Sex and the Single Avatar in Second Life X – What’s Sex in Second Life?

 Humans are the only animal who can have sex over the phone.

David Letterman              

                After several years of wandering about in Second Life (SL), I’ve learned a lot about sex inworld.  (Significant Other always wonders about that.)  Which led me to the question that is this story’s title, “What’s Sex in Second Life?”  (I have lots of questions.  It’s answers I have a problem with.) 

          The question sounds simple, maybe even obvious, but, is it really? 

          Is sex in SL any different from sexting or cybersex?  Does the visual component make it different?  Is it perhaps just a form of interactive pornography?  What makes it different from Literotica? 

          A whole industry seems to be dedicated to SL sex.  Besides sex resorts,  different practices like BDSM, and shops dedicated to selling all sorts of sexual merchandise. (In an earlier story, I blogged about the availability of condoms and contraceptives inworld.  Who knew?)   Then there are escorts, pole dancers, strippers, professional subs and doms, and who knows whom else in the inworld sex trade.  For those who wish for a more personal, intimate sexual experience there are animation overrides (AO’s) which add a variety of practices.  (For those who need a more explicit account, check out Alex Comfort’s The Joy of Sex.)

          Now, for those who still want to know what’s going on inworld,  I recommend dropping into sims like Paradise Sex Beach or Naked, Naked to catch a view.  (Or, join in the fun themselves.)  Voyeurism and exhibitionism are fairly common inworld.  (No, there won’t be any pictures of these behaviors, this is still not that type of blog!)

          Most people are fairly friendly and open in certain resorts about engaging in sex with strangers.  (No STD’s or worries about pregnancy, remember?)  Group scenes are not all that uncommon.  Some engage with voice, webcams, or the old fashioned way of just passing nude RL photos of themselves around.  (Or, at least, this what they say they won’t do.) 

          So, what’s it all about?  Is this just a game for people bored in Real Life (RL)?  The thrill of illicit behavior?  The challenge of actually doing it?  Or, is something else going on here?  Some folks start in SL and move onto RL with even children resulting.  (Which reminds me of an earlier promise I’ve made to arrange a roundtable discussion with several couples to talk about their experiences.  I just have to get myself organized!)  Significant Other says I can be very naïve.

          I’m not even going to try and touch the question of identity in SL.  Who are we really talking with inworld?  I’ve heard anecdotally that over half of the female residents in SL are actually RL men. (Who finds this stuff?)  My personal rule inworld is to take people as I meet them.  If someone wants to present themselves in a certain way, who am I to judge?  You could go to nuts trying to suss these things out and I consider it an invasion of privacy as well. 

          I’ll continue to come back to this topic in the future because I find it an interesting topic.  (It’s my blog after all.)  Sex is an important part of RL for most people (If it isn’t then you’re probably in a monastery somewhere and not in SL anyway.)  and it seems to be an important part of SL for many as well. 

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here. 

 

Travel in Second Life

 The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.

Saint Augustine               

                This past week, in Real Life (RL), I took an unexpected trip to Europe for business purposes.  (And, no, for those jokers out there, I was neither deported nor running from Significant Other.  Although, maybe my boss was getting me out of the way.)  Preparing for this trip and taking it got me thinking about travel in Second Life (SL) and what it means to me. 

          Why did I start thinking about travel in SL?

          Well, maybe it had something to with the multiple time zones I had to go through to get to Central Europe.  Or, maybe the packing, hassling through traffic to get to the airport, get checked in, and then wait for my flight.  Oh, did I mention the fun of going through security with the TSA? (Please note that I support security for air travel that doesn’t mean I have to enjoy it.  It’s like a relative who once told me that World War II had to be fought, he just wanted to know why he was the guy stuck in a plane and sent somewhere he never even knew existed to be shot at.) 

          For reasons which seemed beyond my control, like most things in my life, (Significant Other posits that I was a really horrible person somewhere in past life.) I ended up last week hurtling across the Atlantic to arrive in Central Europe (Place names are being withheld to protect the reputation of those countries kind enough to receive me.)  Since I don’t sleep well on aircraft, there is something unnatural about the whole experience, and I had to make a connection to arrive at my destination, I arrived at my hotel just in time for a 93°F heat wave.  (In case you didn’t know, air conditioning is not yet pervasive in some former Warsaw Pact Countries.  Not because of fifty years of Communism as my local friends told me, and yes I can make friends in RL, but after a couple of millennia of more or less accurate weather reports courtesy of some local monks, nobody thought it was a worthwhile investment.  Yeah, they said the same thing about lifeboats on the Titanic.) 

          By now, you may be starting to see why I’m thinking about travel inworld versus RL.  But, it’s more than the vicissitudes of actually moving around.  RL travel makes me realize how much like a kaleidoscope SL is when it comes to travel.  Language and customs come together.  I can stand in a sim and be talking with people from all ends of the world at the same time.  We talk about our respective lives and communities.  We sometimes misunderstand one another. (OK, I’ll admit it, I misunderstand them.)

          How different is this from my standing in a coffee shop, not Starbucks, too far to walk in the heat, in a foreign city talking with people kind enough to speak to me in English because I couldn’t speak theirs?  (I’m American, remember?  We don’t recognize any languages other than American.  L'Académie française has my face on posters in its offices due to my efforts to use their language.) 

          But, we do bring our real lives into SL.  We take our world views, biases, prejudices, and preferences.  These are not always negative but serve as baseline for where many of us begin when we first come inworld.  We experiment in SL where we wouldn’t in RL.  (Don’t worry, I was neither nude while wandering around Central Europe this week nor did I visit any BDSM clubs.) 

          SL is certainly more convenient to visit than many RL locations.  Some may argue that more can be seen or done inworld than in RL.  It’s certainly cheaper.  And, it’s safer.  (Excluding griefing, phishing, and other privacy concerns.) 

          So, as I wrap up, it’s great to be home in RL with Significant Other.  RL is very important but sometimes it can take us away from loved ones and familiar places in a way that SL can’t. 

          As in most things, balance is everything.  RL and SL can both get out of whack.  I’ve seen RL ruin their lives because they spent too much time away from home.  Likewise, people have had their real lives fall apart because of their involvement with SL. 

          Travel gives me time to be alone and think.  (Think long flights in the middle of the night where there is only one overhead light is on in an otherwise dark cabin.)  I pulled these thoughts together while on my journey.  At times like this, I tend to let my mind wander.  (Significant Other cringes at the thought.)  Hopefully, I’ve given you something to think about yourself. 

 As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here. 

Ten Years of Second Life

I signed up for Second Life about a year ago. Back then, my life was so great that I literally wanted a second one. Absolutely everything was the same except I could fly.

Dwight Schrute 

              

                Ten years!  Yes, that’s how long we’ve now had Second Life (SL) to leave our first lives behind in Real Life (RL) and go online to explore, make new friends, and get into all the mayhem we’d never dare to as humans.  (Or, at least some of us do.)  The anniversary celebrations will take place at SL10B inworld.  This year’s theme is Second Life – Looking Forward, Looking Back. 

           At 12:00PM SLT on June 14^th, SL10B opened for Press Day whereby SL bloggers and journalists got to see the exhibits.  Daniel Voyager has been doing a great job of reporting the run up to the grand opening and I’m sure will do a great job of describing events and builds. 

          (For those who may be worried about why I wasn’t there, RL does occasionally get in the way of my going inworld.  Also, I do tend towards edgier fare in SL.  I will visit the exhibition area and don’t worry, for those of you who’ve read some of my recent stories, I’ll wear clothes!)

          But, now, I want to do a little retrospective about SL.  Ten years is a long time for a technology.  Some might say it’s several lifetimes.  Let’s look back on the original promise of SL and see if it was fulfilled.  And, if it wasn’t then how long does a promise have? 

           For those just joining, I’m an explorer and writer in SL and this is my blog.

          I’ve been inworld blogging about my wanderings for just over two years.  I was late to the party.  I’ve had a great time and look forward to another ten years on the Grid.  (BTW, if you’d like a very good account of the start-up and early days of SL, read Wagner James Au’s The Making of Second Life.)

          In my humble opinion, there are three phases in SL’s long history.  (In case you haven’t noticed yet, I tend towards a lot of sarcasm.) 

          The first phase was the Golden Age.  That pristine, early, primordial time when everyone thought a brave, new world had been discovered.  We would all have virtual lives.  We would wear virtual clothes from virtual Gap stores. Virtual Toyotas would take us where we wanted to go.  We would live in virtual homes in virtual neighborhoods with our virtual friends.  The capstone of all this was that famous cover on Businessweek.  Remember that?

          Well, the Gap stores and Toyota have been closed for quite some time.  Then there was what Linden Lab thought we’d all be doing inworld with our virtual lives.  As a good friend of mine recently said, “They thought we’d all be going to pottery classes instead we’re making out like rabbits!”  More about that later. 

          So what happened to end the Golden Age and brought on the second phase?

          Well, there was the Great Recession, that little economic upset which nearly reduced all of us to a barter system while being homeless.  (Unless of course, you happened to one of the 1% but I won’t go there.)  I showed up shortly after this.  (Yes, I know, I have a bad habit of showing up right about the time the punch bowl is taken away.)  I found many abandoned sims.  There were all the empty sims that I’d rezz into and felt like I was on a tour of virtual ghost towns.  Elsewhere in the Metaverse, I found blogs and websites which apparently stopped in 2008 or thereabouts.  I felt like I was aboard the Mary Celeste after her crew had gone walkabout.   

          While all this was occurring, the RL technology was changing around SL.  When the first glimmers of this new virtual world occurred, most folks used desktops with broadband and physical cabling to connect to the Metaverse.  Email was the killer app.  Folks were just beginning to step away from AOL and Compuserve.  (Anyone remember that last one?) 

          Along the way, mobility came along in the form of smart phones and tablets.  Those desktops with cables are now laptops with wireless.  The communities reformed in Facebook and Twitter among other social media apps.  Meanwhile, back at the ranch, SL started to get a little long in the tooth.  Some of the fun and exciting things that used to go on there, if somewhat quasi-legal, like gambling and financial services, became forbidden activities.  Oh, and did I mention that the Grid received a reputation, which I’m still trying to determine whether deservedly or not, as a hotbed of uninhibited sexual license. 

          So where does this leave SL as it enters its third phase?

          I’m not sure.  I’ve blogged about this before and the jury is still out for me.  Even Wagner James Au seems to be rethinking his original position about SL.  Some feel that social media like Facebook will crowd out virtual worlds.  There is a school of thought that virtual worlds will ultimately become a regular part of our virtual existence.  New technologies such as Oculus Rift and the eventual migration to mobile platforms would help this to occur.  I agree with these assertions but I also believe that a viable, self-sustaining economy is crucial as well. People not only need a reason to come but a reason to stay and keep coming back.  Economic self-interest will do it every time.  (Apologies to my Marxist friends.) 

          Ten years with an aging technology and potentially a declining user base (Yes, many people keep signing up but how many return on a regular basis?) leaves one to wonder what might happen.  I always like to look at questions like this in terms of people, process, and technology.  (OK, I used to be a consultant it doesn’t mean I’m a bad person.) 

 In my travels, I’ve encountered various types of people.  Serious roleplayers, fashionistas, BDSM afficianados, nudists, naturists, (if I don’t make the distinction, I’ll get angry emails) tekkies, artists, and people who just want to hang out with friends and have a good time populate the Grid. 

          As for processes, there’s not much to talk about inworld.  Customer service has been a perennial complaint among residents.  Unscheduled maintenance is another favorite gripe.  Longtime residents bemoan the loss of the Lindens who used to hang out with residents, helping them, and answering their questions.  The fact that Linden Lab (LL) no longer sponsors the annual anniversary celebrations is a telling sign. 

          Then there’s technology.  I’ve touched on this already but I’ll make a few additional comments.  Lately, complaints about system crashes seem fewer.  Yes, mesh has arrived and seems to be a disruptive technology for those who based their SL work and businesses on the older technologies.  I still worry about the aging platform that underlies SL.  Those who have spent their careers in IT understand the risk of staying on outdated technologies too long.  (Although, some consultants have made a good living out of helping clients catch up!) 

 Coming to the end of my cerebral meanderings, I have to ask whether SL get another ten years. 

           Not if things stay the way they are.  RL investments have to be made but before that happens, SL needs to have a reason to draw residents back in.  Or, maybe SL will just be another ghost town in the development of cyber civilization much like Ur and Babylon were in the development of RL civilization. 

          The promise has yet to be fulfilled.  (But I hope it will.  There’s a lot of wonderful people in SL.) 

          Looking forward to seeing you at SL10B! 

 As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here. 

 

Reflections on Gor in Second Life

There is a saying on Gor that the laws of a city extend no further than its walls.

Outlaw of Gor               

               My last two stories have been about Gor in Second Life (SL).  I will now do something I haven’t done in a while and complete a trilogy by writing once again about Gor with this story.

          Why? Goreans will not need to ask this question.  Non-Goreans of the adventurous sort will not need this either.  (Except out of curiosity for what silliness I may write.)  Other non-Goreans may wonder why I even bothered to write the first two stories.

That’s the point!

Gor brings out all sorts of emotions in SL.  Since I’ve begun blogging about SL, I haven’t had the kind of visceral reaction that Gor has produced.  (Significant Other was convinced that I’d be laughed off the Grid when I started wandering around nude. But I digress.) 

Gor is a fictional universe based on the novels of John Norman.  They are fairly controversial given their treatment of women.  Some have challenged the quality of their writing.  But, SL being the place that it is, whole communities have been built around this theme.  Gorean communities are purportedly among some of the largest and best organized inworld.  I’ve been meaning to visit them and see for myself what’s going on.  I’m finally able to visit and see for myself what’s going on.

My Gorean experiences have been limited so far to Genesian Port and two brief forays into other cities.  A freewoman of Gor, Lady Wiebeline Hoorenbeek (Lady Bel), and a friend of mine took on a tour of this seaport.  Another freewoman, Lady Sophia Farella, a resident of Genesian Port and the editor-in-chief of the Genesian Gazette, the town newspaper, sat me down on my next visit and gave me her life story in Gor. 

From my new friends, I’ve learned a lot about Gor and have also realized how little I know.  (Like not picking locks on gates if I don’t want to get arrested.  Gorean jails are not known for their comfortable accommodations.)    

Walking around in Gor, I notice several things.  First, many Goreans are always about, at least relative to other sims.  Next, Goreans take their roleplaying seriously.  (Some people I’ve met describe them as humorless and hardcore which for me are synonyms for “seriously”.)  As I wander through the streets, I develop an appreciation for the variety of characters supporting the story.  A busker plays a banjo down on the docks.  A street waif offers to open a locked gate for me for the price of a copper.  (That’s a Gorean coin for those readers from New York and London, not a police officer.)  Kajirae (female slaves) and kajirus (males slaves) in various states of dress wander about or kneel on the pavement to their masters.  Apparently, as long as they don’t board ships to leave the city, most are given permission to roam freely. 

Goreans are very security conscious.  A fear of raids seems pervasive.  Property crimes are common.  One Gorean complains to me of having a shipment of goods ripped off from her in Genesia.  Lady Sophia frets about being captured and enslaved by a former companion.  Once, while walking to her offices, a free woman I encountered on the street thought I looked like someone who meant her harm (Significant Other laughs at the notion.) and I was looking at a very mean mob and was only saved by the intervention of one of Lady Sophia’s friends. 

The intensity of the roleplay in SL Gor is impressive.  Not just the dialogue, which is the most elaborate I’ve encountered inworld, but in the feelings expressed in the dialogue.  I go back to Lady Sophia’s description in my last story of Real Life (RL) feelings when her free companion died inworld. 

One does not go for a casual stroll in Gorean SL like one would elsewhere on the Grid.  One must be prepared to encounter roleplaying Goreans and going OOC is generally not a good response! 

I’ve begun to wonder if Gor represents what SL could evolve to if it’s to be successful.  A world of castes, ritual, and culture which all participants agree to abide by even if it may conflict with our RL views and practices.  There is an economy although some practices such as slave auctions for Linden dollars are prohibited.  (I’m still trying to verify this.) 

 The responses to my Gorean stories have varied from pro-Goreans who have enjoyed the stories and their balance, as I’ve been told, to others who have avoided me because they view my stories as the sign of being a Gorean myself. 

I am not a Gorean but a barbarian as I’m reminded every time I visit.  As I travel around SL, I don’t participate in the various lifestyles I meet because I move around too much and can’t make the commitment to participate adequately with the group.  (Please no emails on this, ladies.) I do not do this out of judgment no matter what my personal views may be.  As for people who’d rather not associate with me because of my writings, well, that’s their choice.  I’ll write about whomever and whatever I want inworld.  (The chief advantage of having one’s own blog!)  

          Below please find links to several pictures that I took during my visits in Gor.    As always, don’t rely on my crude efforts with photography.  But, please when you go, respect the rules around costume and behavior.  The last thing Gor needs is busloads of tourists gawking.  (Remember must people go about in Gorean sims carrying sharp instruments, even the slaves.) 

          Gor inworld is a very interesting place from a people perspective, a build view, and culturally.  Each visit leaves me with more questions and a desire to visit now places.  I will go back for answers and whatever else I can encounter. 

There are more cities and towns to visit.  Ships to be sailed and businesses to be frequented.  I hope to blog more frequently about all of these in the world of Gor in SL.  Watch this space for more to come! 

 As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.   

Photo No. 1   Lady Sophiaa Farella

Photo No. 2   Lady Bel

Photo No. 3   Lady Sophiaa and Safi

Photo No. 4   Genesian Port Trade Docks I

Photo No. 5   Meal at an Inn

Photo No. 6   Safi at Sunset

Photo No. 7   Gorean Busker

Photo No. 8   Genesian Gazette Kiosk

Photo No. 9   Genesian Gazette Offices

Photo No. 10   Genesian Street Scene

More Gor in Second Life

Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.

 Oscar Wilde

              

               My last story was about my first visit to Gor in Second Life (SL).  A freewoman of Gor, Lady Wiebeline Hoorenbeek (Lady Bel), and a friend of mine took on a tour of Genesian Port.  

          Gor is a fictional universe based on the novels of John Norman.  They are fairly controversial given their treatment of women.  But, SL being the place that it is, whole communities have been built around this theme.  Gorean communities are purportedly among some of the largest and best organized inworld.  I’ve been meaning to visit them and see for myself what’s going on.  I’m finally able to visit and see for myself what’s going on.

          My story received more than the usual number of replies.  (OK, most of my stories don’t get any at all but this one was still significant.)  The general tone was thanking me for writing the story and being balanced. 

          One reply came from Lady Sophiaa Farella, a resident of Genesian Port and the editor-in-chief of the Genesian Gazette, the town newspaper.  In addition to thinking me, she pointed out to me by mistakes in Gorean marriage customs.  (Quite nicely, I must say.  Not like a Real Life (RL) editor would have done.) 

Suffice to say, I quickly took advantage of this opportunity to continue my travels across Gor and arranged an interview.  (I was rather pleased with myself.  Significant Other said desperate was more like it.)

I TP to Genesian Port at the appointed time and walk to Lady Sophia’s offices which are a short distance from the actual port area.  Along the way, I spot kiosks which offer the Genesian Gazette for free to passersby.  (I’d read past editions before visiting.  Strongly recommend reading this paper to get a feel for what’s happening locally.) 

Lady Sophiaa comes out to greet me at the heavy metal gate outside of her building (I’m beginning to suspect that I’m in a high crime area.) and takes me inside to her offices.  She is tall, dressed in white traditional attire for a free woman, and wears a veil even though not obligatory in this city (More on this later.)  Her hair is auburn and eyes are blue.  Lady Sophia exudes the confidence of one used to command.  Which contrasts to her background as I know she began as slave in Gor. 

We sit in two chairs in front of her desk.  Safi, Lady Sophiaa’s slave, comes in and kneels on the floor in front of us. 

I begin by asking Lady Sophiaa what brought her to SL originally.  She replies that years ago she heard about it on NPR (One of my favorites too.) while driving in her car and decided to give it a shot.  She did and was hooked. 

In 2007, she was approached by a woman inworld asking if she would like to be a model.  She modeled the clothes of many SL dress designers in fashion shows and was in the February 2007 edition of SL Vogue. 

After this, Lady Sophiaa describes meeting a strange man as she made the social circles inworld (sounds like Real Life (RL) here) whom she founds intriguing and who enticed her into becoming his slave in Gor inworld.  From here she passed through a series of masters until her final master became Urbar(a position comparable to king) of Treve and she became his Urbara (or queen) for by this time they had become Free Companions. 

During these years in servitude, Lady Sophiaa worked in taverns, a teahouse, and was a sexual slave.  Bought and sold as a slave back when it could be done with real Linden dollars.  (This practice is apparently no longer permitted.)  But, she loved it.  She, at one time, begged for the collar of master to become his kajira (or slave).  This was all voluntary.  No one made her do anything against her will.  Lady Sophia could have walked away at any time.  Yet, she didn’t. 

This is where I’m perplexed.  Maybe because I reflect twenty-first century norms of Western belief.  Why does a woman do this to herself?

Lady Sophiaa explains it to me as the Gorean rejection of the notion of women having responsibilities in the world outside of the home.  The Gorean, that is the men view who dominate everything, view is that women are freed in Gor to become sexual objects for everyone’s mutual pleasure and merely take care of the household and children in their spare time.  Each sex fulfilling their role in the natural order as predefined by the Creator. 

OK, this is definitely not RL, and, as Lady Bel keeps reminding me that this is only a RP game played by fully consenting adults.

I do not mean to judge and I do not.  I only wish to report back what I observe.  Gor is a large and significant part of SL and probably the most highly developed community in terms of roles and responsibilities for its members.  Based on the canon of the Norman books they have a head start on virtually all others in SL. 

Lady Sophiaa shares with me that she has a rich and full life with Gor in SL.  She hates her RL and wishes she could be inworld 24 X 7.  Where as she puts it, “I am loved and beautiful and have all the money I need and beautiful clothes and great excitement.”

The intensity of her emotion crosses into RL as she tells how she cried when her Free Companion, the Urbar died.  (RL called him away and he decided to have his avatar die inworld.  A large funeral was held.)   

When I ask her about being a woman in a male dominated society, Lady Sophiaa replies that she feels protected, treasured, respected and taken care of.  Although, she doesn’t want to be collared again.  She believes she has far more to offer as a Free Woman than as a slave.  Slaves are not treated with respect, they are property and no one takes them seriously.  Lady Sophiaa states that she has to be free to contribute to society as she does.

Even Lady Sophiaa’s slave, Safi, expresses her feelings for her mistress with passion as she describes her as a “grand and wonderful Free Woman”.  I see no sign of coercion.  (How would one even begin to coerce an avatar?)

During our interview, Lady Sophiaa talks of being a Free Woman in Gor.  She is at risk for infractions of rules such as sex with men other than her Free Companion or a contractual dispute.  Which is why she continues to wear a veil even though not obligated to do so because if she’s brought to court without a veil men may construe her as acting slavishly and collar her and then it’s off to the slave markets.  (Safi assures me a beauty like her mistress would fetch a high price there.  Something tells me that Lady Sophiaa is not reassured by this. Maybe this is why she intends to sell her off.) 

We also have a glimpse of Gorean RP when visitors pass through while we meet.  The quality of the dialogue and its intensity are of the highest level I’ve yet encountered inworld. 

I come to the end of my interview which has run over by twice as much as I’d planned because of visitors and all that Lady Sophiaa shared with me.  (Not to mention Safi’s asides.) 

I’m impressed by this woman.  She runs a newspaper which does a very good job of staying on top of what’s going on in Genesian Port.  She has risen to a high position in Gorean society where women are not traditionally in important roles based on her wits and hard work.  Gor is not like Dungeons & Dragons where a roll of the dice can change everything.  Gor RP is all about skill and perseverance. 

Lady Sophiaa is passionate about her life in Gor.  She’s shared her writings with me and trust me this woman feels Gor in every fiber of her body both SL and RL.  She recognizes the contradictions of Gorean life with RL and doesn’t seem fazed by them.  She has her life and is happy with it.  Anyone doesn’t like it, that’s their problem. 

           I take my leave of Lady Sophiaa thanking her for her time and hospitality.  She instructs Safi to escort me to the docks.  (Or, Lord knows where I might end up.) 

          Below please find links to several pictures that I took during my visit with Lady Sophiaa.    As always, don’t rely on my crude efforts with photography.  But, please when you go, respect the rules around costume and behavior.  The last thing Gor needs is busloads of tourists gawking.  (Remember must people go about in Gorean sims carrying sharp instruments, even the slaves.) 

          I’d like to thank Lady Sophiaa for taking the time to meet with me, answer my questions, and share her life in Gor.    I hope to return to meet her again and share her life with my readers.  Trust me, this one story does not do it justice! 

          Gor inworld is a very interesting place.  I have many more questions and I want to get answers.  I hope to blog more frequently about the world of Gor in SL.  Watch this space for more to come! 

 As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here. 

 

Photo No. 1   Lady Sophiaa Farella

Photo No. 2   webspelunker and Lady Sophiaa

Photo No. 3   Lady Sophiaa and Safi

Photo No. 4   Genesian Port Trade Docks I

Photo No. 5   Genesian Port Trade Docks II

Photo No. 6   Safi at Sunset

Photo No. 7   Gorean Busker

Photo No. 8   Genesian Gazette Kiosk

Photo No. 9   Genesian Gazette Offices

Photo No. 10   Genesian Street Scene