Update: The Merchant Application Form is now available – click here if you’re interested.
Fantasy Faire, the largest fantasy-related event to take place in Second Life, has announced both the theme for the 2019 event and its dates.
Once again raising money for the global work of the American Cancer Society as a part of the Relay for Life of Second Life 2019 season, Fantasy faire will this year have the theme of Builders of Hope.
2019 marks the eleventh year for Fantasy Faire, which has traditionally been slated to run eleven days each year, but this year it will be a little different, as the press release announcing the event notes:
Fantasy Faire has always officially lasted eleven days, and in recent years we’ve been fortunate to have a few extra days added. This year we’re making it official: our formal programming will still conclude with our One Team dance party marathon on Monday, April 29th, but now we invite you to join us for an additional week of shopping, questing, and exploring as the Fairelands will be open through Sunday, May 5th. That’s a total of eighteen days of the Faire – and you never know when something unexpected might happen in that final week!
So in total, Fantasy Faire will run from Thursday, April 18th through until Sunday, May 5th, 2019, inclusive.
Fantasy Faire 2018: Aetherea (Alia Baroque)
As with previous years, Fantasy Faire 2019 will comprise 10 shopping regions hosting 200 of Second Life’s top Fantasy Creators, offering the most comprehensive opportunity for fantasy shopping. In addition, there will be a further six regions focusing on entertainment, the Fairelands Quest, art, the Fantasy Faire Literary Festival, and the Worldling Collection.
All of the regions will be designed and themed by some of Second Life’s top designers, making the event a must-see even if fantasy isn’t a major part of your life. And throughout it all, there will be opportunities to show your support for ACS and the global work of cancer treatment, care and prevention via direct donation or by purchasing some of the many items participating merchants will be selling, with all or part of the proceeds going to RFL of SL and the American Cancer Society.
As always, I’ll be doing my best to provide updates and relay news on Fantasy Faire through the pages of this blog – but to keep right up-to-date on things, be sure to visit the Fantasy Faire website, and follow the event via the social media links below.
Ardessa: the Fantasy Faire 2018 Quest region by Éclair Martinek
Fantasy Faire 2018 has reached the final weekend of its extended run. Sadly, I’ve not been able to cover this year’s event as much as in the past: a hectic schedule and other elements in my physical world activities have combined to limit my SL availability.
While it is the final weekend, for those interested, there is still the opportunity to participate in the Fairelands Quest and obtain a cache of prizes – and a weekend is more than enough time to complete the tasks you’ll face.
As with previous years, The House of Garland asks adventurers to come to the assistance of the Fairelands and the Bard Queen in order to bring a stop of the Unweaver’s dark doings. And this time – as the time-honoured saying goes – it’s personal. Also in keeping with previous years, the Quest in a multi-part activity; however it doesn’t need to be completed all at once; you can take a break from things and tackle the adventures over a couple of day if you wish.
The first act of participating in the Quest is to obtain a Quest HUD, such a via the vendors at the Fairelands Junction. Two versions are available: the basic L$250 version and the L$350 version which includes a set of costumes for those who wish to get into character. Both also provide an introductory note card which provides enough information to get started.
When you have worn the HUD, and if you have not previously undertaken a Fairelands Quest, accept the Experience via the dialogue box that also appears on your screen. You’ll only have to do this once, and it is vital you do so; the Quest will not work if you don’t. If you’ve previously participated in a Fairelands Quest (and have not revoked the Quest permissions), you’ll be automatically accepted into The House of Garland adventure.
Ardessa: the Fantasy Faire 2018 Quest region by Éclair Martinek
Also to be found in the Quest package is a note card that should get you started on your adventure. This will unfold in a series of steps:
Locate the Bard Queen herself – she is somewhere in Fairelands Junction, and will give you further information to help you get started.
Meet Cheer, the squire who will provide you with company and more. Cheer is an NPC included with your Quest HUD and should be worn with the HUD, but she’ll not become visible until you actually encounter her in Fairelands Junction.
Locate the Archetypes in the Fairelands. There is one Archetype per region, and the HUD will help you identify them. Note that Archetypes can only be found in public areas of the regions – they will not be instead any stores. They can also be sought in any order, and each will provide you with further assistance.
Travel to Ardessa, the Quest region. You should only do this once you have located all the archetypes. Once in Ardessa, seek the gates within the region in order to progress towards completing your adventure. Note that with one exception, the gates can be sought in any order; should you happen upon the exception before you have found all the other gates, it will simply tell you to seek those you have not found.
There Be Dragons! Ardessa, the Fantasy Faire Quest region
Unlike more recent previous Quest regions at the Fairelands, Ardessa is a verdant land, rich in flora and fauna, full of the colours of summer. Designed by Éclair Martinek, it offers a wooded and sometimes rugged landscape with many paths to follow and things to discover. As such, it is well worth taking the time to explore, whether or not you are engaged on the Fairelands Quest (if you simply chose to explore, the Quest won’t interfere with you).
So while there is still time, why not visit Ardessa, or get your teeth into the Fantasy Faire 2018 Quest? All proceeds from the sale of HUDs go you RFL of SL, and there’s a generous range of prizes to be claimed!
The largest fantasy-related event to take place in Second Life, Fantasy Faire, opened its gates to 2018 on Thursday, April 19th, and will remain open through until Sunday, April 29th, 2018 inclusive. It brings together fantasy enthusiasts, creators, performers and designers for eleven days of commerce, special events, and live music concerts, with special emphasis on fund-raising for Relay for Life of Second Life.
This year marks the Faire’s 10th anniversary, and presents 15 regions (including the entertainment and Quest regions) to be explored and enjoyed, and a packed programme of activities and events. It also marks the start of a new chapter in the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) work.
For the first time, fund-raisers are allowed to earmark donations for a special project they have chosen to support – and Fantasy Faire is the flagship event to launch this new approach within virtual worlds. As I was able to report earlier in April, all funds raised during Fantasy Faire 2018 will go towards to development and operation of a new Hope Hostel to care for cancer patients and their care givers, at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya.
Fantasy Faire 2018: Falls of Hope (Sweetgwendoline Bailey/Eldowyn Inshan)
Once again, the Faireland regions offer an impressive range of realms and ideas, from what might be regarded as “traditional” fantasy – we have a former realm of elves for example, in The Bazaar Dungeon, while The Pools of Ethuil echo elven tree-homes – through to and almost science fiction edge to things with Erstwhile, a grand spaceport sitting within the bowl of a flooded crater, great trading space vessels docked along its elevated rim. Elsewhere there are echoes of past Fantasy Faire events. Atherea, for example has a faint visual echo of 2012’s The Tides and a thematic reflection of 2013’s Magnificat.
You can find the background notes on all the 2018 Faireland regions here, or by visiting their individual pages on the Fantasy Faire website.
Of course, as well as all the best in fantasy shopping, Fantasy Faire offers just about something for everyone. There’s the Literary Festival, which is based at The Halls of Story and which I previewed earlier in April. There is also the Fantasy Faire Quest. Then there are the auctions. The silent auction runs throughout the Faire and there will be details available shortly, while the Live Auction will take place on the final day of the Faire again, watch the Faire’s website for details and a chance to own one or more extremely rare items from this year’s event!
Role-Play! 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.
But that’s not all! In addition to these three, there is a new role-play feature for Fantasy Faire 2018. The denizens of Luth will have opened an embassy in the land of Severina, where they will be holding a regular series of Meet’n’Greets offering fairelanders can meet their representatives and learn more about their stories.
Also new to Fantasy Faire 2018 is table-top gaming! prospective GMs have the opportunity to host a game session (or two), all while raising funds for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.
And, of course, there will be the popular role-play classes, this year located at Falls of Hope. See the class schedule for more.
Performance and Art: there is a full programme of art and performance events, to be found at The Story Well and Astrid’s Nemeton. Some 37 artists are exhibiting their images at Fantasy Faire 2018, and there will be a range of performances by some of the top dance troupes from across Second Life, including Misfit Dance, the Avilion MerBallet company, the Changhigh Sisters, DRUM, Luxe Girls and more. See the Performance events list for more, including dates and times.
The Fairelands Players are also back again for 2018, presenting two of Shakespeare’s plays:
A Midsummer’s Night Dream at Astrid’s Nemeton, 14:00 SLT, Friday 20th and 09:00 SLT, Saturday, April 28th.
Much Ado about Nothing at The Story Well, 14:00 SLT, Saturday, April 21st and 09:00 SLT, Sunday, April 29th.
As with every Fantasy Faire, there will be parties, music and dances throughout – see the Fairechylde listing and event schedule for more. And don’t forget the two special parties for 2018:
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 2018 events calendar and Fantasy Faire radio.
On Thursday, April 19th, Fantasy Faire will open for 2018, and run through until Sunday, April 29th. Through the event, there will be a lot to see and do – as there always is at Fantasy Faire – including the fourth annual Literary Festival (LitFest).
Lying deep within the Fairelands lies the home of the LitFest, a special place where the magic of the spoken word will weave tales of wonder, relate stories of great adventure and daring; where talks by authors, discussions, creative writing sessions and performances will all take place. For 2018, the event is headlined by two fantasy authors, both of whom hail from the UK:
Tom Lloyd, novelist and author of the five-book series Twilight Reign. He’ll be attending the LitFest on Thursday, April 24th.
Danie Ware, perhaps most noted for her Ecko series. She’ll be attending the LitFest on Thursday, April 26th.
Both will be in conversation with David Abbott.
In addition, there will be stories and discussions with a host of writers who have particular relationships with Second Life. This year the festival will again be emphasising creation, as a number of the leaders of creative writing groups in Second Life bring their regular events to the Faire, and welcome newcomers who want to join in with such events.
There will also be a special daily story and poetry writing challenge. Every day, those at the festival will be invited to put their Fantasy Faire experience into words. The Faire is brimming with stories: breathtaking builds and fantastical creations designed to touch your heart and soul. What stories do they inspire in you?
Details of all the LitFest events will be posted in the LitFest schedule in the next few days.
Singing A Song of Ice And Fire
Each LitFest features the works of a particular author. In 2015, it was Terry Pratchett, who sadly passed away just before the event. In 2016, and to mark the 400th anniversary of his death, the LitFest featured William Shakespeare. In 2017, the LitFest honoured the life and works of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.
For 2018, the life and works of novelist and short-story George Raymond Richard Martin, the power behind A Song of Ice and Fire, also known as Game of Thrones. Martin’s work will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 25th, 2018 with a series of events.
09:30–10:30 SLT: The World of Ice and Fire – Freyja Nemeth & Ran Garrigus: Linda Antonsson and Elio M. García are the owners of Westeros.org, the oldest A Song of Ice and Fire fan site. They are also the co-authors of The World of Ice and Fire with George R.R. Martin.
11:00–13:00 SLT: Game of Thrones Party with DJ Vasa Vella.
19:00–20:00 SlT: A Selected View – George R.R. Martin with Seanchai Library: Aoife Lorefield presents a different glimpse of the popular author, beyond the fire and ice, to other selected works, presented live in voice.
LitFest Tours
The popular Fantasy Faire LitFest Tours will once again be taking place, leaving daily from the LitFest home base on Halls of Story to explore the Fairelands and seeking the stories they have to tell as well as their special secret places and details. Each tour will be guided and accompanied by music, as some of the Faire’s best loved DJs offer selections of music, especially chosen for each of the regions visited.
The Tours for 2018 will be as follows (all commence at 17:00 SLT unless otherwise indicated):
Thursday, April 19th
Region 1 – Erstwile
Friday, April 20th
Region 2 – The Willows of Nienna
Saturday, April 21st
Region 3 – The Bazaar Dungeon
Sunday, April 22nd
Region 4 – Sanoria
Monday, April 23rd
Region 5 – Tiny Town
Tuesday, April 24th
Region 6 – Athenaeum Arcana
Wednesday, April 25th
Region 7 – Falls of Hope
Thursday, April 26th
Region 8 – Pools of Ethuil
Friday, April 27th
Region 9 – Severina
Saturday, April 28th
12:00 noon Region 10 – Aetherea
Keep up with all the news and information on the LitFFest and Fantasy Faire through the Fantasy Faire website.
Fantasy Faire 2018 has put out a call to any with experience of being a games master or dungeon master (GM / DM) and running campaigns in any role-playing game system with an emphasis on fantasy, and who would like to tabletop gaming combined with elaborate live-action role-playing/storytelling.
The call reads in part:
New for 2018, Fantasy Faire will be offering prospective GMs the opportunity to host a game session (or two), all while raising funds for the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.
GMs can choose from a list of recommended games to host, or they can simply host their own with prior approval from staff. They will have the opportunity to create immersive campaigns that are inspired directly by the Fantasy Faire worlds, or perhaps they can go directly off their imagination ‘on-demand’.
Anyone with the requisite experience, and who would like to be part of Second Life’s biggest annual fantasy event all in aid of Relay for Life and the Kenyatta National Hospital Hope Hostel (see here for more) should read the guidelines document, and then complete the form below (also accessible from the guidelines document). There is also a spreadsheet of current programming which can be perused to see what is being planned.
2018 marks the start of a new chapter in the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) work. For the first time, fund-raisers are allowed to earmark donations for a special project they have chosen to support – and Fantasy Faire is going to do precisely that, supporting the Kenyatta National Hospital Hope Hostel, with all proceeds from this year Faire going towards this ground-breaking international project.
Since the 1970s, ACS has built and managed more than 30 Hope Lodge facilities across the United States and in Puerto Rico. These provide free accommodations for cancer patients and their caregivers during treatment. More than a place to stay, a Hope Lodge can be an essential part of cancer care for many. In 2014, for example, over 44,000 cancer patients and caregivers stayed at a Hope Lodge for a total of over 276,000 free nights of accommodation and a range of facilities such as a social centre, library, and laundry. For some of these people, it saved them from facing the impossible choice between receiving treatment and paying the bills at home.
Now ACS has decided to broaden the project and establish Hope Lodges internationally – and the first is being created in Kenya, where cancer is the third leading cause of death. Approximately 40,000 new cases out of the nation’s 45 million population are diagnosed every year, and some 28,500 Kenyans die from the disease annually. What’s more, while cancer mortality rates in developed nations have fallen as treatment and preventative measures have improved, in Africa they’ve remain unchanged for 30 years.
Currently, the only public comprehensive cancer treatment centre in Kenya is located at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi. This means patients must travel from all over the country to KNH to receive treatment. However, accommodation is at a premium – many Kenyans simply cannot afford the US $4 or $5 a night cost of lodging while receiving treatment at the hospital. This leaves many patients sleeping in the hospital’s corridors (for which the KNH has been repeatedly chastised) or worse, outside. Exposed to the elements, without the means to bathe or prepare a proper meal, many of these patients have their chances of survival is greatly compromised.
Hence why Kenya has been chosen to become home to a Hope Lodge, and ACS have decided to partner with the Kenyatta National Hospital to create it.
Located within the campus grounds of the KNH, the Hope Hostel will cost an estimated US $2 million – an amount that will guarantee both the construction of the facilities and cover two years of operating costs. Once operational, the Hope Hostel 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. In addition, the Hostel will provide an on-site resource centre where patients and caregivers can obtain cancer information and resources, and offer a place where patients can rest during the day.
The KNH Hope Hostel will not only provide people from around the country a place to stay during treatment, but also a place to heal physically and spiritually.
Fantasy Faire is taking on this lead role in both raising funds and awareness of the Kenyatta National Hospital Hope Hostel at the direct request of Stingray Raymaker, known in the physical world as Jeff Montegut, the Director of On-line Revenue at Relay For Life.
Fantasy Faire has raised so much money for RFL in the last nine years, and I know that 2018 will be huge. Big number TEN and all! So, what do you think about the idea that all money raised by Fantasy Faire in 2018 could go to helping us build the Hope Lodge in Kenya?
– Stingray Raymaker
Relay For Life of Second Life is a global fund-raising activity, but it has often been seen as raising money for an American organisation which spends that money only in the United States. This is not an accurate reflection of things – as Da5id Abbot has recently blogged about on the Fantasy Faire website.
By taking on fund-raising for the KNH Hope Hostel, Fantasy Faire is further correcting such misconceptions in a practical and life-saving way. One which further extends the family of Second Life relayers, as the Fantasy Faire management team point out:
The survivors, caregivers and medical staff at Kenyatta National Hospital are every bit as much our brothers and sisters in the fight against cancer as those in our own home towns, and we can’t tell you how proud we are to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with them … today we welcome the chance to join new friends and colleagues in our global mission to make cancer history …
Fairelanders, let’s show our new friends just what we can do.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 