Note that SLurl to the Fairelands are listed at the end of this article, rather than being embedded in the text.
The largest fantasy-related event to take place in Second Life, Fantasy Faire 2019, opened its gates to fairelanders at 13:00 SLT on Thursday, April 18th, and will remain open through until Sunday, May 5th, 2019 inclusive. Formal events will run from April 18th through until Monday, April 29th, after which the regions will be open to viewing, photography and shopping until May 5th – although there could be some special surprises during those final days!
This year the Faire is spread across 16 regions (including the entertainment and Quest regions), and as always, there is a packed programme of activities and events. As always, the regions offer richly imaginative environment in which to spend time, some of which are wholly new to the fairelands, while others offer echoes of past Fairelands – as is only fitting, given the theme for this year is The Builders.
Take Faireholm, the build by Kayle Matzerath, for example. A marvellous city where colour reigns and the light of the Sun is paid tribute in a harmonious setting that focuses on the great castle. Bright and gay, its winding streets are a joy to wander – and they carry within them a strong echo of the much-loved Luminaria, Kayle’s build from Fantasy Faire 2013 (and now, as Meauxle Bureaux, the home of the Linden Department of Public Works Moles – see Among the Moles of Lumenaria).
Similarly, Alia Baroque’s Midas, whilst an entirely unique build, carries within its motifs memories of The Golden Delta from 2016, while the tall buildings, all be they of an entirely different architectural heritage, bring to mind the those of The Rose (2017), and the terraced green lawns offer a soft whisper of 2014’s Magnificat. More Whispers of the past can be found in the colours and tones of The Shrine Tree, by Marcus Inkpen and Sharni Azalee, which bring to mind the colours of 2017’s Dawn’s Promise. Thus, a visit to this year’s Fairelands carries with it the sweet fragrance of past travels.
But so to does it hold places that are wholly new to eye and memory. Take Tensor’s Flying Market, a remarkable souq-like bazaar, held aloft by great engines that power mighty propellers, perhaps drawing their power from the crystals embedded in the base of the great platform on which the market resides. But as high has Tensor’s Flying Market may well float, it still sits beneath the quite stunning bulk of Trollhaugen’s carven mountain, home to this year’s LitFest (see my preview of that event for more).
Trollhaugen is just one of the six events regions within this year’s Fairelands, as detailed at the end of this article in the links. One of these – Genesia, by Haveit Neox & Lilia Artis is another setting that maintains a link with Fairelands of the past through its design that extends both above and bloew the waves of Linden water. Joining this year’s Faire, and building on 2018 is Urafiki,by Eclair Martinek and Grace Loudon, home to this year’s One Team Initiative, while the dragon-borne party ship, Fairechylde, will be docked at The Celestial Plain by Syn Beresford, home to this year’s live music and DJ entertainment.
And, of course, no Fantasy Faire would be complete without the Fairelands Junction, another fabulous design by Saiyge Lotus. As ever the junction provides the logical starting-point for explorations, containing as it does portals to all the other regions, as well as the remembrance wall, and The Worldlings – windows onto the Fairelands That Could Be.
You can find the background notes on all the 2018 Fairelands regions here, or by visiting their individual pages on the Fantasy Faire website.
The KNH Hope Hostel
In 2018, Fantasy Faire took to its heart a special project initiated by the American Cancer Society: the Kenyatta National Hospital Hope Hostel. The first ACS Hope Lodge to be established outside the United States, and in a country where cancer mortality is almost 80%, this centre will serve more than 1,000 cancer patients annually, providing free temporary housing and integrated hospital services, such as post-operative care and pain management. Allowing them to access care and support in a manner they might not otherwise be able to receive.
You can read more about the KNH Hope Hostel project in Fantasy Faire 2018: supporting the KNH Hope Hostel, and in my more recent update from December 2018. However, the impact fund-raising efforts at Fantasy Faire have had on this ground-braking project – and on the ACS management team – cannot be over-stated. In fact, the funds raised by Fantasy Faire in 2018 became the focal point of far wider efforts to support the Hope Hostel project, as Kristen Solt, Managing Director of the American Cancer Society’s Global Health Initiatives Programme indicated in an open letter to all Fairelanders:
Such a groundbreaking project called for an innovative approach to fundraising … and for the first time, we would ask a Relay For Life team to focus on a specific project. That team was Fantasy Faire and in 2018 you answered the call by raising $50,000 dollars. We were all energised by your success!
It also inspired others around the world to join in the effort. This enabled us to expand our goals for the project. We nearly doubled the number of beds in the hostel, allowing for thousands more patients to access this home away from home. With your help, our Kenyan partners will begin construction in July on the KNH Hope Hostel.
As Kirsten goes on to note, the money raised by Fantasy Faire 2018 and Second Life Relayers has already made a lasting difference to many cancer sufferers and their families in Kenya:
Thanks in large part to Relayers in Second Life, we’ve been able to launch the Patient Navigator program at KNH which in the last year has given FOUR THOUSAND Kenyans access to better information and assistance. Think about that number for a moment: four thousand people! Ask yourself how many family members they each have. How many friends and loved ones? There are tens of thousands of people in Kenya today whose lives are already better because of you.
Further thanks to Fantasy Faire and all Fairelander has also been offered by Dr. Esther Munyoro, head of the Pain and Palliative Care Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital, by way of a video message.
Hence why, this year, Fantasy Faire will again support the KNH Hope Hostel.
Role-Play and Table-Top Gaming
2019 will once again there will be numerous opportunities for role-play within the Fairelands. Three groups are offering themed role-play, weaving tales and offering anyone with an interest with the chance to participate.
- The Bubo Owls: lost children with few memories of their former homes and how they got to the Fairelands who have taken up residence in Tensor’s Flying Market, and unwitting “middle men” in a three-way war.
- Sanctuary present Tiamat’s Quest at The Shrine Tree: a long time ago, an entity was defeated and forgotten, but now it stirs once more.
- Sindaria at The Light of Va’loth: the sword of the Elven Queen of Sindaria has gone missing. Who would dare take it?
In addition, the NeoVictoria Project will be holding a series of out-of-character events where visitors can talk about players from the NeoVictoria community about the project, the story-world and how to get involved. There will even be a stage where folks can practice role-playing. See the Meet’n’Greet schedule for more.
Those interested in role-play can also attend a series of role-play classes taking place at Bayounimba.
2019 will also see the return of table-top gaming, an activity added to Fantasy Faire in 2018. Catch the full schedule if you’re interested in joining in.
Performance, Art and Entertainment
- Keep abreast of all the performance taking place this year via the Performance Groups page, or simply hop to the Performance Schedule page.
- The galleries at Genesia are hosting avatar-focused displays – see the list of participating artists for more.
As with every Fantasy Faire, there will be parties, music and dances throughout – see Live at the Faireclylde and the Party Schedule for more.
And don’t forget the live auction, the silent auction, jail and bail, the opportunity to nominate (until April 20th, 2019) and vote for the king, queen and chancellor of the Faire!
Keep Abreast
Keep abreast of all things Fantasy Faire – music, auctions, literary, performance, and of course the infamous Jail and Bail rounds – through the Fantasy Faire Website, the Fantasy Faire 2019 events calendar and Fantasy Faire radio.
Fantasy Faire 2018 SLurls
Shopping:
- Bayounimba (Sweetgwendoline Bailey/Mondi Beaumont) – merchant guide
- Dept. of Discarded Curiosities (Mayah Parx) – merchant guide
- Faireholm (Kayle Matzerath) – merchant guide
- The Light of Va’loth (Kilik Lekvoda) – merchant guide
- Midas (Alia Baroque) – merchant guide
- Nightshade Blossoms (Rowan Thursday/Kylie Todriya) – merchant guide
- Sanguinely Garden (Eldowyn Inshan/Katz Republic) – merchant guide
- The Shrine Tree (Marcus Inkpen/Sharni Azalee) – merchant guide
- Tensors’ Flying Market (Lrriven) – merchant guide
- Twilight Spring (Searlait Nitschke) – merchant guide
Events and Performance:
- Fairelands Junction (Saiyge Lotus) – Portals and Memorial Area
- The Celestial Plain (Syn Beresford) – Fairechylde, Music and DJ parties
- Genesia (Haveit Neox & Lilia Artis) – Arts and Performance
- Thornfast (Tansee & Delain Canucci) – Fairelands Quest
- Trollhaugen (Beq Janus & Elizabeth Jarvinen (polysail)) – Fantasy Faire LitFest
- Urafiki (Eclair Martinek & Grace Loudon) – One Team Initiative
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 