Day: December 10, 2024

The last time I wrote about Maasya’s Wo Qui Non Coin (or WQNC for short) was nigh-on a year ago, when Maasya presented a Japanese shrine caught in the midst of winter (see: Visiting a Japanese shrine for Christmas in Second Life). As WQNC has had a habit of vanishing from Second Life from time-to-time (indeed, the time I wrote about it prior to December 2023 was in January of that year – and it vanished practically right after I’d published my little write-up!), I lost track as to what might have happened with it.

However, WQNC is currently back in Second Life, and appears to have been so since around the start of November. At the time of my December visit, it once more offers a Japanese winter and temple scene as it did back in December ’23 – but this time on a much grander scale, Maasya once more having upsized to a Full region – and one leveraging the Land Capacity bonus. As such, this iteration of WQNC is able to offer a lot to take in, from the streets and alleys of a small town through to summit-topping temples and winding paths of cut stone, to a hidden place in which to hide from the world.

And cats. Lots of cats (which suits me just fine, as I’m currently the human for 2.5 cats (the half being a semi-feral stray I’ve been trying to gently win over for the last 5-6 months, but we’re still at the point where he will come in for food – as long as he doesn’t have to travel further into the house than the dining room – and will only suffer my presence within 3-4 feet of him when I have a food bowl in my hand!

However, as it took 18 months to fully gain the trust of an abandoned cat living in the rough the last time I did this, I’m confident we’ll get there this time around as well – eventually!

But back to WQNC. Surrounded by an off-region mountain range, the setting might be considered as has having two distinct but fully intertwined elements to its design. To the east, there is the low-lying townscape, with also extends westwards along the southern  edge of the region; to the north there are the highlands forming a wall of rock against which the town in part huddles, and which extends a broad, stepped plateau southwards along the western side of the region, offering a further shoulder of rock to protect the town.

The Landing Point sit below this mountain, on the south side of the region where the local rail line reaches the town’s little single-platform station.  Slightly elevated, the station appears to be the line’s terminus, the two-car commuter train perhaps about to set off eastwards once more and dive into the tunnel burrowing through a rocky shoulder sitting in the south-eastern corner of the region. Whilst nowhere near as high as the northern-western summit, these rocks do extend a flat finger north, on which has been built two small apartment blocks.

The latter seem to hint at one of the region’s little secrets: that seem to be the residences of local tenants. Whether they are for rent or have simply been decorated by friends of Maasya, I’ve no idea; but the multiplicity of owners for the furnishing within the caused me not to pry further so as not to invade privacy. The same appeared to be the case with some of the small houses within the town itself (notably those directly below and across the street from the apartment buildings), so again, some care might be required when wandering through the town.

Not that wandering shouldn’t be done; there is a richness of detail within the little streets and alleys deserving of discovery, indoors and out – including one or two little SL stores selling their wares tucked away here and there among the bars and eateries and other establishments. So do take your time exploring.

It is also through the town that on can reach some of the ways up into the snowy northern uplands. One of these makes its way up to the Neko shrine devoted to cats, and where some of the local felines might be found enjoying the warmth of an oil heater. Another makes it way up and long the foot of the flat-topped summit before climbing over the northern hills and plunging down to where the aforementioned hideaway can be found.

To reach the summit, however, one must take the steps opposite the entrance to the train station. These wind their way upwards, guarded by lanterns, stone cats and saplings, first reaching an outthrust shoulder of a plateau. With a stream flowing swiftly by to one side and what looks like a natural hot spring on the other, this area is home to the Mishima Jinja – although the spirits it hosts are not exactly of the deity kind!

The path upwards continues on the far side of a bridge spanning the stream, arriving at another terrace from which the final ascent to the top of the mountain might be made via the imposing straight stairway that rises as if to the heavens. At the top and at last, visitors come to the temple and shrines. The last time I saw the temple, back in December 2023, it was home to a dragon. Now surrounded by the waters of a large man-made pool, it houses an impressive carving of three snakes.

From this lofty vantage point, one is afforded views  down over the town below. There is also a further stairway down to another plateau. This is home to the waters of a large circular pool, which one might meditate before on a padded bench (and perhaps give the legs a bit of a rest before challenging them with the walk all the way back down to the lowlands once more!).

One of the things I really like about this iteration of WQNC is the use of muted colour. From sky through rocks to buildings, muted tones are used within the expanse of grey sky and rock and off-white clouds and snow. Reds and greens and blues are, for the most part, pushed towards the darker, more faded / aged end of the spectrum. As a result, where a fuller, rich colour is used – be it on a shop sign, the leaves of a tree, the paper of a lantern, even the sides of a drinks vendor or child’s toy – it literally pops out at you with a sense of warmth to offset the the surrounding winter coldness. Marvellous!

SLurl Details

• WQNC (WoQuiNonCoin, rated Moderate)