Wednesday, April 9, 2014

The Secret Affair - Game of Thrones

1
For many years she had studied in the darkness. It was in the darkness after all, that the lord of light held sway. This was known, to those with the wit to see it, a truth as plain as any other; shadows could not exist without light. Light came to her in many guises, all borne of fire. Candle flames fascinated the young. All were warmed and fed from the kitchen hearth. The old, when their time came, journeyed into the realm of the dead through the funeral pyre. As the war progressed, and she played her part, wondrous new possibilities were laid out before her. Wildfire. Her sigil, the ruby red stone always at her throat shimmered now, green as grass, a tribute to her desires. Having felt the power, all she wanted was to set the world ablaze.
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Across the seas, in desert stretching further than any eye could see, the displaced princess walked. In her mind, she was princess no longer, no more was she Khaleesi. These things had passed as she took on her new role, the one which she knew would last her the rest of her life, and carry her to the heights of ambition. As the eggs cracked, splintering stone cherished through centuries for its beauty, her children had emerged. She had learned from the decline of her family, had seen great cities fall under the blade of her husband and had made mistakes of her own. In her hands she now had the power to take the world for her own, and she intended to take it. 4
5 Far up in the North the snows shifted beyond the wall. The closest noble house had the saying 'Winter is coming'. It was true, and it was a lie. Winter would always come to those in the South eventually. High up in the wilds, it never ended. Eternal cold hardened those who lived in it just as the baking sun burned weakness from the wandering tribes of the desert. Adaptation made these people seem uncouth, even feral to those accustomed to living in comfort, with all they could ever need within arms reach. Such imperious beliefs could not go on forever unchallenged. There was beauty and strength in the wilds, and with the first snows of true winter floating toward the south they would come to challenge all. 6

Anyone else who got as absurdly excited about the fourth season premiere of Game of Thrones as I did this week, should get themselves along to the GoT themed gacha event at The Secret Affair. It runs until the 30th April. Select high quality designers have some amazing items in gachas, also some available to purchase direct. As ever, I've gone for a mixture of both. (I didn't even show here all I bought - there wasn't room!)
The Secret Affair - Game of Thrones Event

Melisandre
Gown - . a i s l i n g . Qarth Lady -Black-  L$ 450
Beautiful MESH gown, HUD driven, with options for the fabric and colours for the metal sections. The fabric 'tails' from the shoulders are also changeable, from solid to near transparent opacity.
Choker - !dM deviousMind "Melisandre" Choker **EMERALD** L$ 50 (Gacha)
Choker has options for changing metal colour.

Daenerys
Crown - Alchemy - Mother of Dragons -  ULTRA-RARE  L$ 100  (Gacha)
Outfit - DRD Death Row Designs -  Targaryan Blue and Bloody - L$100
Dragon - YumYums - Baby Draegon (Hornwood) - L$ 50 (Gacha)

Ygritte
Gown - Peqe - Throne's Game_The North  L$ 380
Another beautiful MESH gown. The shine on the 'metal' belt is outstanding. 
Crown - [Keystone] Wilding Crown L$ 50



Sunday, April 6, 2014

The Lost Mine

It all started on a Tuesday. Not the most auspicious of days; a day, in fact for fools. Professor Madrigal Peabody was not generally regarded as a fool, but like all geniuses, he had his moments. After years of toil and research, he had invented a portal into another world and found a lost mine full of riches. Such wonders were his to behold, and yet his own world, and his duties there called him back. Being a scholar, a scientist, he of course drew out a map ensuring he could find the portal again at any time of his choosing. The universe gave, and then, with the turning of the stars, it took away. The Professor absent mindedly tore up the map, thinking it nothing more than his grocery list.
It was then that he asked for help, the pieces strewn by the winds all across the city. Adventurers and students answered his call, picking up bags to collect the torn pieces, they hunted through the city, gradually piecing together the lost map. Once the map was complete, each shred joined to the others, a shining light sealed the rents, and pulled the adventurer through the portal.
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Finding their feet far from any city, scent of pine drifted on fresh breezes carrying the ringing of distant hammers, of low, deep voices. Walking through the woods, the adventurer tripped over a clod of disturbed earth, something deep within catching the sunlight. Voices rose at the nearby camp. Small people, Dwarfins male and female bustled along the path, drawn to the shining crystal.
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They led the adventurer to a wooden door into the mountain. "There are more crystals." They explained; hidden all over the land. Only by collecting enough to fill the empty sockets in the door could any but a Dwarfin hope to progress, as the Professor had...
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So the adventurer hunted, searching the woods, coves and the Dwarfin town; until the bag, so recently full of scraps of paper, clinked gently with its load of large crystals. Travelling back through woodland paths, once more the adventurer stood before the great door, sliding each crystal home. Shuddering, with a cloud of dust, the door began to move.
4
Deep in the darkness, cavern after cavern the adventurer walked through the lost mine. Soft light glowed from crystals much larger than any they had ever seen. Some caves were dead ends, others cunningly bored into the rock merely had the appearance of leading nowhere. Banners, each of a different colour, adorned some of the caves, and in these, solving riddles and puzzles, the adventurer found crystals of a deeper hue, collecting them all.
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As the rainbow completed, and the final puzzle was solved all faith and trust was given over to a rickety wooden mine cart... and a journey on to treasure...
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MadPeas have done it again! 
Another 'point and click' adventure through SL - this time in three parts. Part one is in MadCity itself, then on to the Dwarfins SIM, then into a cave system to solve some fiendish puzzles, collecting and clicking as you go, before the crazy cart ride to the pile of prizes in the depths of the Lost Mine.

This game is a little different, as the things you have to 'pick up'  / click on  - pieces of crumpled paper or piles of earth are right out there in the open for anyone to see, and anyone to click on. You have to be quick! Once someone has clicked on it, their name will appear over the item, and it will disappear after they animate picking it up. The items spawn throughout the SIMs, they may re-spawn in the same place, but perhaps not for several hours. 
For this game, after buying the game HUD for L$150, you can also buy 'Pea Clue Finders' a wearable Pea in pink or green, who gives hints as to where the next piece can be found. There are also Dwarfin 'Clue Finders', which do the same thing all L$150 each. As I'm something of a purist when it comes to hunts etc, I didn't buy these, so I can't really grumble too much when someone wearing one runs in and clicks on the item I was heading toward. Not saying no grumbling, but not too much!

On to the prizes shown here!

Shack : Never totally dead - The Shack
Map : Collage - The Professor's Map
Drinks cabinet : Apple Fall - Globe bar
Treasure chest : Elephante Poses - Treasure
Barrel : Alouette - Mining Decor
Gold bars : .:Wimey:.  - The Lost Mines' Golden Treasure
Dwarfin : Dwarfin - Walk a Long - Rustic Easter (drops easter eggs when you type!)
Hair : [LNS Designs] IGNES WILDMANE
Crown : [LNS Designs] MADPEA_WINGED CROWN
Dress : Peqe - Arabian (mesh)
Nail appliers : {Wicked} Peach - Bedtime Story Nail Appliers (Slink hands only)