Category: Reviews

Sitting within the north-eastern quarter of a Full region leveraging the private region Land Capacity bonus, sits the Realm of Ihrydia. The work of Second Life partners Kal and Lily Shade, it presents a ground-level setting open to exploration, and a sky platform event and store location.

The Landing Point (not enforced) lies on the east coast, where information on the setting can be obtained via a notecard giver, and the teleport station up to the Duplexity store and event space can be found – which I’ll touch on below. The Landing Point recommends the use of the local Shared Environment, and I’d agree with it; the setting as a somewhat ethereal feel to it which is enhanced by the ambient environment settings.

Welcome to the ethereal realm of Ihrydia, nestled amidst towering trees and shimmering glades, the land beckons adventurers and seekers of magic to explore its hidden mysteries.

Here, the air is alive with the hum of arcane energies, and every leaf holds the promise of discovery. Wander through enchanted groves where time seems to stand still, or lose yourself in the labyrinthine paths that wind through the heart of the forest.

– From the description of Ihrydia by lily and Kal Slade

A path winds inland from the Landing Point, almost immediately branching as it does so, one arm almost doubling back on itself. It leads to stone steps that curve gently as they climb a rocky promontory, guiding visitors up to a great stone tower topped by a circular room. The climb to this room is eased by the fact that touching the door at the base of the tower will TP you upwards, depositing you in the fire-warmed room and amidst its mysteries.

Getting down from the tower might at first seem a little harder: for no obvious door or stair presents itself. However, those who look to the hearth and press may find the way to return to the ground as intended.

The tower stands at the end of a line of hills marching the north coast until they reach the parcel’s western boundary. Whilst perhaps not the easiest climb from their eastern extent, these hills are home to points of interest and are more easily traversed from their western end. This can be reached by following the second arm of the track leading away from the Landing Point track as it winds its way from the shore and passing by way of a cottage built into the bole of a tree, and stair leading to the highlands along the south side of the Realm, arriving at a great hall.

Of grand design, the hall mixes influences – elven, Norse (Mjölnir sits outside the main doors), Grecian, and Medieval – and is guards by a young warrior woman, Nylathria, who is non too keen on talking! The the right of this great hall, the path rises to the hills mentioned above, marking the start of the easiest way to explore them. To the Hall’s left the path leads to both a memorial garden / burial area to the rear of the building, and to a large cavern of light, flowers and water which in turn leads to a hidden garden tuck between the south side uplands and the sheer cliffs of the parcel boundary.

Ihrydia welcomes all who yearn for a connection with nature and a taste of the mystical. Whether you seek tranquility in the embrace of ancient oak trees, seek knowledge in the archives of the elven sages, or simply wish to marvel at the beauty of a land untouched by time.

– From the description of Ihrydia by lily and Kal Slade

Reached via the broad stairs noted earlier, these southern uplands are most keenly elven in influence. On the lower of two plateaux, and directly overlooking the Landing Point trail, is a grand elven hall (a design by Compulsion Overdrive I’ve long admired). Guarded by stone Cerberus and fantastical beings, it is open to visitors to appreciate, just as is the great hall.

Upon the upper plateau is a citadel and garden, beautiful ethereal in looks and wreathed in tranquillity. It is within this garden that a further teleport portal can be found, also offering a way up to Duplexity, Kal’s PBR store selling a range of furnishings, décor, lighting, etc., all within an environment within is both futuristic (using one of Colpo Wexler’s buildings as its base design), as well as continuing the more mystical look and feel of the ground level in the surrounding grounds, within which the small events area can be found.

With several places to sit neatly tucked away (or out in the open!), hints of the magical and the mysterious, together with touches of the present: Christmas desserts in the gazebo, a steaming hot tub within the citadel, and with plenty of opportunities for photography, Realm of Ihrydia makes for an engaging, fantasy-oriented visit.

SLurl Details

• Realm of Ihrydia (Regality, rated Adult)

 

Drone Haven is a full region under group holding – led by Cate Infinity – and designed and built by Myrdin Sommer, who invited me over to have a look around just ahead of the region’s official opening on January 25th, 2025.

The setting presents as what might be regarded as a post-apocalyptic environment: a city being reclaimed by nature, humankind’s time having passed – but life of various forms has not entirely deserted it, and the streets and building are not entirely deserted.

In this, perhaps the best way to describe the setting is to use Cate’s own words:

Drone Haven, a long-abandoned city, stands as a haunting reminder of humanity’s fleeting importance, where rusted skyscrapers and overgrown ruins bear witness to nature’s quiet reclamation. Amidst the decay, drones roam like spectral caretakers, performing their programmed rituals of planting flora, symbolizing the paradox of human ambition and nature’s enduring dominance. This poignant landscape reflects the fragile balance of resilience and collapse, a testament to the inevitability of energy’s finite cycle and the enduring power of nature.

– Drone Haven description

To say this is a region packed to gills would be an understatement; there really is a lot to see, indoors and out. This being the case, I would perhaps suggest using a moderate draw distance to help ease the amount of data being sent to the viewer from the CDN at any given time; also, given the general design of the region, a high draw distance really isn’t required.

An example of the content awaiting discovery can be seen within the motel. Overlooked by the local elevated railway, this is a place where every room is furnished and has a story to tell – including hints to suggest not all the humans have necessarily departed the city.

Exploration of the setting can be done in a number of ways: on foot or following the various roads or by hopping on one of the tour bot cars, or by using the street signs which function as teleport boards allowing you to hop directly to places like the motel, the church, the bot shop (Futura Bots), the events area, and so on.

Another aspect of the setting is the degree of integration between the audio stream (when events are not in session) and the setting; the music within the audio streams is highly atmospheric and fits the environment perfectly – and I understand from Cate that it  includes quirky “ads” inspired bey the setting’s billboards – although I admit I did not hear any during my visit.  Also awaiting discovery are the many places to sit and pose / interactive elements (such as the animation booths).

The drones mentioned in the region’s description are to be found throughout the city, with several models available for purchase at Futura Bots, for those so inclined. Going about their business along the streets and at various places of business, the drones are one of the two most numerous populations within the city – the other being the local cats.

As well as the motel showing possible signs of continued human habitation, other signs that humans are may not be entirely absent from the city. Just take the survivalist camp, for example, complete with a dormitory taking the form of a remnants of a submarine.

To mark the region’s opening, Drone Haven / The Refuge team will be playing host to a 12-hour music festival commencing at 11:00 SLT on Saturday, January 25th, with 1-hour DJ sets running every hour through until 23:00 SLT, and all are welcome.  The dress code for the event is given as  Apocalyptic / Robotic / Futuristic / Survivalist.

Richly set and with the promise of future music events after the opening, Drone Haven is a captivating, visually engaging and photogenic – and I thoroughly recommend a visit.

SLurl Details

• Drone Haven (TheRefuge, rated Moderate)

l’Oree des lumieres (Dawn of Lights) occupies half of a Full Adult region leveraging the additional Land Capacity allowance, and was recently featured in the Destination Guide.

Design by Lisa Rose (lisabellia), it is a French-focused region offering a rich mix of themes, music and whimsy – a place which should be seen using its Shared Environment and with local sounds enabled (both essential for capturing the full ambience of the setting).

Dawn of Lights: the destination of all your dreams. Come and discover this magical place where all dreams are allowed, relax and have a good time with each other.

– l’Oree des lumieres Destination Guide entry

With an east-to-west orientation, the setting features its main Landing Point (not enforced) to the west, sitting on a small island it shares with the ruins of a small abbey. From here, the route of exploration is marked by a number of trails passing across the landscape, making find your way around a matter of following each of them and seeing where they might lead.

As well as offering routes of exploration, these paths also break the setting up into a number of vignette-like areas, each with its own notable elements, separated from the rest by the paths and yet flowing together as a whole. The largest of these is the large pond sitting towards the east end of the setting, around which one of the tracks loops, and where the gardens are rich in colour and light.

On the north side of this pond is a glass palace; a place which, going by the menus at the tables there, might well be suited to wedding lunches, the large swallows within it notwithstanding.  In this, the swallows are not the only animals and creatures to be found here, the setting being the home to a number of fae folk throughout as well as winged horses, centaurs, mermaids, giant butterflies – most of these are living, while others are celebrated in sculpture.

Beyond the pond and tucked behind a rocky wall cut through with a single entrance hole, sits a fairy garden and village cloaked by the spring boughs of the trees overhead, and above which a flying whale slowly circles and upon which visitors might sit. It is somewhat mirrored to the west by another garden rich in colour and flowers.

Throughout the setting are numerous places to sit and pass the time – and here again is where I strongly recommend having local sounds enabled, as the music here really is a part of the entire environment, offered through various objects found within the various vignettes.  There are other little secrets to be found – the wizard’s hideaway, the tunnel winding through the hills.

A further secret lies in the skies, although the way up to it is relatively easy to find as is lies between the glass palace and the pond. It takes the form of a teleport disc and sitting on it will lift you up to the local night club. Futuristic in form, yet carrying echoes of the more spiritual elements of the ground-level setting, the club is warm in look and tones. I’m not sure as to any events schedule for 2025, but I assume notices of any being held are publicised through the setting’s free-to-join Group.

As with so many settings of this kin in SL, there is much that could be written about l’Oree des lumieres, but really – and genuinely – the best way to appreciate it is not through words or pictures, but in visiting and experiencing it.

SLurl Details

l’Oree des lumieres (Silver Island, rated Adult)

Update, February 21st, 2025: Note the clubs mentioned below have relocated.

I recently had the pleasure of dropping into Stardew Meadows, a Full region leveraging the Land Capacity bonus. Split into four primary parcels, the region is home to a burgeoning music community, being the home of three individual venues – [Refuge], Deep Box and La Fée Verte.

While all three clubs are highly individual in look and feel, their owners – Benny Vortex of [Refuge], BookaB of Deep Box and Babe Whimsy of La Fée Verte (or absinthe, if you prefer) – share a vision of community, and music and work co-operatively to allow this to happen. During my visit, both Benny and Booka tour me on a tour of their clubs (Babe has been caught with matters in the physical world, and so wasn’t available), and answer my questions – my thanks to both for doing so.

[Refuge] Offers a PBR-rich environment on two levels. On the ground it offers a swamp environment, tall swamp cypresses courtesy of Cube Republic raise an umbrella of foliage over the circular wetlands. To the east, the trees part to offer an opening to the sea whilst at the centre of the grove atop a flat plug of rock sits the lower-level [Refuge].

This takes the form of a large tropical cabin (via Cory Edo), an upper floor glass dancefloor suspended from the upper deck of the club building. Events at [Refuge] are Euro-centric in time, taking place every Saturday at 04:00 SLT (12:00 noon UK; 13:00 CET). At the time of my visit, the ground level pace was a little bare – but benny was still in the process of setting-up – while the swamp offers numerous little spots awaiting discovery, including a fine dining space within the bole of one of the trees. Do watch out for the alligators, however!

Whilst visiting, Benny offered me the chance to visit the [Refuge] sky venue. This is again a PBR setting and wonderfully minimalist; the dark walls, floors and ceiling contrasted by the white fluorescent lighting. The result is chiaroscuro in effect; a place of contrasts stark in their extreme. Yes, it gives the setting a dark tone when seen using the intended shared environment, but this is entirely intentional.

I thought I would do something a little less avatar focused, because we all know people like to look at their avatars; so I hope it encourages conversations over just cam-perving folk. 

– Benny Vortex, owner of [Refuge]

Moving between the two settings within [Refuge]  will be via teleporter; this is not currently open to all, as the sky venue does not officially open until February 9th, 2025, when Niccolo Ellisson hosts an event. However, when it is open, visitors will initially arrive in a white mist, the club revealing itself as they walk through it, and teleporting back to ground level will be by jumping into the arms of an Animesh character.

Across the bridge from [Refuge] is BookaB’s Deep Box.

Presenting a more tropical-feeling environment compared to [Refuge], this is again a venue in two parts. On the ground level and within the rotunda of a large greenhouse, the first venue presents a central dancefloor surrounded by seating areas. Some of the seats are hanging, allowing them to combine with the lush vegetation hanging from the ceiling and lighting rigs and the general décor to offer a unique ambience perfectly lit under the Shard Environment. A teleport disk located behind the DJ’s booth presents the way up to the Deep Box sky venue.

The latter continues many of the themes found in the rotunda, expanding on them to mix-in elements suggestive of rainforests, and tribal heraldry in an intoxicating mix, the eye being drawn to almost every corner.  The entire feeling is less impersonal club space and more that of a shared social space: somewhere to feel comfortable and safe within; a place for sharing with friends. And friendships and community very much lies at the heart of Deep Box.

Deep Box is five years old now. We stick to our style in music and I think that’s what people like; it so special with the community here, friendly people and very good DJs. We operate every Sunday from 03.30 to 08.30 SLT within the ground venue, and every Friday 10.30 to 13.30 SLT in the Box up here.

– BookaB on Deep Box

The level of sharing and community found within both Deep Box and [Refuge] can be found in the fact that both Bennie and Booka hold sets at one another’s venue, and they share a vision of providing quality and engagement over trying to run events within their clubs seven days a week. This is furthered in the fact that Deep Box also leans towards euro-centric times for events: Fridays between 10:30-13:30 SLT (18:30 UK / 21:30 CET) and Sunday between 03.30-08.30 SLT (11:30  UK / 16:30 CET).

That said, the contrast between the two venues couldn’t be more apparent; where [Refuge] is marvellously minimalist; Deep Box has a sense of bric-a-brac we might associate with homeliness; the plants, the décor, the objects scattered about, all give a sense of warmth and fullness. Each has a sense of personality that is engaging in its own way. In other words – I really like the aesthetics of both.

Back on the ground, a path from the Deep Box rotunda will lead visitors up over a ridge to where a balloon-supported bridge connecting Deep Box with La Fée Verte.

At the time of my visit, La Fée Verte was caught in the midst of winter. As Babe was unavailable, I did my best to fin my way around, and I believe the venue here is just on the ground (but I’m obviously open to correction on this).  The club offers two levels, the dance space on the lower floor, and a lounge above, complete with an outdoor terrace.

Surrounded by fir trees, the space outside of the club offers seating for those wishing to relax outside of the music. I’m afraid I have no idea as to when events are held at the club; as noted, Babe has been away from SL and caught with matters on the human side of the screen, so I didn’t have the opportunity to meet her during my visit. However, La Fée Verte fits well with both Deep Box and [Refuge] and the bridges mean that travelling between the three is easy, making any appreciation of all three possible in a single visit.

With there UK / European-centric event times, both Deep Box and [Refuge] have a clear appeal to those of us on this side of the Atlantic – but this shouldn’t prevent anyone else from visiting.  Note again that the skyborne space at [Refuge] opening in February 2025.

My thanks to Benny and Booka for their time.

SLurl Details

• [Refuge],  Deep Box and La Fée Verte (Good Vibe, rated Moderate)