Transylvania, A Celebration Of Life

Sometimes you come across a place in Second Life, that is so striking, it just blows you away.

Such a place is Transylvania. Larger than life, dramatic and provocative, it's a place not just focused on the idea of the dark, but is quintessentially the dark itself. 

Shadows seep through every street, and slide around every curve of stone. It is a place born of the vampiritic way of life, not fascinated by death, but a celebration of the vampiric way of being alive.

These people are serious folks, there's the feel of close knit family ties and of shared history. The things you encounter here are the virtual manifestations of secret and passionate beliefs.

Transylvania stresses that it is not a role playing sim; all are welcome here. When I arrived, there was a rapturous party going on in the streets, with various night creatures dancing playfully to the music of a favorite DJ. 

 

I began my tour at the Musee Des Vampyrs, a Gothic palace that houses an extensive history of vampirism. Information on everything to do with vampires can be found here, from The Acid Bath Vampire, a serial killer in England in the late 1940s, to Vlad The Impaler, also known as Dracula.

Particularity fascinating was the information on the currant state of modern day vampirism, such as the psychological and physical effects of vampirism on the individual, or the definition of today's vampire and how to tell if you are one.

You can even read recent news stories about vampires caught in real life action.

Be prepared to spend some time here absorbing all the knowledge available, it is very interesting reading.

On the second floor, you'll find every vampire movie poster ever made! Colorful and magnetic, the posters cover the walls with familiar and not so familiar faces from film and legend. A nostalgic treat!

After my education, I left the building with a deeper understanding and respect for this mysterious species so locked into the darkness. I yearn for more, so I continue my tour through the town. 

The shops and other establishments are plentiful, rich and opulent. Lots of good shopping here for unusual items, especially clothing. 

Everywhere I wander however, seems poised on the verge of promise; I unconsciously hold my breath, certain that some..., thing, is about to happen. 

(Below me a stunningly beautiful couple exchange words, gestures, than part, her dress sweeps around her ankles as she glides away.)

I look up to see a castle suspended over the town, it's anchored in solid rock and is the center of attention. Curious I fly over to take a peek into it's windows and see a scene so dynamic it is again, as though the room itself is waiting in anticipation for the next act to begin. 

On the ledge beside me sits a gargoyle, silently watching the performance, all performances, unfold. 

It's raining at the cemetery when I arrive. Most appropriate as this place has weight; a sentimental memorial left for a fallen real life friend strikes my heart like an arrow and I realize just how united this community really is. 

Gravestones are intricate. The dead reside under them and they've marked them with their individual personalities. As I gaze at the stones I become lost in thought, perhaps, I think, what makes vampires so fascinating is not their raw power, or their undead status, but their strength in bearing the burden of ultimate unknowable despair.

In the end there is one word for this wondrous place;

Exquisite. 

If you are not a poet, you will become one as you try to get your mind around Transylvania.

Visit to share your oddness with others. Even if you are not a vampire. You'll be accepted here. Arrive with your sadness and sit a while in the cemetery. Your sadness is understood here. Come with respect, for a way you may not know. Respect is everything here. Come to dance , your joy is shared here. Expect to find new and perhaps mysterious places inside your soul. And lastly, no matter your appearance, come as yourself, for the beings that know death, embrace life in all it's shades and variations of truth, here, there is no room for deceit.

Transylvania The Musee Des Vampyrs

More Photos On Flickr

What is a Sanguinarian?

http://www.necronomi.com/users/akrieytaz/

Vampires In The News

 

More info on myths, legends, and truths.

Monstrous.com

Encyclopedia Of The Undead On Google

SecondLife

So Many Corpses......,

Feeling a need to redecorate? Me too. As a matter of fact I was critically assessing the ole laboratory this morning and those bodies piling up in the corner are getting to be just an eyesore, really, they are making my eyes sore.

So I head over to Slurry st. Slurry St. is a dark dismal little store located in Istar. They specialize in supplying all your medical, cold storage, or waste disposal needs, and they didn't disappoint, I was delighted with their selection! 

The first thing I looked at was their human cold storage unit. It has 4 cadaver trays that slide in and out, on touch. It also had that all important refrigerator running hum sound. (After all if you can't hear it, it's probably broke right?) Great! I thought, just what I need to solve that corner pile up back at the lab. Only thing is there weren't any bodies included, (bummer) but I guess I am getting a little greedy these days and the ones I have are piling up anyway.....,

Maybe I could just... shift... them? Slurry St. sells very specific mattresses as well. They come in awesome colors, Piss Stained, Blood Splattered, and Blood Soaked! Niccceeee.

An x-ray viewer is always welcome, (I don't have one) perfect for checking the effects of torture damage on your subjects. 

The autopsy tables were just my height! 

If perchance you have more bodies than you can keep in their storage cabinet, they also sell a very reasonably priced, cremation oven. The oven comes complete with animations and glowing embers. You can even smell it, well I can anyway, burn baby burn!

In their outdoor display, Slurry St's. exquisite attention to detail prevails. Contraptions to torch someone deserving at the stake, or hang em high with a hangman's noose complete with platform to amass that crowd around, flourish. In the cemetery the grave markers have that heavy feel of ancient stone; weight of the years look, so to speak. The Widows Crypt in particular has the sought after mystical ambiance we all search for, at night, in the dark....,

The creepiest thing there though, and you're not going to believe this, was a utterly charming wishing well, that whispered uplifting and sweet quotes! Gasp! Sweet? Charming? What the...? Very scary!

In the end, I particularly liked that you could buy everything in sets. So there's no running from here to there, searching for the important bits and pieces. Also, everything comes with diabolical details, animations, corpse poses, burning pyres, alters, sounds, lights, everything you need to set up your space in about 3 minutes flat! They also carry single items to add interest. Flickering lone light bulbs, voodoo dolls, transfusion kits complete with IV and line, and instrument tables, sinks and extra cabinets for all your specialty eh...tools. 

Well I'm off, back to work! Not enough hours in a day or cadavers in my lab! But please, let me know what YOU find at Slurry St. Oh and....,

Happy decorating!

Slurry St.

Flickr Photos

19, Art For The Dark

Secondlife

Unholy Needs

Sometimes you just have that need to get down on your knees, put your hands together and worship at the alter of the darklord, but if your alter is that tacky one prim wonder you've got stashed in your bedroom, and your followers are snickering at that childlike chalk pentagram you drew on the ground in your backyard, it maybe time to consider a more legitimate venue. 

(You) Legitimate venue Nima? What venue? (Me)How about a church? (You)Sure but which profane church offers the best service with features right for me? (Me) Well listen up my zombie friend, have I got the place for you!

The church at Drykeland castle promises to accommodate all of your unholy needs. Majestic and reverential, the decor of the church is designed to inspire fear and awe. You'll be proud to grovel at the feet of your favorite deity on these ornate floors and there's plenty of room for all your unwholesome friends and relatives to grovel too. If you're the head of ceremonies for your undead group, your evil rituals will shine with the backdrop of cathedral ceilings, an abundance of candles, ancient spell books and a sound track of chanting monks to set the mood. 

Virgin sacrifice optional.

After your sinful solemn rites are complete, take a leisurely stroll through the rest of the castle grounds. Step inside one small building and you'll discover WMTs; weapons of mass torture. Inflict satisfying amounts of pain on yourself and your buddies, they'll appreciate the love. And again, if you are the cults head honcho, don't forget to force your disciples to walk across the grass, (where the signs say, "DON'T WALK ON GRASS!") the ground suddenly opens up, dumping your bedraggled crew into a pit and skewering them with man size deadly spikes embedded in the floor. Hint: Use this pit instead of koolaid for that upcoming cult suicide!

After everyone has recovered, stroll through the cemetery or wander the extensive underground catacombs. Tricky and emotionally damaging, Drykeland has perfected the art of creepy secret corridors and ominous hidden rooms. This impressive system is ginormous, and many unpleasant surprises await.

Oh and by the way.., there IS something down there with you....,

Time to relax! Take a break, grab your mug of witches brew and visit the gallery where you'll currently find an exhibition of exquisite HR Gigar paintings and works by other dark and sexy artists. 

What is murder and mayhem without a little shopping to top off the day?

4 floors of store feed the need with lots of the gadgets you just played with. Ghoulish avatars and other essential undead items will brighten up your appearance and SL home! Pick up souvenirs to remind you of the death and destruction you were a part of today. 

Ah yes, cherish those memories!

Extremely detailed, vivid and utterly romantic. Drykeland Castle is an elaborate and fascinating creation built with love. It's as serious about the dark as you are, yet dramatic and versatile enough for that Gothic wedding or any other dark gathering you have in mind. So what are you waiting for? Stumble and groan your way over there right now and pray to Satan in blissful luxury!

Can you say amen brother?

Dryke Castile And Cemetary

More photos on Flickr

19 Art For The Dark, Saint George Park

Second Life

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