Hats ON! For the Royals!

To celebrate the Royal Wedding today, there will be dancing (and Hats) at 3pm SLT today, Friday 29th April.

The venue is Brunel Hall, Mr Victor Morningtion's Hotel in New Babbage, and Mr Mornington himself will be the DJ.

Brunel Hall

The music will be British, and the dress will be suitable for the occasion. With Hats.

Time: 3pm SLT
Venue: Brunel Hall: Brunel Hall, New Babbage Academy of Industry: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Academy%20of%20Industry/64/81/108
Dress: Did we mention the Hats?

Celebrate a Clockwork Spring with The Primgraph and win real life tickets to the Steampunk World's Fair!

Welcome to our special Automata issue of The Primgraph! We have been getting into a mechanistic mood here—as you will see. And there's an answer to the question, "Where does Saffia get her energy from?" Well, all I can say is—it all runs like clockwork!

And clockwork there is in plenty in our new issue! Mr Linus Lacombe supplies a History of Automatons, while Miss Jedburgh30 Dagger explores some fascinating instances of historical dolls. The Duchess of Loch Avie provides a fascinating history of automated musical instruments of varying kinds, while Miss Serafina Puchkina has come up with a great list of stores that you might wish to visit, if you are in search of Clockwork and Curiosities.

Meanwhile, Miss Beq Janus explores that most fascinating of automated cities, Steam Sky City in Caledon.

We have a special article by Miss Bellaluna Galaxy on The Steampunk World's Fair, to be held from Friday afternoon May 20th until Sunday evening May 22nd in Somerset, New Jersey, where guests will include Professor Elemental and the artist Bridgid Ashwood (see Winged Things and a Measure of String on Page 130 of our October 2009 issue).

And we have TWO FREE PASSES to the Faire in New Jersey to give away to one lucky reader. Just submit a short paragraph stating why YOU would like to attend to the.primgraph@gmail.com (heading it Steampunk World's Fair Competition) and giving the name of your Second Life avatar.

And there's another competition too - find the FIVE lucky horseshoes hidden in this issue of the magazine, send us a notecard telling us which pages they are on, and you could win L$500!

Also in the magazine, we have the opening part of a splendid tale from Mr Denny Kozlov, entitled "A Clockwork Romance," and for those seeking more fiction, we have discovered another Lost Chapter, this time the opening chapter of Great Expectations, recovered by Miss Eloisa Denimore, in which young Pip has a wholly unexpected encounter.

As ever, Frau Annechen Lowey is on hand to advise us of the pitfalls and pleasures of receiving and entertaining guests of a mechanised or clockwork kind. And I have been exploring the fashion secrets of the best dressed dolls—while we demonstrate that every gentleman, no matter how robotic, always needs his hat to be well turned out.

Our web comic, "The Quest for the Golden Prim," makes a welcome return to the magazine as we open Volume 2 (beautifully shot and designed by Mr PJ Trenton as always). And the question on everyone's lips is... what has happened to the Expedition, last seen making a perilous escape from the ash and flames of a volcanic eruption?

We also have a taster of our new Social Diary. Do you figure in its pages? Perhaps you were among the many fascinating or beautiful Automata to appear at the Primgraph/Steeltopia-sponsored Automata Ball in Steeltopia on April 2nd?

And there is another episode of "The Quest for the Crimson Pirates," as well as news of various events that have been taking place in the Steamlands over the last few months.

And to illustrate all this, our magnificent team of photographers: Mr PJ Trenton, Miss Twisted Lemon, Mr Wildstar Beaumont, and Miss Tricia Aferdita have captured some stunning images to supply a feast for your eyes.

So, with no shortage of fascinating articles and beautiful illustrations, we welcome you to this sixteenth issue of The Primgraph!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How do I get my copy of The Primgraph?

Well, there are various ways to get The Primgraph!

Best of all, you can join our Subscribe-o-Matic group, which will deliver the magazine to you automatically when it is published.

The Subscribe-o-Matic kiosks are located in historical and steampunk sims across Second Life. And if you can’t find one in your favourite sim, why not ask the owner to install one?

It is also available through SLMarkpetplace (just search on the site for The Primgraph). This will deliver you a copy in the form of a book that you can rez and read inworld.

But if you prefer to read the magazine online but not inworld, there are choices too.

Firstly, there’s the wonderful Calaméo system, which allows you to moves smoothly through the pages, giving you the feeling of reading a real magazine. You’ll find Issue 16 here – and please do leave a comment!

But, if you like to download your magazines to read as you commute to work, or in the bath, or wherever, you can also obtain a standard pdf for downloading and printing.

So, really, you have no excuse for not reading The Primgraph. In fact, why aren’t you reading it now?

The Aether Chrononauts present Lady Aianna of Alurel in a storytelling event for Relay for Life

Storytelling is an old art, almost lost, that in Second Life has found a new renaissance.

Aianna is a veteran and a star of SL storytelling. Her debut in July 2007 filled almost two sims and since then she has told her stories in too many occasions to be counted. She has read original work, poetry, classical fairytales and also told stories made on the moment for the audience. 

For this Relay for Life event Aianna will read from "The Warrior Princess" the first novel of her own fantasy series "The Valley of the Ivory Swan", the same featured on her successful debut, almost 4 years ago.

Sunday 24 April at 11am SLT, the Kingdom of Alurel : http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alurel/122/159/23

Has the Clockwinder lost the plot?

As reported earlier this week. New Babbage will, this weekend, host a charity land auction with all proceeds going to Relay For Life of Second Life.

What is more, every lot in the auction is being sold with one month of rent prepaid.

The Primgraph caught up with Galactic Baroque, the treasurer and finance minister for the state of New Babbage. Taking time out from his busy schedule Mr Baroque was heard to say.

"I am not quite sure what has come over Mr Tenk. I do believe he has gone quite mad. This is sheer lunacy I tell you, lunacy!"

The auction, however, is still scheduled for Saturday, and it is sure to be an exciting event. Rumour has reached us that there are now even more parcels of high calibre, industrial land set to fall under the hammer, as the apparent madness spreads to other citizens of New Babbage.

Don't miss this sale of the century taking place in Wheatstone Waterways, New Babbage. Saturday, April 23, at 1pm SLT.

Team Aether Chrononauts Naval Auction at Antiquity

Miss Inish Karu, on behalf of the team of the Aether Chrononauts, the RFL team with representatives from many Steamlands Nations such as Antiquity, Cala Mondrago, New Toulouse, Seraph City, Winterfell and Zeppelinheim, has organized an auction of naval items at the Battle Dock of Antiquity Port Royal.

The auction will run all week until the times given, which are for the Friday finale with our live DJ Rylee Artful

Items include:

• Amethyst Coronation Set: Necklace, Earrings, Ring, Bracelet and Brooch 
• Duke Orellano Cape, 
• White Mink Pirate Mer underwater house, 
• Mer full Avatar and 
• shell bed Logboat, driveable, can self drive by reading channels 
• 35 gestures from Pirates of the Caribbean, 
• Curse of the Black Pearl 
• Old thatched cottage: easy rezz, mod/copy 
• Strong boxes bursting with coin: 6 x 250 coin and 1 x 150 coin 
• Old Kitchen, mod and copy 
• Pilots uniforms 
• 4 hours of DJ Rylee for any party or event 
• 4 breedable bundles and TWO Ameratto horses. 
• Tjalk Naval Combat boat spd compatible. 
• Cannon, combat very realistic animated, copy and spd compatible. 
• TSS Bilander (not yet released) be first to own one. 
• SSS Polacre ship. 
• Framed Pictures all work originalwork, clock and barometer, 
• wall shelf Relay set, 
• necklace and earrrings 
• Duel cutters SPD/DCS 
• Guitar, Martin D-35 Acoustic Guitar 
• Sword and sheath SPD/DCS 
• Cutty Sark figurehead 3 prims, mod/copy 
• Dona Alicia Conference Room Set, 20 pieces, 36 prim total

Visit the Antiquity dock all week and dress up your best pirate outfits and come to dance and bid for the final hour next friday !!!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Antiquity%20Port%20Royal/39/84/25

Special Charity Land Auction in New Babbage

Have you ever fancied yourself as a bold industrialist but lacked the right land to build your factory? Or are you an eccentric inventor in need of a laboratory? Then come to New Babbage next Saturday, the 23rd day of April, at 1 o'clock in the afternoon to witness the unprecedented auction of prime industrial land in the City State of New Babbage. Each lot purchased will be granted 4 weeks of rent pre-paid by the mayor himself and all proceeds from this wonderous occasion will be donated to charity.

New Babbage has everything a neo-victorian industrialist or steampunk could want. A community of like-minded and ever modest geniuses, unlimited steam power, air you can cut with a knife and the new modern essntial, a plentiful supply of largely disposable urchin labour.

The following prime lots will be auctioned off by Mayor Tenk on Saturday, April 23, at 1pm SLT.

Do not miss this wonderful opportunity to live out your entrepreneurial dream.
All proceeds will go to New Babbage Relay For Life of Second Life.

Lot #16. Gatto Gelatto. 1536sqm 351 prims. Corner lot on canals, water level.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wheatstone%20Waterways/87/118/102

Lot #20. Galleria del Gatto A. 1280sqm 292 prims. Canal access, water level.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wheatstone%20Waterways/85/91/101

Lot #21. Galleria del Gatto B. 1024 sqm 234 prims. Canal access, water level.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wheatstone%20Waterways/129/84/101

Lot #25. Militia HQ. 1024sqm 234 prims. Canal access, water level.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wheatstone%20Waterways/96/54/101

Lot #26. Wiggyfish cannery. 1024sqm 234 prims. Canal access, water level.
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Wheatstone%20Waterways/119/51/101

Piermont Landing Presents~The Grimm Ball ~Sponsored by Grim Bros.

Piermont Landing Presents:

The Grimm Ball

and Dark Fairy Tale Build Contest

Sponsored by Grim Bros.

With special Grim Bros Items

on Sale

Proceeds go to Relay For Life of Second Life

What if every fairy tale was real ??

Every story has an ending ..

*smiles*

but it is the evolution of each and every story that often prevails.

Because truth be told , The journeys are not often easy or simple .

Hence the reason Breezy has picked this theme for

Piermont Landing's

April Ball ..

What will you wear ?

What will The Grimm Ball bring ?

Well the stage shall be laid .. with heart and care ..

Only You the characters can bring it all to life

the experience shall be waiting for all to enhance..

Join us won't you .. For the Grimm Ball ..

Saturday April 16th

6pm to 9pm

Enter a build if you dare ..

93 prims

Grimm Bros dark fairy tail prop build contest...

April 16th

all builds due on the Landing by 7pm SLT ..

a pre lude if you please ....

Looking for a sweet, soothing tale to waft you toward dreamland? Look somewhere else. The stories collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early 1800s serve up life as generations of central Europeans knew it—capricious and often cruel. The two brothers, patriots determined to preserve Germanic folktales, were only accidental entertainers.

Once they saw how the tales bewitched young readers, the Grimms, and editors aplenty after them, started "fixing" things. Tales gradually got softer, sweeter, and primly moral. Yet all the polishing never rubbed away the solid heart of the stories,

now read and loved in more than 160 languages.

Fantasy Faire 2011 - Day 10 - And they all lived happily ever after

She was as new as noobs get. One day old. And this was the first place she found.  I almost didn't say hi. Would have been a shame.  I'd have missed the best moment of the Faire. See, she goes for a biopsy this week and she's scared.  No one has yet said, "you have cancer." But the fear...We spoke a few minutes, about SL, Relay, the Faire. "All that money," she said. "Why do people give so much?" I often ask myself the same. "Because you're worth it," I said.  L$5,262,533. $21,540 US. Worth every cent. - Zander Greene, Friends Fighting Cancer.

Day 10 - And they all lived happily ever after

The title above, the cliched ending to a child's fairy story, tells us that it is over, Fantasy Faire 2011 has run its course. But the fact of the matter is that there is no end to the Relay, not until there is a "happily ever after" for all the victims of cancer.

Fantasy Faire 2011 has drawn to a close, we have walked many virtual miles, we'll consider it training for the big event yet to come. Now it is time to pack our bags and head off home. Before we leave, I would like to say a fond farewell to the amazing fantasies that our builders and creators wove for us. Judith LeFevre has supplied the vast majority of the images I have featured during my tour and I asked her to select a few that spoke to her of the places we saw.

But first, the Great Auction; anyone who has followed this blog wil have seen mention of the unique gazebos created in the theme of each sim, the gazebos stood at the landing point for each sim adjacent to the sponsors store. Each of these eight beautiful themed gazebos was individually auctioned off. Finally, to close off this amazing event, the full content of two of the sims and one of the most photographed, most talked about pieces, the mighty tower from Dark Mirage were auctioned.

Mayah Parx offered her entire build and landscaping on the delightful “Fantastical and Magical” sim and the combined talents of Lauren Thibaud, Piedras Chama and Nonna Hedges offered their gorgeous “Forest of Light” sim build and landscaping whilst Markus Inkpen and Sharni Azalee offered the stunning tower and bridge from their sim.

The auction attracted a lot of interest and a spectacular $L 322 200 was raised during the proceedings, that is almost 1300 US dollars. The highlight of the auction was the entire sim build of Fantastical and Magical  which went for a whopping $L 105k or 420 US dollars, and I am certain that the buyer will still feel that they got a bargain for such an incredible creation.

To repeat the total from Zander's comment above.
The Fantasy Faire 2011 raise in excess of 21,500 US Dollars or 5.2 million Linden dollars.
An amazing feat and a tribute to all the talented and hardworking individuals that made the event such a success.

There are many factors that go in to making the Fantasy Faire the special event that it is, but perhaps more than anything it is the sense of solidarity that arises when people, both creators and fantasy fans alike, unite from around the globe with one common goal, to help raise money to find a cure that finally lays Cancer to rest.


Fantasy is about the impossible. It is our dreams and our childhood memories. It is our hopes and our desire to explore and discover the unknown. The Fantasy Faire brings together people who know that beyond the Land of Possible, there exists an entire unmapped World of the Improbable residing in a Universe of the Impossible. These are the same people for who a Cure for Cancer is just a matter of time.

We Relay because we know that together the Impossible becomes Possible.

                              Friends Fighting Cancer - April 2011

Now as promised Judith has picked a image from each of her sets. These are picked not necessarily for techncal merit or composition but simply for the personal memory that they convey. I asked her to chose just one from each sim, to which she blanched having taken in excess of 800 photos. Here, however, in no particualr order are her chosen images.

Exotic Worlds

Nemo Revisited

Fantastical and Magical

Enchanted Mysts

Forest Of Shadow

Sea OF Mer

Forest Of Light

Dark Mirage

Tribal Week at Cala Mondrago - A Success!

As a new week begins, the citizens of Cala Mondrago are resting and reflecting on their first Tribal Week. The festival ran April 4-9, with each day featuring special events. New vendors found their way into the city, lured by the Magistrate's generous offer of free Tribal Week vending carts lining the roads of the shopping district. Eager shoppers found quite a variety of goods for sale as they roamed the sandy streets in between events.

Tribal Week officially began with a kick off party at the Chai Me Up coffee house, followed by dancing at the Laughing Djinn. Besides lots and lots of bellydancing, which this desert oasis is well-known for, Tribal Week offered the "Silks, Sass, and Brass" Fashion Show sponsored by Vlintuition and for male attire, Avatar Bizarre. The Riot Tavern presented a comedy event, and for the more studious, the film "A History of Belly Dance" was aired.

Visitors and locals participated eagerly in the Belly Dance Amateur Hour, and thrilled to an all-week competition on the en garde fencing piste. Astoundingly, Miss Jedburgh30 Dagger walked away the champion of both these events, proving that she is not just another pretty face.

Saturday night brought the "Sheik and Sari Ball" followed by a symbolic dousing of the flame as dancers performed with fire sticks (and chittered competitive taunts at each other!) before extinguishing the flames, bringing a most exciting week to a close.

Learn more about Cala Mondrago at their shiny new community. Join up, and get to know these warm, creative, friendly people!

Fantasy Faire 2011 - Day 9 - Enchanted Mysts

Another record day for the Faire!  L$579,363 lindens or $2367 USD.
The silent auction raised $1100 USD. Khyle was BACK in jail, along with Marcus & Searlit; combined bail over $500 USD!  Alia's beautiful story came to a moving end. And all day the sims teemed with people buying your magical wares. The final day will be a stretch to make our goal of $20,000 US.  And once more our Captain asks us to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. I'll do my best and I know you will too. Go Relay! - Zander Greene, Friends Fighting Cancer.

We step across the threshold from the land of dreams and find ourselves in Enchanted Mysts as night falls. A low mist rolls about our ankles as our eyes adjust to the dark (A personal preference but I enjoyed Enchanted Mysts on a night setting). It is a warm spring evening and the light perfume of flowers carried on the fresh night air calms the body and mind, and yet there is a sense of unease about this place, a palpable tension...

After yesterday's fun-filled romp through Fantastical and Magical we leave with a sugar high to end them all, but where we find ourselves next is starkly different. Enchanted Mysts creates a decaying, high elven society where there is something afoot, perhaps we will find out what on our journey.

Day 9 - Enchanted Mysts
(http://slurl.com/secondlife/Enchanted%20Mysts/65/128/23)
Words by Beq Janus
Photos by Judith LeFevre

Enchanted Mysts is the westmost sim on the ring of eight Fantasy Faire sims, to the south we have Fantastical and Magical form where we have just entered, and to the North lies the Forest of Light where this journey began nine days ago.

We entered from the south at the eastern edge of the sim and we follow the path leading us west.

To the north lies an expanse of lake, overgrown gardens, crumbling statuary and pretty ornamental wells but for now as ever we will focus on the pathway.
As we enter the first store, by Falln Angel, a high pillared, grey, mausoleum style building. We find a small book discarded on the floor and upon touching it, we are given a note, a peculiar love letter.

The next store lies just across the path where we find a table standing outside offering a free glass of absinth. As we partake of the offer, we notice a line of similar tables stretching along the street ahead and, out of curiousity,  we pick up the note on the table that explains the gift.
We learn that there is to be a coronation, that the princess Ilear is to become Queen. It seems then that the city is preparing to celebrate the momentous event, so where is the party atmosphere?

Inside the store, another book, another piece of information.....

Enchanted Mysts creator and sponsor Alia Baroque has created an interactive tale within the sim, and as it turns out later reaching beyond the bounds of Enchanted Mysts to the Fantasy Faire sims that lie beyond. The tale is a mystery that is serialised in 5 chapters, a new chapter being published each day. As we are now at the end of the Faire, all the chapters are published, but the tale is still there to discover if we wish. We have, in fact, stumbled across days one and two already. The tables and drinks outside the stores were part of chapter 1, a simple inducement to shop, a welcoming gesture. With chapter 2, we discover that the princess has vanished an evil threat looms. The little books in all the shops give us fragments of the story, the history of what has gone before. Though we are now at the end of the Faire, I will not spoil the tale with a solution, though be warned I do summarise the events here, suffice to say that with each store that you visit a book can be found and a piece of the background uncovered.

We wend our way along the cracked marble flags that make up the pathway here, heading west, carefully examining each store for its clues. The stores here are fairly strongly themed and predominantly Fae or related, though not exclusively so. In Enchanted Myths, we can find clothing, skins and animations alongside landscaping items such as forests and statues. Each store is presented in a similar sombre looking structure.  A full list of all the merchants supporting the Enchanted Mysts sim can be found on the Fantasy Faire Vendor list page

All around us are signs of decay and neglect. One imagines that the most recent monarch has been somewhat less than attentive to the needs of this land.

We turn north, with the pathway, and see the soft glowing blue crystals that adorn the elegant teleport gazebo.

Immediately to the west of this is Alia's store, Fallen Gods, and as we might expect it is part store, part story. Here we find a group of concerned citizens who each give a hint or plea for your assistence when touched. On the floor, we find a large book bound in turquoise - the Book of Myst.

During the execution of the tale, the book was updated each day with a new chapter, it now lies completed and can be bought for free. Normally at this point we would detour and observe the rest of the sim and its non-retail elements, however the fabric of the sim is interwoven with Alia's tale and we have a quest to complete, we must visit each store. The pathway outside continues north before turning east and finally entering northwards into the Forest of Light, the stores continue to line the streets as before, but as the story fills out heads we are increasingly drawn to the mysteries of the inner part of the sim.

Having visited the stores and collected the background clues, and doubtless a number of exciting goodies to unpack when we finally return home, we look at chapter 3. 

Entitled 'The Choice', it is a call to us all to attend the 'Jail and Bail' session held for Alia on the Enchanted Mysts sim. The jailing "scene", now passed into the history of the event helped towards Day 6's total of more than half a million linden dollars at the conclusion of the jailing a powerful ally is released to fight the evil Utmah who is threatenign the princess. A new character then appeared in the Fallen Gods store. "The Fallen", the ancient god of the Mysts, now released from the stone form he has been trapped in by the geneorsity of our donations.

The story has told us the Utmah once a trusted, friend of a former king turned to evil and masquerading as the guardian orb has been waiting for the right blood to be passed before growing in strength and destroying the land. The blood captured in a legendary petal is another part of our quest.

"Utmah was waiting all those eras for the promise of King Alameides that one day a Queen will carry the blood to make him mortal and rule again over the Continent and Realms, he will destroy us all, you must stop him!" - The Fallen, Chapter 4 of The Book of Mysts

And so it is that Chapter 4, scatters us to the sims of Fantasy Faire on a quest to find the embassies of the Enchanted Mysts wherein lie runes that will help us locate the essence, the orb that has been lying in wait. Those who succesfully complete this challenge and find all the clues will be rewarded with a unique gift, the shimmering orb avatar, and of course as we hunt through the sims for the secret runes we undoubtedly drop linden dollars into the numerous gift bearing vendors and help support the cause that underlies this all.

Chapter 5 brings us back to Enchanted Mysts for the coronation, the conclusion of this tale. Through our efforts the evil guardian, Utmah has been prevented from achieving his goal.

Starting back at the teleport gazebo, we walk east along a statue lined avenues towards the lake. A crumbling, badly damaged bridge leads out to the centre of the lake and in the days before the final chapter, apparently served no purpose. But now a new platform has been called forth from the waters and, smiling happily from the coronation dais, in the midst of the lake, we see the new queen Ilear, smiling back.

As we approach, a small red petal catches our eye and we are granted the gift of a special face tattoo for discovering the blood petal. However our eyes are on the podium and the words it carries.

The tale of Ilear, of Enchanted Mysts is an allegory for the fight against Cancer. As we have followed the tale, we have ourselves helped in this fight and the podium is full of further prizes available for a minimum donation of 1 linden, to thank us for our help.

I will end this report and in turn our journey through this wonderful Faire with the epilogue from the tale that unfolded in Enchanted Mysts. Thank you for journeying with me on this tour and remember, that whilst the Faire ends here, for now at least, the Relay continues with a number of exciting events in May. Keep reading Prim Perfect and the Primgraph to make sure you are up to date with all the latest news.

Long Life and prosperity to our beloved Princess Ilear, reappeared safe on Mysts after the Evil being of the name we will erase in History chased her. The Crowning Celebration will take place where the Evil Guardian Orb awaited for Eons his blood payment, to sign for the Future a New Era of Hope and Nobility with our new just crowned Queen Ilear. By spreading Hope with your pure essence you neutralized Utmah and he places no threat anymore. This is the beginning of a new Era and all thanks to you.

Cancer waits patiently, his essence is dormant for ages to wait for the right blood and insinuate its evil. Just our patient research, just the unity of all our efforts and just our hope can help our world to get rid of this evil for a New Era without Cancer.

This story is real, a story of people who suffer, a story of people who struggle for a cure and still the ending is not clear.
If you wish THIS story to have a good ending and help, if you do NOT like the story we are living right now then donate to the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life, even one Linden can help.

Thank you for your support

Previous Fantasy Faire Entries on Prim Perfect:-

• Fantasy Faire 2011 -OPEN


• Fantasy Faire 2011 – Sim overview


• Fantasy Faire 2011 – Day 1 round up and Fantasy Faire Central sim guide


• Fantasy Faire Day 2 – The Forest of Light


• Fantasy Faire 2011 – Day 3 – Forest Of Shadow


• Fantasy Faire 2011 – Day 4 Dark Mirage


• Fantasy Faire 2011 - Day 5 - Nemo Revisited


• Fantasy Faire 2011 - Day 6 - Sea Of Mer


• Fantasy Faire 2011 - Day 7 - Exotic Worlds

Fantasy Faire 2011 - Day 8 - Fantastical and Magical

We were live for 13 hours today on Fantasy Faire Radio. It was on-air fund-raising at it's best. It told Relay's story. Our story. It raised alot of money. Up $1400 USD to bring us to $16,000 USD.  Tone Uriza played his heart out & an army of great DJ's kept the dance party moving. It was fun & exciting! Faire Justice fell on Erin Talamasca, Morgaine Price & Khyle Sion but generosity freed them.  Yours is a great story. Tell it proudly. When it ends, your total will be $20,000 USD.  And thats the plan :) - Zander Greene, Friends Fighting Cancer

As we leave the extra-terrestrial excesses of Exotic Worlds behind us we fell suddenly sleepy, eyelids heavy, the sandman cometh... for we are entering into the dreamy delights of Fantastical and Magical. A woodland wonderland grows up through a patchwork duvet, giant toadstalls loom high overhead, a tiny strawberry street lamp lights our way. We are in the land of dreams.

Day 8 - Fantastical and Magical
(http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fantastical%20and%20Magical/65/127/23)
Words by Beq Janus
Photos by Judith LeFevre (except the last by Beq Janus)

Fantastical and Magical is a journey through our childhood dreams, in here we'll find those classic fairy stories, traditional tales, those favourite cartoons, movies and books, all tumbling head over heals into your sleep. The craziest, wildest, most colourful and wonderous dream you could never imagine. Never that is unless you are Mayah Parx. Not content with having a hand in many of the other sims she took Fantastical and Magical head on and the result is nothing short of spectacular.

We have entered from the east, Fantastical and Magical lies at the South West corner of our ring of 8 Fantasy Faire sims. We came from Exotic Worlds and will awken from this dream in Enchanted Mysts to our north.

The land here is a shifting sparkiling mixture, the undulating patchwork duvet under which our inner child is safely slumbering, interspersed with the sparkling darkness of the fabric of dreams and the soft leafy undergrowth of our fantasy world. The pathway leads us westwards but it is all we can do to keep ourselves on the path as our eyes rove across the temptations to the north. All manner of sweet things, cakes and candy await us here, but their time will come.

As we walk a tall stone tower reaches high above the trees, amidst a patch of vicious looking thorns, we squint at the window above hoping to catch a glimpse of princess Rapunzel and her legendary golden hair. But no, the true love of a fair princess will have to wait for we are going shopping.

The stores here are a blend of oriental and fae/hobbit. The curved roofs reminiscent of chinese architecture, with the small round windows set in to walls of tree bark, harking back to the fantasy influence. The merchants here more than in any other single sim are catering for the more cute and childish - in the nicest sense since Second Life is so often about recapturing the imagination of our childhood. It is one of the achievements of the event that it represents so broad a spectrum of genres. Here in Fantastical and Magical Tinies, furries and fae are all well catered for, and look around and you will find many more between too. A full listing of the merchants can be found on the Fantasy Faire vendor list page

Like in any dream we find ourselves skipping from theme to theme, seamlessly blending concepts. As we leave Rapunzel we pass toadstool homes and pixie lights before bright blue grass fills the scens and in its midst we see majestic pegasi grazing.

Continuing west we reach the south west corner and turn right at the giant crayons (now how often am I likely to ever blog that?).

As we head north, more favourites are brought in to our dream. Dr. Seuss's Cat in the hat has left his hat here next to a plate of green eggs.

Before long we a standing beneath the telehub, to our west is the sim sponsor, The Arcanum, a shot of something more grownup anchoring our dreams. But now we are weakened and give in to the temptations, running up the hill and through the gates to the east, only barely noticing the subtle phasing of the colours, as we scoop icing from the cup cake fence.

At the top of the patchwork hill grows a mighty tree, small windows cut into its trunk lead the eye upwards to the platforms above, but the tiny door does not open.

At the top of the tree, on the platforms, is a table setout for a wild tea party, but is it simply a trap to lure in the unwary?

For here at the base stands a candy cottage that might appeal to Hansel and Gretel, and perched on the branch above us a dark, forboding house with the legs of a bird that can only be the dwelling of the russian witch Baba Yaga. the leaf textures alone on these trees are nothing short of inspired; a gorgeous swirling pattern of leaves that works wonderfully to create a fantastical feel.

We leave the tree and head northwest where we find a turbulent lake of chocolate. On an island in the centre, a candy cane tree grows and tantalisingly out of reach is the famous golden ticket to Wonka's choclate faactory. And yet our imaginations are mixing our tales again as high above the lake of chocolate we find pinnochio as a puppet, swirling around in a giant tea cup.

We can ride the delicious looking donuts that swirl around him and look around at all the goodies. Is this Wonka's factory? Or is it the puppet boy's land of plenty? We best not think too hard for as we try to grasp the dream it wriggles and writhes away from us, like the liquorice lace below. We settle instead for a ride on the carousel, mouths watering at the plate stacked high with cakes. I, for one, am enjoying myself so much I find myself checking a mirror to ensure I am not changing in to a donkey.

We head back to the gazebo and continue on our way. So many things, from landscape features to tiny details in this sim add to its wonder. So many stories woven into its theme and I have mereley touched upon a few.

 Heading north again, back on the path which will lead eventaully lead us east and to the gate. A tree-like face or is it a face-like tree stares out from a store as two marionette bunnies get covered in brightly coloured paint. But before long we are at the end of our tour, back beside the lake of chocolate, its pirate ship still sailing in circles towed by seagulls.

The bent iron gate that marks the end of dreamtime looms. Mists pour over the threshold and it is time for us to leave these dreams behind, for all good things must come to an end, and enter into the serene elven peace of Enchanted Mysts.

Previous Fantasy Faire Entries on Prim Perfect:-

• Fantasy Faire 2011 -OPEN
• Fantasy Faire 2011 – Sim overview
• Fantasy Faire 2011 – Day 1 round up and Fantasy Faire Central sim guide
• Fantasy Faire Day 2 – The Forest of Light
• Fantasy Faire 2011 – Day 3 – Forest Of Shadow
• Fantasy Faire 2011 – Day 4 Dark Mirage
• Fantasy Faire 2011 - Day 5 - Nemo Revisited
• Fantasy Faire 2011 - Day 6 - Sea Of Mer
• Fantasy Faire 2011 - Day 7 - Exotic Worlds