Category: Reviews

At the start of the year I made a return visit to WQNC, an iteration of the Wo Qui Non Coin region design by Maasya I first visited in September 2021. With the end of 2022 approaching, Shawn Shakespeare suggested I make a return and witness the current version of the setting, which has relocated since my January 2022 visit, and downsized to a Homestead region. Not that the downsizing makes a difference; Maasya has a talent for creating captivating settings, and whilst this one may well be within a Homestead, that certainly remains true. In fact, I would suggest that it is perhaps a design that speaks closely to her self-described isolationist nature.

The setting takes the form of an east-west oriented island, a slender finger of rock rising from the surrounding seas, cut almost all the way through by a canyon, the western end of which blocked by a high table of rock, and what would otherwise by the open eastern end partially enclosed by a high-rise apartment building of indeterminate age. It is at the foot of this high-rise that visitors initially find themselves, standing knee-deep in tidal waters lapping a small beach. This gives the impression of literally having just arrived – whether by boat or by swimming or simple luck on having survived some event, is hard to tell. However, the overall design of the location does suggest some form of apocalyptic upheaval may have taken place.

A tunnel passes under the foot of the apartment building to provide access to the canyon beyond. A teleport sign is mounted on one wall of this tunnel; at the time of my first visit, this provided access to the skybox, but on my return visit it appeared to have restricted access, as attempting to use it left me floating in the air within the tunnel. Beyond the tunnel, a path winds through the canyon – a street winding through tall buildings backed against the rock walls of the natural canyon, such that they form their own man-made gorge. Neon and LED lights glow from street lamps and signs on the buildings and signs, some of which are mounted on metal poles to span the width of the road like latter-day Torii gates – much of the signage suggests this island street lies somewhere amidst the string of islands which make up the nation of Japan.

Follow the path to its western end, and the rock walls close to a narrow stair leading upwards, the bottom end marked by a traditional Torii gate. Ancient-looking lamps (fitted with LED or neon illumination) light the steps as they climb to the western table of rock to where a shrine is guarded by a pair of stone kitsune. Quite where the power for the lights is coming from is a mystery as this is hardly a bustling thoroughfare; the buildings are heavy in vines, shrubs have claimed ledges and windowsills and also the rooftops – together with the odd tree have claimed. Thus, there is a sense of this strange location having been deserted a long time ago – although quite why is for your own imagination to determine; to me, there is a hint of a global catastrophe having overtaken a city (or the world), leaving this enclosed alley with its cliffs of buildings as the sole survivor of a drowned township.

The sense of mystery prevalent throughout the setting is added to by the ambient sound system;  a distant sound of electronic drumming reverberates through the air, mixing here and there with echoes of music coming from somewhere – including one decidedly season tune. Also mixed in with the hissing crackle of electrical shorts from fallen power lines. Alongside of this is a sense of isolation and separation, as if this might be the last remnant of civilisation. In this, and as noted above, the setting might be seen as a reflection of Maasya’s nature; her Profile defines her as someone preferring her own company, and perhaps not overly friendly towards strangers. This is something I can actually attest to, having been summarily banned from the region (without much of a prior warning) as a result of standing still for too long whilst taking photos during my visit; so I would advise visitors to keep on the move, just in case!

Outside of this (while at the same time keeping it in mind), the region is as photogenic and eye-catching as Maasya’s previous builds and well worth witnessing.

SLurl Details

• WQNC (Blue Reef, rated Moderate)

From time-to-time in these pages I’ve asserted that holding a complete region, be it Full or Homestead, is not a prerequisite to being able to design a setting which can be opened for public enjoyment. What matters is not the size of the land held, but the creativeness in using it, and I’ve offered numerous examples of this through these pages: parcels within a region which have been carefully and lovingly curated to present an engaging and inviting place to visit.

Another example of such a location is November Rain, a 4096 sq metre parcel sitting within a Full region, and in which Semina (Semiiina) – Sem to her friends and fans – has established a cosy, atmospheric setting where people can come, explore,  take photos and listen to music.

Come and explore the autumn themed café: November Rain. Grab an umbrella, take lots of pictures and meet new friends. Curl up with a hot drink in the Café and listen to live music and the sound of autumn rain.

November Rain About Land

I was alerted to the café’s existence by reader Morgana Carter, who IM’d me the SLurl and a note after my recent piece on three Mainland cafés (see The coffee houses of Heterocera in Second Life), suggesting it might be a suitable addition to that series. Whilst clearly not on the Mainland, after visiting November Rain, I had to agree that the setting did deserve being written about (in fact, I’m not alone in this, given the location has recently been featured in the official blog).

Located on a sky platform, this is a setting that doesn’t need a lot of description in terms of exploring and looking out from things; it is small enough to get around easily, and the focal point is obviously the café in terms of where to go.  What I will say is the to appreciate the setting fully, visitors should used the local environment settings (menu World → Environment → Used Shared Environment).

This is because November Rain is richly atmospheric, the environment settings reinforcing the sense of the month in the Northern Hemisphere, a time when autumn is definitely on the wane, the days are shortening and darkening, the weather is on the turn with rain and leaden skies – but there is also a promise of winter and the romance of snow and starry skies lies just over the horizon, complete with cups of hot chocolate and roaring fires.

The stone-built café sits at the end of a gate path winding through the surrounding trees.  A large sign to one side of the landing point offers links to the expected info on the setting, its guidelines and the opportunity to join the local events group. A link to a calendar of events is also provided, although at the time of my visit this appeared to be largely devoid of dates. Still in bloom, the woodlands around the café offer and assortment of details to discover: a fox curled up sleep here, a reindeer with antlers strung with lights there, a vixen with her cubs sheltering from the rain falling from the evening sky, cats playing on the front porch…

Inside, the two rooms of the café offer a warm and decidedly cosy setting, the first room offering couch seating and the café’s serving counter with a rich selection of cakes and drinks suitable for the festive season. More seating can be found in the second room, together with a stage for live music sessions and a small dance area underneath the skylight. For those who like the outdoors, a table and chairs can be found under a parasol next to the front door to the café, while back among the trees is a romantic little hideaway.

Compact, rich in detail with plenty of opportunities for photography (limited rezzing available to group members, but please pick up after yourself if you make use of it). November Rain is a delightful visit.

SLurl Details

• November Rain (Vitamina, rated Adult)