There's More than Castles in the Clouds

It's time for the annual Fantasy Faire in Second Life again. Second Life is the oldest and biggest virtual world on the Internet still up and running (it started in 2003). It's also easily the most beautiful and complex, though I suppose Zuckerberg's Metaverse isn't much competition.

Fantasy Faire is an event to raise funds for the American Cancer Society in which some of the best creators in Second Life create hundreds of square kilometers of fantasy environments housing temporary shops and providing venues for fundraising. As I write, this year's Fantasy Faire has so far raised around $75,000 U.S. dollars.

Here's a map of this year's Fantasy Faire:

Each green dot is a person. I took this picture while I was attending the party you can see represented by the tower of green dots in the middle. This was at a place called the Akipelago designed by Haveit Neox, Lilia Artis, and Gidgette Adagio.

I'd stumbled on the party while wandering. I'd started my tour of Fantasy Faire this year at Spirits' Crossing, designed by Marcus Inkpen and Sharni Azalee, and started working my way south and clockwise.

This was a nice, gloomy mediaeval town.

Next I visited a dark, crystalline valley called Dingir, designed by What88 Zond.

My avatar had bananas.

I had to hop past Szystrum Synod because it seemed always to be packed with people. So next I visited the gothic town of Sialdor by Dacien and Marcel Blackwood.

From there I finally found some sun in Nysaris by Kadaj Yoshikawa and Janire Coba.

Next to this ancient Rome land was one called Opera, designed by Alia Baroque and Garvie Garzo, seemingly meant to evoke Rome in another sense.

Who wants some wine?

Looks like a good spot for my aria.

I noticed a familiar harpsichord:

I first saw this harpsichord over ten years ago. Its creator abruptly disappeared one day, eight or nine years ago. He didn't update his profile, he didn't properly close his store so it just vanished when he stopped paying rent. I can only assume he met with some terrible tragedy. But his works live on.

Next I visited a tent city called Glimmering Meadows by Julala Demina and Lil Cinnamon.

And then a sort of maraca tree town called Khumbala by Ketsui Naidoo, Robynredhead, and Ghosted.

Further west was the middle eastern style Safe Haven by Sweetgwendoline Bailey and Mondi Beaumont.

After that, I headed north for the volcano town populated by alligator people called WooHoo Bay by Lrriven.

There's always a water themed area at Fantasy Faire and this year it was Isles of Aquarius by EchoRayne Ayashi and Liz Corryong.

This area was the most difficult for my computer to process but I fought my way through a pleasant swim.

After this was a pretty standard, but very pretty, fantasy forest called Sipala by Gidgette Adagio.

North of Sipala was the playfully gaudy Giggenwhirl by Allie Munro, Krystali Rabeni, Peter Locke, and Lunar Tripsa.

Not my cup of tea. But after that I walked into the wonderful land called Fungalmire by DaveOSaurus (really, it's not what it sounds like).

They got mushrooms, and how.

Heading east, I visited a mysterious town called Flambois by Beq Janus and Elizabeth Jarvinen.

And then the very beautiful The Shimmering Fen by Elicio Ember.

Again, mushrooms, but the lighting distinguished this place nicely.

After this was a lovely, sort of Nordic themed land called The Winding Valley by Eldowyn Inshan.

It kind of reminded me of Skyrim.

After this there were three winter themed lands, starting with Frostweald by Searlait Nitzschke.

Then Fairelands Junction by Saiyge Lotus.

And Nova Nadiya by Elizabeth Tinsley and Garvie Garzo.

And then I was back where I started at Spirits' Crossing--but I had one more place to visit. I was finally able to enter Szystrum Synod by Walton F. Wainwright and Victor Eton.

I could see why it was always so crowded. It looked like Coruscant, in a very good way.

I only wish I had time to explore it more thoroughly.

I believe there's about 24 hours left of Fantasy Faire. If you want to see it, Second Life is free to use so have at it.

Twitter Sonnet #1695

Beneath the mud a human shape abides.
Electric life begins to claw below.
If to awake a forest shade decides.
And on the root a spirit doth bestow.
Familiar songs barrage the beating head.
In time, the tune's repeated many ways.
But wait, a single note is never dead.
Affixed to sonic space, the number stays.
A wicker rabbit grabs a couple dreams.
But sketchy grass would scratch the lucky feet.
Suspicious moons were packing cheese and beams.
Foreboding came the steady lunar beat.
Electric teeth divide and shape air.
The stars combine to show a bloody bear.