Ichi-go Ichi-E, Fantasy Faire 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size
A fabled land, bordered by hills and open sea; a place where sakura flowers tower above you and giant dragonflies hover over pools of water set in a chequerboard landscape one which an ancient circle stand close to the shade of a giant cherry tree; a place that encourages us to treasure the meetings we have with others.
To wander here is to wander a land of dreams and to share time with others. There are no strangers here, as those in the west might say, only friends we have yet to meet. Climb the steps carved from living rock and pass under roofless arches into the circle surrounded by stone. Perhaps you’ll dance a while, alone or with others…
Or perhaps the shade of the tall sakura flowers will beckon and there beneath, you’ll discover the tiny winged sakura fae, awaiting a chance to serve visitors and offer them rest and refreshment. For those who feel in need of greater rest, the sakura pods offer sanctuary, rest and a chance for meditation and renewal as ghost butterflies keep the spirits of darkness at bay.
Walk across the water and share secrets with the dragonfly, or travel beneath the waves and into The Looking Glass to discover a realm of wonder, offering delights to one and all; as do the stone-hewn stores that sit beneath this realm’s bordering hills.
It is here that adventurers might find the Monkey Prince, Sun Wukong; a rogue once, and cursed to live in the form of a monkey until he had recovered the seven sacred sutras from the lands to the West. Having succeeded in the task assigned to him and a man once more, fleet of foot and great of strength, he found himself another assignment – aiding the Bard Queen in the raising and care of her daughter. But like his nine fellow champions, the loss of Princess Flora lay as a malaise on Sun Wukong; and the hardly adventure may have to engage in a game of dice or cards if they are to reawaken his memories, because for Sun Wukong, the loss of the Princess was to call forth his gambling rogue once more…
Such is the wonder of this fair land that tales lies at every turn, and wonders await under every spreading bough and sun-touched flower. Treasure the time you spend here; treasure the meetings you have.
It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to our virtual lives by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library.
As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.
Sunday, April 26th
11:00: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker – Seanchai Kitely
So, where were you in 1977? Do you remember the first time you saw the first film? The first 25 times you saw the first film? Maybe you have never seen it at all. Join Caledonia on Seanchai Library’s Spaceworld to enjoy for the first time (or re-live the joy) of those first adventures from an edition penned by Director George Lucas himself!
Seanchai Kitely: grid.kitely.com:8002/Inis Eirc
13:30: Tea Time at Baker Street
Caledonia, Kaydon and Corwyn read The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor, which first saw print in April, 1892 in The Strand Magazine, and was later included in the volume of tales The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.
Was it nerve that cause Miss Hatty Doran to drop her bouquet at her wedding? and who was the gentleman who picked it up for her? – Sidney Paget, The Strand Magazine, 1892
It should have been one of the happiest days in a couple’s life: the day on which they are wed. And so it seemed for Lord St. Simon and his bride, Miss Hatty Doran of San Francisco.
Prior to the wedding, Miss Doran had seemed utterly delighted in her forthcoming nuptials, up to and including the ceremony itself. Indeed, it may have been excitement – or perhaps nerves – which caused her to drop her bouquet in church, prompting a gentleman in the front pew the pick it up and return it to her.
Yet immediately after the wedding, and much to Lord St. Simon’s confusion, his wife became uncharacteristically sharp with him. Then, at the wedding breakfast, there was a commotion when a former companion of Lord St. Simon attempted to gain entry, followed by his young wife claiming a “sudden imposition” and the need to retire to her room – only to vanish, her wedding dress and ring later being found the banks of the Serpentine?
Despite the seemingly perplexing questions surrounding the entire wedding and disappearance, the solution for Sherlock Holmes proves rather … elementary.
Monday April 26th, 19:00: The Wizard of Karres
Gyro Muggins returns to the universe created by James H. Schmitz and given form through his 1949 novel, The Witches of Karres, as he continues reading the 2004 sequel, The Wizard of Karres, penned by by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, and Dave Freer, which reunites the reader with some familiar characters.
For Captain Pausert, it would seem that the old saying that no good deed ever goes unpunished should perhaps become the family motto. As a “reward” for thwarting the plans of the space pirates and eliminating the threat of the Worm World, Pausert is given the secret mission of stopping the nanite plague, a self-aware disease that lay waste to entire planets worlds.
Only someone has once convinced the Imperial Navy, unaware of his true mission, that Pausert is actually a wanted man. so it is that the Navy set out to hunt him down – and almost succeed, managing to cripple his ship. When Pausert discovers his funding has also been cut-off, leaving him without the means to get his ship repaired, he and his companions, Goth and the Leewit, the Witches of Karres, are forced to go undercover – and join a travelling circus.
After all, the show – and the mission – must go on, and thus the adventures continue.
Tuesday April 28th, 19:00: The Journey of the English Language
Trace the evolution of the Anglo-Saxon language through poems and short stories with Caedmon Sharkfin.
Wednesday April 29th
06:00: WASP, Where is Thy Sting?
Freda Frostbite and Trolly Trollop return to the thoughts and writings of Florence King.
WASP, Where is Thy Sting? was first published as a series of magazine essays in the 1970s prior to becoming a book in its own right, is a study by Ms. King focusing on the subject of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (the WASPs) of the title.
While biased towards her own background as a member of an Anglo-Southron Washington DC family, and perhaps slightly dated today, the book explores the various varieties of Protestantism in the United States, which have often been based on social background and ethnicity far more than specific doctrinal differences, and can still resonate with readers today, as one reviewer notes:
After the various ethnic studies which began showing up through the ’60s and ’70s, Miss King decided that WASPs, as an ethnic group, needed to be delineated and explained to everyone else. Overall, she does a decent job. Yes, this is a humorous book, but there are too many parallels to people I’ve known and grown up with to doubt her accuracy. And there are plenty of Miss King’s delicious aphorisms (referring to many WASP womens’ idea of fashion as “Calamity Jane Eyre Chic” is a good example). There are many such quotable bits throughout the book.
19:00: Christie’s Detectives
Join Caledonia Skytower as she presents short stories featuring Agatha Christe’s beloved detectives: Parker Pyne, Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot.
Thursday April 30th
19:00: The Shell Box (75 minutes)
With Shandon Loring.
21:00: Seanchai Late Night
With Finn Zeddmore
Saturday May 2nd, 12:00 Noon: Seanchai Kitely: Lost Legends of the Old West
With Shandon Loring at Seanchai Kitely: grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai
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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for April / May is Habitat for Humanity, with a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live – a safe and clean place to call home.
Fantasy Faire 2015: YoZakura (Flickr) – click any image for full size
Now the Fairelands are open, there is so much to see and do; fund-raising, shopping, dancing, exploring, telling tales, sharing in adventures, joining the hunt … the list is quite fantastic!
One thing many of us will doubtless be doing is taking photographs, both as keepsakes and to share. So, given the Fairelands are still young, and the days still stretch before us, I thought that rather than write about my own travels across the Fairelands just yet, I’d take a little time to remind you of the Fantasy Faire Calendar Competition.
2015 marks the second year in which the calendar competition has been run, and once again, it gives entrants the opportunity to be immortalised in print and help raise even more for Relay for Life!
Fantasy Faire 2015: YoZakura (Flickr) – click any image for full size
The Faire organisers are looking for photographs that best capture the spirit of each of the thirteen sims – and the winners will be included in the Fantasy Faire 2016 calendar (with credits for the photographers) that will be created in Second Life, and in real life using Lulu.com, and sold to raise money for Relay for Life. So this year, people really will be able to take the Faire home with them – and share it with their friends and family too!
The rules for the competition are straight-forward:
Photographs are to be taken at your choice of the thirteen individually themed regions for this year’s Fantasy Faire
Entries for the competition must be uploaded to the Fantasy Faire [Photography Contest] Flickr group
Photographs may be edited with any photo editing software, and must be a minimum size of 1800 pixels high and 2300 pixels wide
Please do not take selfies or add text to your images – the aim is to capture the beauty of the Fairelands and their surroundings. Figures may appear in your photos, but should not be the focus of your submissions
All pictures should be PG rated. Any pictures failing to comply with this rule will be disqualified (and that includes nudity)
Fantasy Faire & Relay for Life of Second Life reserve the right to use photograph submissions for event advertising and publication.
The deadline for all submissions to the competition is 23:59 SLT Wednesday, May 6th.
Fantasy Faire 2015: YoZakura (Flickr) – click any image for full size
The Winners
The top twelve winning images*, as selected by the judging panel, will be included in the Fantasy Faire 2016 calendar, with credits for the photographers. This will be available for sale both in Second Life and the physical world through lulu.com later in the year, to raise money for Relay for Life
The first prize winner photo will be on the cover of the calendar
Please note that contest winners are required to provide their winning photography with the following dimensions – minimum 1800 pixels high by 2300 pixels wide at 200dpi or their photograph will be be disqualified.
The website for SL12B, the largest Community Celebration marking Second Life’s 12th anniversary, opened on Thursday, April 22nd. Celebrations this year will run from Sunday, June 21st through to Sunday, June 28th, inclusive, and have been given the theme “What dreams may come”.
The opening of the website also saw applications for exhibitors, performers, presenters and volunteers also open.
Those wishing to apply for any of these positions are asked to read the General Event Policies for SL12BCC, and then proceed as follows:
Saturday, May 25th – Monday, May 27th: Exhibitors notified via email
Monday, June 1st – Wednesday June 17th (noon SLT): Sims open for building
Wednesday, June 10th: Performers notified via email
Wednesday June 17th (noon SLT) at noon SLT – Thursday, June 18th: Sims closed for walk-through
Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th: Extra time for adjustments
Saturday, June 20th: Press day
Sunday, June 21st ( noon SLT): Sims open!
Tuesday, June 23rd: Second Life’s twelfth anniversary
Sunday, June 28th: End of main celebrations
Monday, June 29th – Saturday, July 4th: Sims remain open for viewing
Monday, July 6th – Wednesday, July 8th: Break down
Thursday, July 9th: Sims go offline.
About the Theme
The theme for SL12BCC, What dreams may come, a phrase which perhaps most famously can be found in Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, and the the Prince’s fourth, and most famous, soliloquy (Act III, Scene I).
At first glance, it might seem an unusual choice, given the context of Hamlet’s thinking within the play. However, as the SL12BCC website reminds us, the words also formed the title of Richard Matheson’s acclaimed 1978 novel, and the SL12BCC website itself offers a new, uplifting interpretation of the words:
Some may craft elaborate worlds of gleaming gold, while others may descend into the netherworld, portraying realms of flame and darkness.
Still others may have dreams of a simpler variety: a nice house, a picket fence, and a perfectly green lawn. All dreams, big and small, are valid and welcome.
We want to see your dreams. what do you imagine for the future, what are your aspirations, or what is your own personal flight of fancy?
Bring life to your dreams at SL12BCC.
Dreams of SL11BCC and the Cake stage by Loki Eliot; what dreams will give form to the SL12BCC celebrations?
The Lost Lands is more than a hunt – it is an unfolding story, and you are one of the principal characters! To help you play your role to the fullest, here are some hints and suggestions to start you on your way.
The HUD and Getting Started
There are two versions of the HUD available, one priced at L$250 and one at L$350. Both operate exactly the same way inside the hunt; the L$350 version will also give you a costume to let you be more “in-character” as you seek to come to the assistance of Princess Flora. And it’s yours to keep as a memory of the Faire and the hunt; so why not treat yourself to the full package – remember 100% of all payments go to RFL of SL. It will also help you recognise other Hunters – and you can help each other!
When you have purchased your HUD package wear it, and then touch it to unpack the contents to a folder in your Inventory called FF2015 The LostLand Hunt. When it has done so, you can detach the HUD package and then wear your hunt HUD (and your costume, if you purchased the special edition of the HUD).
Wearing your HUD will deliver instructions on how to use it, please read them, as they will answer many of your questions.
The special edition hunt HUD includes a costume for you to wear, designed by June Dion of Bare Rose. When you purchase the HUD package, wear it (shown hovering over my hand) and touch it to unpack it to your inventory
Game Play Guidelines
Part 1: Find the Orbs
Your first task in the HUD is to seek out the Bard Queen in Fairelands Junction and receive her instructions. If you prefer, a landmark in the HUD folder of your inventory will teleport you directly to her presence
Part of the Bard Queen’s story will be told through videos displayed in your viewer via a screen provided by your HUD. If the videos do not start automatically, click the screen. If they refuse to run, use the links in chat to watch them on YouTube (please do not share or embed links to the videos in blogs!)
Sometimes you will need to click on someone after watching a video as well, so that they can give you an additional clue (such as how to find the Book of the Champions)
Champions are to be found across the Fairelands (although not in any shops). The Bard Queen will direct you to the Book of Champions, which will in turn help you locate each of the Champions. Some might be close to a sim’s landing point, others you may have to seek out
Touch a Champion to interact with them, and it will display a dialogue box – be sure to check all of the options displayed, as there might be some special surprises!
Make sure you give them a ring via the dialogue box in order to gain a clue to find their orbs
Each orb is located in the same sim as its Champion (but again, not in any shops). When you have found the orb, return to the Champion and give it to them to receive a prize
You can visit the Champions and seek their Orbs in any order you like, as long as you find and return all 10 orbs to them
When you have found and returned all ten orbs, return to the Bard Queen to commence the second part of the hunt.
The HUD with the orb collector open – touching HINT in the centre will give you the last hint on an orb’s location that you received
Part 2: Help the Princess
This takes place in Ravenshold and will engage you in puzzle-solving
Clues to all the puzzles will be spoken in text or can be found in Ravenshold – so look around you carefully and pay attention to everything that is said!
Some of the puzzles are HUD-based, and sometimes the HUD can go wrong. If this happens, reset the HUD using Options > Reset HUD – this will not reset your hunt progress.
Other Things to Note
You can stop playing the hunt at any time and remove the HUD – your progress is automatically saved for you, so you do not have to do the entire hunt in one go.
If you don’t pick up a gift from a champion, or at the end of Part 2, you can return to receive the prize at any time.
When you complete the hunt, you can use Options > Reset Hunt and have another go, if you like.
Enter the Dragon – one of many to be found at Fantasy Faire – at YoZakura, designed by Nya Alchemi
Bloggers across the grid had their first opportunity to witness the regions of this year’s Fantasy Faire. And the verdict is already in:
Amazing.
No fewer than thirteen regions await the arrival of visitors to the Faire, which runs from Thursday, April 23rd through until Sunday, May 3rd inclusive, all in aid for Relay for Life. And even before the gates have officially opened, this year’s Faire has already raised L$1,559,776 ($6,239) as of 12:00 noon on April 21st.
Ichi-go Ichi-e designed by Sharni Azalee & Marcus Inkpen
This year, the Faire brings a host of new activities and opportunities for everyone to get involved in the biggest fantasy event fund-raiser in virtual worlds today, together with the return of popular activities from previous years.
Role-play will once again be a feature of Fantasy Faire in 2015, with three unfolding role-play stories taking place within the Fairelands.
The Rickety Wesels will be trying to save Poppetsborough, designed by Luna Barak, Alrunia Ahn, Kyra Reiter – will you lend a hand?
The Rickety Weasels have once more returned to the Faire, and this year have set-up house in the station at Poppetsborough, the wonderful town of paper created from the pages of a book when a mouse accidentally sneezed upon it. Not only that, but the town appeared with its own inhabitants, the kind-hearted and magical Poppets, complete with a magic train capable of carrying passengers to any story, despite only travelling in a circle.
But Poppetsborough and the Poppets are frail, being made only of paper, and now tears and holes are appearing in the pages of Poppetsborough, which are corrupting the stories with wickedness and drawing others into nothingness. Can it be stopped? Can Poppetsborough be restored – the Rickety Weasels are determined to try to mend the Tears of Poppetsborough – will you aid them?
The Spires of Andolys, designed by Jaimy Hancroft and Eowyn Swords, hosts The Origins of Sanctuary: Lut’s Story
Meanwhile in the Spires of Andolys, the dark role play of The Origins of Sanctuary: Lut’s Story will unfold. Long ago Lut, the Sultan of Sanctuary, made a deal that tore the realm from God’s judgement. This deal Lut has never had to answer for until now. The dark Sultan will be placed before judgement for this deal he made. Will he be found innocent and justified, or guilty and be destroyed because of it?
Finally, and having started on April 15th on the NeoVictoria region,The NeoVictoria Project bring their latest role-play event to the Fairelands and the winter City of Aurora. In The White Wedding, a despairing fae scientist, cursed to bring winter wherever he goes, the Sidhe empire for Aurora. But fate and love are not so easily abandoned. The shade of his human wife seeks the help of the NeoVictorians and they bring her to the Fairelands, to find her spouse and end the curse.
The winter city of Aurora, designed by Beq Janus, will play host to “The White Wedding” NeoVictoria role-play
Ichi-go Ichi-E, Fantasy Faire 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size
Ichi-go Ichi-E, Fantasy Faire 2015 (Flickr)
Ichi-go Ichi-E, Fantasy Faire 2015 (Flickr)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 