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J u l y
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Contents 22.
68.
Through the Lens
The talented designer, fashion blogger, stylist and photographer, Matilda Soon, shows us her take on the “Summer Nights Out.”
The Proust Spotlight
Teaming up with the Blogger & Vlogger Network, we shine the spotlight on group member Cassie Middles, an amazing blogger & vlogger!
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82.
102.
124.
At Home with Wendz
146.
Artist Highlight
154.
The Art Perspective
Wendz Tempest joins ECLIPSE, this month featuring the work of Cube Republic.
The World of Roleplay
For this monthly installment, Ahn Avion goes in depth and explores one of the most creative roleplay communities on the grid, “Farspire.”
Trending Now
The ladies and gentlemen of ECLIPSE, in the spirit of the summer season, style up and show us their best fashion on a boat.
From the WSL management company, we feature their artist Raven Zenoria.
Oema investigates the world of art, this time featuring the work of Melusina Parkin.
s
, k
ECLIPSE Magazine is dedicated to not only offering an aesthetically pleasing publication, but to also be considered a platform that offers rich and relevant content. Each month, we showcase residents and groups that have taken the concept of “your world, your imagination� to such great heights that they have impacted the culture and lifestyle of the Second Life community.
40.
Cover Story unKindness Cover Photographer Lessthen Zero
170.
Ask Noey
182.
Voices from the Grid
212.
The Adventures of...
Writer: Cajsa Lilliehook
Noey Ivy London Flower offers the best advice on the grid for all your Second Life needs.
Each month ECLIPSE asks residents a question, see what they have to say.
Miele Tarantal takes us on a photographic journey, exploring Devin 2. ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 9
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A year ago to this date (minus a day), I went to a forum as one of the guest speakers. Initially, I thought it would be done via typing but learned that it would be conducted on voice. Suffice to say, I almost pulled out simply because that went beyond my realm of comfort. Three hundred and sixty-six days later, I am still happy that I went. Why? It is because on July 12, 2016, I met Delicate Flower. Del is a lot of different things to a lot of different people, but to me… she’s extraordinary. While completely unexpected and unintended, she makes me smile and laugh and love. And in a world that spins and changes so fast, she grounds me, supports me and encourages me. I could write a thousand cliches attempting to describe how I feel for her and how amazing she is. I won’t. Those cliches would not even begin to scratch the surface of the depth of my feelings for her. Those words would fail to capture and convey even a fraction of how special she is. Instead, if there is one thing I would want the world to know is that she is my best friend, and I am so grateful for her patience and understanding throughout it all. She is my most favorite part of the day, and my life and world is infinitely brighter and better with her in it. Also, I love her a lot. I don’t have a good transition into the rest of this Publisher’s Note, so I am thrilled to be featuring unKindness on the cover of this issue of ECLIPSE Magazine. Jamie and Poe are intensely talented content creators, and I hope you like reading their story. I am also excited to welcome Wendz Tempest aboard with her new feature, “At Home With Wendz.” Each month she will shine the spotlight on the best of Home & Garden. I sincerely hope you enjoy this issue, and Happy Readings!
letter from the publi
isher
executive team
No
trouble dethly Publisher
Taylor Wassep
cajsa lilliehook
carley benazzi
Shazzy valentine
Creative Director
Lead Stylist
Copy Editor
Marketing Executive
the c
writers
photographers
Ahn Avion Cajsa Lilliehook Miele Tarantal Isadora Fiddlesticks oey Ivy London Flower Oema Wendz Tempest
Daffodil Crimson Kess Crystal Kiana Jarman Lessthen Zero Miele Tarantal Sungyoung Jang Taylor Wassep Tempest Rosca Wendz Tempest Wicca Merlin Xandrah Sciavo
models Caesar Langer Cubito Smit Linda Reddevil Lua Vendetta Misoindite Romano Ruby Ornamental Thi Shippe Winter Jefferson
guest stylist & photographer Matilda Soon
interested in advertising with eclipse? have an idea for a great story? looking to start a new career in second life? email trouble.dethlysl@gmail.com
contributors
this could be your advertisement
t
D
advertise with ecli
Gold advertising
platinum advertising
3,500L$ Double page ad that will appear in the first half of the magazine, after the publisher’s note.
8,000L$ Double page ad that will appear between the front cover and the publisher’s note.
silver advertising
1,500L$ Double page ad that will appear in the second half of the magazine.
ipse
For more information, please contact trouble.dethlysl@gmail.com. To book advertisement for our next issue, fill out this form.
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Through the lens
matilda soon show us “summer night out.” Photography by mat
s
tilda soon.
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Pants: FemmeFatale – Crochet Bracelets: RE – Stud Choker: BlackBantam – Pray For Us Sunglasses: Tracei – Artio Shirt: Ingenue – Kari Hat: David Heather – Hades Shoes: Zafair – Taurino Gloves: MVD – Polkadots ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 25
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Earrings: Modern Couture – Corine Top: COCO – RibbedKnitCropTop Shoes: David Heather – Dio Collar: Zisbka – Aiah Pants: FemmeFatale – LeatherCouture ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 27
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Bags: FAKEIKON – Plast bags Fan: Nyu – Vintage Fan Shoes: Garbaggio – Lola Bangle: BREATHE – Sahara Armguards: Anachron – Street Fight Tee: BOYS TO THE BONES – tragic Jeans: KC – Mitsal ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 29
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Collar: Black Bantam – Summer Last Mermaid Bracelets: Emo-tions – Erika Dress: MalenaVonDash – Norma Plants: Titzuki – warpoolwave ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 31
Shirt: NYU – My Boyfriend’s shirt Shoes with socks: NYU – Mary Jane Bangles: RE – Silver Bracelet: Zafair – Zebra Earrings: Modern Couture – Magda Collar: Modern Couture – Vicenza Chocker: David Heather – Danja Glasses: meisu – Oli Page 32 | ECLIPSE July 2017
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an unkindness of
written by cajsa lilliehook. photography by lessthen zero & tayl
f...
lor wassep.
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At first glance, you might not identify any consistent theme in the many home decor items produced by Jamie and Poe Cross [legacy named Jamie and Poe Rozenberg] of unKindness. After all they make whimsical fairy boxes, retro diners, Victorian wrought iron gates, opulent living room sets, and bohemian guitars. What could possibly unify them all? But look at their hanging picture frames with one completely askew or the lamp on the opulent table made with crooked twigs. The coat on the hanger is wrinkled and the paint is chipped and gouged. There’s rust on the stove and that cabinet is only upright because it’s leaning against the wall.
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Though I sweep and sweep, Everywhere my garden path, Though invisible On the slim pine needles still Specks of dirt may yet be found. – Sen no Rikyū
There’s a story of Sen no Rikyū who sought to learn the chado, the strict aesthetic ritual of ceremonial tea. He went to a tea master who tested him by asking him to take care of the garden. So Rikyū raked up the leaves, swept the ground so it was smooth and looked perfect. But before he called the master to inspect his work, he shook a branch of a cherry tree until some petals fell to the ground. It was through this imperfection, he demonstrated his mastery. Rikyū eventually transformed the ritual, stripping it down to its essentials with no wasted movements so participants could appreciate its austere beauty. There seems to be that same aesthetic underlying the unKindness creators work. The art of imperfection or wabi-sabi seems infused in almost everything they do. Wabi-sabi is a concept that brings together two ideas, wabi is simplicity, the beauty of the austere and rustic, rejecting ostentation, and sabi is aged, the beauty that
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comes from time, history written on the surfaces by sun, water, and use. When you put the two together, you get something more profound than old simplicity. It’s not a style, it’s a state of mind, a worldview that values what is of use, what is natural, and what is beautiful on its own without ornamentation. It’s more than minimalism because it is also a way of life. While the concept of wabisabi was new to Jamie, she immediately recognized its significance. “This is actually so true about us. It’s very hard for us to just make straight clean, perfect type things.” They seek out ways to add age and use. This concept is not limited to Japan or to Zen Buddhism. The Persian Flaw refers to deliberate mistakes woven into rugs to remind us that only Allah can make perfection. Leonardo da Vinci told his students to find inspiration in the smudges and stains on the wall. Imperfection is what elevates the banal to the interesting. Perfect symmetry is beautiful, but boring. Subtle imperfections generate energy, a dramatic possibility that perfection will never have.
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I am never tired Of this simple straw-thatched hut. Wrought of plain round wood Does its middle pillar stand Just exactly to my mind. – Sen no Rikyū
UnKindness seems an odd sort of name for a store until you note that this partnership is Jamie and Poe. And if you think of Poe, you must think of The Raven. It’s no coincidence that Poe’s first store, an ongoing concern selling clothing, is called 7 Mad:Ravens. And what do you call a gathering of ravens? An unkindness. An unkindness of ravens. Suddenly the unusual name makes
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perfect sense. It’s quirky singularity adds to the sense they forge their own path, taking the road less traveled. As Jamie elaborated, “unKindness was meant to be a sister shop to that one, originally intended to specialize in rock, male style furniture exclusively. But as we started building we were learning so much and having fun doing other genres that we just ran with it. But the name itself is essentially inspired by
a pack of ravens to complement the other shop, and express itself as an extension of it, which it still is.” Avoiding the mainstream does not mean that the Poes are unaware of or not inspired by many other artists in SL. Jamie readily identifies several inspiring creators that have influenced their development. “Jian is one of my favorites of course, Kalia and Ash are very motivating to me in the ways they themselves are always pushing themselves to do better and more elaborate projects. Cheeky Pea, who has such a beautiful clean streamlined and distinct look to her work. Junk, who does such fun and rustic stuff. Apple Fall, Dust Bunny, DRD, no explanation necessary. DaD, Serenity Style both who have grown so much in the
past year.” For her, it’s not just what they do, but how they do it. “I love anyone who has a great work ethic, pushes themselves to learn new things, and constantly outdo themselves. It encourages all the rest of us to stay on our toes and to continue growing ourselves.” They find specific inspiration within SL artwork, the artists and photographers. “So often we base our future projects on the sort of art we’d imagine people making or would like to see.” Another source of inspiration Jamie identifies is role play. “We also role play and have been known to build things based on something we owned in a role play and liked. Or also something we ourselves could see a graphic for and would like to create.” ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 49
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When you hear the splash Of the water drops that fall Into the stone bowl You will feel that all the dust Of your mind is washed away. – Sen no Rikyū
They are growing unKindness organically, not following the model laid out by hundreds of PowerPoint presentations. They have no tag line, no narrowly defined niche. Jamie recognizes they have no box into which they can be neatly folded. “I don’t think we fit into any sort of defined box of “We’re unKindness, this is our style.” Which from a business standpoint is not always the best route to go.” She admits without the taglines and boxes and other marketing recommendations on the checklists, they are not easy to label. “If I were going to describe my brand I would hope “unique” is a good word for it, as we try to always step outside the box and look at SL and creating from new perspectives, and want to bring new things into Second Life that inspire other builders to do the same.” But is this not the creative ethos of wabi sabi? Sen no Rikyū described the art of tea this way, “Tea is not but this. First you make the water boil, Then infuse the tea. Then you drink it properly. That is all you need to know.” How far is that from Jamie’s description of their process, “Building for us is all about the art of building. Not about the end product or about potential sales. So the closest I could say is we build what we like, and leave it at that.” Jamie and Poe Cross of unKindness came to Second Life together, their friendship formed in IMVU. They met on IMVU in 2006. James remembers it fondly, “We were a love at first message sort of thing. Literally. I told him in my first message to him “You’re mine, and everyone else can just deal with it.” lol Which they did.” They were not content creators back then. They moved together to Second Life and from there they took that leap of faith, meeting in their first lives. They lived about fourteen hours apart. According to Jamie, “One morning I told him if he wanted to come visit me I’d be okay with that. He said I have to run to walmart, then I’ll be there. lol. I was thinking he’d come in a couple months, not that very day. But we’ve been inseparable since.”
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When below the eaves The moon’s flood of silver light Chequers all the room, There’s no need to be abashed If our heart is pure and clear. – Sen no Rikyū
The first thing they ever made in SL was a hair made by Poe called the Munchkin. Jamie calls it mortifying, “Here is a picture with a friend of ours sporting it. The only person to be able to pull it off with grace,” Jamie added with a laugh. The label “God help us all” above the hair is the perfect grace note. She continued, “After that it was hats for 7mad, for an Irish Gacha. We were really, really sick with the flu, and we didn’t know much about building or mapping. We hardly slept for a week, had runny noses, and couldn’t see straight. I think I cried the whole time we built them. But we were bound and determined.” Describing their work process, Jamied noted they work as a team, splitting everything based on their strengths and weaknesses. “He is more of an organic builder, and works
well with patterns. I’m more of a hard surface modeler and work well with grunge, rust and wear. So we each have our part and balance each other out.” Like many creators, Jamie has a soundtrack. She likes happy, upbeat music, dance music that gets her bouncing in her chair and in a fun mood. She enjoys pop artists like Justin Timberlake, Katy Perry, and Britney Spears. “Lady Gaga is my spirit animal,” she adds. Unusually, she also listens to books when she works. “When I’m not doing music I also listen to books which is great when you’re doing something complex and stressful with a lot of detail. It keeps me focused and mellow because I’m following the story rather than how many hours I’ve been working on this one piece.”
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There is no fixed rule As to when the window should Closed or open be. It depends on how the moon Or the snow their shadows cast. – Sen no Rikyū
Jamie and Poe are not the dull Jack and Jill of all work and no play. Jamie loves hanging out, shopping, and dancing. She will dance no matter where she is at or whether music is playing. “I dance no matter where I’m at. Stand on people’s heads. We also do a lot of bowling, hit the amusement parks. I’m a roller coaster fanatic. We do sailing, fishing, role-playing, decorating and anything else we can learn or get our hands on. We recently even went on a fun vacation with airplane rides, diving, surfing, and a dinner complete with violinist through Avatair.” Avatair is a virtual reality travel experience in Second Life. When Jamie described her first day in SL, she said it involved “a lot of trying to figure out why my hand kept pointing at things, and walking around.” She added that she lost Poe somewhere and when she found him again, he was wearing a hot dog costume and trying to figure out how to get it off. Then she laughed and added, “So much the same as yesterday was on SL.” As is true with many creators, SL has had a profound effect on their lives. For Jamie, SL gives her more control over her time and workload. “It has helped me to consolidate the larger part of my income into something I really love doing. I’ve worked for News Media RL, doing web work for international newspapers for 12 years, which is a 7 days a week job and often had me working from 8am to 3am the next morning and starting all over again.” She added that it also added fun, avenues of exploration, and ways to meet like-minded people. Jamie also is grateful to the many people who have contributed to their growing success that frees them from past obligations. “I’d like to also give a shout out to people who work hard to promote stores like us. LTD Magazine, Second U, L’Homme, Seraphim, Essentials Inventory, Mainstore SL, and so many others who take the time out of their day to make sure people know what’s happening on SL and what to look for. Without people like that we would never be able to fulfill the dreams we’ve been accomplishing, and I can’t thank them enough for their support.” Page 54 | ECLIPSE July 2017
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If I look upon, The still mirror of my heart What there do I see? Is it the same mind it was Yesterday, or it is changed? – Sen no Rikyū
Currently unKindness is a regular participant in FaMESHed, Epiphany, Gacha Garden, The Liaison Collaborative, The Men’s Department, and Collabor88. They do additional events from time to time. In choosing which events to prioritize and participate, staff was a critical factor. Jamie explains, “Staff is very important to us. People who are friendly, organized, fun to work with, and inspire us to want to make pretties. All of these events have amazing people who work hard and keep us informed and on the straight and narrow.” While they do not yet have a practice of regular mainstore releases due to work obligations in
the material world, they plan to change that. “Store releases will become a thing for us as well very soon while we cut back from events and focus on building up quality and learning new techniques.” They have other changes on the horizon. They want to do more landscaping and buildings. Jamie has a yen to do sim design for commercial and residential sims with all custom meshing. “So this is all practice to me building up to being able to do all of those things and to maximize prim usage, mapping and texturing allowances, etc.”
Flowers of hill or dale. Put them in a simple vase Full or brimming o’er. But when you’re arranging them You must slip your heart in too. – Sen no Rikyū
Jamie and Poe are folks who are down to earth. They love to learn and they love to help others learn. Many people say the best way to learn is to teach and they seem to live by that maxim. According to Jamie, they “love teaching people and answering questions for people who are willing and wanting to learn to either create or just how to do things on SL in general We love meeting new people so no one should be intimidated to IM us, or worry we’re too busy. We all make time for the things that matter to us most.” As you can see, they are slipping their hearts into their vases. In that spirit, Jamie offered some insight and advice for more Kindness. She would like to see more Kindness in the relationships between bloggers and creators. “I’d like to point out that both the act of coordinating a scene, look, or photo and creating a product are an art form. We all take pride in the thing that we offer to Second
Life. In that it’s very easy to feel pushed down, rejected, dismissed, criticized. We all need to be more aware of how we handle one another. There are people behind these accounts with creative hearts that we need to encourage not stifle.” She also wants creators who are struggling to get ahead and feeling frustrate to show themselves more Kindness. “Don’t give up. Understand that there is a natural flow, and a natural time. The more you push yourself to learn and grow the more naturally good things will come to you. Stay humble, don’t take rejections personal, they aren’t...And for the love of all, don’t be afraid to contact people in the community, ask questions, advice, get help. We’re all in this together, every person’s success depends on everyone having success, and there is plenty of room for that for everyone. Focus on that and on the positive and leave the negative behind. There is no room for it.” ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 57
Just a sim Hanging from By a plain All we need in Are these artle – Sen n
It is clear that while their name may be unKindness, it’s a collective unKindness is not just an unKindness of raven open-heartedness, gratitude, fun, goodness, imaginati
Follow Jamie on Flick Check out unKindness in-world, on Market Follow the 7Mad/R Page 58 | ECLIPSE July 2017
mple shelf m the corner wall n bamboo. n such a world ess simple things. no RikyĹŤ
a collective noun that encompasses anything but. Their ns,but an unKindness of creativity, generosity, hard work, ion, pop music, hot dog costumes and all good things.
kr and Poe on Flickr. tplace, their Flickr group and on Facebook. Raven Flickr group. ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 59
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the proust spotli
photography by cassi
The Proust Spotlight is our monthly feature where we highlight one of the many creative residents of Second Life®. Utilizing the Proust Questionnaire, whose namesake comes from the late 19th century French writer, we will offer a glimpse into what makes them tick. ECLIPSE Magazine has teamed up with the Blogger & Vlogger Network, so each month the blogger we showcase on the Proust Spotlight is a group member. The group member we feature this month is the talented Cassie Middles. She shares with us, “I’ve been doing blogging for about two years now, and vlogging for just over a year! I used to roleplay often as well, but now solely focus on fashion. I really love helping people out, and doing what I can with the community, both in Real Life and Second Life. I am a chat moderator for BVN, as well as the PR & Marketing for Veechi Cosmetics. When not in Secondlife, I love to cook and make bath accessories!”
ght
ie middles.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Cute. I say it so often, and try to get out of the habit. With vlogging, you have to be so much more descriptive of a product, and show it fully, and ‘cute’ really just doesn’t cut it, especially if you say it twenty times in one video. What is your ideal of perfect happiness? To live in an anxiety free environment that is full of acceptance. Jealousy, Hatred, and bigotry will never get one anywhere positive, nor will stepping on others that try to spread good in the world. I’m all for acceptance of everyone no matter their race, age, gender, religion, you name it! I suppose that’s an around the bout way of saying world peace, eh? I’d request some hot cocoa and juicy red strawberries to even out my cheesiness then! What do you most value in your friends? When making friends, I gravitate towards those that will always be kind and considerate, but also honest. Do something dumb? Worried I’ll be upset? I’d much rather hear it from my friends, than through the grapevine. I’ll always cherish blunt honesty from my friends and relationships. I know I’m totally not perfect, so when a friend prods me and lets me know to take a step back, I’ll always listen and reevaluate. What is your greatest regret? That I stopped doing Martial Arts. I was well over being a First Degree black belt back in high school, and stopped when my parents separated. I could break bricks with my fists! Who would ever want to give up that skill?! What is your most marked characteristic? I actually had to ask a few friends this question before answering, and they all actually gave the same answer: My kindness, dedication, and friendliness towards others. I don’t often host grudges, or if I’m upset, I’m always very quick to forgive. I’ll also always be the first to volunteer to help out, and be there for people. Even if I don’t know an answer for something, I can show support or learn the answer as best as possible, and I try to never do anything just halfway. Not just with friends, or roleplayers or bvn people, but anyone in general. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? I most definitely would want to be human, but wish I could go into that new self, with all the knowledge I already have. Not slack off so much in math, party with the right crowds, and continue to help others as much as I can. Connect with Cassie on her Blog, Flickr, Plurk, Facebook and Vlog.
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the world of role
this month we feature “farspire.� written by ahn avion. photography by Xandr
play
rah Sciavo.
Farspire is a city nestled high in the cold mountains of the Ebonwood Empire, a location of which had been largely unassuming for ages until the discovery of its latent magical properties and the flow of magical ley lines intersecting its location. The arrival of the Aesir Circle of mages marked the beginning of a new age for Farspire, and the erecting of the Aesir Academy of Magical Arts created interest from around the known world. Within a year, Farspire had grown four times its size and, under the direction of an enterprising Baron, business in magical dealings thrived and allowed for the construction of a small port which further accelerated growth. On the surface, Farspire is like many roleplay sims set during the medieval era. The buildings are made of stone and wood, much like you might see in anything ranging from Gor to Game of Thrones and anything in between. The whole of it is set in an ethereal eternal winter and, looking into the sky above the Mage Tower, you will see the sky alive with the aurora borealis in all its glory. Farspire is more than buildings and season settings, however. It’s about the people, the characters, and they are nothing like what most of us have ever seen or experienced before. Most of them are non-human. Most of them are Furry. Yes, Furry.
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In all my years of roleplay, and by years I mean decades, I had never interacted with a character that wasn’t in some humanoid form. Goreans, Cylons - the skin jobs and toaster types, and even zombies, but never with anyone that had more hair on their arm than I did on my entire body. Until visiting Farspire, I had never questioned why a lot of roleplay sims limited character types to humans or human types. The most common explanation is a desire to keep a sense of realism among players, but you have to then wonder just how real is it that zombies come looking for live brains, artificially intelligent beings look like everyone else, or people drop to their knees on hard and hot surfaces without some massive bills accumulating for knee surgeries and skin grafts. If you’re looking for truly creative roleplay different than you have experienced in a long while, if ever, Farspire would certainly fit the bill. I had the honor and privilege to speak with Sethos (firefox.breed), the owner of Farspire. The sim has been open for about a year and half now and took roughly six months to put together. From the moment he and some of his close friends decided to put together a roleplay sim, they knew the setting they wanted and had some of the lore in place to expand upon as their vision came to fruition. The physical sim construction was planned out on a homestead sim that Sethos was using as a personal rental space while the group worked on the finer points of the lore which took about three months to complete. This is Sethos’ second time as the head of a roleplay sim, but his first time being involved in making one from scratch. Gilliana Parx is the primary builder for the sim.
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Sethos explained, “I wanted to make a roleplay sim that my friends and I could roleplay in. Since I am a Furry, most roleplay sims disallow us to use our custom creations in them because of the tight lore and standards they have. We specifically made the lore and setting to support a very wide array of characters, with a specific note that we do understand the limitations of Second Life assets but we would like to see realistic characters in terms of proportions, fur/hair color and outfits. We also picked a medieval fantasy because of the lack of other roleplay sims that fell into that category. So far we feel as though we have chosen wisely as we have a very healthy group of players who are frequently here.” When it comes to character types, there is a wide array of choices. In addition to the typical races of humans, elves, orcs, and a variety of other beings that have an established lore that you might find in games like Dungeons & Dragons, there are custom furry creations that are allowed and most welcomed in Farspire. “Custom creations that our furry roleplayers make are something that many pick to be as we are one of the rare sims that allow it. There are some established species, if we wish to call it that. Examples are Sergals, a species that was created by Trancy Mick. Page 90 | ECLIPSE July 2017
They allow others to make characters of the species and allow several content creators to make the avatars in Second Life. They have an established lore, culture and lifestyles. We have dragons, canines, felines, rodents, the list goes on. As long as your character type fits our very wide limitations, you are allowed to roleplay it here,” Sethos added. While visiting with Sethos at the main landing point at Farspire, a few of the frequent roleplayers stayed to visit also. I met many interesting characters, including Kritz (bentleysundance) whose character, a Jackalope, is a con man disguised as a kind of street shaman that sells bogus trinkets that may or may not be useful. Then there was Jack (suriel.falworth) who is a necromancer posing as a sophisticated artifact hunter. Her character, Sibry, is a mouse approximately 4’ 9” in height. She sports a very short, snow white coat. She is bipedal, yet still bears many features akin to her feral counterpart such as the cute buck teeth, and rounded ears. Sibry is employed by a museum to locate and transport artifacts to be put on display. Most artifacts contain power, which she exploits before turning in of course.
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Ico Harbinger (dc.khaos) is a 6 foot tall hybrid of fox and wolf. He’s a nervous, but excitable guy that enjoys working with metal. He crafts and repairs blades and is burdened with a magical curse that harnesses electricity. He can utilize it as a weapon, but it will cause him harm if he does. If he doesn’t expel the energy, it can build up and become unstable, causing an electrical AoE explosion around him, which causes him even worse harm. He uses this curse to power specially made magic blades that feed off the curse without doing him harm, and keeping the burden fed. Ico is also the blacksmith in town. Makes you hope that someone invents rubber very soon! Sethos has two characters that he uses for roleplay on the sim. One is Khaldon, a seven foot tall, black-furred anthropomorphic Northern Sergal who is the Baron of the city of Farspire. He is quite normal when it comes to abilities; he dislikes magic as it is the cause of a very long and bloody war between mortals and demon types. Khaldon is a very stern but kind person. He the the law of the land and does everything in his power to make sure the citizens of his city stay safe and can live calm lifes. However this is very rarely possible because of the constant threats that loom over
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the city and the horrors of the great war that are still lurking in the world. Sethos’ second character of the same name is a full blooded demon who has one of the remnants of the original demonic warriors that was summoned to this world. He is about eight feet tall with mostly canine features but has scales on his arms and legs. He has a set of horns that curl around the back of his head, and a set of wings and dark eyes. His abilities and magical power suppress all but the mightiest mages. He is one of the many threats to the city whom Khaldon does his best to keep at bay. If left unchecked, Sethos would be one to watch the whole world burn for the twisted reasons he has in his mind. When it comes to the sim, Sethos sets the standard for how the true blooded demons are in the lore, hence why normal players are not able to play them so they can keep them as the great evil that looms over the city and the world. “We want to keep demons, dragons, and similar power type forces to be dealt with in the lore. If one wishes to play a dragon type, we simple say they are half dragon or half demons. This gives players the ability to be an anthro dragon and
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respects the lore,” said Sethos when asked about strong power characters. When it comes to countering such forces, he added, “There are counterparts to demons but are very rarely mentioned at all. There are holy orders who are the ones that fight the demonic types. There is no holy or dark magic specifically. The representation of holy magic is arcane and healing magic. The other side is more based on destruction and violence.” About half of the roleplay is character driven, the other half created by the sim staff. Even as sim management collaborate with each other, they are also open to players influencing a story to add twists and turns to elongate or intensify any given situation. So if you’re tired of typical roleplay where, after a time, people start looking much the same, try out Farspire where the only limitations are those of your own creativity. You will be welcome here, even if you’re human. From beasts and creatures to people and organizations, as well as a history unknown and lost to time to ruins of structures past littering the cold mountain upon which the city sits, both mystery and opportunity await those adventurous enough to strive for it. So who are you? An adventurer? A mercenary? A benevolent paladin? An underling of darkness? A simple towns person? A stalwart defender of the people? A nomad roaming in on opportunity? Or perhaps your story is a bit more complex than that? Whatever the case, Farspire is a land of magic, mystery, beauty, adventure, and opportunity for those ready to answer its call. To read more about the lore of Farspire, click here.
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Being a ve we had in Players
ery popular sim was not the main goal n mind but to have a healthy roleplay. s come here to relax and roleplay. ~ Sethos ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 95
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Trending now
the talented eclipse models show us their fashion on a yacht. photography by tayl
lor wassep.
Caesar Langer Top: A&D Clothing - Paolo Blazer Pants: Native Urban - Cape Town Shorts Shoes: Versov - Latiov Mocassin Watch: Noir - Nico Necklace: Mandala - Lustful short Bracelet: Mandala - Lustful Ring: Mandala - Lustful Ears: Swallow - Pyramid
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Cubito Smit TOP: Cold Ash - Logan Shirt SHORTS: Cold Ash - Owen Shorts SHOES: ILLI - Benjamin Boat Shoes HAIR: Seven - Angelo SUNGLASSES: SORGO - Astoria WATCH: Gutchi - Rep Watch TOTE: Dust Bunny - Beach Towel Tote
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Linda Reddevil Glasses: Yummy - Glitz Shades Pants: COCO - WideLegPants Rings: elise - Margherita Earrings: elise - Lollipop Necklace: booN - ST15 stones Top: Emery - Camila Faded Blue Front Split Bracelet: ESQ. - LowRes Bangle Hair: Tableau Vivant - Pompom pigtails Shoes: Juju - Draps
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Lua Vendetta Top: Asteria “Celine” Blouse Pants: Asteria “Celine” Belted Short Footwear: N-core MIU “Red” Hair & Hat: TRUTH Taren - Blonde Glasses: Mowie. - “Sonia” Glasses Necklace: Mowie. - “Sun” Choker ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 111
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Misoiindite Romano Hair : KoKoLoReS- Val Glasses : Since1975 -WaveGlass Jacket : COCO - MilitaryJ+StripeCropTop Shorts : Blueberry - Rolled Shorts - Bikini Sandal : Pure Poison - Rosalie Sandals Neck : Schadenfreude - String Things Ring : Elise - Jewelry - Truth Ring : Ysoral - Luxe Lynna
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Ruby Ornamental Top : Neve top - eclair Pants: Erratic / Rosita - cargo pants / white boots Hair : Monso - My Hair - Chungha Shoes: ROC - Sabrina Tiptoe Hat: Zenith - Rattan Sun Hat Necklace: Zenith - Dream Catcher Tassel Necklace Watch: Hoorenbeek - Player Watch RIng : Elise - Truth Ring
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Thi Shippe Hat: 2byte - monster bucket hat Shirt: ColdAsh - Mens MESH REECE Henley Shirt Pants: Gabriel - Stripe Sweat Pants Sandals: ILLI - Krasus Sandals Glasses: Z O O M - Cat eyes Glasses Necklace: ColdAsh - Mens MESH WESTON Necklace Ring: Random Matter - Lenore Ring Watch: GOS - STEEL NAVITIMER Page 116 | ECLIPSE July 2017
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Winter Jefferson Hair: Rumor - Truth Necklace: Renegade - Hawaiian Puka Shell Top: LaPointe & Bastchild - Classic Blazer Glasses: Sorgo - Mussa Watch: The Mesh Shop - Seawolf Chronometer Pants: ::K:: - Roll Up Pants Shoes: A&D Shoes - Nautics Page 118 | ECLIPSE July 2017
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at home with wen
this month we feature cube republic. written by wendz tempest. photography by wend
ndz
dz tempest.
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Wendz Tempest explores the long underappreciated a flourishing diversity and abundance of choice since the creation. With this new series, Tempest will int Page 128 | ECLIPSE July 2017
and overlooked world of home and garden design. The e mesh revolution has led to a bold new world of world terview the best, the brightest and the boldest. ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 129
Cube Republic is the name and avatar behind the brand, Cube Republic. The designer is akin to the quiet and reserved artists of yesteryear, when the piece itself was the only audible and visible word from its creator. Republic describes himself as a lonely artist, often gathering inspiration from his own circle of influence and from his current real life location in South America. This region of the world is arguably the richest in plant resources and home to unique species that are now found in various forms, color, and names in other parts of the world. It is no wonder and no surprise to see the variety of items he has created in the last few years. “I get my ideas from nature. I have a massive reference library of plants I’ve photographed over the years. Also quirky places, things like trees growing over walls, decay. I’ve also recently been reading up on the maths behind plants, how they’re structured, so I can make more accurate looking plants.” Republic also uses a variety of software to bring his ideas to fruition and eventually into Second Life. “I use Blender, ZBrush,TopoGun, Substance Designer, Substance Painter, Adobe Photoshop®, and Krita. Krita, I highly recommend , it is a digital painting application, and like Blender, it is completely free and extremely versatile. I would say out of all the applications that I use, that had the most impact on my work. Everything I make usually starts in there. I hand paint the elements of the plants: leaf, petals, stems in there, before feeding that into Blender.”
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Upon arriving at Cube Republic’s temporary warehouse location, the rows upon rows of flora and all types of stones, rocks, crystals, trees, flowers, vines, can give pause to any would-be landscaper. Absent are the dainty petals of the usual english variety. There is no trace of the countryside behind these moonlit gates. In fact, the very atmosphere of this unique location gives to a feeling of something tropical and deep, within the belly of a futuristic floating biome, ages ahead of time. There are delightful dahlias, delectable duckweeds, fantastic ferns and philodendrons, towering reeds whose flowers can reach above the rickety steps of a worn down jetty. Also, fruit bearing trees such as the banana tree are so realistic, one can only dream of plucking off the entire cluster.
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There are other environments represented as well, with their own distinctive trees such as the Joshua tree, which can only be found in the Western hemisphere, more specifically the Americas. Sedimentary rocks and basalt columns that may have the makings of vast canyons and yawning valleys. They are also prime items for a burgeoning landscaping portfolio. As you traverse the aisles of his current store location, you will find an array of flower types and frondage of all sizes and shapes that are suited for any type of atmosphere. There are also several types of stones, rocks, and larger natural building kits for the budding sim designer who aspires to create a ‘natural’ cave of wonders or even a futuristic landscape. Republic has also been involved in sim designing for several Second Life Birthday Celebrations, and has featured exclusive content for several shopping events throughout the grid.
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“When I was a noob it was malls, there were some really lavish builds that were worth a visit just to look around. I miss those days a bit, but like real life there is always constant change. Remember the high street in real life?” Republic recognizes that shopping events are part of the SL commerce ecosystem, while recognizing they are a double-edged sword for creators. “On one hand they encourage me to be regular with releases and not so laid back about my work. On the other hand if you do two a month it does not leave much time to focus on the big things. That being said my work has sped up as a result of constantly making things so maybe some big things now!” Finding inspiration for your virtual garden is as easy as taking the teleport to Cube Republic. But beware, you may leave with more than just potted plants and lofty trees. You might leave with an entire world at the touch of your fingertips!
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Tree: Cube Republic - Crone’s Yew Large Rock: Cube Republic - Glacial Erratic Rock: Cube Republic - Basalt Columns Rock: Cube Republic - Gravel Plane Rock: Studio Skye - Waterfall Plant: Cube Republic - Reed with Flowers
Plant: Cube Republic - Pampass Grass Plant: Cube Republic - Vine Kit Plant: Cube Republic - Fern Plant: Cube Republic - Philodendron Plant: Cube Republic - Juncus Spiralis Pink Plant: Cube Republic - Brambles
Tree: Cube Republic - Joshua Tree Rock: Cube Republic - Sedimentary Rock Stack Rock: Cube Republic - Sandstone Entrance
Plant: Cube Republic - Peyote Arrangement Plant: Cube Republic - Pampass Grass Plant: Cube Republic - Sedge
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Tree: Cube Republic - Banana Tree Plant: Cube Republic - Red Tower Ginger Plant: Cube Republic - Cordyline ‘Turkish Delight’ Plant: Cube Republic - Croton Bush Plant: Cube Republic - Pineapple
Plant: Cube Republic - Spider Plant Fence: RH Design House - Bamboo Wall Plant: Botanical - Boxwood Stone: Stormwood - Roman Paving Stone Curb Rock: Elysium - Pebblestones
Rock: Bad Katz - Mossy Rock Groupings Decor: Cube Republic - Beach Piling Walkway: Cube Republic - Jetty Plant: Cube Republic - Reed with Flowers Plant: Cube Republic - Duckweed
Build: RH Design House - Japanese Summer House Plant: Cube Republic - astrophytum myriostigma Plant: Cube Republic - Aloe Bellatula Plant: Cube Republic - stenocactus coptonogonus Plant: Cube Republic - Gymnocalycium horstii Plant: Cube Republic - astrophytum super kabuto Plant: Cube Republic - Haworthia Truncata Plant: Cube Republic - Sulcorebutia Rauschii Plant: Cube Republic - Agave Victoria Reginae Plant: Cube Republic - Gasteria Batesiana
Decor: Cube Republic - Seedlings Decor: Cube Republic - Single Tray Decor: Cube Republic - Sieve Decor: Cube Republic - Stacked Trays Decor: Cube Republic - Can Decor: Cube Republic - Clay Pots Stool: Soy - Wooden Bath Stool Decor: Cube Republic - Cacti & Succulent Encyclopedia Decor: Cube Republic - Trowel
Plant: Cube Republic - Waterfern Tree: Cube Republic - Douglas Fir Plant: Cube Republic - Gunnera Decor: Hannah Kozlowski - Mesh Crane ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 143
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artist highlight
photography by taylo
or wassep.
Raven Zenoria is one of the many talented live artists with Whispering Sands Live Promotions. As a performer in real life, she didn’t come into Second Life to become one as well; however, “When I decided it was time to take a break from the stage in RL, someone asked me to sing a few events. Eventually, I was discovered by Jorr, and I have been advancing in my career ever since I have been with WSL.” She also shares, “My SL career has been a roller coaster ride! For me, there has been a lot of love and support from WSL, my family, friends, and fans. There have been a lot of tears, laughter, and bonding with each and every one of them. Without the support from everyone around me, I would not have made it this far. I would not have overcome some of my fears of getting close to people. I am having more fun with it than anyone could imagine! I don’t have to hide who I am, or my impulses to speak freely. I really LOVE what I do, and I am excited to see what is to come!” These are her top five favorite songs to sing: “Me And Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin “Play That Song” by Train “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette “Perfect” by Pink “The Greatest” by Sia While she considers herself a builder, singer and performing artists, she feels the stage is her home. She tells ECLIPSE, “When Jorr found me, I was ready to stop performing in SL completely. Without WSL I would be lost in Linden Land somewhere right now, drowning in tiny prims! I do have a lot upcoming events with them, and for that, I am very thankful.” When she is on stage, she endeavors to reach out to all age groups, “I love sharing my love of music with everyone, in hopes that it makes a positive impact on their lives.” Shedding insight into who she truly is, she tells us, “The number one thing I speak out about at my shows is something I strive to live for each day. My message to everyone is that you don’t have to conform to what others want, think, or tell you to be. You are a strong, beautiful person who impacts the world around you in many ways. It is up to you to make a positive difference in your life. You be what you want to be, just never forget where you came from. You are you, and that is what makes you special. That is what makes you the GREATEST!” Listen to her music. Page 148 | ECLIPSE July 2017
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the art perspective oema sheds insight on The Melusina Parkin at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, “Absences.� written by
oema. photography by miele tarantal.
The photographs of Melusina Parkin are uniquely suited to the setting offered by Nitroglobus Roof Gallery that hosts various artists. In fact, her style is minimalist exactly like the gallery: the setting of Nitroglobus always impresses with its simplicity and breadth, with its mirrored floor reflecting back the works of art, giving them perspective and importance. According to her own words in the notecard dispensed on arrival at Nitroglobus, the works of Melusina are “minimalist.” Minimalism is an artistic movement I consider very appealing, with a certain charm, as it highlights a detail that, in the overall context, would escape the attention of the observer. A chair in a certain slant of light, abandoned clothes on a chair, a particular corner of the house seen from a new perspective, all contribute to enrich and make an interesting portrayal. I like to call minimalism “the art of grasping what nobody sees,” the expressive power of those who can see beyond what you would typically, with inattentive eyes, perceive every day.
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Like any artist, Melusina does not like to talk about her photographs, given that they are already expressive in themselves, with no need for words to add anything to the image. Melusina creates minimalist art starting from a captured shot inside Second Life®. However, it is not easy. It ‘s simpler when some particular real life scene captures our attention, perhaps attracted by certain scents or light backgrounds (sunrise, sunset, etc.) In SL® those aspects are missing, we can not perceive a breeze or perfume, for example, and realism “plays an important role” in capturing our attention. It’s true that, with the arrival of mesh, the virtual environment has started to become more and more realistic and enjoyable, but do not forget that, to observe a context in the metaverse is very different from watching a scene in real life. Similarly, to get specific using a room in SL is much more complex than photographing a detail that strikes us in real life. These considerations must be taken into account when looking at the work of a
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minimalist photographer in SL: first, because it allows us to fully appreciate her great ability to observe the details minutely together with the capacity to convey to the observer that sense of fascination.
essentialist, like her style empty, but enriched with the same feelings and em that, through her artistic the scene. This particular control of light and shad More specifically, the work of Melusina Parkin, to think that the though entitled “Absences,” is an expression of a concept artist to be able to “add” in the negative: what should be present in the from a purely objective p scene, but is missing. exist. Looking at a mostly empty room and thinking that several things to furnish it are missing or to watching a garden and thinking that something is missing to embellish it. Melusina’s scenes are
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My vision of “Absences” is missing something that her artistic skills and also ability to convey her feel
e. The spaces are often h feelings, emotions: motions she may feel c skills, she can “add” to r effect is through the dow, of course, but I like hts and emotions of an ” specifics to the scene, point of view, do not
s this: the scene is the artist gives through o thanks to the work’s lings, her thoughts.
Melusina explains her work saying things speak to their creators, communicate a thought or a feeling. She says, when capturing an image, she is a “slave” of catching objects with photography, it is the objects that communicate an emotion, that suggest one thing.This is as if to say that the artist is not an active part of the creation process, but passive: a receptor of information and sensations that she merely captures. In this sense, in my opinion, its minimalism is her (particular) meaning: not only the minimalism of the subjects depicted, but the minimal intervention by the artist is merely “to grasp” what the scene communicates.
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This reminds me of a famous phrase defining art as “the relationship between man and God,� where less man does the better. I think the photographs of Melusina fall within this type of definition, and I think she will be able to honor this relationship between her and God (meaning, of course, not in the religious sense) in a sublime way. Another detail that I appreciate is the explanation (I would say philosophy) that Melusina gives the charm of the blanks: she says, when there is nobody present, they (the blanks) can be anything. In fact, the reality is that there is an observer, but if the observer is not there, how can we be certain that the reality is the same way it has been observed? We simply cannot. The photographs of Melusina inspire many thoughts and emotions: I leave the viewer the freedom to see in them what he feels. In the hope that you will be fascinated by the art of this minimalist artist as was I. Click here to teleport Melusina Parkin at Nitroglobus.
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ask noey: the advice guru send your questions to noey here, and it might be in our next issue. written by noey ivy london fl
ower. photography by miele tarantal.
Dear Noey, I recently came out of a two year relationship. Throughout the relationship, he always had an excuse as to why he would never go on cam. We would always voice on Skype and text on our phones, but he would never call me on his phone. Recently, I learned and confirmed that he is in fact a woman. I feel very betrayed and angry with this revelation. A part of me wants to out him to all our friends and his new girlfriend. A part of me knows this will cause excess drama. What should I do? Signed, Betrayed Betty Dear Betrayed Betty, I can understand how hurtful it can be when you find out that the person you thought you knew...was lying to you. The first thing we always think to do is “hurt them like they hurt me�. People make mistakes, some worse then others. Alot of people come into SL to explore things that they are not able to in RL for whatever reason. That definitely does not justify selfish actions at the expense of others... but its something that we need to look at ourselves in trying to understand the situation. I for one would try talking to her about your feelings in the situation so that you have some sort of clarity on why she did what she did. Regardless of the outcome of that, never cause excess drama. Be the bigger person. You need to treat them the way you would have liked to be treated. Two wrongs do NOT make a right. When she is ready she will come out to her friends. That is something she needs to do and not you doing it for her. Good luck, keep you head on right and time will heal all.
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Dear Noey, My self esteem is at an all time low. I’m a blogger in SL and the past four blogger applications I’ve filled out have been rejected. I get a ton of views and faves on my photographs on flickr but it just doesn’t seem to be good enough for them. I’m at the point where I’m ready to just give up blogging. Should I give up blogging? Should I try to work on my photography? I just hate this constant rejection. Signed, Rejected Roman Dear Rejected Roman, Anything you do in both lives should foremost be for yourself! If you love to blog....YOU BLOG! That passion will show through your feed. If you get plenty of likes through your flickr, then you are doing a good job and for the right reasons. Dont be too hard on yourself and also understand the business aspect to creators on here. And “rejecting” your few applications is not a reflection on you. You should be picking designers that you feel reflect your style and ones that you are able to represent well. By doing so the right ones will come along and you will be blogging their latest creations. Its important not to loose sight of the reason why you created the blog in the first place. Be confident and positive. Hard work pays off with patience and diligence mixed with the right attitude :). BLOG ON!
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Dear Noey, I used to have a friend who was very close to me. We let a guy get between us and we no longer speak. I do miss our friendship but not enough to excuse how she’s treated me since. Lately she’s resorted to stalking me. I don’t know how she does it but every time I teleport into a sim she teleports right after me. She’s also taken to messaging my current partner and talking shit about him to me. I’ve tried blocking and muting her but she either follows me on an alt and continues to harass me. Everyone says just click the X button on SL but this is my time to unwind. What can I do? Signed, Harassed Harriet Dear Harassed Harriet, I’m not sure what the protocol is for that in SL, but if it were me, and you have tried every diplomatic way of avoiding her and she still continues to harass you? I would contact LL. I’m not certain if they can do anything or not, but its definitely worth a try. Sometimes things like this in SL get out of hand...because people think its just “SL”. But it can be really upsetting and can ruin your experience you have in here. And there is no reason why you should continue to deal with that. If this was a real world situation, stalking would definitely be taken seriously. This person is obviously abusing what SecondLife was created to be and is taking advantage of the fact that things like this are swept under the rug here. Talk to your partner, ask them to “block” her and continue to do so. Write all the names down of her alts and report her! If someone wants to talk about her with you, maybe mutual friends? Do not entertain the topic! The more you talk about it, think about it and let her ruin your time here.... THE MORE POWER YOU GIVE HER. And that is exactly what she wants. Do some research and contact LL and see if there are any further steps you can take in world that can prevent her from harassing you. Good luck and let us know how it turns out. Page 176 | ECLIPSE July 2017
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Voices from the g
Voices From the Grid is a monthly survey of opinions and ideas of Second Life® residents on the salient issues of the day. For this month, Voices From the Grid has an existential crisis this month and sought meaning through the wisdom of the crowd, asking residents “What is the meaning of SLife?”
grid
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Coral Lacey Coral Lacey joined SL back in 2006 and spent her early years heavily engaged in role play. However, her love for shopping and dressing up her avatar eventually lead her to fashion blogging and after three years she decided to dip her toe into creating. Coral now co-owns the women’s fashion brand, Miss Chelsea, along with her business partner Davidefre. She also collaborates on decor creations for Kalopsia with Isabeau Baragula and is a proud supporter of the LGBT community in SL. I think the meaning of Second Life is all about enabling people to choose their own fulfillment. In a world where you can literally be whatever you want, we are given permission to go wherever our imaginations can take us and pursue things that can be well beyond our wildest dreams in the real world. Second Life is about being given the opportunity to choose exactly what those dreams are. It’s about being part of a community and sharing those unique experiences with people all over the globe that you otherwise might not have met. Being able to express ourselves and having the freedom to be as creative as we want to be. Ultimately it will always come back to being about choices and freedom, our SL destiny is completely in our own hands. Nobody’s Second Life journey is the same, we all choose our own virtual paths and who we deign to cross them with. Check out her Flickr, in-world store and Marketplace. Photograph by Coral Lacey.
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PinkRayne PinkRayne is a friendly, happy, girl’s girl from the UK! She loves photography, editing photos, blogging and texturing. Pinky cherishes her friendships here, and loves hanging out with her girls. She owns the Yorkshire sim here in SL, and she also love rocking out and playing Final Fantasy XIV \m/ The meaning of Second Life probably differs for each and every one of us, it’s such an individual, personal experience, so I feel I can only try and explain the meaning of Second Life from my point of view! For me, the meaning of Second Life is escapism built on reality. A perfect world ready to explore, built on the foundations of creativity, solid friendships and human emotion! It’s such a difficult question to answer because the meaning is so open to interpretation and often depends on my mood! Sometimes Second Life is an education platform that’s allowed me to learn new skills I’d never have developed in real life. Sometimes it’s a sanctuary I run to in order to unwind, relax, and rock out with likeminded people, and sometimes it’s just a space to offload, chat and smile. It’s hard to call it a Second Life, when really it’s just an extension of my first life… the same me in an alternate universe, getting to know people from all over the world. I adore how some of these people become equally important in my first life too! So yeah, my meaning of Second Life is an enhancement of first life with awesome rock clubs, amazing people and limitless creativity, oh… and let’s not forget a sprinkling of pixel sex xD Pinks xo Check out her Flickr, Store and Yorkshire sim. Photograph by PinkRayne.
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Clau Dagger Clau Dagger is a blogger/photographer/performer. Like many other boomers, She was born in Welcome Island in 2007. She worked as a designer assistant, CSR and translator for earlier Japanese brands such as Bijou and Mirai Style. As she was drawn more into photography (and gachas!), she started her own blog in 2015. The first thing that comes to mind is creation.Either the side of the ones who create or the ones who enjoy them, creation has been always driving my Second Life. I used to sit down next to artists. Testing and suggesting both in Second Life and the other one. Now I am sort of doing both - enjoying creations and creating my own art from them. And my photos are (ideally) to create a world or story from items I am blogging about. It is not unusual for me to spend over 1000LI for just one photo and I love doing that :) It is really amazing that sometimes I take photos of little piece of accessories, and sometimes I take photos of one big post-apocalyptic city or even, galaxy. I do enjoy all kinds of scales. Sometimes I take photos with a static, sitting-pretty pose in vintage decors then I swing gigantic bad-ass swords on fire-breathing dragons. I do love all different dimensions. Thanks to all artists and mad-scientists in Second Life, I can create worlds. actions. visions. delusions. Yay! What is the meaning of Second Life? - Bad thing happens just like in first life and yes I question myself about it on occasions, too. Why should I log in today? Why am I making this much effort to make things happen? Could be to make money, shop, love, friendship, sex (mmm). To me now it is because I love to create from creations. I can be ultra cute, diabolically seductive, or an overpowered super-natural being in this digital magical world. Not always but many times something just “clicks” into one picture in my mind. Like moving things a few millimeters, rotating the camera a few degrees... After a few hours of trying, all of a sudden such a little change can give me a big and clear picture of the photo I’m working on. Somehow everything starts making sense to me, and it feels damn good. That’s the moment I am living for. From prim stone age to bento empire, I love shopping, fashion and rezzing things. If I can entertain people from there - that’s my art, my world and my creation. My Second Life :) Check out her Blog, Flickr and Youtube. Photograph by Clau Dagger. ECLIPSE July 2017 | Page 189
Trixie C
Trixie Cliassi has been a fashion blogger and photographer for close to 5 years and a general pain in the ass for the 8 years she has been in Second Life. She can usually be found in world half-naked on her platform or hovering outside the ban lines of events she’s trying to cam into. Her hobbies include collecting wandering pets, shopping for clothes she will only wear once, subscription boxes and decorating her skybox that she never uses. Check out her Flickr and Blog.
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Second Life has always meant the past three years after being Disease, an autoimmune thyr metabolism and weakness in m Second Life I have been able creativity, socialize and meet fr I’ve also been lucky enough t inworld and in the
Cliassi
t an escape to me. More so in g diagnosed with Hashimoto’s roid disorder that causes low my muscles and joints. Through e to travel, express newfound riends from around the world. to meet my best friend Anny e real world as well.
I have always been into escapism since I was a little girl avidly reading V.C. Andrews novels like Flowers In The Attic, and through my teen years watching shows like Dawson’s Creek and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. I first started playing simulation games like The Sims and when I found out there was an open and more player-created virtual world that I could go into and get away from my anxiety and depression I fell in love. Second Life truly is my escape. Photograph by Trixie Cliassi.
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Hans Inshan Hans Inshan (Hanstrid Inshan) was born in 2007. She is a very curious person and always looking forward to learning new things (She still remembers how excited she felt when she created her first simple prim) In these almost 10 years she has done a lot of activities in SL: DJ, blogger, photographer, reporter, event organizer... but certainly the most important thing for Hans has been to find the love that has changed not only her SL life but also RL, Stravaganza Serenity. He is her truly inspiration to create her Home and Garden store “Serenity Style”, a business built with a lot of love and effort and that today represents a fundamental activity for her life. At first for me (I guess as for many other people) SL was simply a fun, electronic game where maybe the most novel was that in addition to having fun creating a character, change the appearance, doing shopping .... you could communicate with other people in real time. After a while I realized that this was beyond being a simple game. I think the most important thing is that each one thinks carefully what they want SL to mean and to what extent they want to participate in this metaverse. I think we need to be very cautious, have very clear ideas and not be carried away by the fantasy and the “false reality” that in many occasions Sl can offer us. I do not think that SL can substitute our RL (something that I have sometimes felt in people that I have known). It may be a well worn saying, but ... I do not think it is healthy to think of SL as the epicenter of your existence. No doubt many of us have heard the typical phrase “you have no life outside of SL” or “you think you’re something to be famous in SL” .... no doubt, behind those sentences there are examples of people who may not have managed to handle this powerful tool with balance. For me, SL is that exactly, a Second Life, an alternative life that extends possibilities of doing things that maybe in RL you could never do. The best example, my own experience. Currently the work of my store in SL is my source of income for RL and (although I am passionate about the decoration in RL) of course I can say that I could hardly create furniture in RL and have my own business as I have here. It is a Second Life where almost the same things happen and you experience almost the same feelings RL ... love, friendship, heartbreak, frustration, joy ... Here I met the person who shares my life RL, what more can I say ?. I also have very good RL friends that I have known here but, of course, I have suffered disappointments. I’ve met people who pretended to be honest but then sadly I discovered they were just trying to deceive me. I really think that SL has a lot of possibilities to create and develop activities that can help us to be more happy in RL. You only need to open your mind and focus where or what do you feel better but, I repeat, always keeping your feet on the RL ground. Check out her Facebook, Flickr, in-world Store and Website. Photograph by Hans Inshan.
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Aasshlley Lopez Aasshlley Lopez dedicates herself to the world of fashion. An influencer, blogger and model of photography, she works for several fashion magazines. Mainly the meaning of Second Life for me is ... Unconsciously learn and share with people from all over the world, enjoy creating and working on beautiful projects. You also have the opportunity to meet really amazing people, with great talent and personality. It’s fun Enter a world, where you can find exactly everything, as in the real world but with the particularity, that you can fly, something that everyone dreams, this is a minimal detail but if we think and we translate it to our real life, it’s something amazing. You have more opportunities to work, to study or to be whoever you really want. Finally Second Life is a world that lets you dream. Photograph by Aasshlley Lopez.
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kissmebaby allen kissmebaby allen (KmB) joined SL 10 years ago on April 15, 2007. He takes photos and blogs as a pastime hobby. What SL means to me is a more personal level of social interaction and communication. I’ve formed friendships and bonds with people I’ve never met before; but it feels like I’ve known some of them a lifetime. I love to hang out and listen to music at various club venues, I also enjoy chatting with friends. I enjoy a few hobbies while in SL.. I love to blog and do various photos for, and of, myself as well as photos of friends and strangers alike. Check out his Flickr and Blog. Photograph by kissmebaby allen.
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Cora Pomilio Cora Pomilio is a Second Life Blogger and Plurk Lurker. She has been blogging for close to a decade and her blog has taken a few incarnations over the years. Currently, the look is more of a magazine “best of” vibe. She also dabbles in avatar shape making. What is the meaning of Second Life? I feel as if that is like asking what the meaning of real life is. 42, right? Or if we aren’t going the nerdy way, the meaning of Second Life to me is its creative community. I love the community of people I have found myself in company with as of late. l like there is such a great group of people on SL that many wouldn’t otherwise know about in Real Life. They put themselves out there in such innovative and immersive ways. They build, design, blog, and find as many mediums as they can to create and express themselves. The magical thing about Second Life is the ability to bleed into RL and vice versa. I’m invested in these people, whether they know it or not. I get a lot of joy in finding out that their good fortune and ideas in SL is leading to good things in RL. I love it when they use SL as a sounding board for RL projects and growth. It creates an outlet for them, which makes one for me. In RL I have next to no time/space for fashion, hair, makeup, decor, or toys. In SL, I still have no time, but I have a place to create and curate a little space of my own to show and share with that community. Check out her Blog, Flickr, Plurk and Marketplace. Photograph by Cora Pomilio.
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Kira Balestra Kira Balestra arrived in SL at the end of 2009. Her early time in SL was mostly spent scouting and exploring. She soon after began a fashion blog KiraBlog SL that lasted about 3 years. In 2016, she opened her fashion shop KiB Designs, She also works as a photographer for some friend’s shops. She loves to take pictures just for pleasure from time to time. For me SL means a lot, here I met my partner who has been my RL husband for almost 7 years. I have also met several more people who are essential to me. Here I learned a lot about humanity – some very bad things and some great ones. I have also learned other things like using Photoshop and hope that soon I will learn to use Blender also I am a very restless person, very anxious, with ADHD since childhood. Only here have I learned to maintain and complete projects in a stable way. SL also gave me the opportunity to survive leukemia – a terrible – distracting me as much as possible from my fears and pain without falling into depression. In spite of having negative things, for me personally, SL has many good points. It gives you the opportunity to learn many things that maybe in RL you would not be able to learn or would not be motivated to learn. It is a place with infinite possibilities SL is a good complement. It is beautiful whenever you know to combine it or adapt it well to your main and true life, the real one. Check out her Flickr, Blog, Facebook, in-world Store and Marketplace. Photograph by Kira Balestra.
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Stella Ma November 2008 was the year Stella Mahogany landed on the beach of ‘noob island’ not having a clue how to walk let alone navigate her way in a virtual world. Nearly 9 years later she has found her niche in photography & design after trying many other things in SL . She has always taken ‘snaps’ but never had the knowledge nor the confidence to take it further, before some good friends encouraged (nagged) her to give it a go! She has slowly taught herself techniques through trial and error, but now revels in being able to express herself through this extremely interesting medium. You can check out her ever increasing portfolio here and her blog ‘Stellagraphics the blog’ here. To many who have never ventured into online ‘gaming’ Second Life might appear or sound like it’s trying to imitate or in some cases, replace the life we live in reality. When I first heard of it I was curious, logged on and found it wasn’t the ‘game’ I had assumed, but more a social network. Yes you can be any type of character you choose, a dragon, a child, a vampire or lamp post if you find a creator who can make such an avatar but behind the façade we are still, who we are.
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Our personalities are the same, our all transcend through the compute
It’s a place we can log on and meet who have similar interests to our ow where someone who is socially han bell of the ball or the feeble can run the house you have always envisag ‘reality’ due to any number of facto craved. Sure there can be a negativ all, people are still human and as hu get on with. This is not an online N hatred are all present but so is genu
Some of these relationships last ye become ‘reality’ by meeting up with forming life long friendships or in s personally have met some of my ‘on
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r likes, our interests, our fantasies er to this virtual world.
t people from all across the world wn, where borders don’t exist, ndicapped in some way can be the n or fly. It’s a place you can build ged owning but never could in ors, or have the family you always ve side to all of this because after umans we all can be difficult to Nirvana. Jealousy, narcissism, and uine friendship, kindness and love.
ears, many have gone on to h each other in real life and some cases, marriages. I nline’ friends by flying half way
around the world but it’s not for everyone. That is the beauty and the beast of Second Life. Not everyone wants to meet up outside of ‘the game’ not everyone ‘CAN’ and many a heart has been bruised by genuine love being hindered by distance, health, finances or in some cases, marital status. It’s a world that can be fraught with danger for the unsuspecting and I have had more than my share of being on the receiving end of some unsavory characters, but thankfully, there is far more that is positive and wonderful than there is negative about Second Life. I consider the people I have become close to in Second life just as important to me as if they lived in my town and were a part of my every day life, because in reality, they are! I may not be able to touch them physically and hug them when they are sad, but being in a virtual world forces you to really open up emotionally to where you feel that empathy, that love, that friendship. It’s not a replacement of your real life, it’s an extension of it. Photograph by Stella Mahogany.
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Lili Starships Lili Starships Second Life journey began many years ago through a real-life friend. The early adventures mainly consisted of mindless sim hopping, random conversations and poor outfit choices. In the midst of all this, she was roped into getting her first official Second Life photo done. However, she wasn’t too thrilled with the result of the photo so she decided to learn how to edit on her own and produce her own photos. After many real-life hours of practice, she was hired at her first photography studio but she didn’t stop there. After a while, Lili and her real-life friend decided to leave where they were working and open their own photography studio, which they decided to call StarVelt. The photography studio was an extreme success but after some time they decided to close but recently they re-opened under the same name but with a more casual outlook. Today you can find Lili working at StarVelt alongside many other outstanding photographers and longtime friends. She is currently getting her feet wet with blogging and is excited to see where that journey takes her. I think there are many different levels to second life, it just depends who you ask. It can range from the casual player, who is looking for friendships, or to something more serious such as a creator, model, blogger, designer etc, who wants to dive into new hobbies. In second life, days, friendships, relationships all move rapidly, you can crash and burn, fast and hard or you can quickly achieve something rewarding and fruitful. Second life opens the doors and makes these things that once seemed impossible, possible. I believe Second life to be an opportunity waiting to be seized, whether you view that opportunity as building meaningful relationships or establishing yourself into something bigger. However, I don’t believe there to be one answer to that question because each person values something differently than the next. As a photographer, I have been able to get a small taste of these many different perspectives and even get the pleasure of working and befriending these people. Which is probably the reason I have constructed the view of, it’s what you make it. With Second Life, you have the world at your fingertips and if you’re bored with it, then you’re doing something wrong. Check out her Flickr and Studio. Photograph by Lili Starships
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Neveah Niu Neveah Niu is the owner and creative artist for ICONIC Virtual Brands & Creations & ICONIC Hair SL. Neveah Niu is a long-standing Resident & Creator of Second Life. Second Life has had so many different meanings for me in the past 11 years. There was a time Second Life became my solace when I was faced with difficult times in my life. A place where you as an artist could try new things to succeed or fail at in order to grow your craft, with your fellow residents cheering you on. Second Life has provided me with a platform that has made it possible for me to create/connect family, friendships, and communities from all over the world. The impact of those connections I have grown to appreciate dearly. There have been times when Second Life is the muse in my artwork. Finding inspiration can be difficult at times when you are busy with day to day responsibilities and enjoyments in real life. However, when you enter into Second Life inspiration is all around you and it sparks you to create. More recently Second Life has become the virtual extension of me to share and express myself. Second Life is an old friend that has invited me in time and time again, to dare, push and challenge me to learn new technologies, embrace change as a creator to constantly seek innovation. In short, Second Life is not a do-over, rather it is a place that strives to bring us together to connect, create and enjoy. Check out her website, Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and Pinterest. Photograph by Neveah Niu.
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Kimbra Iridescent Kimbra Iridescent has been an avid blogger for over 6 years with an emphasis on Home and Garden items for over four. A few of Kimbra’s proudest accomplishments include working for the Love To Decorate team and designing the sim Kilu (now closed), which was featured in Linden Lab’s Editors’ Picks. Kimbra currently spends most of her time in Second Life decorating (for herself only these days), blogging and blog managing for [theSkinnery]. The meaning of Second Life, I’m sure is different for everyone. For me, Second Life has brought me much joy, true love, many friendships and a better understanding of myself. Without Second Life, I’m not sure where I’d be today. Over the years, Second life became real life for me when I met my SL partner in 2009. We later decided to meet in real life and we’ve been happily married now for six years. During the time we were long distance dating, Second Life gave us a place to be together. It definitely made dating long distance easier to deal with. After being married only a short time, I was needing a second back surgery, I never recovered from that surgery and have not been able to go back to work since. This was something that was very hard for me to handle and after a while I felt like I had too much time on my hands. I wanted to do something I loved again, something that made me happy even if it wasn’t “work”. This is when I decided to start blogging and it’s given me back that feeling of accomplishment that I’ve missed so much. I’ve also met some wonderful people along the way and even taught myself everything I know in Photoshop (not that it’s a lot :p). It’s these things that make me believe that the meaning of Second Life is what you make of it. It’s different for everyone but I think in the end it gives us what we are needing most as long as we let it. Check out her Flickr and Blog. Photograph by Kimbra Iridescent.
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THE adventures o
written by miele tarantal. photography by miele
“The Adventures of...” is a monthly feature by Miele Tarantal showcasing some of the most aesthetic places in Second Life®. Devin 2 is a magical convergence of high photographically aesthetic elements. You’ll find camels canoodling, elephants frolicking, and jaguars observing zebra families with sinister interest amongst deeply undulating dunes of desert sand. Eastern and western desert elements are brought together in gorgeous harmony in this delightful fantasy sim.
of...
e tarantal.
Visit The Devin 2 in-world.
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www.penumbra-eclipse.com