Author: Inara Pey

Sitting within the north-eastern quarter of a Full region leveraging the private region Land Capacity bonus, sits the Realm of Ihrydia. The work of Second Life partners Kal and Lily Shade, it presents a ground-level setting open to exploration, and a sky platform event and store location.

The Landing Point (not enforced) lies on the east coast, where information on the setting can be obtained via a notecard giver, and the teleport station up to the Duplexity store and event space can be found – which I’ll touch on below. The Landing Point recommends the use of the local Shared Environment, and I’d agree with it; the setting as a somewhat ethereal feel to it which is enhanced by the ambient environment settings.

Welcome to the ethereal realm of Ihrydia, nestled amidst towering trees and shimmering glades, the land beckons adventurers and seekers of magic to explore its hidden mysteries.

Here, the air is alive with the hum of arcane energies, and every leaf holds the promise of discovery. Wander through enchanted groves where time seems to stand still, or lose yourself in the labyrinthine paths that wind through the heart of the forest.

– From the description of Ihrydia by lily and Kal Slade

A path winds inland from the Landing Point, almost immediately branching as it does so, one arm almost doubling back on itself. It leads to stone steps that curve gently as they climb a rocky promontory, guiding visitors up to a great stone tower topped by a circular room. The climb to this room is eased by the fact that touching the door at the base of the tower will TP you upwards, depositing you in the fire-warmed room and amidst its mysteries.

Getting down from the tower might at first seem a little harder: for no obvious door or stair presents itself. However, those who look to the hearth and press may find the way to return to the ground as intended.

The tower stands at the end of a line of hills marching the north coast until they reach the parcel’s western boundary. Whilst perhaps not the easiest climb from their eastern extent, these hills are home to points of interest and are more easily traversed from their western end. This can be reached by following the second arm of the track leading away from the Landing Point track as it winds its way from the shore and passing by way of a cottage built into the bole of a tree, and stair leading to the highlands along the south side of the Realm, arriving at a great hall.

Of grand design, the hall mixes influences – elven, Norse (Mjölnir sits outside the main doors), Grecian, and Medieval – and is guards by a young warrior woman, Nylathria, who is non too keen on talking! The the right of this great hall, the path rises to the hills mentioned above, marking the start of the easiest way to explore them. To the Hall’s left the path leads to both a memorial garden / burial area to the rear of the building, and to a large cavern of light, flowers and water which in turn leads to a hidden garden tuck between the south side uplands and the sheer cliffs of the parcel boundary.

Ihrydia welcomes all who yearn for a connection with nature and a taste of the mystical. Whether you seek tranquility in the embrace of ancient oak trees, seek knowledge in the archives of the elven sages, or simply wish to marvel at the beauty of a land untouched by time.

– From the description of Ihrydia by lily and Kal Slade

Reached via the broad stairs noted earlier, these southern uplands are most keenly elven in influence. On the lower of two plateaux, and directly overlooking the Landing Point trail, is a grand elven hall (a design by Compulsion Overdrive I’ve long admired). Guarded by stone Cerberus and fantastical beings, it is open to visitors to appreciate, just as is the great hall.

Upon the upper plateau is a citadel and garden, beautiful ethereal in looks and wreathed in tranquillity. It is within this garden that a further teleport portal can be found, also offering a way up to Duplexity, Kal’s PBR store selling a range of furnishings, décor, lighting, etc., all within an environment within is both futuristic (using one of Colpo Wexler’s buildings as its base design), as well as continuing the more mystical look and feel of the ground level in the surrounding grounds, within which the small events area can be found.

With several places to sit neatly tucked away (or out in the open!), hints of the magical and the mysterious, together with touches of the present: Christmas desserts in the gazebo, a steaming hot tub within the citadel, and with plenty of opportunities for photography, Realm of Ihrydia makes for an engaging, fantasy-oriented visit.

SLurl Details

• Realm of Ihrydia (Regality, rated Adult)

Drone Haven is a full region under group holding – led by Cate Infinity – and designed and built by Myrdin Sommer, who invited me over to have a look around just ahead of the region’s official opening on January 25th, 2025.

The setting presents as what might be regarded as a post-apocalyptic environment: a city being reclaimed by nature, humankind’s time having passed – but life of various forms has not entirely deserted it, and the streets and building are not entirely deserted.

In this, perhaps the best way to describe the setting is to use Cate’s own words:

Drone Haven, a long-abandoned city, stands as a haunting reminder of humanity’s fleeting importance, where rusted skyscrapers and overgrown ruins bear witness to nature’s quiet reclamation. Amidst the decay, drones roam like spectral caretakers, performing their programmed rituals of planting flora, symbolizing the paradox of human ambition and nature’s enduring dominance. This poignant landscape reflects the fragile balance of resilience and collapse, a testament to the inevitability of energy’s finite cycle and the enduring power of nature.

– Drone Haven description

To say this is a region packed to gills would be an understatement; there really is a lot to see, indoors and out. This being the case, I would perhaps suggest using a moderate draw distance to help ease the amount of data being sent to the viewer from the CDN at any given time; also, given the general design of the region, a high draw distance really isn’t required.

An example of the content awaiting discovery can be seen within the motel. Overlooked by the local elevated railway, this is a place where every room is furnished and has a story to tell – including hints to suggest not all the humans have necessarily departed the city.

Exploration of the setting can be done in a number of ways: on foot or following the various roads or by hopping on one of the tour bot cars, or by using the street signs which function as teleport boards allowing you to hop directly to places like the motel, the church, the bot shop (Futura Bots), the events area, and so on.

Another aspect of the setting is the degree of integration between the audio stream (when events are not in session) and the setting; the music within the audio streams is highly atmospheric and fits the environment perfectly – and I understand from Cate that it  includes quirky “ads” inspired bey the setting’s billboards – although I admit I did not hear any during my visit.  Also awaiting discovery are the many places to sit and pose / interactive elements (such as the animation booths).

The drones mentioned in the region’s description are to be found throughout the city, with several models available for purchase at Futura Bots, for those so inclined. Going about their business along the streets and at various places of business, the drones are one of the two most numerous populations within the city – the other being the local cats.

As well as the motel showing possible signs of continued human habitation, other signs that humans are may not be entirely absent from the city. Just take the survivalist camp, for example, complete with a dormitory taking the form of a remnants of a submarine.

To mark the region’s opening, Drone Haven / The Refuge team will be playing host to a 12-hour music festival commencing at 11:00 SLT on Saturday, January 25th, with 1-hour DJ sets running every hour through until 23:00 SLT, and all are welcome.  The dress code for the event is given as  Apocalyptic / Robotic / Futuristic / Survivalist.

Richly set and with the promise of future music events after the opening, Drone Haven is a captivating, visually engaging and photogenic – and I thoroughly recommend a visit.

SLurl Details

• Drone Haven (TheRefuge, rated Moderate)