DJing Saturday @the Dark Wishes Halloween Party!

Expect rock, metal, oldschool goth and some oddities. Oh and there are prices to get: Likely evil RLV devices^^

I got my last haircut at a sushi-bar!

Where? Dark Wishes Playground

When? 1 PM SLT

See you there!

Actually Exploreworthy: Invictus

Its been a while since I posted something here. Partly due to RL reasons (good RL reasons!), partly because there haven't been so many interesting sims I have seen lately and none really which was worth to take some photos and blog about them.

Invictus though is different. Unlike most LEA installations it is more than just a plain surface, dotted with some more or less random abstract humanoid sculptures: It is beautiful, dense, gloomy and in its composition and emotional impact simply stunning!

Sure, the visual standard today has become pretty high in SL. Complex, mesh structures with baked textures and material effects are a commonplace, but aesthetically many creators are walking on a well beaten path. This sim though makes things a bit differently; has some edge and a certain vibe... and it did instantly captivate me.

Before I forget: the theme of the installation is a poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley:

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

So yeah, check it out. Its not shit!

New Rentals at Dark Wishes!

A couple of days ago, I wrote about Linden Labs offering lower prices for their land. My friend Talia instantly picked up that opportunity and opened a second Sim for rentals and extension for her pony track too!

There are currently three levels of rentals:

Level 1 - Houseboat with 50 prims allowance for L$ 75 per week

Level 2 - Parcel with 250 prims allowance for L$ 450 per week  

Level 3 - Parcel with 400 prims for L$ 750 per week

Level 3 also have a spacious dungeon skybox included!

The new sim, Dark Wish, is just south of the Night Wish sim. You can just walk over there and check it out!

Teleport to Dark Wishes

No-Theme Dance on Saturday

Just a short heads-up: our friends over at Z&A are having another of their fourtnightly Raven Park dances on Saturday. The theme this time is "no theme", so come as you are or wrap yourself in skimpy fetish clothes. You can't really do something wrong  with that!
The dances are hilariously funny events and the highlights of the SL-weekend. See you there!


Z&A "No Theme" Dance on Saturday

Sunstone

Here's now something less-Second Life related (yet somehow it is, but more of that later), but with a quite high BDSM content. I guess long-term readers of my blog don't object that ;-)
You may have seen the drawings of Shiniez (or Stjepan Sejic, how he is known in the rl-world) hanging on some walls in Second Life (for example at Dark Wishes) or on his DeviantArt page.
For those who are not familiar with him: His fetish-comic/graphic-novel series Sunstone is about the Domme Ally and her Sub Lisa and their adventures together. Yes, in- and outside of their bed :p

Ally and Lisa. I don't think I have to tell you who is the Domme and who the Sub!

Sunstone is quite something special: Besides the outstanding quality of the artwork, it also show BDSM as a fun activity between two quite believable persons, not just exchangeable one-dimensional fetish-figures with exaggerated anatomy, as it is the case in a lot of fetish art.
You get to see them silly and playful, slouching around home in all-day clothes, bound and full of excitement, but also struggling with their self-doubts or with life's numerous ways to make things more complicated.
His characters have exactly what the name says: character.

There is also an  aspect in Sunstone which makes me wonder if the author has any experience with Second Life (hence the hint at the beginning of my post): He describes Ally as a (at times) hardcore MMO-player, so it seems rather likely that he is at least aware of it (and hence likely of its BDSM-scene too). Anyway, in Volume 1 he shows a bit of the backstory of his main characters and how they found each other and eventually came together. From BDSM sessions inChat to exchanging more and more personal details and sending each other pictures till finally meeting up in real-life for the first time...
This is another aspect of the story which rings a bell for me, because that is exactly the way how Emma and I came together. Ok, we are less comical (hopefully!) but the pattern is the same and a lot of the feelings and thoughts which went through their minds could just as well been ours.

Sunstone also isn't shy of addressing the more serious aspects of BDSM like trust, health and safety (Safeword, SSC*), but usually not in a preaching way and very well woven into the story.

The only issue I really have is the visual uniformity of the characters. The girls all have more or less ideal body-shapes and all characters have quite similar faces and hairstyles (and not only that: tons of redheads, tons!)- and so far they are all white (I'm not waiting for Drows to appear though!).
So that's a bit of a flaw, but not a big one really as it doesn't affects the quality of the story or the visuals. (Edit: I was - at least partially - wrong: Harper, the owner of the BDSM club in Sunstone is actually black).

All in all Sunstone is a light-hearted and very well written (and drawn) series I am glad to recommend to everybody. Newbies to BDSM, who don't quite know where to start will likely find it just as entertaining and insightful as more experienced people who may find a bit of themselves in the characters.


Volume 4 of Sunstone was released recently and whilst you can get the series as digital copy or even as part of a humble bundle, I recommend the real deal and getting a printed copy. It is with $15.99 only insignificantly more expensive than the digital one ($11.99) and you can "forget" it innocently on your coffee table and see how your friends react to it ;-)

Vol. 4, not the Black Sabbath one. That's here.

*Three important aspects of any BDSM interaction. It should be: Safe, Sane, Consensual

Weird Saturday's Science!

Me and Emma great fun last night at the Raven Park Dance. Thanks to Antony, Anna and Eve and everyone who came by for the great party!

In A Pub in Tether's End...

Strolling through SL often leads to meeting talented and interesting people - thats one of the things I really like it for. Like today at Tether's End, when I met Mellow - a bloody good photographer. It's definitely worth to check out her flickr page!

Games you really need to know about

Little Inferno

My friend Oiolosse is an avid gamer - and one with a good taste too. Its not only high-profile titles she is writing about, often the rather unknown indie titles are the most interesting really.

New Kraken Wars Chapter published!

Friday is Kraken Wars Day! Read the 2nd part of Jack Tracker's  epic steampunk story at the official Drow Science Blog.

Introducing: The New Drow Science Blog!

When I started writing my Drow Diary back in 2011, it was purely a personal Blog about my adventures (some call them shenanigans) in Second Life, like my bike-tours, Blake-Sea-flights and some evil adult fun. It all was and still is great fun and brought me loads of positive feedback! 

Over the years though the focus of the Drow Diary shifted more and more towards my activities as builder and shop-owner, while I also kept posting more personal content. To cut the story short here: The content-situation became a bit messy!

The new year is a fine opportunity to clean this mess up a little by creating a new Blog, called Drow Science, exclusively for my steampunk- and building activities. That should make it much easier for visitors to navigate and to find much faster what they are looking for.

Goes without saying that I keep The Drow Diary too. For more personal posts and things which don't really have much to do with Drow Science.

I wish you a fantastic 2016 and see you at the new Drow Science Blog!

Motörhead Second Life Shirt

The Motörhead Second Life shirt freebie is now available at the Marketplace. I hope you enjoy it! Live wild and loud and don't suffer fools!

Farewell Lemmy!

Sad news about Lemmy's death. News like that always come too early and he was for certain somebody you would think would live forever. If you ask me, he certainly should have.

Anyway, lets celebrate his legacy and his life! He certainly won't have liked seeing everyone mourning and being upset!

I made a Motörhead bandshirt a while ago (with the cool full-perm mesh T-Shirt by Kat Fetisov) and I find this is a good moment to share it. The T-Shirt is only available for ladies (sorry guys!) and comes in standard-sizing XXS-L, so one of them should fit you!

The T-Shirt is right now available as Drow Science group gift and I will put it on the Marketplace too very soon (as soon as LL fixes it) - of course as freebie. I hope you enjoy it and show off your good taste for music!

The Fun you have when you try to cash-out your L$ from Abroad

Being in Second Life and creating and selling my creations there always have been an enjoyable activity for me. It isn't like you are getting rich with it, but selling items is a nice way to get some positive feedback – simply that people like the things you make and appreciate your efforts.

As of lately though, Linden Labs showed a behaviour that makes me reconsider investing any more time and effort into SL. What did happen?

Since Christmas is coming closer, I wanted to cash-out some of my L$ to my account. Not a terribly large sum – enough to buy some presents and have some pocket-money.

I did the whole procedure a few months ago already, after reading Kat Fetisov's great posts about it. I was kind of prepared for a ton of paperwork to go through all the necessary required procedures, but after I filled in all forms, got my tax-ID and all that legal stuff sorted, the payout worked fine.

This time however, instead of receiving my payment, it seems I have unleashed a landslide of bureaucracy and anti-money-laundering and/or tax-evasion mechanisms.

I placed my order on thanksgiving day (not a great timing maybe, but we don't have that holiday in Europe, so what) and got a reply the week after, telling me that a support case has been created about my request and that Linden Labs is requesting further information. I got the slight feeling that this isn't going to work out like last time.

The first reply was requesting further proof of identity from me, with I provided with a scan of my ID (front and backside). Also they asked me three questions:

1. About the status of my relationship to certain residents (the first is a close friend of mine, the second one is the account I used to pay my rent to)
2. what the source of my SL-income is (you might have guessed right: its my SL sales) and finally
3. my current residential status.

Fair enough, I did the cash-out order while being on holiday abroad and I guess my IP address was not matching the region of my residential address and hence the whole transaction got flagged in their system somehow. I didn't know that this would cause such a problem. Especially if the amount is way below any suspicious levels. We are NOT talking about ten thousands of USD here – my Airships are still not THAT popular^^

Anyway, I answered their enquiries and clarified the matter. At least so I hoped.

To be fair, I had so far rather positive experiences with the Linden Labs support. About two years ago, when I was victim of a copyright infringement, the labs replied promptly to my claim and removed the offending item within a few days.

One or two days later I got a reply telling me that they request me to send in proof of my residence in Germany. Specifically official letters, bank statements or rental invoices or whatsoever from the last 90 days where my current German address is written on.

Now this is the moment where my common sense felt a tiny bit insulted. Who goes on holiday with any of these documents in their luggage? I mean seriously, who takes their voting-registration or insurance certificates while going hiking and enjoying coastal sunsets?

Eventually I remembered that I set up an online account for my health insurance and managed to send them a PDF with my German residence written on.

I felt pretty disappointed and frustrated by the whole situation. And honestly, even after I sent in that document, I wondered if my cash-out would happen at all. I have full understanding that there have to security measures in international money-transfers and fully support according measures where they are necessary. I don't know how strict the laws and regulations for Linden Labs are with financial transactions, but in this particular case, with a rather petty sum and with an absolute transparent way my income has been generated, the situation is simply ridiculous.

Professor Wickentower's Transmissions through the Aether - Part 4

Dear readers and everyone else who visits this blog,

it is a very special pleasure for me to publish a new episode of the Professor's Transmissions through the Aether. Today it is a quite mysterious one, but don't be afraid: you are in good hands here. So get yourself a warm drink, take a seat next to the fire and listen to the Professor's words through your receiving device:

As the winter nights draw in, I am reminded of a tale I once heard, while sheltering from a most tempestuous storm....
During the worst storm to strike the far off lands of Mirrormere, a most isolated region, which is a vast lake surrounded by jagged peaks and pitted with shadow filled valleys, a Dirigible bound for Never drift, found itself caught up in the 'Krakens breath' a term used by the Aethernauts of Old New Gate, meaning a storm strong enough to tear the envelope of an Airship and twist her structure to breaking point. And indeed the Airship was dashed on the rocky spires and all but three souls, were lost on board.
These three, a young couple and their year old daughter, found themselves lost and alone in the bitter encroaching cold, stumbling through the heavy pines rising up from the snow blanketed land and only compounding their dilemma by attempting to follow the frozen river, which ended abruptly at the edge of a precipice. Now cut off from any safe route, the slope to steep to return, all seemed lost...Until a figure emerged from the snowy night and beckoned to them, a lean almost thin figure, swathed in furs and glistening with hoarfrost, his long hair white as the snow which settled on it, and a beard bristling with frost. Without an alternative, the couple followed him, their precious cargo clutched tightly, for arduous hours they allowed themselves to be led by this would be rescuer, who never spoke, not a word, or sound from his lips emerged in that time. Finaly he paused at a mountain track which ran below the snow line, and placing his sack on the floor indicated the route they should follow to the village, which sprawled out below them, welcoming window lights in the gloom and the clattering of carts, more welcome sights and sounds than any, after such a chilly ordeal.
And then, without a word, the old man picked up his sack and climbed back up the mountain, beyond the tree line, up into the snow line and vanished into the clouds shrouding the peak...And was never heard nor seen from again.
The family now safe in the town below recounted the tail of this unspeaking guide and were met with some curious gazes from those gathered in the tavern. You see, in the most far flung and isolated corners of the world, superstition is abroad in all walks of life. The more level headed said it was just a kindly old Hermit, who lived up there high up in the ragged peaks who performed a charitable act. But some whispered of the Revenant of an old mountain guide, who perished above the snow line searching for a lost group of mountaineers, finally fulfilling his last promise to return the lost ones to safety...And some? well, some whispered that this was old Jack Frost himself, who for some reason, took pity on the man, woman and child, and in that moment, decided he would performed one kindly deed, and lead the family to safety...But as I say, there are places in the chilly furrows of the world where superstition is rife, or as some may say, older more intimate knowledge of the half seen world, we sometimes stumble across , as the shadows lengthen and the chill winds blow, in the dead of winter....
What do you think?...

Exert From
 'My further travels across the 35th Dimension and other places'
Prof.Z.Wickentower.

The Femdom Hunt VI has started!

Everyone who looks forward of walking with high heels over Antony's bare butt again: rejoice - the Femdom Hunt VI is on!

Apart from the trampling aspect (which might have escalated a little in earlier hunts), there are also cool gifts to grab (that's even what the hunt is officially about!) and new places to explore.

This hunt is a quite special one for Emma and me btw. we are currently re-branding Sunshine Technology into S & em. So if you couldn't find us yet on the list of hunt locations: we are there and you will get a literally captivating gift with our new (and highly elegant) logo!

New logo and hunt gift in one frame!

Like it? Come and grab it at our store: S & em (Hunt Location #11)

Want to see the Prometheus in SL? Here are some places:

Good news! The new Prometheus-Class is now on exhibit in its full life-sized glory at Never Drift and Dark Wishes.

For the future there are several extensions for the ship planned - stay tuned!

The Prometheus II Is here!

I know some of you have been waiting for this release quite a while - too long actually. But real-life had quite a word in that matter and while I'd have loved to see it released at a much earlier date, that was just not possible.

But the long waiting is now over and I can honestly say that the Prometheus-Class II is by far the best ship I ever built. While it shares the same basic layout the old Prometheus-Class has (including 3 decks, elevator and a segmented bridge section), the new ship makes much more use of its space and looks also much more streamlined - and yes: a little bit more aggressive too^^

I also gave it two optional engine variants. Steam engines and dieselpunk-inspired radial engines in the style of the 1930s - and I think they both look very good in it!

Oh and the best thing of all: there is a flyable version too!

Here some specifications:

Dimensions:

• Length with landing strip retracted: 44.60 m
• Length with landing strip extended: 68 m
• Width: 30.10 m
• Height: 16.50 m

Enough blablah - lets have some pictures. They say more than a thousand words anyway:

The Prometheus-Class II is now available on the Marketplace! I decided to put it on a promotional price for the first week - so better get it as long its cheap!^^