June 22nd-29th will mark BURN2: Conception, a time to celebrate the past, present and future. The e-mail press release announcing the event reads in part:
Sometimes it is good to look back at where we came from, so we can see how far we have come. A long, long, long, long, long time ago, where we live now looked much like our Moon. So as we look back at the start of the flame this year, let’s do it under the stars on a landscape just waiting to come to life.
The BURN2 team go on to extend an open invitation to artists and builders to apply for a place on the cratered playa, a reflection of this image of a young and new Earth, and create a vision of the past or the present or the future and help to bring the barren landscape to life.
Available craters range from 28 to 32 metres in diameter, and some overlap with one another to encourage people to develop communal builds, whether they know each other or are meeting for the first time. For those looking back, the recycling of parts of old builds seen in the playa is encouraged. Those looking to the future are encouraged to think “far out” into the future and to where we may be heading – or what may already be out there, heading our way …
Those wishing to participate in BURN2: Conception, are invited to read the Builder’s Guidelines and then, complete the application form. All applications my be submitted no later than Friday May 16th, 2014.
BURN”‘s own magnificent desolation: awaiting artists and builders
About BURN2
BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man regional event, and the only virtual world event out of more than 100 real world Regional groups and the only regional event allowed to burn the man.
The BURN2 Team operates events year around, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall – a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.
It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in Voice, brought to Second Life by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library SL.
As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.
Sunday May 4th,13:30: Tea-time at Baker Street: The Sign of the Four
Tea-time at Baker Street sees Caledonia Skytower, Corwyn Allen and Kayden Oconnell open the pages of the second full-length novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, which was originally published under the title The Sign of the Four; or The Problem of the Sholtos, and later abbreviated to the name by which we know it today: The Sign of the Four. (also sometimes abbreviated to The Sign of Four).
In 1888, Mary Morstan comes to Sherlock Holmes seeking his assistance in two matters. The first is with regards to her father. Having returned safely from India in 1878, Captain Arthur Morstan had arranged to meet his daughter at the Langham Hotel, London – but he had vanished from the hotel prior to her arrival, and no trace of his whereabouts has ever been discovered.
The second relates to a series of pearls she has received, at the rate of one a year, every year, from 1882 onwards. The pearls started arriving after she had responded to a strange newspaper advert inquiring for her, and the last one had come with a letter, indicating she had somehow been wronged, the sender asking to meet with her.
Holmes discovers that the pearls started arriving shortly after the death of a Major Sholto, who served with Arthur Morstan in India, and he is convinced there is a connection between the two men which involves an Indian fortress, names of three Sikhs and a man by the name of Jonathan Small.
If that weren’t enough, it then appears everything may be bound up by a certain treasure which may have led to murder and betrayal.
Find out more by joining Cale, Kayden and Corwyn.
Monday May 5th, 19:00: Mimsy Were the Borogoves
Gyro Muggins reads this 1943 sci-fi short by Lewis Padgett (otherwise known as the husband-and-wife team of Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore.
In the far-flung future, a post-human scientist uses a time machine to send two boxes of educational toys into the past in the hope of helping to save his race. The first arrives in 1942, where it is found by a young brother and sister, Scott and Emma Paradine. The second travels back to nineteenth century England, where it is found by Alice Liddell. And so through the writings of one Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, the world is introduced to the Jabberwocky, and the Paradine children find the means to perhaps save that distant future civilisation …
Tuesday May 6th, 19:00: Good Poems
With Kayden OConnell.
Wednesday May 7th, 19:00: Flora and Ulysses
Kate DiCamillo’s second novel to win a prestigious Newbery Award (the first being The Tales of Despereaux in 2004), is at its heart, a comic superhero tale.
“The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him.
“What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry—and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.”
Join Caladonia as she continues to chart this lighthearted tale of eccentric, endearing characters, engaging illustrated by K. G Campbell.
Thursday May 8th
19:00: Cerebus
“Cerberus is a three-headed dog born to monstrous parents, who experiences many adventures, culminating in a tragic journey into the Underworld. It is here that Hades, ruler of that kingdom, determines to keep Cerberus as his sentinel at the Gates of Hell. The three-headed dog ventures into this perilous trap in his quest for the little girl he loves, who has been ruthlessly stolen from him by death. It is in Tartarus that Cerberus finally finds her and where he meets his greatest challenge. “Here is the stirring tale of friendship, cunning, and treachery within the turbulent world of myth occupied by heroes, gods, and monsters.”
With Shandon Loring.
21:00: Seanchai Late Night
With Finn Zeddmore.
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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 May-June is Habitat for Humanity: envisioning a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
The Palace of Tears: undamaged during the Great Sack of Surlamar and taken by the Grim Emperor as his seat of power over the land … (click any image for full size)
The Palace of Tears this year forms the focal point for the Fantasy Faire hunt. The hunt doesn’t kick-off on Monday May 5th, but I slipped through the gates to have a look around …
A mighty stone edifice, protected by stout walls, the Palace is nevertheless deceptively modest for a seat of power. To look at it one might think it the great home of a duke, not that man who had come to rule Surlamar with an iron fist, dividing it into nine wards, one for each of his loyal generals. Yet such it is – or at least, was.
As a seat of high power within the land, the Palace appeared modest; even the throne room occupied by the Grim Emperor lacked the opulence visiting dignitaries expected
It is said that at first the people appreciated the Emperor’s modesty. His lack of trappings, avoidance of the opulence won him the support of his subjects long after the sacking of the land had been forgotten.
But time never allows thing to go unchanged. Within their wards, the children of the generals, now dukes and duchesses in their own right, sought to remake things in their own image, and divided themselves off from the Emperor, who himself grew ever colder and more remote, imposing great gates between his Palace and the wards, while beneath them all, the people lived through growing hardship and resentment.
It is said that over time, the Emperor became every more remote, his place darker, colder …
Then one day, uniting in the name of freedom, it is said the peoples of the provinces rose up and marched upon Surlamar to lay claim to the city and cast down the Emperor. Fearful for their own futures, the dukes and duchesses turned to the Emperor, only to find him gone, even as the army of the people could be seen approaching the city walls.
And then the mist descended … and when it lifted, even the Palace of Tears was gone!
Where lies the Palace of Tears now? What magic lifted it from the heart of Surlamar, and what secrets are contained within its strong walls?
Has the Palace been transported to the Fairelands, or has something else happened? This – and more – will be revealed when the Fantasy Faire hunt opens on Monday May 5th, and hunt organiser Da5id Abbot, who kindly provided me with the notes from which this tale has been spun , will reveal.
As always, there are some wonderful prizes to be discovered, and the Palace itself, designed and built by Rynn Verwood, is a marvel to behold and explore, rich in detail, its gardens complete with sculptures by artist Haveit Neox which may (or may not!) form a part of the story of the Palace and the city of Surlamar.
Do the sculptures by Haveit Neox, found within the grounds of the Palace have a part to play in the story of the hunt? Perhaps, perhaps not – you’ll have to find out for yourself!
Friday May 2nd, 2014, marks an important step in Seanchai Library’s virtual development, as it will see the Library’s new venture on Kitely, the on-demand grid, open its gates in a special preview event.
Seanchai Library’s presence on Kitely is extensive, comprising a 4-region Kitely megaregion, which offers a number of different story telling environments, and no fewer than eight individual regions – “worlds” in Kitely parlance – offering their own unique environs for stories and – perhaps – a little more.
The main 4-region world, Seanchai, forms the hub of the Library’s presence in Kitely, and is home to the main reading room and the teleport hub linking it to the other region “worlds”. It is also divided into a number of individual areas where events can be run simultaneously, including the Campfire Ring, Ghostly Pirate Bay, Undersea Discovery, Volcano Island, Celtic Castle Ruins and more.
The Seanchai Library teleport portals, Kitely
The teleport hub, which also acts as the region’s landing point, features a circle of ten stone portals, one of which is currently inactive and another leads to the Kitely Welcome Centre. Walking up to one of the remaining, labelled, portals will transfer you to the named region. Note that if the region is not already in use, you may see a warning pop-up on your screen. This is because Kitely worlds are “on demand”, and only exist when there are avatars present (the rest of the time they are safely stored). Should you find this is the case, you’ll be automatically teleported to your selected world once it has started – which should only take a few seconds.
The eight individual storytelling worlds are: Beachworld, Celticworld, Octoberworld, Spaceworld, Swampworld, Waterworld, Westworld and Winterworld – and the names pretty much sum up their individual themes!
Each world offers a unique environment for stories and events, and they include freebie areas where visitors and patrons can dress to look the part if they wish. Exploration of the regions is encouraged, and some offer the means to host multiple story telling activities at once.
“The ship rose out of the mist, her sails tattered and torn….” the
To mark the opening of Seanchai Library’s presence in Kitely, the preview event will start at 18:30 SLT (PDT) on Friday May 2nd. This will comprise a guided tour of the estate, and will be followed by ghost stories around the campfire, starting at around 19:00 SLT. This will feature tales from a host of masters of the macabre, including Stephen King, Guy de Maupassant, Ramsey Campbell, and Tony Richards, and by literary greats like Ambrose Bierce, Washington Irving, Sir Water Scott, and J Sheridan Le Fanu.
So does this mean Seanchai Library is leaving Second Life? No. Rather, they are expanding into new areas and new opportunities. So why not hop over to Kitely and join them? It’s pretty easy, even if you’ve never visited another grid.
“The town was small, but the hotel big, so I decided to mosey on down, heading for the stables and a chance to give my horse a rest before looking to see if the beds in that hotel were as grand as the place looked from the outside…” Seanchai Westworld, Kitely
Getting Started with Kitely
You can register a free account with Kitely via their website. This will give you access to Kitely, and a free region of your own – please make sure you read Kitely’s notes on membership options and the costs involved in visiting worlds if you intend to either develop your own region or explore more of Kitely.
The Seanchai worlds are all fixed-price, so access to them is open to all. Once you have created your account, you’ll need a viewer capable of accessing OpenSim grids – Kitely recommend Firestorm as their preferred viewer. When you have installed a suitable viewer (if required), you can reach the Seanchai region by:
Either visiting the Seanchai Library page on the Kitely website and clicking the Enter World button
Or starting your viewer, selecting Kitely from the grid manager (if available) and setting the log-in region to Seanchai
Again, note that if the Seanchai region is not already running, you may be initially logged-in to a Kitely teleport station. You should only be there a few seconds before being automatically teleported to Seanchai.
“We took the ski lift up to the peak for a final run down the slopes before retiring to lodge for hot drinks by a blazing fire and a tale or two from out hosts…” Seanchai Winterworld, Kitely
Fantasy Faire 2014 has opened its gates. This year, there are no fewer than 11 regions to explore (although at the time of writing, the Palace of Tears had yet to open to public access, and I encountered a considerable amount of lag on the neighbouring Fairelands Junction when trying to sneak a peek over the wall…
As always, there is a lot to see and explore, and I hope to be able to bring a round of updates as the week unfolds. For now, here’s a brief set of highlights, together with some sketches from my pad, grabbed as I explored the regions as a part of the bloggers’ preview.
Asperatus
Created by Beq Janus and sponsored by NeoVictoria (Asil Ares).
Asperatus, a mighty airship built by wealthy merchants and once both their home and seat of commerce. Now, in later years, the Asperatus sits as the mainstay of an unlikely floating colony, drawing power from the turbulent clouds over which it sits and providing a centre of trade as well as a floating home.
From my sketchbook: Asperatus: a floating place of commerce – just mind those whirling rotors …
As you explore the shops and stores, slung beneath great gasbags and wander the catwalks linking them, keep an eye out for strange goings-on, particularly from Monday May 5th onwards. For it is to Asperatus that a renegade aristocrat and an evil scientist will flee after wreaking havoc in the power centre of the NeoLondon Cathedral. Determined to bring them to justice, a group of NeoVictorians are hard on their heels (role-play to commence in NeoVictoria on Thursday May 1st, before transferring to Asperatus).
Blackwater Glenn
Created by Marcus Inkpen/ Sharni Azalee and sponsored by The Looking Glass
Blackwater Glenn, once a vibrant community, is now being slowly reclaimed by nature as swamplands slowly encroach onto the land and under the old buildings. But not all is in a state of decay as gorgeous flowers and mysterious plants emerge sporadically throughout the swamp and pathways of open water lead to the centerpiece, a giant blossoming tree. Tread the wooden walkways carefully and rest assured that the surviving buildings will not collapse on your head. Traders and merchants still thrive here, and there is the hope of rebirth hidden within.
“I sketched this while avoiding invites from pirates to enjoy a mug or two of grog at their little tavern deep in Blackwater Glenn …”
Be wary of the pirates, however. Forced ashore to seek the means to repair their damaged ship, they have set-up a tavern within the Glenn. You can be sure of a warm and friendly welcome there and enjoy a good mug of grog – but you might also find yourself leaving with your purse missing considerably more coin than you may have spent – if your purse doesn’t mysteriously leave your pocket first!
The Fairy Court
Created by Elicio Ember and sponsored by Cerridwen’s Cauldron.
The Fairy Court, a land of light and dark, of water and tree, where mystical folk offer greetings and wares. Here is a place to tarry and renew under the spreading boughs of the tree of light and dark, its entwined trunks reaching up into the heavens. Wander the pavilions and walkways, sample the water and the wares. Above all, to be at peace.
“I do not believe my pen in any way does justice to the fair pavilions of The Fairy Court…”
I confess to having a soft spot for Elicio’s works, which have never ceased to amaze me over the years, and this Fantasy Faire is no exception. Were I to be a creature of myth or fantasy, the Fairy Court is the place I’d call my home among the Fairelands.
Heavenslough
Created by Alrunia Ahn/ Eldowyn Inshan/ Sweetgwendoline Bailey and sponsored by Creators of Fantasy.
To set foot in Heavenslough is to set foot in another world, where the unexpected is to be expected. down under the leafy canopy, the forest is the home and playground for sprites and secretive fairy folks, where ancient stilt houses sit above the marshlands and platforms and houses sit amidst the leafy boughs of the titanic trees. Above all this, sit rocky plateaus rising into the heavens…
“The sun was kind to me as I sat upon a plateau ledge, sketching Heavenslough below me…”
Hope’s Horizon
Created by Jaimy Hancroft and sponsored by Dwarfins
Hope’s Horizon stands, like the fabled Minas Tirith, with its back to the sheer walls of a mountain, its streets winding up through stair and path to houses and stores which cling to the sheer rock, leading the visitor ever upward until at last the high plateau is reached. It is here, above the very clouds themselves, that the Citadel sits, together with the White Tree.
The climb up to the Citadel was long and tiring, but the Sun crowned the evening as a sketched…”
Jaimy Hancroft’s homage to Tolkien caught my imagination from the moment I first read about it, and it does not disappoint. The city is beautifully scaled to present a depth in keeping with the height of the build. The citadel on the mountain’s flat summit is the crowning piece, the echoes of Tolkien clear within the design, which also maintains its own individuality and the mark of Fantasy Faire.
The 2014 Fantasy Faire photo contest has been launched, the proceeds of which will go to Relay for Life in a very special way.
This year, the theme of the competition is Dream of a Lifetime, and entrants are being asked to submit photos which capture the spirit of each of the eleven sims.
Entries must be submitted between May 1st and midnight SLT on May 11th, 2014, and must comply with the following rules:
Photographs are to be taken at your choice of eleven individually themed Sims for this year’s Fantasy Faire (Read sim information note card for more details).
Photos may be edited with any photo software of your choosing.
Photos must be PG! We will immediately disqualify any nude or distasteful photo(s).
Reminder, no text on photos.
Fantasy Faire & Relay for Life reserve the rights to use photograph submissions for event advertisement and publication.
Deadline for submission of photos is May 11th, 2014, midnight SLT.
Enjoy the Fantasy Faire Sims and have FUN!
In addition, contest winners will be required to provide their winning photography with the following dimensions: minimum 1800 pixels high by 2300 pixels wide at 200dpi.
The Prize
This year the prize is very special: winning entries will appear in a special commemorative calendar which will be produced via Cafe Press and sold in RL to raise money for Relay for Life. All photographs used will be fully credited to the people taking them.
But wait – eleven sims for a 12-month calendar? What of the twelfth? The twelfth photo will be the one the judges of the competition feel best encapsulates the spirit of the Faire, and thus judged to be the overall winner. Not only will this appear in the calendar, it will also appear on the cover as well.
So, good luck to all who enter, and happy snapping!
Keeping up with Fantasy Faire
You can keep-up with Fantasy Faire preparations and activities a number of ways:
June 22nd-29th will mark BURN2: Conception, a time to celebrate the past, present and future. The e-mail press release announcing the event reads in part:
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 