Held by Bee Dumpling, Emerald is a Full region setting with multiple faces, all of which make for an engaging visit – particularly for those who enjoy Medieval / fantasy and combat.
The Landing Point sits on the ground level, located between The White Armory Apparel, wholly owned by Bee, and Silvan Moon Designs, a brand co-owned by Bee. The two stores sit within an open, semi-woodland setting, surrounded by mountains. A curtain wall of cliffs runs north-to-south across the region. It is cut through by an archway, separates the stores from a garden area designed by Gidgy Adagio (Gidgette Adagio).
As with all of Adagy’s designs, the garden is simply delightful, well-designed and very easy on the eye. Screened from the sea to the east by trees and shrubs, the garden is cut through north-to-south by a large pond and stream running southwards. A single bridge spans the water, a path of stepping stones laid out over the grass to link the bridge and the archway leading back to the stores.
Beyond the bridge, the steam opens into a small bay in which sits a stone gazebo, one of several places where visitors can sit and relax. Another might be found on the small dock extending over the water; a dock which might otherwise serve the little elven-style boat floating amidst the flowers on the water of the northern pond. Carvings and statues give the gardens an air of mystery, as do the tall mushrooms from which strings of lights are draped.
Colour is added to the setting by slanting rays of sunlight filtering through trees, the light playing off the waters, bursts of flowers and the surrounding mountains. These all combine to give the garden a further air of mystery and enchantment, both encouraging visitors to explore – and to sit and pass the time.
Located on a sky platform accessible via a teleport disk can be found several more locations, all of them – as with the ground-level stores – put together by Bee. They include a period village (the buildings of which are unfurnished), a Renaissance-style hall (which is set as a ballroom and sitting before formal gardens; a Tai Chi garden, a fortified hall and a walled castle – each with formal gardens, and various tournament / combat areas – jousting, archery, training. Overlooking everything on a table of rock is an elven hall, reached via a natural path angling up the rock face, while as with the ground level, mountains surround the setting, giving it a greater depth.
Region-wide the platform is well put together, the paved paths acting as boundaries to separate them one from the next, whilst still leaving room for water features streams, wild woods and a memorial walk. These settings appear suitable for role-play – although to be honest, I didn’t pry too much in order to find out; the region is linked to The Last White Knights of SL, a private group with the description:
Charged with defending the principles of truth, honour, and kindness. To defend those who cannot defend themselves from those who would seek to cause pain.
But beyond that, I just appreciated the settings in their own right.
With a subtle soundscape available on both the ground levels and on up on the sky platform, and with plenty to catch the eye and the camera, Emerald makes for an interesting and photogenic visit.
SLurl Details
- The White Armory-Silvan Moon Designs (Emerald, rated General)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 