Timeless Ariadne

 This week we were able to visit another super region on Groovyverse, by Sam Timeless. His creative skillz are many and varied, this time it was a perfectly proportioned Safari-sized stroll in and around a volcanic lake. As usual the HG address is at the end of the post.

Ariadne on GroovyVerse

But first... If you've ever wondered what happens before the Safari gets started, we all basically sit around the fire and talk nonsense. Like this.

Tosha Tyran: can't anybody set the poor little lama free?

Thirza Ember: he's a drama llama, he needs to stay put, Don't feel sorry for him.

Nara Nook: poor baby

Tosha Tyran: look at its sad, sad eyes, and the bucket is not full of water - its full with his tears

Nara Nook: I used to do a website for a llama farm. They spit at you when you try and get their picture... after all the spit and trouble, turned out no one wanted to eat llama burgers so the job didn't last long

Tosha Tyran:  oh... but aren't they normally used for therapies? the people cuddle them and go for walks with them. I think they are just the friendliest looking, nicest animals - next time I come with some signs and start a demo: free the animals

Thirza Ember: not if they spit, I suppose... walk and wash all in one

Nara Nook: lol

Tosha Tyran: maybe they only spit at smartphones and cameras

LannorraSion Traveler: hello everyone

Thirza Ember: heya Lannorra and welcome!

Forest Azure: how cosy :)  you know you are sitting on me, Tosha?

Tosha Tyran: now I don't need a llama anymore

Mal Burns: hi all

Unadecal Masala: Hi Forest

Thirza Ember: this is Lanorra's first Safari so be sure to friend her

Taarna Welles: Evening peeps

lifted pixel: hello all you lovely avatars

Tosha Tyran: freedom for the llama!

Forest Azure: what's with the llama?

Tosha Tyran: it is closed up in a miserable little cage without food and water crying its eyes out

Forest Azure: oh my can they cry?

Tosha Tyran: and I heard it is being kept for llama burgers

James atLLOUD: I'm afraid to ask about that cage conversation!

Arrival on Ariadne

Getting to Groovyverse for the very first time does involve accepting the ToS on the website, and it's possible to measure your own mental health by how much that upsets you. That said, there's a difference between not being willing and not being able to make the ToS work... If you have some difficulties in getting to the grid, as happened to Taarna, then grid owner Hyacinth is always willing to help out, and she quickly resolved the problem for our group. 

ToS once done, you're in - and in for a lot of fun because this Groovyverse is brimming over with things to see and do. Safari visited Sam's recreation of the RL scottish island Eday a while back,  this time we were dipping our toes in full fantasy. The stream on the island is Radio Paradise, a perfect fit for this place.

Samsara Timeless: Welcome to Ariadne everyone...You're about to be subjected to a history lesson lol

Thirza Ember: applause

Forest Azure: oh my

Time to climb at Ariadne

Samsara Timeless: Around 10,000 years ago as the great unfreeze began tribes were migrating North following the receding ice in search of new land on which to settle. One tribe, the Ariad, being more adventurous than most travelled deeper into the frozen wastes than any before had dared and their courage was rewarded with the discovery of a peculiarly circular range of low hills covered in lush and verdant vegetation surrounding a lake of fresh water. Hot springs arose from the depths and the warmth, constricted as it was by the surrounding hills served to keep the whole in tranquil profundity. The Ariad settled here, naming their new found land Ariadne and being of a somewhat confrontational nature were left well alone by other migrating tribes.

Samsara Timeless: For a thousand years the icecaps continued to melt and as that vast weight was dissipated the lands began to rise and the Ariad found the true origins of their wonderland. Twas the remains of an extinct volcano who's sides form the cliffs you see above you now. Igneous rock, being riven with veins of magma proved to be a source of immense mineral wealth and the Ariad traded these precious metals and jewels with the surrounding tribes who inhabited the nearby land masses that had also arisen around Ariadne.

Up a steep and rocky path we all went, wondering what awaited us on the other side of the mountain.

Samsara Timeless: Not wishing to taint the lineage and traditions of the Ariad culture other tribes, collectively known by the Ariad as the 'Notus' were never permitted to settle or marry within the Ariad and the race remains pure to this day. Very rarely are visitors permitted here and only on sufferance. The Ariad are observing you as we speak so please refrain from any behaviour that is less than polite decorum.

lifted pixel: Guess that means we have to be good.

Thirza Ember: no sitting in naughty places, James

Samsara Timeless: Entry to the interior is through only four tunnels, each with its own perils. The one we shall traverse will not please arachnophobes. So perhaps those of a delicate nature could remain upon this beach until TP'd to the interior by a kind and somewhat braver companion.

Spiders? well the place is called Ariadne, after all

James atLLOUD: oh spiders?  bring 'em on!

Samsara Timeless: Ok, when your ready, this path above me please follow. keeping to the left as we go... keep away from those devils masks and you'll be fine :)

Tosha Tyran: there are... quite a few... spiders... have you seen them....?

James atLLOUD: yes!

Forest Azure: well, at least they don't spit like lllllllamas

Samsara Timeless: welcome to the interior

LannorraSion Traveler: Pretty

Nara Nook: nice view

Samsara Timeless: All the many paths and terraces lead down eventually to the lake side. One warning only, please do not cam, examine or tamper with the light beam or its mechanism as instant vaporisation can be an unsettling experience. The reason for its existence will be explained shortly. 

Forest Azure: light beam, light beam

lifted pixel: in the middle, you said the wrong thing lolol vaporize me captain!

Samsara Timeless: oh dear :(

Nara Nook: found the light beam

Sam Timeless

Tosha Tyran: wow, this is pretty

Whirli Placebo: so beautiful here!

James atLLOUD: Yes, what a great sense of space.

Thirza Ember: i hope walking on the grass doesn't count as disrespectful behavior, I'm pretty sure i trampled some flowers

James atLLOUD: keep on the path!

Taarna Welles: Blurb!

Samsara Timeless: Ok.. a bit more formal blurb..." For aeons the Ariad enjoyed their peaceful and prosperous existence until around 100 years ago it was noticed that a miasmic and obnoxious mist began to emanate from the lake.  The greatest minds were bent upon the problem and it was discovered that the combination of warm water and rotting vegetation had produced a toxic gas which threatened to soon asphyxiate the entire population.  Hence the invention of the Plasma Environment Generator or 'The Great Peggy' as it became known colloquially."

Forest Azure: /me does not get the blurb talk

James atLLOUD: 'blurb' is a technical term in publishing I think.

Thirza Ember: it's like a role play story, without having to do role play, Forest

Ayla Alvarez: grins

Nara Nook: found the octopus garden

Whirli Placebo: nice dance area underneath the water!

Samsara Timeless: This invention was so effective that it was discovered that the higher pressure created subaquesously cleansed and oxygenated the lake to such an extent that existence underwater became possible without the use of breathing apparatus and hence the Elders Council Chamber, Dance Circle and Playground came in to being.

Ayla.Alvarez: sorry I'm late

Hyacinth Jean: Hi Ayla

Samsara Timeless: When you're ready please proceed through either of the doorways behind me and down the stairs

lifted pixel: so that's why i could breathe the water

Samsara Timeless: Its the usual undersea thing, a good few fly arounds that are fun but really I had to justify the light beam thingy

LannorraSion Traveler: lovely area

Nara Nook: It's really pretty

Hyacinth Jean: Generally the only avatars that have internal organs like lungs are ripped from SL, so if they drown they are on their own.  hehe

snowbody Cortes: I love it

James atLLOUD: how fun

Forest Azure: james and me share a npc dance partner fondness, but this one is a bit on the small side

James atLLOUD: NPC dancer means never having to say I'm sorry!

Thirza Ember: what a romantic hideaway

Tosha Tyran: gorgeous

Nara Nook: The bubbles are a nice touch

LannorraSion Traveler: /approves of NPC partners... grins

Samsara Timeless: definitely less hassle Lann :)

Forest.Azure: i want a different one, this one keeps standing on my toes

Thirza Ember: they never phone you the next day, though

Samsara Timeless: that's another plus. you never remember their names anyway

Thirza Ember: Sam, do you have events here sometimes? this would be a great venue for a party

Samsara Timeless: we're certainly up for them

Nara Nook: yes

Hyacinth Jean: Maybe in a couple weeks we can start DJing again Sam

Thirza Ember: there ought to be a Mermaid Marathon event in opensim... go to all the fish friendly party places

lifted pixel: bar flop instead of hop

Nara Nook: It would be a good way to warm up in the winter

Samsara Timeless: there's a few mer regions here in GroovyVerse

Thirza Ember:so, is the octopus cleaning the water?

Samsara Timeless: ah well.. yes... that's the next bit that justifies the whole build

James atLLOUD: I imagine the octopus was the DJ

Samsara Timeless: that's ok.. DJ too then :) just a rather slow dancer

Forest Azure: a multifunction one

Hyacinth Jean: ooh!  You should bring one of the glass undersea rail tunnels here!   :)

Samsara Timeless: it'd work through the terrain if there was a screen right on the line

Forest Azure: train? did i hear train? are we going by train now?

Thirza Ember: not today, but on our next visit here, hopefully... if Sam will let us. He has made part of the Great Western Railway, one of the most picturesque and storied railways of England.

James atLLOUD: oh - I like trains

Nara Nook: Last time we all got on a train we were hit by another one

James atLLOUD: was the burning man train on this grid?

Nara Nook: and we got a boat that sank with us

Forest Azure: lol... yes, since then I think a bit differently about boat rides

Nara Nook: we need to start carrying St Christopher medals to protect travellers

Thirza Ember: the best boat ride on a safari .... Danger Lytton at the Dew Drop islands. remember that? unbeatable

Nara Nook: oh yeah that was fun

James atLLOUD: yes, that was wonderful

Samsara Timeless: Kk, there's one more place to show you.. the source of this light beam thingy. This sanitation device needs a lot of power, In here :) This was my excuse for the region, I love machines

LannorraSion Traveler: cool! lotsa widgets and thingmagiggys

lifted pixel: love builds with lots of motion

Ayla Alvarez: it could be a power plant if it wasn't using so much power

Thirza Ember:  so if any mermaid pees in the lake, this takes care of the problem

James atLLOUD: and the toxic gas

Tosha Tyran: too late - I already did

Samsara Timeless: absolutely it does thirza yes, although that is NOT an excuse to pee in a public area!!!

Taarna Welles: Heart attack /me feels chest pains! /me dies!

Yara Eild: Tarna .......

Taarna Welles: Lol, it was the pee

Samsara Timeless: and it's got a dance ball, I thought this would make quite a fun venue too

Nara Nook: Nice stream playing for it

Yara Eild: oh je

Samsara Timeless: i'd like to add machine sounds but they would bleed into the region too much

Unadecal Masala: some soft steam engine and electric sounds would go great with this

Thirza Ember: i bet Lorin Tone would come up with some sound ideas for that, Sam

James atLLOUD: These machines look really good.  And I feel like we are way underground.

Unadecal Masala: Another thing this build needs is a Mk I Water boiling vessel somewhere...aka, a tea kettle

Tosha Tyran: wow, it is all prim work... wonderful!

Thirza Ember: so next time, Sam will show us his train set, ok? and we will all dress like characters from agatha christie, because it is that sort of part of england, and that era

Forest.Azure: /me makes a good poirot

Nara Nook: oh that would be fun

 Samsara Timeless: the train set is all steam and one shunting diesel

snowbody Cortes: well done here!

Tosha Tyran: it is quite fantastic!

Thirza Ember: I love it, lots of movement but it's not a stressy place, it's very pleasant and beautiful

Samsara Timeless: thanks thirza. thats what I meant, its quite restfully rythmic

Tosha Tyran: I am really fascinated by the prim work! that is great!

Unadecal Masala: I find those governors spinning on top of the engines quite hypnotic

Forest.Azure: /me dares james to sit on one of them machines

James atLLOUD: thank you Sam for the visit!

Whirli.Placebo: thank you so much Samsara....what a charming place you have created!

Tosha Tyran: it is a great place, really crafty work!

Nara Nook: Thank you Sam for sharing this

Forest Azure: yes, thank you, great tour!

lifted pixel: This is an awesome build, thanks for having us!

Alex Salamander: thank you very much :-)

LannorraSion Traveler: Thank you Sam.  This was a fun place! Thanks for taking time to show us

snowbody Cortes: thank you so much Sam, really a good job!

Taarna Welles: Thank you Sam

Samsara Timeless: thank you all, hope to see you sometime at the GWR... there's enough trains for everyone.. eventually :)

HG Address: groovyverse.com:8002:Ariadne