I was back on my jaunt around the Mainland once more, seeking cafés and coffee houses that offer neat little corners of the Second Life experience. Once again I found myself I Heterocera, but this time south of the atoll compared to my previous visit to take in Hi Cafe.
My destination this time was Storywood Sanctuary, the work of the Wild Abundance team founded and led by Aphiris Moris (Aphiris Mercury).
Welcome to Storywood Sanctuary! Here, you’re invited to wander through lush landscapes, dream under the shade of ancient trees, and savour a freshly brewed coffee. Enjoy the magic of this haven, where every corner holds a story.
– Storywood Sanctuary greeting
Located just to the north of Mock Heather Road and not far from the lake on the south side of that road, Storywood Sanctuary is one of two locations designed by the Wild Abundance team in close proximity to one another (I’ll be covering the other in an upcoming piece).
Covering a little over 6,000 square metres, the spot is – as the name suggests – literary themed, focusing on stories and books, and is LGBTQIA+ friendly.
The Landing Point sits within on a trellis-covered deck bearing the location’s name and where books and a table covered in the pages of a manuscript further hint at the setting’s theme. Just mind you don’t wake up Francine as she sleeps close by!
From here, a path winds through the setting, meandering past little motifs and details related to books or hinting at stories. These are nicely done with, for example, The World of Christopher Robin leaning against a tree stump on which a bear is asleep (possibly from enjoying too much honey?); while just off the path, a large copy of Mary Poppins has fallen open to allow three carousel horses to fly out, recalling a scene from the book (and perhaps more vividly, Disney’s take on the book). Feel free to sit on any of the horse for a photo.
In addition, on the approach to the coffee shop it is possible to see the stone figure of a little girl who might be taken as a certain Alice. Not too far from her and mottled by sunlight, is a glass coffin beneath a tree. Roses grow under its cover, but the reference to a certain story by the Brothers Grimm is clear.
Along with these motifs is much else to please the eye. There’s the friendly garden troll under the bridge, the flowering books along one bank of the stream and vying for attention with the butterflies made from printed pages. There are animals and birds to be found throughout; there’s tree trunk offering the chance to take and share stories, and more.
Obviously, there are places to sit throughout, from the library / reading room alongside the Landing Point deck all the way through to the coffee shop (and beyond), with some of quite interesting designs (three particularly in keeping with the book theme).
Not all the places to sit are on the ground or necessarily obvious (again, one of the very booked themed places might not appear to be so but for the brazier with its little fire sitting in front of it) – so taking a good look around as you follow path around the setting is recommended 🙂 .
Beyond the coffee shop is a further garden space available for wandering, a rutting track forming a loop around it while flowers of a more exotic nature grow and a forest carousel turns in time to fairground music, whilst the laughter of children (or wood nymphs?) might be heard by those with local sounds enabled.
Cosy and charming, Storywood Sanctuary is a place that does exactly what its name implies: takes you into a garden of stories and present a setting in which sanctuary from the pressures of daily life might be found.
Slurl Details
- Storywood Sanctuary (Sabra, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 