This month, Wyldwood Bayou grid turns five years old, but to know that is only to have the very edges of the story of this vibrant corner of our hyperverse. Best known for its dancing events and roleplay, WWB grew out of a group of friends who had all had experience in Second Life before coming over to Opensim; their story of grid changes probably resonates with most of us, the best bit of it being that they were able to remain together as a tribe, no matter the vagaries of grid shutdowns, lost assets, and the usual craziness of opensimulator.
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| Kith Whitehawk |
Kith Whitehawk: Our first OS grid was InWorldz. Kira
and I build Wyldwood Bayou on Kitley, then once we had to move, due
to IW grid removal, settled in Discovery as a spot for the club.
Picked Discovery, mainly due to Jay and Ten-Bears. We met Harmony in
IW, was a boon that she was in between hosting gigs. Was the best
snag ever!
Contessa Lacombe: I met Fit in Inworldz, which was my first OS grid. I picked it because it was all I knew about, but our open OS is so much better! When I first checked out OS, I thought it was very primitive so I stayed in SL, but on a later visit it had grown and I could envision the possibilities. I could have plenty of space to build!
It's a natural part of life that times change, and with experience, confidence and abilities grow. We all yearn for a bit more independence, which is what happened to the WWD group.
Kith Whitehawk: We wanted a place of our own, an
independent grid. One where we had control over the ethos and values.
We also had an extraordinary opportunity, due to Durham and Fits
computer abilities, to have grid stability and a place to call "Our
Own Dayum Swamp". We called it Wyldwood Bayou, since even though
we lost Kira in 2019, her spirit is ever with us. She started the
club on a parcel called WWB in IW back in 2011, and there was never a
question of what we were to call our new home.
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| Fitheach at Hot Daddy's club, immersed in greenery. |
Roleplay and music events have always been the mainstay of this grid, I was curious to know about the backstory to these weekly commitments, starting with the dance venues Hot Daddy's and Rockin' the Blues, which have quite a pedigree.
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| Rockin' the Blues, on WWB grid... watch out for alligators |
Kith Whitehawk: Kira started Rockin the Blues started
back in the day, and she created Hot Daddys for my birthday right
before we came to OS. We wanted a place where people could come and
relax. Not worry if their avatar was wonky, or if they would be
shunned or laughed at, or if they were not welcome. A place where
people could just come and feel free to listen to great music, chat,
or not and be known as a human being. We wanted it to be a family-fun
place where the RL grid division, troubles and sorrows didn't have a
place. It has been a stellar, incredible ride over these last 14
years. As it does, life happens and you adapt to the ever changing
tides. RL commitments over the last few years have changed my ability
to give as much of myself as I have in the past. Kira and I always
said, that we would know, when we knew if it was time to shut the
doors. As much as I hate to do it, I must, as I cannot give the club
the attention and dedication that is required.
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| The famous 'expanded piano dance floor' at Rockin' the Blues |
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| Fit and Tessa at the roleplay hub |
Contessa Lacombe: Brigantia began briefly in SL, but our
need for building space led me to Inworldz. Brigantia is
medieval/fantasy. It is not historically based. I don't think it
takes place in the world as we know it and the timeline is...
flexible. It is loosely based on Mists of Avalon. We meet for
roleplay on Wednesdays at 4:15 pm grid time. 
One of the big draws to this grid is their annual carnival, New Orleans style, and they have a lovely sim dedicated to the French quarter, which has hosted many memorable visits by the Safari crowd.
Fitheach Eun: I started roleplaying in SL in the
group called Avilion; I met Tessa (forgot me did you, Tessa?) there
at her jewelry shop, but we did not rp together until we met again in
InWorldZ. I roleplayed in the Duchy of Chanwood and The Riverlands in
InWorldZ. Ravenquest was formed from the remnants of the Riverlands
in the Great Canadian Grid after we moved there from InWorldZ and
lost our leader. We went through multiple Opensim grids before
finding a permanent home in Wyldwood Bayou. Ravenquest are cross-grid
roleplayers.
Fitheach Eun: Although our theme is technically Medi/Fantasy, we have
roleplayed in ancient Rome and Victorian Steampunk and anywhere else
the gates and portals have taken us. We have set roleplays on a
number of other OpenSim grids and enjoy fitting their builds into our
stories. Any reasonable storyline will be considered. Our rp works
because we are flexible; we are all willing to play other characters
when needed. We consider ourselves storytellers and street theater,
our roleplay is never scripted and often surprises us with unexpected
changes of direction. Ravenquest roleplays on Thursdays at 4:15 PM.
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| Harmony Beningborough |
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| Kith Whitehawk at Mardi Gras |
The WWB tribe has strong ties that bind, but at the same time, that doesn't prevent each one from having other interests and being involved in creative activities on other grids too. For example, Contessa Lacombe is active over on Wolf Territories Grid, and Harmony Beningborough has a lovely region called Mermaid's Cove on OSgrid.
Harmony Beningborough: There is some shopping and a grotto to swim in and right now there's a Halloween shop. I'll be opening Area 56 by October, if you imagine Area 51 you'll know what it's about!
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| N'Awlins region, on Wyldwood Bayou grid |
This 5th anniversary of Wyldwood Bayou grid marks the end of an era, one that has created lots of good memories. Kith sums it up this way.
Kith Whitehawk: While we celebrate the 14th Years of
Rockin the Blues and our WWB 5th year anniversary, I want to thank
each and every Tribe member, every DJ, every Host and every person
who has made this journey possible. Years of fantastic music,
spectacular parties, really great friends and a loving family has
gotten me through some incredibly hard times and we have had ever so
much fun. Every one of you are part of a legacy that has spanned well
over a decade and will be certain to live much longer in our
memories. To the crew of WWB, Fitheach, Harmony, Contessa,
Durham and Maggie...'Ohana means family. Yesterday, today and
tomorrow.
HG Addresses:
wyldwoodbayou.com:8002:Wyldwood Bayou Rockin' The Blues
wyldwoodbayou.com:8002:Wyldwood Bayou Hot Daddys
wyldwoodbayou.com:8002:Wyldwood Bayou Roleplay Hub
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