Tag: #Featured

The Featured tag is for any posts featured on the Official SecondLife Community Blog.

Blogger Challenge: Why I Relay

This is the first time I’ve written something like this and it really is a challenge, so please bear with me.

This is my 4th year as a Faire Chronicler and I’m proud to be such, but this year is very different. I previously have done this because it’s a great cause to support, obviously I’d known people who had Cancer, but previously not lost someone close to it. My Aunt passed shortly before this year’s Faire and she is missed. She was not geographically close to me, so seeing her in person was pretty rare, but I knew she’d be there on the end of the phone. I probably took that for granted because I didn’t speak to her often either. This may bring up the question of “how were you close then?”, the answer is that she had a great impact on my childhood. My family would visit theirs  and many happy summers were spent with my cousins when I was growing up. I could always talk to her, usually back then to complain about my mum, as youngsters and teens are prone to doing.

Obviously later we talked about more adult topics, but it was those summer years that formed a trust bond you think will never be broken, but her cancer did that far too soon. She was a shrewd business woman that passed that know-how onto my cousins, who have become successful in their own right because of it.

So I Relay in her memory, in the hopes that fewer aunts and mothers are lost to the dreadful disease of Cancer. I’d never cried for her loss until I wrote this, I’m not good at showing my emotions, but putting these thoughts on virtual paper has allowed me to let them out. The thought of her not being there at our family gatherings makes my screen go blurry.

I was uncertain what I might use as an image for this post, if any at all, but then I remembered one of her wishes; she wanted people to dress in bright colours at her funeral and her favourite colour was Blue, so I searched the Faire for something suitable.

Credits:

  • Dress: Constnace from UNA
  • Pose: Mist Magic 3 from Astalianda
  • Necklace: Portal: Rana Necklace

This post was featured on Second Life Community Blog on 7th May 2024

The Watcher in the Forest and the Taur Parade

It’s that time of year again, the Fairelands are accessible to the Mortal realm, she has mixed feelings about it though. They ramble all through the land wandering here and there, sometimes inadvertently trampling things in their haste to explore and purchase Faire trinkets.

The positive side of their visiting however is the energy they bring with them. From the little squeals and smiles as they see something they find beautiful, or the thrill of a purchase that brings them joy, all the way up to their noisy parties. All of this positive energy combined, by the time they depart, it will be enough to sustain the Fairelands until they return in a year’s time.

One of their regular activities she likes to watch is the Centaurs Parade. Although these days it’s not just Centaurs, they have a whole menagerie of creatures making up their numbers.

For a long time they stand, waiting as their kin gather and their numbers grow, ready for their procession through the Forest. She must depart before they do though, that’s when she might be spotted, by one of the Taurs or more likely one of the Mortal observers also watching.

Watcher Outfit Credits:

  • Face Tattoo: PunkinBlend- Hatmehyt Tattoo Evo X (Green) – Faire Store
  • Skin Overlay: [Cubic Cherry] {Abyss} suit darkness JADE v2 (bom) – Faire Store
  • Skin: Druid [xx]+FGInc.+ Primal Spell (Event Item only)
  • Arm Tattoo layer: ~FHHS~ Growth- FLOWERS tint 100% – Faire Store
  • Clothing: Fairy Mermaid Outfit – Green – Crious Kitties – Faire Store
  • Necklace: Portal: Rana Necklace – Faire Store
  • Hair: Raven Bell – Nereid Hair –Faire Store
  • Pose: Astalianda – Moon Magic 2 – Faire Store

Featured on the Second Life Community Blog on 3rd of May 2024.

The Wiki Wizzard of Whispering Pages

Apparently Humans have these things called “Wiki”s, they’re meant to answer basic or frequently asked questions about a particular subject, in theory.

This Wizards answers are always right however, though she doesn’t know where they come from. She just opens one of her books at random and the answer to somebody’s question will just be there, even if she didn’t entirely understand what they were asking. Sounds great you may think, she knows everything, but alas no. None of her books will provide such answers to her own questions or questions about her. This is obviously most frustrating, things like “Where will my next meal come from?” would be very useful to know for a wandering Wizard, so she doesn’t walk a day’s journey in the wrong direction. The books do seem to impose certain other caveats too, if someone wealthy asks “Where can I get gold?”  it’ll likely say “You’ve got enough!” if a person in need were to ask, it would provide advice for them to earn it within their capabilities. So they don’t always provide the answers people wanted, more what they needed. This sometimes resulted in angry people, or grateful people that would provide her with dinner and a bed for a night or two.

What question would you ask?

(Inspired by a comment by Amaya in the Fantasy Faire Discord)

Credits:

Location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Whispering%20Pages/38/128/77

Featured on the Second Life Community Blog on 29 April 2024

Neo Machina

I was scrolling through a Second Life social media feed yesterday when something yellow jumped out at me. It was a post about a location called Neo Machina that was no longer going to be closing. Now I’d not heard of this place, but it seemed to be an urban cyberpunk setting, which just happened to feature yellow neon. Long term readers will get the relevance of this, but not new readers. My long running sci-fi/ cyberpunk roleplay character is a courier for a fictional company by the name of All Mars Zone Interplanetary Shipping (AMZ for short) and their company colours are black & yellow. So I just had to go check the place out.

This Neo Machina is an interpretation by the owner of a much older location of the same name that disappeared a few years ago, in the way Second Life venues sadly tend to.

I had a good wander around this place and it definitely gives you the vibe of the city description below.

NEO MACHINA was once a sprawling and thriving industrial city, ruled by corporate dominance under supervision of the ruthless Authority. In the year 3285 humanity realized their vision in creating engines that could take them to the furthest reaches of the stars, and beyond. What they failed to avoid, and create proper fail-safes for, was the complete degradation of time and space due to the manner of which they travel: Through the synthesis and ignition of dark matter.

Left in the wake of one thousand Life vessels carrying billions of people in Ark Cores off to find new planets and new homes, is a deteriorating planet, and an exploding star. In the atmosphere hangs a wormhole, left behind by the corporations that abandoned the planet under threat of certain doom. All who remain struggle to keep hold of some normalcy of life one hundred years later as the continued threat of total collapse looms above.

Can they rebuild? Will those that remain find a way to survive?

Welcome point notecard

Given the references to long distance travel and struggling for survival, I’m sure there might be a place for AMZ in there somewhere to supply the crumbling planet.

Outfit Credits:

  • Pants:[ContraptioN] Arva Tech Pants – at FaMESHed
  • Boots:[ContraptioN] Arva Boots – at The Warehouse
  • Jacket: Meva Tiz Jacket – Mainstore
  • Eye (Left): Astara – Cyber Eye Augment by ASTRA –Marketplace
  • Backpack: [ContraptioN] Hard Shell Backpack – Contraption Sci-Fi
  • Chin guard: [ContraptioN] x TURB – Jaw Protector – Contraption Sci-Fi
  • Body tattoo: HIATUS – Hive Tattoo – Store link (via Silvia Antorian profile unable to find item)

Arrival Point: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Neo%20Machina/12/122/1501

Featured on Second Life Community Blog 6th March 2024

I Backed a Dunkey!

That’s not a typo, it’s a quote. A beloved Scotsman I once knew used to say that phrase when he didn’t do well on the horses at the bookies. That fond memory was one of the first things that came into my head when I discovered this new release by Teegle, a Donkey avatar. In light of that memory, a Teegle racecourse seemed like an appropriate location for a photo.

A tune also came to mind, an old Christmas song “Little Donkey” which made me look for a dusty road, which I found on the Desert Oasis Region at the Living Expo.

Whatever thoughts a Donkey avatar brings to your mind, you can get this new release at the Teegle stand at the SL Living Expo.

Links:

Fandom Con is Here!

The new Mega Event to benefit the American Cancer Society is here! It’s been long-awaited after a schedule change, the doors open at 9am SLT today and runs until 31st July.

There’s lots of activities going on over the 10 day event across the 8 regions, you can find the details on the Events Schedule page of the Fandom Website.

You will find a number of portals at the Welcome Hub that will take you to each of the different regions, I’d suggest creating a Landmark there.

Outfit Credits:

I’m wearing the Silver (with Black options) version of this suit but there’s an Event Exclusive Blue one at the Mindgarden Creations Booth that is a 100% Donation vendor.

The poster says “can be worn with other body types”, which is the case in my photo I’m wearing my regular Maireya body. The outfit parts can be worn sepeartely from the suit, if you wanted a more skimpy look and pasties are provided in the box, if you chose to do so.

Photo Location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/American%20Cancer%20Society2/131/129/67

Welcome Hub Teleporters: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/American%20Cancer%20Society2/110/210/66

Featured on the Second Life Community Blog on the day of publication.

Dawn of the Faire – It’s OPEN!

Today is The Day!

Fantasy Faire 2023 is open! After what seemed like an Age the Fairelands have revealed themselves from the Mists once again. Since the opening of the Faire is at Noon (SLT) when the Sun reaches the highest point in the sky, I thought a lovely set of Tattoos called “Sun” seemed very appropriate! This set of tattoos can be worn as Full body or in individual parts, the face having options for both EvoX and Classic heads. I twinned it with the skimpiest thing I could find in the Blogger room to show as much of it as possible.

You can get into the Faire from Fairelands Junction.
(Direct store slurls will be added when availale)

Outfit Credits:

  • Tattoos: Sun Tattoo Full (Evo X head) – *Find The Fish*
  • Outfit: :[P&E]:- Saina – Pack – Leather – Petrichor

Non-Faire Items:

  • Hair: Hair Tsveta GIFT – Sintiklia
  • Lips: Sugar Plum Lips – 11 – 100% – CAZIMI

Esmeraldas visit to Amon Druin

Now that Halloween is past it’s time to continue exploring other places in SL and first on my list is the latest build by Camila Runo. This one is called Amon Duin and is described as an Elven Realm,which it certainly lives up to.

You arrive on a sea dock with a sunset lighting the sky (if you are using Shared Environment) which gives the place a beautifully mystical atmosphere.

As we’ve come to expect from Camila, the location is the right mix of areas to explore or hangout, without being too spread out, although this one does have quite a lot of stairs, the climb is worth it!

There is a little seating area on the way up that gives you a view of the landscape below.

When you reach the top of the stairs you come to a large area with a number of buildings to be explored with locations to relax, or perhaps even a little roleplay in the throne room or dining hall.

Elsewhere you might like the library with its staircase of books, can you climb it without falling?

Landing point: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/River%20Hill/244/83/24

Update: Shortly after publishing, Camilla informed me that the region will be available for at least the next four weeks. So you have plenty of time to explore this lovely location!

Outfit Credits:

The We Love RolePlay event usually opens on the 4th of each month, so you may not be able to get there until then. I say “may” because somehow I was able to access the region on Halloween and I’m not an official WLRP blogger. (Which also means items I featured I did actually pay for.)

The Halloween Boat Party

This is the third and final post set in the Halloween Haunted Nieghbourhood  mainly because Halloween is upon us and the Halloween Shop n Hop is closing, so you won’t be able to get the freebies after tomorrow.

“Boat Party” the invitation had said, looking at this thing it’s surprising it’s even floating. This is not the venue she’d have expected for a supposedly respectably classy Halloween gathering. There were meant to be some influential community firgures attending, but it doesn’t look there’s anywhere here at all. As she enters there’s very authauntic green slime hanging from the ceiling, entering through to the main room there’s sigils on the floor that really do look too much like blood..did it just glow when she moved towards it?

Backing up she turns the other way out towards the jetty, which looks extremely rickery indeed.

Evidently no-one out here, maybe there’s a note or somethng inside, so she heads back in looks at the book on the altar..

“The moon is dark, and the gods dance in the night; there is terror in the sky, for upon the moon hath sunk an eclipse foretold in no books of men or of earth’s gods.”

Okaaay…definitely time to go!

Outfit Credits:

  • Outfit & Hat – [KH] Halloween Suit –  KH S&H (Freebie)
  • Hair: Sintiklia – Hair Tsveta GIFT – Sintiklia S&H
  • Eyeshadow: Replay Eyeshadow from TREND
  • Lipstick: Knife Party // Halloween Lips Gift // Evo X –Knife Party S&H Booth
  • Lantern: 2021 PIXEL BOX Design Holiday Shop & Hop Lantern
  • Head: LeLUTKA Avalon Head 3.1
  • Body: Maitreya 5.1

Photo Location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Millbank/222/160/23

This post was featured on the Second Life Community Blog on 31st October 2022.

SciFi Expo Teaser

The SciFi Expo 2022 is opening this Friday, a Strides Against Breast Cancer and American Cancer Society fundraiser event. They’ve just released a promotional video, so check it out:

Expect more from me on this when it opens and throughout the event!

This post was featured on the SecondLife Community Blog on 13th October 2022.