Author: Inara Pey

Deception is a Full private region designed by Ashaki Hunt (who also appears to be a fan of Cica Ghost 🙂 ) with the assistance of Angelique Haven and Dandy Warhlol (terry Fotherington) on behalf of region holder NiaMarie Simons.

Come enjoy a walk through the Redwoods of Deception. It’s all about relaxing, enjoying nature, and visiting with friends. Stop by the Inn for a game of Cheesy! All are welcome. From the Inn, you can catch the Train to the Valley of Stones and visit the castle ruins.

– Deception Destination Guide entry

This sounds nice and relaxing – almost ordinary. However, Deception is anything but ordinary; there is an eclectic randomness about it that makes it just that little bit different. Not strange or bad or anything like that; quite the reverse in fact. A clue as to why this feeling of quirkiness might make itself known perhaps lies in the region’s About Land description:

A home for those oddities who think friendship, laughter and joy are important necessities in life. Wander around and enjoy a day lost in Deception. 

– Deception About Land Description

Fairly rural in styling – there is what might be regarded as a little hamlet to the north-east of the region – the region folds into itself a potpourri of architectural styles from ancient to modern; so much so that it is nigh impossible to pin down when – or where  – Deception might be.

Turn one way, and it appears as if the setting might be in France; turn another and it might be in the wilds of the North of England or in Scotland at a time when noblemen held sway and lived in great castles. Meanwhile, a (mostly) single track railway line runs around the edge of the region, around which a little diesel car might travel.

Then there’s the fact that within Deception, Jack Sparrow metaphorically rubs shoulders with electric cabs and powered tricycles (by Cica Ghost), where it is possible to run into strange creatures in the woods and huge crows looking ever so slightly worried about  – something and a Nessie-like creature swims the waters while Neolithic standing stones bear African masks. Everything seems to be a melting pot of ideas and elements.

And yet it all works – and quite charmingly so.

Tall mountains surround the setting, adding to the feeling that this is a place cut-off from the world at large, where time flows differently, allowing all of its different facets to exist together and its quirks and oddities to manifest peacefully.

Which is not to say there is no normality to be found – all of the buildings, despite their different geographical styles, are naturally furnished; between the various points of habitation / history within the setting, the landscape unfolds as would many others. Trees give shade to open fields where horse roam, rowing boats bob gently on inland bodies of water; paths offer routes of exploration, gardens offer places of retreat, horses peacefully graze, and so on.

The region is a home role-playing on Saturdays at 13:00 SLT. I didn’t come across specifics of what form this might take during my travels across the region, outside of a book providing information on non-player characters at Greystone Manor, but given the overall eclectic mix of ideas and subjects within Deception, it could be an interesting and fun experience.

As noted above, games tables are to be found at ground level (as is a playable game of garden chess). More are to be found via a neatly hidden-without-being-hidden teleport trapdoor. Also awaiting discovery is the “invisible rope climb” – where it goes (or not) is up to you to discover 🙂 . Just look for it very close to the Landing Point.

In all, Deception is – and pardon the play on words – deceptively engaging. It offers something slightly different in tone and design without going overboard in the name of being “different” and without losing any of its photogenic nature.

Slurl Details

• Deception (rated General)

Occupying a Homestead region, Qaldera is the work of Adius Curzi (Adiabatic), and serves as both home to him and his partner, Snow (SarcasticSmile), and public space open to visitors.

Surrounded by tall peaks open the sea on one side, the description of the setting suggests the off-region surrounds are intended to be the walls of a caldera, a kind of sinkhole created when the magma chamber feeding the volcano is suddenly fully or partially evacuated, leaving it unable to support the mass of the rock above, which then slumps.

Calderas can be hundreds of metres to kilometres in diameter. If there is still active magma left, then new volcanic cones and craters might form in further eruptions; if not, the caldera might over time fade into the landscape or be flooded to form a lake.

In this case, it’s not hard to imagine the setting many have once been a shallow shield volcano on a coast somewhere. Then, in the ages following the formation of the caldera, the seaward wall eventually collapsed under erosion, allowing the sea in to leave the central mound of the slumped land remaining as a small island, now turned into a haven of retreat.

The enforced Landing Point sits to the north-east of the island, down on the foreshore. It is located on the courtyard of a large warehouse which, surprisingly given this is a residential island, appears to still be in operation. The slips alongside the warehouse appear to be built for smaller vessels, adding a further little twist as to how the containers within the warehouse might be shifted.

South of the Landing Point is the curve of a tan beach, suggesting that at least some of the rock making up the island contains quartz, feldspar and iron oxide, which the wash of the sea has worked down the years  to break down into the sand.

Behind the Landing Point sits a pond, both home to Peking ducks and their offspring and a place for casual bathing going by the raft and various floating toys. Between the beach and this pond, a wheel-worn track winds its way up the east side of the island, forming a route to the main house. As it starts its way up the hill, the track branches, allowing an arm to reach down the north side of the island to touch large barn (which can also be seen from the Landing Point).

It is here that a degree of warning should be given. Qaldera sits within an Adult rated region, and Adult activities – including BDSM – are permitted. Most of this activity and equipment is focused on the barn, where the majority of the equipment resides; so if you’re not keen on such things, then you might want to avoid the barn. While other such items of are scattered around the island, they are subtle in nature and blend into their surroundings far more that stand out, so they don’t interfere too much with explorations.

The remaining building on the island is one with another industrial look about it. It sits on a rocky promontory overlooking the beach and whatever its original purpose, now fulfils the role of a coffee bar. It can be reached via wooden steps leading up to from the sands, or via a further branch of the track leading up to the main house.

The house and its grounds sit on the upper reaches of the island, the house with its back to a stream possibly fed by the waters which create a set of high falls also behind the house. Beyond the stream, the land falls precipitously down to the waters below.

The house itself is expansive and stylishly furnished (I didn’t actually go in as it is a residence, even if open to the public and instead peeked through the windows), with the land on the south side given over to growing grapes and outdoor party space. A bridge across the stream at the back of the house leads to a way down the cliffs to where a little secret might be found (which can also be reached via a tunnel in the stonework below the front of the house).

For those wishing to see the island from the water, keep an eye out for the little motorboat rezzing dock.

Throughout all of this, the island is perfectly landscaped and inviting. Places to sit and relax (or engage in a little adult-orient fun) can be found throughout, and the local Shared Environment gives a sense that the island is just waking up with the early morning Sun.

Static NPC have been used in places – such as at the Landing Point and on the beach. For the most part, these are not too intrusive and give a sense of occupation to the setting. However, for those not so keen on them and who use a suitable viewer, remember that Derender is your friend if taking photos!

Visitors to the region are asked to do so in human form. Rezzing is open with a 5-minute Auto Return, so I assume limited rezzing of props for photography is permitted (just don’t quote me on this! 🙂 ). In all, an engaging and photogenic visit.

Slurl Details

• Qaldera (Smartie, rated Adult)