Category: Exploring Second Life

Note: I understand from Silvermoon that A Painter’s Link (and with it 50 Words for Snow) might be closing some time shortly after January 6th, 2017.

On December 26th, I wrote about Silvermoon Fairey’s A Painter’s Link, noting the over it she has created a seasonal setting, 50 Words For Snow. The latter is actually one of two wintry designs Silvermoon is offering visitors, the other being December Will Be Magic Again. While separated by teleport, both of these settings in many ways complement one another, giving the appearance of being different parts of the same countryside.

Visitors arriving at, or teleporting to, 50 Words For Snow arrive atop a rocky plateau over which trees denuded of their leaves raise bare branches to the sky, as if trying to ward off the falling snow. Foxes, raccoons and deer wander among the tree trunks, while a path meanders idly through the woodland, enticing the traveller to follow its winding course. However, the keen-eyed may also spot a path close to hand, switchbacking its way down to lower ground.

Those who follow this route may find their way through fir trees and snow to a large house lit from without and within, where kitties rule the roost and wood fires burn bright in hearth and stove. Sitting diagonally opposite the house, in the north-east corner of the region sits a smaller lodge, also under gently falling snow, and with a frozen pond close to hand. Between these two lie opportunities for walking or sitting beside another ice-sheathed pond, a vista of snow-covered land and blanketed hills stretching to the horizon and caught in the soft glow of a lowering Sun.

A lowering sun is also a feature of December Will Be Magic Again, and while brighter and more visible than at 50 Words For Snow, it is nevertheless one of the elements which gives a sense of connectedness between the two. A much flatter place than 50 Words, December Will Be Magic Again is also blanketed by snow which falls gently from the sky, covering track and grass alike, and hiding the frozen waters of a stream from view, leaving its location marked only by rock and bridge.

Across this flat setting, ringed by trees and low hills, lie two houses and what might be a cottage farm. Smoke rises from the chimneys of two, but all are bereft of furnishings. Outside, and casting long shadows to match those of the houses and trees, horses meander and pick at the grass that has managed to poke its way up through the snow. From across the frozen expanse of a pond, keeping to the edge of the tree line, a handful of deer watch all the comings and goings.

There is a serenity about both December Will Be Magic Again and 50 Words For snow which invites a side-by-side visit to both. Each is also the perfect accompaniment when visiting either It’s A New Dawn or A Painter’s Link down, over which they respectively sit. However, as Silvermoon has indicated to me she may actually relinquish A Painter’s Link (and with it, 50 Words For Snow) in the near future, I would strong suggest you plan a visit to either of these two sooner rather than later.

SLurl Details

50 Words for Snow and A Painters Link are located on Salomon Beach, rated: Moderate.

• 50 Words for Snow
• A Painter’s Link

December Will Be Magic Again and It’s a New Dawn are located on Leon Beach, rated:  General.

• December Will Be Magic Again
• It’s A New Dawn

A Painter’s Link, Salomon Beach – click any image for full size

Note: I understand from Silvermoon that A Painter’s Link (and with it 50 Words for Snow, located overhead) might be closing some time shortly after January 6th, 2017.

I’ve always enjoyed Silvermoon Fairey’s region designs in Second Life since I first visited  Dawn of Radiance 2013 (see here, here, and here for some past visits). So I was a little surprised to find an LM sitting in inventory for A Painter’s Link, another of her creations, passed on to me by Silvana Casini but which has been languishing without attention – my apologies to both Silvana and Silvermoon for the oversight.

When blogging about Second Life rural scenes, it’s easy to turn to the term “pastoral” as a description, when there is actually little sign of grazing by cattle or sheep or anything else. However, with A Painter’s Link, the word is appropriate: sheep do indeed safely graze under the watchful eye of a shepherd, while further afield in the gently undulating landscape, horses can be found grazing on the grasslands.

A Painter’s Link, Salomon Beach

That said, attempts to describe the region is words are unlikely to do A Painter’s Link justice; this is a place which should be visited to be truly appreciated. Caught in a mix of  Spring’s warm greens and Autumn’s gold and red, the region presents a world of rustic cottages, old ruins, rolling fields, and country folk of a seemingly bygone era going about their work. Only the presence of a bicycle, an upright telephone and a gramophone, with its great horned speaker indicate the era is likely more recent than the clothing worn by the locals might otherwise suggest.

Wonderfully woven into a whole by a meandering stream and rutted tracks, with pools of water fed by low falls, rugged edges to the hills around them, A Painter’s Link carries within it echoes of the great landscape paintings. There is a certain sense of homage within it towards the likes of John Constable – it is hard not to escape thoughts of The Haywain when seeing the cart and horses in the water, with the cottage close to hand. similarly, aspects of another of the cottages brought to mind The Valley Farm.

A Painter’s Link, Salomon Beach

These echoes and suggestions add immeasurably to the appeal of the region. Together with Silvermoon’s eye for detail and composition, they make A Painter’s Link wonderfully photogenic – although I’m sure better eyes and talent than might have brought this fact to the fore far better than I might. And while the default windlight is ideal for photography, this is very much a place which lends itself fully to a range of lighting environments and experimentation.

Nor is that all; A Painter’s Link is equally as welcome to those simply seeking to enjoy the landscapes of Second Life. There are paths to wander, views to be enjoyed and plenty  of opportunities to sit and appreciate all that is on offer, whether it’s on the little wooden deck, watching the cart and horses, under the shade of a tree and looking up towards one of the thatched cottages or cuddling on the blanket spread with fruits and drink within the garden of a cottage.

A Painter’s Link, Salomon Beach

There is also a wonderful sense of life about the region – not only in terms of the horses, sheep and wildlife, but also in the presence of the locals: the shepherd, the farmer and his wife, the little girl with her goose, the cartsman, and the boy with his kite (who is perhaps placed to suggest he should actually be watching over the horses). All of them bring A Painter’s Link more to life and present it as a series of marvellous vignettes waiting to be caught forever in photographs and paintings.

When visiting, check the sign at the landing point for a folder, and be sure to visit 50 Words for Snow, which is located up in the sky – I’ll have more on it myself next time around.

Note: following the publication of this article, Silvermoon contacted me to let me know she may be letting the region go in the new year – so if you plan to visit, please do so sooner rather than later, and do please consider making a contribution towards Silvermoon’s work, which may help maintain this region, or go towards the upkeep of It’s A New Dawn.

SLurl Details

• A Painter’s Link (Salomon Beach, rated: Moderate)

Namaste, Namaste – click any image for full size

Far back in the mists of time (by Second life standards!) I visited and blogged Sethos Lionheart’s beautiful quarter region of oriental design, The Snow Lion, which offered harmony and serenity in a tiered garden setting. Such was my appreciation of the build, I missed it when it vanished from Second life.

So it was with the delight of receiving a Christmas gift that I accepted an invitation from Sethos to visit his most recent creation in Second Life, which forms a home for his growing furnishing design business – and more importantly – an interconnected set of locations open to the public with a special purpose.

Namaste, Namaste

“I decided to try a region,” Sethos told me, “not for the business – that exists there purely to help fund the region – but because I wanted to dedicated large parcels to the meaningful aspects of my life (both physical and SL), with the hope that others will find solace and comfort in it and come away feeling spiritually refreshed.”

Currently caught in the depths of winter, the region has four potential starting points for people’s visits. There is Namaste (after which the region is named), which for me offered a direct link back to the Snow Lion, and thus a natural place to start my visit. Within it sits a small Chinese style house, perfect for meditation, facing a low pagoda occupying a curl of land which wraps itself around a facing turn of water.

Namaste, Namaste

Observe these from above, and you’ll see they form a yin-yang, echoing one of the centrepieces of The Snow Lion. Here, as with that design, the use of water and land to form the symbol perfectly encompasses the philosophical concept of opposites being complementary.  The best place, perhaps to appreciate this yin-yang, is by climbing the stone steps up to another pagoda, occupying a rocky promontory and offering further opportunities for reflection and meditation. Whilst there, do note how the pagoda and fountain are positioned to complete the yin and yang symbols.

“I’ve been meditating every day for the past year and I’ve never felt more integrated with life or more at peace with myself,” Sethos told me. “My hope is that this parcel offers as a quiet place for meditative contemplation and conversation while presenting a visual metaphor for the long process of self-discovery.” To help visitors relax and free their thoughts, Tai Chi balls and yoga mats are offered for visitors to use.

Gaia’s Grove, Namaste

“I’ve spent most of my life as a practising pagan,”  Sethos said in introducing Gaia’s Grove, which can be reached from Namaste via the footpath winding through the trees – take the left turn where it branches – or you can follow the snow northwards along the water’s edge. “So Gaia’s Grove is meant to offer a place where one can commune with nature through long walks in the woods, a small temple, and even a version of Stonehenge.  I’ve also included an outdoor ballroom for good times with friends and family.”

The temple sits shaded under trees, reached via a second left turn in the path, its back against the wall separating it from the outdoor ballroom area. It also presents a place of quiet contemplation, with a balcony overlooking the water presenting a place for soft conversation. A short distance away, Stonehenge is offered as it might have looked to those who built it, and sits as a peaceful location amidst the snow.  Open to the air, the ballroom allows plenty of room for dancing under the sun or stars, in a romantic setting.

The dance area, near The Old Stone Church, Namaste

The eastern half of the region is home to Sethos’ store, OM Namo, and The Old Stone Church. “I spent some time as Friar Sethos in Tintagel,” Sethos said of the latter. “Teaching basic Latin to the village children and giving mass each Sunday was some of the best moments in my Second Life. I finally understood in SL what I’d not seen in real life. That the church often is the heart-centre of a community.  So I offer this build as a reflection of that, and a place of sanctuary.  If you do go, visit the graveyard to the right of the church.  I find it particularly serene.”

Connecting the church and store is the second of the regions two large dance venues (a smaller third dance area is located to the side of the church), and a frozen pond awaiting skaters.

Caught within the snows of winter, with trees frosted and white and rolling snow-dusted hills surrounding it, Namaste made for a perfect seasonal visit this Christmas Eve. My thanks to Sethos for extending the invitation to drop in – Caitlyn and I will be back for certain!

Back in June, friends Lυcy (LucyDiam0nd) and Max Butoh, famed for running [The Chamber]  and the always outstanding  Dathúil Gallery, both in the region of Floris, opened a new ventures; Hell’s Crossing, a free-form role-play environment (which you can read about here). At the time of the opening, it was a medieval role-play location; however, Lucy dropped me an IM to let me know things had been changed, and inviting Caitlyn and I to take a look.

As a role-play environment, Hell’s Crossing is intended to be updated from time-to-time, but in doing so, the core theme of crossing danger will always be present. And for this iteration, Max and Lucy has turned to what has become a modern classic: the comic book series turned hit TV show The Walking Dead, with “Terminus” added to the region’s name, reflecting a major location from the series.

I have to confess, I’ve neither read the comic books nor watched the TV series, so beyond apocalypse, zombies and survival, I’m in complete ignorance of things. However, a deep understanding of either the show or the comics isn’t required; which Hell’s Crossing includes various locations from the series – the titular Terminus, the railroad tack with sign promising sanctuary at Terminus, an old church, a barn, etc., the emphasis here is fun, not getting buried in the minutiae of the series.

Visitors arrive at one end of the region, where they’ll receive a note card with some background information. Where you go from there is up to you. There’s the railroad to follow, winding dirt track and also twisting trails through the dense woodland. The various locations scattered across the region may (or may not!) offer safety from the zombies, but if you’re in the open, you’re fair game for eating: and if you “die”, you’ll be teleported home.

If you intend to engage the zombies, you’ll need to be armed with a gun capable of causing damage*. If you want to simply explore, set CTRL-R, keep a sharp eye out for movement among the trees and be ready to scoot away. I’m actually not a big fan of shoot-’em-ups, but I admit, there is something addictive about Terminus at Hell’s Crossing. I found myself completely lost in running around and blasting zombies (which explode rather spectacularly, if bloodily, that I genuinely lost track of time.

Quite how much role-play will evolve is hard to judge. Certainly, the safe areas, Terminus in particular, offer scope for groups of people to come together in character or friends  / fans of the show to hop over in “informal” character and mix a little role-play with shooting the walkers.  However, I have the feeling the focus for most is going to be on splashing zombies.  With a points board on the wall just off to one side of the main warehouse in Terminus, there is a subtle encouragement to keep blasting away and engage in a little friendly competition.

For those who do fancy a little RP amidst the shooting, there are a couple of points to keep in mind: Hell’s Crossing: Terminus isn’t intended to be a metered combat environment, and use of weapons against other avatars is frowned upon: the emphasis is on walker shooting. The region is open to rezzing, so weapons should work without a group tag, and props can be rezzed for photo shoots, with auto-return set to 20-minutes. Just make sure you have a means to stop any attempts at zombie photobombing!

All told, Terminus at Hell’s Crossing is a lot of fun. I can say that honestly, as I’ve so far spent around 3 hours there in the last 24, blasting away at things. What was I saying about not liking shoot-’em-ups?!

* In editing, I removed a comment noting that the region uses the default damage indicator, rather than any metered damage system specific to the walkers, which means you can be “killed” while still apparently 100% healthy. Weapons-wise, the system isn’t geared to any specific make of weapon. I tried five different systems, and all worked fine. YMMV.

SLurl Details

• Terminus at Hell’s Crossing (Hells Crossing, rated: Adult)

Magical Mystery, Folk Town – click any image for full size

“Magic and Mystery await around every corner,” Joonie Jatho says of her Homestead region, itself called Magical Mystery. “Come explore and see if you can find all the enchanted, secret places!”

It’s an enticing invitation, and one well worth taking the time to accept. Designed on Joonie’s behalf by the combined talents of Kaelyn Alecto (responsible for  It All Starts With a Smile (which I last visited here), LuaneMeo (who designed Luane’s World – see here – with Kaelyn, and most recently opened Luane’s Magic World – see here), and Gorba McMahon, Magical Mystery presents visitors with a lot to see and discover.

Magical Mystery, Folk Town

This is a rugged landscape, icy and cold – but it has a warm heart waiting to be found by those who seek its secrets. Tall shoulders of rock and flat-topped plateaus surround the centre of the region, cut through by a deep gorge itself spanned by rocky arches. Snow caps the tops of these high, seemingly impassable cliffs, whilst encircling their feet is a low-lying realm of ice and snow.

Visitors arrive on the south side of the region, where a path of snow-covered slabs forms a “T” junction. To the left and right, it points the way across the ice, while northward, it directs one’s feet into the deep cleft of the gorge towards a set of stone steps over which hang three great Fae bubbles, the hint of buildings lying beyond.

Magical Mystery, Folk Town

Which route you take in exploring is up to you; go east and you can enjoy the frolics of penguins waddling over ice and belly sliding down snowy slopes. Go west and a bridge suspended between coloured balloons leads to a small island. Boats bob on the water close by, offering cuddle spots, and a frozen pond sits in the middle of the island, watched over by snowy egrets and pink unicorns. A sign warns of the danger of thin ice – but find the right point and you can plunge through the ice and into another world.

The northward route, through the gorge, leads you under the gnarled form of an ancient tree, bent with age, lie a tired sentinel at the gate of the deep cleft. Across a stretch of glittering ice, the stone steps lead the way to a little village hidden and safe within the enfolding might of the rocky walls surrounding it.

Magical Mystery, Folk Town

Here the aged, bent trees clinging limpet-like to the near vertical walls of the gorge give way to firs trees, the largest of which is festooned with lights, the houses colourful and bright beneath it. A pond offers an opportunity for skating. Beyond the houses, more steps visible through a stone arch invite the visitor onwards and upwards, passing through a frosted wood to where a church sits on a finger of flat rock, reached via a sturdy wooden bridge.

But this is not all – far from it. Before the church the path again branches left and right through the trees, presenting visitors with more chances to explore – and those who take them will find more to explore, and that diving through broken ice isn’t the only way of finding the hidden magic of this region;  more to be found underground and up on the rocky peaks. Throughout it all, the local wildlife also awaits discovery, and there are places to sit and places to cuddle, opportunities to slip inside and warm up after the cold. For those who feel a little more active, skating and sledding is also to be found.

Magical Mystery, Folk Town

Magical Mystery makes for a rewarding visit. Should you enjoy your time there, do please consider making a donation towards the region’s continued enjoyment by others.

SLurl Details

• Magical Mystery (Folk Town, rated Adult)

Fall Trace, Tranquil Bay – click any image for full size

In November, Caitlyn and I dropped in to Winter Trace, one of the three seasonal Trace regions in Second Life designed by Kylie Jaxxon and Elvira Kytori – see my article here. At the time of writing, I noted that we had yet to visit Fall Trace, so having spent some time bouncing around wintry regions, we decided to spend a lazy Monday taking a look.

As the name suggests, Fall Trace offers an autumnal look and feel, with Eliva taking the lead in the design, and Gnaaah Xeltentat providing additional support. The presentation is that of a low-lying marshland, perhaps at the estuary of a slow-flowing river. The land is flat and reedy, much of it under a shallow covering water, across which trees coloured in autumn’s golden hues stand sentinel.

Fall Trace, Tranquil Bay

This is a wildlife haven: deer stand in the ankle-deep water, appreciative of the tall grasses growing along the edges of the various water channels, watched by geese and black swans on the water. Cormorants and pelicans vie for perches on the posts supporting the wooden board walks which snake across the landscape, while crows wheel overhead.

The board walks offer visitors a dry means of getting around a lot – but not all – of the region. From the landing point, they run eastward before curling north and then back to the west, branching periodically to offer access to the stilt-mounted cabins and shacks or pointing the way to little decks with seating. Roughly half way around this arc of walkways sits a houseboat, smoke wafting from its stack, testament to the warmth inside.

Fall Trace, Tranquil Bay

South of this main route around the region, across a broad swathe of water, sits a little group of islands, another board walk running along them. These are home to a social deck with music, a tree house and, at their eastern end, a small shack. Two more shacks lie to the north-east, whilst dotted around the region are rowing boats and poses offering plenty of opportunities – along with the deck seats noted above – for sitting and watching the wildlife or enjoying time with a partner or loved one.

It seems that airboats were at one time available for getting between the main board walk and these outlying areas, but the rezzers were disabled on our visit; we assumed they’d proven too disruptive to the local wildlife. Getting across the water is therefore a case of getting feet wet and wading.

Fall Trace, Tranquil Bay

Set under a cloud scudded autumn sky, the sun low on the horizon, bathing it in a soft golden glow and scattering glimmering reflections over the water, Fall Trace offers a peaceful haven when so much is rush, rush, rush at this time of the year. It perfectly accompanied by an ambient sound scape, and offer considerable scope for the photographer.

I confess to having some performance issues during our visit – the region and my PC just did not want to play nicely, forcing me to turn off options such as shadows when moving around. However, this wasn’t a major inconvenience, and certainly didn’t in any way diminish my impressions of Fall Trace.

SLurl Details

• Fall Trace (Tranquil Bay, rated: Moderate)