Fantasy Faire 2026 – Moonfleet Bay

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Shopping Region
Sponsor: Sweet Revolutions & Telperion Designs
Designers: Sweetgwendoline Bailey & Mondi Beaumont
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moonfleet%20Bay/131/153/76

The Moonfleet Bay region’s design was inspired by a novel, “Moonfleet” by John Meade Falkner. The setting is, at least in part, a Dorset fishing village in the 1700s. The, apparently rather epic, story is something of an odyssey of an orphan and his step father. Their adventures can be roughly divided into travails in their home town and adventures in exile.

Reflecting this, the build at Moonfleet Bay is in two very distinct portions. There is the small village which is evident from adjacent regions. But there is also much lurking below the peaceful village that isn’t evident to most passing observers. A system of caverns, some of them immense, honeycomb the seemingly solid rock on which the village sits. It is within those caves we can find signs of the heroes foreign jorney.

You can find a lot about Moonfleet Bay’s lore by collecting notecards as you wander. There are five of them that give you background information about different places in the region and how they relate to the original story. Nothing to click, as you get close to one of the five points of interest, you’ll be offered a notecard automatically.

If you teleport in, you’ll land in a train station in the middle of the village. From there, you can easily walk through the mostly overgrown pathways and visit the shops. They’re all in small buildings besides the stone paths.

I didn’t notice a particular theme to the shops here. Pretty much all kinds. There is apparel for medieval and earlier periods role play, a shop for mer-people, several places with furnishing for similar themed builds. As usual, see the complete list of shops here.

There’s a bit more going on in the village than just buildings and shops. All throughout, you can find curious runestones sitting in the grass. What they mean and what their purpose is remains a mystery.

There is a ruined cathedral within an ancient stone circle at the top of the path. Inside the ruin, something is going on that does not appear to be of the here-and-now world. I’m not sure exactly what though, but do have a look and see what you think!

Finally, there is a more modern church, which is in very good shape. It’s beautifully built with wonderful stained glass windows depicting natural scenes. Outside is a graveyard which is, in fact, a very real memorial garden for some who have been lost over the years.

If, instead, you hike in from an adjacent region, you’ll quickly see an entrance to the cave system. The caverns consist of a number of connected chambers, a couple of them very large indeed. Within them you can find, a pub (if you need a drink or have gotten hungry during your explorations), a number of cozy sleeping spots, a bath, and a vast storeroom of treasure and artifacts, some of them clearly magical (and possibly dangerous).

You’ll also find it’s very easy to get lost!

The original story does mention the orphaned hero eventually coming into quite a fortune as a result of his travels during exile. I didn’t get the impression it was this big though!

However, the caves have been here fare longer than the town and, obviously, longer than the orphan or his stepfather. It looks like they have been used as a base by generations of pirates. Their hoards have merged and built up over the years to become this fabulous treasure. There’s rumoured to be a huge diamond, formerly the property of Blackbeard, somewhere within the caves. Can you find it?

This is a complex build. While it’s easy to explore the village and its environs fairly quickly, you can spend hours down in the caves and still not be certain you’ve seen it all. However, it’s time for me to head over to Ebonfall Aetherium. I’ll have to come back and have another look for that diamond later!

Fantasy Faire 2026 – Untamed Ink

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Ten days of Fantasy Faire 2026 are now behind us. The current fundraising total for ACS is L$9,166,681 or somewhere around $35,000 USD.

The Fairelands Quest is in full swing with, I believe I saw, part 2 opening yesterday afternoon.

Here’s the list of today’s Fantasy Faire 2026 activities. There are two LitFest Tours, Moonfleet Bay at 1:00 PM SLT and Ebonfall Aetherium at 5:00 PM SLT. I’m planning on being at both of them.

The LitFest Tours have now covered nine of the twenty Fairelands regions. The most recent, last night, was…

Untamed Ink

Shopping Region
Sponsors: What’s Lost Spirits & Cica Ghost
Designers: Stabitha Nightwish & Cica Ghost
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Untamed%20Ink/127/185/86

Horatio shows Jackson Pollock how it’s done

According to a page from “The Ink Gazette” posted at the landing area, this town was completely dominated by the publisher of its newspaper. “He owned the ink. He owned the page. He caged the world in a paper cage.” The truth was whatever distorted vision the paper’s owner provided through his press.

He was powerful, but greedy. He wanted more. So, he did a deal. It did not work out as planned, for him, and the ink was freed to paint its own truth. That is the situation we see in Untamed Ink today.

Now, it should be remembered, that this is the story we read in a page from the very paper that reportedly was the source of such twisted truths in the past. So, perhaps we should take what it says under advisement. Or, more likely, we should not overthink things and just enjoy the rampant whimsy that the unleashed ink has wrought on the town.

The nexus of ink gone wild sits in a small embayment behind the town hall. It’s also, outside of the shops, the only splash of colour in a monochrome world. The great purple octopus, who I’m told is named Horatio, flings purple ink about from great brushes held in a couple of his tentacles. He does seem to enjoy his work!

Trying to balance on a bug car as I drive about town

If you are familiar with Cica Ghost’s art installations, you’ll immediately recognize her hand in Stabitha and her build here. All the whimsy, the fantastic critters, the cats! the flexible forms and strict colour palette are in evidence. The buildings are wavy structures. One person on the tour mentioned it looked like they were dancing. (We were listening to electro-swing on the stream at the time and I have to say, they did look like they were dancing along with it.)

I had the feeling that I’d stepped into a Georges Méliès film. The moon watching, leering? over the town in particular had the look of something that might have appeared in one of his works. The overall black & white texture naturally contributed to the silent movie feel.

As you make your way through and visit the shops, be sure to turn off into the occasional alley way. You’ll find hidden gardens populated with curious creatures. You can also find a few more examples of flexible architecture, such as the movie theater.

But we don’t have to simply look at the off kilter town and admire it, we can participate in the fun! All around the town square are vehicles only Cica could make. There’s a bug car, see above, an airplane ride that you can drive, a trash bin, and even a more car like car. Just sit on one and you can drive it. (Another will automatically respawn for the next driver. The car will vanish when you stand.) If you grow attached to one, most are available in one of the shops around the square.

Hmm, maybe I should drive more carefully

The shops in Untamed Inc appear to be pretty varied. There are plenty of places to look here if you’re seeking to dress up a fantasy build or equip an avatar. If I noticed any concentration, it is of shops that provide fun and whimsical novelty products. That certainly fits with Cica’s aesthetic!

Oh! and there’s a hunt. If you look off to the side of the garden near the landing area, you will see a hunt HUD giver. You’re looking for torn pieces of a page. Once you’ve found them all, you can return for the hunt prize.

I really enjoyed exploring and photographing Untamed Ink. The LitFest Tour group had an absolute blast looking through the region. If you need a break from some of the heavier or darker themed places, or you just need a boost your day, come by Untamed Ink and have some fun!

Fantasy Faire 2026 – Vervaine Moors

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Shopping Region
Sponsor: Unity Maxim Battle & Role Play System
Designer: EchoRayne Ayashi
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Vervaine%20Moors/240/126/64

Vervaine Moors is another dimly lit region. I’m not sure if that’s reflecting some hidden darkness, or if it’s just perpetual evening here. It does look like elves have been involved here, so the latter would not be out of the question. Of course, I may have that wrong, I tend to assume ‘elves’ whenever I see free-standing tented arches!

The botanical themed lamps and lampposts also lean the elven direction.

The dimness, the wandering of the paths, and the unique fact that you can’t just walk by the sponsor shop but must enter it and exit by a different door, seem to make this region an easy one to get lost in. Several on the LitFest Tour mentioned that they frequently get turned around here. Indeed, the tour itself had to double-back on a couple of occasions.

Vervaine is an archaic name for the family of herbs more often known these days as verbena. Some of these have reportedly been principal ingredients in love potions. Vervaine has also had ceremonial uses in the long past, by both Druids and Romans. It’s also said to have healing properties and has been called “the tears of Isis.”

The moors that form this region’s uplands are apparently rich in vervaine. Those who shaped the landscape engineered a nectar of vervaine which suffuses the waters that are all around most of this build.

What the reasoning behind this was is lost to us. Perhaps it was key to whatever inaccessible magic makes the fungi and hanging moss glow, gives illumination to the lanterns and causes the soft glow in crystals and the channels in the arches.

There is other magic around. That that may not be quite the right word. The undergrowth becomes luminous with varied hues when disturbed and the giant lily pads give off light when stepped on. Is this intended? Or is it a not entirely healthy side effect of the contaminants introduced into the water?

The whole area seems filled with life. There is a symphony of nighttime insects chirping and humming away. The undergrowth is thick and plentiful. There are many trees, some amazingly large. There are fungi and mosses all around. Obviously, there is no shortage of water.

But the trees looks overgrown and twisted. The luminous bushes, grasses, even cattails… that may not be a healthy thing. And, some believe that the trees are showing signs of death and decay, perhaps worse toward the center of the region. It’s also been observed that the water quality varies across the area, getting worse as you get closer to Reservoir Zero.

It’s possible that you can have too much vervaine in the water. And maybe it interacts badly with whatever leeches out from Reservoir Zero. Or, just perhaps, things are fine so long as those who set up this system are around to maintain it, but they have since left or been driven off.

No records remain to tell.

Fantasy Faire 2026 – Canny Valley

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Day nine of Fantasy Faire 2026 is here (well underway… almost past actually?). There are still plenty of ongoing activities. As of the end of day eight, L$7,242,311 have been raised for ACS. Still lots more to go!

Yesterday was a bit of a marathon with two LitFest Tours, two region photoshoots, a blog post, and several photo dumps to Flickr. Even for all that, I’m still behind schedule with a couple of explored but undocumented regions to catch up on. Talking of which…

Canny Valley

Shopping Region
Sponsor: ::Static::
Designer: Nama Gearz
SLURL: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Canny%20Valley/102/45/74

A Bird’s Eye View of Canny Valley

I’ve mentioned before that each faire there are usually one or two regions that reflect more of the dark side of fantasy than the light. So far this year, while I’ve seen hints and suggestions of the shadows cast by the light, it’s mostly been on the edges or in the background. Here, in Canny Valley, the darkness is a presence of its own.

Not all is well in the valley. Darkness pervades it. Surrounds it. Possibly it even emanates from it. The darkness is not just in the deep hollows, shadowy thickets, wells and mineshafts. It’s in the air itself. Who knows, it may be the air itself.

This region has been designed by Nama Gearz, who built Baalal Grotto for Fantasy Faire 2025. In last year’s build, a lot of which was underground in a vast cavern, Nama played with the dark and the light. Gaps in the cavern roof let in shafts of light that shone on key features within the cavern. In Canny Valley, the lights have gone out almost entirely.

Looking at the Pond, the Frogs Look Back

Canny Valley is patterned after small remote towns in Appalachia, the ancient mountainous region of eastern North America. More specifically, it looks as though it’s meant to evoke the highest portions of these mountains, in the western parts of North Carolina and Virginia. It’s an area I know well and I promise you, Nama has captured the feel of the landscape.

Though I have to say, I’ve always found it a maternal, comforting landscape, not a creepy place at all. The only potentially eerie thing is how the mountains embrace you, hold onto you. How they encourage you to stay and never return to the flatlands. Are there darker corners? Could well be. Maybe I just haven’t visited the right parts?

Here in Canny Valley though, things feel different. Something has gone wrong. As you walk the paths through the valley or down the street of the town, you feel watched. Indeed, the frogs in the blackwater pond near the landing area do appear to be watching, with glowing red eyes.

I don’t believe things were always this way. Looking around I feel sure that this was once a happy, attractive place. People wanted to come here and start new lives. They built smart homes, businesses and a village chapel with new lumber from the forests around them.

Near the town, there are several old mineshafts. [They’re shops by the way, and they’re well inside the mines. You’ll need to walk a ways into them to get to the merchandise.] There are whispers that the townspeople did well from the mines, maybe too well. They may have dug too eagerly or too deep. Something aside from valuable minerals came out of the mines.

The locals use a classic method of coping with the valley’s troubles

If you look closely at your surroundings as you walk through the valley, you’ll find plenty of unsettling signs that things are not right. Glowing eyes look out at you from hollows under tree roots. There’s something in the well that really should not be there. Hex signs hang from trees in an, apparently unsuccessful, attempt to ward off evil. Maybe most disconcerting, the darkness grows thicker the further away and up from the streets and paths you climb.

I had to get a flashlight to explore some of the ridge above the town. There I found a classic part of mountain life, the still for making corn liquor. It’s in active use. I have to say, a still is no great surprise in these parts. But, it may be that the townsfolk draw more than usual comfort from this local brew.

They also use more uncommon ways of dealing with their problems

It seems that it’s not just the atmosphere that’s unhealthy. I’ve been warned not to let the water touch me. Something must have seeped into it. From what I can gather from my interactions with residents, its something that seems into the air, the water, the people. It invades their thoughts, drains their hope, feeds their despair.

Why don’t they leave? Do they lose even the will, or ability to do that after spending too long under whatever unhealthy influence is taking over the valley?

With that worrying thought, I press on.

Something has moved into town that was probably better off where it was

I’d almost given up hope of identifying just what the source of Canny Valley’s decay could be. Then I went for a walk around the chapel on my way out of town. What I found there had me continuing my walk out on the double.

The Lovecraftian creature climbing up, and looking out! from the back wall of the church was nothing I wanted to mess with. It was time to leave this mystery to the locals and move on. (But not until I’d finished my shopping!)

As for shops, this is a shopping region, however spooky it may be, there quite a variety here. Once again, see the shop list on the Fantasy Faire 2026 web site for a full list. I noticed quite a few worth visiting if you you’re contemplating a dark-themed build, or equipping a dark-themed avatar. There were also a couple of dragon related shops.

I really enjoyed touring this region. It’s one of the most evocative builds so far this year. I really felt the creepy vibe that I’m pretty sure was Nama’s goal here. When you get here, be sure to use the shared environment (and accept the experience). Sure, you’ll be able to see everything if you set the sun to noon, but you’ll wipe out the feel of the place completely.

Fantasy Faire 2026 – Melloona

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We’re now into day eight of Fantasy Faire 2026, and I’m running out of outfits. This is yet another excuse, as though I needed one, to start my faire shopping early. I picked up the ochre version of Belle Epoque/Petricor Stoneveil gown. (See their faire shop here.) One down. Now I only need to shop for ten more outfits!

By the time I get this posted, we’ll be most of the way through day eight, but anyway, here’s the list of events for April 30th.

The Fairelands Quest has now been going for a couple days. If the group chat is any indication, quite a number of folks have take up the challenge. (From what I can gather scanning the chat, finding Hero is a really big hurdle!)

The faire donation total is currently at L$6,769,421. Over L$25M to go to match last year’s total. We’ve got some work to do!

Melloona

Shopping Region
Sponsor: Dandelion Daydreams Factory
Designers: Luna Barak & Alrunia Ahn
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Melloona/85/124/62

The moment you land at, or walk into, Melloona, you know something is different. The several meter high slices of watermelon are definitely clues. (They contain the shops.) My first thought is that I had entered another world where scale is different; where we’re the tiny bugs in a Brobdingnagian universe. But, while there are huge leafy vines with giant melons, yards long caterpillars, and feet long seeds sprouting on the ground, some items I encountered were normal sized. There were even some normal sized melons. There’s something else going on here.

Hints gathered during the LitFest Tour of Melloona suggest that some substance or force is causing hypertrophy of the local flora and fauna. It’s causing huge, lush growth all around. Or, almost all around. There are occasional darker, infertile, maybe sterile areas on the ground. One wonders, are they spreading?

Before going on, this is a shopping region. As I noted above, the shops are all contained in the giant watermelon slices arranged around the region. All, except the flagship shop for the sponsor, that’s in a carved out melon in the center. (Do walk out the back way to see a, um, different face of Melloona.) You can buy many of the build assets at Dandelion Daydreams Factory along with buildings and landscaping items that would fit a fantasy themed build.

As for the rest of the shops, this is where tinies and dinkies should come to shop! Nearly all the rest of the shops cater to their needs.

There are some indications that whatever is causing the greatly enhanced growth of the melons, as well as the worms, birds, caterpillars, and I’m afraid to say, spiders, is not unambiguously a good thing. If you stroll out the back entrance of the Dandelion Daydreams Factory shop, you will find yourself in a kind of nexus of darker manifestations of whatever is causing the changes.

A shed holds a stock of almost normal sized watermelons, but they’re more the colour of a ripe pumpkin. The don’t look quite right.

The ground here is almost completely barren, and also looks dicoloured in some unnatural way.

If all this wasn’t disturbing enough, a two or three meter tall spider, or is it a daddy long legs?, peers down from its position to the side of the shed.

The feeling is that while something is being supplied to Melloona that encourages intense, lush growth and giantism, too much of anything may not be good.

Aha! Raise your eyes a bit while you’re behind the Dandelion Daydreams Factory shop and you’ll see what might be the source of the growth… and the decay. And I must say, it does not look obviously benign.

Looming over the barren glade from above and behind some tall foliage is what I’m told is the Anoollem. I think it is from this sinister presence that the apparent good, but also obvious evil flows. I also think it’s a good time to head back out front of the shop again!

Fantasy Faire 2026 – Amon Galadrann

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Intro

Sponsor: Crocodoggle
Designers: DaveOSaurus & Damoria
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amon%20Galadrann/128/156/138

Amon Galadrann is a fortress like complex that sits on a natural citadel of steep rock cliffs. Except for some more conventional houses (containing some shops) down at the waterside, everything is up high, protected by sheer stone walls… and maybe dragons.

Yesterday, the LitFest Tour of Amon Galadrann explored the build from the landing point down to the caverns. Usually, one learns lots about the lore of a build from these tours. But, there’s a unique situation with Amon Galadrann. Either nobody knows its lore, or the small number who do aren’t tell’n. We are left to create our own lore.

So, that’s the visitor’s assignment as they follow the shopping path through this region. Ask yourself questions about what the things you see really are? Who put them here and for what reason? What are the people who built and live here like? And how do they tolerate so many stairs?

The first big mystery, assuming you arrived at the landing point instead of hiking the long way up the stairs, is the massive figure resting on the arch over the bridge that spans the chasm between the pinnacle of rock the landing area rests on and the main citadel.

An elven lady leans on the arch and one hand with her eyes closed. Her other hand is outstretched along the side of the path. Why did the builders put her there? She doesn’t have the posture, or indeed the expression, of a warning guardian, or a welcoming ambassador. She seems, perhaps to be pleading with some one or something? What for?

One can only conjecture and continue on into the citadel.

As you wind your way down the pathways and stairs, you’ll find shops set well back within the thick stone walls. I didn’t notice any particular theme to the shops here; a pretty eclectic bunch. If I saw more of one thing than another, it was items to decorate a faery landscape.

Along the way, there are a few more oddities. Above the buttresses at the sides of the heavy walls are sculpted dragons above great lanterns. Now these appear to be protective figures. Protection from whom? In fact, the whole fortress style of the edifice makes one wonder who the builders were defending against.

Once you make it to ground level, and explore the shops in the little houses there, you can wind your way back toward the cliffs. (You’ll pass a stair in the side of the rock pinnacle on which the landing area sits. If you’re so inclined, you can huff and puff your way all the way back up there via this winding stair.) You’ll see a curious bridge across a shallow body of water. On the other side is a great cavern.

Look closely at the large, Giants’ Causeway like columns of rock that form the floor of the cavern. The patterns in the stone are very strange. Sometimes they seem to be illuminated. Also, there’s a faintly blue glowing, very large crystal at the back of the cavern. What causes the geological anomalies? No one can say.

I’m afraid that’s all the knowledge about this region I have to impart. And even at that, it’s mostly conjecture. Should you find, or guess, something more, please do tell!

Fantasy Faire 2026 – Stoneveil Crossing

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It’s day seven of Fantasy Faire 2026 and the big news is… The Quest is Open!!. The group notice went up this morning sometime before I logged in and the group IMs are now filled with people trying to find key items on the quest. Sounds like they’re having fun!

In other news, the fair RFL vendors currently report that L$5,793,849 have been donated so far, that’s somewhere around $23,000 USD. I expect that figure to keep rising rapidly, probably more rapidly as the faire reaches toward its conclusion. Last year, Fantasy Faire 2025 raised nearly $130,000 USD. Over the event’s lifetime, it has raised over a million dollars for Relay for Life. So, virtual worlds can most definitely have an impact on the real one.

Finally, my mid-morning Fairelands census totals 195 AVs. That will probably go up as we get later in the day and more people realize The Quest is open.

On to the next Fantasy Faire region I’ve been exploring.

Stoneveil Crossing

Sponsors: Harshlands & Belle Epoque
Designers: Kadaj Yoshikawa & Janire Coba
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Stoneveil%20Crossing/77/126/97

I’ve noted in previous years that there is always at least one region that draws heavily on the darkness for its inspiration. Well, this is not that region! It is so the opposite. Stoneveil Crossing is all about light and healing.

Statues of angels watch over the area. A few are armed with swords, but not one is raised. Roses grow up the side of the light stone Classical/Gothic buildings and rose petals fall gently and steadily in a couple locations. A cold, blurry sun none the less shines brightly over the whole place, filling it with light and soft shadows.

Looking at the name ‘Stoneveil Crossing’ after touring the region, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the terms ‘veil’ and ‘crossing’ are found in it. This seems to be a place where the two sides of the great metaphorical veil come close, particularly down at the memorial, but we’ll get to that later.

The architecture of the large stone buildings could be imposing, but is not. The light coloured stone and the gentle harmony of the lighting, hues and values of the windows, climbing roses, plantings and water courses running through the area create a relaxing, calming feeling.

There are several enormous, monumental statues placed around the region. Two stand out from the shore on long stone jetties. They stand atop tall columns of the same light hued stone most of the rest of the build is made from. Each is an angelic figure facing not toward the sea/outside, but looking in toward the city. Each has an arm upraised with an empty, open hand. Their gaze is upward into the far distance.

What do they signify? They’re not conventional guardians. Those would be armed and facing outward. Indeed, they’re not guardians at all. To me, the appear to be offering a perpetual benediction over the whole of Stoneveil Crossing.

Another great statue is found looking over the memorial. (More on that in a moment.) This figure is armed, with a long sword. However, it is not raised but held at rest, pointing down. A rose vine climbs up her right side. This figure appears to be standing with eyes closed, praying or meditating.

The Memorial

Turn around from this huge figure and you see that she stands before a memorial. A semicircle of angels are collapsed in grief over pedestals, each bearing the name of somebody who has been lost. The surround a circular area partly covered in a blooming rose vine and over which a gentle shower of rose petals falls.

In the center is a curious mirror. Stand before it and it will not show you your reflection. Instead, you will see the surroundings and background in a distorted vision. If you look closely, you will see ghostly figures that you do not see outside the mirror. Are these the spirits of those who have passed on?

This is a place where the stories of the dead can be told, where they can live on. I like to think they are watched over by the angels surrounding the memorial space. If I’m feeling strong enough, before the Faire winds down, I may come back here and write a story, then commit it to the memorial.

The Shops

Oh yes, I got so wrapped up in the meaning of the place, of its look and feel, that I forgot that it’s a shopping region. Once again, to see what shops are found here, check the shop list on the Fantasy Faire 2026 web site.

Belle Epoque, one of the sponsors has definitely caught my interest before and today they did so again. I picked up a gown from a 100% donation vendor along with the event special. (Just the one style, not the fatpack. I’ve got to pace myself!)

Fantasy Faire 2026 – Ülim’Hyl

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Six days into the faire and I’m writing up my first shopping region. (And yes, I have already bought something even though I always plan to put off purchases until I’ve browsed everything.)

In the past I have meticulously listed all the shops in each region as I explore them. However, that’s both tedious and redundant. There’s a perfectly serviceable list of shops on the Fantasy Faire 2026 web site.

Ülim’Hyl

Sponsors: On Pointe & Teegle
Designers: Ketsui Naidoo & Fable Fairelander
SLURL: TBD

There’s one feature of this region that, literally, overshadows all others: The Great Mother Tree. This enormous tree stands, according to my quick check, 342m (over 1,100′) from ground level to the tip of the highest leaf. Other full sized trees growing down below look like ferns in comparison. The mother tree supports, shades, and protects everything in Ülim’Hyl. Within it, the elves who live here have constructed an entire city.

The Light

This city is all about light. It surrounds you everywhere. Crystal lamps provide light when the sun is busy elsewhere. Shafts of light penetrate all the way down to the forest floor beneath the great tree.

Follow the ascending stairs, bridges, and occasional spirals up to the shops along the brightly paved road. You will be doing a lot of stair work in this region!

One of the region’s sponsors is Teegle, so it’s no surprise that many of the shops here are dedicated to products that work with Teegle’s horses, wolves, etc. One of my many deficiencies, however, is that I have yet to get into Teegle’s world of rideable animals at all. I breezed past most of the shops here. But, if you do happen to be a Teegle user, this is the region for you!

The Dark

As mentioned above, Ülim’Hyl is all about light, but for all of that, there have been periods of darkness in its past. Signs remain if you look for them. Outbreaks of “blight”, which appears to be fungal in nature, are frequently found. Drifts of spores can sometimes been seen in corners, even in the shops. There seems quite a lot of it in the dimness at ground level.

What is the origin of the blight? I have not been able to find any information about it. It appears to be just accepted as part of the cycle of life in Ülim’Hyl.

Shops and Views

As you climb, or descend, the tree, you’ll come across areas off to the side of the path with places to sit and admire the view. They’re worth spending a moment or two at. They are not there just because the architecture included a space. They’ve been carefully chosen to provide the best views over this and adjacent regions.

Oh, by the way, the tree itself is climbable after a fashion. You can jump out on limbs and walk along them. There’s at least one place where a stair takes you along a limb where you can then walk quite a ways out from the main trunk.

The shops in this region are all super easy to find. It’s all but impossible to get lost on the path through Ülim’Hyl. At the top, are the two sponsor shops. En Pointe has a 100% to RFL product that is a UlimBlight Cap (mushroom) hat. Have to have one of those!

Ülim’Hyl is a beautiful region. Let’s face it, elves know how to do a wonderful fantasy build!

Back to The Faire!

Fantasy Faire 2026 – Kallissya

On By altathiemenIn Second Life, SL EventsLeave a comment

It’s now day six of Fantasy Faire 2026, and I’m way behind on my explorations. (I really must speak to some band’s promotors who schedule concerts halfway across the state in the middle of Fantasy Faire. That ended up costing me a couple of days, but it was a great show! Never the less, what were they thinking!)

So far, the faire has gathered L$4,696,685 in the cause of Relay for Life. That’s closing in on $19,000 US, and there’s still plenty of faire to go!

There have been numerous events at the Poetry Pavilion, the Theatre, interviews at The Great Library, and four LitFest Tours to date. (The next will be at 1:00 PM SLT today.)

There have been some updates to the LitFest Tour schedule. Here’s the latest as of this writing.

  • Amon Galadrann Tues 28th April 1:00 PM 1 hour
  • Melloona Wed 29th April 1:00 PM 2 hours
  • Canny Valley Thurs 30th April 1:00 PM 1 hour
  • Vervaine Moors Thurs 30th April 5:00 PM 1 hour
  • Lost Pages Fr1 1st May 1:00 AM 1 hour
  • Untamed Ink Sat 2nd 5:00 PM 1 hour
  • Moonfleet Bay Sun 3rd May 1:00 PM i hour
  • Ebonfall Aetherium Sun 3rd May 5:00 PM 2 hours
  • Heian Mon May 4th 5:00 PM 1 hour
  • Willowton Cuthbert Tues 5th May 1:00 PM 2 hours
  • Achroma Wed 6th May 9:00 AM 1 hour
  • Aventurine Promenade Wed 6th May 1:00 PM 1 hour
  • Golden Hour Wed 6th May 5:00 PM I hour
  • Fairelands Junction Thurs 7th May 5:00 PM 1 hour
  • Requiem Fri 8th May 1:00 PM 2 hours
  • Bến Tôm Rơi Sat 9th May 1:00 PM 2 hours

For other events, here’s the Faire schedule for today: Fantasy Faire 2026 Events for April 28th.

Now, on to the region I explored some days ago.

Kallissya

The Fantasy Faire 2026 Quest Region
Sponsors: Mathias Huntsman, Juno Mercury, and Enzo Ink
Designer: Garvie Garzo
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Kallissya/76/42/66

Kallissya hosts the Fairelands Quest: The Pilgrim’s Forest, by Aisling Sinclair. We won’t know much about the quest until it’s opened. (As of this writing, April 28th, is is not. I expect it to open any time now.) What can be said is that it’s about awakening in a forest and making many long journeys.

The Red Herring Inn

The landing point, and sort of focal point for the region, is The Red Herring Inn. Revived from earlier builds, the Red Herring is run by a surly pelican who acts as the bartender. There’s a seating area inside and, reportedly, warm stale beer can be had from the bar. There’s additional seating outside around a cooking pit and yet more out back in a pergola by the water. I’ve seen at least one large party being hosted at this venue.

Out front, there are a few more places to sit and relax along with a number of small animals, mostly rabbits. One of these, presently asleep in the cart by the door (and red flamingo) tells us that The Quest has not started yet. Presumably this bunny will awaken and change its message on the day.

Look inside the Inn at the mantlepiece to see a special sculpture placed there by the region sponsors. It’s a very touching little work.

The Village

If, from The Red Herring Inn, you turn back toward Fairelands Junction, you’ll be heading toward the village of Kallissya. Take your time crossing the three ascending bridges to admire the beautiful stream that runs along to your left. There’s also a unique windmill off up the hill which looks as if it grew there.

The region is realized from the quest story which “describes a wild and ancient land with steep hills, and deep valleys, with streams, and broad meadows.” It also describes a tiny village shaded by trees. The builder decided on thatched huts to give the place a really ancient feel. (Watch your step. There are quite a few sheep wandering the village.)

The village will have a role to play in the quest. Clues will have to be provided there and so on. So, some of its design is driven by the needs of the quest and some by happenstance and/or the designer’s vision. “The way I put things together isn’t really to ‘tell a story’ it’s more to hint at visitors that there might be a story going on if they want to hunt for it.”

The Stone and Wood Henge

From the village, you can wander a different path back in the direction of the middle of the region and find a curious place of power, a dual circle of stones and wooden posts overgrown with thorns and brambles. You’ll have to push past the overgrowth to get inside.

It looks partly new. The wooden posts are clean and show no signs of weathering or decomposition. Their carvings look fresh and clean. But the site also appears long disused. The stones are ancient and worn and, as noted, the site is becoming overgrown. Even more curiously, stones set into the ground within the ring are free from overgrowth. Perhaps the quest story will make clear what’s happening here.

Lots of Paths and Places to Find

Apart from these key locations, and there actually is a key in another location, there are many many other spots to visit in this region. There are, for example, some interesting wolves, a few “not-right” sheep, a frog pond, an unusual bright patch in the forest, a grove of otherworldly plants, a drum circle, and a cave with luminous fungus. I’m sure I haven’t stumbled on nearly everything there is to be found either.

There are so many quiet corners where you can stop and wonder. I’m lounging at one of them now as I write all this. This is such a lovely region, I may have to see if I can clear some time to actually perform the Fairelands Quest this year. We’ll see, I already have the Lost Pages region quest and a bit of writing to do in Stoneveil Crossing on my list.

For now, it’s time to go take some pictures in Ülim’Hyl.

Fantasy Faire 2026 – Lost Pages

On By altathiemenIn Second Life, SL EventsLeave a comment

It’s day three of Fantasy Faire 2026 and I’m sitting at a poetry reading as I catch up on some notes. So far, L$2,326,311 have been raised for Relay for Life in the first two days of the faire.

There are many events scheduled for today. For a full-ish list see this post on the faire’s web site.

Lost Pages

Last night, the first of the LitFest Tours explored the Lost Pages region. Lost Pages is the home of the ListFest (and FilmFest, TheatreFest, and PoetryFest…) activities for this year. We had a group of a little over thirty avatars touring the region last night with Saffia Widdershins leading the group and providing lots of information about the region.

Aelva Fairelander is the builder of Lost Pages. When you visit and have a look around, I’m sure you’ll agree she did a fantastic job.

As might be expected, books feature prominently in the build for LitFest’s home. Giant books tower over the visitor like tower blocks in a city. The streets are paved with book spines. Life-sized figures from Shakespeare’s plays cut from book pages can be seen all around the region. Even the sky has text scrolling across the clouds.

Books are filled with stories that build worlds in our imaginations. Lost Pages is one such world that we can all share.

LitFest Tours

We began where all of the LitFest tours will begin, in the pavilion off to the side of the Great Library. (Turn right as you step out of the library, take the stairs down and follow the sign to the LitFest Tours pavilion.)

The LitFest Tours run throughout Fantasy Faire. They began last night and the last one will be on May 9th. Each tour covers one of the regions of The Fairelands. They are lead by one of the faire ministers or, occasionally, by one or more of the builders of the region begin toured. They usually run about an hour. Some are as long as two.

Tours remaining include:

  • Kallissya – Sat 25th – 1:00 PM – 1 hour
  • UlimHyl Mon – 27th April – 11:00 AM – 1 hour
  • Stoneveil Crossing Mon 27th April 5:00 PM 2 hour
  • Amon Galadrann Tues 28th April 1:00 PM 1 hour
  • Melloona Wed 29th April 1:00 PM 2 hours
  • Canny Valley Thurs 30th April 1:00 PM 1 hour
  • Vervaine Moors Thurs 30th April 5:00 PM 1 hour
  • Lost Pages Fr1 1st May 1:00 AM 1 hour
  • Untamed Ink Sat 2nd 5:00 PM 1 hour
  • Moonfleet Bay Sun 3rd May 1:00 PM i hour
  • Ebonfall Aetherium Sun 3rd May 5:00 PM 2 hours
  • Heian Mon May 4th 5:00 PM 1 hour
  • Willowton Cuthbert Tues 5th May 1:00 PM 2 hours
  • Achroma Wed 6th May 9:00 AM 1 hour
  • Aventurine Promenade Wed 6th May 1:00 PM 1 hour
  • Golden Hour Wed 6th May 5:00 PM I hour
  • Fairelands Junction Thurs 7th May 5:00 PM 1 hour
  • Requiem Fri 8th May 1:00 PM 2 hours
  • Bến Tôm Rơi Sat 9th May 1:00 PM 2 hours

These events can be very popular. There were over thirty avatars at the first this season and I’ve seen over fifty a couple last year. Dress for low lag and arrive early!

The Great Library

The centerpiece of the Lost Pages build is The Great Library. A circular tower, it rises above the landing area. Inside the library, addition to a lot of books, is the venue where some presentations and interviews will be conducted. Two tables toward the front are of interest. The one on the right has a selection of books. If you click on them, you’ll receive a link where you can buy them.

The table to the left contains information about the region quest (see below).

There is also an upper gallery with a cafe/bar, tables, and chairs where you can rest for a while.

The Lost Pages Region Quest

The name of the region refers to an item now missing from The Great Library.

Amongst its many treasures, the Library contained a copy of one of the most famous and priceless books in the world – not for a rich binding of gold and jewels – indeed, it is rather a battered leather bound volume. No, this book was famed for the treasures within. For this is the Third Folio of Shakespeare’s Plays and Poems, the version which is credited with being the first definitive edition of Shakespeare’s works.

The story goes that vandals removed pages from the volume. The Lost Pages Quest is to find and identify them. They can now be found around the region as scenes from Shakespeare’s places. Find them, identify the play and what’s happening in the scene. Once you’ve found them all, submit your answers in one of the kiosks scattered about for that purpose. (You can see an example to the right of the table.)

Poetry Pavilion

Leaving The Great Library and turning left, you can head down another set of stairs and then make your way straight across the street to the Poetry Pavilion. There are poetry happenings scheduled here throughout the faire. See this schedule for them along with other events in the region.

Cafe Cinema

Head back out along the road of book spines and head past the library and, eventually, you will come upon the Cinema Cafe. As you walk, peek above the wall of books to your left, toward the center of the region. You’ll see an old up there, Hugh the book troll. As always, he’s lost in a good book.

At the Cinema cafe, you can take a seat, have some popcorn and enjoy some reels of FilmFests past. Just click twice on the large display screen behind the tables.

The FilmFest schedule is on the same page as for poetry events.

Theatre

Finally, there is the theatre for TheatreFest events. (Yep, see the same schedule.)

Throughout the faire, there will be acting workshops, auditions & casting, readthroughs, and a presentation of an original pay, “Seahorse Valley”.

Some Quiet Spots

In between these specific venues and off to the sides, also tucked in out of the way corners, are a number of quiet spots where you can sit and relax. Maybe you’d like to write some poetry, or perhaps add some lines to your journal.

Having explored two regions so far, this is my fave! (OK, not a huge sample size yet.) Even so, I’m pretty sure I’ll be back here a lot even as I explore the rest of the faire. First, there are the LitFest Tours to attend along with some of the other events. Second, it is a calm place where I can pause and put these posts together.

Enjoy the faire!