Inara Pey: Living in a Modem World

CK Ballyhoo dropped me a line concerning Planet Idun, a new role-play / photography region with which she has been involved, inviting me to hop over and join her in taking a look around, with region holder and co-creator Fazzy Constantine (Faisel Constantine) also on-hand to chat and answer questions.

Idun. A tropical jungle planet, set in the far reaches of the Milky Way galaxy. Featuring a full day and night cycle, dynamic weather, stunning scenery, views and hidden spots.

– from the region’s About Land description

Located on a Homestead  region, Planet Idun is the latest design Fazzy and his team have worked on under the BluShock RP group banner – a group with a role-play history that stretches back over a decade, and which has been responsible for some impressive designs, such as the ice world Vanargand, complete with its Oblivion-inspired spaceport tower, and also the world of Aegis Prime (as will as having a penchant for Norse mythology, as some of the name indicate!).

For Planet Idun, the BluShock team have opted to create a setting potentially warmer than Vanargand: a rugged, rain forested world where water in places falls from a teal sky to join with that tumbling from high cliffs into the gorge of a narrow river. Largely untamed, this is a world that does have some signs of civilisation – but finding your own way around will call for the explorer within you, as paths are not always obvious, at times relying on narrow ledges of rock.

The clearest sign of habitation is the large ultra-modern base built into the high cliffs towards the north-west of the setting. It is built around two covered landing areas for air / space craft, one of which is dominated by a monster hammerhead of a spacer I’d personally not have liked to pilot into its landing. Inside the base are comfortable living spaces as well as multiple workspaces, whilst its location is marked by both the manner in which its backs into the cliffs and the impressive communications arrays sitting on the peak above it.

However, this in not the only structure to be found within the setting. awaiting discovery on the tip of a high finger of rock pointing to the sky on the east side of the region is Idun’s Roof. A bar / house constructed of wood, presumably gathered from the local forest and reached via a long, winding stair. Elsewhere are other artificial constructs – an open-air landing pad, the region’s own landing point (complete with teleport connecting it with the Deep Space Destination Hub, a nexus for travelling between different sci-fi settings (just accept the experience to use the system for automatic teleports).

As a role-play environment, the region is intended to support free-form RP by members of BluShock and can support short RP situations created by other groups (e.g. as the location for an away team mission). There are a fair number of opportunities scattered around that can be used to built game play – camp sites, crashed vehicles, hidden walks and tracks (some obvious, others not so – as I said, you’ll need the explorer in you), and kayaks to explore the waters as well as the aforementioned bar and the cliff-side base.

Our last region, Vanargand, relied heavily on missions and events, off world time travel and so on. But this time we’ve decided to take a back seat and just build an enjoyable region. A few interested parties are also coming down from other groups to enjoy role-playing.  We’ve been inspired by a few sci-fi games – Mass Effect and Halo, for example.

– Fazzy Constantine

friendly group BluShock is also open to those interested in free-form sci-fi based role-play where the emphasis is on fun rather than an overburdening set of rules and requirements. In addition, those looking for sci-fi / fantasy-based photography may also find Idun to their liking, the dynamic custom day / night environment helps to add depth to the setting / photography.

Planet Idun will be officially opening at 11:00 SLT on Saturday, January 23rd, with a party and celebration at Idun’s Roof. However, it is currently available for general visits for those wishing to look around ahead of the official opening.

SLurl and Links

• Planet Idun (Jasper Point, rated Moderate)
• BluShock Discord Server

As is often the way, the changing of the year sees a lot of people in the northern hemisphere turn their thoughts away from winter and towards the promise of spring. With region designers, this often means moving to replace the snowy looks they may have set out on their regions for the holiday period with something with more colour and the promise of warmth.

Of course, this doesn’t happen overnight – some regions can continue to offer snowy scenes well into February and perhaps March. However, as January does move to February and thoughts of spring bubble up even more, it can mean that those who do like walking through a snowy white blanket or celebrating falling snow or taking to ice skates or sleds and are starting to miss opportunities to do so – or who simply like to witness / photograph the scarecrow form of trees without leaves, standing with arms upraised -, MoonStone (Hecatolite) and Louise (Sallielouise) may have just the right Panacea.

Occupying a Homestead region, this is a setting that – for now – remains caught in the grip of winter, although the thaw is showing signs from gradually breaking through.

Laid out along an east-west orientation (don’t be fooled by the map tile, that is still awaiting post-Uplift update at the time of writing), this is a rugged place. The highlands sit predominantly to the west:  hills that while not high, are already showing signs of greening as the days lengthen and the air warms. The lower slopes, however, are still wreathed in snow, some of which are are under curtains of snow that is falling gently, testament to the fact that winds across the island are low.

As the land rolls down towards the eastern coast, so it is cut by water that almost splits it in two, it extends as far as the green-topped hills that form an open-ended ring around it. But is this a river that is flowing out from the hills – or an inlet of water that, having forcing its way around a little eastern island, found the line of least resistance to cut its way deep into the landscape?, as suggested by the water’s direction of flow within the semi-iced channel.

The land is also cut by a second channel reaching to the west side hills; however, it is still largely frozen, with two large tables of ice sitting against the step slopes of the hills holding it in. One of these appears thick enough to withstand a complete thaw: is is home to a wooden bench that would not be any fun to try and haul by up the precipitous slopes.

Scattered across the island are a number of buildings and structures. These include two cabins – a blocky one sitting up among the hills, and a more traditional steep-roofed one encompassing a single room, sitting on the north-east headland, close to the rocky coast  and accompanied by a small folly. A lighthouse sits on the little eastern island guarding the river mouth / inlet, and beyond it, on the south-east headland, a gazebo provides a covering for the local ice rink.

Elsewhere, cafés offer places to enjoy a warm drink, while paths and trails winding through the land and the hills, watched over by the local wildlife. Most of the latter are birds, waterfowl, turkeys, squirrels and deer – although you might want to keep a wary eye on the wolves and polar bears that reside here. None of them appear to be aggressive, but you never can tell!

A simple yet carefully detailed winter setting, with sleds available for those wanted to have a little fun whilst a box at the ice rink will provide skates, Panacea offers a photogenic visit, and is also suitable for those who have a wearable horse and would like a winter’s ride. In this it’s name might also be taken as a pointer to the region offering a chance to sooth whatever stresses you might be facing.

With thanks to Shawn Shakespeare for the tip.

SLurl Details

• Pancea (Ember Vale, rated Adult)