In
a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
J.
R. R. Tolkien
For those
of you who know me, and those who don’t are about to find out, I enjoy fantasy. The tales of gods, dragons, and magic have
kept me reading and playing games for quite some time. (Significant Other is amazed that I ever
bothered to take the time to grow up which in itself may be debatable.)
Second
Life (SL) drew me in initially because of the potential to experience that
fantasy. I’ve met vampires, Goreans,
pirates, and visited the Ancient Wonders of the world. Was chased
by zombies, flew
a dragon, experienced steampunk, and strolled
the streets of Weimar Berlin. Let’s not forget my quest
for Doctor
Who and his TARDIS.
All these
experiences, whether pure fantasy or based in some former reality, I remember
and cherish. (Although, Significant
Other and Real Life (RL) friends do tend to wander off when I begin to tell my
tales. I ascribe it to simple envy on
their parts.)
But, one
experience has escaped me so far inworld and, that, that is the world of J. R. R. Tolkien. (If you don’t know whom that is, please just
stop reading now. None of what follows
will make any sense to you. For that
matter, why are you even reading me in the first place?)
Anyway,
back to my story.
Recently,
my good friend, Perryn
Peterson, let me in on a little secret. He was planning a Tolkien Festival inworld
and wanted to know if I’d be interested in blogging about it.
Does a dog
have fleas? (For those who are offended
by my analogy, please excuse me and remember that I’m American and just be
grateful that I didn’t use the one about the bear in the woods.)
Thanks to
Perryn I was permitted to visit the Festival area prior to its opening. What follows is based on my trips to Middle-earth in
SL. Stay with me and be amazed!
Arrival at
the landing zone leaves me in a hobbit’s home in Hobbiton. (Bilbo Baggins’ perhaps?) The room has the look and feel of where a
hobbit might lay his head. (The bed is
small!)
Looking
out the front window, I have a beautiful view of the town nestled in the Shire. Other hobbit homes are visible and smoke
coming out of chimneys tells me that some are home.
I exit the
house and take the pathway down into the village proper. The look and feel of an old English village
where Tolkien got so many of his ideas is there.
Walking
through the town, I come to its edge and the woods where a path leads up a
mountain to my next destination, Rivendell,
home of the elves. Here, I discover that
Perryn has once again outdone himself.
What
awaits me is beautiful city of white marble looking out over the surrounding
countryside. Gold gleams from towers.
There are few sights in RL comparable to what lies ahead of me.
Nature’s
component is not overlooked either.
Waterfalls, trees, and flowers cover the mountains with their beauty.
This is
where SL, and other virtual worlds to be fair, excel. While the written word is a powerful tool,
being able to stroll through a 3-D rendering of Tolkien’s genius has to be
experienced to be truly appreciated.
Merchants’
shops will be here during the Festival as well as the dance floor for the
social activities. Fountains and flowers
add to the festive feel of the city.
From here,
I teleport to Lothlorien, the
forest domain of the elves, where Perryn’s partner, Mike Olbracht,
has outdone himself in creating the woodland scene which opens before me.
I walk
along a forest path with trees towering over me and flowers and shrubs lining
my way. The sun’s rays breaking through
the foliage makes for a realistic scene.
A footbridge over a pond gives the sense of deep waters. The water lilies only complete a perfectly
natural scene.
My stroll
brings me to my destination which is a tall tower with Chauron the dragon
guarding its treasure. The dragon is
still young and hence small unlike the massive one I rode recently. Once the Festival begins, this dragon can be
ridden as well I’m told.
This is a
brief summary of the world of Tolkien’s Middle-earth created by Perryn and his
team. There are many byways and highways
that I have yet to take here. But, I’ll
have to hurry and this sim opens today, April 26th, and will only
remain open until May 11th.
Ninety
merchants will have their wares on display across the sim. A mini-hunt whose object is the “One Ring”
will also be run. (I’m told this hunt
will be a little more difficult than most!)
Many old
favorites will be returning with their merchandise. Longtime participant Aley Resident from
Acadia Asylum will have her shop.
Several new merchants will be showing for the first time. EmpyreanForge and Rahpture will be among
these. JSparker Resident is opening a tavern where whistles can be wetted!
I’d like
to thank Jadziyah,
and fellow Whovian, of Eclectic Stars for sending a sample box full of Tolkien
merchandise to sample for this story.
Make sure to check her shop out when you visit! Her merchandise is highly authentic and of
very good quality.
Finally, a
shout out to Tolkien himself! Thank you
very much for your heroes and their stories which have entertained so many of
us for so very long!
I’ve
included links to pictures of my stroll below but these don’t do the Festival
any justice at all. Go and see for
yourselves. You’ll be glad you did!
Remember,
it’s only open until May 11th!
Also,
please support the sim by contributing donations at the kiosks placed around
the sim for this purpose and support the local merchants. RL isn’t the only place where Big Box stores
are squeezing the little guys.
I’d like
to thank Perryn for inviting me in for a sneak peek at all the work he and his
team have done! I’d also like to thank
Jadziyah for reaching out and sending her samples over to me!
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.
If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.
