Tag: Closed

Starfall’s Twilight’s Edge, April 2014

I came across Starfall’s Twilight’s Edge after poking my nose into Caminante De Suenos, which I’m prone to do from time-to-time. The region caught my eye due to its use of water – regular readers of this blog know I’m always fascinated by such regions, so having a relatively quiet couple of hours on an Easter Monday afternoon ahead of an Open-source Developer Meeting, I jumped over to take a look.

A homestead region, Starfall’s Twilight’s Edge is maintained by the Starfall Creative Group, who describe themselves as, “a  group of avatars dedicated promoting the artistic growth of virtual world art and communing on a full-sim co-op dedicated to virtual world art in all its forms.” Their description of the region goes on:

We have voice performance nights with poetry/ live music/ readings/ particle shows weekly – individual particle artists and group events scheduled. All we ask in return is that you help others grow in their art.  We promote artistic endeavors and do not criticize individual efforts. Thank you &  Welcome!  

Starfall’s Twilight’s Edge, April 2014

This is very much a region of two parts and hidden secrets. One arrives in the watery environment designed by group members Nezzy (inez pennell) and imp (cinderr resident). Overhead is a burnished sky. Rocks and denuded trees form the major elements of the landscape, forming several distinct areas. Alongside some of these sit tall wooden enclosures or low wooden platforms with space to sit and relax. Here and there, hardy grass pokes its head above the water, and around the outer reaches of the region stand a number of trees looking somewhat healthier than those sharing space with the rocks. Off in the north-west corner sits a tall, flat-topped rocky outcrop, where sits a mud house and an open-air live performance area.

Starfall’s Twilight’s Edge, April 2014

If all this sounds desolate, don’t be fooled. The minimalist approach is highly effective and gives the region a pleasing look and feel, while the various little groups of rocks and trees offers one or more art pieces by the likes of Weno Xeno, Garvie Garzo and Andred Qinan, waiting to be discovered as one explores.

At the centre of the region sit two oversize Koi carp, marking the entrance to the second half of the region – the underwater gardens. Here can be found some of Elicio Ember’s remarkable creations, as well as other flora by Imp and others, together with ancient, flooded ruins and more, inviting exploration.

Starfall’s Twilight’s Edge, April 2014

Keep an eye out for the notice board at ground level as well; not only does it include a greeting for visitors to the region, it also provides the means to reach a couple of the hidden secrets up in the sky.

Those wishing to keep abreast of events run by the Starlight Creative Group or who wish to have rezzing rights in the region, are invited to join the group. The latter are asked to kindly make sure they collect their prims after use.

Starfall’s Twilight’s Edge, April 2014

With one of the best music streams I’ve come across in a long time (inasmuch as throughout my stay, much of the music I tend to have on in the background at home was played), Starfall Twilight’s Edge is a gem that has gone onto my list of regions to keep an eye on!

Related Links

• Starfall’s Twilight Edge Summer Retreat SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

Caprice Village, April 2014

Since I happened across Asa Vordun’s Caprice Village and Easy A last year, I’ve been keeping an eye out to see if things change there. Truth be told, I loved the whimsical feel to the former and the winter landscape of the latter during my last visit in November 2013. so when I heard through the grapevine that Asa had completely reworked her land, I just had to hop over and take a look.

Caprice Village, April 2014

And what a change! The make-over is both extensive and stunning, making the Caprice Village parcel a must-see destination for SL photographers.

Such is the design of the new build that it is hard to decide where to begin in describing it. One part of the build resembles what might be the very edge of a rural district. In the middle of it sits a house bordered on one side by a road and bus stop, and on the other by a large paved terrace and what might be a car parking area.

Caprice Village, April 2014

The land around the house is a little overgrown, and across the road sits an old tractor and a rather quaint well. Blankets hang on a washing line in the sun, while beyond them, the sea rounds a tall island and flows gently along a narrow channel, partially spanned by an old set of telegraph poles.

The paved terrace is home to a small bookshop, with wooden dock and rowing boat alongside it. A stone fountain splashes water nearby, and a small cafe area, apparently also served from the house, offers brightly painted wrought iron chairs and tables at which visitors can sit, the leafy spread of the trees by the house offering some shade during parts of the day.

Caprice Village, April 2014

Follow the footpath to one side of the bookshop and you’ll come to a set of wooden steps leading up to a magnificent wood and stone pier, bordered on one side by a secluded beach area complete with a wooden broad walk crossing the water to a small islet where sits a little hideaway.

The pier has two large terraces, one complete with a lido, the other offering a place to sit and relax, another fountain playing on one side, and a water feature sitting just outside what is a beautiful dining area. I admit to falling in love with the latter on sitting it, especially with a suitable sunset windlight. Having spent a good deal of time in Sri Lanka, it reminded me of some of the fine dining experiences I’ve had out there, under wooden beams, the warm evening air unfettered by windows or wall, chatting with friends and fellow diners after a long day’s exploration.

Caprice Village, April 2014

Those wishing to partake of the sea can do so just down from the pier, where a couple of beach houses sit, complete with steps down into the sea from a smaller pier, with steps also providing access to the beach. When exploring the latter and the little islet with its viewing platform, please do be aware that the housing sitting on wooden piles a little more inland appears to be that of another property rather than being part of Asa’s land.

As I said towards the top of this piece, words really don’t do Asa’s work justice. This is a wonderful, breath-taking build well worth taking the time to visit and explore. Should you do so, don’t forget to sign the guest book and, if your inclined, show your appreciation by way of the donations points.

Addendum: Asa dropped me a line to say the 5 parcels next to Caprice village and Haven are open to the public as well – I may well have to go back and snap some more!

Caprice Village, April 2014

Related Links:

• Caprice Village SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• My Caprice Village april 2014 Flickr set

Done Wiv A Twist, April 2014

Amy Beebe alerted me to the opening of Done Wiv a Twist / The Sound District with her blog post on the region. As I’m always keen to explore new regions and parcels and enjoy finding out about live events, I decided to hop over and take a look.

A 8192 sq metre parcel in the region of Aquincum, Done Wiv a Twist offers a rural setting with a touch of whimsy. A small house with a garden sits to one side of the parcel, a short distance from the landing point, which is located in a small gazebo. Outside of the gazebo, wrought-iron chairs and tables offer a place to sit and enjoy the surroundings, or you can wander around to your heart’s content.

Done Wiv A Twist, April 2014

Following the path over a small wooden bridge will bring you to a sign warning your that you’re on a fairy crossing, and further along you’ll find the fairies themselves, all in various poses, gathered loosely around a small cottage on the far side of the parcel to the house.

More touches of whimsy can be found in the garden alongside the house, where Kerfluffle Sheep by Halogen Magic are romping (and, going by the ones up on the garden fence, getting ready to try a spot of flying!).

This is a delightfully tranquil place – although if you prefer, you can liven things up by turning-on the audio stream. For my part, I enjoyed wandering sans music, and simply enjoying all the little touches around the place which tend to keep the camera clicking away rather a lot. For those who want to watch the world go by, there are plenty of spots for that as well, indoors and out.

Done Wiv A Twist, April 2014

Those visiting the parcel and who take photos are invited to submit them to the Done Wiv A Twist Flickr group. If you’d like to have rezzing permission for poseballs, etc., when taking pictures, you can apply to join the Done Wiv A Twist in-world group. I gather from the welcome notecard furnished to visitors on arrival, that the parcel is likely to be changing with the seasons, so this could well become a regular stopping-off point for SL photographers through the year.

When you’ve taken time to explore the parcel, a teleport is available to carry you up to the very tasteful Sound District, and the reason I mentioned live events at the top of this article.  The Sound District is a venue for open microphone events which will be held on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday each week between 19:00-21:00 SLT. Poets, singers, rappers, storytellers, comedians and more are invited to attend and entertain. There are obviously a few rules regarding this, but on the whole it sounds like another great opportunity for those who can spin a yarn or enjoy a little stand-up to pop along at take a turn at the mic.

Done Wiv A Twist, April 2014

More details on the parcel and on The Sound District can be found on the Done Wiv a Twist blog and Facebook page as well as through the in-world group.

I very much enjoyed my visit, and will doubtless be popping back again in the future.

Related Links

• Done Wiv a Twist SLurl (Rated: Adult)
• The Sound District SLurl
• My Done Wiv A Twist Flickr set

Done Wiv A Twist, April 2014

The Pilgrim’s Dawn, Banana Island, March 2014 – click for full size

In September 2013, I (among many others!) visited Bowie Zeplin’s home region of Banana Island. At that time it was called Pangloss, a beautifully surreal landscape of vivid colours and striking scenes.

Now, with the changing of seasons much in evident across the grid, Bowie has remodelled the region, and while this pilgrim opted to wait until after the initial rush had passed, a note was made to retrace her footsteps and see what new delights await a re-visit. The effort proved more than worthwhile.

The Pilgrim’s Dawn, Banana Island, March 2014 – click for full size

Where Pangloss was surreal and vivid, The Pilgrim’s Dawn, as the region is now known, is beautifully rural and scenic. On arriving, it instantly put me in mind of what might be called “Middle Zealand”, as it seems to form a combination of the scenes and landscapes gathered from around New Zealand to create Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle Earth. There are high mountains, tree-lined slopes, broad rivers, and in the midst of it all, a rural / rustic scene which, while sans Hobbit holes and the like, wouldn’t look amiss with a group of Hobbits passing through on their way to Bree…

The Pilgrim’s Dawn, Banana Island, March 2014 – click for full size

Even without the Tolkien references, Pilgrim’s Dawn is simply breathtaking in the way it blends surrounding scenery and region into a whole, presenting a landscape in which one is instantly immersed. It’s very easy to imagine walking out onto the deck behind the house on a morning, mug of coffee in hand, and deciding that today would be a good day to climb the nearest peak and then just sit and paint or photograph the surrounding lands.

The Pilgrim’s Dawn, Banana Island, March 2014 – click for full size

This is an environment which really lends itself to wide photographs of the landscape, something which the default windlight only enhances – but there is also a wealth of detail here as well which makes careful exploration a must. There are tracks to follow across the region, running down from the house to the pastures of the headland, or around from the beach, along the side of the river and up into the hills where sheep graze contentedly. Across the river sits a wooded headland where deer roam, and above it, overlooking the broad stretch of water separating lowlands from mountains, sits an old mine, awaiting intrepid explorers.

The Pilgrim’s Dawn, Banana Island, March 2014 – click for full size

It’s been whispered to me that Pilgrim’s Dawn is a commissioned build, and that as such it may well be vanishing in the near future. If so, that’s something of a shame, because it is very much a place where this pilgrim definitely wanted to call her progress to a halt and simply rest, soaking up the scenery and environment.

Do be sure not to miss it.

The Pilgrim’s Dawn, Banana Island, March 2014 – click for full size

Related Links

• The Pilgrim’s Dawn SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• My Pilgrim’s Dawn Flickr set

Honour McMillan led me to the Community Cultural Hub, an undertaking by Beth Ghostraven and Ewan Bonham as members of the Virginia Society for Technology In Education, itself an affiliate of the International Society for Technology in Education.

The purpose of the Hub is to develop “a resource directory of ethnic, cultural and historical communities for use by educators and students for research and learning.” Although, as Honour noted, it’s also a useful resource for the intrepid Second Life explorer.

Inside the Hub are information boards on communities within SL, arranged into a number of categories (Arts, Spiritual, Educational, Historical, Countries, Social Services, and Other). Clicking on an info board delivers a note card on the named community, while upstairs, there is a bookcase where more in-depth information on many of the communities can be obtained in the form of an interview  / Q&A with one or more of the community’s leaders.

There is also an open invitation to communities which fit the overall goal of the Hub:

If you belong to a community which prides itself on cohesiveness culture, tradition, ritual, [and] values, which are embodied in the collective identity, we would like to hear from you. At the very least, we would like information on your community. At best, we would like to interview one or several community members.

Those who are interested in joining the Cultural Community Hub should contact either Beth Ghostraven or Ewan Bonham in-world.

Related Links

• Community Cultural Hub SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

Fairyland

Miro Collas is a good friend who is always on the look-out for places to point me towards, and a little while back he tweeted me about Fairyland, a region which appears to have been developed as a small Polish community, and which offers a rural setting for visitors to enjoy. Miro’s recommendations are never duff, so I headed over to take a look, and must say what I found was quite delightful.

A homestead region, Fairyland is described in the About Land floater as, “the only such place in Second Life where the animals are talking with each other more often than men”, and that as a result, there has been conversation there since 2007! There’s no set arrival point, so I pitched-up on a dirt track, one of several running through the region.

Fairyland

This is a very pastoral setting. Crops are growing in the fields, almost ready for harvest, cattle gaze peacefully, chickens strut, cockerels call and birds ride a late summer breeze. The land, surrounded by tall, grass flanked hills, appears to sit between a lake and the open sea, a river winding through it, connecting the two and with a series of wooden quays towards what I assume is the seaward end of its meandering, where a fishing boat with nets furled lays tied-up alongside, awaiting its next trip down river to open waters.

Fairyland

Where you go on arriving is entirely up to you; the main track runs beside sloping fields, and several house sit atop the slopes, paths leading up to them. Do keep in mind these may in fact be private residences, and take care around them. One the other side of the track, across the river, lay steeper slopes, a small vineyard occupying one of them, the others overlooking more crops. A country church and a small cemetery occupy the hilltops here, reached via a wooden bridge and a rough path which loops past a beautiful stone water-mill to  set of stone steps winding up the side of the hill.

Fairyland

Follow the track at the foot of the hill, passing below the church, and you’ll find your way to the wooden quays and a large warehouse.   If you get a tad thirsty in your wanderings, there is also a tavern where you can quench your thirst and catch a game of Greedy Greedy with friends, if you’re so minded.

Fairyland

Despite the claim that the animals talk more than men, there a is a small meeting place towards the middle of the region, where people gather and chat, including the region owner, Gocha Merlin.  I also understand that the region hosts various events as well, which I assume take place at the covered dance floor near the tavern; so it may get a little busy at times.

For my part, I found the region charming and inviting me to play with windlights while snapping, although (assuming I could paint), getting out an easel and oils also felt appropriate. Why not go see for yourself?

Related Links

• Fairyland SLurl (Rated: Moderate)