I received a personal invite from Tripty (triptychlysl) to hop over and visit the latest (at the time of writing) iteration of her Full region design, Reality Escape. This is a destination I’ve enjoyed visiting ever since I first dropped in over three years ago, so I was only too happy to grab my camera and hop over as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
As I’ve noted in writing about Reality Escape in the past, this is a setting which always delights in the way it presents something new to see and enjoy with each iteration, but which also retains certain elements and motifs from design to design which give it both a sense of continuity between iterations and also a sense of welcoming familiarity. These elements and motifs are appropriately summed up in the regions sub-title: Books, Coffee & Chairs – something else I’ve likely mentioned in the past adds to my attraction to the region: one of my favourite pastimes is curling up in my “reading armchair” with a good book and a nice big mug of coffee with the beans freshly ground and the milk suitably steamed!
For summer 2026, Tripty presents an island setting into which the surrounding waters have made their way. The result is a rocky-edged landscape broken up by broad bays reaching into it, the waters seeping into the low-lying areas to form wetlands rich in pond grass, frogbit and floating islands of marsh vines. Whilst none of the land is truly broken up into individual isles – tongues of grassy rock connect one to the next with steps providing routes between the mores elevated parts of the landscape and those loser to the water – travel over the waters is facilitated through the use of stepping stones and little bridges of various forms.
The Landing Point, sitting on the south side of the setting, once again takes the familiar form of a deck leading up to a little coffee house, with Tripty’s welcoming signs greeting new arrivals. This all sits on a little headland of grass-covered rock which the encroaching waters have tried very hard to separate from the rest of the land only to be frustrated by a dry causeway pointing northwards and inland, a dirt-topped path along its back inviting visitors to follow it.
On the west side of this headland lies the largest body of water to work its way inland, a fallen tree trunk forms a makeshift bridge (complete with warnings about drinking and driving and not parking on its narrow width!) to pass over the water alongside the coffee house, connecting as it does to stepping stones dancing their way across the mouth of the bay to reach a further low-lying headland.
This second promontory is curtained into two halves by a tall trelliswork hanging with vines. To one side, where the stepping stones connect to the land via a novel means, the waters become shallow enough for the pond grass and frogbit to grow, giving the water’s edge that wetland feel. The hull of a large boat sits low in the waters here, its interior turned into a garden space whilst its hull helps to shelter the shallows and encourage the plant growth across the water’s surface. Whilst the ground closer to the promontory is largely dry, two hippy-like gnomes look like they are trying to encourage the wetlands to spread, a hosepipe held by one ready to release tap water. a VW van serving as a flower planter sits in the grass close, but whether it once belonged to the hippy gnomes is up to you to decide.
The far side of the vine-draped trellis offers a further flat-topped space where a garden party, books, and even a quiet snooze on a hammock might be enjoyed, the trellis work with its vines combining with a curtain wall of rock to give this western side of the setting a sense of peaceful separation from the rest. However, it is at its northern end connected to a broad ribbon of beach running back eastwards to join with the rest of the region. Backing this beach and facing the bay as they look back towards the Landing Point coffee house, are the chair arches which are another motif that links each new iteration of Reality Escape with its predecessors.
Further to the east the land is again mixed, tongues of low-lying, flat-topped rock providing grassy walks around and across another inlet cutting its way inland, together with elevated plateaux forming the region’s “highlands”. Here again, bridges and stepping stones help to keep the feet dry when exploring – the most visible of the former reached on one side by the most novel of chair stairs. This latter bridge overlooks a large structure mindful of both an A-frame building and a greenhouse, under and within which everything is set for a tea party, although the sole guest is a Siamese cat rather than the Usual Suspects one so easily associates with tea parties…
The cat is one of several quietly keeping an eye on Reality Escape, recording all comings and goings with that attitude of curious indifference domestic felines so casually exude. They are not the only animals to be found within the setting, and Tripty’s considered use of wildlife and birds within her designs always bring them further to life, adding both a deeper sense of nature and at time little touches which help bring a smile to one’s face.
Nor are animals and birds the only touches which help bring Reality Escape to life; there is obviously the unique use of chairs, but there are also numerous small touches and elements awaiting discovery, be they the the crescent Moon sitting on the water or the hints of witchcraft and magic present on a table and below the angled rocks of a cairn (and so easily missed as attention is inevitably drawn to the large tent close by, within which fortune telling, tarot readings and even, perhaps, elixirs and potions are offered) or the many places to sit and pass the time both on the land and on the waters.
One of the many things I appreciate with Reality Escape is the sense of peace it carries within it; nothing about the region is overblown, nothing feels out-of-place. From the lay of the land through the inclusion of the familiar elements to the soft and subtle presence of the soundscape, it all just works. In doing so, it carries a sense of restorative power; a place where the mind can be cleared, the imagination lost in wonder, the heart offered peace and the chance to share. With open rezzing (auto-return set to 30 minutes) the region is also ideal for photographers looking for a location which offers an engaging backdrop for their creativity.
So, whether you are seeking a place to rest, a place to wander with the freedom of your own imagination or a place to spend time with a friend – Reality Escape is the place to visit. My thanks to Tripty for the invitation to once again drop in!
SLurl Details
- Reality Escape, rated Moderate
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 