Category: Exploring Second Life

It’s been a while since I’ve visited Kaelyn Elara’s Soul Deep. and by “a while”, I mean nigh-on four years, my first (and thus far only) visit being back in May 2021!

I’m not sure if the setting has been around in Second Life for the entire intervening period – back then it bore the same name as the region, where as now it appears to have relocated. However, given it popped out at me from the Destination Guide whilst browsing recently, I decided to hop over and take a look once more.

A peaceful spring landscape designed for relaxation and connection. Explore cosy little islands, stroll along flower-lined paths, and unwind by the shimmering lake … Whether you’re looking for a quiet escape or the perfect photo backdrop, Soul Deep invites you to breathe deep and stay awhile.

– Kaelyn Elara on Soul Deep

For this iteration of the setting, Kaelyn has joined forces with region designer Jacky Macpherson, and together they present a gorgeous, easy to appreciate and enjoy location entirely rural in nature.  In this, roughly half the region is used, the rest – particularly to the south and around the the west – being given over to open water.

The Landing Point sits close to the northern coastline of the main island, alongside to a large barn now converted to a café space – although its ranch / farm heritage is memorialised by a bucking bull for those wishing to try a ride. For the less adventurous there are a couple of calmer table-top games inside as well. Outside, at the hitching rail is a horse rezzer so visitors fancy touring on horseback can do so (and, obviously, if you have a wearable horse, you can wear and ride your own).

The trail alongside the hitching rail points the way to a bridge providing access to one of the smaller islands, which is in turn connected to a slightly larger island with a bridge back to the main land. Both of these islands are unencumbered by permanent structures, although the smaller one is home to a camper trailer and little campsite.

Finding your way around the setting is simply a matter of following the main trail circling the central lake. While this does split just to the east of the barn to encircle a copse of fir trees,  it does provide a complete route for exploration, starting with the ruins in the copse and the campsite tucked into the corner close to where the two arms of the trail reunite.

Following the trail south and away from the campsite just mentioned and taking the bridge over the neck of water linking lake to open water, will bring you to the setting’s one real hill. This hides an easy-to-find secret “under” it (do be sure to click on the arrow!) while hiding another of the setting’s three permanent structures in the form of another design by Cory Edo behind its bulk.

The third structure is located on the remain small island off to the south-east of the region, and takes the form of a cosy cabin watched over by a pair of elk. The latter are joined by red deer, reindeer, rabbits and birds scattered across the setting to give it further depth and life, with some of the latter imaginatively and naturally set – so its worth paying attention when exploring as you might easily miss them!

All of the buildings are open to public use and offer places to sit and converse and / or cuddle together with the camp sites scattered around. In addition there are trailside benches, blankets and a couple of romantic spots in which to pass the time (as well as the hidden one!). It’s even possible to enjoy an outdoor candlelit meal with friends if you’re so minded! Swan boats offer places to sit on the lake, while rowing boats out on the open waters do the same there as well.

Rich in detail, highly photogenic and a delight to visit, Soul Deep offers the perfect spring setting.

SLurl Details

• Soul Deep (PixelDust, rated Moderate)

In a follow-up to her Memories of Dreams, a Homestead region I wrote about back in April 2024 (see: Memories of Dreams in Second Life), Yxes (Yxes Evergreen) recently opened a new Homestead region design she is calling Memories of Spring – and it is as eye-catching as Memories of Dreams as it is different.

Spring, a time to wake up and explore all our worlds. Follow picturesque paths along a rocky coast. A special thank you to some of the artists of SL, who make our world more beautiful. Look for their work here and throughout SL!

–  Yxes, writing about Memories of Spring

Backed by a partial off-region surround and against which it abuts, Memories of Spring gives the suggestion of being a rugged headline extending outwards from a mountainous coastal region. However, whether this coastline is part of an island or a much larger land mass is up to your imagination. The mountains sit to the east side of the region, their faces masked in shadow and haze, their domed heads frosted with snow as they appear to stand guard over the setting.

The Landing Point sits close the where the mountains touch the region, and specifically on the terrace of a large Tuscan-style villa, a curtain of rock to its rear separating it from the off-region surround as both house and terrace look westward along the island’s length. The house is open to the public and is tastefully furnished, with the covered entranceway set out ready for a shared meal. Inside, one of the room contains the first hint of the art and artists of SL referenced in Yxes’ description, in the form of a series of figures by Alpha Auer.

Stone steps descend from the terrace and its modern fountain to a paved depression amidst the rock. A further fountain sits here, moss-aged but with clear waters. As well as occupying the sides of the fountain, the moss has spread out over the paving, suggesting the stone was laid a long time ago, while stone blocks to one side stand together in the suggestion that they, the paving and the fountain are the remnants of a structure that once occupied this hollow. But again, perhaps that is the illusion they are meant to present, their having been placed there to give the villa a sense of having a sunken garden space before it. 

Further steps rise from the fountain to where another Tuscan-style building sits on a shelf of rock. It stands above a sandy bay and offers a cosy summer house feel within its walls – and it must be passed through in order to continue onwards – unless you want to scramble and slide over rocks to reach the beach; for it is on the far side of the summer house that the path and steps continue, descending via piers of stone to reach the sand.

It is here that the setting marvellously opens out. On the beach, sandpipers search for food as rivulets of water flow over the sand to reach an incoming tide which has, over the years, carved the sand so as to form a small, natural lagoon-like hallow within it. A further house sits on the headland here, its piers offering room for boats to come alongside, the terrace above them welcoming painters despite the downpour going on on the other side of its bulk. This rain, falling steady and quite locally, is slowly drowning the large courtyard backing onto the house and reached via a path running through a grove of silver birch also caught under the rain’s cloak.

It is in the courtyard that the first real hints of much older structures than the villa and its summer house might be found. Partially-demolished – presumably by some passage of violent weather – walls and a stairways appear to be undergoing repair. More ruins lie beyond the gates at the back of the courtyard, the hollowed rooms, empty window sockets and open maws of doorways forming a most attractive means to display 3D art by Mistero Hifeng and Bryn Oh, whilst coffee might be enjoyed within the walls of one of the aged towers.

Looking out over the southern aspect of the island, these ruins in turn provide a glimpse of still more remnants of habitation. Reached via a further path, they sit as a magical place built on the water’s edge where chandeliers both hang from the ceiling and sit suspended in air where crystalline shapes float like strange and exotic creatures – or the petals of plants. Within this space visitors can appreciate further 3D art from the vantage point of comfortable armchairs or a bronze hoop also suspended in the air in defiance of gravity or a glass of wine might be enjoyed at the makeshift bar.

Nor do things end here, for the path continues onwards to yet more ruins, these perhaps the source of the stonework used within the hollow become the main villa.

As much a part of the landscape as built upon it, these ruins are, to me, sublimely photogenic and beautifully natural in placement and look. It is as if whoever built them did so in order to maximise the shelter provided by the rocky spines and rises of the land behind them, although whether they were all originally part of the same group of buildings or represent different generations of construction is up to you to decide. What I will say is, they offer one of the most eye-catching uses of The looking Glass Chapel Ruins by Marcus Inkpen that I’ve seen in a while.

Watched over by a batter and weather beaten lighthouse at its north-western extent, rich in both art, décor and detail throughout, Memories of Spring is an engaging visit.

SLurl Details

Memories of Spring (Ghilanna, rated Moderate)

In the first part of this series, I wrote about the return of Chaos Theory, the setting designed by Megan Prumier  which originally sat in the sky above The Butterfly Effect by Vally Lavender. In particular I noted the setting now has a new home, courtesy of Izzy Moondust (iggymurphy), who specifically went out and obtained a Full region just so Chaos Theory and its  residents could once again enjoy it (see: Chaos and Calm in Second Life – Part 1: Chaos Theory).

In that article I noted that as well as presenting Chaos Theory as a public space once more, the ground level of the region it sits within was also being developed by Megan on Izzy’s behalf as a rural space for people to explore and enjoy, and that I’d be covering it closer to completion time. Well, Megan has been working her socks off – and the region’s ground level is now all but done, so here’s the promised piece!

Called Calm, the ground level of the region is a marvellous, largely public setting (Izzy does have her home in the north-west corner of the region, screen away from the rest by trees and sitting on its own hill so please respect her privacy) featuring a lot to see and appreciate throughout. And I do mean a lot; such is Megan’s skill, this is a place that genuinely feels a lot, lot larger than the region in which it sits.

I’m honestly not sure whether words are adequate when it comes to Calm; the setting is so richly informed from its coastal edges to it high cliffs. The Landing Point sits close to the western side of the region,  tucked under the roof of a gazebo sitting between the region two outflowing streams.

These streams flow to the coast from a large lake below the region’s eastern uplands with their high cliffs,  and leave the ground on which the Landing Point sits as a tongue of land lapping at the lake at its bulbous inland end. This headland is split by two small brooks as they depart the lake, forming a Y as they meet to form the southern most of the two streams.

This headland offers an ideal vantage point from which to appreciate the horseshoe of waterfalls tumbling down the cliffs, a path running due east from the Landing Point running almost to the little bridge spanning one of the brooks to reach the headland.

The falls carry the name Snoqualmie Falls, and so appear to honour one of Washington state’s most popular natural attractions. As scenic as they are within Calm, the cliffs from which the water tumbles hide a number of points of interest and secrets which might be easily  be missed by the unwary visitor.

Close by the Landing Point gazebo and on its north side, a wooden bridge spans one of the two streams to lead to a stone-paved footpath. Running eastward towards the falls, this path quickly reaches fields of grass and flowers on the edge of the lake, arched boxwood hedges marking where it continues onward to where it starts winding up through the cliffs, passing by a warehouse converted into a (publicly-accessible) house, complete with a most unique (and historic!) garden ornament located on a flat-topped shoulder of rock.

Beyond the warehouse, the path continues to meander between high bluffs of rock, helping to give the region that sense of being a lot bigger than 256×256 sq metres, prior to reaching a high meadow cut through by some of the water from the upper level of waterfalls. Beyond a bridge spanning this stream, the path plunges into a long, natural tunnel as it passes under the highest waterfalls, offering its own unique beauty prior to emerging on the southern uplands, where a rough trail offers a route back down to the lowlands once more.

However, before being two quick to pass through the cave north-to-south, make sure you look around the field leading into its northern end, as you might find a lookout point of interest. further, mid-way through the tunnel you might noticed a – curtained, shall we say – exit leading to another retreat sitting between the step-like waterfalls to provide a magnificent view out of the region and its many points of interest.

As you descend from the upland along the southern trail and you’ll pass back through some of these further points of interest, including the arboretum, Buckskin peak camp store (which I take to be reference to Mount Buckskin in the Rocky Mountains), outdoor camp sites, what looks to be an art gallery in waiting, a farm shop bakery, places to fish, an old boathouse complete with a dice game sitting neatly on the water, a meadow for horse grazing, a neatly hidden events stage – the Steampunk Corner – and more.

Another event space is to be found on the lake itself. It takes the form of a solidly-built warehouse sitting atop a broad deck extending out over the lake’s shallow northern waters. Called simply Club Calm, it offers bars to either end (one topped by the DJ booth, the mostly open floor in the middle available for dancing.

And all of this still only scratches at the surface of a setting that lives up to is name in every way, and which is rounded-out by a mix of animal / wildlife, a perfect ambient soundscape and plenty of places to sit and pass the time.  Teleport boards are available to help with getting around (and with getting up to Chaos Theory and back!) – but really, Calm should be experienced carefully and on foot – it is a genuine joy to explore.

Do be sure to visit!

SLurl Details

Jhaeros is rated Moderate

• Calm
• Chaos Theory

Updated, March 19th: Calm is now open, and you can find my review in Chaos and Calm in Second Life – Part 2: a rich Calm, with the SLurl also at the end of this piece.

Back in May 2024 I visited The Butterfly Effect / Chaos Theory, a joint region design by Vally Lavender (The Butterfly Effect), and Megan Prumier (Chaos Theory) – see: Caught within a Butterfly Effect in Second Life.

Both were very different settings, one being largely rural in nature, the other being an urban rooftop setting, the two joined by their shared reference to the theory generally associated with mathematician and meteorologist Edward Norton Lorenz (although it predates him by a good margin!).

Now, Chaos Theory is back within Second Life – and once again it shares a region with another setting – one also very rural (almost wild in places!). The latter occupies the ground level of the region the two share, whilst Chaos Theory once again sits up in the sky.

The region is a Full private region leveraging the Land Capacity bonus. It is held by Izzy Moondust (iggymurphy), who kindly invited me to pay a visit to both settings within it ahead of the official opening of the ground-level location – called Calm, and which will form the second half of this two-parter – which is due around March 21st, although Chaos is currently already open to visitors. Given this, and because both regions deserve individual reviews, I’ll be focusing on Chaos Theory here.

It’s a setting that initially looks much as it did back in 2024 – and this is intentional, for reasons I’ll come to. It offers a wonderful rooftop sitting where buildings and attics open out onto neighbouring roofs, ladders and boardwalks link different levels and corners, and indoor spaces flow naturally into outdoor spaces and back.

The level of detail here is quite extraordinary, as was the case with the original – although I believe I’m correct in saying Megan has added more to this iteration, giving it even more of that sense of being a “lived-in” setting, rich in the kind of human clutter typical of an urban location. This makes careful exploration a must – although do keep in mind that the apartments scattered around are private residences, so do take care with interior spaces that are not clearly intended as a public space (residences are clearly numbered for easy of identification).

These apartments add a further depth to the setting, something I noted when writing about the original iteration, to whit:

There is a ramshackle beauty spread throughout these rooftop spaces that is admirable both in the level of detail provided and in the sense that this is a real, bohemian-leaning community of like-minded souls. It’s a setting with a real sense that music, art and creativity all flourish without ever being forced or artificially nurtured; somewhere where everyone lives more as an extended family than mere friends and acquaintances drawn together through shared interests. 

– from Caught Within a Butterfly Effect, May 2024

The music / social aspect of Chaos is event throughout; the original open-air dance  / event space remains the focal-point for activities, and at the time of my visit events were set for both the 18th March (commencing 20:00 SLT) and 19th  March (commencing 16:00 SLT).

One of the most remarkable aspects of Chaos and Calm is Izzy’s generosity, which alone makes both settings worth the visit, and I’ll allow Izzy to explain why in their own words:

Did you see Megan’s Chaos Theory build? I used to live on it before the sim owner closed it down. I didn’t want to see it go away so I got a region and asked Megan to resurrect it. I just want this to be a place for people to come and explore and attend events.

– Izzy Moondust on Chaos (and Calm)

This generosity extends to the fact to the private apartments mentioned earlier, as Izzy does not charge for their use. All were occupied at the time of my visit and – unsurprisingly given that sense of extended family feel I mentioned above – those occupying them have followed the setting from its original location over The Butterfly Effect to its new location with Calm.

There is a warmth and attraction within Chaos that is infectious, particularly when meeting Izzy, that has one wishing for the opportunity to put down roots there. As noted, at the time of my visits, all the apartments within Chaos were occupied; but if, after you’ve explored, you feel it might be somewhere you might want to live within – do IM Izzy and see what might be done.

I really enjoyed seeing Chaos Theory back in-world, and will – as noted – be offering a write-up on Calm once it is nearer completion, so as to allow Megan to work on it with Izzy in peace; expect part two of this pairing to be up a little later in the week! My grateful thanks to Izzy for the invitation!

SLurl Details

• Chaos Theory (Jhaeros, rated Moderate)

Designed by Madam Chaos (TheAwkwardMochi) and occupying a Homestead region, The Cloud Garden is a engaging setting that is both relaxing and surreal; less a landscape and more scene from a dream, as Moochi’s introduction to the region notes:

Immerse yourself in the soothing, surreal dream of a fairy-tale world in the clouds. Explore the dreamy landscape on foot or horseback to uncover its secrets, take photos, invite someone special for a dance, or relax in one of the many quiet corners.

Madam Chaos (TheAwkwardMochi)

The landscape itself sounds simple enough: a ring of yellow sand enclosing a shallow lake, a long tongue of land extending out into the shallow water, as if lapping at it. The Landing Point sits at the end of this tongue, not too far from the middle of the region.

From horizon to horizon, the sky rises from a pink-tinged encircling sea, itself first pink before becoming more yellow-to-orange and eventually a deep orange overhead, a massive rainbow-stippled Moon hanging overhead. beyond the pinky haze of the horizon shadowy forms of distant hills can be seen, mixing their forms with the flow of low-lying clouds as they dance around the setting while blankets of cloud speed by overhead.

However, this simple description disguises a lot;  not only is there much to be discovered as one explored the setting at ground level, there is a genius in the design in how it make use of the Shared Environment: take this away, and the setting stands as a largely monochromatic place: the sands a stark white and the low-lining lumpy clouds equally so, the cold blue of the waters one of the few points of colour. Around the sands, many of the trees appear frosted and frozen, the surrounding off-region hills taking on the appearance of icebergs.

All of this is beautifully transformed into a dream-like, surreal landscape through the use of the Shared Environment, the sand and waters turning warm and inviting, the hills softening into their shadowy forms. Nor does this magical transformation end there: the ambience of the setting changes as one explores, adding to the dream-like nature of the different vignettes spread around and over the ring of sand – and out on the waters of the lake.

From the landing point there are three routes of exploration: giant Xylophone keys point the way to a huge greenhouse, its floor flooded by the water of the lake. It is home to a gallery featuring uploads of Moochi’s physical world art, wonderful digital pieces (not AI generated!) produced from photographs Moochi has taken of plants and flowers. They are beautifully produced, with each piece offered in two versions: Copy / Modify or Transfer / Modify, depending on your preference.

Keeping with the musical theme, a piano keyboard also reaches out to a small, rounded island where stairs rise through low clouds rising from the sand like piled-up ice-cream, to reach a carousel. A marble bath floats serenely on one of the clouds as a unicorn gallops through the air, pulling a pumpkin-like carriage, with more surprises awaiting discovery around, under and over this frozen tower of clouds.

The third route away from the landing point is the tongue of sand itself, presenting the way to explore the outer ring. This path passes by way of a series of options for exploring, if you don’t fancy doing so on foot – and given the presence of the horse rezzer, those with their own wearable horses can add them as well – and there are what appear to be jumps set-up around the ring of sand to add a little fun to riding as well.

As noted above, the setting perhaps shouldn’t be looked at as a contiguous environment so much as a sandy path linking a series of dream-like vignettes, each with its own attractions, be they climbing a zipline (and riding  it back down) or making balloons fall from the sky (and popping  them), or visiting the floating cloud islands and relaxing on a bed. There’s also a rowing boat on the lake offering a place to relax as it moves itself from point-to-point around the lapping waters, whilst those looking for something quiet and restful can take to one of the floating seats or swings and pass them time wrapped in their own thoughts.

Offered with an audio stream playing suitably relaxing music featuring pan pipe, flutes, and similar, The Cloud Garden is a richly intertwined setting, mixing discovery, opportunities for reflection or photography or romance with dancing, horse riding, gently changing ambient environments and art. A genuine delight to visit and spend time within. Do read the introductory note card available at the landing point for more information on the setting and the work Moochi has put into it – and enjoy!

SLurl Details

• The Cloud Garden (Bubble Isle, rated Moderate)

A recent entry into the Destination Guide was for a mainland location called The Forest of Hours, described as a newcomer-friendly setting with a lot to see and enjoy. It immediately caught my eye, with the description drawing me in even further through its mention of Cael Ystafell, a place I know to be held by Kinn (Kinnaird Mainlander) and her Second Life partner, Ziki Questi, two people with whom I’ve been acquainted for a long time (Ziki being a former Second Life arts blogger I’ve greatly admired for her work promoting the arts in SL, and who is a massively accomplished photographer as well). As such, I was keen to hop over and spend a number of visits exploring.

To describe The Forest of Hours without including Cael Ystafell would be somewhat akin to a visit Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower; both are completely intertwined and open to visitors and genuinely include a lot to see and discover, with portals and other surprises waiting to be found by wanderers. Both have been landscaped by Kinn, with Nix Onyx working on the core of The Forest of Hours alongside Kinn.

Kinn, Nix and Ziki describe the combined landscape thus:

It was our goal to create a space to show the possibilities of beauty on the Mainland … our joyful attempt at “reforesting” the Mainland on the Northwestern shore of the Heterocera Atoll. The Forest of Hours blends into Cael Ystafell … to the West, creating an unbroken treeline from Route 4 in Scape through Route 2 in Echo. Please feel free to explore all of the nooks and crannies and fun spaces tucked into the forest.

The Landing Point for The Forest of Hours lies at the side of Route 4 in the region of Scape and just inside the forest’s edge, close to a stone arch bearing the forest’s name. From here, the path winds into the mist-bound land, winding between trees through which rays of sunlight slant;  the tree trunks and mist work together to give a sense of mystery to wandering, concealing at they do what might be found, so that places of interest hide among the shadows, emerging from the mist in greeting as they are approached.

The first major location to so reveal itself is that of a once extensive structure built of carefully cut stone, the walls now broken and in places entirely absent, any roofing that may have once covered the shells of rooms now long vanished, the stone flagged floors and worn steps slowing giving way to the returning grass and moss of the forest. Within these remnants can be found a charming café, an open-air set for live music and dancing, places to sit (outdoors and in –  the latter courtesy of the House of Variants tucked into one corner) and even a magic potion brewer!

Where one goes from here is a matter of choice – paths wind onwards from the ruins, passing from them by means of arched doorways. Perhaps the most prominent of these, given it is signposted, is the one pointing towards Cael Ystafell – but don’t be in too much of a hurry to follow it; taking the path under the other arch away from the ruins offers its own mysteries, both above ground and under it.

Reached most obviously via a cave entrance sitting close to the path winding up the southern uplands to the forest, the landscape has hidden beneath it a network of tunnels and caves of a kind that just as you think you’ve found everything they contain, reveal something else within a waiting chamber. Meanwhile, the path up over this underground labyrinth offers its own many paths of exploration and places to discover, with camp fire meeting places, Japanese-themed elements and paths, meandering streams and tumbling waterfalls, and further routes pointing towards Cael Ystafell.

Along the way there are wonderful touches of detail to be found, from foxes and birds and more extraordinary creatures alongside trails and in the trees, to elements of 3D art carefully placed to surprise when encountered, together with multiple places indoors and out in which to spend time. The latter range from an artist’s studio hidden among the woods to a glamping tent with cosy bed and a Japanese tea house through to what appears to be (from the outside at least!) a witch’s cottage – and more besides, with the more outdoor places to sit equally as richly varied.

Also waiting discovery are a number of portals and references to other locations held by Ziki and Kinn. I’m not going to spoil things by saying where to find them, but do keep an eye out for the following:

• A doorway to Bay City, the community in which Ziki and Kinn are very active.
• A portal to The Far Away, a location originally created by AM Radio, and now in Ziki and Kinn’s guardianship (and which I wrote about way back in 2013!)
• A magic mirror that will lift you to Club Echo, a new venue where (I understand from Ziki) social and other events may be held in the future.
• Other portals and places – such as the underground New York apartment.

While exploring, visitors might also come across little references to things like Lucy van Pelt from Peanuts, a touch of Tolkien in the greeting over a doorway and what might be a further homage to AM Radio and his work, in the form of a radio studio and tower within Cael Ystafell, to name but three.

The Forest of Hours and Cael Ystafell are wonderfully landscaped and make for a relaxing and engaging exploration with a lot of discover and appreciate. Whilst naturally under a misty environmental setting, the locations are ideally suited to many ambient environments – as I hope some of the images here demonstrate.  Do be sure to visit.

SLurl Details

• The Forest of Hours (Scape, rated Moderate)
• Cael Ystafell (Echo, rated Moderate)