Tag: Exploring SL Archives

Windwept (Moderate) May 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

In 2014, Starfall’s Twiight’s Edge proved to be a popular stopover for Second Life travellers. Both a destination and a venue for performance art, it was a captivating place to see; a beautiful use of water on which to build some captivating scenes (my own initial visit is recorded here). So much so, that its closure was met with a fair degree of lamentation.

Such ws the love of the place, that the news that Nezzy (Inez Pennell) and Imp (Cinderr Resident) had created a new location in Second Life filled a fair few people with delight – including myself; although I admit it’s taken me a little time to work my way around to making a  visit. And I have to say, Windwept, the new region, doesn’t disappoint, at all.

Windwept (Moderate) May 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Windwept provides a watery environment surrounded by gently undulating hills which encompass a place rich in echoes of Starfall while evoking a look and feel entirely of its own. Those familiar with the latter will doubtless recognise some of the art and elements placed within Windwept, all of which helps generate a comforting déjà vu like feeling that while one might well be visiting for the first time, there is something comfortingly familiar about the region.

Scattered across the water are a series of rocky vignettes, each inviting exploration. The largest of these is a high plateau which offers both a commanding view of the region and its surrounding hills, and a cosy little coffee shop in which to relax. Equally cosy, thanks to it being chock full of bric-a-brac, is a converted shipping container, sitting on the water a little apart from everything else; while right across the region are places to sit and be cosy with a friend or friends.

Windwept (Moderate) May 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

But like Starfall, Windwept is a little deceptive in nature; what you see is not necessarily all that there is; towards the centre of the region is a wooden pier with a small stone-walled garden at one end, bounded on three sides by windows floating in the air. Here sits the top of a ladder, descending into a watery hole – the first indicator of hidden delights waiting to be found; in this case, an underwater room, and little hideaway tucked out-of-sight.

And there is more. Touch the windows (three were active at the time of my visit), and you can be transported to other locations, high overhead, which offer an interesting mix of themes and a touch of whimsy – including one which looks like it may well be intended for live events.

Windwept (General) May 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

It’s good to see Nezzy and Imp open a region like this again; Starfall always had a wonderfully tranquil fee to it, and the skyborne areas for art and contemplation were always a pleasure to visit. Windwept captures so much of Starfall’s spirit, but offer something this is also wonderful in it own right.  The winter’s morning look and feel to the region is ideal for photography, but as can hopefully be seen in the images here, the region offers itself to a range of windlight settings.

But don’t take my work for it – go see for yourself!

Related Links

• Windwept SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Windwept Flickr group

Miyagi (General) May 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Update: Miyagi is closed.

It’s Honour’s fault. But then it always is, isn’t it? 😉 .

She recently posted about an oriental region called Miyagi. As regulars here know, anything involving an oriental feel tends to pique my interest. Then Honour mentioned something about racing cars as well, and as I’m currently having Formula 1 withdrawals (hey, three weeks between races this time!), so I had to go take a look…

Miyagi is truly a place with two different faces to present to the world – and with a few secrets waiting to be found as well, making it the ideal place for gentle (in an adrenalin-fuelled way) explorations.

The first face Miyagi offers the world, for those unfamiliar with it at least, is that of a rural Japanese setting with paved footpaths mixing with shrines, little houses, bamboo walks, a castle and even its own Yumedono (hall of dreams). Away from the arrival point with its modern commercial premises and teleport board (which reveals some of Miyagi’s other face), this is an almost tranquil setting. You can wander the footpaths, visits the shrines, wander over bridges crossing the waterways which divide the land and find plenty of opportunities for taking photos.  make your way across the region, beyond the castle, and you can climb torii-spanned steps leading up to a mountain-top shrine.

Miyagi (General), May 2015 (Flickr)

In fact, so picturesque is the the place, it’s easy to forget there’s more here than meets the eye. As noted above, the teleport board gives some of it away – you can use it to reach a number of skyborne raceways – rezzing is permitted, so you can try them for yourself. Or you can test your skills at simball (that’s a kind of full contact football played on hoverboards, for want of a better description), although you will need at least one other player for this to work. The teleport board will also give you access to the local nightclub, Gao (after all every racing driver likes to let-off steam).

But this is far from all Miyagi has to offer. Explore carefully enough, and you might find your way to the river boat tour which will take singles and couples on a ride around and through the region, revealing things you might otherwise miss. Further afield lies a path leading up to an onsen sitting over a lava flow – bringing a whole new meaning to the term hot springs. Higher still, on another peak, sits the hang gliding and bungee jumping platforms (the latter with some delightful animations”) – although you may need a little time to find the elevator up to them! Even the castle offers a rope slide of its own, while closer to the arrival point, there are opportunities to fly a hot air balloon or a wooden helicopter!

Miyagi (General), May 2015 (Flickr)

And the secrets of Miyagi? Well, not everything at ground level is at it seems. Take the little shrines scattered around the place, for example, or the kago you’ll find at the start of the path leading to the Miku shrine. Are they all that they seem? Perhaps you might want to open the doors and find out.

Should you feel particularly daring, look for the trap door in the floor of castle. it’ll reveal a rope ladder leading downwards to a subterranean maze, complete with several traps, hidden passages and more. Just be aware that there’s only one way out (teleporting doesn’t count 🙂 ), and you’ll need the code from a certain nice young lady stuck down there if you’re to get past the final barrier. Then you can take the train car back to safety – well, assuming you find the ladders back up to ground level! And if you find the ladders before going to the castle, do remember that without the code mentioned above, your journey underground will be kept a little short.

Miyagi is a place that manages to cram a lot into itself without feeling the slightest bit overcrowded. With places to wander, rides to enjoy, opportunities to sit and contemplate and the chance for some sporting fun all mixed with a little underground adventure, there is enough on offer to keep almost anyone happy during a visit. Keep an eye out, as well, for the Show Pub Puppet theatre (shows Saturdays / Sundays?) on neighbouring NonStop, where a music store can also be found.

Miyagi (General), May 2015 (Flickr)

The Colder Water, April 2015 (Flickr) – click any image for full size

One of the most hauntingly beautiful regions is Second Life is due to close its doors today, April 30th, 2015, and there are many in Second Life who will miss it.

As I wrote in August 2014, following my first visit there:

The Colder Water, located on the homestead region of Daydreams, is without a doubt one of the most atmospheric and evocative regions I’ve visited.  Both minimalist in one direction, yet rich in content and imagery in another, Jordan Giant’s design has an immersive attractiveness that is quite breathtaking.

The news of the closure came via a message Jordan posted in Flickr earlier in April, to to which Ziki Questi alerted me. Truth be told, I had hoped to get an article out on the closure a lot earlier than now to give people time to pay a visit. Unfortunately, I’ve been going in several directions are once of late, both SL-wise and in the physical world, and haven’t had the time I would have liked to devote to writing something sooner.

Instead, I offer a new video of The Colder Water, and hope that it helps us all remember the land of Daydreams and the Lighthouses Three.

Thank you, Jordan, for sharing your vision and your creation with us.

221B Baker Street, circa 2012-2015, as seen in the BBC’s series Sherlock – and in Second Life (Flickr) – click any image for full size

“Come at once if convenient. SH.” So reads the text message on the ‘phone. A few seconds later it is followed by, “if inconvenient, come anyway. SH.”

Thus, Doctor John Watson finds himself being summoned by his new flatmate, the enigmatic Sherlock Holmes, in the opening episode of Sherlock, the BBC’s re-imagining of Conan Doyle’s famous duo The show sees the pair transplanted to London in the 21st Century, getting a suitably modern make-over in the process, whilst still remaining true to their roots (Watson, for example, sustained a wound during the recent conflict in Afghanistan, just as the original Watson received his wound during the Second Anglo-Afghan War).

The series has aired around the world to much acclaim, each episode retelling one of Conan Doyle’s famous cases, again cleverly updated for modern times. And if you haven’t guessed already, I’m quite a fan – just as much as I enjoy Conan Doyle’s original short stories and novels.

A certain website recording, among other things, 43 different types of tobacco … (Flickr)

So when Strawberry Singh IM’d me about a place in Second Life which apparently recreates the flat at 221B Baker Street as seen in the BBC’s series, it was something I had to see for myself. And I have to say, it really is the most remarkable reproduction.

Almost everything that anyone familiar with the show would expect to find in Holmes’ flat is here. The same untidy mess, the same flock wallpaper and poster on the wall, the kitchen-converted-into-a-lab; there’s even the expected severed head in the fridge and the hand-drawn target on the wall, complete with bullet holes, put their by a “bored” Holmes…

“The wall had it coming…” What happens when a certain S. Holmes, Esq., gets bored … (Flickr)

The flat is the work of Darius Godric, who is clearly an aficionado of the show; not only has he recreated 221B Baker Street in extraordinary detail (as shown in the top image, it even sits above Speedy’s Sandwich Bar!), he has incorporated many touches from various episodes of the show.

Fore example, on the table sits a laptop displaying Holmes’ website, The Science of Deduction. Close by, on a chair, sits a pink travel case, taken from A Study in Pink (a play on A Study in Scarlet, the novel by Doyle which introduced Holmes and Watson). Between the two lies a page of ciphers, alluding to the episode The Blind Banker, which in turn draws on The Valley of Fear and The Adventure of the Dancing Men.

The pink travel case at the heart of A Study In Pink, which introduces audiences to the BBC’s Holmes and Watson (Flickr)

While visiting 221B Baker Street, Berry and I had a little fun dressing-up in a Sherlock style (we actually debated going for the complete look and male avatars, but while there is a lot of stuff for Sherlock to be found, John Watson seems to be less well catered for), and you can see the results of our fun over on Berry’s blog, as a part of her Monday Memes series.

Darius has also gone to great lengths to recreate Sherlock’s looks with his avatar, and the results are stunning.  I had the opportunity to chat with him when he dropped by the flat after Berry and I had finished shooting (literally and figuratively, as you’ll see on her blog!).

“I made the avatar, then I got bored, so I built the flat,” he said as we sat by the fireplace, Darius in Sherlock’s trademark coat and gloves. “I suppose it’s for fans of the show, and homage,” he added.

He’s hesitant to suggest it could be used for role-play, as it retains the dimensions of the original, and thus is on the cosy side when it comes to having too many avatars present, and he’s understandably concerned that visitors popping in and out might spoil the atmosphere. The flat is, however, open to any and all who wish to visit.

Anyone who has enjoyed Sherlock’s three (thus far) seasons via the BBC (and their world-wide partners) is going to love the version of 221B Baker Street Darius has created in Second Life; it really is a marvel to visit. The many touches within it will have fans of the show smiling happily (I know I was).

And if you need reminding of the appearance of the flat in the show, check the video at the end of this piece, courtesy of the BBC.

Watson: “There’s a head in the ‘fridge!” Holmes: “Yessss…” Watson: “A bloody head!” Holmes: “Well, where else was I supposed to put it?” … what you might find in the kitchen-turned-Lab at 221B Baker Street (Flickr)

Related Links

• Flat 221B Baker Street SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Strawberry’s Monday Meme: TV shows

Special update: It appears that Holmes and Watson, as portrayed by Benedict Cummerbatch and Martin Freeman in the BBC series will next be appearing in  … 1895! To find out more, and to understand the layered significance of this date, read the news on the BBC website!

With thanks to Darius Godric for his time, and to Berry for the invitation!

HyakuMonogatari (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Hyakumonogatari is one of two regions designed by 兇 (Merurun), the other being its neighbour Heinakyo. I was drawn to them after reading a blog post by Abinoam Nørgaard recording his explorations of both.

Hyakumonogatari in particular attracted me because of the apparent link with the ancient parlour game Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai (百物語怪談会) or A Gathering of One Hundred Supernatural Tales, which was popular in Edo period Japan and may have started as a game of courage played by  the samurai class.

HyakuMonogatari (Flickr)

Given that Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai was a game played at night, involving the possible evocation of spirits, ghouls and demons, it should come as no surprise that the region bearing its name (at least in part) has a dark, heavy atmosphere occasionally split by flashes of lightning (note that other than the topmost image in this piece, I’ve used lighter windlights in my pictures to help show some of the details of the region).

The main landing point is a temple courtyard, huddled at the foot of a tall mountain. Crows caw from the trees and paper lamps strung between wooden poles provide the main illumination. Follow the path around to the imposing bulk of the gate house standing before the temple’s shrine, and you’ll see a wooden bridge passing eastwards over a narrow gorge to a small town beyond which straddles the two regions, Heinakyo offering more of a retail environment as one travels through it.

HyakuMonogatari (Flickr)

For the intrepid, however, it is the route north and west which is the one to take, following the path and steps up the mountain and under a train of torii gates. Here the mist lies heavy and the default lighting is dim, adding to the atmosphere. As shines to honoured ancestors appear, so to does the path become increasingly unpredictable.

There are two routes here. One will take the traveller directly up to a high shoulder on the mountain. The other, which might take a little bit of finding, leads into the heart of the mountain, although the fact it has done so might not at first be obvious. Here you’ll find an old, careworn temple, the home of a couple of additional stores, and which plays on the idea of the Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai. Keen-eyed will find an alternative route back down to the main temple, while those careless of foot may find themselves taking a fall or two…

HyakuMonogatari (Flickr)

Taken together, HyakuMonogatari and Heinakyo make for an interesting visit. both look as if work on them might still be in progress in places, but the village and temple are photogenic. And should you fancy getting a group of friends together and lighting a series of andon in one room, ready to tell supernatural tales in another, this is the place to do so.

And to keep to the tradition of Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai, just make sure you bring a mirror and a table on which to lay it…

Related Links

• HyakuMonogatari SLurl (Rated: Moderate)

Small Town Café, Luck (Flickr) – click any image for full size

Every so often you happen across a place you weren’t expecting to find, whether it be purely by random chance, the nudge of coincidence or the chance remark. Insofar as this article is concerned, it was the latter: a chance remark I caught in open chat concerning places to photograph in SL, which led me to Small Town Café, an utterly delightful 1/4 full region designed by Mido (Mido77077 Liotta).

Most of the land is submerged bordered on two side by tall, plateau-like cliffs on two sides. Grass and tulips grow tall in the shallow water, forming islands of green and yellow against the blue, between which the water seems to snake, presenting the visitor with the feeling of standing at the mouth of a slow-flowing river as it meets the gentle currents of the sea – or perhaps a lake.

Small Town Café, Luck (Flickr)

Through the middle of the water, almost cutting it in two and pointing east, a long wooden walkway winds its way from the  the landing point to the open water, where there is a subtle wash of mixing currents. A grassy path runs northwards from the landing point, marking the way to the primary signs of habitation here. Nestled in the shadow of the tall cliffs sits an empty town house or shop, a Tuscan cottage occupying the cobbles alongside it, both fronted by a paved footpath protecting them from the lapping waters.

Here the scene is almost urban; a scooter, loaded with bags and boxes, sit on the footpath, while the shop is fronted by the entrance to an underground station. Is it genuine, or is it something perhaps transplanted here on a whim, the boards over the entrance hiding the fact only more cobblestones sit beneath them? It’s up to visitors to decide. Here, as well, under a rocky arch, is a gated wall, suggesting a garden beyond, distracting the eye from the arched entranceway close by which provides access to one of the region’s genuine secrets.

Small Town Café, Luck (Flickr)

Across the waters from these, on the south side of the region, and raised above the waters over which they stand is the café bar that perhaps gives the place its name, and red bulk of an old shipping container, now converted into a workshop. To reach these, you’ll have to do a little wading, and I strongly recommend you do so around the edge of the water; not because of any risk of drowning, but because that way you’ll find more little touches – such as the greenhouse converted into a little vinyl record shop. Just do try not to disturb the deer too much as you make your way to the café bar.

Music is obviously popular here; the café features an old upright piano, and guitars on their stands can be found here and there across the region, as can places to sit and pass the time with friends or a loved one. This is also a place where cats roam and play with puppies, content to let the mice enjoy the atmosphere unhindered, and even the big cats are wish to do little more than watch things from on high.

Small Town Café, Luck (Flickr)

Given my love of music, cats and watery scenes is Second Life, little wonder I was enchanted by Small Town Café. I’m sure that when you visit, you will be as well – and who knows, if I’m there, maybe I’ll play you a little something on the piano or if you prefer, strum a guitar for a while. If I do (or even if I don’t), please consider leaving a tip; not for me, but for Mido, to hep keep tranquil setting alive for many more to enjoy.

Related Links

• Small Town Café SLurl (Rated:  Moderate)