Castles in Second Life I – Unicorn Castle

 Even castles made of sand, fall into the sea, eventually.

Jimi Hendrix

 

          Castles!

          Ever since I was a child (Yes, contrary to popular belief, I was one once.) I’ve had a fascination with castles!

          Something about those big, foreboding walls appealed to me.

          I read about them while growing up, (And, yes, contrary to rumors put about by Significant Other, I have grown up.  I just haven’t yet decided what to do with myself now that I’ve arrived.) dreamt about them, and visited them when I finally had the chance in Europe.  (Significant Other was a real trouper about that!)

          For me, castles have always been a source of mystery, suspense, and adventure.  Not to mention ghost stories.  And I love Camelot!

          So, I’ve decided to start another series for my blog which will be about castles in SL!

          (Living in America in Real Life (RL) makes it kind of hard to visit them regularly and Significant Other does have limits!)

          (Hey, it’s my blog!  If you don’t like it check out one of the others!)

          Why now you may ask?

          What sent me off on this track?

          Funny you should ask!

          Last week, I blogged about the Merry Month of May now underway in Mieville in Second Life (SL). 

          While there I came across Unicorn Castle which is owned by Perryn Peterson and is

located in the highlands above the main festivities.  It’s a short walk from the arrival area.

          (This is another reason why I think Perryn is such a cool guy!  He actually owns his own castle!)

          Unicorn Castle will be my first entry in my Castles in Second Life series.

          Perryn brought Unicorn out only for the Merry Month of May so it’ll only be around until May 19^th.

          Unicorn was designed by Yllanys Resident who was apparently one of the leading, if not the leading, castle architect inworld.  Unfortunately, like many talented SL residents she has closed her atelier and departed for parts unknown and is no longer inworld.  Although, I’m told by Perryn that her works are still available in SL. 

          Walking up to Unicorn one’s attention is drawn to its white stone face which contrast to the natural colors of the surrounding scenery.

          It’s a falrly modest sized castle reminiscent of the Loire Valley chateaux. 

          Strolling through the main gate which has a functioning portcullis, (I should know, I

tried it out!) a visitor arrives in a small courtyard which leads to the main entrance with unicorns on both sides guarding entrance to the castle proper.

          Across from the main entrance is a small private garden for the occupants.

          The castle is three stories tall with each floor composed of a large open area suitable for balls (What else?) An open shaft goes through the core of the structure giving an open, airy effect.

          Small rooms are off the main areas allowing for privacy.  (Where else would the mystery transpire?)

         

Balconies open out to give breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

          A spiral staircase plus minor stairs facilitate access to the upper floors. 

          Unfortunately, there is no dungeon.  (Significant Other’s eyes roll.)

          Overall, Unicorn Castle is a wonderful example of the builder’s craft in SL.

          Given how it isn’t furnished, one can a true appreciation of its architectural beauty and finishings without any distractions.

          I strongly recommend that you drop over and visit because the Merry Month of May runs from April 25^th to May 19^th and the landing zone can be found here. 

          Please be sure and leave a donation at one of the collection boxes if you can afford to do so as putting on these displays ultimately does cost RL money!

          Additional photos of Unicorn Castle can be found at this Flickr page. 

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

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

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.

          Open roads and kind fires!