Category: Reviews

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)