Nevermore!

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,

By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,

`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.

Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -

Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'

Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

Welcome 2009 right?! And just like there is no 13th floor in a hotel, I think we'd all like to erase 2008 from our memories. But with the prospect of an exciting 2009 ahead, instead of a place, I'd like to tell you about a very cool avatar I found while trolling the many pages of XstreetSL.com

I stumbled on this sweet little guy, (sweet like "sweeeet") while searching for an avatar to be incognito in, well as incognito as you can be with your name plastered over your head! The photos of him on the website don't do him justice, but the delight happens instantly when you slip him on. Created by An Ballinger, this tiny bird is magnificent! he comes with 16 animations as An describes: 

When you push the "pagedown key" your tiny will look threatening.

When walking, foot prints will remain.

Running, sand cloud soars.

When falling down or jumping, feathers dance.

When you take off, you will make a flapping sound.

The eyes of your tiny, blink periodically.

When you go AFK, the eyes of your tiny will shut.

Animation protector (AP) can be used

MONO scripts are used.

Although he is described as a "Tiny" he appears more like a very large bird, not too serious but not "kitten cute".  An states he used the original Tiny Love AO hud, so you can be sure that your original shape will never "pop out" (hate that!) unexpectedly.  

All the animations and specialized movements make this raven incredibly realistic and extremely fascinating. He waddles when he walks and between the dancing feathers when you move, to the flapping wings, you're going to feel free as a bird; like you can soar! An added plus; he blends into just about any sim, especially horror or Gothic.  Sit loftily on any gravestone, and watch the world go by.

This one's a definite keeper. I was absolutely enchanted by this creature, I think you'll be ranting about this raven too!  (I know, I know)

So touch heaven, be a virtual god, and make some newbies day by screeching a mournful flyby,

"Nevermore, Nevermore!"

Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven

Tiny Avatar Raven XstreetSL Here

More Photos Here

Blast From The Past!

When I was a child I'd sneak out to catch the double feature horror films at the local theater. No one else liked horror so alone, I'd sit waiting with sweaty anticipation for the lights to go down and the movie to begin. Trilled to death to be doing something so grownup and risque.

The Second Cinema is that movie house from your childhood. It has the feel of old theaters from the 60s and 70s; dim, creepy, yet exciting as the lights fade to black. 

You can pick up the usual concession items; snacks, soda and while you're grabbing your eats, join the Second Cinema Group to get weekly updates on new movies. 

Turn around to find your seat and you notice red drapes hung on either side of a nice big screen. Choose from plenty of comfortable seats that invite you to kick back while catching up on those vintage horror classics. Nightmare On Elm Street, Jaws, Evil Dead, if you're a horror buff you'll be absolutely delighted with the titles!  

Right next door is the Second Drive In, same owner, vehicles supplied. There is a different horror movie shown at the drive in. So between the them, you get a choice of two delicious scary thrillers, or hell, just catch them both. Either way, both theaters are bound to bring back fond memories!

When you're done with the theater, make your next stop Grimworx. Located across the street from  Second Cinema, it's a real treat offering so many different spine chilling items you'll spend a while delightfully checking them all out! For the horror connoisseur, there is a life sized Hell Raiser puzzle box, from the film Hellraiser 2. It comes complete with all 4 Cenonbites, or "pinheads" that suddenly materialize and surround you. If you love unusual and outstanding decorations for your haunted holiday parties, pick up the spider horde. Hundreds of apple sized spiders scramble across your floor, crunching very satisfactorily under your feet as you walk over them, leaving green glowing blood to mark your path, 

Nice.

As for the island itself, pretty conventional. It's a picturesque, charming beach town. With miles of pristine beaches, fantastic shopping, and always something to do. Take an air tour or explore Amity's rich undersea life complete with reefs and caves. It's even rumored that there is buried treasure. People have also reported sighting mermaids, I kid you not.

So I highly recommend this island for.....,

What's that you say?

Ok, so there is that pesky little on going murder investigation, but that was a fluke! Amity has the lowest crime rate in the metaverse!

Ok,yes, and you're right, their Christmas display is definitely twisted, but have a sense of humor! They didn't REALLY hang Santa.

OK, OK, OK, and yes, yes YES, I've too heard there MIGHT be something big and terrifying in the waters off the coast. But all the beaches are open, they would have closed it if there were something truly dangerous  RIGHT?

Seriously, you watch Way too many movies!

Anyway, sometimes what you see is NOT what you get and little Amity Island with the Second City Cinema, Grimworx and a host of other mysteries and secrets, has plenty of hidden surprises.

So take my advice and just come, bring your camera, a pal and get your dark on while enjoying Amity's strange and freaky hospitality!

Amity Island

More Photos

You Know Kowloon right?

I mean everybody knows about Kowloon right? and if they don't, they should! One of most interesting places in SL, Kowloon is a mixture of the exotic and the mysterious.

There's nothing spooky about Kowloon, it's always night, but not "dark." It qualifies for this blog because it's extremely edgy and has an intrigue factor of 10. 

Walk through the portal to enter this strange land, and it immediately hits you; "Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore!" Hard Colored neon lights over murky stores illuminate strange signs with cryptic characters. Inside the stores items defy identification and keep you guessing at purpose. Granted this is from an American perspective, from the owner's perspective, this is all probably pretty ordinary.

 

Narrow corridors entice you down tight dim streets lined with shops, drinking establishments, inscrutable closed doors and strange eating places filled with curious foods. Walk down any flight of stairs and you are instantly immersed in an intricate underground city.  As interesting below ground as it is above, the underground is full of surprises. But I'll let you discover them for yourself.

On my last visit there, I sensed I wasn't alone. I turned around to find a futuristic robot, star trek kind of avatar hovering waist high from the ground. As I stood gaping at him he says, "Hello human"

I say "Hello" back. We stand and peer at each other for a couple of beats, than, he glides past me and continues down the street. I found this encounter uttery trilling which probably means I don't get out enough, however the point is, Kowloon is not a futuristic sci fi type of place at all and yet this strange alien entity fit in perfectly, robot speech and all. 

If you're a shopper there's always something interesting and useful to buy in Kowloon. Whether it's clothing, avatars, furniture, or some well..uhmm., gadget, it will be unique and definitely something no one has EVER seen before. I found hanging avatars,(?) astonishing zen like poses. A broom, sweeping by itself,(?) and somewhere in Kowloon (and seriously, I couldn't give you directions, it's like a maze!) is a street market. There I fell in love with and purchased a extraordinary tiny kitten. This little furry animal had a perfect sculpted body complete with tail, and a head with big yellow staring eyes. The head follows your movement so that the kitten is always looking directly at you, and if you're wondering why a creature of the dark such as myself would need a kitten..., well, midnight snack!

This fascinating city is like a big secret, or a present you get to open again and again, and each time be surprised by what's inside. You can literally spend hours exploring, and you never know what's around the next corner, the next flight of stairs, who or what you're going to meet, and what you're going to find in general. But whatever it is, it won't be out of place.

And neither will you.

Kowloon

http://slurl.com/secondlife/kowloon/147/33/24/

More Photos

Kowloon photos Here

In case you need a midnight snack...,

http://slurl.com/secondlife/kowloon/227/134/30/

Hint: Walk around the sign to the gates, click on gate to get it to open, you're in. : )

Five Sisters The Graveyard

If you've ever run across true evil you know it takes many forms, it can be a thing, but also a word, an action, an idea. It's overall characteristic though, is one of utter emptiness. The Graveyard at five sisters has completely captured that feel! Upon arrival, you quickly see through the murk that you are surrounded by a slew of new graves, complete with worn headstones and mounds of fresh dirt. The morose atmosphere is dark and foreboding with a dense forest of tall trees. The glow of the last evening light lets you see just enough to be disturbed, instantly you get the feeling of being lost in a nightmare. Nothing moves, there are no added effects to make this place eerie, instead the stillness and complete lack of life make it so. In the middle of the graveyard, a stoic gargoyle stands guard, strong and silent. Venture into one of the few tombs and you'll find a coffin or two, a lid slightly askew, suggesting vandals or the sudden escape of someone accidentally buried alive. Step inside the church, the largest building in the graveyard and for a moment the dark recedes and hope returns, for there is an angel that hangs above the alter! Than quickly this momentary light in the darkness disappears as the dark rapidly overwhelms the light once more.

The Graveyard opens into a large area where the dark vibe continues. Trendy shops encircle a delightfully creepy courtyard. Check out Heart Attack and the Slit Pee.

In the end The Graveyard is not a place you'll want to come to be introspective. It's also not a place where you'll want to sit and chat with your friends. This is a place locked into a particular moment in time after the event, but before the next act; after the body is delivered to the morgue, or after the child has grown cold in it's crib, but before it's mother finds it.

The Graveyard is truly an awful place.....,

Brilliant!

Five Sisters  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Five%20Sisters/187/47/25/">

More Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/24320952@N03/sets/72157611077107968/

Welcome!

Welcome to Dark Plots, the blog of everything dark in the virual world of Second Life! I decided to start this blog to share with you the dark places I visit in SL and through their links, I hope to show you new places to love, old places to revisit, and new mysterious adventures to enjoy!

My name is Nima, I am an artist and dark by nature, (if death and taxes are the ultimate truths, how do we get through all the living in between? How can one live, and not have a touch of darkness in their souls?) and naturally, the dark recesses of human creativity are the places I tend to seek.

Warning, things can change fast in SL, what is there today may not be tomorrow, see it while you can. If you have a favorite or run a dark place in SL and you think I should check it out, I'd love to hear from you. Please drop me a note, or leave me a message.

I hope you enjoy these posts and more than that, find them useful.

And without further ado, let's begin.......,