Category: Second Life

Fantasy Faire 2023: reminders for merchants/sponsors + bloggers

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Fantasy Faire

Fantasy Faire, the largest fantasy-related event to take place in Second Life, will take place in 2023 from Thursday, April 20th to Sunday May 7th 2023 inclusive. As usual, there will be the expected rich mix of events, activities, stores and regions to explore, and this post is just a quick reminder to people that Merchant & Sponsor applications, together with Blogger applications are currently open – but may not be for much longer, so if you intend to apply for any of these opportunities, now is the time!

The Shopping Regions Teaser

The following are short descriptions to the Fantasy Faire 2023 shopping regions. More complete descriptions can be found in the Store Applications form, linked to below, together with details of those regions still with available store slots.

  • Dingir by Stabitha (What88 Zond): in another existence, just outside our own, is the forgotten city of Dingir, a place of art deco architecture once filled with bright colours and rich materials to symbolise the beginning of a new age of consciousness, but now long neglected.
  • Flambois by Beq Janus and Elizabeth Jarvinen: home to the Faire Lands Academy of Magic, a hidden gem in the heart of the mystical Flambois forest.
  • Frostweald by Searlait Nitschke: in the depths of Winter, the world of Frostweald waits to welcome the Spirits of loved ones as they travel from their world to the next.
  • Fungalmire by DaveOSaurus: a forest steeped in legend and myth, where ancient trees and giant mushrooms tell tales of times past. Winding paths lead to hidden nooks where visitors might stumble upon forgotten artefacts or catch a glimpse of a mystical creature or two.
  • Giggenwhirl by Allie Munro, Krystali Rabeni, Peter Locke and Lunar Tripsa: a bedridden boy dreams of a beautiful world where he can fly high above the ground into the blue beyond on a myriad of strange and magical creatures with hinged wings and propeller appendages.
  • Glimmering Meadows by Julala Demina and Lil Cinnamon: a meandering river makes a path through flower-filled meadows, glimmering light reflecting onto the nomadic tents rising up high into the colourful sky.
  • Isles of Aquarius by Echo (Jessicarubyrabbit) and Liz Corryong: dripping with the life-giving waters of the sea, the stone and glass forged by the commanding currents of the merfolk are illuminated by the hypnotic lights of their Prana, or life-force.
  • Khumbala by Ketsui Naidoo, Robyn (Robynredhead) and Ghost (synthodox): since the dawn of time, this Afrocentric Dreamworld of Memories, has grown and prospered under the rule of five benevolent Gods. Through them, the world was brought the waters, the winds, the very ground we stand, crops that sprout therein and the light that shines above.
  • Nysaris by Kadaj Yoshikawa and Janire Coba: a peaceful polytheist civilisation, the town full of lush vegetation which surrounds the Agora; the Temple dedicated to the Goddess of Hope.
  • Opera by Alia Baroque: baroque decadence, whispering curtains, bucolic debauchery.
  • Safe Haven – The Oasis Of Mana’Olana by Sweetgwendoline Bailey and Mondi Beaumont: a desert landscape with typical buildings, that is obvious at first glance – but a closer look reveals lively greenery in the interior and very unusual flora and fauna in the centre of the land. A realm for inclusivity, equality, and all the good values in life.
  • The Shimmering Fen by Elicio Ember: the air shimmers with magic and the land is lush, a living swamp of towering mushrooms. Meet the graceful elves who call this place home, living in organic structures that flow with the rhythm of nature. Welcome to The Shimmering Fen.
  • Sialdor by Dacien and Marcel Blackwood: a gothic Victorian styled city along the coast. With cobblestone streets and iron street lamps illuminating the foggy roads with glowing magical orbs.
  • Spirits’ Crossing by Marcus Inkpen: twin cities from a forgotten time connected by an ancient bridge where long ago a battle between powerful mages and elder gods tore reality asunder. Now the ruins, twisted trees and ever lingering magic form a misty labyrinth home for the few brave enough to live there.
  • Syzstrum Synod by Walton Wainwright: nestled among the stars, a world where machines left by long-forgotten creators have pried the secrets of the cosmos from the grasp of mystery.
  • The Winding Valley by Eldowyn Inshan: through fog, wild ivy and winding paths, a hidden entrance leads into a valley. Surrounded by high mountains you can see a village in the distance. Lamps shine brightly and chanting can be heard faintly on the wind.
  • WooHoo! Bay by Riven (Lrriven): a tropical paradise done in pastel and a whimsical land where one may complete a quest of self discovery to save the local fire lizards from their volcano god.
Fantasy Faire 2022: Sunken Honey (Lilia Artis and Haveit Neox)

Sponsorship and Store Applications

  • Event Region or Event Sponsorship – L$65,000 (includes a Theme store)
    • Name in Region Title and on Region landmarks.
    • Border Crossing recognition. OR logo placement on corresponding event poster.
    • Sponsor spot on Fantasy Faire Radio to play during the entire month of April.
    • The opportunity for a sponsor’s brand profile on the Fantasy Faire website. Prominent logo placement on the Fantasy Faire website.
  • Shopping Region Sponsorship – ONLY available to Merchants – L$65,000 (includes a Region Sponsor Store with 1600 LI)
    • Can share a store between 2+ merchants.
    • Placement in front of Central Arrival Point.
    • Can have a sky platform for rezzing builds as needed.
    • Name in Region Title and on Region landmarks.
    • Border Crossing recognition.
    • Sponsor spot on Fantasy Faire Radio to play during the entire month of April.
    • The opportunity for a sponsor’s brand profile on the Fantasy Faire website. Prominent logo placement on the Fantasy Faire website.
  • Featured Creator Store + Quest Sponsor – L$35,000 (includes Featured Creator Store with 1000 LI)
    • Can share a store between 2+ merchants.
    • Prominent placement next to Region Sponsor Store.
    • Can have a sky platform for rezzing builds as needed.
    • Advertising on the Quest HUD and on the FF blog.
    • Limited to up to 2 per region (but the organisers will get you onto the region of your choice if the two spots are not yet filled).
  • Featured Creator Store – L$ 8000 (700 LI)
    • Can share a store between 2+ merchants.
    • Prominent placement within a shopping region.
  • Theme Store – L$ 2500 (300 LI)
    • This store type is intended for individual merchants.
    • A second merchant can be added for a surcharge.
  • Quest Sponsor – L$30,000:
    • Does NOT include a store.
    • Logo placement on the Quest HUD and on the Fantasy Faire website.
  • Fantasy Faire Radio Sponsor – L$30,000:
    • Does NOT include a store.
    • Recognition on Fantasy Faire Radio and on the Fantasy Faire website.

Full details on requirements and guidelines for performers can be found on the Fantasy Faire 2023 Store Application form.

Fantasy Faire 2021: Peaville goes Nuts (Sweetgwendoline Bailey and Mondi Beaumont)

Blogger Applications

Applications for those wishing to blog / vlog about Fantasy Faire opened on March 20th. Those wishing to apply can do so via the Fantasy Faire Blogger Application form. However, if you have not blogged / vlogged about Fantasy Faire before, it’s important you not a few things.

Faire blogging should stem from the same sources as the Faire itself – inspiration and imagination; whilst there are no obligatory assignments for blogging, the Faire cannot be written about simply by donning an outfit and writing a few words about it, or by a quick hop to a region and a rapid write. As the Fantasy Faire organisers have previously noted:

We are looking for bloggers that genuinely love the Faire and cherish the fleeting time the Fairelands visit our realm. Since the application is mostly about getting into the early access, we are focusing on bloggers who take pictures in the regions, or of the regions We are also searching for bloggers with strong ties to RFL, who are passionate about the Relay and willing to write about it.

In short, writing about the Faire should come from being immersed within it, participating, having fun and letting your imagination soar on the wings of the Faire! So again, if you are interested, make sure you check-out all the information for bloggers and that you complete the application form.

Fantasy Faire 2020: Lunafae (Sharni Azalee)

Additional Links

Saturated in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Saturated, March 2023 – click any image for full size

Lex Machine (Archetype11 Nova) is back with another visually stunning region / installation which – as with all his designs – is sure to both engage and challenge the eye and mind. Occupying a Full private region utilising the Land Capacity bonus, this is again a build that offers visitors much food for thought: a journey through modern life and the potential for questions who – and where – we are.

Entitled Saturated, the installation involves a flat landscape which – in keeping with the region’s name – is saturated to the point of waterlogging as it sits just above the waters of the surrounding sea. From it springs, apparently at random, figures, statues, objects both familiar and strange, mixed with a scattering of vegetation.

Saturated, March 2023

Mermaids mix with radio / telecommunication towers mix with figures apparently in suspension and towers of static-filled video screens, whilst laptops and old computers lie discarded in powdery piles and figures stand with cameras and screens or radios in place of heads, the body of an automatic handgun points skywards, and more. It all seems so chaotic, so unconnected, so jumbled and surreal; what could be the connections between these disparate elements? Perhaps the easiest way is peek at the region’s About Land description.

Rain, it can bring life. But when the ground has had it’s fill, first comes damage, next destruction. Death is last. Are we saturated?
Are we better off with these constant inputs or was less more? When was the last time we savoured anything?

– Saturated’s About Land description

With these words, we gain a framework of context, one fleshed out by the landscape before us: a statement on life and our ever-increasing reliance on -addiction to – technology (perhaps most aptly defined by the figure “snorting” Facebook and the litter of computers and laptops and cell phones strewn over mounds of a white substance like some form of new cocaine), and the fears (re: the Terminator-style figures leaping out of screens of data) and polarisations it brings to our daily lives.

Saturated, March 2023

The polarisations might be best indicated by the family gathered to the north-east, where mother, father, and child all have heads replaced by screens symbolising the manner in which technology has reduced daily living and personal time to the need for everything in our lives to become a matter of public record with meaning only given through its presence on social media. At the same time, this demand to be publicly accessible contrasts with the ability of technology in enabling us to hide behind masks of anonymity, as represented by the figures wearing / carrying masks, or with Russian doll-like heads. Meanwhile, to the south-east, the figure stabbed with syringes suggests the divide generated by the easy passage technology gives to the passage of misinformation into our lives, warping our common sense against the realities of science and medicine.

Elsewhere the symbolism might be clearer such as the large eyes watching over everything like Big Brother – although whether we see this as the state or in the form of corporate goggling-up of our data (or both) is a matter of personal choice. But really, there is such a richness of metaphor to be found within Saturated, that trying to write about it is no easy matter. From the apple and serpent (our end of innocence? the beginning our our fall simply born by our coming into existence?) through the presence of mermaids and flying fish (the explorations of the unknown? the free flight of the imagination we once had?) to the reimagining of the March of Progress, there is so much to say that is difficult to translate into the written word.

Saturated, March 2023

Simply put, Saturated is – as with all of Lex’s builds – something not to read about, bot to experience for yourself – and I encourage you do do so.

With thanks to Moon Cloud.

SLurl Details

Seanchai Library: stories in voice and a new schedule in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library – and this week previews the launch of a very special event.

As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.

Monday, March 27th, 19:00: The Golden Compass (aka Northern Lights)

Originally published in 1995 as Northern Lights, The Golden Compass forms the first volume in Philip Pullman’s multiverse-spanning trilogy His Dark Materials.

In a world resembling Edwardian England, where magic is commonplace, young Lyra Belqcqua slip into the Retiring Room at the collage where he uncle is about to give a lecture – only to witness the Master of the college add poison to the wine intended for her uncle, Lord Asriel, prior to his arrival in the room. Warning him, she is rewarded by being allowed to remain and witness her uncle’s presentation, in which he discusses something called “Dust”, shows images of the northern lights in which there appears to be a city, and something else called the “panserbjørne”.

At the same time, children within Oxford are vanishing, kidnapped by a sect called the Gobblers, for a nefarious purpose – and Lyra is determined to find out why. In doing so, she is brought back into contact with the Master – who surprisingly gives her an alethiometer, a truth-telling device – and is offered the opportunity to live with the glamorous Mrs. Coulter, which comes as a thrill.

But as the mystery of the missing children deepens and Lyra determines to follow their trail north, so she discovers that Mrs. Coulter is not all she appears to be – and nor is her Dust-obsessed uncle, Lord Asriel.

With Gyro Muggins.

Tuesday, March 28th

12:00 Noon: Russell Eptnym

Live in the Glen.

19:00: More from the Crystal Cave

Born into a time shortly after the Romans have departed Britain, now once again divided into a series of kingdoms, Myrddin Emrys, also known as Merlin, is the illegitimate son of a Welsh princess, who refuses to name his father. Small for his age and often abused or neglected, Merlin occasionally has clairvoyant visions which, together with his unknown parentage cause him to be referred to as “the son of a devil” and “bastard child”.

After being taught to harness his abilities by the hermit, Galapas, Merlin eventually find his way to Brittany, who teaches him to use his psychic powers as well as his earthly gifts, Merlin eventually finds his way to Brittany and the court of Ambrosius Aurelianus, where he joins the war leader’s plans to invade Britain and defeat Vortigern and his Saxon allies, and unify the nation as its High King.

Discovering he is Ambrosius’s son, Merlin returns to Britain and is captured by Vortigern, who believes the only way his new fortress can remain standing is through the sacrifice of the “child with no father” – Merlin. The latter, however, discerns the real reason the walls of Vortigern’s fortress keep collapsing and plays into the king’s superstitious nature, and commences his life as a king’s advisor, even whilst seeking to support Ambrosius in his goal. Thus begins the adventures of a young boy who will eventually become the advisor to Britain’s Once And Future King.

Wednesday, March 29th, 19:00: Seanchai Flicks

Films, popcorn and fun at the Seanchai cinema space.

Thursday, March 30th, 19:00: Poetry this Year

In the Glen with Caledonia Skytower.

New Schedule

Beginning in April, Seanchai Library will be transitioning its programming model from the multiple weekly sessions that have been presented for the past 15 years, to a model that includes quarterly stories/series & special projects such as The Dickens Project and the recent Evil Under The Sun. These will be mixed with some of the current weekly events, including Russell Eponym live at the Glen, Seanchai Flicks, and supporting Tales with Friends with space for their weekly gatherings; all current series will continue until they conclude.

2023 SL viewer release summaries week #12

Posted on by Inara Pey
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation

Updates from the week through to Sunday, March 26th, 2023

This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:

  • It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.
  • By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
  • Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.

Official LL Viewers

  • Release viewer: Maintenance Q(uality) viewer, version 6.6.9.577968, promoted Thursday, February 2, 2023- no change.
  • Release channel cohorts:
    • No updates.
  • Project viewers:
    • glTF / PBR Materials project viewer, version 7.0.0.578921, March 23 – This viewer will only function on the following Aditi (beta grid) regions: Materials1; Materials Adult and Rumpus Room 1 through 4.

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V6-style

  • No updates.

V1-style

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No updates.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

An artistic Hello to Spring in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Galerie L’autre Monde: Hello Spring – Rage Darkstone

‘Twas back to at Galerie L’autre Monde curated by Lady Anais (Anais Yuhara) and located at The Uzine, for me recently, to witness an ensemble exhibition entitled Hello Spring. Featuring the work of seven artists, the exhibition combines both real-world photography and digital artistry in a celebration of the coming burst of colour and light (for the northern hemisphere at least!) as spring brings forth new blooms and blossoms to brighten our world.

My visit marked the second time I’ve dropped into the gallery – the first having been at the start of February 2023. At that time, I pondered whether out not the design of the gallery space was specific to the exhibition being mounted at that time, or the gallery’s natural appearance. With my return to view Hello Spring I was pleased to note it appears to be the latter; there is something quite engaging about the use of partially demolished / destroyed buildings with the detritus of human habitation scattered around, all caught under a twilight / night sky (make sure you have your viewer set to World → Environment → Use Shared Environment) that makes this striking gallery space.

Galerie L’autre Monde: Hello Spring – Nils Urqhart

The artists presented within Hello Spring are TerraMerhyem, Rage Darkstone, Hermes Kondor, Tutsy Navarathna, Lalie Sorbet, Nils Urqhart, and Deyanira Yalin, Each presents at least two pieces of art representing the arrival of spring, each artist using a section of the gallery’s ruins.

For their pieces, Hermes and Nils present stunning macro-level views of flowers in bloom, Nils presenting his with a subtle vignette finish, his backdrops suggestive of a dark sky to bring the focus of his images to the fore in all there natural beauty. Hermes similarly uses a vignette effect to frame his subjects, but counters it with a more obvious use of depth of field. In both cases, the results are stunning life studies of nature’s beauty.

Galerie L’autre Monde: Hello Spring – Tutsy Navarathna

Artistic couple Rage Darkstone and TerraMerhyem present a vibrant mix of digital art and colour. Terra offers three pieces which suggest an unfolding story of sorts. To the right is a single sakura, carrying with it all the promise of spring mixed with a sense of mysticism – the latter enhanced by the soft illumination of sunlight through clouds to produce a pink sky tinged by a rainbow refraction as if from a lens to one side as the Sun edges its way around the clouds to the other. In the next two, the tree appears to have been transplanted into what might be otherworldly places, suggesting the universiality of rebirth and renewal. With his pieces, Rage uses light and geometry to present flowing, living forms rich in the colours of spring and a marvellous mix of fantasy and marine life.

With their pieces, Deyanira, Tutsy and Lalie also use digital techniques to offer us views on spring, with Deyanira presenting more macro-level views of flowers and springtime insects, with Spring – I believe – combining photography and digital rendering – offering a fabulous journey into a flower to reveal the anther and filament. Tutsy’s pieces bring together image and metaphor, and Lalie similarly using metaphor in the form of avatar-like people in a triptych of pieces visualising the richness and beauty of spring.

Galerie L’autre Monde: Hello Spring – Lalie Sorbet

Warm and vibrant, Hello Spring is a richly engaging exhibition.

SLurl Details

Bay City: Food Truck Festival 2023 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Bay City Food Truck Festival, 2023

Sunday, March 26th, 2023 will mark the inaugural Bay City Food Truck Festival, focusing on the growing global food truck culture. The event is taking place at the Bay City Fairgrounds.

Food trucks have a long, long history around the world. In the United Kingdom, the term started entering common use among costermongers operating in 18th Century London. In the 19th century United States, the term was popularised in reference to the carts immigrants used to sell their traditional foods around the streets of cities such as New York, and which became the forebears of the modern hotdog / pretzel, etc., street vendors seen today.

In Asia meanwhile, the “food truck” culture spans centuries of mobile food provisioning. In Japan, references to what might be regarded as “food trucks” – carts used by people from the provinces to prepare and sell their local foods and delicacies in town and cities goes back as far as the late 16th / early 17th century.

Bay City Food Truck Festival, 2023

The more modern food truck has its roots in the internal combustion engine powered vans can trucks which in turn grew from the carts and stalls of street vendor. The US saw something of an explosion of food truck in the 1960s, and other countries all have their own various flavours of them – kebab wagons, crepe trucks, the mobile hot dog, fish’n’chips, doughnut, hot snack wagons, and so on. In the US in particular, they can be a common sight, pitching up outside businesses to sell meals and snacks directly to the employees there.

By the 2000s, the food truck culture was evolving again, in some ways going back to its roots and an others, upselling itself, the focus shifting towards ethnics / cultural foods, many with an emphasis on gourmet / quality standards of presentation and taste – think Roy Choi in Los Angeles and Richard Johnson in the UK.

This modern culture of food truck is the focus of the Bay City festival, featuring a display of trucks from across Second Life, decorated and presented by the people who operate / decorate them in-world. Some two dozen food trucks are presented, offering foods ranging from the simple – sausages, burgers, etc., through to the full street-side dining experience seated at tables, and are displayed around the Fairgrounds green. All Second Life residents are invited to hop along and tour the trucks, join in with the fun and activities – all you need to do in bring along an empty stomach and enjoy!

Music for the event will be provided by DJ GoSpeed of KONA Stream, starting at 12:00 noon SLT and running until 14:00 SLT. Visitors will also be able to join in with fun activities such as horse shoe tossing, testing their strength, faces-in-hole photographs, and more.

Bay City Food Truck Festival, 2023

About Bay City

Bay City is a mainland community, developed by Linden Lab and home to the Bay City Alliance. The Bay City Alliance was founded in 2008 to promote the Bay City regions of Second Life™ and provide a venue for Bay City Residents and other interested parties to socialize and network. It is now the largest Bay city group, and home to most Residents of Bay City.