Category: Second Life

Hailing from the UK, Sylvia Sable is the creator of Moonless Designs landscaping, and who demonstrates her creativity and artistry in this regard  through her Full region. Called Fern & Fable, the region is described by Sylvia thus:

Fern & Fable is a public space I rebuild whenever the mood takes me, each time opening a new chapter with its own theme and story. From a fantasy realm, to the dust of an apocalypse.

– Sylvia Sable

For the current iteration, the region presents Bramblewood, a setting which is at its core inspired by the landscape, towns and villages found in northern England, but which it is not unfair to say incorporates influences and aspects far beyond England’s green and pleasant land – if I might use the words of William Blake.

Once upon a time, in the northern reaches of the UK, there were villages bound by stone walls and iron railings, their strength tested by war and time. Cotton mills that once thundered with industry have been re-purposed into gentler spaces, and winding walking trails now weave through fields and hills where locals and visitors find their peace. Here milkmen set bottles by the door before dawn, farms breathe life into the land, and the pub’s hearth glows with welcome at day’s end. Bramblewood is my telling of that story – a Northern UK Village inspired setting where history lingers in every wall and lane.

-Sylvia Sable

The reason I suggest the setting draws – intentionally or otherwise – on other physical world locations is for several reasons.
Take the mountainous region surround for example; whilst the north of England does have the Pennines, the mountains surrounding Bramblewood are perhaps taller and more rugged than might be found along England’s backbone and for me, brought to mind Scotland’s Grampians. Similarly, parts of the built-up area of the setting and some of the low-lying areas perhaps have hints of North America and Europe.

However, this should not be taken as a negative critique of the region’s design; there are practical reasons why some aspects might well suggest places further afield than England’s northern counties. If nothing else, apart from iconic “British” elements such as the old red Post Office telephone boxes and the familiar red columns of Post Office letter (mail) box, thatched cottages, things that are quintessentially “England village” in tone and look are far outnumbered by other items sold through the Marketplace and in-world, thus some mixing is entirely natural. More to the point, the mixing of elements and styles give Bramblewood a further sense of being a special place in time and space.

The setting takes up roughly two-thirds of the region, with an open body of water to the south. The land is further split between a larger and smaller land mass, the latter sitting to the west, a tongue of land connecting it to the larger area. This western area pays homage to the north of England’s heritage as the cradle of the industrial revolution, being the home of large factory / warehouse buildings, the entire area updated as an event space.

The eastern end of the island is home to the main village / town setting. This again mixes elements, some of which are to be found in English country villages – dry stone walls, the aforementioned telephone and letter boxes, a cottage and local pub (with a further outdoor event space). Other elements perhaps lean more towards the United States (road signs, pumpkins for Halloween), which as noted, give the village and unique look and feel.

The middle of the setting is given offer to a open space of natural beauty, richly wooded and with paths and trails meandering through it, a stream tumbling down from the hills, waterfalls serving a river, camp sites, fishing spaces and plenty of opportunities for exploration and photography.

It is within this parkland that the Landing Point is located, presenting the richest opportunity for exploration and discovery. And discovery is the best way to appreciate both the beauty of Fern & Fable – Bramblewood and Sylvia’s design skills- so why not pay a visit yourself?

SLurl Details

• Fern & Fable – Bramblewood (Karmic Wonder, rated Adult)

I discovered Goddess Temple by way of the Destination Guide, and was immediately intrigued by its description. Occupying one quarter of a Full private region leveraging the Land Capacity Bonus available to such regions, it is a genuinely magical setting created by Sharon Edwyn, offering a virtual journey into a realm of physical world mythology.

A sanctuary of stillness and mystery, where one may reflect, find serenity, and awaken the spirit. A temple consecrated to the goddess Hekate.

– Goddess Temple Destination Guide description

More generally spelt as Hecate (HEK-ə-tee), the name belongs to one of the more multifaceted deities in Greek mythology; a figure associated with the Moon, the underworld; with magic, mystical arts and witchcraft, and whose name was invoked for a range of reasons, such as healing, protection, and divination. Her roots span ancient Greece, Egypt and Caria, as well as both the Titan and Olympian pantheons, Hecate having originally been a Titan prior to their downfall at the hands of the Olympians, who then allowed her to retain her powers and position.

Further, her influence also encompassed the Roman civilisation, and she even featured in post-Christian writings of the 2nd and 3rd centuries, in which she was seen as (among other things) the Mother of Angels, and she was frequently worshipped with offering of food at crossroads where she was said to dwell as a protector of thresholds.

Goddess Temple most notably reflects Hecate as the goddess of magic and mysteries; protector of households, thresholds and crossroads; keeper of wisdom and her links to the underworld. What’s more, it does so quite marvellously through the core temple space, which is quite magnificent, and which I’ll come to in a moment or two, as the rest of the setting is equally as visually engaging.

Before continuing, however, this is a setting which should be visited using the local Shared Environment and with local sounds enabled. A PBR-enabled viewer is also highly recommended. The Landing Point is located towards the southern side of the setting. It sits upon a junction of path which, whilst not a crossroads, is still highly appropriate to Hecate’s aforementioned role as protector of crossroads.

An information giver stands alongside the Landing Point, and I recommend touching it to receive more information on the setting and to be clear on the rules. Of the three paths offered to those arriving, one appears to lead to the entrance to Sharon’s private residence in the adjoining parcel (no trespassing please!), although a right turn at the door will lead visitors to a terrace with a view out over the waters beyond the region to an off-region surround.

A second path, pointing north and guarded at either end by two pairs of triple-headed street lamps (a subtle reference to Hecate often being depicted as triple-bodied, perhaps?), sits another terrace overlooking a large pool of water fed by water falling from on high on its far side.

Like the costal terrace, this offers places to sit, whilst a statue of Persephone, the goddess of spring and the queen of the underworld kneels in the middle of the pool, the waters of which escape to the west, dropping to the sea by way of a rocky, fast-flowing stream. Beyond Persephone, and just visible through the curtain of water from the high falls, is the first hint of the secrets awaiting discovery.

However, to reaches these secrets, it is necessary to travel west along the third arm of the footpath and through the arch of a great stone portal wrapped in trailing vines and lightly fingered by the boughs of the trees pressing close to it. Here the path becomes more of a trail and the trees multiply in number as they continue to cast a green and brown canopy over much of the landscape, the ground of which is lush in shrubs, grasses and flowers whilst lanterns hang from boughs to provide gentle illumination.

Within this part of the setting there is much to be discovered. There is a partially ruined pavilion offering a place to sit and perhaps read (or cuddle!) and enjoy tea from a copper samovar; then there is the remnants of a temple to Aphrodite, again with places to sit;  whilst within a clearing within a ring of trees and ancient columns can be found a place of ritual.

But it is the path leading to the entrance to the temple of Hecate which offers the way to greatest surprise / reward for visitors. Watched over by a statue of the Three Charities (or Graces, if you prefer), and passing by way of a bridge over the stream tumbling down from the central pool, this path leads to the unassuming entrance to what appears to be a cave with another columned stone portal standing before it.

This cave proves to be a tunnel with a paved floor wet with what may be water formed from condensation rather than by any water flowing or dripping through the rock. Lit by torches mounted on the rough rock walls, the tunnel reveals itself beautifully a little at a time (if you are running with Shadows enabled).

The appearance of the Temple of Hecate is itself a literal revelation as you round a corner, its full, stunning beauty suddenly laid out before you without warning. Its astonishing beauty is literally breath-taking, and folds into it subtle references to Hecate’s manifold roles. Tall bookcases in the main chamber of the temple, complete with a reading table before them speak to her role as a goddess of wisdom, while the runes within the pages of the book mounted in the reading table suggests magic / mysticism.

Meanwhile the flooded floor of the temple’s inner chamber not only points towards a statue of Hecate, it offers a reminder of the Underworld’s River Styx and thus Hecate’s own links to that realm. In addition, the use of torches and fire bowls reflect Hecate’s role of illumination and guidance through darkness.

Whilst the statue might not reflect the three-body form in which Hecate is often – but not always – depicted (the three forms reference her ability to see the past, present and future), it does include a pair of dogs. The latter were seen as both her loyal companions within the Underworld and as symbols of her links to the nocturnal and the mysterious. That the statue is set against the slowly swirling backdrop of a spiral galaxy appears to echo Hecate’s celestial place and being.

There is more to see within this main temple – and more to explore with the tunnels, including the marvellous retreat hidden behind the waterfall mentioned above and dominated by a painting of Hecate; but I’ve leave you to discover the beauty of that room for yourself.

A genuine tour de force of creativity and design, and offering plenty to see – and learn: look for the information boards to find information on the likes of Hecate and Aphrodite – Goddess Temple is an absolute jewel within Second Life.

SLurl Details

• Goddess Temple (Highland Park, rated Adult)