Category: Exploring Second Life

Amaya Mavinelli dropped me a line recently suggesting a visit to The Legend of Wooley Swamp. It came alongside an invitation from Mathias Laurent, one of the region’s designers, to also pay a visit – so off I hopped!

Occupying a Full region with the additional private region bonus, Wooley Swamp is the work of Matt and his SL partner, Aleriah Laurent (Aleriah Huntsman), and it takes as its inspiration The Legend of Wooley Swamp, the 1980 recording by The Charlie Daniels Band that forms the second track on their album Full Moon. It’s a story about a man – the song’s narrator – who hears a fable about a ghostly place called Wooley Swamp, and ignoring the advice of others, determines he has to confirm the truth of the story for himself.

If you ever go back into Wooley Swamp son you better not go at night
There’s things out there in the middle of them woods
That’d make a strong man die from fright
There’s things that crawl and things that fly
And things that creep around on the ground
And they say the ghost of Lucias Clay gets up and it walks around.

– Charlie Daniels, The Legend of Wooley Swamp

Through the song, we learn of the fate of Lucias Clay, a miserly old man who cared more for money than people, at the hands of of the Cable brothers, and the turnaround fate meted out to them after they’d murdered him for his jars of money. What the narrator discovers is left open, but it leads him to state, there’s some things in this world you just can’t explain.

The old man lived in the Wooley Swamp way back in the gurgling woods
And he never did do a lot of harm in the world
But he never did do no good
People didn’t think too much of him
They all thought he acted funny

– Charlie Daniels, The Legend of Wooley Swamp

It was a popular song of the day, following on from the success of The Devil Went Down to Georgia, and remained popular at the Band’s concerts. What might be less known to those not so familiar with Charlie Daniels, is that Wooley Swamp is a place where he used to hunt at night as a youngster. Thus, The Legend of Wooley Swamp – the region – could be said to be not only inspired by the song, but also a little bit of a homage to the singer / songwriter, who passed away earlier this year.

In keeping with all this, the region presents a swampy environment, dank, dark, and with sluggish water through which alligators can be sighted. Rotting houses and cabins and an old houseboat are scattered about, the paths and trails misted, whilst a partially-flooded graveyard adds to the spooky mix. Which one might be old man Clay’s cabin is up to you to decide; none look particularly homely, although there are occupants and hints of occupancy to be found – together with one or two nods to the season. There are also signs of mysterious goings-on as well: strange noises, orange and red eyes glaring menacingly out of the darkness at passers-by, human skulls  gathered together in a fire bowl…

Those visiting are asked to accept the local experience on arrival (you need only do so once, lest you later opted to remove it through the viewer). This adds a level of interaction to a visit.  As you explore the region, you may come across Mason Jars (normally for preserving food, but in the song, old man Clay filled them with money and buried them in the grounds around his cabin). Touch them, and you get an extract of the song and a gold coin. Beware, however, you can also get yourself killed – but as Aleriah noted to me, this can only happen just once a day!

Coupled with a rich sound scape, lending itself to a range of windlight settings as well as its own default, and with plenty of little touches – some with a horror edge to them, some not – The Legend of Wooley Swamp makes for an interesting, photogenic and slightly different visit for Halloween.

Slurl Details

• The Legend of Wooley Swamp (Fairytale, rated Adult)

Surrounded by mountains and sitting within a deep rocky bowl, Hidden Lake is the latest region design by Num Bing-Howlett (Num Bing) and her SL partner Clifton Howlett. A Full region that is fairly packed to the gills with detail and touches large and small, it is a wilderness setting that cries out for exploration – although some viewer adjustments might be required in order to fully enjoy it.

The titular lake occupies the middle of the region, an uneven oval of blue water that looks both inviting and cold. It is almost entirely surrounded by rugged uplands that form an inner ring to the off-region mountainous sim surround that lies beyond them. “Almost”, because the rocky circle is broken to  south-west, where grasslands roll gently out to the watery edge of the region, offering a low-lying area to explore.

The landing point sits to the west side of the lake, where a large deck extends out over the water  to offer both a welcome and a place for visitors to sit and appreciate the view – the first of many such locations waiting to be found here. Set a little back from this on the lowlands between water and cliffs, sits a rutted track that emerges from a tunnel just to the north-west and points the way towards the south-west lowlands where it vanishes into another tunnel, presenting the impression that this is a place awaiting discovery along a trail perhaps only driven by a few.

Just across this through route from the landing point, there rises a set of wooden steps that climb up a lightly wooded shoulder of rock by way of several wooden platforms and desks to reach a lodge. Comfortably furnished, this peeks out from between fir trees to look down on the lake, while the decks outside also offer a view up to the higher peaks on this side of the region, and the promise of more to explore among them as they sit above the tunnel entrance.

A path winds eastwards around the toes of these peaks, in part using a wooden board walk, but I’d personally recommend avoiding that route to start with, as it can all too quickly lead you to the region’s major features that should be left until last. Instead, follow the rutted track towards the south-west and the lowlands I mentioned earlier. Doing so will lead you on a journey around the region that allows you to encounter all that should be seen in the lowlands, before you scale the heights to find what awaits above.

This route will bring you first to where the woodlands drop down to the grasslands, and a little setting ideal for glampers is nestled among the trees. Beyond this, sitting with is back on the lake to look out at the surrounding mountains, lies an old warehouse now converted into a cosy (public) home, a sea of grass washing around it and a little brook splashing its way from lake to open waters now too far away. A wide wooden bridge allows the road to pass over this brook so that it might reach the second tunnel, but those on foot can scurry across a pair of logs set over the water if they prefer.

Past the tunnel, the route is over grassy ground sitting above the rocky shore of the lake. This follows a line that leads east and then north, offering visitors the chance to completely circumnavigate the lake’s shoreline. Along this route are several attractions, but I’ll mention just one here: the shallow cavern within its ornately carved arch. Hidden within it is a TARDIS police box that offers the means (by accepting the local experience) to visit Num and Clifton’s other region, The Empire of Dreaming Books, a place that pays homage Walter Moers‘  Zamonia comic series and which we visited in May 2020 (see: An empire of books in Second Life). With a similar TARDIS located within the catacombs of that region (where visitors from hidden Lake arrive), those travelling through either region are offered a neat way to visit the other.

But it is the northern side of the lake that will eventually draw visitors. Here the path loops its way back to the rutted track, but as it does so it passes by the open-air station of a cable car system as it sits over the waters of the lake. There are two cars operating on the system, which will take visitors up to the higher peaks of the region, and they can be ridden as they reach the platform by touching the red button at the boarding point as one reaches it. This will stop the car to allow your to take a seat, then pressing the green button on the same panel to set it moving. The ride offers a grand view of the lake, and will carry you up to a second platform station (same method to get off)  that is linked to a large events stage, which also offers a grand view down and over the lake.

The upper station also sits at the edge of a small mountain pond from which waters roll and tumble down the cliffs in a series of steps to eventually flow into the lake. These falls pass directly under the path of the cable cars, and are also crossed by three bridges. The first, and lowermost, forms part of the path circumnavigating the lake. The upper two offer the means to explore the lower slopes of the mountains and also to find your way up to the high decks by way of rugged paths and metal stairs that cling to the more vertical faces of rock. The start of these paths breaks sits between the lower cable car station and the waterfalls.

When exploring, there’s a lot of small details to keep an eye out for – all the places to sit, the birds overhead, a squirrel frolicking  in the grass, goats grazing, and more, both outdoors and in the various buildings, all of which have been carefully decorated to give a greater sense of presence to them. However, as noted at the top of this article, some may find a little patience is needed with Hidden Lake, as their is a lot within it to keep the viewer very busy with mesh and textures. For those on middle or lower spec machines, dropping draw distance and / or disabling Shadows when moving around might be the order of the day. Nevertheless, making such adjustments is worthwhile, as this is an extraordinarily picturesque region.

With thanks to Shawn Shakespeare for the pointer.

SLurl Details

• Hidden Lake (Nova Island, rated Adult)

When we first visited Walsh County, the Homestead region designed by Randonee Noel, back in August, it had not long opened. Following that visit, it got stuck in my list of places to write about, and so prompted a recent re-visit.

The region takes as its inspiration Walsh County, North Dakota,  a place that describes itself as “a land of prairies, croplands, river valleys, and rolling hills.” The primary source of income for the county comes from farming, predominantly small grain, cash crops, forage crops, together with beef, dairy cattle and swine. It’s the first of these – grain crops – is the focus for the region design.

Cupped within a region surround that folds itself into the the setting to give a look and feel of gently rolling prairies with distant hills, the region is given over to a broad field that takes up most of its area, bordered by a the dirt track of a public road along its southern edge, and cut by a farm track to the north. Within this expanse is a small pool of water and a single tree, what might be a mid-field picnic area extending a short distance outward from the tree’s leafy shade.

When we first visited in August, the region was in an early summer setting: a young crop covered the land in a green carpet, whilst a crop duster making periodic passes across the field, painting it in stripes of pesticide – or perhaps in fertilizer, if the aircraft was engaged in aerial topdressing.

Seeing the ‘plane repeatedly passing over the field immediately put me in mind of Cary Grant being buzzed by a crop duster in Hitchcock’s classic North by Northwest, and suggested plenty of opportunities for photographs playing homage to the movie. So much so, that I was surprised not to come across any in the region’s Flickr stream, which made me a little regretful of not producing such a photo myself 😀 .

That said, it is really small details – coupled with the open rezzing (with a 30-min auto-return limit) that meant people could make their own scenes within region – that made, and continue to make, the region so attractive. These range from the poses on things like the boards that cross the stream bordering the field, to the paper boats that periodically pass under it to float by the ducks paddling downstream, to the paper aeroplane that can be thrown into the air with a simple touch (“/3 stop” – minus the quotes – will settle it back on the ground), and more.

Since that first visit, time has moved on; the crops have grown and and the harvest is due. And this has brought with it another touch with the region: the fact that it can change not only with the season, but also periodically. The harvester (complete with its own poses), for example, might on one day be engaged in cutting the crop, on another it may be off-loading its grain tank into a tractor-towed trailer, then on another – as with my most recent visit – sitting on the farm track waiting to commence work.

Other details have been added for the time of year as well – geese fly overhead, presumably getting an early start to a southern migration, whilst the little picnic area offers a touch of Halloween with a pumpkin patch. In another touch – which may have been there from the opening, and I simply don’t recall from our initial visit – a small family grave plot marks the fact that most of Walsh County’s farms are family-run.

Engaging from the start, Walsh County presents – as numerous bloggers have already noted – an attractive offering for photographers and explorers to visit.

With thanks to Shawn Shakespeare for the original pointer to the region.

SLurl Details

• Walsh County (Campton, rated General)

Travel through Time along a beach side woodland.

So reads the description for Time Remains, the Hometead region held and designed by Aura (Akiko Tripsa). It’s a place we dropped into back in September (thanks, again, to the pointer from Shawn Shakespeare), but which I’ve just got around to writing about – so my apologies to Aura for the delay.

Bracketed in a couple of corners by curtains of rock, the setting is generally low-lying and split into three islands, two of which lie to the east side of the region and run north-to south, separated by a narrow channel of water. The third occupies the south-western side of the region, a bay of restless water to its north.

A small south-facing headland on the southernmost of the east side islands is home to the landing point, a large gazebo offering group information and a nearby sign informing you that you’re about to enter someone’s dream. Pass through an arch beyond the sign, and you’ll find yourself in an area enigmatically called Past – the remaining islands forming Present and Future.

To what these labels might refer is open to personal interpretation. Could they designed to trigger thoughts of our own lives and relationship? Are they more general labels simply to distinguish the three islands, or do they have more of a personal meaning for Aura? These are questions that visitors might ponder as they wander under the shade of trees, over the short grass and  along the occasional paved roads and paths.

Certainly, there is nothing specific is terms of décor that might tie one of the islands to its label – Present, for example, has a building that his hints of the 1960s and 70’s about it, while Future is firmly rooted in the décor found throughout all three islands. All of this adds to the enigmatic attractiveness to the region as a whole.

Buildings lie scattered across all three islands, some in better condition than others. They all offer multiple places to hang-out when visiting, each uniquely dressed with its own identity. Some appear to  mix periods, as noted above, others lie as simple places to sit and cuddle with a few added accoutrements of comfort, still others of suggestions place places in regular use – artists’ corners and the like. All are engaging in their design and set out in such a way that even when two or three are gathered together, the spirit of privacy sits between them.

The beach mentioned in the About Land description skirts the edges of the two eastern islands, forming a ribbon along one and almost encircling the other. Comprising shingle rather than sand, it forms a natural edge to both islands that neatly separates their green coast with a colder cast of the waters around them without being too bright a marker of the division, as might be the case were it to be sandy in nature.

While bushes may in places indicate set routes through parts of the islands, together with ladders focusing visitors towards certain points when move between different elevations in the slightly undulating landscape, this is really a place where the feet can pretty much carry you where they will.  This is turn allows for natural discoveries to be made along the way – such as the field of aged pianos – to be made quite naturally. Not even the short stretches of road and sidewalk found with some of the buildings demand people necessarily follow them. Thus, Time Remains invites open and free-form exploration, the individual buildings an locations found throughout not only offering places to sit and pass the time, but also for photography and posing.

Engaging, photogenic, rich in small details that catch the eye, Time Remains makes for an ideal visit for both the Second Life explorer and photographer.

SLurl Details

• Time Remains (rated Adult)

I’m actually not a great fan of the Halloween season. I’m not sure why; it’s just something that has never really held any significant appeal. However, within Second Life, there is one part of the spooky season (to use the overworked expression beloved of local news anchors on the TV) that I absolutely do enjoy each year – and that’s the annual Calas Galadhon Halloween region that Tymus Tenk and Truck Meredith put together as a creative tour de force for everyone to enjoy, both by exploring it and in attending the entertainments they and their team lay on throughout the month.

For 2020, Ty and Truck bring us Return to Darkwood, which takes as its foundation a theme we first saw in 2014 (see: Along the paths of the Darkwood, where the nightshade lay). However, I would suggest “return” is a bit of a misnomer, as it implies a revisit to a place seen before, and that is certainly not the case here: this is a wholly new take on the Darkwood theme. As such, I see it more of a continuation, offering us a further glimpse of a part of that realm that has – until now – remained hidden.

Occupying a  single region, Return to Darkwood brings us everything that makes Truck’s an Ty’s designs special. Exploration can be carried out on foot and there is the traditional tour  – this one via elven boat along the waterways of the wood and then through the air to reach (eventually) the events pavilion. Along the way there are numerous nods to the season, both dark and light, as well as touches of Tolkien, horror, dark fantasy and even The Scottish Play (in the form of three weird sisters who may well be asking one another, when shall we three meet again, in thunder, lighting or in rain?)

The landing point tells you all you need to know about exploring the region. Chief among these is that ALM should be used – but you can disable shadows  so as not to take a huge performance hit, as under the ambient lighting, these are simply not required for general appreciation of the setting (but can obviously used for photography). Do make sure local sounds are enabled, as once again there is a immersive sound scape to enjoy throughout the setting, whilst for those who like a little music, a carefully selected audio stream has been put together. Torches of the flammable and battery varies are also available (together with a backpack gift for Calas group members), but whether you need one of these or not is a matter of choice.

From the landing point it is a short walk to both the start of the boat tour and the path that winds through the Darkwood realm. Which you take is up to you – but I do recommend taking both, if not necessarily back-to-back;  part of the joy with the Calas themed regions is they offer plenty of opportunities for return visits than can add to the experience.

Certainly, the boat tour will give you a feel for the region as it winds through the rivers and creeks of the land before finally taking to the air to offer a touch of Tolkien (“the eagles are coming!”) and eventually delivering you to the floating islands where the events pavilion resides. The ride takes about 30-40 minutes, so if you’re heading for one of the region’s music events, why not arrive early and use the tour to explore and ride up to the music?

For those on foot, the way is marked (mostly!) by a path that winds through the shadows of the the trees and over and under rock and across mires and mists, lit periodically by flaming torches with the route occasionally hinted at by sign-posts. How helpful these might prove to be is a matter of following them; while they might point the way, their notation tends to be variable – “?” for example, or “Don’t Get Lost” – all of which add to the fun.

Nor is the path necessarily direct; forks are to be found, some of which lead to major features of the Darkwood – such as the mouldering village on  the mire. Others, however might appear to offer a quick route through a spot – but as Tolkien once noted, short cuts can make for long delays, and at least one of these routes may have arachnophobes like me shivering and turning back or hurrying on as rapidly as possible!

Not that it is all darkness and scares. Like Mirkwood of The Hobbit, there is a tale to tell with the Darkwood, one that reveals it was once a brighter, more welcoming place. Within one clearing, for example, can be found memories of an elven presence: an ageing pavilion with a sculpture of elven lovers close to hand, while just beyond, light still pours forth from a symbol of hope which – for me at least – carries a wonderful mythological symbolism from Tolkien: the Earth cupped in Yavnna’s hands,  held aloft in light as the Ainur circle it and Eru Ilúvatar looks on.

Ultimately,of course, the aim is to reach the portal that will carry you up to the floating islands. To find that, all I’ll say is (and going totally off-topic to  quote Star Trek!) climb the stairs, Jim! (Hey, Star Trek isn’t so off-topic, remember Catspaw?!).  The portal will deliver those who find it a short walk to the pavilion proper, whilst for those arriving by the boat tour,the walk is a little longer – but it will carry you past the arrival portal, allowing you to easily hop back to the landing point and start explorations on foot if you wish.

Visitors to the Darkwood are encouraged to dress for a visit – although this is not an absolute requirement. The choices are many, from outright horror to fantasy to dark elves and drow to – as I witnessed during my return to take photos – characters from Tolkien and other fantasy works (seeing Balin the Dwarf exploring with Jon Snow close by was interesting!).

The schedule of events for Darkwood is above, and I’ve included a direct SLurl to the pavilion for those who wish to hop to an event and then explore afterwards.

SLurl Details

Enchanted Rock is rated Moderate.

• Return to Darkwood landing point
• Darkwood Pavilion land point