Category: Fantasy Faire

One of the new features at Fantasy Faire this year is the opportunity to vote for the King and Queen of the Fairelands and their (strictly non-human) Chancellor.  The winners will be crowned at the Fantasy Faire May Day Masked Ball, which will also see their Chancellor announced.

Since the Faire opened, residents have been invited to nominate their favourite characters from the worlds of fantasy whom they would like to see crowned king and queen, or appointed to the role of Chancellor (a role for strictly non-human characters).

The nominations have now closed, and voting for the  top five nominees in each category (King, Queen and Chancellor) is underway.

And the Nominees for King of the Faire are:

Quite an interesting selection there. Orlando Bloom has a lot going for him, and given I’m a Lord of the Rings aficionado, you might think my vote would be for Legolas. But actually no, I confess that as a character, Legolas has never had that much appeal to me,  and I don’t lose hobbits often enough to need his assistance in tracking them down.

No, I confess that my vote goes to Tyrion Lannister; not because A Song of Ice and Fire / Game of Thrones is all the rage right now nor even because Lannisters always pay their debts (a promise I’ve always found to be more threatening than hopeful). Rather, Tyrion is simply one of the most delightfully, honourable rogues yet to walk out of the pages of a book. so he gets my vote, as you’ll always know where you stand with him.

So, on to the nominees for Queen of the Faire:

Once again, you might think that as a LOTR fan, I’d be placing my vote with Galadriel. Had the nominee been Arwen  – or better yet, Lúthien Tinuviel from Tolkien’s Middle Earth, then perhaps that might well have been the case. As it is, the who gets my vote here is the magnificent Maleficent.

And to whom might I give my vote for Chancellor?

Well, this is really hard for me – oh look! Kitties! 🙂 .

To vote for your favourites, visit the kiosks which can be found in one of the beautiful underwater art galleries in Poseidons Abyss. Simply make a donation of your choice to cast your vote (yes, this election is one that can definitely be bought!). Voting will remain open in-world through until the end of the first hour of the May Day Masked Ball.

If you prefer, you can also voting on the web via the RFL Convio page for Fantasy Faire – although you’ll have to hurry; “postal” voting in this way closes at 11:59 SLT on Thursday 30th April. After that, you can still donate – but your vote may not be counted!

For full details on voting, visit the vote registration page of the Fantasy Faire website.

So don’t delay – vote today!

Further Information and Related Links

• Fantasy Faire blog
• Fantasy Faire on Facebook
• Fantasy Faire on Twitter
• Fantasy Faire on Plurk
• Fantasy Faire on Pinterest
• Fantasy Faire on Flickr

The celebrated author Sir Terry Pratchett series, passed away in March 2015.  Perhaps most famous for his Discworld series of some 40 volumes, he was a much-loved figure in the world of fantasy, and April 28th would have marked his 67th birthday. It is therefore fitting that in honour of his life and works, Fantasy Faire has declared that April 28th, 2015 will be Pratchett Day.

A whole series of events at the Faire’s LitFest in Sylvan of Spells will mark the occasion, and visitors to the Faire are encouraged to dress as their favourite Terry Pratchett characters – and even adopt their personas! For those seeking to commemorate Sir Terry a little more quietly, there will be copies of his trademark black fedora on offer for people to wear.

Events at the LitFest start at 10:00 SLT, and continue throughout the day, comprising:

• 10:00 – 11:00: Share your favourite Pratchett extract! Bring your favourite quotes or longer extracts to share with other Pratchett friends – and join the  discussion. Moderated by Judi Newall.
• 12:00 – 13:00: Who is your favourite Terry Pratchett character? Come and talk about your favourite Pratchett character – Vetinari or Granny Weatherwax? Samuel Vimes or Nanny Ogg? Susan or Death? Or do you love a character who appeared in just one novel? Moderated by Judi Newall.
• 14:00 – 15:00: What is your favourite Terry Pratchett novel? A discussion for Terry Pratchett fans. Which is your favourite novel, and why? Come along and share your favourites! Moderated by Judi Newall.
• Note that unfortunately, the Poetry Slam originally planned as a part of the day’s events has been cancelled.

For those who do opt to dress as a Pratchett character or those on the look-out for Pratchett characters, there is an informal photo contest being run. Simply take a snap of yourself in your Pratchett costume while in the Fairelands – or take a shot of someone you see in the Fairelands in a Pratchett costume – and post it to the Fantasy Faire Flickr group (please indicate if it is a selfie or a shot of someone else, and include the fact it is a snap for the Pratchett Character Photo contest in the description).

The entries most in the spirit of Sir Terry’s writing and characters, as judged by the Faire team  will be featured in the Fantasy Faire blog, and the overall winner, as selected by the Faire team, will receive a special prize.

There will also be additional events to commemorate Sir Terry as well:

• Wednesday, 29th April, 10:00 – 11:00 Reaper Man Live Reading: Caledonia Skytower and Dubhna Rhiadra in a duet presentation of selected passages from Terry Pratchett’s 1991 Reaper Man, the 11th book in the Discworld series
• Thursday, 30th April, 18:00 – 20:00 Good Omens Discussion: Aoife Lorefield leads a discussion on Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s book Good Omens.

Terry Pratchett would doubtless have loved Fantasy Faire, both for all that it represents, and for the way it becomes a melting pot, bring people from across the grid and around the world together in their love of all things fantasy and the power of imagination.

Certainly, he was not unfamiliar with Second Life; as many will remember, he came in-world in October 2009, when he gave a Q&A session, mostly about his (then) new book, Nation, but which also covered other topics as well – including his thoughts on Second Life, and whether he’d come back. At the time, he thought the graphics let the platform down – and I think that’s something we’d all agree upon. But would he feel the same today? With mesh, materials, improvements to the viewer’s rendering capabilities and more, the Second Life we see today as exemplified by Fantasy Faire, is quite unlike anything that could be achieved in 2009 – and I think Sir Terry would have loved explore the realms of the Fairelands.

Terry Pratchett, October 2009; by Gellan Gelnelg on Flickr

For those who missed Sir Terry’s in-world visit, Ciaran Laval has an abridged transcript of the event available on his website.

Further Information and Related Links

• Fantasy Faire blog
• Fantasy Faire on Facebook
• Fantasy Faire on Twitter
• Fantasy Faire on Plurk
• Fantasy Faire on Pinterest
• Fantasy Faire on Flickr

 

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…

Ichi-go Ichi-E, Fantasy Faire 2015 (Flickr)

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.

Ichi-go Ichi-E, Fantasy Faire 2015 (Flickr)

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.

Treasure Ichi-Go Ichi-E 一期一会.

Further Information and Related Links

• Fantasy Faire blog
• Fantasy Faire on Facebook
• Fantasy Faire on Twitter
• Fantasy Faire on Plurk
• Fantasy Faire on Pinterest
• Fantasy Faire on Flickr

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.

Further Information and Related Links

• Fantasy Faire blog
• Fantasy Faire on Facebook
• Fantasy Faire on Twitter
• Fantasy Faire on Plurk
• Fantasy Faire on Pinterest
• Fantasy Faire on Flickr

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.

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.

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.

Further Information and Related Links

• Fantasy Faire blog
• Fantasy Faire on Facebook
• Fantasy Faire on Twitter
• Fantasy Faire on Plurk
• Fantasy Faire on Pinterest
• Fantasy Faire on Flickr

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.

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 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?

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.

Continue reading “Fantasy Faire: as the gates open, are you ready for amazing sights, role-play and more?” →