I’m perching on top of the archway over the entrance to Save Haven from Khumbala as I write this morning.
My first exploration for today is the Fantasy Faire region of Khumbala.
SLURL: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Khumbala/128/79/126
Sponsor: Novus Ascending
Designers: Ketsui Naidoo, Robynredhead & Synthodox
The designers’ description says that Khumbala is an “Afrocentric Dreamworld of Memories”, and “A world in tune with the elements that merge at the basin of a mighty mountain.” During the LitFest tour of the region, Ketsui stressed a desire to highlight fantasy traditions beyond the typically European ones most Fantasy Faire goers may be familiar with.
Much research went into the design of this region. The result is a delightful riot of shapes and colours. To me, it does indeed speak of a different fantasy pedigree. All this makes it even more fascinating to explore.
Continuing my clockwise circumnavigation of the fairelands, I enter Khumbala from the Glimmering Meadows entrance and step up from the river onto a boardwalk. There are grass roofed shops on either side of the walk. But these are not plain thatch roofs. They are painted with colourful, eye catching patterns. Brightly printed bunting joins the shops across the walk.
The signboards shine with their own light and the boardwalk is bordered with what look like brightly glowing fallen leaves. The water below the boardwalk flows by in a blue green shimmer. Clearly, there is some form of magic at work here. (That or radioactivity, but I did not bring my Geiger counter. I usually only bring that to sci-fi regions.)
Keep your eyes open and look from side to side. Occasionally you might see a statue of a god (?) in an unexpected place.
Eventually the land rises and the path becomes a series of suspended bridges. The shops are no longer grass roofed huts but enormous floating (or are they suspended in some unseen way from the tress about which they cluster) baskets with walls and roofs of stretched fabric or skins.
The largest of these structures are the flagship shops and main landing area in the south-center of the region. At the main landing area, be sure to climb both sets of stairs, turn your draw distance way up, and enjoy the wonderful views all around.
As you descend back down to ground level toward the west side of the region, you can take a moment to relax at the camp. It has tents sized for the small and the tall, and it’s watched over by a great snek.
This has been a great region to explore! A really fresh look, not quite like anything I’ve seen before. And for all its different from the usual Fantasy Faire builds, it fits in amazingly well with the regions on either side of it.
Shops
- The Flying Pony
- Ghosted
- [Not a Peep]
- Sekkusu Equestrian
- Horse n’ Stuff
- Ruf
- Monarchia
- Dragon Horde
- Nox Equine
- Prehistorica: The Dawn Kingdoms
- Syren’s Song
- Run for the Roses
- The Wino Mino
- Novus/En Pointe (where you can find assets from the region build)
- Nocturne Skies
- Multifarious
- Dalrymple Designs
- Scarlet Fey
- Jeanette’s Joint
- Bliensen & Maitai
- Afterparty
- Mysterious Designs
- Wendigo
- Kai
- Stix
- Verd Min
- DOBS
- Bunk
- Soft Boy
- Crypteque
- Mad Rat
Thinking Outside the Plywood Box 