Tag: Calas Galadhon

Armenelos, Calas Galadhon (Flickr) – click any image for full size

In December 2014, Ty Tenk  contacted me to let me know that Calas Galadhon would be closing its gates for the month of January 2015, while he and Truck Meredith took their annual hiatus from things following the busy October through December period. He also informed me that during the hiatus, there would, again as usual, be some remodelling within the parks, and as a result, the long-running recreation of the famous Santorini, located in the Armenelos region, would be packed away, and the region itself re-purposed.

While Santorini may well have gone from Calas Galadhon, Armenelos itself formally re-opened on Sunday, March 8th, and true to their word, Ty and Truck have created something truly fabulous. Relocated to occupy the north-west corner of the estate, and sitting alongside a new addition to the park, Long Lake, which Ty and Tuck have added to Calas in order to bring the total number of regions in the park back up to 12, the new Armenelos is a visual and aural delight.

Armenelos, Calas Galadhon (Flickr)

On arrival, the visitor is presented with a rugged, wooded landscape, with high cliffs facing the sea to the west, west, and which drop slowly to lower-lying land to the east, and the bridge connecting Armenelos with the  mostly low-lying islands of Long Lake, and which in turn offer passage to the Misty Mountains.  Across Armenelos, tall spires of rock and flat-topped plateaus push their way between the trees, offering high vantage points from which to survey the world, while paths an trail wind through the tall grass and under the shade of high boughs, encouraging visitors to wander and explore.

And there really is a lot to see; so much so, that unless you are keen-eyed, you’re liable to miss many of the finer touches tucked away across the region which bring it to life. For a start, make sure to have local sound enabled; Armenelos has a wonderful sound scape that enhances the feel of immersion: waves crashing against the cliffs; the singing of birds inland, the bark and cry of gulls wheeling over offshore island  where they and pelicans are nesting; the honk of male deer, the plaintive cry of a high-soaring eagle or two; the slightly worrisome howl of wolves through the trees…

Armenelos, Calas Galadhon (Flickr)

Signposts close to the landing point will point you in the general direction of many of the region’s attractions, such as the oriental pavilion, where you can enjoy a refreshing cup of tea under the benevolent gaze of Buddha. From here you can follow a wooden board walk around the rocky escarpment that rises to one side of the pavilion and hop onto a boat with a friend or two and enjoy a trip around and through the waters of Armenelos and Long Lake, passing the Dolphin Cafe, which remains in a re-modelled form on the west side of the land, and which resume its live entertainments from Monday, March 9th at 18:00 SLT (Oz’s club also remains overhead as well).

For the daring, there’s the opportunity to scale the high plateaus and then traverse between the various high-points via rope glides supplied by Cube Republic, which have excellent camera positioning for giving you a real feel for shimmying your way over deep gorges on a single length of rope! There are also, of course, all the touches one would expect from Ty and Truck – places to sit and chat, to cuddle or dance, and hidden walks which might not be discovered on a first visit.

Armenelos, Calas Galadhon (Flickr)

For me the magic of Armenelos doesn’t just come from all of this; it also comes from the little details that have been added throughout the region, and which really do require a keen eye in order to spot. Such as spotting one of Morgan Garrett’s marvellous and beautifully detailed little brids sitting on a bough or watching you from the side of a board walk, song occasionally bursting forth from it; or looking up into the branches of a tree and spying a little lizard, frozen in place, looking back and you and pretending it really isn’t there…

Given all of this, you’ve probably gathered that Armenelos isn’t so much a place to be visited, but rather to be experienced. It its new form, it addes further depth to the already remarkable Calas Galadhon parklands – which, if you haven’t visited before, I strongly urge you to do so, as there is much to see, including new attractions. Should you do so, remember you can take a horse from near the park’s main entrance and ride up from Calas Galadhon, through Mirrormere and over the Misty Mountains to Long Lake (which, btw, offers activities of its own), and then on to Armenelos, making for a wonderful trail ride.

Armenelos, Calas Galadhon (Flickr)

When visiting, please also remember that Ty and Truck provide all 12 of the Calas Galadhon park regions purely for the benefit of other residents. They do not offer land rentals or use the regions to run an form of business, nor profit from the estate. They provide 40% of the total running costs out of their own pockets, the rest being made up by donations by visitors. So please, when visiting, do consider using one of the donation points scattered throughout the park to show your appreciation for, and support of, their work and generosity in bringing to much to Second Life for us all to enjoy.

Related Links

• Armenelos landing point SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Calas Galadhon park entrance SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Calas Galadhon blog

The New Year tends to be a time of change and renewal, perhaps as much in the virtual as in the physical. Last year, the Calas Galadhon park lands underwent something of a remodelling in order to better meet the changing pressures of finance and time. The move came as Ty Tenk and Truck Meredith, who give so much of their time to the running of the park, closed the regions for a month to give themselves a little breathing space after the build-up to Christmas through Halloween, and the creation of their fabulous themed regions for both.

Ty recently contacted me to let me know that the park will again be closing at the start of 2015 so he and Truck can enjoy another well-earned break. As with last year, the closure will also be bringing changes to the park regions; and while the final plans haven’t been entirely worked out, it does mean that the Santorini build on Armenelos will be removed.

“For a number of reasons we feel this is the best move for us,” Ty said in announcing the decision. “While ‘the village on top of the hill’ has been popular in years past we both feel confident we can come up with something new to make up for it – a new and updated Misty Mountains for one!”

Some might be tempted to point out that thanks to the arrival of mesh and materials et al, that Santorini is starting to look a little long in the tooth and that the move to replace it is overdue. To them I’d say that things happen in their own time, and while it may well be basic prims and simple textures, Santorini will be missed. It has been a jewel sitting off the coast of Calas Galadhon since the beginning, and many  – including myself – have found immense enjoyment in wandering the stepped streets, winding our way around the whitewashed houses and peeping through windows at their cosy interiors, or sitting down on a terrace to enjoy a little music and wine. I actually know several people for whom the village was their first introduction to the Calas park lands.

For those who would like to capture a last memory or two of the village, there is still time; the last ferry will not be departing Santorini until early in the morning on Thursday, January 1st, 2015. So a visit on New Year’s Eve could be just the ticket if you want to see the old year old and greet the new one in a favourite corner of SL.

And as to what comes after? Well, Ty and Truck plan to keep OZ, the nightclub high overhead, running, and find room for the Dolphin café, currently sitting alongside Santorini (and where there is still time to enjoy a sirtaki dance with friends!). Whether the final plans see and expanded and revamped Misty Mountains or something else, the one thing you can be sure of is that 2015 will present plenty of new reasons for visiting Calas Galadhon, which, after the month’s break, will re-open in February 2015.

Related Links

• Santorini direct SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

Ty Tenk and Truck Meredith not only run the Calas Galadhon parklands, every Halloween and Christmas they set-up a special region, reflecting the theme of each period respectively.

This year, they gave us the Darkwood for Halloween, a darkly Tolkien-esque place offering orcs, elven boat rides, trolls, dragons, eagles and barrel trips. Now, with December opening its doors, they bring us the Calas Galadhon Noel, the region beautifully made over into a festive wonderland, with sleigh rides, magic reindeer flights, cuddle spots, ice skating and a whole lot more.

However, rather than me wibble on about it at length, I thought I’d cut to the quick and bring you a short video which I hope will encourage you to visit.

Calas Galadhon Noel is now open to the public through until the end of the month – and if you previously visited the Darkwood, I hope you’ll watch the video right to the very end :-).

To fully appreciate the region, do make sure you have local sounds enabled and have region’s music stream active – Ty has put together a very special selection of music to accompany your visit.

Related Links

• Calas Galadhon Noel SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

As we enter the twilight months of the year, one of the things I enjoy doing is visiting the Calas Galadhon themed region. Every October and December, Tymus Tenk and Truck Meredith obtain a region from the Lab and use it to offer something truly extraordinary where Second Life users can join in the fun of celebrating first Halloween and then, from early December, the Christmas season – and 2014 is no exception.

Currently hosting Ty and Truck’s Halloween design, entitled Darkwood, this year’s region will open its doors to the public on Friday October 3rd, and will remain open through until Saturday November 1st inclusive. It will then undergo a makeover ready for Christmas, re-opening in early December. In anticipation of the Halloween theme’s opening, I was kindly extended an invitation to explore the region, which I was only too pleased to accept.

The theme for this year’s Halloween design is rooted in Tolkien’s tales – in the great forest of Mirkwood in fact. Once known as Greenwood the Great, the greatest of all the forests of Middle Earth, it fell into darkness as Sauron’s long shadow was cast over when he took the fortress of Dol Guldur as his own, thus making the great forest a place where, to quote The Silmarillion, “fear walked … in shadowy glades; fell beasts came hunting, and cruel and evil creatures laid their snares … for the nightshade lay deep there.”

However, this isn’t to say Darkwood is “all about Tolkien”; while it does draw on elements from The Hobbit (with a splash of The Lord of the Rings), these are only the foundations for the theme – there is much more besides, becoming a world very much drawn from Ty and Truck’s own imaginations, filled with creatures and being of darkness and horror from within and beyond Tolkien.

From the landing point, visitors are invited to accept the region windlight settings and turn on the specially selected music stream (featuring music from Peter Jackson’s Tolkien-inspired films and is worth enabling, as it suits the environment perfectly). Then it’s a case of taking a lamp and following the path to the Elven Pavilion which, throughout the month Darkwood will be open to visitors, will be the venue for a range of events. But all travellers should heed the words of Gandalf, “Stick to the forest-track, keep your spirits up, hope for the best, and with a tremendous slice of luck you may come out one day.”

Within Darkwood, the track is relatively easy to keep to; lamps periodically light the way and there are the occasional signs to help you. The problem for the traveller is that it won’t stay singular; instead, and like the trees under which it (mostly) passes, it keeps on branching, leading all around and through the region until you might feel – as did a certain group of Hobbit-accompanied Dwarves – that you may never reach your destination. But that’s all part of the fun – because each time the path divides, new discoveries await you, no matter which route you take.

So it is that as you wander you my find yourself beset by spiders, riding barrels down fast-flowing streams to a broader river or trying to slip past a group of Trolls who appear to have meat other than roast mutton on their minds. Elsewhere, darker things await hidden in rocky clefts or under the darkness of the trees, and not a few decidedly “un-Tolkien” creatures may take an interest in your passage!

There’s also a familiar scattering of Ty and Truck’s mischievous wit across the region; as you explore you might discover the reason why the Calas Galadhon parklands seem so bereft of staff nowadays…  There’s also a lot of attention to detail and subtle nuances to catch the eye along the way.

Because the Darkwood path does twist and turn and divide, a suggestion is that visitor first take the Elven boat tour of the region. This can be found over the bridge from the landing point, and the boats will take you on a tour through, under, and even over the region. It won’t give away all the secrets within the woods – but it might also carry you to places you could otherwise miss should you avoid it or the barrel-ride. At the end of the tour, the boats will return you to their berth, allowing you to start your adventure on foot.

As noted at the top of this piece, Darkwood opens its doors to the public on Friday 3rd October (at approximately 09:00 SLT, although this is still TBC). Until that time, it is open to members of the Calas Galadhon group only, and people are asked to respect this. So why not take the time to dig out your drow / zombie / troll / beastie look and see how it fits so that when the gates do open, you can visit in a style to match the theme? Costumes aren’t a requirement for visits – but they do add to the atmosphere! Also, keep an eye on the Calas Galadhon blog for information on events at the Elven Pavilion and news on Calas Galadhon in general.

Related Links

• Darkwood SLurl (rated: Moderate)
• Calas Galadhon main SLurl (note Darkwood is not a part of the parkland regions)
• Calas Galadhon blog

Calas Galadhon parklands – click for full size image

It’s no secret that I love the parklands of Calas Galadhon; I think Ty and Truck do an amazing job with the park, providing it for all to enjoy, changing it to match the seasons, offering a wide range of activities, seasonal or otherwise, throughout the year and presenting a host of entertainments throughout.

Not only that, but they also manage a special theme region, SilverMyst, currently the setting for this year’s One Christmas Night,  which I was able to visit just before Truck and Ty were about to open it to the public, and which also hosts their Halloween delights.

When writing about One Christmas Night, I promised a visit to Calas itself to try to capture some of the winter magic there. However, plans change; Saffia Widdershins contacted me and asked if I could expand upon the One Christmas Night piece to provide an article on both it and Calas Galadhon in winter for the next issue of Prim Perfect magazine. Of course, I was happy to oblige.

So, rather than spoil that article by writing about Calas here, I’ll simply say Prim Perfect should be out at the end of this week, making it ideal reading for Christmas with or without my wibblings :). You can find it at any of the in-world Prim Perfect vendors, or grab it on-line from the Prim Perfect website.

In the meantime I’ll leave you with a poem by Robert Frost that came to mind as I explored the Calas winter regions on horseback, together with a few paintings I hope will whet your appetites for a visit there yourselves if you’ve not already done so!

Calas Galadhon parklands – click for full size image

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

Calas Galadhon parklands – click for full size image

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

– Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, Robert Frost

Calas Galadhon parklands – click for full size image

Related Links

• Calas Galadhon main SLurl (Rated: Maderate)
• One Christmas Night SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Prim Perfect Magazine

December is almost upon us, bringing with it thoughts of Christmas, winterfest and other seasonal celebrations, and the end of the western calendar year. Many regions in SL are already reflecting the time of year and bringing with them scenes of snow and frosted trees as is traditionally the case – at least in the northern hemisphere.

However, no winter in Second Life is complete without two things: the winter landscapes of Calas Galadhon (which I’d be visiting soon) and the special Calas Galadhon Christmas theme at SilverMyst, so recently the home of Truck and Ty’s Halloween-themed Veil of Darkness.

While SilverMyst had then been to home to ghouls, ghosts, the undead and monsters, all amidst deserted towns dark and mist-filled bayous, tall castles and more, with One Christmas Night it has been transformed into a gorgeous rural winter scene, where reindeer, brown bears, weasels, penguins, polar bears and more roam beneath a wintery sky from which big, soft flakes of snow fall to cover the ground in a thick blanket.

Ty and Truck kindly invited me over to One Christmas Night to take a look around ahead of the opening, and for anyone with a romantic inclination and / or a love of winter scenes, it is very much going to be the place to visit. It’s also likely to be very much photographed – I felt I wanted to travel around with an easel, canvas and paints, a feeling I’ve tried to capture in the images here.

From the arrival point, you are free to wander on foot or, if you prefer, hop into a magic sleigh which will take you around the region before delivering you to the Christmas Pavilion. There are actually two sleighs available: the first seats up to four people, while the second offers more intimate cuddles for couples. Just jump in and touch to start.

Both provide a gentle ride along snow-covered tracks, passing winter scenes, several of which encompass Ty and Truck’s eye for humour – such as mother brown bear, obviously worn-out by the kids, is slumped across a log as her energetic cubs continue play in the snow. Keep an eye out, as well, for the flying reindeer ride, which offers another unique vantage-point from which to see the region.

When you arrive at the pavilion, there’s more to do. Step inside and avail yourself of a glass of Cognac or goblet mulled wine, admire the Christmas tree or sit by the warmth of the fire. For those who like a challenge, a harpsichord invites people to sit and play it for a while. For the very active, and a short walk away outside, is a frozen lake where you can dance and skate, or sit by a small log fire and simply watch others on the ice and wait for the huge kettle of hot chocolate to come to the boil while toasting marshmallows and hotdogs.

As with all of Ty and Truck’s celebratory builds, there are a few things worth pointing out in order to fully enjoy a visit. The first is that if your system can handle it, make sure Advanced Lighting Model (Preferences > Graphics) is active. You don’t have to have Shadows enabled, but if you can, it’s also worth giving it a go, depending upon how busy the region is. On that latter point, do please make sure you travel light to the region, script-wise, particularly if you’re attending one of the special events planned for the region (check the Calas Galadhon website or join the Calas announcement group for details).

Most importantly of all, do make sure you accept the region windlight on arrival or, if you’re feeling particularly romantic, sent an evening / night windlight in your viewer and do accept the region’s media streaming. Once again, Truck has hand-picked the music for the stream, and it greatly adds to the mood :).

One Christmas Night opens to Calas Galadhon group members at 14:00 on Thursday December 28th, and will open to the public over the course of the weekend. Enjoy!

Related Links

• One Christmas Night SLurl (Rated: Moderate) – may not work until after the region has fully opened to all
• Calas Galadhon website