A year ago, I visited Hazardous, an evocative build by Wendy Xeno and Mandingo Quan on Mandigo’s Homestead region on Misali.
After an extended period of being under construction, the region has just re-opened (and my thanks to Ziki Questi for the nudge that it had through her blog) and, while I’m often given to superlatives when exploring SL, it really is stunningly spectacular.
The fact that you’re in for a treat is evident from the start. The arrival point, hovering in the sky over the region, offers show very unique “teleport” stones. I’m not going to spill the beans on what happens – suffice it to say it is a very novel means of arriving in a region!
When you arrive at ground level, you could easily be in the rural county of Anywhere – all around you is grassland and tress, a few buildings and other bits. In fact, on my arrival, I couldn’t help but think of the grasslands of East Africa. Around you are several wooden signs welcoming you and warning you of several point of importance: that unattended child avatars will be sold to the circus, for example, and that the region has sharp edges…
It is this last sign which hints at why the new rendition of Hazardous is so spectacular: when you reach ground level, you are actually standing atop the most magnificent plateau rising over 30 metres above the surrounding sea, and which is cut through from one side to the middle by a deep gorge.
At the top of the plateau the grassland offer much to see and do, and is a veritable delight for anyone with a photographic bent, whether the default windlight setting is used, or one opts to experiment. Here you can wander through the grass, explore the old buildings scattered around, sit and pass the time with friends or dance away the hours, playing records on a portable record player (remember those?).
The attention to detail is, as ever, wonderful: the edges of the plateau blend perfectly with the uplifted terrain, the fences, telegraph poles, buildings and seating are all ideally located and speak of considerable time being taken in framing the entire region such that it presents a truly natural feel while offering scores of opportunities in which photographs can be framed.
Nor is the detail constrained to the plateau. There is also much to see down in the gorge and at sea level. The former, in contrast to the grassland above, is a lush, watery setting in which sits a show home reached by a boarded walk. Overhead, but below the lip of the plateau, birds wheel in tight flocks, as if seeking a resting place among the scattered tree-top before the sun sets…
Sea level can be reached via a set of steps, which also lead to a walk and a piano and places to simply sit and look out over the sea and … think …
Words really do not do justice to the way Mandingo has developed and landscaped Hazardous – it is something which has to be explored and experienced, and I really cannot recommend it highly enough as a destination really well worth visiting. When you do, keep an eye for clickable items – one of them will take you to the hidden pond.
Highly recommended.
Related Links
- Hazardous SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
- A Hazardous journey brings it’s own reward – February 2012
- SL Destinations in this blog
(view slideshow full-screen)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 
It’s a lovely sim … I had started to wonder if it would ever reopen! Thanks for the mention. 🙂
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It is. Thanks you for making me aware it had returned :).
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