Category: Exploring Second Life

Occupying a Full private region leveraging the 30K Land Capacity bonus, Hylia’s Lake is a charming public / residential location which mixes North American and northern European influences to offer an engaging and photogenic visit and, for those seeking it, a place to call home.

Operated by Anastasia Juriya and Gianella Melodious, the region is laid out around the central lake of its name, which forms a significant body of water without the rest of the region feeling in any way cramped. In this, the region is assisted through the use of off-region surrounds which have been blended into the region’s edges as much as possible to give the setting the sense of being within a verdant landscape of rolling hills, with some of the gaps between the landscape surrounds serving to look like further bodies of water sitting within the distant folds of land.

The landing point sits on the south side of the region and within a small lakeside hamlet which combines several influences and which has at least on rather surprising (actual) place of business (the region is rated Adult). However, like its real-world counterparts, outside of the neon signage, the place is discreet in terms of no windows displays! It sits at one end of a row of virtual business and alongside the local chapel, patrons of which might well disapprove of being sandwiched between the shop and the local night spot – but c’est la vie.  Book-ending the row at its other end is the local pub, which as well as offering a pint and a game of pool also has a bike rezzing rack outside for those wishing to good for a ride.

Across the road is a car park / paved square which forms the actual landing point for the region. Here visitors can enjoy an outdoor drink, a meal at the marina restaurant or pick up the region’s rules and learn about the available rentals. The rules are worth reading – not because of any significant “do’s or “don’ts”, but because they provide information on available activities within the region which may or may not be available; during the winter, for example the ski lift appears to be operational, as is the slope alongside it, although for summer it is shut down (for obvious reasons!).

Hylia’s Lake is a place to walk, take photos, or live with the seasons. Cottage rentals, chalets, or trailers are available for rent. The destination lives with the seasons and changes its appearance, winter invites itself with snow and at first the flowers spring forth. A small ski resort comes to life in winter with its chairlift and ski slope. There is a place to dock your boat and sail the lake.

– From the Destination Guide Entry

The rules also highlight the slipway rez zone, where boats and water vehicles of up to 100 LI might be rezzed to take out on the water (please mind the waterfowl also making use of the lake and avoid cross the marker line into the waters reserved of swimmers at the beach.

For those who don’t have a boat, the slipway includes a jet ski rezzer – just sit on the one on the trailer and let it slip down onto the water, whilst to the side of the slipway there is a a Snipe 2.2 rezzer for those who might like sailing around the lake as well.Jet skis, sail boats and bikes are not all that is available to rez and use. A horse rezzer might be found on one side of the square for those who wish to ride around the region (and you can always slip on a wearable horse for riding around the region), with a quad bike rezzer in the parking area. The quad bike is a good choice, as the paved road running through the hamlet quickly gives way to a rutted track that circumnavigates the lake. Whilst cars could well likely make it around the track, the quad bike is more fun.

The rentals within the region are all located around the shoreline of the lake and take a variety of styles well suited to the landscape. They all offer boat moorings and sit within their own parcels between the water and the track as it winds its way around the setting. In terms of public spaces, as well as the hamlet and the lake, there’s the aforementioned beach at the south- eastern extent of the lake (complete with a convenient horse rezzer if you have been riding and decided to dismount for time at the beach). The ruins of an old castle sit behind and above the beach (and are cut through by the meandering track), whilst elsewhere visitors might fight paths and trails meandering through the woodlands.

Swimming in the lake appears to be permitted, and the beach offers windsurfing  – but this is an activity for which local Group membership is required (fee: L$150, although the rules sate L$400). I’m not sure if other activities are Group limited, but joining appears to include rezzing rights for those wishing to place out props for photography – but as always, please clean up behind you!

Considerable care has been taken with the landscaping and region design, making Hylia’s Lake exceptionally pleasing to the eye and camera, with the setting well suited to a range of EEP settings as well as the local default (I’ve used one on my own day settings for the images here). The accompanying soundscape rounds-off the region perfectly, with the entire atmosphere one of relaxed charm and gentle sophistication. As the rules note, and I mentioned above, this is an Adult region, so sexual activity is permitted, although I suspect the tenants and region holders might prefer this to be kept to with the rentals (all of which are fairly reasonably priced), and nudity is public spaces is discouraged.

A genuinely pleasing to the eye setting, well laid-out and with a sense of space and natural beauty that reaches well beyond the region’s physical boundaries, Hylia’s Lake is an engaging visit.

SLurl Details

Hylia’s Lake (Riot, rated Adult)

I recently had the opportunity to visit TheNest : Sunbird, a Full private region leveraging the available Land Capacity bonus designed by Second Life partners  Adam Cayden (whisperinmyearz) and Lya Seerose, together with Tessa (Tessalie). The region offers a mix of photogenic public spaces and private rental – the latter of which are very imaginatively placed in order to help tenants maintain their privacy.

Come visit our blossoming city hidden in the mountains, enjoy the lake and its blooming scenery, our blissful rentals and enjoy the beauty from the smallest flower to the tallest of trees.

– TheNest : Sunbird About Land

The city in question is nestled in the south-east corner of the region, adjacent to the landing point, itself sitting on the southernmost tip of the land and facing an arch leading into the city, with two routes around the headland angling away from it on either side. A signpost offers hints as to what to look for when exploring, although at the time of my visit, the sign appeared to be on the wrong side of the archway, directing people around the waterfront (itself a nice walk!) to reach the city, rather than through the archway.

The main street of the townscape a has been neatly pedestrianized in part, presenting plenty of opportunity for wandering. Most of the building here are façades, relying on external elements for their attractiveness – tables and chairs, outdoor stalls, etc., – a combination that makes for plenty of opportunities for photography without the need to load-up shop interiors. The two exceptions to this are the rental office with details on some of the rentals available in the region, and the coffee shop.

We tried our best to give SL wanderers an interesting blend of urban city with a lively feel and intense blooming nature, building our rentals with the most wonderful views, trying to build a community of people to share it with … And we plan to do little events pretty often, festivals and more quiet things too!

– Lya Seerose, The Nest : Sunbird, co-owner

There’s a lot of small details in and around the city centre which make wandering a pleasure, from the fountain in the middle of the street, all the way around the southern waterfront, complete with its static figures to add a sense of depth and place, and which offer more opportunities for photography.

Other details to be discovered include the pet parking area, the mix of English / French / American influences (the telephone boxes, the subway and taxi, and the rooftop bar- club – and more. North of the town, the land rises significantly, curling around a deep-cutting inlet to offer broad uplands to the west, surmounted by the rental properties.

To the east, the route up to the higher elevations is marked by a tree-lined track leading up to a deep meadow bounded at its northern extent by the sheer walls of cliffs which again rise up to more of the local rentals. Those leaving the town on its eastern side, where the local road suddenly peters out, can also make their way along the coast to where the cliffs start to rise, and use a wooden board walk to climb up to the slopes above, and then walk up to the meadow from there.

With small glade-like area to one side offering shade across the head of a short stream that feed down into the inlet below, the meadow offers numerous places to sit and pass the time and an opportunity to feed the local raccoons. A further path rises to the west, passing through a woodland area which itself skirt the line of cliffs and plateaux with their rental homes.  This path curves around the head of the inlet, offering a number of vantage points from which to look out over it, together with further places to sit. In addition, the path split to offer a route to the western extent of the region and down to the waters at the head of the bay.

There is a natural flow and beauty through this part of the region that is very visually engaging, whilst the use of the higher plateaux for the rentals ensures they are nicely distanced from the public spaces to avoid trespass (or indeed, from having intrude into photos) without them being completely divorced from the setting, allow those renting the properties the best of both worlds – comfortable surroundings, the opportunity to drop down into the region and share the walks, etc., some excellent views – and privacy of their own.

The rentals themselves come in four five styles with up to 5 units in each style. All are supplied furnished and with a Land Impact allowance for personalisation. Gardens are included, with the larger units having nicely landscaped outdoor spaces which give plenty of room for tenants to have a comfortable home life. Those interested in renting should visit the rental office in the town for more details.

Charming, light, with much to see and appreciate – not all of which is covered here – TheNest : Sunbird makes for a very pleasing visit – and potentially, a very engaging place to live, if you happen to be in the market for a ready-to enjoy home.

Note: the official opening for TheNest : Sunbird will be on Saturday, May 25th, 2024 commencing at 23:30 SLT with music by DJ Vic. Lea, Tessa and Adam extend a warm invitation for people to hop over and join the party!

SLurl Details

• TheNest : Sunbird (Pyxee Hollows, rated Moderate)

Another year has passed, and so once again I decided to click my heels and make what is now an annual pilgrimage to Bambi’s (NorahBrent) Missing Melody. I did so because a little birdie informed me that she’d teamed up with Ethan Takeda to produce an interesting sky platform called Mirai Melody. However, the project didn’t start out with the intent to build a complete setting, as Ethan explains:

The inception of this street stemmed from Bambi and my initial vision to craft a backdrop for an editorial piece on NeoJapan for L’Homme Magazine April 2024. What began as a mere backdrop evolved into a captivating narrative, sparking discussions about creating a mini-sim. As ideas began to take shape, our conversations ignited a creative flurry, resulting in the birth of Mirai Melody.

– Ethan Takeda

The setting comprises a single street “somewhere in [insert name here]” as the hoary old TV / film caption goes. Not there is anything hoary about Mirai Melody; rather the reverse, offering as it does an engaging fusion of “old” – a ramshackle environment in a city where the surrounding high-rises might well look down on disdainfully – but their very presence allows it to carry a life of its own; one edged in the bustle of local life and – going on the presence of certain individuals at the landing point – can have a frisson of danger associated with it.

The main street scene is packed with detail – I strongly recommend visiting using the shared environment and, if you can manage them, with shadows enabled. This will ensure you get the full impact of the setting. There are local sounds as well, but I admit I’m not sure they entirely worked for me although they certainly add depth to all the eateries along the way.

This is a place rich in the tradition of the street market and what – going on the general friendliness evident throughout most of the street’s length – is likely a relatively close-knit community of small businesses support the local populace and possibly used to having tourists find their way through its length.

It is also a place which, as well as having a history to it, is very much of the present (or the future-present, so to speak). Holographic advertising is much in evidence, at one some are using “old school” mobile phones, other XR units which project information and data around them, and one of the sushi bars appears to have dropped in quite literally, given the thrusters located along its underside! Elsewhere, an apothecary’s shop offers a haven of peace, even if it does share the paved square in occupies with a noodle bar managed by mechanoid server that would look just as at home strolling across Mars!

Away from the landing point and the paramilitary types loitering there (are they the local militia? Here to keep unwanteds out or to stop those here wandering into the city proper? I’ve no idea – you make up the story for yourself!). Fortunately, most of them appear to be preoccupied by the flickering holo dancers just to the side of the landing point, so slipping past them is not a problem – although their presence appears to be enough for one stall owner to feel the need to wear a sidearm and another to look as if she’d happily bop the snoz of anyone remarking unfavourably on the gifts on her stall!

Further along the street things are a lot friendlier, as noted above, and visitors can mangle with the static NPCs, poke at the shops and stalls, slipping (literally in one case!) into a side-alley to find a book stall or through a doorway into a bar or a little old-style school.

For photographers, Mirai Melody is a delight, whilst the touches of detail and humour are bound to raise a smile. There might be an tendency to look at it quickly and think Bladerunner (as someone commented in local chat whilst I was hopping in and out), but I’d disagree. Whilst mixing an Oriental street scene with cyberpunk / futurist elements might have caused Ethan and Bambi to lean in that direction, they have wisely avoided the temptation and instead come up with something visually unique and engaging.

Visit and enjoy it whilst it lasts!

SLurl Details

• Mirai Melody (Missing Melody, rated General)

I made a return trip to Alpha Auer’s Alphatribe Island recently, after tripping over its latest entry in the Destination Guide. The last time a visited – just over a year ago, the region was hosting Alpha’s Mythologies, “a curation of cultural artefacts that were found on a vast 3D resource called Sketchfab”, which you can read about here.

Quiet – the name of the installation which drew me back to Alphatribe – sees a return of Alpha’s own expressiveness as a visual artist and content creator. In all, it spans a total of four levels, including the ground-level area, with three platforms sitting overhead (along with Alpha’s store), all connected to the ground by a tall scaffold tower. Fortunately, climbing the tower isn’t necessary to reach these upper levels, as a teleport system connects all of them together, and be found at the base of the tower.

As is common with Alpha’s style, the setting and levels are both enigmatic in interpretation and captivating to view. No explanation is offered – although local instructions are – and so interpretation is left entirely up to the individual, although some clues might be had from the names of the sky platforms as listed on the teleport menu.

In terms of the region viewing instructions, these are essentially to have shadows enabled – as this is a sunset style of environment, where the shadows are part and parcel of the whole thing (purely for illustrative reasons here, I did jockey with the position of the Sun when taking photos, to help illuminate details), and to enable the region’s media stream (the movie camera icon, top right of the viewer window).

The ground level area comprises a series of vignettes, all easily reached on foot from the landing point and existing on a sandy island with high dunes. The architecture throughout is in Alpha’s familiar use of geometric forms and structures – with some Oriental influence as well. A question might be asked as to whether we are on Earth or not; the locals appear humanoid, but also faintly alien in the manner in which they dress and decorate their bodies.

This is a place where technology appears to be common, if a little aged or at least mixed. There are both Steampunk and Dieselpunk vibes to be found throughout, whilst machines and tools (such as a very human hand drill) stand as sculptures supports on spindly scaffolds. to one side a huge generator appears to be providing power to an equally huge projector, whilst further afield, another machine appears to have been raised over a rotunda and wedding couple.

The sky platforms, meanwhile, offer more individual vignettes we might attempt to form into stories of their own. To take them in the order presented by the ground-level teleport, the first is called the Bestiary, and is – unsurprisingly, given the name – home to a celebration of the most exotic animals, the majority offered in 2D illustrations beautifully rendered as if forming the illuminations of an ancient and revered manuscript.

Below this, and within a garden, some of the body-painted locals are engaged in a game of chess. But are they actually living people or are they automatons? I have no idea – but their style of body and facial painting makes for an interesting cogitation of the question.

The last and highest platform is Hands, a series of sculptures of the human hand, once again – and as well Bestiary – placed within an environment formed of and divided by, geometric shapes. However, this installation stands slightly apart from the rest, as Alpha explains at the teleport landing point on the platform:

Hands was made for the artist Lampithaler, who resides on the OpenSim on the Pangea Grid. Although I am the artist who made it, it is her property, and she very graciously gave me permission to rez it here in SL. 

The plaque on which this information is provided includes details on how to reach the original version as seen on Pangea (for those who have or wish to create a suitable OpenSim account.

All told, another fascinating installation from Alpha, one worth taking the time to see and appreciate – and for lovers of exotic avatars or those who wish to obtain a copy of a scene and / or any characters displayed within Quiet or from some of Alpha’s past installations, do be sure to drop by the store.

SLurl Details

• Quiet (Alphatribe Island, rated Moderate)