Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld

In September 2026, I wrote about a novel and engaging location in Second Life: the Museum of Curious Laws (Museum der Kuriosen Gesetze), which I thoroughly enjoyed visiting. As a result of this, the Museum’s creator, Novadien invited me to visit the latest project he and his team have brought together in Second Life, ahead of its formal opening: Historia Wax Museum.

Wax Museums come in a variety of forms and can often be somewhat questionable in nature. At the upper end of the scale in terms of overall quality and global reach sits the Tussaud chain (and not to be confused with the smaller chain of museums founded by her great-grandson, and which exist as an entirely separate business operating largely in the North American continent).

Historia, were it to be present in the physical world, would easily equal Tussaud’s in its breadth and depth of historical figures presented – over 103 in total at the time of opening – and the quality of their presentation.

Hosted within a grand hall with three mezzanine-style levels built around a central atrium space, the building is imposing and lavishly decorated in a manner redolent of a grand country house.

These levels are divided into bays, with each bay featuring a figure (or figures) from history presented against a suit backdrop display. Information givers will present, when touched, a short biography on the figure in either English or German.

Each of the figures has been crafted in mesh by Novadien, and considerable care has been taken to try to achieve an historical likeness of the subject in question, using a variety of sources. And trust me when I say that these figures have to be seen to be appreciated.

Not all of the figures are restricted to such bays, however. One John Wilkes Booth, for example, is stalking one level, a pistol conspicuously held in one hand, his eyes furtive, as if seeking someone.

Elsewhere, Bram Stoker is apparently scribing his famous character – and his castle – into existence around himself!

There is also some subtle partnering – so to speak – in some of the displays. Nicolas II, and Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (aka Vladimir Lenin) share side-by-side bays, but they stand slightly angled as if slyly angling their backs toward one another.

On the ground floor, meanwhile, Edison and Tesla occupy side-by-side locations, pointing to their relationship in the development of electrical power in the United States – and the storm clouds outside the windows behind Tesla perhaps hinting at the tempestuous nature of the their relationship.

Nor are all of the figures within the museum from the physical world, as Novadien noted to me:

In the atrium, to the left of the main entrance are not historical figures, but people from our city of Neudarmstadt in Second Life, and home to all of our projects. We wanted to celebrate some of the residents and friends of our city; people without whose help and support Neudarmstadt probably would not exist in its current form.

– Novadien, October, 2026

This, to me, is a delightful addition to the museum.

The museum also features a display of portraiture – some of the subjects of which also have figures within the museum. This adds a further depth to the experience of a visit, although at the time of mine, these did not have any form of identification of their subjects; hopefully this will change.

And in case you’re wondering why no Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Scarlett Johansson, Kate Winslett et al, the answer is simple: to avoid issues of likeness licensing and other potential legal concerns.

Not that Historia needs modern-day celebrities; the clue is in the name: this is place for marking the lives of historical figures, be thy people with whom we might have a fair degree of familiarity to others with whom we may not be so familiar. But howsoever any of the individuals featured in Historia strike us, one this is guaranteed: a visit will be informative and engaging – Historia has been extremely well put together.

The official opening for the museum will take place from 11:00 SLT on Saturday, October 17, 2026, featuring a mix of live music and a DJ set. However, the museum is already available for people to visit (with some last-minute work going on!).

Oh! And should you visit, don’t forget to Mouseover (and click) the figures on display! 🙂 .

Slurl Details

• Historia Wax Museum (Ibranic, rated Moderate)

In August 2026, after dropping back into Lost Lagoon, I noted that sometimes we bloggers tend to forget the more timeless locations in Second Life in favour of those that shift with the changing seasons or which are routinely given a new vision by their creators – or which are simply new to SL as a whole.

One such timeless region – indeed, one which completely vanished for a time but made a welcome return a few years back – is that of Hazardous.  Occupying a Full region, it is a place which may well change slightly and in subtle ways – some new seating here, an event space there, a shuffling of the environment – but which has in essence remained unchanged throughout all of its time in Second Life.

There is good reason for this: Hazardous is one of those spots of natural beauty so well put together that any significant change would be the equivalent of stomping on it with and oversized and brutish hobnail boot.

Designed and held by Chris Gray (Chris Jackman – formerly known as Mandingo Quan), it’s a place occupying a quiet corner of my heart, being one of the first locations in Second Life I wrote about as my blogging turned more towards art and destinations 15 years ago, and a place to which I’ve returned a number of times down the years to either write about or simply wander.

Hazardous is known for its towering cliffs and the U-shaped plateau sitting atop them, cut through almost completely north-to-south by a sheer-sided gorge.

Something of a showcase for some of the trees and shrubs produced by Chris under the [We’re Closed] brand (and which were, when I first took to really designing and building my own places and homes for friends, among some of my earliest purchases of landscaping items), Hazardous presents a rugged yet welcoming demeanour.

In this the name seems both fitting and odd. Fitting because get to near the edge and you could end up spending a brief moment impersonating Willie E. Coyote on the wrong side of a cliff before becoming acquainted with the area direct below it.

Odd, because frankly for the majority of visits, it’s hard to find a more tranquil setting for restoring the harried mind, and far from any sense of hazard.

I think that’s why I particularly like Hazardous. Its high, blank cliffs, enduring table top with trees, shrubs and scattered signs of loose habitation offers and enduring steadfastness that’s more than just a matter of familiarity. It’s like the setting is saying, “Come what may, I’ll be here for you.”

The other aspect is that this is a setting that is utterly deceptive. Yes, it may well stand as “the place with the cliffs and the gorge” – but when one takes the time to explore and pry, Hazardous is so much more than that; it has definite life and breath of its own.

Some of this may be obvious – the aforementioned scatterings of human habitation (of which the various swings, seats and the like offered to visitors just add to the welcome air of the region). Others are perhaps a little easier to miss or escape attention altogether.

Of course, the house down in the gorge, with its boardwalk over the waters there and the zip line running down to it, is an obvious attraction; so too, perhaps is the rope crossing close to the mid-point of the gorge.

But how many find the art displayed within the region? Forget looking inside any of the buildings – and don’t be fooled into believing I’m merely referring to the projector running quietly outside of the old ruined house on the east side of the island. No; I’m referring to the – literally – floating and sunken displays of art waiting to be found.

Wander to the north of the setting and the standing windmill there; you might find the steps leading down to where some of the art – and more – might be found. Similarly, don’t assume that deep, dark ponds are only the home of fish or possibly creepy nasties.

For those who enjoy good music, this might also be found at Hazardous, courtesy of the stage area to the east side of the region. This will next host two hours of live music on Saturday, October 24, 2026, starting at 17:00 SLT.

Sadly, that’s a little too late for me – but those who attend will likely enjoy the line-up of Amberle and Max Kleene – but please mind the Quokka if you decide to dance!

An evergreen setting in Second Life, Hazardous remains a classic destination for all to enjoy. Just mind the step down from the landing point!

Slurl Details

• Hazardous (rated Moderate)

Earlier in the week, I caught sight of Bambi’s (NorahBrent) Missing Melody amidst the various Halloween destinations in the (at the time of writing) Recently Added section of the Destination Guide.

Given I’m not an overly great fan of Halloween (as people have likely noticed!) and prior to my visit back in May 2026 it had been three years since I’d dropped into the region, I thought I would bounce over and see what’s going on.

For autumn 2026, Bambi once again provides a quite small setting for Missing Melody, making it ideal for a casual, quiet visit whilst leaving plenty for room for Mirai Melody as it remains seated on its sky platform in all its iridescent bustle – a place I visited back in 2024.

Given that we’re now into what can be a frantic part of the year – Thanksgiving has just taken place in Canada, Halloween is everywhere, November 5th beckons in the UK with US Thanksgiving not far behind, autumn celebrations in Japan and so on and so forth – and of course there’s the end of the year looming on the horizon with all that it involves – dropping into somewhere in which to catch one’s breath can be something of the godsend.

And that is exactly what is offered here: a timeless setting of two halves faintly European in looks, a broad canal-like body of water spanned by a single bridge separating them.

To one side is a cosy parade of little shops which espouse that European feel, all of them sitting on cobbles themselves raised above the water by a broad deck. Here can be found the familiar in the form of the Oh Deer Café in a new design – a staple of Bambi’s Missing Melody howsoever it is dressed, and a reminder of both Bambi’s brand (her store also sits high over Missing Melody) and of her former region which once stood under the same name.

Also along this row of shops is a little touch of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie, a stirring of humour in the local bookstore’s name and, in keeping with the seasonal trends common to the end-of-year: a timeless toy shop with a promise of gifts and Christmas, and a rather spooky-ish store next door.

Across the water and bridge is a small park where the grass has grown beyond a summer’s length ideal for picnics and both cobbles and street lamps guide the way to a pavilion awaiting the arrival of musicians.

Caught under a heavy autumn downpour, lightning dancing around the horizon, this is nevertheless something of a relaxed, almost sleepy setting in which the dour sky might encourage visitors to make a dive for the nearest doorway on arrival just to get out of the rain, and then linger in comfort with no need to hurry onwards.

And that’s perfectly fine: pretty much every shop along the parade having something to peruse inside, whilst the Oh Deer is simply sublime in its homeliness – even if there is one feline occupant determined to get up to mischief – or maybe just doesn’t like plants…

However, those who do venture out into the rain will be rewarded, because – as is always the case with Missing Melody – there are a lot to be discovered in terms of detail within the setting, together with  opportunities  of photography.

Just before the bridge, a carousel turns slowly, offering rides to those so inclined, whilst on the bridge respite from the rain can be found – to some degree – with a warming cup of freshly brewed coffee and / or a good wholesome sandwich (or at least, a bread roll or two!).

Along the path leading to the pavilion are details aplenty, from a newspaper headline well in keeping with the weather, through to the (hopefully not abandoned) puppy in his carrier bag complete with a reminder that puppies need regular feeding(!), and more.

Oh, and do mind the red squirrels skittering about on the cobbles – they might not be considered an endangered species (outside of the UK, at least), but they are protected, so please do try to avoid stepping on them!

Benches along the cobbles offer outdoor seating – although the rain can make clicking on them to do so a little difficult – but then, rain does tend to make sitting outside a little difficult – or at least unpleasant, if not suitably dressed – at the best of times. But couples can at least enjoy a cuddle or two!

Should the rain prove a little too much – don’t forget you can also visit Mirai Melody up in the sky.

Slurl Details

• Missing Melody (rated General)
• Mirai Melody
• Oh Deer Store