Back in April 2022, I came across The Forgotten, an engaging, highly-photogenic Full region designed by Elfie (then Elfing Shenanigans, now WeeWangle Wumpkins – such is the magic of Second Life Name Changes!). I thoroughly enjoyed my explorations at the time, as I noted in Finding The Forgotten in Second Life, and in sitting and contemplating the newly-installed bookcases in my cosily-refurbished home office, a stray thought wandered into my head about the region, leading me to consider hopping over and seeing what has changed – and so I did.
Obviously, 15 months is a very long time in Second Life, and it is likely that The Forgotten has gone through more than one iteration since my last visit. However, I was (genuinely) pleased to see that while the region is very different in looks to when I wandered through it in April 2022, there are still little touches here and there that if not carried over from the earlier design at least offer a sense of familiarity within the current situation, as if one had returned to a familiar country – if not a familiar place within that country.
In writing about my first visit to The forgotten, I noted:
Sitting under a dome of stars – or perhaps star stuff, given the fact the a massive full Moon hangs in the sky beyond – there is a sense of timeless age to the setting, together with a sense that it is a place where the tales of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien mix without being overly swayed by one or the other. Or perhaps mix is the wrong term – it is perhaps a place that combines the imaginations of both men to present a place they would both feel comfortable in walking through.
It’s a statement that holds true with the current setting – although I’d add that George R.R. Martin might also enjoy wandering through it with Lewis and Tolkien, as there is much within the region that offers (to my eyes at least) suggestions of the worlds he created as well (and I’m not simply saying that because of the presence of dragons within the region!).
The domed sky with its massive moon is one of the elements which helped with that sense of connection to the previous iteration of the region I visited, whilst the landscape offered something entirely new to explore, from the swamps mentioned within the About Land description, through the grassy trails and rocky climbs to the islands serenely floating in the sky in defiance of gravity (and they are not alone in demonstrating this skill!).
This is a place that offers itself as a book; the landscape seamlessly flowing from shore to shore, from landing point to tabled plateau, though wetlands and grasslands, leading the visitor through vignettes and elements which stand as chapters to a story, each one unique unto itself but also joined to those which came before and which follow after, their tales combining to draw the explorer onwards as the words flowing across written pages draw the reader deeper into their narrative.
And what might that story be? Well, that is not for me to say; such is the nature of the region’s design, the attention to detail – the considered use of trails to lead one onwards and the placement of rocks, hills and screens of tree to naturally details from the eye so as to increase our surprise on finding them – narratives and tales are bound to weave their way into the explorer’s imagination.
There is a richness of contrasting tones through the setting which further enhances its attractiveness. These take many forms; on the one hand, for example, the grassland is home to otherworldly creatures which might easily inhabit nightmares, yet up on one of the uplands bordering the grasslands a cheeky-looking little round babushka waits to offer you treats and savoury snacks and a place to sit and enjoy them. There are quiet places where romance might be had and others where butterflies weave their dance through the air, yet it is also a place where the tooth fairies are quite literal in form, and where paths marked by translucent tear-drop lamps or beautiful blooms of exotic plants end in places of potential dark or light magic.
It is also a place not without humour and simple delight; the former certainly helps to lead one on and up at the floating islands, whilst the latter can be found in a variety of ways and places, both large and small; who cannot smile on finding the mouse trying its paws at a little parachuting – while its friend looks on from the back of the bird which may well have carried them both to this branch for some daring-do.
Despite containing so much to see, be it out in the open or contained within the various ancient structures also to be found in the region or the caverns awaiting discovery, The Forgotten never feels crowded or overloaded. Indeed, such is the genius of its design that it feels anything but; the landscape allows all the various vignettes room to breathe on their own and be appreciated both apart from those close by and as a part of the region’s unfolding mystery.
Mystical, magical and in some places menacing, the Forgotten has no set path of exploration to follow; from the landing point people are free to wander where they please. Hence why any story that might suggest itself to the imagination it likely to be so personally unique. However, what I would advise is that when visiting you use the local environment settings (World → Environment → Use Shared Environment, if not already checked), and make sure you have local sounds enabled.
But above all, let your imagination take flight, and keep your eyes open for all there is to see and find!
SLurl Details
- The Forgotten (Peaceful Shore, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 