Scenes From The Firestorm Anniversary Party

 

 By Bixyl Shuftan

 

 Saturday Sept 3 was the twelfth anniversary of Team Firestorm, or Team Phoenix as it was known back then. And they celebrated with a big party, "This is the biggest giveaway event we have ever done!"

 

 Taking place in the intersection of four sims, close to 150 residents were there at peak times. Dropping in, this is what I saw for the first minute.

But things would slowly rezz.

The party started at 4PM with Euphonious Productions.

 

At 5PM was a performance led by Savannah Rain (the two avatars on stage, neither of them Savannah, never did fully rezz during the show).

Among those there was Firestorm leader Jessica Lyon. 

So was Pantera Polnocy (Panterapolnocy Resident), who's also known for documenting a number of Linden meetings on film. 

ScentualLust of Luskwood and Trotsdale.

There was at least one Linden, Vru Linden. 

The party was scheduled to end after two hours. But it kept on going with DJ Trick (Trick Rembrant) playing the music.

And they had a lot of gifts available. Usually they have one, two or three. This time they had twelve, "HOLY SMOKES! 12 (TWELVE!) AMAZING GIFTS for our 12th anniversary!"

Many were gifts from previous years available once more. 

One I hadn't noticed before was this firey squirrel.

The gifts are still available, at least for now, at

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Firestorm%20Dow%20Forest/219/229/3901 .

Jessica credited Teresa Firelight for the party, "I must ... give credit where it’s due. This whole event, all that you are going to ... , ALL THE GIFTS and performances, ALL OF IT, has been painstakingly organized by Teresa Firelight over the last several months. She is one of our Community Gateway Managers in charge of Role Play in our new user regions. Teresa: I cannot thank you enough for all of this hard work."

For a look at the events that led up to the creation of Team Phoenix/Firestorm, check out "Looking Back At Emeraldgate." For a look from the point of view of one of the team, check out this "Interview with Tonya Souther" (since then, Tonya has resigned from the team).

Bixyl Shuftan

New Toulouse Ghost Hunt

By Gemma Cleanslate

The following is posted in on the home page of New Toulouse website.

“Following a sharp rise in reports of local hauntings, a fresh survey of ghostly activity is taking place in New Toulouse Parish.

The Spectral Activity Survey will continue through December 5, so be on the lookout for any haunts, spooks, wraiths, phantoms, specters, poltergeists, or other apparitions. Citizens who register 20 ghosts with the Beacon Spiritualist Institute will gain access to gifts organized by the Taloo Boosters Society.

“The ghosts of this parish, among them the oldest inhabitants of the area, have for too long been without a voice,” said Richard Mains, a recently deceased candidate for New Toulouse mayor. “Since many ghosts are housebound, we call upon the living to find us and tell our stories.”

The most recent survey of this type was undertaken in November 1914, when 2,720 spirits were reported in this parish.”

The parish has been fairly quiet since the hippopotamus scare ( http://slnewserevents.blogspot.com/2017/07/bacon-of-hope-hunt-at-new-toulouse.html  ), but perhaps this is where all the ghosts and ghouls went after Halloween Night. 

I am always so happy when New Toulouse has a special “hunt" event. There is a story at every step that is so interesting . This time there are ghosts of past residents of the parish that will not or cannot leave their homes, perhaps out of love of the place, or just can’t get out. Some still have some contact in the sim, some are just completely lost.

I started by getting my Hud that will keep track of all the ghosts I do find. Each stop will introduce you to a new ghost that you really have to look for in some of the places. It took me a while in a few of the stops to find him or her.There is always so much to see in New Toulouse that is interesting in itself it is easy to get distracted. 

In the Chapel I got so interested in playing the organ and admiring it I got off track. I almost gave up because that was a hard spirit to find  but ran into Kenny (kennymcdee.korobase) and Janie (janie.broome) and we worked together on a couple of stops and helped each other. As Janie mentioned the voice dot sometimes gets in the way of recognizing the ghost! It really helps locate the ghost to use the region windlight. To take pictures I usually change so you can see the venues.

Each venue I visited I was able to find the ghost after a short time. There were a few that took longer because of the size of the venue and the many hiding places. Look up look down, climb stairs, open doors, you will find them and learn their fate. There are fun gifts after you finish the ghosts and are guided back to the Spiritualist institute to find the boxes. Little did I know that one of our reporters , Klaus, is involved in this region til I visited his shop looking for a spirit.

This region has so many fascinating artifacts scattered around it is a wonderful place to visit even when not much more than everyday living is going on. Every time I go I see shops and buildings I have not explored before. I always stop at the cemetery before I leave and get that News Orleans feeling. It is always a pleasure to visit . Have a great hunt. Ah, it is a good idea to take off the hud once in a while to save the ghosts and remember to use the Windlight of the region. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/New%20Toulouse/129/99/23

Gemma Cleanslate  

Volunteering For The Expo

By Gemma Cleanslate

 For the past two weeks I have been a volunteer “elf” in the Christmas expo sims. I have been skating around all the   sims trying to help with any preparations I could before the opening. The builders have done such a marvelous job to make the regions just glow with the winter settings and the lovely marketplace shops. It truly looks like a German marketplace ready, filled with goodies to buy from furniture to fashion and fun things for the stockings. Merchants have out done themselves filling their stores and stalls with all kinds of enticements. I am not only shopping already but also picking up the gifts in the naughty and nice boxes placed in many of the shops (sorry to say I guess I have been  naughty ... but will try again later , since we get a second chance).

Along the snow covered roadways there is a trolley running all the time so you can hop on and off at many stops in all the sims. Get yourselves into the centers of the sims too. Christmas trees are for sale in some of them so take a look before you leave one sim to go to the other. The entertainment area is all set up ready for the many shows and dancing and Santa has a place there too. I have already attended a couple of skating parties with great music! Over on other side of all the sims are the breedable regions where you can take your pick of all types of critters. There will be auctions for some of the critters and a myriad of other items . RelayVendors with donated items from the merchants are hung on the walls in all the shops and when you buy these items you are actually donating all the money to the Relay so look for them.  

I applaud all those who have worked so hard to make this a success, the planning committee, the builders, the sim coordinators, who have worked (sleeplessly I think), and the many other volunteers, the Merchants who participate with great generosity and especially the Sponsors of the event. Those who love hunts don’t miss the bells, there are signs around to remind you.  

It is fun being an elf. I get to see all the progress as it unfolds. Look for me ... I might be near Santa at times in the entertainment sim unless I am skating from sim to sim to help, or shop! Check the website for all the information you will ever need! http://slchristmasexpo.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/2014-sl-christmas-expo-winter-breedables-fair-guidebook/

Gemma Cleanslate