Category: Fantasy Faire

Fantasy Faire ramps up

Posted on by Inara Pey

The 2012 Fantasy Faire is ramping-up ready for April 21-29 2012. In aid of Relay For Life, this year’s event will be spread across a total of eight sims in-world, and supported (as usual) by the Fantasy Faire website.

In an unusual move, the organisers have put out a call for “official” bloggers, complete with a set of prerequisites for being so. To qualify, a blogger must (among other things) have been blogging for at least 2 months, update their blog at least weekly and be required to blog about a sim they choose and about at least one item supplied to them from each of the stores on the sim to which they have been assigned. In return, the blogger will be listed on the Fantasy Faire website.

While I can understand the reasoning behind the move – the organisers want to ensure those participating in the event get due coverage – it’s not something I’m personally keen on. However, the organisers are aware this might be the case for some bloggers, and so are still providing the means for us to enjoy a preview of the sims in order to push out early bird reports and features. Whichever way you’d prefer to go, you’ll need to fill out the blogging application form.

The Sims

The sims to feature in Fantasy Faire this year are still under development. However, the blog describes them thus:

  • Devil’s Locket (by Lauren Thibaud / Piedras Chama / Nonna Hedges) – a small chain of islands that earned its name not only for the treacherous navigation of its waters and the amazing, but explosive, firegems that were mined from its volcanic depths
  • Jungle Bungle (by Mayah Parx) – a living forest where candies lay like pebbles along the edge of a chocolate lake and the smiling trees dance in excitement as they watch the fae race rose petals on the currents of the wind
  • Meandervale (by Marcus Inkpen / Sharni Azalee) – a surreal meadow where the streams meander as well as thoughts and, in fact, reality itself
  • Ruins of Nu Orne (by Elicio Ember) – a lost stone city of an ancient civilization, hidden in an exotic fantasy jungle where vegetation overgrows the magnificent ruins, and cupolas and spiraling buildings merge with the gigantic ferns and mushrooms
  • Shadow’s Claw (by Laufey Markstein) – a mountainous terrain thick with the scent of pine and covered with rocky crags that ride all manner of secrets, possibly even dragons
  • Shifting Sands (by Kayle Matzerath) – the Hourglass holding the Sands of Time has cracked and spilled creating a desert with untold treasures awaiting discoveries by the intrepid explorer
  • Siren’s Secret (by Elicio Ember) – caught between lava vents on one side and the bridges and towers of The Tides on the other, these rocky sea caves are a refuge for the sea creatures who hide in the depths of the kelp forest
  • The Tides (by Alia Baroque) – the silent ruins of a lost society who harnessed the power of the strong and heavy sea and ruled across the waves

About Fantasy Faire

(from the initial press release)

Fantasy Faire 2012 is the largest gathering of fantasy designers, enthusiasts, role players and performers in the virtual world.  Nine days of shopping, live music concerts, auctions, hunts and roleplaying to benefit Relay for Life and the fight against cancer.  Avatars, clothing, furnishings, gadgets, goodies and exclusive items are available from more than 130 of SL’s  top  Fantasy Creators, spread across nine stunning sims designed by some of the visionary artists behind many of the hottest spots on the SL destination guide.

Fantasy Faire 2012 will be open to the public April 21 -29 and accessible from the American Cancer Society sim. We welcome you to come and join the story.   

I covered last year’s event in part, although real life conspired to prevent me devoting the time I wanted to the event. This year I hope to present more in-depth commentary on the event along the lines of coverage I’ve given to the likes of SLCC and SLB.

Further Information and Related Links

Fantasy Faire booms!

Posted on by Inara Pey

This week is Fantasy Faire week – and quite possibly one of the best-organised events in SL for 2011. A multi-sim celebration, the fantasy covers all aspects of fantasy RP in SL, with sims themed in terms of look and vendors, to present a stunning visual experience that could be heavy on the unwary Linden dollar account!

The tower at Dark Mirage

The aim of the event is to explore the RP themes available in Second Life while at the same time raising money for Relay For Life (and nigh-on $7000 USD has already been raised, with some $1600 of that coming from just the first day).

Events are planned through the week at the faire, with tonnes of live music each and every day, plus some “special” events: such as top creators and sponsors of the event being thrown in jail, where they cannot be released until their bail is paid (all donations to freeing them go to RFL)!

While it may get a little laggy given the amount of attention the event is getting, spending time wandering the sims is more that worth the effort. Not only are thy amazing builds in and of themselves, there are some remarkable creations on sale as well.

Navigating around the sims is a joy: There is a central “hub” sim called Fantasy Faire Central, which acts as the focal-point for arrival. This has a central teleport gazebo, with charity information clearly displayed, together with adverts for the various sims and a teleport board that takes you directly to any of the other sims – where you arrive at a similar gazebo, centrally located and themed to sim, which offers the same facilities. This makes sim-to-sim teleports quick and simple from those not wishing to trust region crossings.

The themes in the sims are nicely carried through: Sea of Mer, for example, features stores with an aquatic fantasy bent – mermaids, and so on; in the Forest of Shadows, stores are all built from the wood of the surrounding forest, while in the Forest of Light, they have almost a fairy-tale look. Dark Mirage features a town build with a stunning tower as its visual focal-point which looks dramatic framed against a burnished sky at sunset.

Another view of the tower at Dark Mirage

Alongside the shops in each sim is a low-key RFL kiosk, allowing donations to be made quickly and easily wherever you are in your travels. Sims are also set to specific times of the day to enhance their appearance, and I’d strongly suggest that you leave your day times settings on Regional Default to fully enjoy this.

Getting around all of the sims is a work of perseverance; even in quiet times, the lag can hit hard – and stands as testament to the fact that Linden Lab really need to put effort into getting this sorted as a matter of course, rather than it repeatedly coming up as a “special focus” for action. However, it really is worthwhile making the extra effort as a lot of time as effort has gone into developing a look for the Faire that puts it head-and-shoulders above others. Certainly it is worth a visit – if only to drop a donation into to a very worthy cause.

Don’t forget to take a look at the Fantasy Faire website – which is packed with information, and take a look at the wide range of photos coming out of the event!

The fabulous tree house in Fantastical and Magical