Are You Going to Renaissance Faire VII in Second Life? (I Sure Hope So!)

But life is never a material, a substance to be molded. If you want to know, life is the principle of self-renewal, it is constantly renewing and remaking and changing and transfiguring itself, it is infinitely beyond your or my obtuse theories about it.

Boris Pasternak

It’s that time of the year again!

Leaves turn color and fall to the ground. 

The days grow longer.

The oncoming crispness in the air can almost be felt.

And, my old Second Life (SL) friend, Perryn Peterson calls me.   

Perryn is the Mayor of Mieville inworld and impresario extraordinaire for all that happens there.  His merry band helps him in all his adventures and there’re a lot of those to be had!

The reason for the call is the Renaissance Faire which takes place every autumn in SL.  This year is the seventh event and it promises to be the best ever!  (Significant Other is curious where Perryn gets all his ideas from.  I attribute it to natural talent.)

Renaissance Hunt & Faire VII, to use its full title, is celebration of the Renaissance inworld (Why the Renaissance you may ask?  Well, it was certainly more fun than the Dark

Ages and Perryn would tell you its costumes were more colorful.) and the SL community.  Merchants bring their Renaissance themed merchandise and SL residents come from near and far to participate in the all the fun ‘n frolic.

This year’s theme is Kings, Queens, & Fools!

The venue for this year’s Faire has been totally redone.

And, when Perryn and his crew redo something, they really redo it!

The Faire occupies a full sim and takes full advantage of the all the new allowed prims. 

The new landing zone is in the middle of town.  From here, a visitor can meander through its streets and wander off into the countryside and down to the sea shore.  Hills, dales, and mountains await the intrepid explorer. Lush forests and meadows break up one’s walk.  Waterfalls, brooks, and streams add a peaceful serenity. 

The landscaping alone is worth a visit to this year’s Faire and It’s all the handowork of Mike Olbracht, Perryn’s SL partner.  I must stop here and call out his work.  Mike worked for weeks to create the natural settings for the Faire and he has outdone himself!  (Perryn and

Mieville have a knack for attracting some of the best talent inworld.)  Mike’s trademark inclusion of natural wildlife in on display throughout the Faire and trust me, you can’t miss them!  (Like my old friend, Donkey!)  BTW Mike is available for private assignments when he’s not working in Mieville somewhere.  Anyone thinking of doing any landscaping or terraforming inworld should definitely look him up! 

Several other Faire participants whom I’d like to call out follow with their acheivements.

Miss DragonLady Majestic, an old friend of Perryn’s, is giving away dragons which you might see some flying about down by the harbor!

The popular Rennie dances by Miss Cyneswith Luik, who isn't inworld as much since her lovely, little Real Life (RL) daughter was born, are back again.

Ktahdn Vesuvino's area, the Faire’s DJ has a spot and he'll have Music Nights there on Sunday evenings, during September.

Artorius Constantine is the brilliant designer of the Tarot reader in the Gypsy camp (my favorite spot).  He has male and female ones.  They are amazing fun!

One of this year’s new attractions to the Faire is a mini-hunt based on acorns which disappear and reappear elsewhere at the Faire.  This has been designed by Tailahr Winnikow, who is brilliant with this type of work.  Regular visitors may recall her Great Pumpkin patch from Halloween a few years ago.  When players have accumulated enough points by clicking acorns, they click a sign and it gives them all of the prizes.  (Where’s the sign?  Come on now, I can’t give away all Perryn’s secrets!)

Sadly, we remember a member of the Mieville community who passed away in RL since the last Renaissance Faire. 

Kaydge (better known as Kage), partner of Seth Stratten, made and donated a whole slew of buildings to use at the Renaissance Faire.  They are located down at the harbor.  He

died in RL not long ago, in his late forties, far too young.  His buildings and the harbor are named after him, the Kage Memorial Harbour.

Rest well old Friend and thank you for all your work and friendship over the years!  Your creations will stand in memory to you! 

As always, Renaissance Faire is lots of fun!

Another new addition this year is jumping in the leaves!  (Significant Other’s eyes roll.)

Apple bobbing is available too! 

Fortunes will be told at the Gypsy camp which looks a lot bigger this year.  I think wandering inworld is becoming more popular! 

There will be music and dancing not to mention a tavern with a barmaid who serves your drinks!  (Please remember not to touch her and to tip well!)

The Maypole and tree house are back as well.

And, of course, there will be gachas!

Renaissance Faire VII runs from September 1^st to 30^th and can be found here.    

Additional information can be found on their website. 

I encourage everyone who can to drop by and visit the Faire!

Whether it’s to participate in the Hunt itself, the mini-hunt, join the revelry, or just

appreciate the beautiful scenery, don’t this miss this opportunity to meet a great group of people and have some fun as autumn draws near. 

Renaissance Faire is fun and challenging, come on down!

Additional pictures of Renaissance Faire VII can be found on this flicker 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!

Are You Going to Renaissance Faire VI in Second Life? (Hint: You should!)

 The phoenix must burn to emerge. 

Janet Fitch 

            Summer is drawing to its close in Real Life (RL), at least here in the Northern Hemisphere! 

            The last, long weekend of the American summer, Labor Day, draws nigh.

            All this means that the annual Renaissance Faire in Second Life (SL) will soon be here! 

So, when Perryn Peterson, the Mayor of Mieville, impresario extraordinaire, and my good friend in SL reached out recently to let me know that Renaissance Faire VI was soon

to be upon us, I was ready!  (Significant Other comments something about this being a rare occurrence.) 

            Since I’m still struggling to catch up after being away  I reached out to my latest Companion to join me and help with the photographs.  (She still wishes to remain anonymous to protect her professional reputation.  Significant Other suggests they form a support group.) 

            As with such Faires in RL, Renaissance Faire VI is a celebration of all things Renaissance.  The rebirth of knowledge and learning after the long night of the Dark Ages. 

In keeping with this theme, the SL Faire begins in a period village and hunters go off to find the marvelous gifts being offered by the participating merchants. 

            Renaissance Faire VI is located in Mieville Shelley, where it relocated to last year. 

            The site is a beautiful bucolic setting of a small village having its annual faire.  Besides the contemporary buildings located around a small pond, the temporary tents and booths of merchants and gypsies are set up on the outskirts of town. 

            Strolling through this scene, one hears the bubbling brooks and listens to period music.  Meriadne Merlin a RL performer has supplied several of the tunes which Perryn has been using for a number of years. 

            Trees, shrubs, grasses, and flowers decorate the sim adding a pastoral effect that contributes to the feeling that one has left the modern age and returned to a simpler time.   (Mike Olbracht, Mieville’s landscaper par excellance and Perryn’s partner has once again

shown how talented he is and I marvel at the subtle changes that he has made to the grounds since last year!  His work alone is worth a visit to the Faire.)

            Strolling through the streets and lanes of the Faire, I see the various wares on display by the merchants and am impressed by their variety and quality.  Perryn always strives to have the best inworld mechants at his events. 

            While I’m wandering through the gypsy encampment, peeking into their vardos, (Yes, there’ll be a fortune teller!), my Companion is off busily snapping away with her photographs.  (I really don’t deserve her help.  Significant Other says she’s not the only one whose help I don’t deserve.) 

            BTW Ktahdn Vesuvino will be broadcasting period music from the gypsy encampment during the Faire! So. Make sure you’re listing for his tunes when you visit! 

            The Tinies from Tinyopolis have their own Artisans Lane with high quality craftspeople participating and shouldn’t be missed!

            There’s also a gacha tent with all the latest gachas! 

            The maypole still has pride of place in the center of the village and a small stage is a

t the water’s edge for performances during the Faire and don’t forget to see the Punch & Judy show! 

            As for the Hunt itself, seventy-five of the best shops inworld are participating!  (There's also a mini-hunt at the Faire itself!)

            A complete list of participating merchants can be obtained by joining the Historical Hunts, Ltd. Group inworld.  Additional information can be obtained from the website. 

            As always, the Renaissance Faire is a fun community event offering great opportunities to meet other residents and to learn about life inworld.  It also helps the merchants who are a vital part of SL! 

             I heartily recommend joining the Hunt or at least visiting the Faire!

            The Faire can be found here and runs from September 1^st to 30^th. 

            Happy hunting! 

            As always, I’d like to thank Perryn and his team for staging these terrific events and putting up with me as I write my stories!   

            I’d also like to thank the Companion for joining me at the last minute (Significant Other says what else is new.) and taking photographs.  (Hers are the better ones here and on this Flickr page where all our photos from this trip can be found.) 

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!

Jousting in Second Life

Most have been forgotten. Most deserve to be forgotten. The heroes will always be remembered. The best. The best and the worst. And a few who were a bit of both.  

George R.R. Martin, A Feast for Crows

           My newfound friends at the A Game of Thrones themed role playing sim located at Casterly Rock in Second Life (SL) have slowly but surely bringing me up to speed on all aspects of life in their community.  Of late, I’ve been introduced to one of their more “energetic” pursuits.  (Significant Other cringes and leaves the room.)

          This new pursuit is the long lost art of jousting!  (Yes, I know Renaissance Faires in Real Life (RL) do it all the time but it’s really not the same anymore, trust me.) At Casterly Rock, they draw heavily from both the medieval and A Game of Thrones themes for their role play.  (Significant Other will not return until this silliness has past, I’m informed.)  My

good friend and mentor in Casterly Rock, Hina Tarly, invites me to a tournament and I readily accept.  (Hina is another one of my SL friends whom Significant Other believes looks after me only because they don’t want whatever happens to me to be on their conscience.)  

          My sole exposure to jousting prior to this, other than some B movies, was Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe.  So, I was ready!  

          The jousting tournament is regularly scheduled event in Casterly Rock, occurring the second Wednesday of every month at 4:00PM SLT.  The tournament field can be located here.  

          The lists where the jousts take place are located on a large, flat field surrounded by a high wall.  Immediately in front of the entrance to the enclosure are the spectator stands

and the Royal box which overlook the tilt barrier running across the center of the field to separate the oncoming knights when they charge.  On the far wall, shields with heraldic markings hang.  

          Mina explains the mechanics of the joust to me.  Adding that the joust system is scripted and the closest to RL in SL.  

          The winner of a joust is the first to score ten points over an opponent in combat.  A series of elimination rounds will determine who the ultimate winner of the tournament is.  The number rounds depends on the number of knights participating in any given tournament.  The joust system randomly selects the combatants for each round and announces the hits and points for each as well as giving the winner’s name.  Participation is open to all.  Joust training is available and recommended. Hina has earned Master Jouster status and is permitted to train others. (I’ve always thought that she’s an overachiever.)  An official is onsite to act as judge and referee.  The Queen normally presides over each joust but, this one that I’m attending She is absent and Her daughter, the Princess represents the Royal family.  (The Queen had other pressing duties and did not absent Herself merely to avoid meeting me again as Significant Other suggests.)  Four knights are recognized as winners in each tournament. Hina came in fourth place for this one.  (Significant Other hints that I was distracting her with my questions.  Hina has the good grace to say simply that her opponent just rode better today.)  

          Combat occurs when the knights take their positions at opposite ends of the tilt barrier and charge at one another.  Depending on the skills of the opposing combatants, several charges may be necessary.  The goal is to unseat the opponent and score the necessary points.  

          The knights ride in full armor of their own choosing wearing their respective colorful

heraldry.  Hina elects to ride without a helmet.  (I’m willing to bet she rides a motorcycle in RL without one too!)  

          The men o’war ridden by the knights are large horses comparable to either large chargers or destriers in RL.  They wear colorful caparisons and protective chanfrons.  

          The jousts at Casterly Rock are enjoyable and realistic. Although, there is no blood and none are carried off the field on stretchers which is close to the late Middle Ages tradition in RL.  (Significant Other notes that I sound disappointed and had expected better of me now that I had a sister inworld who’s a cleric.)  

          Authenticity and attention to detail are evident in the proceedings.  While the joust system manages much of the process and there is a certain randomness involved, skill is a

requirement to participate and succeed here.  (Which is why, according to Significant Other, I’ll never participate.)

           I recommend attending these jousts at Casterly Rock to all whom are interested in A Game of Thrones and the medieval practice of jousting.  Also, while you’re there check out the role playing community itself, you’ll find it very interesting and open to new members.

          Tell ‘em, web sent you!  

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’d like to thank Hina for taking the time away from her jousting to show me around and to answer my questions.  I also apologize for distracting her and costing her first place!  

Additional pictures from my visits can be found on this flickr page.  

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!