Morrigan’s Roadhouse: an enchanting stop in Second Life

It  had not been my intention to write about two locations designed by Yxes (Yxes Evergreen) practically back-to-back; however serendipity played a hand when, after writing about Memories of Dreams (see here for more), I was bimbling around south-western Heterocera (specifically along Mock Heather Road and trying to work out if it was part of the atoll continent’s Route 2 or not) when I stumbled across a place called Morrigan’s Roadhouse.

Or rather, I initially came across the unmistakable form of the TLG Ruined Gate by Marcus Inkpen, standing alongside one of Elicio Ember’s marvellous plants and with the . a i s l i n g . Old Fountain sitting under it. Given all three are creators / brands I tend to use myself, I was immediately intrigued, and with the large house sitting above the ruined gate teasing me further, I decided to poke my nose at what I had found, and only after flycaming and discovering more of interest – notably in more of Marcus’s architecture and Elicio’s plants – did I take a look to see who was responsible for this most enchanted of settings, and thus discovered it to be the work of Yxes.

Sitting to the north side of Mock Heather Road and within just under 20,000 square metres of land, Morrigan’s Roadhouse is a place of gentle contradictions natural delights, touches of fantasy and (to me at least) spirituality (in a pagan sense), and infinite charm. The About Land description suggests the setting may have been influenced by what might be the most instantly recognisable (and misinterpreted) of all of the recordings by the Eagles: Hotel California, quoting as it does the sixth verse of the song.

It’s a verse that is somewhat reflected in the mysterious lean of the setting – the big house sitting as they crown of the landscape (inasmuch as it rises above everything else) might be seen as a place every bit as strange and mysterious as the hotel of the son, whilst the roadhouse of the setting’s title might bring to mind the idea of an edge-of town inn or coaching house where accommodation, alcohol and perhaps dancing might be had; again somewhat in keeping with elements of the song.

Similarly, there is much within the song – and the quoted verse that might be applied to Second Life and those of us who have been engaged with the platform for a long time – do we ever really leave? Whilst the platform itself might be said to be programmed to receive.

But then there is the name of the setting itself, which carries one away from the poetry of (relatively) modern song and lyrical juxtapositions of meanings real and imagined, and into the realm of Irish / Celtic mythology in the form of The Morrigan, the Phantom Queen, most often associated with war and fate, and said to be able to take the form of a crow. Indeed, within the setting, the ruins of a chapel (again the work of Marcus Inkpen) offer a shrine and prayers to the Morrigan, further strengthening this connection.

Nor are these two thematic elements in opposition to one another; just as there has been much debate and speculations about the meaning behind the lyrics of Hotel California, so the Morrigan can be interpreted in different ways. she is seen as both an individual in the form of the Red or Phantom Queen, and also a triumvirate, as both a threefold goddess and also as the Morrigu, three sisters of united heritage cause. Thus, both the reference to the song and to the pagan figure, lend an air of mysticism combined with fantasy and dream to the setting, well in keeping with its unique and engaging presentation.

Which is undeniable about Morrigan’s Roadhouse is the sense of enchantment and the fantastical found throughout, be it in the will-o’-the-wisp-like blankets of mist drifting here and there between the trees and over the waters, or the exotic plants and giant mushrooms awaiting discovery, or the unicorn and albino stag watching over the landscape, or the simple presence of boats floating serenely in the air. There is a charm and sense of magic to be found within the buildings (and under them in the case of the main house), whilst the motifs of familiars (cats and ravens) might be found in multiple places throughout.

That said, this is a place where flycamming is perhaps more advantageous in seeing all that is on offer when compared to walking around. There are elements of the setting not entirely conducive to wandering on foot, and while this may make finding them a little harder, the fact that the landscape does hold somewhat inaccessible corners is entirely in keeping with Nature herself in rarely offering us a simple footpath or trail to follow.

Engaging, photogenic, peaceful and definitely with more than enough in possible motifs, themes and meanings to get the brain cogitating on all of its cylinders (a mere four in my case, admittedly!), Morrigan’s Roadhouse makes for a very worthwhile place to visit.

SLurl Details

• Morrigan’s Roadhouse (Tethea, rated Moderate)