Fantasy Faire – Page 7 – Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld

Fantasy Faire 2018: supporting the KNH Hope Hostel

Posted on April 2, 2018March 28, 2023 by Inara Pey

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.

Lily Koros Tare – CEO, Kenyatta National Hospital

*Artist rendering of the Hope Hostel from the Kenyatta National Hospital website*

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.

Elizabeth Tinsley, Da5id Abbot and Zander Greene.

Additional Links

Fantasy Faire 2018: nominations for king, queen and chancellor

Posted on March 20, 2018March 28, 2023 by Inara Pey

One of the features introduced to Fantasy Faire 2015 was the opportunity to nominate and then vote for the King and Queen of the Fairelands and their (strictly non-human) Chancellor. Nominations came from across all realms of fantasy, with the top five for the positions of king and queen (human or human-looking nominations only) and chancellor, went forward for a public vote-off during the course of the Faire.

The very first king, queen and chancellor of the Fairelands were, respectively, Havelock Vetinari and Granny Weatherwax and Greebo the cat, all of which marked a fitting tribute to the late Sir Terry Pratchett, who passed away in March 2015, just ahead of that year’s Faire.

In 2016 the honours went to The Goblin King, October Daye and The Last Unicorn.

In 2017, the Faire elected king Severus Snape, queen Leia Organa and Rhiow the Wizard Cat as chancellor.

*The King, Queen and Chancellor of Fantasy Faire 2017*

These last three have now lain down the insignia of their high office, and as Fantasy Faire 2018 approaches, Fairelands Folk are once again being asked nominate those they feel should be elected king, queen and chancellor for this year’s event. You can nominate your choices through the form below (or if you prefer, go directly to the same form on the Fantasy Faire website.

Characters should be chosen from works of fantasy – written, graphical texts or film, TV or radio. Fairy tales, high fantasy, steampunk, urban fantasy, vampire sagas (and others) will all be classified as fantasy. The only major requirements are that nominations for king and queen must be human (or human-type) characters, whilst nominations for chancellor are restricted to non-human (or non-human type) characters.

Note: the 2017 king, queen and chancellor are not eligible for re-election this year.

Nominations close at midnight SLT at the end of Saturday, April 21st.

How It Works

The top five nominees for each role – king, queen and chancellor – will be selected for a final vote-off.
During the Faire, people will have the opportunity to vote for their favourites.
- There is a fee payable for voting, but all money raised will go to Relay for Life.
The winners will be announced at the Fantasy Faire Live Auction on Sunday, April 29th, 2018.

Additional Links

Fantasy Faire 2018: 10 years, 15 regions, + a call to bloggers

Posted on March 19, 2018March 28, 2023 by Inara Pey

Fantasy Faire, the largest fantasy-related event to take place in Second Life, opens its portals on Thursday, April 19th and runs through until Sunday, April 29th, 2018 inclusive. It will bring together everyone with a love of fantasy – enthusiasts, creators, performers and designers – for eleven days of commerce, special events, live music concerts and more, all to help raise funds for Relay for Life of Second Life.

This year is special for Fantasy Faire, as it marks the tenth anniversary of the event, so there is a lot that’s being planned, you can be sure!

The Regions Announced

For 2018, Fantasy Faire will feature 15 regions for shopping and events, as announced on Sunday, March 18th, and which I’ve summarised below.

Merchant / Shopping Regions

Aetherea (Alia Baroque) – “beyond a touch and within reach… a dance of whisps and a vision for an ascended eternal space of time and spirituality…”
Athenaeum Arcana (Beq Janus) – “legends tell of a grand library, hidden between our worlds; of archivists and adventurers dedicated to saving the stories that we weave…”
The Bazaar Dungeon (Loki Eliot) – “an ancient Elven prison, once filled with shifting walls to trap the incarcerated, now breached, opened and re-purposed for trade.”
Erstwhile (Marcus Inkpen/Sharni Azalee) – “a skyport in the bowl of an enormous crater, wrought from a technology so advanced that it will forever seem ancient…“
Falls of Hope (Sweetgwendoline Bailey/Eldowyn Inshan) – “cliffs rise high above, with bridges to provide a path for travellers between the caves that have been adopted by intrepid traders…”
Pools of Ethuil (Searlait Nitschke) – “nestled among the highest branches of spring trees, the southern Elves make their home above watery lowlands…”
Sanoria (Chic Aeon) – “ruins, seemingly deserted, still hold echoes of their essence and when the Southern winds call pilgrims come…”
Severina (Lokii Violet) – “from the mists, the village peeks from beneath it’s blanketing shadow, spires that reach to the heavens for salvation that never comes…”
Tiny Town (Kayle Matzerath) – “Welcome to Tiny Town! Tiny Capital since the dawn of tiny time! All the Waffles you eat came from here…”
The Willow of Nienna (Kilik Lekvoda) – “Willows weep into the waters of time poured out by Nienna, the Lady of Compassion…”

The Events Regions

Fairelands Junction (Saiyge Lotus) – Main Arrival Area & Memorial Garden.
Ardessa (Éclair Martinek) – The Fairelands Quest.
Astrid’s Nemeton (Lrriven) – The RFL One Team & Second Performance Stage.
The Halls of Story (Elicio Ember) – Literary Festival, “Live at the FaireChylde” dance parties and Worldling Collection 2018.
The Story Well (Haveit Neox & Lilia Artis) – Main Performance Stage & Fantasy Faire Art Gallery.

Dawn’s Promise, Fantasy Faire 2017

Blogger Applications Open

On Monday, March 19th, 2018, applications to be a 2018 Fantasy Faire blogger opened, with the announcement reading in part:

Blogging the Faire can take many forms, just as the Fairelands do … All I ask, all that the Fairelands ask is that you act as their Herald, as their Chronicler. Spread the word far and wide, enjoy the Faire Life and choose your style of blogging as it best befits you. Come join us in this tenth Fantasy Faire, come celebrate the whole decade of imagination.

If you would like to chronicle the Faire, make sure you complete the blogger application form BUT! – don’t hurry there right away; as with past Fantasy Faires, there are a few little extra things to consider!

As with recent years, bloggers are additionally invited to participate in one or more challenges. These are not obligatory, and anyone – official blogger or otherwise – is free to participate in them. They are:

Faire Folk – create a Fairelands character based on one of the Faireland region themes, and bring that character to life through photography and / or writing
My New Shiny – merchant-focused blogging from a personal perspective.
I Remember – write about your favourite Fairelands of the past.
Faire Life – get involved in a Faire event – roleplay, literary workshop, attending a dance or other performance – and write about it.
Why I Relay – share a personal reason why you Relay.

Those applying to be an official blogger at this year’s faire can also apply to write for the official Fantasy Faire website. This has no influence on the actual blogger selection for the Faire, and should be filled only if you are truly interested.

So, if you are interested, make sure you check-out all the information for bloggers and that you complete the application form.

Additional Links

Fantasy Faire: towards a westering Sun

Posted on May 2, 2017March 28, 2023 by Inara Pey

Dawn’s Promise, Fantasy Faire 2017 (until May 4th, 2017)

The official events of Fantasy Faire are all but over. The Djs have played, the artists have performed, stories have been written and told. Memories have been born, friendships renewed or made. As it is with every year, Fantasy Faire 2017 will leave its mark on all who attended it, whether for their first time, their fifth or as someone who has been a part of the magic since its inception.

But while the formal events have now ended, it is not yet time to say farewell to the Fairelands themselves; they will remain with us yet a while – until the end of Thursday, May 4th, in fact. So if you’ve not yet had the time to visit this year’s realms, now is the time to do so.

Fairelands Junction, Fantasy Faire 2017 (until May 4th, 2017)

Every year, Fantasy Faire, perhaps more than any other large-scale event in Second Life, brings forth a set of utterly unique regions. Each of them is as individual and different from the next as chalk is to cheese; yet all of them are bound together in a way than makes them a unified whole. Together they become not just a grouping of regions, they become facets of a place, a world; realms as united as they are different. Exploring them, it is hard not to feel like a traveller or adventurer travelling a route through a mystical place, on a quest which offers something new at every turn.

That’s why each year I try to bring just a flavour of these realms to the pages of this blog, and why I always mark the closing of each year’s Faire with a plea to all of you who have not enjoyed the Fairelands to take a last opportunity to do so. Whether you are a fan of fantasy or not, you are almost certain to find something among them that captures your attention, or calls to you in some way.

Kakushi Pasu, Fantasy Faire 2017 (until May 4th, 2017)

This year I found two regions speaking to me particularly clearly: Dawn’s Promise and The Spirit Pool. Admittedly, both regions have been designed by people whose work I greatly admire – but this is not why either of them became one of my two “Songs” of the Fairelands: both are simply exquisite in design and execution – and the they are far from alone. While it may be a little unfair to point to one or two more regions when all have a particular appeal, I’m nevertheless going to do just that in the hopes of encouraging visits.

Kakushi Pasu, the home of the LitFest and the DJ parties during the Faire is first on my list. I so wanted to write a song story for this region, but never managed to get the words to come together. Designed by Lokii Violet, Kakushi Pasu presents a beautifully executed oriental theme. This is more than enough to attract me; but there is something else about the region which held sway over me: a sense of tranquillity. Despite all the comings and goings of the LitFest, the DJ parties, the role-playing activities, Kakushi Pasu speaks to the heart of peace and rest – and now the core activities have drawn to a close, now is the time to discover this for yourself.

Anansi, Fantasy Faire 2017 (until May 4th, 2017)

To the south and west of Kakushi Pasu, and reached via Egregore lies Anansi. Perhaps one of the most different environments of recent Fantasy Faires, this is a place which brings together so much: fantasy, steampunk, mystery – and menace. Designed by Beq Janus and Polysail, Anansi brings a touch of Ray Bradbury to the Fairelands through the circus-like look and feel to the region, which carries subtle echoes of Something Wicked This Way Comes. It is a place where each of the stores, sitting upon its mechanical legs or held up by great metal dragonflies suspended from the crane arms extending from stores higher up in the landscape, offer the challenge / threat of treat – or perhaps an insect-like stinging trick.

Further south, nestled between Dwarven Chaddul Ro and Halfling haven of the The Hill (both highly appropriate to this year’s Faire, given the Tolkien celebrations which took place this year), sits Ravens Perch. the fabulously atmospheric region designed by Kaelis Ember and lrriven. This is another place of which I should have penned a Song to add to my little series. A marvellous wrapping of Gothic and mystery, there are tales galore to be found here along the rose-choked streets, between the church-like buildings and around the Lady of the Rose. There is also a beautiful place of reflection to be found as well, a place of special remembrance which speaks to all of us who have lost friends or family to cancer.

Raven’s Perch, Fantasy Faire 2017 (until May 4th 2017)

These then, are the three regions, along with Dawn’s Promise (see The song of Dawn’s Promise) and The Spirit Pool (see The song of the Spirit Pool) which called to me in particular – and for numerous reasons. But again, they are only five of fourteen fabulous regions. So, if you have not had the opportunity to explore them all and listen to their voices, now is the time to do so, before they each pass into the West and beyond our ken.