New World SLurl: Bed and Breakfast on the Blasted Heath of Empress and Hierophant

When I stumbled across these starkly beautiful images from Japanese photographer Bark Aabye, I had to disbelieve they were actually taken in Second Life. But they were appended with a SLurl, which I followed through, and promptly wound up on a blasted heath by the sea. Empress and Hierophant is the name of a Gaelic isle lovingly terraformed and embellished with austere and subtle man-made elements. As it turns out, it debuted only late last month, the creation of Alchemy and Immortalis Cyannis, who've created an equally polished (and witty) website offering more details, and links to intricately wrought jewelry, incense, and other items. The island comes with its own custom-made WindLight setting, and a unique purpose: site of a virtual bed and breakfast service: "Soon you will be able to rent one of four short-term stay cottages, complete with celtic landscaping and gardens, and access to unfettered waterways to go swimmning and sailing, and our horseback riding trails." That hasn't opened yet, so in the meantime, you can randomly explore-- of if you're so inclined, re-enact scenes from King Lear. Click here for a direct SLurl teleport.