Fantasy Faire 2014 - Twilight Huntress

The most dangerous beast come out to hunt at twilight. She knew that since she had been born. Her mother taught her well. The noises, the smells, the slight changes in the air ... foreboding and also forewarning signs for a huntress. She prickled her ears. Could that be... an Amphisbaena? No, she should have heard some soft hissing if it were. And those shadows? Just some tree branches, or... were they antlers? Maybe a Peryton...? She took a deep breath and began her long and patient stalking after the magnificient creature.

The list of designers participating at this year's Fantasy Faire is more than impressive, and a pleasure to read... so many old friends and acquaintances, and so many new creators that all offer their lovingly crafted pieces for a good cause!

Dress: Red Queen "Lioness" by The Library - RFL donation item available at Hope's Horizon (300 L$). I knew of the Medieval and fantasy dresses designed by Dreamfantasia Nightfire but (shame on me...) this is the first time I've ever bought one of her works.

Mask: Gold "Alato" Mask by Illusions - RFL donation item available at Sanctum (95 L$). Another beautiful piece by The Mask Lady, Siyu Suen.

Necklace: "Nyx" in Gunmetal by Sax Shepherd Designs - part of the Nyx fantasy jewellery set available at Hope's Horizon (499 L$). Thank you for the blogger pack, Sax, I didn't know your art went well beyond those lovely shoes... shame on me, again.

Skin: The Plastik - Astrali "Orion" by The Plastik. This set of skins is not a RFL donation item, but in the shop of The Plastik at The Faery Court you can admire (and, of course, buy) the new Asaia skins, designed just for the Faire. Vae, aka Aikea Rieko also offers you the Vynn Horns, the Malei Earrings and the Lys Circlets, each and every piece being created with amazing art and care.

Horns: Chained Horns in Black by LaNoirSoleil - RFL donation item available at Wiggenstead Mooring (247 L$). Caresia, thank you so much for the wonderful goodies, I'm sure I'm going to be a horned SL being for a long time! LNS is a recent discovery for me, and I'm already a fan of your headpieces.

Hair:"Mientje" in Black by Mina Hair - 250 L$ for a fatpack of 5 different black shades.

Eyes: Dragon Eyes "Golden Sight" by Sterling Artistry (85 L$). Silverr Andel has been absent from SL for quite a while, and he's not attending the Faire either... which is a great loss for all of us.

Staff: Aura Staff in Gold by The Forge - gacha prize (50 L$ per play). The staff is not among the RFL items, but it is worth checking out the shop of The Forge at Asperatus for some other awesome pieces.

Pose: RFL Pose 2 by Musa (shown here without the glowing orbs that also make part of the pose pack) - RFL donation item available at Sanctum (80 L$). Filomena, thank you for the blogger pack, I always use your poses with pleasure!

The picture was taken at Mourningvale Thicket.

No Weeping Angels - Sanctum - Fantasy Faire 2014

On the darkest nights, when even the coldest winds blew, clouds would shift across the sky and moonbeams would caress the earth. Moonbeams and the occasional rat or crow had been the only visitors to the Sanctum in more years than any residing there cared to remember. Decades past, the dessicated acolytes had joined the bones of the saints they tended, leaving the sacred places to the winds and the walls.

Now, in the light as much as the darkness, it was the walls that should be watched. Too long without the hope and prayers of the living, the stone, imbued with centuries of hope through the deepest despair, took on the mantle of the living. As with all creatures, each had a talent, each leaned their own way, and followed their own path. Aeleth had rested where she was hewn, atop the corner plinth, flanked by stained glass windows reaching in both directions along a neglected corridor behind the sept. It was here, however, that generations of one family had come to see her. Each mischievous daughter or son brought their own child in turn to greet her, bringing gifts of flowers and broken things, even into their old age. Monks passed her by without a glance, the sisters paid little more heed. Her beauty was not for the pious, nor the dogmatic. The kindness of her face was cherished by those who ached with some unspoken pain. The glint in her eyes drew troublemakers to her, seeking blessings to carry off pranks without a hitch. She was built from these prayers, these hopes, these dreams as much as she was solid stone. As with the turning of the worlds, once again people were venturing through the hallowed halls. Now they could expect to meet with more than just a benign smile. Now, she intended to do whatever she could to ease their pain, this was her calling; but she knew to some she would appear frightful, so she would always, always play tricks...

Just don't blink...

Hope that didn't scare you off visiting the Fantasy Faire!
Aeleth resides in the Fairelands, in Sanctum to be exact. Her home, crafted by Alia Baroque of Fallen Gods, the sponsor of the sim, was understandably overflowing with visitors, so here's just the one picture of her in her actual habitat...

Sanctum

Aeleth wears :
Fallen Gods Inc  ~ LACRIMOSA Female Weeping. L$ 800 - RFL Vendor
This set, skin and tunic is beyond incredible. The texturing is so disturbingly realistic, you would expect to see motes of stone dust shaking free with each movement. In the set, you receive two skins, the one worn here, and a PG version. Matching eyes are included. The tunic comes in six MESH sizes, from XXS to L. Also included are appliers for hands, feet, fingernails, toenails and Lolas Tangos. When I'm not blogging during the Faire, I'll be shopping, and mebbes just jumping out at people in this!
MacMoragh & Muse ~ Stone Acessories for FG Lacrimosa skin - RFL Vendors
Clearly, I am far from the only one inspired by this set. AineMari Flanagan (The Muse) asked if anyone else had fallen for the skin, and was kind enough to share the items made by them as soon as they saw what was on offer - even replacing all items in their RFL vendors, such was their rapture. They have done an amazing job. As an addition to the ensemble - the hair and wings are perfect, the detailing amazing.

If you are as captivated by this stone as we, just follow the link above, and get Relaying!

Shepherdess

Ipolema 3rd of Haligale was satisfied. This had been her tenth mission and it had been successful. For her that would mean her time as apprentice would be over and she would be seen as a fully initiated shepherdess. Not that it was a surprise, all the women of her family were shepherdesses but still it was a personal success for her.
Now she would be allowed to command bigger herds. And soon she would be granted permission to use her staff not only to direct sheep but also other beings. Her training had started as soon as she had become able to hold a staff. The first beings which had been directed by here were frogs and other amphibians. As soon as she was able to control those she did proceed to bunnies and then finally to sheep.
Sometimes she wondered if being a shepherdess wasn't a waste of her magical talents but then she saw her aunt herd humans.


The Fantasy Faire 2014 will start tomorrow. And it will be a wonderful event as every year. The participating stores range from high fantasy to street roleplay and from clothes to buildings.
The Wayfarer dress from Poet's heart is one of their donation items for relay for life, as well as the staff and the headband. The dress comes in beautiful autumn colours and with fitting boots and pants. What makes it unique is not only the shading of the colours but also the elegant cut. This does not only allow to use the dress for fantasy roleplay but also for events in which a short dress is appropriate. The dress comes in the standard sizes.
The staff and head dress are made both of unrigged mesh and come with a hud which allows to choose the colour of the flowers, leaves and wood.
The poses used for the pictures come from HopScotch who also take part in the fantasy faire. They made staff poses. The set contains five poses with fitting staffs but it is of course also possible to use an other stff.

The Erika Hair from Wasabi Pills is one of my favourite hairstyles from that store. In Gingerbread it goes very well with the dress. The dragon eyes come from Sterling Artistry and are also available as mesh eyes.

Dress: Poet's Heart - Wayfarer - Autumn Foliage RFL (sold at the Fantasy Faire)
Staff and Headband: Poet's Heart - Wayfarer Staff and Headpiece RFL (sold at the Fantasy Faire)
Hair: /Wasabi Pills/ Erika Mesh Hair - Gingerbread
Eyes: Sterling Artistry: sa_DragonEyes_IndigoFrost
Poses: *~*HopScotch*~* Oaken Companion 2 (sold at the Fantasy Faire)

All the pictures have been taken at the Fantasy Faire.

Fantasy Faire 2014 - Magic Is Around The Corner!

Ssshhhhh... quiet, quiet. Can you hear it...? The soft tinkling, humming and clanking from the distance?

Yes, it is the Fairelands being built by some of the most talented creators in SL, with the assistance of elves, dwarves, and - of course - dragons. In three days (another magic number, hmmm?), that is on the 1st day of May, the gates will open and the good people of SL can pour onto eleven (!) incredibly beautiful sims. Please read the details on the official Fantasy Faire homepage.

Do visit the Faire, shop at your hearts' content, have fun, meet friends old and new... and also donate generously for a good cause.

We at Eclectic Equations, being also official bloggers of this wonderful event, will do everything in order to keep you amused and informed on whatever happens in the Fairelands.

Meet you inworld in a few days!

Warrior of cards

It was a long tradition of the women of Nimoje family to read the cards for others. So nobody was surprised when Cilia showed a talent for that. It did not take her long to master even more difficult patterns and her forecasts became even more exact. Unfortunately they became too exact. She was able to tell people that they would loose their keys on a certain day to a certain time, and if they would be able to get them back or not. She also could tell them what they would drink or what kind of food they would get. It scared people. So her family tried to talk her into being less exact and she even tried but the more she tried to say simple sentences the more horrible things escaped her lips. And everything she said became true. For some time she tried to stop reading the cards but this also did not work. She started to see the future of random people in the leaves of trees or in dirt. And then she changed. She left her family and started to travel. Now and then she approached people and informed them about their future and disappeared again leaving a trail of cards behind her.
The Mia Mesh Hair from Wasabi Pills has been released some time ago. It amazes by it's livid design which makes it look like being blown to the side by strong wind while still looking elegant. So it goes very well with the Soldier of cards outfit from DownDownDown. The outfit is made of unrigged mesh and clothing layer parts. This makes it slightly old school but it is very unique and definitely worth to have a look at. DownDownDown offer a lot of cute and unique accessories as well. Captivity Co. take part in the Comic Fair. Their items are joker and card related. The pose used for the picture belongs to a set which contains the pose, cards and also a base ball bat - which has not been used for the picture. They also offer other comic related poses at that fair. Their booth is worth to look at, while the rest of the fair is mainly not related to the topic.


Hair: /Wasabi Pills/ Mia Mesh Hair - Rouge
Dress, Gloves and Blindfold: DDD_Soldier of cards
Pose: Captivity Co. - A Game (Sold at the Comic Fair)

Counting Crows - Pose Fair 2014

The birds came at twilight. Coal black wings shot with petroleum rainbows scythed through the still air. Harsh calls ricocheted from tree to tree, muddling in the mist.

Coming out of her daily slumber, the birds were as much an alarm call as the seismic shift of sun sinking below the horizon. As she slumbered, they were her eyes, the only sight of truly sunlit lands she had seen in centuries.

Flying close, wings brushed against skin; further transferring memory and thought. As rare lovers could confirm, fingers smoothing through her hair would more often than not dislodge several feathers.

Far from stray quills, these were as much a part of her as of the crows surrounding her. When circumstance demanded and starlight silvered the land, she would leave it for a time, joining them in flight through the darkness.

Busy Busy! So much to do, and with the *ahem* Fantasy Faire not too far away, I'm covering what I can when I can!

The Hottie Cooterati Experience brings the Posefair 2014! Over 100 stores in an AMAZING build (full instructions on best viewer settings for the experience are delivered by NC on arrival). Stores offer exclusive poses, some gachas, some gifts. The fair runs until May 3rd.

Here shown is the Savoir Faire (SFS) 'The Crows' pose prop L$ 250. This comes set up for the model to stand amongst the crows at the apex of a corner as if in a room. The prop itself is modifiable, so you can re-texture the walls (which are a lovely battered and stained chintz). Here I've actually modified them by shrinking the walls down to allow greater depth in the image. I love crows. LOVE them, and this pose prop is excellent. Crows are MESH and unmoving, the prop itself contains six poses, which are all adjustable on X, Y, Z axes.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Desiderium/50/40/201


Also Shown :
Hair : Little Bones - Gods & Monsters (Royale) All Fades pack L$ 450 (Block 100 event exclusive)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Metropolis/162/163/28
Dress : even.flow - Igraine Dress "silver solid" L$ 195 (Monochromatic Fair exclusive)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lyrica/173/166/25

And... just incase you missed it on Flickr - My entry for the Block 100 photo contest.

A dance in monochromatic mood

Dance baby dance, like the world is ending.

Dance baby dance, like the world is ending.

Dance baby dance coz the world is ending.

The cosmos was tuning up for an epic performance. Darkness and light conspired to work together, bringing an end to the old, and creating the new. The music of the eternal dance played through all beings at all times, this would be a memorable crescendo, one requiring many hours of practice. There could be no getting it wrong.

Merida knew the steps, having watched the shadowdancers since her eyes could discern their forms from the surrounding darkness. This would be her début. It felt as though she had practiced for millennia, when in reality the nearest star had burned half its lifespan before she set foot in the practice studio. This place was out of time, above and behind, where protagonists of the dance would meet. Their movements syncopated, graceful limbs moving perfectly in time with the music of the stars, forever bringing death, and life.

The Monochromatic Fair opened on Friday April 18th. Far from just black and white, the fair is a riot of colour - just one at a time! 104 creators have set up shop on a single sim, with exclusive items from each - all keeping to the single colour theme. I really hadn't gone planning on spending anything (after my accidental *I must have it all* at the GoT gacha event) but that whole plan was ruined as soon as I saw the {Aoi Hime} horns at .::Cubic Cherry Kre-ations:.. I've said in the past about going back to visit things to be sure you want to buy them. This was an on the spot, got to have it type deal. The style of the horns is just beautiful, so organic. The colour set the tone for this whole look. Of course then I went looking in all the other stores cherry picking - pardon the pun - items to fit the idea sparked by the horns. Oh the dangers of shopping.

The Monochromatic fair is open until May 2nd.

You can find the SIM here...
The Monochromatic Fair
You can find details of all merchants and direct SLurls here
http://wedosl.blogspot.com.br/

Horns : .::Cubic Cherry Kre-ations:.. {Aoi Hime} Horns  L$ 300
As I said above. Just beautiful. Here shown is the 'night' version, the 'day' version is also included.
Hair : [geek.] I'm a Puzzle - SurfShop (With bangs and headband) Blues Pack L$ 100
Love teal, love it. Nice selection of tones in each pack.
Cardigan : [NV] Ela Cardigan -Wool Black L$ 125
The fit of this cardigan is great. The texture of the wool sets it apart from the usual flat black.
Skirt : Razor/// Fluffy Butt Suspenders  L$ 150
This skirt - with suspenders - is pretty amazing. I'm not even going to pretend I've seen all it can do. You may have heard about 'Materials' in SL - for which you need a viewer with Materials capability. It's looking to be the biggest change since the introduction of MESH. Even without getting into all of that - the options on the HUD that comes with the skirt (along with multiple options for sizes, including those to fit Lola's, Cute Azz and Phat Azz) are great. Separate options to change the transparency and glow of the ruffles and the straps, along with 20 colour options for the ruffles and 21 for the straps, there will be a combination to fit your look.
Leggings : [-S-] Slinky Tights - Holey Moley - Blue L$ 100
These come with Slink and Azz appliers.


Not from the fair -
Ballet equipment : YumYums Mesh Ballet Studio Set  L$ 299
This is a prop - no poses included. It would work brilliantly to enhance any gym / ballet setting.