Tag: RFL 2013

Fantasy Faire: a Drax Files special

Posted on by Inara Pey

ff13_posterno2_724x1024This weekend marks the start of Fantasy Faire 2013 in aid of Relay for Life Second Life. Ahead of the opening, Draxtor Despres brings us a special segment of The Drax Files, focusing on the event, as seen through the eyes of one of the principal movers and shakers for the event – Zander Greene. It’s a wonderful and moving insight to the event and one which – once again – speaks to the heart of what Second Life can, and does represent.

Zander’s involvement in Fantasy Faire and RFL came as a direct result of the loss of his father, and anyone who has lost a loved one through cancer cannot fail to identify with his opening comments. These remarks, coupled with his views on the incredible potential and capabilities inherent in Second Life which, can for me, lift this segment of The Drax Files to new heights.

Fantasy Faire 2013: opening on April 20th
Fantasy Faire 2013: opening on April 20th

“Relay for Life of Second Life is probably the most cost-effective fundraising effort on the planet,” Zander observes, in discussing the effectiveness of SL as a practical medium. “You can’t imagine the scale of something like Fantasy Faire being done in the physical world. The cost would essentially be the cost of nine big-budget feature films plus a nine-day convention. There is no overhead [in Second life] except the time we donate, and we’re bringing thousands of people together who are separated by so much distance, we’d likely never have even know of one another’s existence … and a virtual world just erases all those barriers and gives us the means to do something that is really good.”

He goes on to make a number of valuable and thought-provoking comments which, given the recent moves to relaunch LL’s “become your avatar” campaign are particularly relevant and worth future discussion. However, as this is a preview video, and I’ve banged-on quite enough about promoting Second Life over the past few years, I’m not going to diving into a long diatribe here.

Instead, I’m going to leave you to enjoy another excellent segment of The Drax Files, together with some very pertinent words from Drax himself, “Thousands will come together this week in order to celebrate life, humanity and free expression while at the same time battling the dark forces of a deadly disease in a way that has tangible, measurable REAL WORLD impact!”

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Fantasy Faire: another sneak peek

Posted on by Inara Pey

Magnificat – The Relay Royales kindly invite you to their summer palace and gardens for a week of diversions, plays, games and leisure to celebrate life and magnify our souls.

Alia Baroque’s magnificent build will open along with the rest of Fantasy Faire 2013, all in aid of Relay for Life, on April 20th. More details to follow soon!

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Video by Draxtor Despres, used with thanks, as always.

Woodstock, RFL style

Posted on by Inara Pey
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Teams’R’Us present Woodstock in Second Life, complete with a poster inspired by Arnold Skolnick’s original

Update: SLurl for the event added, but will not be open to the public until the event doors open on the 15th April, 2013.

In August 1969 Max Yasgur opened the gates of his 600-acre dairy farm near White Lake in the Catskills of New York to host what became the festival which defined an era and a movement.

Woodstock, billed as “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music”, held between the 15th and 18th August 1969, has since passed into legend as well as history as the time when flower power and the desire for peace in our times came into full bloom.

As a part of a series of special events in aid of RFL of SL, Teams’R’Us are offering all of us a chance to travel back in time to the end of the 1960s with a special 3-day celebration of the festival and the decade which will feature music of the era, stalls, auctions and more  – all in aid of this year’s RFL of SL efforts.

Gem Sunkiller invites us all to join in the event with a warm, “Come let your hair down and have fun with us!”

TRU Woodstock
TRU Woodstock

The festival will take place on a specially prepared region – TRU Woodstock – which stands as a recreation of Max Yasgur’s farm field, complete with decorated camper vans, wooden stage and  – of course – lashings of mud!

The event kicks-off on Monday, 15th April at noon SLT and runs through until 22:00 SLT on Wednesday, 17th April, with musics and events scheduled between noon and 22:00 SLT on each day of the festival.

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Fantasy Faire: A peek of things a week away

Posted on by Inara Pey

ff13_posterno2_724x1024We’re just a week away from the start of Fantasy Faire 2013. The regions have been delivered, the themes set, and build ing underway.

This year will see a total of eight themed regions for the Faire, all designed by some of the leading creative minds in Second Life, with the Fairelands Junction making up the ninth region, and all of them located alongside The American Cancer Society’s home region.

It’s still early days in the builds, but if last year is anything to go by, this year will again be spectacular. While I really don’t like to sound as if I have favourites, I have to admit that I’m really looking forward to seeing Elicio Ember’s work once again – his work always leaves me both breathless and enchanted; and I’m also really looking for to seeing Sharni Azalee and Marcus Inkpen’s Lotus Valley Dream. anyone who has ever visited The Looking Glass will know why!

The eight themed regions and their designers are:

Crimson Fields by Laufey Markstein: The field of Oblivion will be built as an homage to Stephen King’s “Dark Tower” series, and will feature a central, gothic and ominous dark tower, in a wide open field of overgrown thorns and scarlet red roses. The stores builds will hint at the long-gone remains of similar gothic structures, roof-less, with time-eroded stone walls entwined in overgrown rose thorns.

The DragonSpire by Khyle Sion: A barren land of stone and crystal, hiding its lavish secrets beneath the shell of the earth. The native Goblins, Drow, Dwarves and Nixies reside in the fruitful tunnels, lorded over by a Dragon and his horde. Veined with phosphorescent ores, freshwater streams and exotic fungi, these deep caverns hold remnants of a lost civilization.

Evensong Woods by Searlait Nitschke: Resting in the treetops of is the elven enclave of Yuale Nura. Bathed in moonlight, the homes glow warm in the deep blues and purples of a winter’s night. A light dusting of snow gives the impression of undisturbed slumber, but perhaps all is not as quiet as first impressions suggest.

Lotus Valley Dream by Marcus Inkpen and Sharni Azalee: The spirit world touches the material plane in this garden of bonsai trees and waterfalls surrounding an ancient pagoda.  With such mystical elegance everywhere you look, this is a place to still your mind and connect with the magic within.

Fantasy Faire 2013: opening on April 20th
Fantasy Faire 2013: opening on April 20th

Lumenaria by Kayle Matzerath: A vast City with lots of colorful houses, shops and a huge castle where the main streets meet. A tribute to the sun and all the golden harmony it brings, the city of Lumenaria is a beacon of hope to any who seek refuge from the dark.

Magnificat by Alia Baroque: The Relay Royales kindly invite you to their summer palace and gardens for a week of diversions, plays, games and leisure to celebrate life and magnify our souls.

Ravenshard by Mayah Parx: Where beauty has lost its perfection to a collection of twisted shards reflecting the wondrously literalistic minds of Burton, Pratchett, and Dahl. The lands will be distinct. The shops anything but square, and some may even have feet! Be warned. It’s funky, it’s fun, and it’s anything but straight!

Titans Hollow by Elicio Ember: The cliff city of Caras Calar dangles high above ground, suspended from the fickle rock formations. The Structures are made of a filigree of crystal, wood and metal, and hung with gigantic chains from the columnar cliffs giving the appearance from below of huge floating lanterns. The sunken valley over which the city hangs is forested with strange vegetation and irrigated from waterfalls plunging from the sheer cliffs. Legend has it a battle between ancient gods created this strange scenery.

Fantasy Faire kicks-off on April 20th and runs through until April 28th. I’ll hopefully be previewing the regions ahead of the opening. In the meantime, and to whet appetites even more, here’s a superb teaser from the lens of Draxtor Despres!

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Fantasy Faire 2013: Blogger registrations open and first regions announced

Posted on by Inara Pey

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The fifth Second Life Fantasy Faire will be held from April 20th through 28th 2013. There has already been a call for designers – which has been very well supported – and on April 1st, the organisers opened registrations for bloggers.

Once again, those wishing to blog about the event can do so in one of two ways:

  • Become an “official” blogger, complete with certain requirements and benefits
  • Remain a “casual” blogger, but enjoy access to the regions on the press preview day.

To qualify as an “official” blogger, a blogger must (among other things) have been blogging for at least 2 months, update their blog at least weekly and be required to blog about at least one item designed specifically as a RFL fund-raising item for the Faire, as supplied to them by each of the four stores to which they’ll be assigned. In return, the blogger will be listed on the Fantasy Faire website.

Full details on the requirements can be found on the blogger application form. Note that applications must be received no later than Friday April 5th.

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One of the stunning official Fantasy Faire 2013 posters – picture: Tamzin Xiglia; design: Alia Baroque; logo: Marcus Inkpen

First Regions Announced

The first three regions for this year’s event have been announced, together with their sponsors and participating designers. They are:

  • Crimson Fields: sponsored by T R I D E N T; featuring: lassitude & ennui; [ContraptioN]; Satyrs Moon; FallnAngel Creations; meadowWorks; Unzipped; and with themed stores:  The Muses; Vengeful Threads; Psst…Here Kitty, Kitty; Kishi Creations; ImpWerks; – NaLa –; MysticHope Design; TempT; The Elegant Goth; De La Soul
  • Evensong Woods: sponsored by Roawenwood; featuring: Boudoir; ~*Star Kindler Designs*~; Illusions; Mystique; Mindgardens Creations;ThatChick; and with themed stores: Swings Paradise Furnitures; Unique Obsession; Kotori; +Half-Deer+; {Lemon Tea}; An Lema; EagleHeart Designs; ~Sa-eela~; ~ Mystic Sky ~; .:EMO-tions:.
  • The DragonSpire: sponsored by: The Arcanum; featuring:Dark Goddess Designs; Curious Kitties;Favourite Genes; Black Veil Outfitters;The Golden Thorn; ~Refined Wild~; and with themed stores: Niekra’s Dreams; Wilds of Organica; Tayren’s Fantasy Fashions;
    Sparkle Skye Designs; Elvenbreath; Dysfunctional Designs; *.:!Completely oBVious!:.*; Talevin’s Designs; Whatz; Analog Dog Hair.

Further regions to be announced in due course.

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RFL of SL 2013 Kick-off and Fashion for Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

2013_RFL_LogoThis weekend sees the official kick-off for Relay for Life of SL with a special celebratory event taking place on Saturday March 9th, starting at 10:00 SLT.

The theme for 2013 is “100 years of hope”, and marks the centenary of the American Cancer Society. As such, this year is being seen as an opportunity to more closely align RFL’s digital world efforts (which now also include InWorldz as well as Second Life) with the ACS.

The kick-off celebration will take place on four dedicated Kick-off regions adjoining the American Cancer Society region, which feature a central stage and the Cafe du Kick-off, set within a park and surrounded by a parade-like walk and gaily coloured houses.

RFL of SL Kick-off stage area
RFL of SL Kick-off stage area

The event will comprise the official opening of the RFL of SL 2013 season, complete with a number of special guest speakers. entertainment will be provided throughout the day following the opening ceremony, with  DJs on-hand to spin the tunes at the central stage area throughout the afternoon, and a special dance troupe performance during the course of the festivities.

There are around 113 teams registered for this year’s season, with over 2,000 avatars listed on the team rosters – however, there is still time for people to put together a team of their own and join in the fundraising activities; teams can still be registered via the RFL of SL website.

The RFL of SL kick-off regions
The RFL of SL kick-off regions

All RFL of SL teams are warmly invited by the event organisers to attend the kick-off and mix with one another. SLurls for the event are:

Continue reading “RFL of SL 2013 Kick-off and Fashion for Life” →