Category: Exploring Second Life

Once, in the days of yore in Second Life, Scottie Menges set out to build a place of romance with a sense of antiquity and – for those with the interest – of learning. Originally built entirely using prims in 2009, The Pillars of Hercules remained open for over five years as a place of exploration, meditation, dance, and photography, before closing its doors in late 2014.

Now the build is back; Scottie has spent around 10 months rebuilding a new Pillars of Hercules, one which retains much of the feel of the later iterations of the original as well as utilising newer designs for the likes of the great temple and adding a sprinkling of mesh elements in terms of some of the statues and some of the landscaping elements, and the setting opened to the public once more on November 4th 2022.

According to legend, the original Pillars of Hercules were the promontories of Calpe Mons and Abila Mons, said to flank the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea from the Atlantic. They marked the furthest west Hercules travelled whilst completing his twelve labours (as wrapped into both the Greek and Roman myths of Heracles / Hercules). Here the name might be seen of representing the fact that Scottie’s build wraps within it elements of both Greek and Roman mythology – including Heracles / Hercules himself, with the largest structure on the region raised as temple to him.

As with the original, the best place from which to start a tour of the region is at the southern harbour, which forms the main landing point. Here visitors can find a map of the new build, which includes direct teleports to the places indicated on the map. However, I would – in keeping with the signage – recommend exploring on foot before hoping around via teleport (or flying – some of the more remote locations may required visitors take to the air.

Also available at the harbour are boat and flying tours of the region – the former located alongside the landing point, and the latter on the far side of the harbour, where a pictorial history of both The Pillars of Hercules and Scottie’s other Second Life works can be found.

Exploring on foot will allow visitors to discover the more historical elements in the region – such as the reproductions of famous statues from Greco-Romano history – and the more hidden places within the build – such as the walk down into Hades and across the River Styx – just beware of the Gorgon who lies in wait; or the hidden way to the Underhill Library from the water garden (and vice-versa). Signage throughout offers the opportunity for visitors to learn about Greco-Romano mythology, such as the Greek god Astraeus or Hermes / Mercury, and touch briefly on the legend of Apollo.

Throughout all of this – and in keeping with the style of the original – are multiple poseballs offering places to sit and places to float. More modern sit points and places to dance also await discovery – both above ground and under water., whilst for amateur astronomers like me (and those interested in cosmology, the Tower of Astraeus is well worth the climb (or the TP…), as the uppermost floor presents a unique planetarium-style environment – and do be sure to sit at the telescope and switch to Mouselook; and I look forward to seeing what else Scottie has planned for these parts of the build.

Rightly “old school” in looks, the return of The Pillars of Hercules to Second Life is both a welcome harkening back to the first decade of the platform’s life, and the times when prims (and in-world individual and collaborative building) ruled the roost, and also a reminder of how awkward morphing the terrain mesh could be when trying to landscape large differences in elevation – and how easier things are today thanks to rigid mesh landforms, and items such as mesh rock formations, etc.

Rich in substance and history – both in terms of the human history it enfolds and in terms of the SL history it represents, The Pillars of Hercules makes for an engaging visit.

SLurl Details

• The Pillar of Hercules (rated Moderate)

November is a notable month for many reasons; however, for budding (and some established) writers, it is National Novel Writing Month (often shortened to NaNoWriMo) – a 30-day challenge to write a novel of at least 50,000 words. The brainchild of San Francisco freelance writer Chris Baty, the project was actually first held in July 1999, but moved to November in 2000 to take advantage of the “miserable weather”.

During its first year, the project saw 21 people take part. In 2000, 140 participated, and the project gained the attention of US national press and also bloggers such that by 2001, the numbers taking part had grown to 5,000; and things snowballed from there. By 2005, the project had been registered as a non-profit organisation in the US and had gained international status with budding writers the world over participating annually.

I mention this because Kestrel Evergarden has established Come Write In – a Writer’s Retreat, a place where Second Life writers can visit, relax, hone their writing skills and develop their NaNoWriMo entry – or simply write for their own pleasure or talk writing. Occupying a cosy parcel on the north side of Heterocera, Come Write In offers numerous points of retreat, indoors and out, where writers might relax in-world and listen to the voice of their muse.

The home of a small, but growing community of writers – visitors are welcome to join the local Come Write In (CWI) group – the setting offers, in the words of its Destination Guide entry:

Private tents and communal space, games to unwind with, and an inspiring setting beautifully landscaped to call for your Muse … CWI offers prompts, resources, and more to help you reach that 50k in 30 days goal, and more.

Nor is this purely a Second Life only adventure – Come Write In is an officially recognised NaNoWriMo virtual write-in location, open to writers from outside of SL.

From the roadside landing point, CWI offers a number of indoor spaces (one of which looked to be a new development at the time of my visit) built around a deck and open-air café. Alongside of these sits a terrace space for discussions, a games area with table-top games and a winding path that winds through a landscaped setting visitors and writers alike might explore.

This meandering path wanders past a round pond fed by a stream that tumbles its way through the setting, passing under a pair of bridges which bracket the pond, before vanished into a tunnel. The path also offers access to the private tents mentioned in the DG description. These are available for short-term rental (L$50 a week, and provided with their own furnishings. These are offered for the purposes of unwinding and (again) retreats where one might exercise one’s writing muscles – or use as a place to toss around ideas with a close friend or two.

Rich in plants and wildlife, with plenty to see, CWI forms an excellent retreat for both budding writers and for those looking for a quiet, natural retreat.

SLurl Details

• Come Write In (Sprawler, rated Moderate)

Tango with Nottoo started life some three years ago as a tango dance venue occupying a Mainland parcel. The brainchild of Nottoo Wise, the club has expanded over the year, both in terms of size and offerings, and in August of 2022, it completed a move to its own Full region, where it continues the original club lounge as well as offering a range of dance venues, a movie theatre, beach, art gallery – and an eclectic mix of “hidden” attractions.

With its primary function being dance, music and entertainment, the region is styled differently to the majority of those featured in these pages, in that there is little overt terraforming within the region. Instead it present a largely flat aspect, the surface area given over to the various venues for music and dancing. Which should not be taken to mean it is without character; it’s simply that its character is invested in the venues and facilities offered.

The dance settings take multiple forms, from the main ballroom, through the outdoor Always Tango area, where – as the name implies – an opportunity to dance a tango is always available (and, for those seeking a dance partner, the opportunity to find one through the Tango with Partners group) and the venues for both blues and jazz, to the outdoor dance expo garden and the very Deco inspired outdoor dance floor.

These all share the region with the Roxy Theatre, where dance performances may be held, the Bijou movie theatre, an art gallery, a 1950’s style diner and multiple places to sit outside and relax. Chief among these are the fine dining area, the beach and and an over-the-water bayou-style bar. Dancing is available through thanks to well-placed dance machines ,and the region boasts over 300 couples dances, a Spot-on Group Dance System, male and female individual dances and even a 3-person dancer!

All of these points of interest are accessible from the main landing point – just follow the labelled paths leading away from it. The landing point also provides a wealth of information via notecard givers (and some gifts for visitors), as well as the daily schedule of events. A bicycle rezzer is available for those wishing to explore by means other than using their feet, and the Landing point is also home to one of the stations’ little railcar stations.

The  latter provides access to the region’s public “hidden” areas, sitting beneath the land and the waves. To explore them, click the railcar sign at the station and hop aboard the little two-seater car it rezzes ((if you are riding on your own, make sure you sit on the right-hand side). Take the car to start the ride, and the car will carry you through an eclectic series of settings linked by tunnels. Each setting has its own little station in the form of a barrier that will stop the car (allowing you to get out and explore) and a further rezzer (allowing you to resume your ride). Should you opt not to explore any of these settings, touch the barrier to make it raise out of the way, and your car will resume its journey.

Off to the east side of the region are two smaller islands. Accessible via jet ski, the northernmost of these islands presents a garden space open to all and, at the time of my visit, caught in the colours of autumn. south of this, the second island is a “members only” area, only accessible to those joining the Tango with Nottoo group (at no charge). Reached via a members-only teleport at the main landing point, the member’s island is one of the many benefits offered to group members – for details of the rest, check the Tango with Nottoo Member Benefits notecard available via the information board at the landing point for full details.

For anyone who loves dancing, Tango with Nottoo offers a lot, whilst the additional facilities – including the art gallery, which I barely touched upon here despite it hosing an exhibition of Milly Sharpe’s fabulous fractal art at the time of my visit – means the region has a lot to attract Second Life explorers as well.

With Nottoo being out-world for much of her time, the region is largely cared for by Mona Layla (Monalayla) – who extended an invitation to me to visit;  and Rachela Rossini – who gave her time to answer my questions during my visit as well as providing a pleasant welcome. To both of them I offer my thanks.

SLurl Details

Tango with Nottoo (Tango, rated Adult – but using Moderate rules within the public spaces)

 

I’ve missed out on a couple of recent builds by Hera (Zee9) – her builds have a habit of coming and going with some rapidity -, so when she dropped me the landmark to her October / Halloween 2022 build, I tried to hop over as soon as time permitted in the hope a write-up would reach the pages of my blog in time for others to enjoy this latest outing.

Giger Dead Venice brings together one of Hera’s poplar builds wrapped into a science-fiction / horror theme that is perfect for the season. The build in question is Venesha, Hera’s take on Venice, and which has often been a setting suggestive of dark arts, vampires, and the undead. The S-F / horror theme is that of H.R. Giger, as witnessed through the original Alien film and some of his broader work.

Reached by taking a gondola teleport from the region’s landing point, this is a again a build that is unique Hera – with the majority of the mesh elements used within it created by her and utilising over 200 new textures she also created for the build. This version of Venesha also brings with it an enlarged port area, reflecting a recent version of Venesha reworked as the port of Kar from the Gor novels – one of the builds that did not see much light of day before being removed.

In terms of the Giger re-dress, this is exceptionally well done, with a richness of references to his and his work on the Alien movie to be found throughout. In this, Giger Dead Venice – to me – surpasses Drune Giger City, her H.R.G. inspired re-working of her Drune city (see: Hera’s Drune Giger City in Second Life).

I say this because of the rich layering of motifs and in drawing out some of the more sexual aspects found in some of Giger’s work and combining them with suggestions of fetish and BDSM – at this point, I should note that aspects of this iteration of Venesha (or Venice if you prefer) might be considered somewhat NSFW.

The sexual elements are perhaps most obvious in some of the genitalia-like entrances to buildings and the phallic, umm, extensions around the base of the remodelled cathedral. However, these are not simply gratuitous, they are fully in keeping with much of Giger’s art, which often included a combinations of sexual / horror elements (just take his original drawings for the head and tail of his Xenomorph, as a basic example).

Within the cathedral are more direct references to the Alien films – face hugger eggs, sculptures of baby Xenomorphs bursting from the chests of imprisoned humans, and etchings depicting the alien and a humanoid similar to the one known as the Pilot / Space Jockey.

The cathedral is not the only interior to the buildings here. For example, to the north, the church-like building has now been replaced by a temple with a mystical star map at its heart, whilst to the south and east, within what had at one time been home to a library, sits a lounge bar that more directly combines the Giger influences with elements seen within some of Hera’s previous lounge and bar designs and BDSM and sci-fi motifs. As for the others, such as the café and bistro-style settings, I’ll leave them to you to find.

Other touches suitable for the Halloween season might also be found by the keen-eyed, offering a clever mix of the classical with that of H.P. Lovecraft, and what might be seen as a subtle commentary on the modern-day horror of right-wing “Christian” politics which puts love of the gun above love of human life.

Caught under a lurid sky that paints the setting with an otherworldly green tinge – the build really should be seen under the default EEP setting – Giger Dead Venice has much with which to commend itself to visitors and photographers. With its waterside walks, alleys, sculptures, mists and symbolism, it is one of the more imaginative “Halloween”-type settings I’ve seen this year – and definitely the most imaginative builds Hera has offered.

Hera notes that there is no strict dress code for the setting, “But latex, rubber, leather, and metal just about covers it, or not depending on your preference 🙂 .”

SLurl Details

• Giger Dead Venice (Cloud Lake, rated Adult)

Occupying a Full private region, Power Up for Charge is the Full region home of the official Second Life presence for the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation, a US 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organisation, established with the goals of promoting global awareness of, and research into the causes of, CHARGE Syndrome (see below for more); directly supporting and helping those afflicted by the syndrome and their families, including developing outreach and support to assist them and building both social and medical networks and partnerships to benefit those affected by the syndrome.

Designed by Tzeitel Enchantment, founder of power Up For Charge in SL, the the Foundation’s representative in-world, together with Tintin (AbOrigin) and artist Suzen Juel, this is a region established to help spread awareness of CHARGE Syndrome in-world and to offer Second Life residents the opportunity to support the work of the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation through donations (either L$ via the in-world tip jars or by following links to the Foundation’s donations web page).

The design of the region apparently changes every three months, and at the time of my visit it lay dressed at Outpost Camp Charge, described as an eclectic planet from which visitors might explore the outer reaches of the SL universe. In this the setting – which has little in the way of what might be regarded as “traditional” terraforming or landscaping, but which nonetheless retains an engaging look and feel – carries something of a strong Star Wars vibe, although other sci-fi franchises and films also enter into the mix.

The Stars Wars elements come in several forms, from the general architecture, with many of the buildings looking like they may have been transplanted here from places such as Mos Eisley, through the droids and ground transports waiting to the found, to the TIE Fighter roller coaster located at one end of the region as one of its several rides. Many of the buildings are places you can enter, offering bars, music venues, droid repair shops, hangers, and so on, all ready for exploration.

Mixed in with this are two redressed Starfleet Runabouts, ED-209 from Robocop, a forlorn Iron Giant, alien cafés (one of which, minus its automaton server, would look right at home if it were to pop-up in Blade Runner) and a floating lounge, and lots of art in the form of sculptures, all overseen by a giant floating brain and a whale swimming serenely through the sky.

Within all this are a couple of places that look as if they might host music events within the region – although if so, I couldn’t find any info on upcoming events; a labyrinth, a portion of the Liberty Bridge in Budapest (and which looks like it would be well at home as a part of the Batman set); experience-driven teleport disks to help people get around and – for those who find their way to it, a skyborne amusement park.

Such is the eclectic nature of the setting, offering a blow-by-blow description here is wasted: this is a setting that should be fully explored on foot and via the automatic skiffs that circulate through the region. What I will say is tat the fund-raising element to the setting is very subtle and unpressured (no kiosks leaping out at you at every turn). Equally subtle are the info boards found through the setting and which provide information on CHARGE in nice, bite-sized chunks that avoid giving any sense of information indigestion.

Needless to say, all of this is high photogenic as well as educational, making for an engaging – and worthwhile – visit.  When visiting, do note that a chat extender is in operation.

About CHARGE Syndrome

CHARGE syndrome was first described in 1979 in relation to newborn children suffering a non-random pattern of the congenital anomalies that occurs together more frequently than one would expect on the basis of chance, with the acronym being used to define the conditions: Coloboma (a hole in one of the structures of the eye), A congenital Heart defect (CHD), Choanal Atresia (a blockage of the back of the nasal passage), Retardation of growth and/or development, Genital and/or urinary abnormalities, and Ear abnormalities and deafness.

As very few newborn children exhibit 100% of these features, CHRAGE is no longer used in the diagnosis of babies suffering from the syndrome, by the name has remained in use. The syndrome occurs only in 0.1–1.2 per 10,000 live births. About two thirds of cases are due to a CHD7 mutation. It is one of the leading causes of congenital deaf-blindness in the United States.

Read more here.

About the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation

The CHARGE Syndrome Foundation was founded in 1982 in the United States, where it grew out of the Deaf-Blind Project in the Division of Genetics, University of Missouri. Since then, it has grown into one of the leading centres of expertise for research into and treatment of the syndrome and in ensuring children suffering from it receive all of the correct medical care they may require, and is active in 25 countries world-wide, with over 90% of the funds raised being channelled into directly benefiting individuals and families.

Read ore here.

SLurl and Links

• Power Up For Charge (Charge Syndrome, rated Moderate)
• CHARGE Syndrome Foundation
  • Foundation donation page
• CHARGE information at the Genetic and Rare Diseases Centre

Note: For the month of October, Elephant Island is in places dressed for the Halloween season. As such, parts of the setting may appear slightly differently to some of the images in this article, having a mix of fog, mist, pirates, ghosts, fire and other mysterious elements and items.

It was off on a tropical safari for me recently, when I decided to take a trip to Elephant Island, the latest region build by Syx Toshi and his SL partner Bryn Toshi (Bryn Bulloch).

This is an extensive setting, covering three regions –  a Full region and two Homesteads – all set to present the sense of a coastal setting on a mysterious island marked by a tall mountain range. The latter are formed by off-region surrounds which sit to the north of the three regions, giving them a north-south orientation along their combined length, the southern sides of the regions forming a sweeping arc of sand backed by tropical grassland, tress and high rocky bluffs.

At first glance this appears to suggest that with the broad expanse of water on their south sides, the three regions may be a short, easy exploration – but this is far from the case, as visitors quickly find out once they leave the welcome of the main landing point.

The latter sits on the eastern headland of Elephant Island’s curving bay, a small wharf extending over the waters of the beach from a makeshift fishing shack / welcome area where visitors can find maps of the local area showing trails that can offer a good starting point for explorations – although which route you take is entirely up to you.

What is clear from the outset is that the terrain here is clearly divided into two major parts. To the east the land rises sharply into rocky highlands cut through with a deep gorge. A giant elephant, carved from the living rock stands at the feet of these high bluffs, all four legs plants firmly on a table of rock as it looks out over the river mouth that opens from the gorge to flow past the landing point and its shack, emptying into the bay.

The majority of the paths shown on the maps wind up through these highlands, and one of these routes put me somewhat in mind of the giddying climb up Sigiriya, the magnificent  ancient rock fortress located within the Cultural Triangle of Sri Lanka, and a place I have had the good fortune to visit half-a-dozen times when visiting that country.

In this there is little in the way of direct similarity; but the manner in which the path climbs upwards, albeit it wooden in nature rather than hewn into the rock, clinging to the sides of the rock face and winding around it and passing by natural waterfalls just put me in mind of King Kashyapa’s winter and summer palaces at the bottom and top of the rock respectively.

Unlike Sigiriya, these heights are not topped by the grounds of a former great palace, but instead are given over to more tropical woodland and grasses, home to a number of local destinations, from statues to look-out point s to zip line and bridges spanning the gorge and – for those who find it – the way into secret caverns.

Across the gorge are more climbs and walkways to be found, the hilltops crowned her by a temple devoted to the Hindu god Gnash – one of a number of shrines in his honour, and fully fitting the setting’s elephant theme.

Westward from the landing point, the bay curves through and around the two homestead regions. These are in places backed by high cliffs as the bay curls westwards, before highlands once again take over. These uplands are in part home to a private residence, the path onwards either passing to the north behind the house and its garden, or along the beach before it.

Those wishing to explore further should use the north side path in other to reach the western heights – unless a wade through water isn’t minded – to reach the western heights.  These have further attractions: places to sit, another temple and so on – and its own secrets -look for the magic door. However, I’ll leave you to explore these and instead point to the Dreamd gallery.  Occupying a sky platform, this offers a selection of engaging hybrid art by Byrn – a place I’ll be covering in more depth in an upcoming Art in Second Life piece.

All I’ll say for now is that with its expansive reach, wildlife, locations and general daytime ambience (you may need to set your own EEP whilst the Halloween dressing remains in place); Elephant Island is a richly engaging setting.

SLurl Details

All three of the Elephant Island regions are rated Moderate.

• Elephant Island (Monkey Cove)