Category: Exploring Second Life

Garden of Absentia – click any image for full size

Established on November 7th, 2016, Garden of Absentia this month celebrates its anniversary, marking the time as an ideal opportunity for a visit to this Homestead region managed and designed by Filo Tani and Sage (Sage Allegiere) which serves a very special purpose in Second Life.

“We take pride in raising awareness for autism, bullying, domestic violence, depression and cancer,” Sage and Filo state in the information note card available from the landing point. “The cancer memorial offers candles to light for loved ones as a remembrance, for those fighting and survivors.”

Garden of Absentia

However, far from being preachy or specially designed as a memorial, Garden of Absentia presents visitors with a park-like environment, surrounded by tall green peaks, and seemingly caught at that time when summer is fading and autumn is on the rise. It is a place to be explored and shared, with trails and paths meandering through the shade of tall trees or climbing the slopes of  rugged hills to where cabins and camp fires and lookout points await. And for those who do wish to remember, the opportunity to enjoy quiet solitude at one of the many locations ideal for sitting and resting, or to visit the memorials and perhaps light a candle to a loved one or friend.

The landing point sits towards the north-east side of the island. Given this lie of the land, it is fairly centrally placed for reaching the major points of interest – and where you wander from it is entirely up to you. Just a short walk to the north-eat sits a beautiful green house sitting before a walled garden, lit by lanterns strung from the boughs of trees, the grassy open space below – when open to the public – suitable for dancing as birds chirp from the branches. Follow the walls around the outside of this garden, and you might happen across a picnic spot or pass under fairy lights among the trees, before spying a red-roofed lighthouse sitting on a small islet and offering a place for quite cuddles.

Garden of Absentia

Walk north and west from the landing point, and you’ll pass long the base of the broad ridge forming the island’s spine to where a camp site overlooks the water, a tree platform close by. Or, if you prefer, you can turn away before reaching the camp site, and follow the hiking trail offering a way up onto the ridge itself.

This path also offers a choice of routes for the willing explorer. There’s a log-stepped climb up to the top of the ridge, where a cabin and look-out point sit, and a stone arch spans the gorge separating the ridge from another upland region to the south-west. Or, for those who prefer, a narrow ledge-like paths curls around the north-west side of the ridge to run southwards, passing over a wooden bridge spanning the gorge to reach the same, more southerly upland area. Here sits another cabin overlooking the waters below, a path nearby leading back up to the rocky arch across the gorge to complete the circular hiking route.

Garden of Absentia

This second upland area forms a ring around a shallow canyon which hides a little secret. Simply cross the covered wooden bridge westward of the landing point just beyond where another rugged path leads up to the tops of the ridge, to find out what this might be.

Travelling directly south from the landing point will bring you, by way of a pleasant little open-air café, to a lovely tiered wall garden, complete with an old cup-and-saucer merry-go-round. Alongside of this garden sits a little headland where a table is set for a tea party and a little nod towards a certain children’s tale.

It is just beyond this tiered wall garden, snuggled into the south-east corner of the region that you can find the memorial area and take the opportunity to light a candle to a loved one or friend lost to cancer, heart disease or diabetes. There is no charge for doing so, and instructions on how to have a candle placed out on the water are provided on the signs at the bridge leading to and from the memorial island.

Garden of Absentia

With the opportunity to explore two more small islands on the south side of the region from the memorial island, the chance to commemorate those we’ve loved, the freedom to explore, dance, sit, take photos and simply enjoy the time spent visiting, Garden of Absentia makes for a fulfilling visit. Should you go, do consider sharing your photos via the region’s Facebook group if you can (an odd choice, given the overwhelming popularity of Flickr), and do please consider a donation towards the continuance of the region.

SLurl Details

• Garden of Absentia (Garden of Absentia, rated: moderate)

The Silent Mind – click any image for full size

The Silent Mind is a beautiful retreat occupying a Homestead region. It was suggested as a place to visit by Shakespeare and Max (once again! ♥), designed by Belfana, who describes it as “A quiet, cosy place.” I actually think she undersells it; The Silent Mind is an absolute delight, mixing multiple elements – the every day,  fantasy, fairy tale and even a little hint of seasonal curio and a dash of whimsy.

The setting is that of a rugged island, temperate in looks and feel,  where a visit begins on the west side, mid-way up the tall cliffs that rise step-like from a curved beach. Here sits the first hint of fantasy: the landing point occupies a ring of elven arches, a friendly troll standing in greeting. A bicycle, basket laden with sunflowers, offers a subtle pointer that this is not purely a realm of fantasy. A look over the edge of the cliffs to the beach below will further confirm this, parked on the sand is a little VW Beetle and camper parked, a surf board lying in the waves.

The Silent Mind – click any image for full size

A stone path and stairs offer a route down from the landing area, passing a look-out point complete with dance machine (one of several to be found across the island), to eventually arrive at a low-lying coastal track, offering two routes of exploration to the east and north. However, walk out onto the cinder shore, and you’ll be able to see the southern spur of the island, apparently reached by wading through the shallow waters.

At the time Caitlyn and I visited, part of this southern headland was given over to a little nod towards Halloween, with mists lying around arched thorns, a cloaked figure and two Gothic vampires waiting to greet those treading the path under the thorny arches. Beyond these, across a greensward, sits a charming wooden house built out over the water, a ribbon of beach passing under it. The house is open to exploration, and the beach offers a way to where the little Beetle car and its caravan are parked.

The Silent Mind – click any image for full size

For those wishing to follow the tracks from the foot of the cliffs, the one pointing inland quickly brings you to a small lake, crossed by wooden walkways. It is here that another taste of fantasy can be found: ancient ruins built back into the cliffs and seemingly guarded by the skull of a dragon – one of two to be found on the island. This is also a place for romance as well; a little seating area can be found within the ruins, close to where water tumbles down from ancient aqueducts, and a dance machine is close by.

One of the wooden walkways connecting the ruins to the rest of the island re-joins the main track to the north. It’s along this track, and it curves around the island from the foot of the cliffs, that the fairy tale touches can again be found: more friendly trolls stand by the track and story books wait to be read. There are also delightful touches of whimsy as well – keep an eye out for the chinchilla enjoying a bath and a tropical drink.

The Silent Mind – click any image for full size

Sitting off the north side of the island is a little green house, reached by a path of foam over the waves. facing it, beneath the shade of a great tree with leaves turning and autumn red, is a garden picnic watched over by chipmunks. Nor is that all. Across the island are little scenes worthy of discovery – although some might take a little careful walking / climbing to find – and places to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet.

The Silent Mind really is superbly designed and laid out, and as Belfana says, it is an ideal location for those seek peace and relaxation, whether on their one or with a friend or companion. All-in-all, a genuinely delightful visit. Should you enjoy your time visiting, please consider tipping one of the trolls!

The Silent Mind – click any image for full size

SLurl Details

• The Silent Mind (Dalaran, rated: Moderate)

After a two-year absence, Loki Eliot’s The Well has returned to Second Life for the Haunted Season. This is the fourth instalment of hat had been intended to be a 3-part series, as Loki explains, ” I thought that, with The Well Infirmos, that was it with regards to The Well. But here we are again with a 4th and this time (I promise) final chapter!”

The Well The Well first appeared in 2012, offering a horror themed mystery adventure centred on attempts to rescue a little boy who had fallen down an old well and into the labyrinth of tunnels and caverns which lay beneath it. In 2013, he followed this with The Well: Sollicitus (see here for more). There then followed a two-year break before the aforementioned The Well Infirmos appeared in 2015 (see here for more).

With each iteration, Loki has expanded The Well to incorporate various capabilities which were, at the time, either new to Second life (such as materials and Experience Keys), or new to Loki. The latest instalment continues this tradition, Loki having used  photogrammetry to help him develop the build:

I went out into real woods and took photo surveys of muddy pathways. These were then used to create 3D models of the woods which I then used in The Wells woodland scenes in the hope of adding realism to the spooky atmosphere.

Having spent well over an hour within the latest instalment in the series, I can say the Loki’s efforts in modelling this way were well worth it. His woodlands look and feel “real”, and are about as confusing as walking at night through a dense woodland can be.

So, what is The Well: Ultimum all about? To start with, it is something of a prequel to the other instalments, the story focusing on a young boy (the one from the original 2012 instalment?). He perhaps doesn’t live in the happiest of households, as we learn through his diary. It’s a place where strange activities take place, and even the youngster himself seems to be drawn to the dark things that may be creeping through the woods – and to the mysterious well of the title, which he sees as a maw waiting to devour people, spurring him to wonder what it might be like to be eaten alive…

Those who have played previous instalments of The Well will recognise the basic format: read the information regarding viewer settings, join the game experience (if you’ve previously played The Well Infirmos and have not revoked permissions, you’ll already have the Experience permissions enabled), pay a fee (L$200) to gain the game HUD (which will attach to the bottom of your screen and needs to remain attached through your visit), then read the instructions which are initially displayed on your screen once the HUD is attached.

I don’t want to give too much away as to what you’ll find / encounter along the way. Suffice it to say, the game is interactive – there are items scattered around  the various locations you must stand near – or avoid.

Those you must stand near are located in the first two locations in the game  – the boy’s bedroom and the woodlands outside his home. They are signified by rising orange particles, and when close to them, an orange-on-black information icon is display on the game HUD – clicking it will display instructions or a page from the boy’s diary. Returning to any of these information points will display the Information icon as yellow-on-black, indicating you have previously read it.

There is one piece of information you must obtain before you can leave the boy’s bedroom, while the woodlands have multiple information points scattered through it, although the goal is to reach the titular well. It’s worth spending a little time in the woods to make sure find most or all of the information points. There are also additional interactive points in both the bedroom and woods, which give insight into the boy’s interests.

The well itself drops you into a labyrinth of tunnels. It is here that the SANITY bar in the HUD comes into play, as you are warned on arrival Do Not Touch The Shadows. These are blood-red apparitions which will appear and attempt to touch you (so don’t stand still for too long!). If they do, you’ll find your sanity slipping away. There are other things in the tunnels which can drain your sanity – but oddly, they can also give rewards!

As with the woods, the aim is to find your way through the tunnels to where another portal lies. This leads you on to – well, I’ll let you find that out on your own.

The Well: Ultimum is as enjoyable as the previous instalments of The Well, and well worth the L$200 HUD price to play – although I’d recommend giving yourself at least an hour to do so, particularly as this really is the last instalment in the series.

“Next year will be even more terrifying with Animesh!” Loki informed me as we chatted about the adventure. “But I think I’ve done enough with wells. It will be something new!”

SLurl Details

• The Well: Ultimum (Escapades Island, rated: General)

Khodovarikha – click any image for full size

Serene Footman, the man behind Furillen, (see here, here and here for more) and La Digue du Braek (see here) opened a further region in August 2017. Once again it is an atmospheric setting based on a location in the physical world.

Khodovarikha, a Homestead region, is modelled after the spit of land going by the same name which projects eastwards into the Pechora Sea off the coast of north-west Russia. As you might expect from this description, it is a lonely and desolate place – and such places hold an appeal with Serene. In 2015, the area was the focus of a Russian Television documentary, Arctic Limbo, and this appears to have served as Serene’s inspiration in designing the region.

Khodovarikha

Serene’s vision of Khodovarikha captures the desolate isolation of the area perfectly – and provides a magnificent  reproduction of its most notable landmark: the great wooden lighthouse. This ceased operation in 1996, but played an important role in guiding the convoys bringing supplies and munitions to Russia during World War Two. Within Serene’s setting, the lighthouse is both operational and truly dominates the landscape, but otherwise closely resembles the original right down to a hole in the tower’s base.

The region itself is split into two, with a slender finger running west-to-east to the north, a narrow channel of water separating it from the larger land mass to the south, where the lighthouse resides. The landing point is towards the western end of the northern finger of land, and the easiest route around the island is clockwise, following the rough wooden board walk pointing east from the landing point. This leads visitors over sand and past ageing buildings to where a large wooden warehouse-like structure topped by the dome of a Doppler radar system faces the lighthouse across the neck of water, an old wooden bridge linking the two.

Khodovarikha

The loneliness of the island is encapsulate in the spread of the building and their generally dilapidated state. The detritus of human living – oil barrels scattered across the sand, sanding in untidy groups or part-buried, sacks of rubbish left to freeze outdoors, and the spoils of collapsed walls and bonfires – all add to the sense of isolation. This is not a place where appearance and neatness matter.

There is also a wealth of detail to be found here that further adds to the remoteness of the setting, particularly inside several of the buildings, where care has been taken to reflect the lonely lifestyle of Khodovarikha’s one full-time inhabitant, Slava, and the work involved in keeping things running – if that’s the right term. The air of untidiness around some of these work spaces perhaps offers a subtle suggestion of  Slava’s one-time assistant, Ustin, moving listlessly around the scattered buildings, carrying out assigned tasks during his year-long stay, missing his family and home.

Khodovarikha

There is a gentle beauty always present in Serene’s builds, and this is certainly the case here. The overcast sky fading to a distant horizon haze, softens the setting and adds to the mystery. Looking out towards that distant horizon, it’s not too difficult to imagine the research vessel  Mikhail Somov looming out of the mists on its annual visit to deliver supplies to Slava. Or, for the more imaginative mind, to see the faint, distant shadows of the wartime convoys slipping past in the distance, ghostly shadows within the grey-blue haze.

Khodovarikha is a magnificent build, reflecting its physical world namesake almost perfectly. It is hauntingly beautiful rendering of desolation and loneliness, richly echoing the RT documentary. It is a perfect destination for those who – like Slava – wish to escape the world (at least for a while). And for those who do, there are plenty of opportunities not just for exploration, but for sitting and pondering or talking, indoors and out – some of which are quite imaginatively placed for the keen-eyed.

Khodovarikha

This is a place most definitely deserving of a visit, and you can find out more on the background of the build and on Khodovarikha in general by reading Serene’s own blog post on his inspiration in designing the region, which delves into things like the meaning behind the big building with its striped radar dome and the inclusion of a half-finished Rawin Dome on the south side of the island, all of which adds further depth and context to the build.

SLurl Details

• Khodovarikha (Porter Islands, rated: Moderate)

Sol Existence – click any image for full size

It’s been over four years since my last visit to Sol Existence, the Full region held by Sunshine Amelia Gilmore; as such, I thought it high time Caitlyn and I returned to spend a little time exploring. (Sunshine Zhangsun). At the time of my 2013 visit, Sunshine was collaborating with Jac Mornington; the current build appears to be largely Sunshine’s own design.

“Somewhat reminiscent of another time,” Sunshine says of the design, “Created with love and happiness. A small seaside island offering solace to the wanderer.” And so it is – albeit, perhaps, a seaside island approaching its off-season given the cast of the sky.

Sol Existence

A visit starts on the east side of the island, above the curving “c”  of a sandy bay, reached via broad wooden steps which descend gently sloping rocks in a series of platformed tiers.  The beach is dominated by a large warehouse with a low wooden key, and a trawler appears to be rounding the headline en route to coming alongside. However, a look inside the warehouse reveals it is not a place of work, but actually a place of recreation, housing a bar on the upper floor.  It might be the first indication that some of the buildings here are not as they might first appear.

Atop the cliffs, a little row of shops point the way eastwards, sitting within a ring of cart tracks which set them aside from a chapel and the second lighthouse, both of which sit to the north of them. The lighthouse again is not all it appears, being a centre for Relay for Life, reflecting Sunshine’s long-standing involvement with, and support of, RFL.

Sol Existence

Another chapel lies to the east of the houses, appearing to guard the south and west sides of the island. This is the home of Epilogue, described as a “special place for creation and imagination,” where  Charlotte Gilmore hosts reading clubs and craft creating sessions. Beyond this chapel is a pond and farm, the latter with geese, chickens and goats within the walls of its garden, the ruins of an old fortification close by. As with the east side f the island, cart tracks circle this part of the island, including the large pond fronting the farm-house, and a couple of old vehicles, a four-wheeled truck and a Tuk Tuk style mobile library.

A second beach sits in the north-west corner of the island offers another place to relax and enjoy the Sun when it is present over the island. At the top of the slopes above this, and nestled close to the lighthouse, is a hot air balloon and a playable game of chess, available to those so minded for a game. Nor is this the only opportunity for recreation – another little game sits inside Epilogue, while seagulls scattered around the island will be happy to offer dances to those touching them. There are also a number of places where visitors can sit and relax.

Sol Existence

Sol Existence is still and picturesque as it has always been, and photography is encouraged across the island, with Sunshine requesting those who do take pictures consider submitting them to the region’s Flickr group. Those who would like to rez props for their photographs can join the region’s Group by clicking on the seagull perched above village sign at the landing point.

All-in-all another pleasing visit whether exploring on your own or with a friend, with plenty of opportunities for photography and plenty of places to sit and relax. For me, the was a welcome return to a region which caught my eye, and which I’ve been away from for a little too long.

Sol Existence

SLurl Details

• Sol Existence (Sol Existence, rated: Moderate)

Pandora Resort – click any image for full size

Note: this vision of Pandora Box of Dreams closes on August 1st, 2018.

A little over a year ago, I had the pleasure of previewing Pandora Resort, the full region venture by Lokhe Angel Verlack (Jackson Verlack) and his Second Life partner, Miza Cupcake-Verlack (Mizaki) – see here, and then writing about it post-opening.  Given the passage of time since those visits, and having seen a number of group notices about the region, I thought Caitlyn and I should hop over and have a look.

Back in September 2016, Pandora Resort was a winter location, high in the mountains. Now it is a tropical paradise – in Miza’s words, “An exotic island resort just off the coast to India is open to cater to the needs of fun, warmth and relaxing experience exposed to vivid lush wildlife and other hidden paradise”, a description which certainly piqued my interest given the time I’ve spent in Sri Lanka and the deep fondness I have for that country.

Pandora Resort – click any image for full size

A visit commences high over the region, on the upper deck of an airliner. Green arrows on the floor direct arrivals down to the lower deck and thence to the cabin door, where a teleport carries people to ground level, and a chance to debark the airliner.  Outside of the ‘plane is a tropical setting,  the “airport” sitting high on a plateau, sandy mountains visible on all horizons, a cobbled path leading the way past swimming pools shaded by pergolas on one side and an open-air dance area on the other, and on down to a reception lobby located part-way down the plateau’s east side.

The reception area offers an opportunity to rest and to look down on the lowland to the north and south. Ancient steps lead the way down through palm trees and lush grasses and along the side of the plateau and so to the to the beach in the south-east corner of the region. A portion of this is given over to a water-side pavilion – a bath house with outdoor seating, shaded baths and massage tables. Hot pools sit on the sands outside of the pavilion, and a path points the way westward, through a further spa area sitting in a rocky cleft, and on to ancient ruins on the west side of the island.

Pandora Resort – click any image for full size

Here lies one of the places visitors need to take a little care. Tucked into the corner of these ruins is an Asian-styled house available for private rent, and off-limits to those not a member to the region’s group even when not occupied. The north side of the island, reached via a wooden board walk and east-side public beach, is similarly given over to private chalets available for rent and forming a discrete resort of their own.

It was here that I was put in mind of beach-side resorts in places like Sri Lanka; individual chalets with an open-plan layout; all it needs is for the landscape to be a little more lush and green, and it would be easy to imagine the essence of Sri Lanka had been captured here. The chalets sit out over water, and offer a  considerable amount of living space for those wishing to rent one. However, casual visitors should again be aware that when occupied, the chalets can be understandably off-limits – but the watery path between them does remain open to free passage.

Pandora Resort – click any image for full size

The west side of the island offers two bays of shallow water, one of which cuts quite deeply into the land, ending in a small, secluded beach under the lee of the central plateaus. A second beach on deep cut of this bay, and located under an ancient, broken aqueduct, provides another area for swimmers to enjoy.

There are one or two incongruities with the region – the little airport with its huge jet, for example, or the fact that the island – whilst quoted as being off the coast of India – is inhabited by African elephants. However, the latter is likely to be down to the availability of elephants on the Marketplace, which is biased towards the African variety. The former doesn’t actually detract from a visit, simply because once within the region, the airport

Pandora Resort – click any image for full size

For those of us facing the onset of winter, Pandora Resort – Namaste – offers a welcome retreat to reminder of sunshine, vacations and warm seas. It might even, for those fortunate enough to have travelled to tropical climes, open a doorway to past holidays and time spent at luxurious resorts.

SLurl and Website

• Pandora Resort – Namaste (Hurricane, rated: Moderate)
• Pandora Resort website