From the alien rain forest of Nu Orne to the dry desert heat of Shifting Sands – such are the travels of an intrepid SL blogger… Shifting sands is a build by Kayle Matzerath that presents us with a world of flowing water  – and flowing sand huddled under a ruddy-orange sky.

Sponsored, somewhat appropriately, by Solarium, Shifting Sands furthers the desert theme by having merchants lay-out their wares under tented also raised around a strange partially built structure where sand really does flow like water, before whirling into some subterranean vortex above which hovers a mysterious, possibly alien, green crystal…

The sense of other worldliness is furthered by the great scalloped rock rising from one corner from the region, and from which yet more sand flows, dropping in long falls to the ground, while facing it from across the sands sits a golden sphere, supported in a wooden device, and within which strange powers appear to be stirring…

Wander Shifting sands and you will discover the delights of Pyewicket’s Myths, the masks and unique gifts of Illusion, the skins and shapes of ND/MD Skins & Shapes, find wings and things at Elvenbreath – and much more besides.

You can read an interview with Kayle in which he talks about the build on the Fantasy Faire website.

One of the events held at Fantasy Faire is the Silent Auction, which sees a wide range of exclusive items auctioned quietly to bidders. This year is no exception and bidding is open to all.

This year creators have donated over 70 unique items including one-off avatar skins, gowns, accessories, landscape enhancements, avatars, flora, and much more – up to and including the entire range of Refined Wild creations.

To participate in the auction, you’ll have to hop over to Fairelands Junction (be warned, the Fairelands Junction Saga is also in progress, making the sim very popular). Instructions on how to bid are there – be aware that it is a silent auction, so you’ll need to keep track of those items you’re bidding on!

The Fantasy Faire website is providing a full on-line listing of all items in the auction, so you can also take a look at items there (the items are being added daily, so again, you should keep checking back).

Further Information and Related Links

• Fairelands Junction
• Silent Auction Preview Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
• Fantasy Faire website
• Fantasy Faire radio
• Plurk
• Flickr
• American Cancer Society Sim In Second Life
• Relay for Life website USA
• Relay for Life website UK
• Fantasy Faire 2012 posts in this blog

The Ruins of Nu Orne is an amazing build by Elicio Ember. It draws on a range of influences  – from Tolkien though exotic rain forest-like environs to the tropical mysteries of Thailand and beyond the Earth itself to imagined alien worlds – to create a magnificent venue in which to explore and visit the stores supporting the Faire. As with the other regions for the Faire, there is much to see here, both down on the ground and up in the air among the tree-tops. For me, and while the mix of influences are broad, the region resonates most strongly with my memories and impressions of visits to Sri Lanka. Why this is so I can’t explain: Nu Orne has very little in common with Sri Lanka, other than the verdant greens of the jungle when seen under Windlight Dynamic Richness; but the echoes are there for me, all the same.

Here you’ll find a wide range of stores, from Zachh Barkley’s Arcannum, the sim’s sponsor, featuring everything for the Magi and acolyte through to Caverna Obscura,  Ari’s Neko retreat and Luminous Designs through to Elicio’s own Cerridwen’s Cauldron. You can climb the stairs to the top of the crystal-powered lighthouse and admire the floating island hovering over the landscape or wander among tall trees, surround by the splash and roll of free-flowing water.

To find out more about this remarkable build, and Sirens Secret, also be Elicio Ember, you can read an interview with him on the Fantasy Faire website.

Meandervale is definitely one of the more whimsical regions in this year’s Fantasy Faire. With butterfly-sailed windmills rotating serenely in the breeze and Charlar-like trees, laden with butterflies of their own providing the shade on row boats, you know you’re definitely not in Kansas any more as you wander through the sun-gold grass and past fruit as big as an avatar.

The region has been created by Marcus Inkpen and Sharni Azalee, who together run The Looking Glass located on Horizon Dream, a sim I reviewed last year as a part of my ongoing virtual destinations pieces.

Here you will find works by the likes of Material Squirrel Wings, Fantavatar & Moonstruck, The Elegant Goth, the appropriately named Grim Bros, Mystic Sky, and of course, Looking Glass’ own store as well as a host of other stores, in a rustic-style house complete with thatched roof. Wander at your leisure and enjoy.

Update April 27th: there is now an interview with Shadow’s Claw builder Laufey Markstein available on the Fantasy Faire website.

Shadow’s Claw is a marvellous build by Laufey Markstein, proprietor of Trident. It’s a build that harks back to when great longships plied the seas, bringing with the trade – and sometimes terror.

The theme is that of a small town, presided over by a great stone keep atop a rugged hill, where fir trees grow in abundance and the locals use wood for many uses: building, heat, for the curved hulls of their ships and for carving huge statues of their heroes – or gods.

In keeping with the theme of the region, you’ll find demons and satyrs rubbing shoulders with angels within the stores; gowns and lace mix freely with leather and tattoos. You can even acquire a wyrm or two!

Shadow’s Claw is a wonderful evocative environment – one that lends itself to role-play and as such (as with the other builds at this year’s Faire) truly deserves a life of its own beyond the Faire.There’s a marvellous attention to detail wherever you look, and wandering through the sim is a genuine treat for the eye.

“The Tides (by Alia Baroque) – the silent stones of a society who harnessed the power of the strong and heavy sea and ruled across the waves.”

The Tides is one of two ocean-themed region in this year’s Fantasy Faire. It is sponsored by Fallen Gods Inc, and the build is by Fallen Gods proprietor, Alia Baroque and features works by SL sculptor Amael Juran as part of its set-piece. I’ve previously visited Alia’s builds and Annon, Athan and Selidor, which I found enchanting.

I confess to also loving The Tides; not only is the build stunning and the attention to detail superb, the build contains powerful echoes of ancient civilisations and  – Greek, Minoan, and so on – and also ancient legends, notably that of Atlantis.

Here are some highlights of this superb build (as always, click any to enlarge).