SL21B – The Nimbus and Stonehold Stages

On By altathiemenIn Second Life, SL Events
The sun sets into the sea in an amber sky to the left of image. On the right side, a portion of a large building can be seen. There is a semicircular pier jutting out toward the left. Near the center of the frame, a tiny figure of a woman can be seen standing on the pier looking to the left. Fountains spurting water surround the pier.

The Nimbus

What could be more evocative of the element of air than an event stage on a flying sailing ship. The Nimbus’s deck, which is the event area, straddles the four regions of Amaze, Imagination, Astonish, and Astound.

A grassy road winds up an island or peninsula covered in high rock pinnacles. Just behind the high rocks, a very large wooden ship can be seen flying, suspended beneath tall rotors.

Getting to The Nimbus requires a sort of leap of faith. I was not 100% convinced that using a cannon to launch oneself to the dance floor was entirely safe. But it turned out to be quite quick and painless.

A large, ornate brass cannon sits in the middle of a grassy area. Behind it, two bunches of green and red balloons, and quite big ones too, are tied to rocks on the ground. A steep bluff fills half the background to the right behind them. The cannon is angled up and to the left. A woman in black jeans and sleeveless top with glossy blond hair looks up at the cannon. A sign reading "Party Cannon Click to Teleport" has been placed with a number of crates in front of the cannon.

The texturing on the ship is lovely to see. I presume there are lots of PBR materials being employed here. Look closely at the play of light on the deck surfaces as well as the details of the carvings on the sides of the ship.

This build appears, based on the creator field of just about every element I inspected, to be a product of Ancient Mole. Also the ancient tome Easter egg which you can hunt for looks like a static copy of his sometime avatar.

Stonehold

The final stage on the list is Stonehold, which spans the regions of Wonderous, Dazzle, Exhilarate, and Fascinate.

A large circular area is surrounded by a heavy stone gallery with broad, curved stone lintels supported by columns. The gallery has four entrances, two large stone arches and two other, massive stone arches with curved capitals. Within the area enclosed is a central grassy area around which a ring of paving runs. Paved paths lead from the arches in toward the central area. Many small spheres of varying colours rise from the grassy area in the center. Outside the gallery tow the left and behind is a dense pine wood. To the right, a bright, double stone pathway leads to one of the larger entrances. Parts of hedge mazes can be seen on the near and far side of this pathway.

Last in our list of elements is earth. Stonehold, grounded firmly to the earth with its heavy stone architecture, surrounded and indeed even partly overgrown with plants represents this element well. A seemingly simple, if immense, structure, the detailing of this build is amazing. Look closely at the columns and other stonework, particularly with low angle lighting. It’s really great work!

A wide double path of stone divided by long pools of water runs between vast hedge mazes toward a very large stone arch in the distance. Colonnaded galleries run off from the left and right of this arch. Behind this edifice, a dense pine forest grows. The entire scene is surrounded by the sea.

There’s a lot more to Stonehold’s surroundings than most stages. Out front are two enormous hedge mazes that I will have to explore soon. Behind is a thick pine woods with paths and a meandering stream that empties into the ocean. Hunters may wish to give this area some attention 😉.

And now it’s time to find a place to relax after a busy day’s exploring.

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