Tag: Closed

Update August 19th, 2013: Scribbled Hearts has returned to Second Life in its own region. Find out more in my review!

There are many beautiful and inspiring regions throughout Second Life, some of which I’ve explored through the pages of this blog. Thanks to Ziki Questi, I discovered one more recently, which completely captivated me.

Water Reserve is the home of Scribbled Hearts, a collaborative group with a focus on photography, one of whom, Randi Lenroy, is responsible to landscaping the region. There are two small stores to be found here, *. emm { shop }, operated by Snowy Melody and Clementine Ishtari’s Hello, September. However, Water Reserve is not simply a sim-with-stores-and-landscaping.

It is a work of art.

From the moment you arrive, it is evident that everything in the region has been put together with considerable thought, artistry and an eye which looks at the world oftentimes through the lens of the camera. Everything is composed to present a stunning array of photo opportunities and a place which can be truly and completely appreciated and savoured. Just make sure you accept the local windlight settings on arrival, as they are very much a part of the region’s beauty and atmosphere.

This is a place where you can wander and admire for its simplicity and for its attention to detail. While it may well have been carefully designed, it is nevertheless entirely natural – perhaps the most life-like natural setting I’ve ever seen in Second Life.

I’ve no idea if the region is updated to suit the season, but right now it is autumn at Water Reserve, the sky is lit by a beautiful September sun dipping towards the horizon, the trees are mostly golden brown, with the odd fir-tree standing as a green sentinel, and as you walk under the trees, falling leaves tumble and swirl their way to the ground.

There are trails here to be followed, together with wooden walkways, or you can stroll at your leisure – the entire region is open to public visits. Rezzing is allowed (Autoreturn set at two minutes) if you have anything you’d like to use as either a photo prop or as something to sit on somewhere and admire the view.

The stores here are small and blend perfectly with their surroundings – so much so that it is easy to miss the fact that they are stores.

I’ve been in a solitary mood of late, preferring to spend much of my time in SL on my own rather than among people, and Water Reserve suits that mood perfectly. Which is not to say it should be only experienced alone; there is much here that demands to be shared with a close friend or two. But it did speak to my prevailing mood and resonate with thoughts and feelings, particularly given the autumnal look and feel to the island and my frequently-changing moods towards Second Life.

This is a region which has done more than scribble a message on my heart – it has written it in indelible ink. It will on yours as well.

(view slideshow full-screen)

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Hidden in an ancient forest above the Miskatonic river deep in the Massachusetts wilderness is Arkhamville Manor. Constructed in the late 16th and early 17th century by Count von Ripanuvich on land shunned by the Mohegan it was a retreat and fortress for those investigating occult matters the like of which were considered blasphemous in Europe.

So begins the dark, perhaps treacherous tale of Arkhamville and its inhabitants. It is a tale of the occult, of people forced to flee their European roots lest the Church denounce them for their dark studies, and who settled in the relative seclusion of Massachusetts, establishing a fortress mansion and community of workers from which they continued their search for immortality, to be bestowed by one of the elder gods.

With the mansion and the village came rituals and construction, carried out under the noses of the more Puritanical and God-fearing surrounding villages and coastal towns. On down the years the work continued – not always harmoniously –  with descendents of those original occultist immigrants ever seeking that elusive key to the secret of immortality.

Now, in much more recent times, one Jedediah Dexter, who previously left (or perhaps was forced to leave) the community 30 years previously, has returned – only to meet a violent end, and leaving you facing a question.

Who killed him?

Arkhamville, which opened on October 1st and will continue through until November 1st, is a Halloween-hunt-murder-mystery, which encourages visitors to play a part in the forsaken community and discover the truth behind the murder.

It is a collaborative effort on the part of an impressive list of participants, lead by Kitto Flora and Rafe Holder, who came up with the story for the event, and  Shauna Bonetto, who has donated a full region for the project. Many of those who have contributed to the project are also active participants in the story, and help to bring both it and Arkhamville to life.

The region itself is all you’d expect of a murder mystery set around the time of Halloween. Beneath dark, brooding skies, beset with fast-moving clouds perhaps heralding a coming storm are all the required ingredients: mysterious manor house, lights all ablaze, on a hill, a mysterious and not altogether welcoming fun fair, a hunched church with dank graveyard beside it, and up on the hill, above even the wheels and bins of an old conveyor system, a place of dark magic, with cairns made of skulls and a blood-red ramp leading to a mysterious gazebo watched over – literally – by two gnarled white, and leafless, trees.

When you arrive, make sure you collect your game items from Trooper Eddie. These comprise a notecard with the back story, a police pass, which will track your progress in your investigations, and a choice of optional Arkhamville costumes (one male, one female). Personal scripts are capped, so you may also receive a warning that you need to remove items or (I assume) face ejection if you don’t – those receiving the message have 6 minutes to comply, with reminders about every 2 minutes.

Warnings like this can dampen enthusiasm for a place, but at least this one is sedate, rather than a brief warning followed by the royal order of the boot. I was slightly over the limit, and removing a couple of HUDs I knew I’d not need while in the region solved the issue for me.

There are no actual rules as to how you should proceed – although a good place to start is with the body (which I’ll leave you to find – it shouldn’t be that hard :)). From here it is a case of following the clues, meeting “residents” of the mansion and the village and finding out what you can.

I’m not going to give too much away, partly because that’ll obviously spoil things if you’ve not yet spent time in Arkhamville, but mostly because I haven’t yet solved the mystery myself. Suffice it to say that there is a fair amount of interaction with “people” and things in Arkhamville, and as an investigator, you don’t always get your own way – those who know anything about matters are prone to make demands of you first.

Arkhamville is already proving very popular; during my visits, there were rarely less than 22 people in the region. This can make things a tad laggy, so if you tend to run in deferred with shadows, etc., active, you may want to consider setting your lighting options to NONE other than when taking snapshots.

Certainly, if you’re interested in sleuthing away an evening, Arkhamville can easily draw you in.

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Arkhamville was a featured build on the Beaverville region for Halloween 2012 and is now closed.

Update: Grimm Shores has closed and the region is under new ownership.

I came across an invitation to visit Grimm Shores on the SL viewer MOTD. As it is the Halloween month, and hoping for something perhaps celebratory of the Brothers Grimm, I decided to pop over and take a look.

There are no fairy tales on offer here, but the region is decidedly slanted towards the macabre and the haunting – well in keeping with Halloween feel, and as such makes for an interesting diversion given the time of the year…

It’s a wet place, Grimm Shores; rain lashes you from a lurid sky, and the darkened forms of buildings loom around you, standing among scattered, forlorn trees, and between sluggish, unwholesome rivers. The notecard presented to you on arrival provides information on a ghoulish treasure hunt being held throughout the month (the prizes can be found inside waiting skulls!), and gives a hint as to what you might find:

Come walk or ride around in a boat around the entire sim … Walk through the buildings but be careful for what lurks around the corners. Don’t let the Blood scare you off, we haven’t had time to clean it up from last year…

Up on a hill, and reached by rickety-looking bridges, sits a Bates Motel-like house, which glowers across the region towards a tall church and tumbledown graveyard. Both house and church have seen better days, as has the blocky form of the asylum, which makes up the third large presence in the region.

You can rez a boat at the pier by the arrival point should you wish to cross the river and don’t like the look of the bridges. You could also swim if you want – but I wouldn’t recommend it. Across the water, a low-lying mist hovers over the stunted grass, and small bonfires appear to offer warmth for the weary – but be warned, they are really not what they appear to be…

This is definitely not a place for the squeamish, but for those who like their romance a little on the dark side, then the dance systems atop Mount Deathmore and among the gravestones by the church or just outside the decrepit asylum might offer a chance to woo one another…

The region lends itself to the photographer’s art, and works marvelously with a number of Windlight presets, although I felt a foggy look worked best for me – or perhaps that’s due to my current state of mind …

There are no active ghouls or ghosts to encounter here, although some of the residents are in something of a state of decay while others do insist on hanging around rather a lot. I also wouldn’t look to the church to give you sanctuary, either, if things get a little too much…

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Update: This region has changed hands and has been redeveloped.

I was drawn to Raven Lake Fathoms, created by Eriwen, as a result of reading the opening line of its Destination Guide entry, “Surrounded by vast mountain ranges, in complete isolation, is this lake of mystery for you to explore….” – and I wasn’t disappointed I went to take a look.

Located on Dumb N Dumber, Raven Lake Fathoms is a Homestead region that offers a lot for the intrepid explorer, and might even said to be something of a metaphor for Second Life. Topside is a placid lake, in the centre of which lies a house atop a rocky outcrop which pokes above the waters. Mountains surround the lake, and while the surface is occasionally broken by the fins of a fish or the passage of a ray, and ravens wheel overhead or perch on the shore, not a lot seems to be going on…. But take a look under the rippling surface of the lake, and there is a whole world to explore.

It is easy to come into Second Life and immediately feel lost. It’s a vast place, yet all to often, the surface appearance is that nothing is going on. Where are the people, where are the things to do? How do we find them? And it’s sad, because SL is actually constantly alive and vibrant; there are stores to visit, music venues in operation 24/7, clubs for dancing, games to be played, as well as all sorts of social interactions going on, just under the placid surface, waiting to be discovered. How to solve putting newcomers more directly in contact with the things they will find – or even may find – appealing has been the crux of much debate throughout SL’s long history.

Like Second Life, Raven Lake Fathoms is also hard to quantify descriptively. Above the surface of the water, it is tranquil; a place for possible reflection or to be captured by the photographer’s virtual lens. But the tranquility has a slight edge to it, particularly as the day fades … there is a slightly haunting edge to the beauty of the scenery, perhaps heightened by the presence of the ravens, which leave lines from Poe’s The Raven echoing in the back of one’s mind.

Then there is the world beneath the surface, populated by fish and jellyfish and rays and other watery life, with fumaroles puffing, suspended islands of colour offering refuge in the depths, and more splashes of colour from vivid plant life dotted on the lake floor, together with a dew surprises.

Metaphors aside, however, Raven Lake Fathoms is a wonderful place to explore and for the mind to invent tales. You can wander the lake shore and observe the ravens, or gaze across the lake to the lonely house atop its knoll and wonder if Poe himself might not be there, a bust of Pallas above his chamber door. In you wanderings you may come across a beached steampunk submarine, perhaps stranded from the pages of a Vernian novella. The lake shore is also where Eriwen has her home, so if you happen to come across it as you explore, be sure to respect her privacy.

You can visit the house via rowing boat. Simply touch the sign near the landing-point to have one rez. It’s not just any rowing boat, either, but rather a grand one, although it did give me a few issues with camera positioning when seated. Within the house, Poe’s presence does seem a lot closer; the ghostly clearing of a throat, the books mysteriously floating above the floor, the strange sounds and the haunting repeat of a lullaby…

Underwater is an entirely different world – one where divers and merfolk are most welcome; in fact, I’d suggest that dressing / appearing in a suitable avatar form would be de rigueur. There is a lot to see here, and places to relax with a friend or from which to pass the time in quiet thought.

Be aware that there are predators here; this can only be a saltwater lake, as the sharks are cycling not far below the surface and the giant squid is a sight to behold. Leave them alone, however, and they’ll leave you to enjoy the sights and sounds of this watery world.

Raven Lake Fathoms is a wonderful use of a Homestead regions as both a home and a place for travellers to visit. If you’ve not been there before, I urge you to pay a visit. You might even find me out on the water, sitting in a rowing boat; or possibly under the waves. If the latter, don’t be surprised if I’m also sporting a tail…

(Click here to see slideshow full-screen)

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There have been many jazz clubs and jazz lounges in Second Life, so much so that those of us who frequent them all tend to have our favourites. There are a number I have permanently landmarks in my inventory, all of which I have enjoyed spending time at over the years.

But there is only one that has ever stolen my heart – as it did for just about everyone who ever visited it. That club was Birdland. Part of the reason many of us fell in love with it was down to the music: a wonderful mix of jazz and the Great American Songbook, spun into a wonderful and romantic fusion by Alma Fushikizoh, the club’s creator and resident DJ.

But it was not just the music that made Birdland special; the build itself was simply stunning: a true labour of love beautifully crafted to create the perfect ambience for romance and long evenings of dancing and conversation. As Alma once told me back in 2009, “Birdland is a Romantic Lounge; a place to dance with your loved one – a place to flirt, a place to meet extraordinary people”.

There was also the fact that Alma and her partner (both in SL and in RL), Blysse Biondi, regarded everyone who frequented Birdland as being part of their extended family in SL; imbuing the club with a very special atmosphere that, for most of the clubs “regulars”, made it a genuine home-from-home in Second Life.

Sadly, Birdland vanished from the grid when Alma and Blysse had to retire from Second Life due to personal reasons – and its absence was sorely missed. For my part, I’ve never come across another club that combines the same measure of look, ambience, romance, friendliness and fun.

I was therefore surprised when I logged-in to SL back in June to find Alma and Blysse both on-line and to get a bright, sunny, “We’re back!” IM from Alma. Just having two long-time friends back was reason to celebrate – so it was with a sense of stunned surprise that I accepted an invite from Alma to be one of the first to see that not only were they both once more settled in SL – but also that Birdland itself is back as well and is being readied for a Grand Re-opening!

Birdland today is exactly as it was on the last day I saw it before Alma and Blysse had to depart SL; only the setting has changed. Seeing it brought back a wealth of memories; this was a place I’d spent some of the most satisfying evening of my entire Second Life, simply relaxing with the music and enjoying the company of friends in a manner that no other club has, in all honesty, managed to match for me.

Here is a place you can dance under the moonlight (the club is specifically designed for viewers with the time set to sunset or midnight), or sit and chat with friends, watch the sunset from the broad wooden deck, or sit on the beach and cuddle while being serenaded by some of the finest songs every recorded by some of the world’s greatest voices.

Touring the club in its new location with Alma and Blysse, I couldn’t help but feel I’d somehow come home again. Looking at the familiar marble-finished dance floor with the inlaid logo, lit by the rafter-fitted spotlights, wandering the deck overlooking the sea and passing among the tables and chairs overlooking both the dance floor and the sea, I felt the years melt away. With some people only too willing to spread doom and gloom about regions closing and stores vanishing in SL, I couldn’t help but feel something precious has returned to Second Life.

There is still some work to be done before the club formally opens its doors; and Alma and Blysse are wisely not rushing things; the formal opening will take place in September, giving them more than enough time to finish-off the details here and there.

In the meantime, the club informally opened on August 2nd, and will feature a range of weekend events between now and the end of August to start warming things up. Alma will again be putting together sets for each weekend and will be mixing them with requests from patrons and guests at the following times:

• Fridays: 17:00 SLT
• Saturdays: 11:00 and 17:00 SLT
• Sundays: 11:00 and 17:00 SLT

Live entertainment will very much be a part of the new Birdland as well, and updates on performers and performances as well as DJ sets from Alma will be available through the Birdland in-world group.

I’m certainly looking forward to spending evenings there with friends old and new, dancing to some of the greatest music ever written and listening to some of Second Life’s finest entertainers. I hope to see some of you there are well.

Please note that Birdland does operate a formal / smart dress code with gowns and tuxedos preferred.

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