Tag: Exploring SL Archives

Hera (Zee9) forwarded an invitation to visit the latest iteration of her Drune City design – Drune Giger City – which she has just opened on the ground level of her region.

If you read the name “Giger” and think of the late Swiss artist, Hans Ruedi (H.R.) Giger, perhaps most famous for his work on the original Alien film (with elements of his work – notably the alien itself – being used in the subsequent films in the franchise), you’d be absolutely right; this is a build that openly draws inspiration from Giger and his work – not just the Alien franchise, but also other elements of his extensive portfolio as well.

The city is reached via Hera’s main landing point, where a brief introduction to the setting can be obtained, using a poster-sized teleport board to complete a journey down to the city proper. Before making the trip ourselves, I would point out a couple of things: make sure you accept the local environment settings for the region and that you have Advanced Lighting Model enabled, and do be advised that in taking its lead from Giger, the region is in places somewhat explicit in some of its elements.

The city retains the general layout found within the various iterations of Drune, but this time under a distinctly alien sky. However, this does not mean the buildings are in any way derivative of earlier iterations. As I’ve noted before when writing about her work, Hera goes to extraordinary lengths with her designs, using her own meshes and textures – and this is very much the case here. As such, I do recommend spending time and looking around carefully, as there is a lot of Giger-esque details to be appreciated, not all of them at first obvious to the eye.

The city’s landing point again takes the form of a docking / landing station for aerial vehicles to one side of the cit. It is home to an alien vehicle, potentially a single-seat spacecraft, entirely of Hera’s own design but entirely in keeping with Giger’s approach to design.  The walkway from this landing area gives the first direct example of the richness of Hera’s texturing: the mural is clearly homage to Giger’s bass relief style of art. This is continued through the outer walls of the buildings, the streets and elevator doors that provide teleport access to street-level in the city.

The streets themselves undulate around the buildings, here and there offering exits to the road that runs around the exterior of the city. The architecture of the buildings carries more of the Giger bass relief style of texturing, together with stronger hints of his work: xenomorph heads extending gargoyle-like above covered walkways, and strangely designed oval doorways that have the edge of genitalia to them  – and these doorways / tunnel entrances are not the only sexualised elements.

 

Scattered across the city and its surrounds are further suggestive elements – phallic growths and extrusions in the hills around the city (offering hints of Giger’s Landscape series), more obvious references to female genitalia on what look to be some form of machinery, a refreshment stand offering drinks from nipple-like dispensers. This vendor also offers novel seating – the “eggs” from which one of  Giger’s Facehuggers once leapt and made a mess of John Hurt’s day. More of these eggs are laid out along an alleyway – with one open, so be careful when looking inside!

In keeping with past Drune cities, this one again features a night club. With more phallic elements, this also includes something of a homage to the holographic navigation systems used by the Engineers of the Alien films, while the interior as a whole has a Giger-like fluidity to it, with a further sexual undertone that goes beyond the phallic elements.

Across the road from the club is a small lounge bar (replacing the hotel that has been present in some earlier iterations of Drune) where the sheer beauty of Hera’s work is on full display in a form that not only encompasses clear inspiration from H.R. Giger, but also to one or two sci-fi franchises.

This latter might be coincidental, but for me, it looking at the figurehead between the pair of xenomorphs, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the death mask used in the opening sequence of the first season of Stargate SG-1, with the patterns on the walls a little mindful of hieroglyphs and runes often seen in that series. Elsewhere, the bar setting that first seen (I believe) in Drune: Sleazy Street has been give a perfect redress to further enhances the further Giger / Alien vibe.

Atmospheric, strange – yet familiar, alien – yet identifiable, and rich in detail, Drune Giger City might be a little discomfiting for some given some of the sexual motifs present, but that does not change the fact it is another work of art from Hera. So, if you have a love of her work and / or of H.R. Giger and / or sci-fi, this is a build not to be messed.

SLurl Details

• Drune Giger City (Cloud Lake, rated Adult)

If you are seeking something different from a winter-themed region might want to pay a visit to The Scarlett Hotel, a full region designed by Jaimy Hancroft and the Death Row Designs (DRD) team – although you may need to do so before the end of December 31st, 2021, as I’m been informed (unofficially) that that is when the little adventures on the region may draw to a close).

The setting offers what might be taken as a coastal township caught in the midst of winter, snow lying so heavy on the ground, a snow plough is required to keep the local streets clear, and even the local fishing wharves sit under the snow’s thick blanket. Dominating this township is the eponymous hotel, its broad front carrying a certain similarity to the Overlook Hotel from Kubrick’s The Shining (or if you prefer, the Stanley Hotel, Colorado, which was used for many of the exterior shots of the hotel seen in that film).

Not only does the hotel give its name to the region, it is the location for a set of adventures that set this winter setting apart from others. There are 12 in all that visitors to the region are invited to participated in; and those who complete all 12 can earn a reward. In all there are 12 individual adventures – or stories – in which people can participate, and completing all 12 will reward people with a prize.

For those who do wish to participate in the quest, the best way to do so is to touch the Tutorial sign mounted on the wall of the landing point. This offer the opportunity to visit a browser-based tutorial (and also a web page of general rules), which forms a fairly good guide to getting started. The key points of this is that you must accept the local DRD experience and join the DRD group. Both of these actions can be achieved at the landing point. However, if you have problems with getting an invitation to join the experience (as I did), you can go to Me / Avatar in the viewer menu bar, click on Experiences → Search, make sure the search maturity is set to Moderate and search for “DRD Experience” (no quotes); this should display the experience name – double-click on it to open the experience profile, then click on Allow to join it. You’re then ready to obtain the game HUD.

Once players are set, the next stage is to head for the hotel and trigger a story. This is done by finding a story introduction – which is displayed in local chat (generally at the entrance to a room), and then clicking around objects and surfaces (including drawer and cupboards) to find the start point – once you have done so, the active story/ies (you can have more than one active at a time) will be indicated by a gear icon in the checklist of the HUD.

The recent history of the kitchen is a sad and tragic one. In 2002, an excited young chef from France named Claire Ménard started her career right here at the Scarlett Hotel. Her dishes that she wrote in her personal recipe book were fresh, new, and exquisite, but Head Chef Ernest Cunningham was not a fan. He was well respected in the culinary world and didn’t take well to a newcomer changing his beloved menu. It is reported that he was quick to temper and abusive with staff. Ever since The Accident, there have been reports of banging noises coming from inside the walk-in freezer…

– An introduction to one of the stories from The Scarlett Hotel

However, even for those not interested in the adventures, the region offers opportunities for photography and the introductions to the various stories to do tend to whet the appetite.

So, if you do fancy something a little different when exploring, why not check into the Scarlett Hotel and see if you can solve some of the mysteries there – or just and a wander and take a few snaps? Just make sure you do so before the end of 2021, just in case the rumour I heard is right, and  things change.

SLurl Details

• The Scarlett Hotel (Scarlett Bay, rated Moderate)

So, with Christmas Day having arrived, and a tummy full of Christmas dinner, I decided to pay a visit to the North Pole – after all, Santa comes to visit us on the evening before, so why not drop in on him – perhaps with a mince pie or two? In this case, the North Pole in question is a Full region held by Stormie Frua, and offered for folk to enjoy. It comes packed with places to visit and things to do; a charming winter wonderland that makes for an ideal post-Christmas Day visit.

While it is not enforced, the region’s landing point is located north-east of its centre, and is the best place to start explorations. It is here that the local greeter will offer a note card of principal points of interest so those who are short of time can see them all  via the included landmarks – but I do recommend making time so you can explore on foot, as there is a lot to see and appreciate – and a certain amount of magic to discover.

Just down from the landing point is the first of those points of interest: the local pond. Frozen over, it is ideal for skating and is surrounded by places to enjoy a hot drink. In addition various paths wind through the snows of the region, passing under tree and over bridge as they lead visitors onwards.

One of these paths runs westward to reach the region’s docks and their little hamlet, all of which is open to exploration. To the east, the land rises, and paths climb rocky slopes. They pass by way of snuggle spots and cabins to arrive at a rocky, tree-crown peak with a further snuggle spot awaits, together with a zipline back into the region for those who dare.

Climbing these eastern hills, visitors might also find the entrances to the touches of fantasy within the region. These take the form of a winding carven, its entrance half-way up the slopes, and a garden that can be reached either through the cavern or via a second path. Set behind a rocky arch, it sits as a place free from snow and awash with green and flowers, with faerie and deer and ruins: an oasis of colour in the whiteness of the rest of the region.

I should point out that the region also contains private homes dotted around it, so some care should be taken during wanderings to avoid trespass; but these are easy to identify when following the paths around the region’s centre. Needless to say, this is a place with multiple opportunities for photography throughout, accentuated by the default EEP setting, which really is ideal.

So, if you’re looking for a winter setting in which to relax and enjoy so post-Christmas (or pre-New Year!) time, then a visit to the North Pole is highly recommended.

My thanks to Shawn Shakespeare for the SLurl.

SLurl Details

• North Pole – A Beautiful Winter Escape (North Pole, rated Moderate)

It was in 2016 that I first visited a build by Dandy Warhlol (terry Fotherington), then working with Belle des Champs (Bridget Genna), carrying the name of BarDeco. As a setting for music and socialising (see: Visiting the Village in Second Life), I enjoyed exploring it then, and went on to fall in love with the bar in its 2017 iteration (see A break for coffee in Second Life) – so much so, that with Dandy and Bridget’s permission, I took inspiration for a bar design of my own back in 2018-2019.

BarDeco continued through different iterations of the years, but with Dandy’s region design abilities being in much demand of late, it has been – for me – a much missed destination. Which is why, when Vally Lavender-Ericson (Valium Lavender) set me the Landmark, I made a point of dropping in as soon as time allowed.

Occupying a parcel within a Full private region, Sainte Rose sur Mer & BarDeco offers a refreshing break from the current round of winter-themed regions by presenting visitors with a little corner of Mediterranean France with a beach to the southern aspect, and a little east-facing cove dominated by building-sized lump of rock that – being honest – had me regretting the beach didn’t didn’t continue along the coast from the south, and a coastal, almost rustic corner of a town built around BarDeco itself, that offer little walks and corners to explore.

The landing point sits on the east side of the parcel, overlooking the rocky little cove on a stone-faced wharf / piazza. This faces the entrance to BarDeco club space, the façade of which carried elements seen with the 2017 design I fell in love with.

Passing through the archway into the club space reveals that it has been set within an open-air courtyard surrounded on three sides by the ruins  or rear aspects of buildings, and the forth by its front façade. One of the latter includes a neat little balcony that overlooks the courtyard and makes for a neat little bird’s nest for the DJ. Facing it across the courtyard and under the shade of one of the ruins, sits the bar, its design again recalling earlier iterations of BarDeco through design and décor, whilst remaining unique.

A neat aspect of the club is that one corner opens out into what looks to have once been gardens. Now overgrown with wildflowers. It forms a charming – perhaps even romantic walk, or even a little place for a romantic dance or two – that offers a means to reach the rest the setting, reached by way of stone steps leading to a small terrace, and gates pointing the way to to the southern sea-front.

Here, on a raised waterfront overlooking the beach, are the local businesses. They are presented as façades which help keep the land impact under control whilst presenting a sense of place – added-to by the back alley that offers a further taste of realism for photography as well as giving a link back to the landing point by way of a little bridge. Again, this would perhaps be a little more quaint if the bridge and the water under it were more connected to the cove rather than being caught between that block of rock; but as it is, the design still works.

My other minor niggle is that sitting in the north-west corner of the setting sits what is already a delightful little walled garden corner – but without direct access. It would be nice to see it finished and an means of accessing it was provided – even if at the cost of some of the LI used for some of the elements around the “upper” level of the club – many of which probably wouldn’t be noticed by those hopping in for the entertainment anyway.

But again, this is just a minor point; there’s no mistaking BarDeco offers an eye-catching venue for music and dancing, and the surrounding build of Sainte Rose sur Mer offers plenty of photographic opportunities, making the setting deserving of a visit.

SLurl Details

• Sainte Rose sur Mer & BarDeco (Sereno Bay, Moderate)

It was back to scenes of snow and ice with roar of fires in hearths and steaming mugs of hot beverages to warm cold tummies and fingers for me this week, as I took Shawn Shakespeare’s advice and hopped over to The SnowDrift, a winter / holiday season setting that occupies the ground level of Audie Whimsy’s Cherished Melody Full region.

Explore the magic of the holiday season in a snow covered winter land of bliss filled with wondrous festive décor & arrangements. The SnowDrift gracefully captures an old time Christmas feel where you’ll be craving a nice mug of hot chocolate!

– from the region’s About Land description

Surrounded by tall peaks with slopes covered in their own share of snow through which fir trees raise rows of green spires, the region presents a classic series of winter holiday and festive settings and scenes. To the west, the landing point sits within a little village where the snow is falling and the local fountain is heavy in icy stalactites frozen from waters that usually fall from the fountain’s tiers.

Separated from the rest of the region by a frozen channel of water, the village with its little cottages, chapel and shops, is nevertheless connected to the rest of the region by a series of bridges that offer various routes of exploration. These pass around and through the region’s high central peak and its surrounding hills.

Along the way, these paths lead the visitor past snuggle points, outlying cottages and houses, the ruins of another chapel, and more. There are also opportunities for ice skating, sitting aboard Santa’s train, wander through a candy cane garden  – and to even find Santa himself tippy-toeing around as he attempts to deliver presents without being seen. Elsewhere Frosty the Snowman tips his hat in greeting to passers-by, with more to be found.

Set under a cold blue sky (albrit one with what appears to be a giant tree growing across a part of it), The SnowDrift lends itself to a variety of EEP settings, and is rounded out by the presence of local wildlife and a suitable sound scape with the winds, jingling bells and the sounds of birds chirping in boughs of green or which raise themselves skyward, devoid of leaves until spring returns once more.

This is a setting that doesn’t need a lot of description, eloquently speaking for itself as it does. The detail is rich and engaging, without being too overwhelming. And for this reason, I’m going to close this piece with a couple more images.

 

SLurl Details

• The SnowDrift (Cherished Melody, rated Moderate)

I have visited Elvion, the ever-evolving region design by Bo Zano (BoZanoNL), on numerous occasions over the last few years. It’s a place I frequently return to because with each iteration, Bo always offers us a rich and inviting celebration of nature and outdoor living.

He’s also someone who tends to sway away from typical seasonal designs, so for those who might already feel a little number from trudging through all the snow and cold that predominate region designs at this time of year, the current iteration of the region carries a subtle hint of winter’s presence whilst avoiding snow, whilst also embracing a touch of magic for the end of 2021.

Sitting within shallows  speckled by light, the current iteration of Elvion sits as a Z-shaped island that cuts across the water, a low-lying ribbon of grass and sand. Scattered with trees rich in the colours of summer and autumn, the land capped at its northern end by a rocky beach and a horseshoe of rock from which water tumbles into a pool before flowing out into the wide expanse that surrounds the region.

The magic is infused into the region in a number of ways. There are, for example, the giant mushroom trees mixed with the “normal” trees. Then there are the tall pillars canted to lean together and form arches, their presence suggesting this was once the home of ancient structures, while paths are marked by plants that carry their own bulb-like illumination. Meanwhile, the rocks with their waterfalls are backed by strange, extruded outgrowths of rock that look petrified spider’s legs frozen over a portion of the landscape.

Within this setting there is much to be found in the way of details provided by Bo – including one of the Rack Pack bulldogs that have been part of a number of past Elvions – although whether it is Frank, Sammy Davis or Deano, I couldn’t say, this time around 🙂 . Here, horses roam; there stands a pair of albino reindeer, one of the small nods towards the winter season, alongside the EEP settings used in the region); further along, otters keep an anxious watch on the open waters as if expecting something.

Also to be found within the region are multiple places to sit and cuddle – my favourite being the Moon chair as it looks out through a vortex of lying fish (one of the other signs of magic / fantasy in the region); whilst art can also be found giving further ambience to the setting.

This is a place was wandering is easy and the land encourages the imagination to take flight and where peace can be found bathing under the watchful eyes of peacocks and time can be spent in simple reflection. A place where time can be allowed to pass on its own, and the mind can free itself from any sense of trouble or strife.

In other words, another engaging and ideal visit for visitors to enjoy – as I hope the images here confirm.

 

SLurl Details

• Elvion (Calantha, rated Moderate)