Tag: Exploring Second Life 2024

Winchester Harbor is a magnificent Full region design by Lilly Blackwood with the support of her SL and RL partner William Winchester, who performs the role the region’s Harbour Master. I was fortunate to come across it recently after poking the Destination Guide, and the description there immediately piqued my curiosity.

Winchester Harbour is a mysterious abandoned fishing outpost in the North Atlantic Sea, suspended in time, and cloaked in eternal Autumn. It’s home to lush forests, waterfalls, a river, grass fields, and several haunted places. Enjoy a brew at the Harbour Bar, or sit atop the lighthouse and enjoy the views! There is much to see for those who love to explore.

– Winchester Harbor’s Destination Guide entry

I say “magnificent” as Winchester Harbor is a genuine feast for the eyes and camera; the care and love with which it has been put together has to be witnessed first-hand to be fully appreciated. The landscape is marvellous, the detailing both indoors and out sublime, and the blending of elements exquisite, all neatly wrapped within a sense of mystery edged with the occult and presented in (at the time of my visit at least – I’ve honestly no idea if it changes with the seasons) the perfect autumnal feel.

While the Destination Guide description indicates the setting is “in” the North Atlantic, suggesting a group of islands (something perhaps supported by the lack of region surround), to me the Winchester Harbor evoked thoughts of a coastal location, perhaps along the New England coast of the United States – and not because of any thoughts of Winchester, New Hampshire – or across the border in New Brunswick or Nova Scotia. Of  course, it could be anywhere, either side of the Atlantic, but it was thought of New England that tickled my imagination at times when I was wandering around and taking-in all that the setting has to offer.

The bulk of the region forms an extensive land mass richly wooded throughout, with four smaller islands bracketing it from three corners (one with a further little island tucked away out-of-sight behind it, and counted separately for reasons I’ll come to in a moment). In fact, given the stream running through the main landmass from from south-west to north-east, connects to open waters at either end, effectively splitting the north-west side of the land (albeit narrowly) from the rest, some might consider this an additional island in is own right.

The landing point sits on a pier jutting out into the waters to the south of the land and within a bay overlooked by two of the smaller islands. It is on one of these islands that the first hints of mystery might be found by those camming. An old church and graveyard are perched on the island’s shoulder, aged and blackened and with a fire burning within the abandoned church. The trees here add their own brooding presence with their darkened trunks as skulls stare at visitors, a cauldron bubbles and strange child-like figures dance spookily among the tombstones.

Also overlooking the landing point from a vantage point on a rocky island is one of the region’s lighthouses. This is open to the public – although to reach it you’ll need a boat, so keep an eye open for the rezzers (not that they are hard to find 🙂 ), and is nicely decorated for the onset of autumn and the coming of Halloween – the latter just adding a touch to the mysterious / ghostly goings-on hereabouts. It is behind this island that the little hideaway island I mentioned earlier might be found, neatly out of sight from the rest of the setting – and with good reason: it is a private home, so if you do pottle across to the lighthouse by boat, please keep that in mind and don’t be tempted to go and have a pike in person.

On the landward side of the landing point the path is marked by a signpost indicating the major points of interest to visit. Chief among these is the harbour itself, located on the east side of the region and watched over by the second the the setting’s lighthouses. The piers along the waterfront offer a variety of places to sit and pass the time – although the apparent imminent arrival of a kraken might give some pause for thought before hanging around! 🙂 .

It is from one of these piers that boats can be rezzed for pootling around on the water. However, they are not the only options for locomotion outside of pure shank’s pony; the harbour bar pier offers both bicycles and Segways for rezzing / riding. A further touch of the occult can also be found here in the form of the fortune teller’s shack, whilst the apothecary adds its air to the place by being the largest building on the harbour front.

Beyond the harbour, the path following the waterfront on to reach the bridge giving  access to the two north-eastern islands (one of which is home to the lighthouse mentioned above, reached by way of the chapel-like witch’s cottage occupying the other little island in the pair. Beyond this, the path curves to to one of my favourite parts of the region – the old ruins.

Making excellent use of the Ruined Walls kits from Marcthur Gossoon (which I’ve used myself on my island home, together with his superb No Cottage Bizar build). Here, Lily has used the kit elements to create a lovely little ruined retreat that is utterly welcoming and cosy, and a sheer delight to spend time within.

And still there is more to explore – be it the little swamp with its slightly run-down cabin or Mystery Mansion atop the north-western hills with its well-appointed décor and ghostly hostess on the veranda. There’s also the local camp sites and the gazebo hidden in the woods, and the high waterfalls. Paths are clear and easy to follow, with lanterns thoughtfully placed to alert travellers at night as to where routes divide.

Rounded-out with places to dance for those of a romantic disposition, a fitting soundscape and ideal EEP setting, Winchester Harbor makes for an engaging, enjoyable visit.

SLurl Details

• Winchester Harbor (rated Moderate)

Following the lead of Susann DeCuir, I dropped into Xanadu, a quarter Full region held and designed by Xan Dark (Xan Darkheart) and presenting a (primarily, but not exclusively) Sino-Japanese fusion of ideas wrapped within an Adult-rated environment in which adult / sexual activities are allowed; as such, I’ll say up front that the setting may not appeal to everyone in terms of its function, but it is nevertheless visually engaging and photogenic – and during the time of my visit, it was quiet and friendly.

The landing point sits within a Zen garden located more-or-less in the middle of the setting and to which it might said – that in the manner of ancient Rome – all roads (or in this case, paths) lead; or at least depart, given it is the landing point. Watched over by a Zen master, the garden offers visitors a choice of routes to take.

To the north, the path crosses a zig-zagging walkway of modern design as it passes over an oval body of water served by waterfalls, to reach a coastal pavilion; south to where a stone bridge guarded by a Torii gate and a pair of Kirin crosses another body of water before the path climbs up to a temple in which Buddha listens to the prayers and chants of monks; west to pass a bamboo garden with it bed-enclosing tea house and onwards to where a Tibetan structure sits as a bathhouse come personal retreat.

Off to the east, the path skirts the waters crossed by the stone bridge to where a hollowed tree trunk provides the way up to another little house for adult pastimes, and then on to where a sauna hides amidst an enchanted wood before reaching ruins that would not look out of place in Medieval Europe.

And that’s just the start of things. There are in fact two pavilions looing out over the waters to the north and west of the region and the off-region mountains guarding the waters. Both provide a view across the turquoise waters to where a giant octopus ravages the wreck of a sailing ship. Or, if you turn to the right on crossing the zig-zag bridge, the trail will lead you to a wooden bridge as it reaches out to a boat-like island in the middle of the lake. Here, slung below the bough of a Sakura tree is a swing, with other places to sit and cuddle along the bank of the lake nearby. Whilst sitting at any of these, you might get a sense of being watched. If so, look up at the waterfalls that feed the lake here and you might find the reason 🙂  – and another place to have a little fun.

Then there is the lake between the landing point and the temple. Not only is it home to Koi carp and swans and herons and more, it is home to a floating deck reached by crossing a stone dragon bridge. And still this is only scratching the surface of all that might be found within Xanadu. There are dozen of little touches to be found, from the little playground for pandas to the more obvious table-top games – and I couldn’t help but smile at the sight of a ninja-like figure clearly up to nefarious mischief. There’s also the hidden theatre awaiting discovery and the hot tub deck, both of which add their own modern twists to  what might otherwise be a ageless setting.

Nor – outside of the Kirin – had I mentioned the fantasy touches apparent throughout. Fairies await visitors wander the paths, a goblin keeps watch, whilst a wall of giant basalt columns separate the setting from the neighbouring parcels like a rocky version of G.R.R. Martin’s Wall separating Westeros from the North. Not – I hasten to add, having recently been chastised for offering personal impressions in describing another region, that this setting in anyway contains anything to do with Martin’s mythology; it’s simply what comes to mind when exploring.

As might be gathered from all of the above, Xanadu packs a lot into a quarter region – and quite beautifully so; the flora is rich and verdant, the paths set out in such a way as to give the impression one is wandering a location far larger than its 14,368 sq metres. Thus, throughout all of it there is never a sense of being overcrowded, just of being in another land where inspiration come from many sources, those from Asia reaching beyond Japan and China, and the fantasy elements offering a nice twist.

Yes, sexual activities, D/s and BDSM do form part and parcel of the overall setting, so discretion is advised for those not into these particular activities as noted; but also as noted, I didn’t encounter anything off-putting during my visit and found a delight in the overall design and my explorations.

Kudos to Xan for such a richly diverse and detailed location, and my thanks to Susann for the pointer!

SLurl Details

• Xanadu (Angel Bay, rated Adult)

Tolla Crisp’s Frogmore expanded recently with the arrival of Goblins Knob, a Homestead region by Tolia and her frequent region design partner, Dandy Warhlol (terry Fotherington). I always enjoy trips to Tolia’s regions as the settings they present are so often inspired by physical world locations whilst taking their ideas in directions totally set aside from any real world location rather than merely reflecting it. In this, Goblin’s Knob immediately captured my interest just from the description Tolla has bestowed upon it:

Goblins Knob is inspired by 1666 Pudding Lane, London, before the great fire, with the added magic of Diagon Alley. Early dawn of quiet hush, fog descends with a gentle brush. Veiling the world in a silent shroud, nature’s whisper not too loud. The Spiderwick comes at the break of dawn, Bogarts and Goblins, and dark Pixie Yarns.

Goblin Knob’s Destination Guide description

Now, I’ll be honest, the Diagon Alley reference went right over my head – although Wilhelmina, my companion for the visit, immediately caught it. In my defence I will say that my ignorance is borne of the fact that I am probably one of the few people in the world never to have had the desire to read the Harry Potter books (despite loving fantasy in general) or watch the films. That said, the reference to  DiTerlizzi’s and Black’s series of books (and subsequent TV series and film) was all too clear; and that and the idea of mixing 17th century London with elements of steampunk very much whetted my appetite for the unusual and the eye-catching.

This is a place which should be visited using the looks environment settings (World Environment → Used Shared → Environment). It is also a region where PBR materials are much in evidence, including on the terrain (one of Alex Bader’s PBR materials sets looks to have been used – I’ve been using within my home island as well). I have no idea if texture and Blinn-Phong fallbacks are provided where the PBR has been used, but if you drop in on a non-PBR viewer and find expanses of grey or white or similar, this will likely be the reason why.  You’ll also want local sounds on whilst visiting as well.

Visits begin on the east side of the region, on a small wooden pier sitting just above the surface of the water. The fog is heavy and the night dark, but two great fingers of rock loom out of the water whilst the shadowy form of a tall building rises tower-like a short distance from the pier. The latter is illuminated by the tall form of a floodlamp tower topped by the gapping mouths of klaxon horns. This marks the first coming together of the strange mix of influences. With thick heavy cables clearly visible, the floodlamps would appear to be electrically powered, setting them a little at odds with the idea of 1600s London; another little twist comes in the form of two strange flying vehicles “moored” (inasmuch as they are serenely hovering above it) at the pier – although they do have the steampunkian element.

Further mystery is added by the long shafts of spears protruding from the water as if thrown in an attempt to ward off a sea creature of some kind. To one side of the pier, the high wall backing it gives way to a west-point channel cutting into the region, on the other, step rise up from the water’s edge to provide access to the cobbled street above ad it runs along the edge of the deep walled canal, a peculiar mix of lit buildings somewhat crammed together whilst separated by archways and cobbles alleyways.

Three primary bridges span the canal, with a slightly rickety looking boardwalk forming a fourth crossing, this above the short tunnel leading out to the waters by the landing point pier, providing access to a heap of buildings cut off from the rest of those to be found on the canal’s north side by another deep-walled channel. Steps on the far side of this boardwalk rise up to the flat rooftop where a cannon ominously points its snout up the line of the canal, rather than out to sea, as if awaiting something nasty to come down through the waters.  from further inside the town.

It is on the north side of the canal and along the cobbled street there that many of the more wizardly (or perhaps magical might be a better term) elements for the region might be found, both within shops (or a shop) and at the roadside vendors. Further to the west and across another bridge, this one spanning a channel feeding water into the main canal from a rocky waterfall, lay more hints (others being in the form of posters in doors and walls of buildings already passed, for those keen of eye) that the circus is in town. Indeed, a trip down a short alley arched with roses will bring you to where a path winds through the local woods to the rather forlorn circus itself.

Meanwhile, in the waters of the main canal just below where the circus wagons sit on the town’s street, a possible reason for the inward looking cannon might be found as it menaces a ship trying to make passage through the narrow waters. At its western end, the canal opens out into the sea once, high stone walls continuing to keep the streets high above the murky waters.  But where, on the south side, the wall marks the limit’s of the town’s extent save for piping of unknown use, to the north the town continues along what might have once have been a substantial wharf, but which is now the foundations for a ramshackle building looking almost like the grandfather of all motels and lit an eerie green.

Nor is the canal merely a source of navigation for watercraft; overhead, a procession of balloons and dirigibles appear to be following to whole-knows where. Among these, but not a part of their number, given it is firmly anchored to the ground, is a balloon from which a zipline ride might be taken at a very sedate pace.

Most – but not all – of the building here are façades, and I admit, outside of the higgley-piggledy cramming of the buildings, I’m unclear as to the reference to the London of 1666 and the Great Fire. However, none of this detracts from a setting that is very heavy in atmosphere and rich in detail, particularly when it comes to the steampunk elements. Even the otherwise incongruous elements such as flood lamps and 20th century English telephone boxes just work, and I particularly liked the tavern’s wall of framed pictures and the little jokes nested within the images.

Very different from other Frogmore venues, but engaging and photogenic, Goblins Knob is a fascinating curio of a region.

SLurl Details

• Goblin’s Knob (Dulcis, rated General)

Since 2021, Jayden Mercury has been creating  / writing stories involving settings he designs, sometimes on his own, sometimes with the assistance of others, and notecards which might be seen as chapter outlines or prompts, all under his Neverending banner.

While I have missed numerous segments, I did cover the start of the story when Jayden opened Adventures In Mad Wonderland in 2021 (see here for more). I then returned to it for Neverending – Sakura Tales (more here) and again for The Dark Tower (more here), after which I kind-of lost touch with things. I was therefore pleased to be recently able to visit the 13th chapter in the series NeverendingSL: Souru Sosaeti.

Jayden’s settings often have a suggestion of pulling on the threads of literature and storytelling from times past in order to create a tale of its own. With Adventures In Mad Wonderland, for example, there was the obvious element of Dodgson’s stories as written under his pen name; with The Dark Tower there seemed to be multiple potential intertwining references: Stephen King, Robert Browning, Tolkien, and so on.

Here, the name of the setting appears to be taken from the Japanese term for Soul Society (aka “dead spirit world” or “spirit world”, Souru Sosaeti), where souls are said to reside whilst awaiting reincarnation.

Whether the reference is meant literally or simply as a means of unfolding this chapter of Jayden’s story (or even as an oblique reference to the Japanime series BLEACH), I’ve no idea. Certainly, the introductory notecard gives the impression that there is a common thread linking this Soul Society with its namesake:

Souru Sosaeti, once bustling and lively, now lay shrouded in fog and surrounded by an eerie silence. The artist arrived in the harbour aboard his small boat, guided by his constant companion, the majestic phoenix. The bird of rebirth was more than just a symbol; it seemed to have a connection to this mysterious city, whose fate threatened to disappear into the mist.

– Introductory notecard for NeverendingSL: Souru Sosaeti

Stranded, the artist has set-up home on the edge of the city, and among the tower of stacked trailer homes similar in nature (if on a smaller scale) to the one popularised by a certain E. Cline in his debut novel. And it is at his little retreat that the story opens, with an invite to sit and then explore the setting. As with previous iterations of the story, the setting is interactive, and visitors are encouraged to explore, take photos, discover – and to try to find the artist’s pen and paper in order to read on to see what happens next.

The story itself carries the sub-title The Artist and the Cards of Destiny. This appears to be a reference to a game within the setting which can be triggered by locating the local Experience and receiving the game HUD. The Experience trigger might take a little finding; all I’ll say is look for alley with the red lanterns and the gate at its far end. Locate it, and the Joker may have a challenge for you!

Suddenly, the Joker appeared, emerging from nowhere with a diabolical grin and a theatrical voice that echoed through the deserted streets. ‘Ah, finally a curious wanderer,’ chuckled the Joker as he faced the artist. ‘Are you here to unravel the secrets of this city? 

The artist stepped back, startled by the Joker’s sudden appearance. Gathering his composure, he met the Joker’s gaze. ‘Who are you? What do you know about the disappearances?’ he demanded …

The Joker smiled mysteriously and replied, ‘Ah, that is a question for those who seek the truth. The city has many faces, each with its own stories to tell. Perhaps you will find the answers you seek if you find the four king cards. Are you ready for the challenge?

I’ll say no more on the game here – you can discover it for yourself when you find the “Joker’s gate”, as it were. So why not pay a visit to NeverendingSL: Souru Sosaeti and see what you might find on the ground  (and elsewhere!), both on foot and by way of theJoker’s challenge?

Slurl Details

• NeverendingSL: Souru Sosaeti (Hidden Reef, rated Moderate)

In leafing through the Destination Guide recently, I happened across an entry for Petite Provence d’Annisss, a full private region setting leveraging the Land Capacity bonus, designed by Annisss Mathịṣ (annisss). Offering a mix of public spaces and rental properties (so some caution might be in order during wanderings to avoid invading someone’s privacy), it offers a good deal to see and appreciate and some pleasing opportunities for photography.

Visit a village in the south-east of France, have lunch at a restaurant with a sea view or enjoy its beaches and small isolated coves, visit its superb caves or come and enjoy the evenings at the Club.

– Petite Provence d’Annisss About Land description

A visit commences towards the west side of the region where a tall clock tower keeps watch over a channel cutting its way into the landscape. Perhaps this watery cutting and the bay at its eastern end may once have been a natural inlet, but where the banks may have once stood has been built up with walls and topped out with paving to provide space for local businesses, the town church, with the inlet becoming something of a small harbour, offering a safe haven to various craft which appear to enter via a separate channel.

Gathered behind the clock tower, the part of the town adjacent to the landing point carries hints of multiple locations – some of the buildings having a lean towards Tuscany; others seemingly plucked from rural France. It’s a mix that is pleasing to the eyes with cobblestones an paving run around and between the buildings, inviting feet to follow, while to the south a road sweeps down from the heights before performing a u-turn and ending as abruptly as it started have served its intent and brought visitors down to the golden sands of a beach whilst cupping one of the region’s restaurants in its arms as it does so.

The beach offers plenty of places and space to catch the sun, whilst a makeshift bar might allow sunbathers to quench their thirst when it is stocked and operating. For those who prefer, steps to one side of the clock tower offer a quicker way down from the landing point to the beach, and both the the steps and the road will direct wanderers to where a horse rezzer is also available should clip-clopping around the town appeal.

Across the channel, and linked to the clock tower by way of a bridge, the north side of town has fairly packed itself into a small island, the buildings shuffling together shoulder-to-shoulder is if in mutual protection. Between them might be found narrow streets and alleys that – as is so often the way with old towns – suddenly burst forth into a square or walk raised above a beach, offering places to sit and pace the time and / or steps down to the sands.

Follow the raised water front here down to where it overlooks the moorings for boats, and you cannot fail to find The Blue Note, the club mentioned in the About Land description. Sitting within the remnants and façades of a number of buildings and with its very roof the sky above, this a a place ready to host both DJs and live musicians alike, its dancefloor sitting above a tropical isle in miniature.

Reached by walking through the town and passing by the church and another restaurant, visitors can make their way to the region’s art gallery. Sitting with cliffs on three of its four sides, the gallery was hosting a exhibition of photography by Ludi Tarus at the time of my visit, with its courtyard area sporting various 3D pieces. Just to the south of the gallery are two blocky promontories, a narrow cove cutting between them. One of these promontories is home to a public baths, and those seeking it out might also notice there’s a path edging its way around the cliffs below it, offering access to the cove.

The second promontory is the location to one of the setting’s rental homes. Overlooking another cove-like beach sheltering between the rocky bluffs, this house looks across the sands to another headland marked by more rentals, and with another path running through it connecting the two baches along its shoreline. To be honest, I’ve not sure if this aspect of the island is intended to be open to the public; while it links directly to the the gallery and its courtyard, the only means to reach the footpath and the beached appears to be by taking a walk through the gardens of the rental houses. I wasn’t keen on doing this in case I was trapsing across private property, so I simply cammed  over and looked around.

Some of the cliffs dropping away to the harbour from the rentals and the gallery have waterfalls bursting out of them, suggesting the presence of a rocky aquifer. More to the point, for those who find it, there’s a stairway leading down to the base of some of these falls, where a bag of gifts awaits, together with the entrance to the cave mentioned in the About Land description.

Charming, quiet and with plenty of opportunities for photography, Petite Provence d’Annisss makes from a pleasing visit with plenty to seen and photograph.

SLurl Details

• Petite Provence d’Annisss (Petite Provence, rated Moderate)

In my previous Exploring Second Life piece, I wrote about Ai-mura, a part of a region called A Love Project (see: Ai-mura: A Love Project in Second Life). Primarily created by ラパ (Rapa Tone) and Indra Herouin, Ai-mura, as I noted in that article, sits on a sky platform as one of a number of public spaces within the region, and I said I’d cover the rest in a future piece. So, here we are.

Occupying an area approaching a quarter of the region’s area in size, Ai-mura is, I believe, the largest single public space open to visitors within this Full region. By contrast Ākādo, also sitting on a sky platform and continuing the Japanese theme, covers an area a little over 5,000 square metres in size – which doesn’t make it any less curious and interesting to explore.

Every now and then, Ākādo experiences a peculiar transformation, beckoning the townspeople to an otherworldly celebration. The narrow streets become alive with masked figures in ornate kimonos moving to the rhythmic beat.

– Ākādo About Land description

The landing point sits as an open-sided path running alongside of a water channel. The façades of little shops line the other side of the cobbles, whilst the landing area itself offers a note-card giver providing more information on the minds behind A Love Project as well as offering a teleport HUD giver. Experience-driven, this provides access to other public spaces within the region (including Ai-mura) and also to other related regions.

At the far end of the footpath is a small precinct of businesses selling variety of wares, and a large boat with sitting with it bow abutting the local jetty. Unfortunately, the boat appears to sit within a boundary prim for the settings, and so sitting on board doesn’t appear to be possible (I got bounced up onto the awning). One of the eateries making up one of the little businesses does offer seating, however, whilst the other sits alongside the path leading up to a large, open-air paved space that’s given over the music.

This may well be the place of the celebrations  mentioned in the parcel’s About Land description; it is certainly curious in tone. At first seeming innocent in looks, one only has to look at the waters over which the DJ booth sits to realise it has its own mystery. For there, rising from the depths, are a series of demon-like creatures. They are in fact oni statues, although they appear to have been called forth by the music – or perhaps they are seeking the  Cthulhu-like creature on in the open waters…

Steps rise from a corner of this square to pass by way of a shrine and then climb on upwards to where a temple sits at the top of the hill overlooking the events area. Here, prayers might be offered to Ōkuninushi – perhaps to keep the demons below at bay!

Using the teleporter HUD can carry one to a further sky platform, and a very different environment. Taking the name Saudade – the Portuguese term referencing the profoundly nostalgic longing for a beloved yet absent something or someone, this is a small space given over to remembering those whom have been lost.

It’s a beautiful setting designed by RavenStarr Fairelander in which visitors can literally walk among the clouds and commemorate someone dear to them whom they miss deeply through the release of a prayer balloon, or by sending a full permissions image (and presumably a short IM / note) to RavenStarr, who will add it to the picture board within the space.

Two further public spaces can be reached via the teleporter HUD. Both reside on the ground level of the region, which is also the location of a number of private residences, so please do keep to just the two public areas when visiting. The first I’ll mention is Bachata Magica, a waterfront destination mindful of the Caribbean or Latin America, and where – as the name suggests, Latin American music (and, presumably other forms of music) can be enjoyed whilst dancing on the sands between the gaily-painted houses and bars. The remaining space is a small gallery called Piece of Work, and is home to Indra’s avatar-centric and attention-holding photography.

Love Project offers may to see and appreciate, as I hope this and my previous article show – so enjoy.

SLurl Details

A Love Project is rated Moderate.

• Ākādo
• Saudade
• Bachata Magica
• Piece of Work