Category: Exploring Second Life

Whilst I was making my recent visits to Goatswood (see: Hera’s Goatswood returns to Second Life) and Whitby (see: Revisiting Hera’s Whitby in Second Life) on Hera’s home region, she informed me that she was working on another design, this one to occupy the Homestead of Island of Jahesa, which holder Kara Pendleton had once again kindly offers to Hera for her use. At the time, I was not expecting to hear more of the build – about which I promised not to say a word at the time – for another few weeks.

However, Hera contacted me on April 18th to let me know the build was finished – so I can now finally say that for her latest design, she brings use a place from George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire: the home of the Starks and former seat of The King In The North: Winterfell.

Sitting within a cold, sub-arctic climate with snowy winters and cool summers, its interior heat coming courtesy of the hot springs that run under its halls and buildings, Wintefell has been most famously visualised in the HBO series Game of Thrones. For that series, the castle was represented by a mix of visuals and places such as 16th century clock tower and ancient courtyard of Castle Ward and Saintfield Estates in Northern Ireland, Doune Castle, Scotland and studio-built interior sets – a broad mix of influences intended to represent the great castle fortress.

Hera takes all of this richness and transforms it in-world to a living embodiment of HBO’s vision for Winterfell. From its main gate through the high wooden turrets built atop stone towers to the walled godswood and its sacred red-leaved heart tree, passing by way of the warren-like alleys and courtyards clearly intended to confuse any enemy who breached the outer walls to leave them at the mercy of Winterfell’s defenders as they used the towers and raised walkways for defence.

Given this is a build located within a Homestead region, some of the castle has had to be condensed and the interiors are limited. Even so, Hera has created a build that captures the heart of Winterfell as seen in the TV series and gives a fair amount for visitors to explore.

From the landing point, the walls and towers of the castle can be seen rising above trees denuded of leaves as winter descends. Lights shine from the windows of the watchtowers either side of the main gates and great torches fixed to the wall illuminate the road as it reached the fortress, allowing those inside to see who approaches.

Inside the gates, visitors can step into the tavern where wall and gate guards warm and fortify themselves after a stint out in the cold before. Then, walking the outer alleyways and passages between the central keep within its connected towers and inner yards, it is possible to find the way to the courtyard and smithy where Rob Stark and Jon Snow practiced their skills with the sword, watched from above by their proud father. Outside of the main keep sits the tower of the castle’s warden within passing within it arched gate bring own to the great hall and the rooms of the Stark family and the library of the Maester and the tower where he kept his carrier crows.

Off to the north of the castle, across the sword training courtyard mentioned above, a square tower rises, guarding the route to the godswood, a path leading from the tower to where the heart tree rises. Lacking the carved face of a Weirwood tree, it is nevertheless impressive and fully captures the nature of Winterfell’s godswood as seen in the series.. Back within the castle proper it is possible to find another place of reverence: the catacombs below the castle, where Starks of the past are remembered.

At the time the HBO series first appeared, purists of the Game of Thrones book were critical as to how Winterfell was being represented compared to its descriptions in the books. Be that as it may, the exterior shots of the castle used in the show gave it a unique and striking appearance – and Hera has captured this perfectly in her work here.

More than that, she has superbly brought together what is a completely disparate group of locations in Northern Ireland and Scotland plus stage sets never intended to be seen as a whole in such a way as to present a genuine sense of wholeness and purpose for Winterfell as both a home to a proud warrior-family and as a fortress.

Designed to be seen under the region’s EEP settings created by Hera – I’ve intentionally used my own EEP settings in the photos here so as not to spoil the impact – this is another engaging and evocative build that should not be missed by anyone who appreciates Hera’s builds, fantasy or the HBO series Game of Thrones.

SLurl Details

• Winterfell (Island of Jahesa, rated Adult)

Kess Smith (Kess Crystal) recently invited me to previews that spring 2022 design for her Homestead region of Deer River ahead of its official public opening. Unfortunately, time was against me and I was unable to make a visit ahead of the opening, so I hopped over to take a look as soon as I had a couple of days to explore properly and photograph.

As its name suggests, Deer River Spring sees the region take on a spring / summer look to offer a theme Kess describes as “boho festival”. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what that means – while there are touches of the bohemian to be found within the yurts within the region, on the whole, I found the look and feel to be more North American rural rather than carrying a noticeable bohemian feel.

Which should not be taken to mean Deer River Spring in any way fails to deliver; quite the reverse in fact. It’s is a richly engaging design presenting a richly detailed, natural retreat within which there is much to see and do, surrounded by of-region hills and islands.

The most obvious route for exploration is the dirt track that loops its way around the setting. This starts and finishes at the two covered bridges that cross from the circular landing point islet located in the north-east of the region. Exactly which bridge you take to join the track is simply a matter of personal choice, as either direction will bring you to the region’s major points of interest.

For example, to the south, the track parallels the narrow ribbon of rocky sand that marks the shoreline to lasso a trio of weathered buildings within a loose loop. Between them, the buildings form a fish market (the produce presumably delivered by the fishing boat lying just offshore), a garage / filling station and a café with a trellised outdoor seating area.

To the west, meanwhile, the track will take people past a rugged festival field occupying the northern sweep of the island and which is clearly intended as a festival / music space. It is home to two of the yurts to be found within the region, one offered as an “art station” and the other a “zen station” and both open to visitors. Continuing beyond the field, the track turns more southwards to reach a long wooden bridge that runs along a deep pool of water. This is fed from multiple falls dropping from an arc of blocky cliffs at the edge of the region, the bridge passing over the water to region the track as it turns to meet with its southern arm below the steps of a craggy hill that rises to the south-west.

Stone steps have been set against the rocky side of this hill to provide a way up to where a cobbled path has been set out over the grass and which lead to a little wooden cabin. Perhaps it is owned by whoever runs the fish store / café / garage; perhaps it is a place set aside as a little retreat. It’s certainly cosy and has a welcoming meal set out on the front veranda, while the horses grazing close by are clearly unconcerned by any visitors the cabin brings to itself.

Beyond it, more steps have been laid to give access to both a secluded meadow set out with a small deck and open fire and a high platform extending out from the western cliffs to offer a look-out point covering a channel between the surrounding hills.

The southern end of the region lays screened behind a curtain of trees, the path through them marked by a fence and a sign that warns it leads to the island’s two rentals, so informing visitors that privacy should be respected when passing through the trees. The rentals (intended for short-term stays at L$250 a day) sit within their own grounds, each with its own view. However, it is not their location that makes them interesting, it is the fact that they are also yurts, and within each of their comfortable cylinders that the bohemian aspect of the region is fully in evidence.

While the track looping through the setting has been rutted by the passage of wheels and the odd car and light goods vehicle can be found here and there, the preferred ways for getting around the region is on foot, horseback or bicycle. For the latter two, a Teagle horse rezzer can be found at the landing point and a bicycle rezzer close by the café. Those who have wearable horses / bikes can opt use those. Nor are the tracks the only marked routes across the island; cobbled paths offer alternate routes, whilst the spine of the island forms a sinuous grassy hill that makes for a gentle walk with views across the land.

Throughout all of this are multiple places for people to sit and pass the time, from the cabin on the hill and the deck and look-out point nearby, to the little ice cream truck sitting in the lee of the hill through to swings hanging from trees and desks built over the waters of the river, and more. Finished with an ambient soundscape and with its own wildlife and waterfowl waiting to be spotted, Deer River Spring has much to commend itself to the Second Life explorer and to the photographers among us (joining the local group confers rezzing rights for those needing photo props – but please remember to clean up after yourself!).

SLurl Details

Deer River Spring (NewMoon, rated Moderate)

April saw some excitement / concern over the future of one of the longest-running public spaces in Second Life, when news surfaced that Japanese Tempura Island looked set to close its doors. Calls were made for Something To Be Done – and fortunately, the Lab was able to step in and add the region to its growing list of spaces preserved under its Second Life Region Preservation Society (SLRPS) banner.

I confess that while I’ve visited Japanese Tempura Island on numerous occasions in the past, I’ve never actually blogged about it. The main reason for this is because during those visits (back in around 2010-2013), the system I had just couldn’t handle the load, and while my present system has the “umph”, I have to admit that it fell off of my “destination radar”. However, while the recent news has brought the region sharply back into focus, I’m actually not going to blog about it now; I’ll reserve that for a future article.

Instead I’m going to focus on another Tempura region – the Tempura Project. Initiated at the time when Japanese Tempura Island’s future was in doubt, the aim of the project was initially to offer a setting that emulated the original’s look and feel (whilst using mesh to replace some of the original’s older prim elements) and preserve all that made the original so popular among Second Life residents.

The project has been led by Tribish Tammas, whom I first got to know through The Muse region (see: Finding The Muse in Second Life and A new Muse in Second Life for more), and while the original is now being preserved, by the time this was confirmed by Linden Lab, more than 70% of the region had been completed.  As a result, the team decided to push ahead and complete the first stage of their work.

From day one it was never meant to be a duplicate of tempura but take the elements that made it such a peaceful place to relax. So people will have the classic version and something a bit more up to date to choose from 🙂 . Our focus is on places to relax with people you care with. Also great for taking photos. Certain elements are fixed in place – the bridge, tai chi , meditation, and the ball room; others will evolve over time. Hence the project name.

– Tribish Tammas

Given the original goals of the project as stated above, and the fact so much of the work had been completed prior to the original coming under the protection of Linden Lab, it should come as no surprise that Tempura Project does reflect the original in general look and feel. However, this does not mean the Project should be in any way dismissed. If there is one thing that has been noticeable with SLRPS is the fact that, as good as the project is in preserving regions, it actually does little to retain their original broader functions and the activities that were once organised within them (an example of this can be see with the SS Galaxy, once a healthy venue for events from weddings to mini-golf to skydiving and clay pigeon shooting contests and so on).

As such, Tempura Project is designed to be a living space, evolving in reflection of the uses to which it is put by visitors and the suggestions they pass on for possible additions and activities that are in keeping with the overall aims for the setting.

Those familiar with the original will recognise the inspiration for the landing point, bridge and dance hall, together with the two small islands bracketing the bridge. The latter continue to offer tai chi to one side, while the other round island sits as a Zen garden set out for yoga. The great hall might not be as big and impressive as the original, but it holds its own secrets beneath its dance floor that offer opportunities for swimming, message, the luxury of a steam room and more.

This is not the only underground element to the setting – but finding the other will take a little ingenuity. All I’ll say is: look for the wall with the Tempura mural. Elsewhere, much of the landscape retains the look of the original but is also smoother and a lot “cleaner” in form; much of the glow that permeates the original is absent from Tempura Project, and I feel that this is to the better. The landscape also offers more in the way of seating and cuddle spots waiting to be found by explorers. Elsewhere – and also awaiting discovery by the keen-eyed – is an underwater walk, whilst the wizard’s house offers both an excellent view over the lake to the grand bridge and forms a further cosy retreat.

With enough of its own touches combined with those aspects reflecting Japanese Tempura Island, the Tempura Project offers an engaging alternative to the original, the features unique to it clearly adding to its appeal. Given the popularity of the original, and the fact it has always tended to remain constant, rather than gently evolving, Tempura Project may well offer those looking for a quieter sense of relaxation with the tonic they are seeking.

My thanks to Eliza Cabassoun for first informing me about Tempura Project. Note that the images here are not using the region’s sunset EEP setting.

SLurl Details

• Tempura Project (Sweety Bay, rated Moderate)

The house on my right was a colossal affair by any standard–it was a factual imitation of some Hôtel de Ville in Normandy, with a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy, and a marble swimming pool and more than forty acres of lawn and garden. It was Gatsby’s mansion.

– “Nick Carraway” in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby

These are the words that strolled through my head when I came across the Destination Guide entry for the current build at One More Light’s home region in Second Life. Even before reading the accompanying text, the image for the entry had me leaping to thoughts of the palatial West Egg home of the enigmatic Jay Gatsby in Long Island and the focal point for much of what occurs in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s enduring novel.

So you can imagine my pleasure when on arriving in the region I found the primary building within it – a grand hotel – named for Fitzgerald’s ultimately tragic character. However, this is not a further take (for there have been several in SL) on the novel or any of the films it has inspired, but rather a vacation and events venue established to offer visitors a taste of the roaring 1920s and the opportunity to help raise funds for RFL of SL’s 2022 season.

As a Relay for Life of Second Life (RFL of SL) team, One More Light were the recipients of the 2021 Spirit of Relay award, and Gatsby’s is their latest themed fund-raiser for RFL.

Within the setting, you can not only be transported back to the 1920s in style, but you can also book a room at the hotel during its main fund-raising period (which opens on May 5th and runs through until May 15th, 2022), and be free to make use of the hotel’s facilities and attend the various events being held throughout that period (and which are also open to the public at large – as is the the hotel and its grounds, outside of the rooms and suites for guests).

Wearing 1920s regalia is not a stated requirement for visitors, I would suggest those opting to stay at the hotel might be advised to do so, and period costume can also help immerse casual visitors to the setting – something that is helped by the novel approach to getting to the hotel.

Rather than dropping people in front of or within the hotel, the landing point delivers visitors to a road tunnel below the hotel. Here, a period car can be rezzed and used to drive up to the hotel. The car may be a British MG Roadster dating from the 1950s, but it suits the mood of the setting and offers a nice touch.

Emerging from the tunnel, the road presents itself as a cobbled coastal way running along the shore of Long Island beneath a bright summer sky. It would have perhaps have been nice to see the “weather-beaten cardboard bungalow” Carraway stayed in as one sweeps around the long curve of road that ends at the entrance to the hotel, but again: this isn’t intended to be a take on the book itself; Gatsby is simply a title by which to evoke the period – although that didn’t stop me looking for possible links (real or imagined!) to Fitzgerald’s novel.

Cars can be parked in the walled and fountained courtyard below the hotel proper, where a trio of period vehicles already sit. Note that one of these is a prize in a raffle to help with the hotel’s goal of raising funds for One More light and RFL, and has been donated by Surplus Motors.

Up the steps from the car park sits the hotel’s main building. Whilst not a great stone-built edifice in the style of Gatsby’s mansion, this wood-face giant shares some common elements with its namesake; the frontage either side of the entrance has what appears to be relatively young ivy climbing the walls, intended to evoke a feeling of age, for example. The grounds sit as a mix of formal and informal gardens and lawns, whilst the rear wings of the main building embrace a terrace suitable for hosting the overspill of a grand party such as Gatsby was renowned for throwing – even if he rarely participated.

The ground floor of the hotel holds the majority of the public spaces: the reception, lounge, restaurant, bar, coffee house, gentleman’s billiard room and indoor pool. The floors above offer as range of rooms and suites that can be reserved via the booking form noted above. At the time of my visit, an art gallery looked to be in the process of being set-up, the doors from which providing a means to access a terrace on the north side of the hotel that spans the gap between it and a grand galleried theatre, complete with stage and ideal for hosting events.

For me, a further touch of Fitzgerald’s story can be found towards the rear of the hotel. Below the winged terrace, and reached via twin stairs, said a lido and swimming pool. While an inviting and charming setting, it carries with it faint echoes of (particularly) of the climatic scene with Robert Redford’s Gatsby in Jack Clayton’s 1974 film. This is made all the more poignant for those looking for elements of the book (again, I would emphasise, such are not the focus of the setting, but rather nice-to-find hints – whether intentional or otherwise – for those who do enjoy the story) is the little pier extending away from the grass and beach below the pool. Looking at it, I could almost imagine Gatsby standing there, wistfully looking out to where the green lit of the Buchanan‘s dock light blinks.

But whether or not you are a fan of the book (and / or its multiple film versions), the Gatsby Hotel makes for photo a worthwhile visit for photography and for helping to raise funds for RFL of SL.  Congrats to Lily, Abigail and the One More Light team for their hard work.

SLurl Details

• One more Light: Gatsby Hotel (Magical Garden, rated Moderate)

In October 2021, Hera (zee9) opened a setting inspired by the historic English port of Whitby, Yorkshire and the role it played in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It was a rich setting, deeply evocative of the tale of Stoker’s Dracula, Victorian Gothic horror and the period’s fascination with death, the afterlife and immortality; and I wrote about it at the time (see: Visiting Dracula’s Whitby in Second Life), although such is Hera’s creativity, the town folded into the mists of time to make way for another of her designs.

However, for those who missed it back then, I’m pleased to say that Whitby is back once more, and Hera is hoping to leave it and Goatswood standing for longer this time around whilst she works on another setting. As I visited Goatswood a few days ago (and writing about its return in Hera’s Goatswood returns to Second Life), I hopped back to have another tour of Hera’s Whitby, keen to see what had changed.

As I noted by in my 2021 article, Hera’s Whitby is not so much drawn upon from the real place – although it does touch upon aspects of the town (such as its history as a whaling port, the presence of the great abbey ruins, the long climb up to its location overlooking the Esk river valley, and so on) – but more from the fictional world of the legend of Dracula.

However, what I perhaps hadn’t appreciated at that time was the manner in which Hera’s build had been influenced by Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 film Dracula. The fault in not noting this back in October 2021 was purely mine rather than any lack of clarity on Hera’s part; I confess the film is something I’ve largely blotted from memory due to the complete miscasting of Keanu Reeves in the role of Jonathan Harker.

But Reeves’ performance aside, the slant towards the film gives the setting an interesting twist, as do the ways in which Hera has altered this iteration from her October 2021 build.

Take for example, the manor house occupying the hilltop near the abbey ruins. In the first iteration of the setting, this leant more towards the actual manor house said to have been built from stone taken from the ruins of the abbey; here it has been replaced by a structure intended to evoke Boleskine House, the one-time residence of Aleister Crowley. Also, the famous church sitting alongside the Abbey ruins has completely gone, now replaced by a Saxon ship burial mound.

Whilst the original Boleskine House once stood on the south-east side of Loch Ness, its relocation to Hera’s Whitby is not entirely out-of-place. In his time Crowley was (among other things) a noted occultist and ceremonial magician – themes not entirely removed from the ideas of mysticism, immortality, black arts and magic that tend to get bound up with stories of Dracula and vampires. Similarly, the ship burial cavern isn’t entirely out-of-place given the Esk estuary was home to an Anglo-Saxon community (and indeed, the town was the home to the first known Anglo Saxon monk, Cædmon).

Elsewhere, this version of Whitby maintains direct links with the original build. Down on the waterfront one can still find the Spouter Tavern (celebrating Whitby’s links to whaling), and just down the street from it still sits the funeral parlour named for Madame Helen Blavatsky, whose thinking and writing did much to elevate matters of the occult, spiritualism and life and death amongst Victorians, and so may have indirectly influenced Stoker in his writing.  Meanwhile, at the back of the manor house and through its gardens, what might have been Lucy’s tomb once again awaits visitors.

The setting also retains its atmospheric EEP settings – although I’ve intentionally used day settings here, so please make sure you have your viewer set to Use Shared Environment to fully appreciate Hera’s work. As well as suiting the vampiric theme of the setting, it gives Whitby a touch of the Lovecraftian; a rich mysticism with and added sense of the unknown.

There is also a wealth of detail awaiting discovery here, from the streets of the town to the catacombs beneath the Abbey ruins. In this, visitors should pay particular attention to the manor house, which has a wealth of detail that both builds on the setting’s theme and reflects the life of Aleister Crowley (up to and including his presence on the dining room wall). Do note that these touches are not limited to the rooms within the manor; there are also some to be found under it and within the gardens to the rear of the house.

As with Goatswood, this iteration of Whitby is reached from the region’s landing point, dressed now as a railway station. Just take the red train by clicking in the open carriage door, and you’ll be whisked to Whitby’s little railway station. From here it is possible to either walk down into the town or up to the abbey and manor. While it is not required, I would suggest going to the former first, then climbing the steps up to the abbey from there; it helps capture some of the feel of the physical Whitby, and allows you to become more immersed in Hera’s setting.

Those visiting are further invited to dress for a visit if they so desire – Victorian, vampire or steampunk (Whitby town is home to regular Steampunk Weekends) – but this is not mandatory.

SLurl Details

• Goatswood / Whitby Landing Point (Cloud Lake, rated Adult)

A labour of love that was created during a time of healing and personal growth. It symbolizes new beginnings and hopes for a better future. The destination is open for all to enjoy and is the perfect place to relax alone or with a loved one.

– SL Destination Guide entry for Anyas Awakening

I was led to Anyas Awakening after reading the above description within the Destination Guide recently; it struck me as so heartfelt that I had to pay a visit – and found a setting that is utterly engaging in its mix of natural beauty, mystique and fantasy.

Occupying a Homestead region, Anyas Awakening appears to sit under a night-time setting (or at least, that’s how I found it during separate visits each lasting a couple of hours apiece, promoting me to use my preferred daytime setting for the photos seen here). The landing point lies to the north of the region where a large gazebo sits within a forest glade. A note card giver lies between it and the archway leading to the rest of the setting, although at the time of my visits, it was not responding to being touched.

The trees around the landing point give the first hint as to the wooded nature of the rest of the region. A path runs down under the arch of the landing point to where it joins a trail crossing the region in a north-east / south-west orientation. Across this trail from the landing zone’s path there rise a set of steps leading up to a raised glade sitting at the base of high cliffs.

Running due south, the glade ends in another set of steps offering the way to where the ruins of a church stand, and aged courtyard to one side and a paved path that turns east to where a bridge spans the waters at the edge of the main island to reach a smaller one that serenely floats above the water, another place of worship or celebration that carries a unique human / elven mix that makes it an attractive destination.

Whilst it may once have been a place of worship, the church now looks to be used as a place of calm retreat and music; a garden of peace and calm where doves and deer have gathered. A piano sits within the ruins as a haven for butterflies, while candles reflect their light in a polished mirror.

More ruins lie within the mid-level glade below the old church and also atop a rise at the north-east end of the main trail, where they can be reached by a further set of steps.

These latter ruins also contain a sense of peace and retreat, a swing hanging from one of the stone arches facing the carved figure for the forest goddess. Her form can also be found at the south-west of the trail, where she stands over the waters of a pool fed from falls that drop from a horseshoe curtain of cliffs.

Within this simple description there is much more waiting to be found; from swings to seats to walks among the trees, while statues and carved figures, together with lights strung within the branches of shrubs and trees add to the setting’s mystique. Wherever one roams, the woods are rich in the sound of bird song, while deer keep an eye on all the comings and goings and the sound of piano music drifts on the breeze from the church (five options are available from the piano, but perhaps the most well suited piece in Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata).

I’ve no idea quite what Anya experienced that led her to create Anyas Awakening – and I’m not about to pry; knowing isn’t important. What matters is the fact that the setting she has created offers a most serene and refreshing retreat, rich in detail and form, with opportunities for photography aplenty. For those wanting to spend time in quiet contemplation, reflection or simply regathering their wits, I can think of no better place in which to do so.

SLurl Details

• Anyas Awakening (Palila, rated Moderate)