Tag: Exploring Second Life 2024

It  had not been my intention to write about two locations designed by Yxes (Yxes Evergreen) practically back-to-back; however serendipity played a hand when, after writing about Memories of Dreams (see here for more), I was bimbling around south-western Heterocera (specifically along Mock Heather Road and trying to work out if it was part of the atoll continent’s Route 2 or not) when I stumbled across a place called Morrigan’s Roadhouse.

Or rather, I initially came across the unmistakable form of the TLG Ruined Gate by Marcus Inkpen, standing alongside one of Elicio Ember’s marvellous plants and with the . a i s l i n g . Old Fountain sitting under it. Given all three are creators / brands I tend to use myself, I was immediately intrigued, and with the large house sitting above the ruined gate teasing me further, I decided to poke my nose at what I had found, and only after flycaming and discovering more of interest – notably in more of Marcus’s architecture and Elicio’s plants – did I take a look to see who was responsible for this most enchanted of settings, and thus discovered it to be the work of Yxes.

Sitting to the north side of Mock Heather Road and within just under 20,000 square metres of land, Morrigan’s Roadhouse is a place of gentle contradictions natural delights, touches of fantasy and (to me at least) spirituality (in a pagan sense), and infinite charm. The About Land description suggests the setting may have been influenced by what might be the most instantly recognisable (and misinterpreted) of all of the recordings by the Eagles: Hotel California, quoting as it does the sixth verse of the song.

It’s a verse that is somewhat reflected in the mysterious lean of the setting – the big house sitting as they crown of the landscape (inasmuch as it rises above everything else) might be seen as a place every bit as strange and mysterious as the hotel of the son, whilst the roadhouse of the setting’s title might bring to mind the idea of an edge-of town inn or coaching house where accommodation, alcohol and perhaps dancing might be had; again somewhat in keeping with elements of the song.

Similarly, there is much within the song – and the quoted verse that might be applied to Second Life and those of us who have been engaged with the platform for a long time – do we ever really leave? Whilst the platform itself might be said to be programmed to receive.

But then there is the name of the setting itself, which carries one away from the poetry of (relatively) modern song and lyrical juxtapositions of meanings real and imagined, and into the realm of Irish / Celtic mythology in the form of The Morrigan, the Phantom Queen, most often associated with war and fate, and said to be able to take the form of a crow. Indeed, within the setting, the ruins of a chapel (again the work of Marcus Inkpen) offer a shrine and prayers to the Morrigan, further strengthening this connection.

Nor are these two thematic elements in opposition to one another; just as there has been much debate and speculations about the meaning behind the lyrics of Hotel California, so the Morrigan can be interpreted in different ways. she is seen as both an individual in the form of the Red or Phantom Queen, and also a triumvirate, as both a threefold goddess and also as the Morrigu, three sisters of united heritage cause. Thus, both the reference to the song and to the pagan figure, lend an air of mysticism combined with fantasy and dream to the setting, well in keeping with its unique and engaging presentation.

Which is undeniable about Morrigan’s Roadhouse is the sense of enchantment and the fantastical found throughout, be it in the will-o’-the-wisp-like blankets of mist drifting here and there between the trees and over the waters, or the exotic plants and giant mushrooms awaiting discovery, or the unicorn and albino stag watching over the landscape, or the simple presence of boats floating serenely in the air. There is a charm and sense of magic to be found within the buildings (and under them in the case of the main house), whilst the motifs of familiars (cats and ravens) might be found in multiple places throughout.

That said, this is a place where flycamming is perhaps more advantageous in seeing all that is on offer when compared to walking around. There are elements of the setting not entirely conducive to wandering on foot, and while this may make finding them a little harder, the fact that the landscape does hold somewhat inaccessible corners is entirely in keeping with Nature herself in rarely offering us a simple footpath or trail to follow.

Engaging, photogenic, peaceful and definitely with more than enough in possible motifs, themes and meanings to get the brain cogitating on all of its cylinders (a mere four in my case, admittedly!), Morrigan’s Roadhouse makes for a very worthwhile place to visit.

SLurl Details

• Morrigan’s Roadhouse (Tethea, rated Moderate)

Update: Elvion closed in June 2024.

It is always a pleasure to visit Elvion, the ever-popular work of Bo Zano (BoZanoNL) and his SL/RL partner, Una Zano (UnaMayLi). From its earliest beginnings and throughout all its iterations, Elvion has always been a place of eye-catching and photogenic beauty, often ensconced within a Homestead region and occasionally within a Full region.

With its latest iteration, which I was able to drop into at the start of April 2024, Elvion retains its reputation as a place of beauty and relaxation, although it has once more switched to being founded on a Full private region, one leveraging the Land Capacity bonus available to such regions. And whilst I’ve always enjoyed Bo and Una’s designs, I have to say this one is particularly gorgeous.

Referenced as the Blackbird Edition, this version of Elvion offers everything which has over the years made Bo and Una’s work so highly regarded amongst Second Life explorers, photographers and bloggers – natural beauty, a sense of life imbued by the presence of wildlife and hints of human presence, together with far more of a sense of location and of a rich tapestry of life down through the generations.

Indulge yourself in this green land full of history and natural beauty. From stunning water views and forest trails, to the cosy harbour and city.

– Elvion Blackbird Edition, About Land

With the landing point to the south west and sitting on a rugged upland overlooking the local natural harbour and coastal walk, those arriving within the setting have the choice of either following the old cart tracks of the Mountain Trail for their explorations or of using the local teleport board to hop to one of the listed locales within the region. Of these two choices, I would obviously recommend the former, lest some of the the details present within the region.

Depending on which way you go in following the Mountain Trail, the first of the locations, as listed on the teleport board you’re likely to reach will be either the old gatehouse standing guard on one side of the local town, or the ruins of the abbey that once occupied the north-western extent of the region, flanked on two sides by open water and on the third by a deep gorge of a water channel which cuts through the setting north-to-south, fed by waterfalls and streams and crossed in several places by stone and wooden bridges.

The ruins of the abbey – an absolutely perfect use of elements from The Looking Glass Ruined Chapel, a long-standing favourite of mine – give a sense that this is a place long inhabited, even if once only as a religious retreat. The ruins look out across the waters to a rugged coastline which gives the impression that this iteration of Elvion sits as a small island which may have once been joined to that rugged coast, before the surrounding waters had forever sundered the two.

Across the gorge, and reached by the single stone bridge spanning it, the gatehouse leading to the town demonstrates a similar sense of age, together with a certain French turn in its architecture as it sits with its portcullises open to welcome visitors into the town.

The latter is a pleasing mix of buildings and styles, neatly suggesting it has grown organically over time, its two cobbled footpaths are split between elevations, offering a please walk through the town and down to the harbour. This sits within a natural bay into which the region’s water channel flows. Such is the nature of the this little port of call that it sensibly requires both a lighthouse and large marker buoys to help guide small vessels into the harbour’s arms and a safe mooring.

The lighthouse sits on a small isle which forms one side of the harbour and presents a pleasing walk in its own right, offering as it does a loop back to the town or a means to reach another of the region’s locales, the local windmill. The latter sits towards the north-eastern corner of the region, and which also sits at one end of the Mountain Trail.

But it is the natural look and feel to the setting, together with Una and Bo’s inevitable attention to detail that really bring this iteration of Elvion so memorable as a place. The ruggedness of the island perfectly matches the mountains off-region surround, giving the setting that sense of the two being properly related geologically, rather than the surround simply being a backdrop for the region’s landscape.

The detail extends to the rich mix of wild and domesticated animals found throughout the region, with the former coming in a variety which makes it hard to pin down where in the world this edition of Elvion might represent – if any at all -, further adding to its magic and attractiveness. Further attractiveness is given through the provision, again as is common and always welcome within Elvion, of multiple places to sit and pass the time.

Definitely not n iteration of Elvion to miss.

SLurl Details

• Elvion (rated Moderate)

Susann Decuir is responsible for drawing me to Memories of Dreams, a marvellously Japanese-themed Homestead region design by Yxes (Yxes Evergreen). she did so when I caught her write-up on the setting in her blog whilst I was largely outworld of SL during March 2024. As regulars to these pages know, almost anything with an Oriental theme will pique my interest, so I noted the SLurl and at the first opportunity on getting back in-world, off I toddled (or rather, my alt toddled!) so I could poke my nose in and have a look.

Spring in a Japanese styled sim….a place to sit and reflect once you’ve explored all the small nooks and crannies. Be sure to notice the Orcas migrating along the coast.

– Memories of Dreams, About Land Description

The setting is one of those which amply demonstrates the adage “Less is more”. Yxes has used a little of 50% of the region’s Land Capacity to produce a wonderfully evocative setting that does not need to be filled to the brim with objects in order to achieve its stated goal.

At least partially surrounded by off-region mountains (I’m actually not sure if it is supposed to be entirely surrounded, because for some reason the 3070 GPU on my current PC has a devil of a time rendering region surrounds where my old 970 rarely worked up a sweat in doing so), the setting is suggestive of a quiet retreat located on a (little-visited?) islet within the Japanese archipelago. The summer retreat, perhaps of a once-powerful Shogun.

The island’s rugged form is dominated by a large pagoda-like building. Perhaps once a home perhaps once a temple, it surrounded by a variety of trees – Japanese maple, Sakura, plum trees and more – which give colour and vitality to the knobbly and uneven mass of the island’s central knoll in a manner flowers and shrubs would not be able to manage. In addition, the trees obviously provide shade and a sense of coolness for those wandering this wildling garden as it sits around the main building.

Below the main structure, to the north-west and north and both sitting withing the island’s shallows, are two further structures. The each sit at the end (or start, depending on your point of view!) of a stone stairway set into the island’s slopes.

Located at the end of the potentially grander stairway – it being quite broad at its lower extent and semi-defensively boxed-in by walls on three sides – is a single-roomed building set upon stone slabs set above the coastal waters. Now a place to enjoy a quiet meal, it’s general design suggests that it may have once been where boats bringing people to the island came alongside.

The second building is also single-roomed, but sits slightly off-shore within the walls of what might be a man-made island. Torii gates and stepping stones over the shallow waters provide access to its gates, and the structure itself, located in a formal sand garden crossed by further stepping stones, has the feel of perhaps once having been a walled temple or shrine, but which is now given over the the art of the tattooist.

Close by this walled setting, and sitting on a low-lying headland, is a Japanese Zen garden offering a walk around its gravel paths and a way down to the island’s eastern beach, where visitors might to watch passing Orca as they frolic off the coast. A second arc of sand lies on the south side of the island. Located within a shallow cove, it is reached by walking down the grassy slopes from the main building.

Throughout all of this, subtle depth is added through the placement of small artistic touches – umbrellas apparently caught on a mysterious updraft so they hover above the entrance to the main building; a broken Torii gate with payer papers still pinned to it; Toro and other lamps scattered around to help hold the night at bay from the paths and steps; sculptures giving further voice to the presence of human hearts and minds on this little isle; and the gentle, watchful eyes of Buddha observing all who come and go, and the dance of Japanese Crane.

All told, a beautifully idyllic and beautifully relaxing (not to mention utterly photogenic) location, and once well worth visiting and appreciating.

SLurl Details

Memories of Dreams (Hawksong, rated Moderate)

In September 2023 I dropped into Shades of Autumn, a homestead region design by Flower Caerndow which she offered for people to visit and photograph. I found it an engaging and autumnal visit, with plenty to appreciate within in (see: Appreciating the Shades of Autumn in Second Life). Earlier in February 2024, Flower opened up her latest region design, Serene Retreat, occupying a Full private region, and given my enjoyment of Shades, I trundled over recently to have a look.

Welcome to a beautiful peaceful retreat and experience the magical beauty of nature. All are welcome to wander and take pictures and find the hidden cuddle spots. 

– Serene Retreat About Land Description

This is a place which very much carries on in the spirit of Shades, whilst presenting an entirely new landscape to explore and photograph.

The landing point sits towards the northern tip of the island, close to where a small gallery of Flower’s own SL photography might be found. Whilst picturesque, the pictures serve a dual purpose: as well as offering views of the region, each is a teleporter which will carry a visit to the location it frames. However, given the overall nature of the island, unless you’re in a hurry to get to someone or somewhere, it’s much better to explore using your pedal extremities.

A short walk downhill from the landing is one of the island’s sandy beaches and (if it is your first port of call on arrival) the first of the region’s little places to sit and / or cuddle. For those who prefer, steps leading up from the cobbles surrounding the gallery in its ruined tower provide a way up the neighbouring hill, where a small tea house sits within a Zen garden watched over by a figure of Buddha.

From here, other paths wind their way over the island, notably to the south and east, passing by a ring of standing stones to reach the highest point within the setting as is sits above steep rocky inclines falling away to the sea. Other paths wend their way through a nearby copse, where crystals, hints of exotic plants and some of the local wildlife might be found, together with further places to sit and pass the time in solitude or with others.

Also to be found on the edge of the Zen garden is a pool of crystal-clear water, home to swans and koi carp, and the birthplace of a stream that runs out to a rocky lip before cascading down to be caught by a rocky pool. From here and tumbling over the coastal rocks, it makes its way out to open waters. A mossy / grassy path slips down the hill alongside this stream and its falls, passing a romantic little snuggle point and what appears to be the last remnants of a building. Below these an old track passes, looking like it might have once passed around a good ideal of the island, but which the sea has been gradually reclaiming in places.

Just below the stone flooring of whatever might have once stood here, whilst also running back from the cart track, is a narrow hollow slumped within the arms of the hill. More crystal and exotic flowers are to be found here, together with the open mouth of a tunnel slipping back under the hill and inviting exploration. However, I’ll leave it to you to find out what lies within its caverns.

The eastern side of the island also offers a second beach reached via two stone-stepped paths running down to it. From here, and past the tepee-like sitting area and a swing, you can scramble up on to the island’s rocky feet and make your way around to the south side. It’s not possible to get all the way around the island at close to sea level, but for those who do follow the hill’s lip, a way down to a southern shingle beach and its little sitting spot can be found. This also allows visitors to continue their walk on around the island close to its edge, and thus come to the stream and hollow mentioned above.

Tranquil, photogenic and sitting under a sky mindful of Stevie Davros’s work (which is not to say it is – just that it reminds me of his work – which is to say it has a sense of realism about it which is attractive), Serene Retreat build on the foundations Flower laid with Shades of Autumn whilst offer its own unique and engaging setting for exploration.

SLurl Details

• Serene Retreat (rated Moderate)