A traditional event during the RFL season is the Bid Me Bald challenge organised by the Relay Rockers. As the name suggests, people are invited to bid (make donations to RFL) to see a well-known Second Life resident go bald for a period of time in-world. First held in 2007, Bid Me Bald is presented as a means to honour those who have lost their hair as a result of their cancer treatment, with those volunteering to participate going bald for one day for each L$5000 raised through donations.
In 2017, to mark the 10th anniversary of Bid Me bald, a new twist was added to the mix when three teams from Linden Lab put themselves up for bidding / donations in Bid A Linden Bald. Their willingness to participate saw a total of L$1,478,599 (approx. US $5686) raised, and members of the Concierge Team went bald for a total of 297 days afterwards.
For 2018, the Lab is again participating in Bid Me Bald, with three teams once more joining in – Product Operations, Support Leaders, and Support Agents. The team raising the least amount of money will once again go bald for the amount of days equal to the total of the team raising the most, with the time shared among the losing team members.
The donation Kiosks for Bid A Linden Bald, a part of the Relay Rockers Bid Me Bald event
Product Operations
Support Leaders
Support Agents
Alexa Linden
Ami Linden
Corky Linden
Ekim Linden
Garry Linden
Evie Linden
Grumpity Linden
Keira Linden
Ginger Linden
Oz Linden
Tommy Linden
izzy Linden
Patch Linden
Kristin Linden
Madori Linden
Sparky Linden
TJ Linden
Vix Linden
Vanessa Linden
Bid A Linden Bald this year takes place between Monday, April 30th 2018 and Wednesday, May 9th 2018, and coincides with the Relay Rocker’s multi-team fund-raising even, Relaystock. Held between Friday May 4th, through Sunday May 6th, 2018 inclusive, RelayStock will feature entertainment and live performances provided by individual Relay For Life teams for the entire Second Life community to enjoy, and you can find out more about it on the Relay Rockers website.
To join in the fun of Bid a Linden Bald, visit the bidding kiosks in-world and make a donation to the team you’d like to see win (or against the team you’d like to see lose!).
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.
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.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 