalcadium, and was a very large structure in Balboa Park with a loose Spanish Colonial Revival style. It housed nearly a dozen laboratories, studies, and libraries for use by its congregations. Even being as distinguished as it was, very few outsiders knew what the building was used for.

As an active scientific institute, it was unparalleled. Some of the world's greatest minds stepped through those doors to share their pursuits. Chemists to artisans, engineers to botanists, the Cavalcadium became a haven for the pursuit of knowledge, beyond conventional standards.

It all began with a man by the name of Doctor Verato. This mysterious figure swooped in and bought up large amounts of City Park with his business partner, Jack Pomene. The two immediately started construction on The Cavalcadium building. The plaque adorning the entrance read “The Cavalcadium Finishing School For Girls.” For the most part, people believed what the plaque said and left the society alone, but rumors soon began to circulate.

The structure took on the name “The Scholomance of California” in the local scientific community and quickly began earning a sordid reputation for being a haven of witches. It did appear to be some sort of private school for women, but many local scientists who were asked to contribute to studies, or contractors who worked in its construction spoke otherwise. Due to its secrecy and the underdeveloped land, many San Diegans had no idea what The Cavalcadium actually was. To any who remember the building, they remember whispers and hearsay, or they remember how the building disappeared rather suddenly in 1917. But mostly they would agree that is was a school for girls.

As members of the Cavalcadium, we've come to know more about the history of the society beyond its secretive and sketchy past. You won't find traces of its existence on Earth, as it almost seems to be literally unwritten from the history books. The reason for this is quite more astonishing than you could now fathom.

Portrait of Marylin Verato
circa 1894,
estimated age- 33 yrs

The truth is that Mister Verato and Pomene never lived. Rather, there were no men by that name. In fact, it was two women who founded The Cavalcadium as a place where they could study art, science, and yes, witchcraft, without restraint or prejudice to their gender and questionable work. So, although some of the rumors were actually true, Miss Verato and Pomene did not have sinister intentions. In actuality, Marylin Verato and Jaquelyn Pomene used magic to further their knack for practical science, art, and culture. Sharing these common gifts, as well as a strange sensitivity to magic, brought these women together.

Verato and Pomene were able to sense what we understand today as Blue Matter and Green Matter. In its unstable, fleeting form, before anyone understood or had harnessed it, the Blue and Green Matter was but a blip of arcane fire, a sorcerer's curse, or a low hum from a vampiric individual. The girls could sense the presence of it worldwide and were magnetized to these events and people. It lead them into an abundance of strange situations and eventually to each other.

It was the most powerful magical attraction either of them had felt yet, and Verato and Pomene are still considered the strongest magic users ever to have existed on Earth. Once they found one another, their friendship blossomed into a joint venture of two universal women dedicated to delving deeper into the mysteries of their power.

Both women had used their intelligence and gifts to secure fortunes in the guise of their own non-existing husbands, and they used this power to create their aspiring haven.

Portrait of Jaquelyn Pomene
circa 1894,
estimated age- 28 yrs

The Cavalcadium became filled with talented women. Through joint scientific examination and simply looking through their roster, it wasn't long before they discovered magic sensitives were specifically female. The progress in the fields of science and magic became intertwined and prosperous. Many Cavalcadians imagined a future of women leaders as equal or greater than men, which would lead to a utopian globe dominated by art and knowledge.

However, through the beginning years, Verato and Pomene slowly began to draw apart. Simple jealousy and disagreements turned into tragedy when one of Pomene's friends became petrified in stone by a devastating spell cast by Verato. Pomene blamed her once good friend for the accident, and eventually withdrew from the society, giving up magic for good.

Despite her grief at the loss of Pomene, Verato continued her pursuit of knowledge and trying to flourish her budding society. The studies of The Cavalcadium Sisters began to draw universal attention from both men and women.

Drawing of Peter Walter I
circa 1895



Depiction of a common marker
used at incident locations
signifying Brown Suit intervention

In fact, it was Peter Walter I himself (creator of the steam powered robots now in the band "Steam Powered Giraffe") who was one of the first male members interested in expanding his understanding of applied science and energy manipulation. This strange haven, with its endless resources and openly creative environment was the perfect place to conduct his ridiculous experiments, and he would go on to be the first to tap into the mysteries of Blue Matter. Word spread fast on the lips of the scientific communities. Memorable personalities such as Thadeus Becile, Delilah Morreo, and Professor Babclock also joined the society at that time, seeking the scientific paradise Peter Walter had stumbled upon.

By 1897, Peter Walter had unlocked the power of Blue Matter and subsequently, in the process, created an alternate reality he dubbed Kazooland. In conjunction, Thadeus Becile had delved deep into Green Matter, the phantasmal sister of Blue Matter. It wasn't long before these discoveries rocked The Cavalcadium and Peter was pressured into stopping Becile's atrocities.

About this time Jacklyn Pomene returned to San Diego, having sensed the creation of Kazooland. Though she stood by her stance on abandoning magic, the creation of an alternate universe and the potential abuse of blue matter could not be ignored. In collaboration with the Cavalcadium, and a shaky truce between Pomene and Verato, the elusive organization known as The Brown Suits was created. Pomene spent the rest of her years alive training adept individuals to fight against those who would abuse magic and the special energies on Earth.

In the last years of the 19th century, Peter Walter's invention of artificial AI through the experimentation of Blue Matter became the stuff of legend. His drive to ensure his blue matter robots and inventions were never misused elevated him even higher in the favor of his peers. He went on to become the president of The Cavalcadium through its internal congress. However, the advancements he brought to the community were stifled when the society tried to make a permanent portal to Kazooland in their building, based on his studies.

The Cavalcadium was wiped from existence in an instant, and it took Peter a few months to realize it had simply vanished. Time and space itself left a void to forget it ever was.

Illustration of Peter Walter's
most infamous creation,
The automaton giraffe colossus




Modern badge depiction
of the original Cavalcadian insignia,
sometimes referred to as
"The Eye of Delilah"

Over the years the Walter family reconnected with our society, having learned we were partially successful in our portal creation. The Cavalcadium building now exists in the seams of Kazooland, and acts as a hub to many other parts of the dimension. A few doorways even exist on Earth.

Modern illustration of The Cavalcadium as it exists today in Kazooland.

Kazooland survives today running alongside Earth's own history, but with a fluctuating time line. Though Walter created it, its history spans thousands of years before and pockets of the land still seem to function on their own time schedules. A minute may pass here, or a hundred years a few miles away. It is clear to us that Kazooland is some sort of central point of different realities meshing together. It is true portals to even more worlds can be found in the nooks and crannies of the world, and even more mysteries lie beyond that.

The Main Hall entrance to The Cavalcadium as it appears today.

The Cavalcadium's Delegation Room.

Portrait of an older Marylin Verato
date unknown

Our founders and Mister Walter believed in the power of knowledge, creativity, and love. It is with pride we support the lives and rights of Blue Matter robots in Kazooland and every creature who shares our vision.

Our main concern is to protect Kazooland from those who would abuse power, and to continue furthering the knowledge and understanding of existence itself and the creative energies that drive us all.

At the helm is still the same democratic congress we hold dear, consisting of the Walter Family and many of you fine multi-verse inhabitants. Be you human, animal, robot, or something else entirely – we welcome you with open arms.

-Doctor Victor Babclock
Current Leader of the Cavalcadium



Would you like to know more?

Read The Story of Steam Powered Giraffe

Portrait of an older Jaquelyn Pomene
date unknown