Category: Exploring Second Life

Lam Erin’s Cherishville is a place that changes with the seasons, sometimes shifting location in the process; it’s also a place I do attempt to visit annually in order to catch one of its annual looks. The last time I did so was in winter (see Cherishville’s winter 2023 in Second Life) and I had intended to drop in during the summer during 2024; sadly, that didn’t happen for assorted reasons, so once again it is autumn that brought me back to the setting, and probably not too far ahead of winter once more taking over.

While the setting has at times dipped a toe into more tropical settings, for most of the iterations I’ve covered in these pages it has presented a look and feel of a location somewhere within the North American continent, and the same is true with this iteration. This is not to say they each look in any way similar as the seasons pass; each setting very much has its own unique look and feel. Rather, the general design and flora used within each of Cherishville’s iterations offers as a sense of loose theme for the settings presented, as if they are different locations along a journey.

For Autumn 2024, there is also a further dimension to this idea of journeying: that of travelling through time. With a couple of exceptions, the road vehicles occupying the setting suggest the 1930s and 1940s (and even the exceptions suggest a not-too-distant leap from there to the 1950s). While there is nothing implicit to suggest the setting is intended to be from those decades – the buildings sandwiched between the north-side main road and the railway track paralleling it could be from almost any period of the last century and a half (or more) -,  the vehicles help to offer a sense of period to the setting.

But that said, there are anomalies to this feeling: the traffic lights serving the pedestrian crossings along the road seem to come from much later that the 1940s; whilst in terms of location, there are touches here and there that are perhaps more European in nature, such as a British telephone box and French-style advertising kiosk. Whilst these might be slightly anachronistic given the North American vibe noted above, they nevertheless work and remind us that SL can be anywhere we chose it to be.

It is on the north side of the setting mentioned above that the designated (but unenforced) Landing Point has been set. It sits at the western extent of the road, which points towards the steeple of the local church sitting at its far end. A bridge with the promise of a botanic garden on its other side forms the local ending to the road, but the sign’s promise is false: across its pan is just a small spit of land. Street lamps along the road huddle under the boughs of tree from which the wind is pulling brown and gold leaves whilst the rain covers the cobble road’s surface in a patina of ripple-spreading splashes.

Set back from the road and behind the protection of a wrought iron fence, the miscellaneous houses and cottages seem to offer various retreats from the tumbling rain, both indoors and under the false shelter of a pergola, although it is perhaps the bakery-café alongside the railway platform which offers the warmest and cosiest welcome. Trains and tracks tend to be another motif in Lam’s build, and the presence of the track as it sits over the large, flagstone-paved expanse  behind the houses gives the setting a further link to past iterations of Cherishville.

The train rail are further paralleled by a broad body of water entering the setting from its eastern end, where it passes under a low-slung bridge to flow through the landscape before making a right turn through boulders and shallows, making a turn to the north. Here it slips under the railway bridge and that of the one promising a walk through the botanic park, and from there exiting the region once.

South of the water and road bridge, the countryside of the setting becomes more rural and perhaps a little more mysterious. An old armchair sits out on the road just beyond the bridge, potentially hampering traffic whilst also maybe directing attention to the roofed cart with its lights and hay bails as possibly offering a slightly drier place for people to sit. Tall ranks of corn on the cob plants stand on parade to one side of the road here, apparently called to order by the slightly spooky scarecrow standing in their midst, his arms perches for local ravens.

The local road sign here is not encouraging, offering directions to the likes of the Bates Motel, Amityville, Elm St., and Sleepy Hollow amongst other destinations; however it is in keeping with the time of year, so might have been raised by some local wag as a Halloween joke, particularly given the nature of the little barn sitting at the end of the track the road sign guards.

Another barn stands atop a low hill on the southern extent of the land, but this one appears to be far more for the purposes of farming. Certainly, the guard duty here has been taken over by rows of innocently-faced sunflowers, leaving the grasping fingers of the corn behind. The sunflowers are also marshalled by far less creepy scarecrow as the road loops past to make its way back to where it is crossed by the railway line, the bridge of which offering a way back to town.

Caught under a leaden sky heavy with cloud and in keeping with the downpour, Cherishville offers numerous places to sit and – as one would expect – multiple opportunities for photography. I wasn’t too convinced by the little ball of a full Moon lurking at tree-top height and looking as if it might be looking for a place to land between the region’s eastern side and the outlying region surround – but a quick click with object derender meant it was no longer a distraction. Outside of this, meandering and camming through Cherishville came with its usual pleasure, and it was interesting to see someone else putting what appears to be Alex Bader’s PBR terrain materials to good use (as I’ve done on my home island).

SLurl Details

• Cherishvile Autumn 2024 (Tuscan Hills, rated Moderate)

September 13th, 2024 marked the anniversary of a momentous and crippling event in Earth’s history. It was on that day that a nuclear waste disposal site on the far side of the Moon reached critical mass, causing a thermonuclear detonation of immeasurable force, shattering the Moon and hurling it from Earth’s orbit and into the depths of space, carrying with it the 311 surviving souls on Moonbase Alpha.

Passing beyond the range of their fleet of Eagle Transporters and making a full-scale evacuation evacuation, and with Earth unable to mount a rescue mission, the people of Moonbase Alpha could only signal their survival as they departed, never to be heard from again. 

– Extract from Pey’s Encyclopaedia of Space Exploration (2024 edition)

Of course, nothing like the above ever happened – but in 1974, the premise of the Moon being flung into interstellar space as a result of a massive chain reaction of thermonuclear events (and aided by the odd wormhole or two, amongst other things), carrying the 311 people trapped on Moonbase Alpha with it, lay at the heart of the Anglo-American television series Space: 1999.

I didn’t personally catch-up with Space:1999 until the 1990s, and while it struck me as perhaps and little too focused on the Alien of Week type of threat, providing disbelief was sufficiently suspended, it could be a fun watch – and it cannot be denied that considerable work went into making Moonbase Alpha a believable place and the Eagle Transporter perhaps one of the most well-conceived and “real world” space vehicle designs to be featured on television as coming from a near-future period in our development of spaceflight technology.

While the series was cancelled after just two seasons, the show lived on  – as with many sci-fi series – in the world of fandom, where continues to enjoy much support and popularity. This support and interest continues into Second Life,  where fans and role-players can take up a active role in operations within Moonbase Alpha, thanks to Mitch Charron. His Space: 1999 – Moonbase Alpha is an impressive representation of significant parts of Moonbase Alpha as seen in the first season of the series, bringing together familiar and iconic elementsfrom the show, including the commander’s desk, the comm-posts standing along the corridors, the station’s surface buggies and – of course – the Eagle Transporter.

Welcome to Moonbase Alpha! Inspired by the Space: 1999 70s SciFi TV series, MBA is an-going project of themed roleplay of space exploration and alien encounters, set a few years before Breakaway (and working our way there and beyond :). The Moonbase is still under construction, evolving and expanding but fully operational. We create multi-session ‘episodes’ which we play out over a period of time. While Alpha is our home base, our scenarios often involve multiple sims developed by members depending on the needs of our episodes.   

– From the information notecard available at any of the station’s comm posts.

And when I say impressive, I mean exactly that; it is clear that considerable effort has be put into the interior design, faithfully reproducing the aesthetics of the original sets and interiors and their signage / iconography. As well as Main Mission and the commanding officer’s expansive office space (complete with the large sliding doors to separate it from the bustle of Main Mission for conferences and the like), the interiors include a part of Doctor Helena Russell’s medical centre, a portion of the science facilities (one lab of which appears to be for Professor Victor Bergman), the station’s solarium and nuclear generation plant (both, I believe, seen in the episode Force of Life), a section of the travel tube network, and a series of corridors connecting all of these elements together and linking them to crew accommodation and recreation facilities.

Explorations of the facility start at a Landing Point neatly situated within the passenger pod of an Eagle Transporter. From here, the starboard doors from the pod (when facing towards the flight deck) open into a travel tube car, and its opening is accompanied by the initial fanfare of the show’s original (and best, I think) theme tune for those with local sounds enabled – and in this regard, having them enabled is recommended, as many of the sounds from the series can be heard throughout the facility, adding further depth.

Two exits are available from the travel tube car. One leads to the nuclear generating facility mentioned above, and the lifeblood of Alpha (just beware the warning beams!) or exit into Alpha itself via a security station and passing the airlock (surface EVA possible through the latter). Following the corridors from her will take visitors past all of the major facilities and to the elevator up to Main Mission. Here it is quite easy to imagine Paul Morrow overseeing operations with Sandra Benes dependably at his side, and perhaps Victor Bergman caught in a technical discussion with David Kano.

As noted in the introductory notecard, RP in the setting is intended to be relaxed and fun, with the station also forming a hang-out for those involved. In addition to Alpha, the setting currently also includes a part of the nuclear waste facilities and their monitoring station. During my visit, Mitch informed me he’s working on other elements such as the space station where the Ultra Probe has been constructed prior to the events of the series (and seen in flashbacks during Dragon’s Domain – an episode which utilised Tomaso Albinoni’s Adagio in G Minor so movingly and emotively to help drive the story, making it for me the best of Space: 1999).

Those wishing to join with the role-play are encouraged to read the introductory notecard for information on the likes of Alpha uniform sleeve colour, in-world availability of uniforms and Alpha spacesuits, etc.

With some gentle touches of humour mindful of how set builders oft utilised off-the-shelf items to dress sets (Commodore, anyone?), Space 1999 – Moonbase Alpha is an engaging build for visitors and RPers alike.

Slurl Details

• Space 1999 – Moonbase Alpha (Heaven Seven, rated Moderate)

As can be seen by flicking through my Exploring Second Life series, one of the things I enjoy is seeking out coffee house style hang-outs, as well as places that are photogenically pleasing and interesting to explore. Within Les Bean at the Salty C, I found a place that combines all three – hardly surprising given the region’s designers: Emm (Emm Evergarden) of The Nature Collective fame (among other things) and Teagan Cerulean.

The smell of salt in the air, the crash of waves, and distant harbor ferry welcomes you. Set sail to a place where the ocean whispers tales of a magical island. Whether seeking solace, adventure, or inspiration, the Cerulean offers a storybook escape.

– Les Bean at the Salty C About Land Description

Occupying a Full private region leveraging the Lab’s Land Capacity bonus, the setting is very much multiple-part in nature whilst forming a fairly continuous set of landscapes. By this I mean that within the region there is a mix of private occupancy homes, public spaces and private rentals, all of which are split across the three islands into which the region has been split, with the islands themselves offering landscapes that flow one to the next.

Of these islands, the triangular one sitting in the region’s south-east corner appears to be entirely private in nature, existing within its own parcel and entirely separated from the rest of the region by the intervening stretches of water. As such, it plays no further role in this article. Of the other two, both offer a mix of public and private areas, but with a clear delineation between the two, reducing the risk of trespass.

The main island, oriented north-to-south along the western side of the region, is home to the main Landing Point for the setting. Separated from the other two islands by a central channel of water, this island comprises a central public area forming a small town-style element, bracketed to the south and north by private residences, those to the north being available for rent at the time of my visit. The Landing Point sits on a cobbled plaza overlooking the waterfront of the central channel and backed by the coffee house, which shares the space with an ice cream parlour and a record store.

It is here that I must underscore the need for careful exploration and camming here; not only is the region packed with detail throughout, there is also some super little touches of humour to be found around the town in the form of signs and chalkboards; some of which I perhaps identified with a little too much (e.g. “I tried starting a day without coffee once – My court date is pending”). The town itself has a curiously mixed feel which is equally charming to take in; by turn offering touches of rural France, the Mediterranean, hints of Tuscany – and even flavours of Mexico and North America (the latter in the form of the stream train halted at the local station). Life to the setting is added by the presence of a range of vehicles, washing hanging on lines, place settings at the restaurant, a town market, and an engaging soundscape (I particularly liked the train service announcements!).

At the northern end of the little town is a flight of steps descending into the residential rentals area of the island, headed by a map of the region highlighting the available properties. Trespass here can be avoided by keeping to the boardwalks laid over the grass here, and one of these does actually lead to a public seating area on a deck up towards the north-west corner of the island.

The waterfront below the little town is a busy little area, offering some mooring space for small boats running directly below the sea wall, and a wharf pointing out into the channel. The latter is home to a little rough-and-ready bar and docking for the local ferry. The latter is Analyse Dean’s excellent Bandit vehicular ferry, which chugs its way back and forth between this pier and the one on the west coast of the island occupying the north-east quarter of the region, which is home to the rest of the public spaces within the setting.

This triangular island has – to me – more of a feel of North America. Heavily wooded, it also has a private residence within it, so some caution is required when exploring, particularly as the path winding away from the ferry dock eventually arrives at said private residence, climbing up to it by way of steps cut into a hill slope. However, as there is plenty of humorous warning the house in question is a private residence (“No Trespassing. We’re tired of hiding the bodies”), visitors can avoid it and simply carry on to the tumbledown and strange house sitting further up the hill.

The latter is one of two places on the island offering a sense of the haunted as brooms magically sweep floors. I’ll leave you to find the other such place on the island, and say only that it also has an item of clothing that seems to be knitting itself to add to the slightly haunted feel, and that the location itself is again charming in its general presentation, even if the cabin is itself is oddly overgrown.

As noted, this is a highly photogenic setting with a lot to see – more than I’ve covered here (the sense of ghostly mystery is enhanced to the southern end of the main water channel and close to the lighthouse, for example, where ghostly singing might be heard)  -, so again, care in exploring is well worthwhile. Given the soundscape available through the region, do make sure local sounds are enabled, and use of the region’s shared environment is also recommended, as it gives a suitably autumnal feel in keeping with the rest of the region.

In all, and enjoyable place to visit.

SLurl Details

• Les Bean at the Salty C (Cerulean Sea, rated Moderate)

In March 2020 I first visited a Full private region called Silent Melody held by Celtic McDaniels (Celtic3147), and found it to be an engaging visit and enjoyed my time exploring (see: Attuned to a Silent Melody in Second Life). I’m not sure if, during the intervening period, the region went away and has now returned, or whether it simply relocated; however, an entry in the Destination Guide I came across drew my attention to the fact that the setting is now re-opening, and so I hopped across to have a look to see what may have changed.

The answer proved to be rather a lot – hardly surprising, even the passage of time since my last visit, even without any absence or relocation! For this iteration the region design is by Semina (Semiiina), rather than Celtic, as was the case with my original visit. However, whilst a completely new design, this iteration of silent Melody shares much of the spirit of the iteration I visited back in 2020.

In the heart of the whispering ocean lies Silent Melody. A picturesque island where each corner reveals a hidden nook, a tranquil spot to sit and savour the peace to silent melodies, as the world outside fades into a distant murmur.

– Silent Melody About Land

By the above statement, I mean that this iteration brings with it a rich mix of rugged landscape, a small built-up centre, and plenty of walks and opportunities to explore, spend time and take photographs. However, it very much has an identity all its own.

The Landing Point sits towards the north-east of the setting, and at the time of my visit this confirmed that the setting would be formally opening on September 29th, 2024, with music by Semina and Sky Galaxy, starting at 11:00 SLT. It also offers information on the photo contest with a prize of L$4,000 for the winner.

Directly behind the Landing Point, steps rise up to the impressive bulk of a French-style mansion sitting behind an autumnal courtyard with hints of the Halloween season in the form of pumpkins encircling the fountain. This structure is actually the home of a large café, the wings of the building providing comfortable lounge spaces enclosed within massive framed windows overlooking the grounds – including the meadow behind, the home of roaming horses.

This meadow overlooks a stretch of beach to the south-east and an inland body of water to the south. Fed by waters tumbling from the highlands to and along the southern edge of the region, these waters also mark the end, rather than the head, of a stream as it flows inland from the west side of the region, where it faces one of the setting’s two smaller islands.

This island is home to the ruins of an ancient chapel, the flock of which is now sheep in the literal sense, and which is connected to the mainland be a short rocky causeway reaching out to it from a grove of trees surrounding a little open-air seating area. Stone steps climb away from the little camp site on its far side, relative to the island, climbing up to a little town square which – for me at least – harkened back to the little town square present in the version of the setting I visited back in 2020, thus presenting that little touch of continuity between the two.

Overlooking moorings and waterside decks to the north, this little square and its building in turn connects by way of grassy paths to both the courtyard of the café and to the Landing Point whilst also providing access to the region’s rocky northern coastal are. Watched over by the tall figure of a lighthouse , the northern coast is dominated by a broad deck which appears to offer an outdoor events area. With steps climbing back up to the Landing Point, and with a rocky shoulder separating intervening, this section of coast swings around to the east where a large rotunda of a glass house looks out to sea, providing another retreat people might take to and sit – just be careful about getting wet feet inside!

The second island sits to the south-west of the rest of the region, and is entirely separated from the rest of the setting by water. Given this and the fact that it is located within its own parcel, and it sits behind a gated wall, I assumed the house occupying it is potentially a private residence and so did not venture across the water so as not to invade privacy / trespass.

As might be gathered from the above, there is a lot to take in with this iteration of Silent Melody – and I’ve not covered everything awaiting discovery (such as the cavern with its pools and view out over the open sea, but I’ll let you find that 🙂 ). There is also considerable attention to detail throughout the setting, so careful exploration is recommended. There are numerous places to sit throughout, and the local wildlife is all friendly, while the little hints of Halloween add a nice touch even as the shared environment in the region gives it a nicely autumnal feel (and the setting works will with multiple other EEP settings).

With paths and trails winding through it to link the various locations, all of which flow together naturally, from beaches to woods to buildings and from lowland to uplands, Silent Melody is rounded-out by a gentle soundscape and has the sense of being a lot larger than the single region upon which it stands. As noted, those who wish can participate in the local photo competition (maximum of two entries each) opening on September 29th and running through until late October, and the official opening party for the setting commences at 11:00 SLT on Sunday, September 29th. So – enjoy!

SLurl Details

• Silent Melody (Silent Melody 2, rated Moderate)