Realm Of Light – click any image for full size
Annie Brightstar led us to take a visit to Realm Of Light, a Full region designed by Varielle and Tai (Taionia). Described as a “medieval/fantasy sim”, I’d definitely place it as the latter more than the former; it has a delightfully elven / fae feel to it with more than enough fantasy touches to mark it in that direction rather than medieval.
The landing point immediately evokes the fantasy feel, offering a faery circle, trees with windowed trunks lit from within and clearly the homes of the little folk dancing around the landing point on gossamer wings. Four paths offer routes of departure from the ring – three meandering through the tall trees, the third a bridge over one of the region’s rivers. Which you take is entirely up to you – and guaranteed, if I might paraphrase Tolkien, to bring you a place to which you may not have been going, but where your presence is welcomed.
Travel east along one of the paths, and you’ll quickly come to another stream, bridged by interlocking tree trunks, the greensward beyond offering a place to sit and relax – or float- among exotic and colourful plants and fungi. South of this, and sitting on a tiny island separated from the rest of the region by narrow channels, is a great tree supporting a wooden platform on which is built the most marvellous windmill-come-house. At ground level and in the shade of the tree, is a smaller cottage – but be warned! The dragon guarding both is not there purely for show; this little island is a private residence, so please be respectful and avoid trespassing.
Take the path to the north, and it will take you – by way of another bridge – to a garden and elven pavilion. The garden a place of fountains, cuddle spots, a teleport to a floating meditation island. It is dominated by a great mallorn-like tree, a passage cut through its trunk, great lanterns hanging from its boughs and a platformed house held within its crown.
Go south from the landing point, and the path will branch and fork, bringing you to a number of places – what might be an alchemist’s retreat, an ancient walled garden, a mystical tree cave and another greensward ending at a fae waystone circle.
A stone bridge near to the waystone circle offers a way across a narrow river gorge to where elven tree houses sit within the woods, stone paths and steps running between them, the grasses in their shade home to deer and rabbits. The tree houses are connected by bridges spanning the gaps between their ornate platforms, allowing easy passage from one to the next and back without the need to descend to ground level. North-west of the tree houses sits another island, reached by two bridges; again be aware that the properties here are available for rent and may be occupied – so please resist the temptation to enter them.
All of this is just scratching the surface of this region. Along the rivers – and overhead – one might find more dragons; to the north-east lies ship wrecks and a mermaid cove with places underwater to explore. Unicorns are to be found among the trees, while translucent butterflies flutter over plants and toadstools. Keep an eye out for the tiny houses and towers scattered around, and the fae folk who flutter about or are engaged in different activities.
Realm Of Light could perhaps benefit from a more appealing windlight, but as most photographers tend to use their own, this isn’t a drawback – but I do encourage experimenting with options when visiting; this is a place which really comes into its own under many sunlight settings. As it is, Realm Of Light makes for an engaging visit and offers plenty of opportunities for photography and exploration.
SLurl Details
- Realm Of Light (Realm of Light, rated: Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 