| The Princes of Irukandji 
The term 'Princes of Irukandji' didn't exist at the beginning. Neither
did Irukandji for that matter.I just had one sim, Tamita Island, and three friends who followed me from my old rented block on Amelia. So there we were. I set up my friends as estate managers and we went about creating stuff and having fun. Within a few days, people began arriving who we'd never met before, and by week's end, Tamita had a steady flow of visitors. They came, they shopped, and they rented my holiday bungalows. And unexpectedly, they wanted to stay, to buy land on my artistic canvas to build homes of their own. I decided to add more sims; one bay on each face of Tamita, and another full island tagged onto the western bay, which I called Alantay Island.  I promoted the new sim to a distinctly gay market, and Alantay sold out in a week, setting a new SL record.
So, I kept adding
more and more islands, and I named the fledgling continent Irukandji.As I built each new sim, I found them developing distinct personalities, and as a writer, I began wondering what their history might be. My head raced as it did, and given the tropical theme and my penchant for colonial architecture, I decided on a South Pacific kingdom. That said, I didn't want to be king. It made sense then, that the continent should be a slightly clunky mix of tribes governed by a council of princes. It all just fell into place from there. We were in there to have fun though, and so were the new residents who had chosen Irukandji to settle down. We ran with the regal theme, and on Tamita Island we built a palace with sweeping grounds and pools - and no doors. Anyone could visit, and really, everyone did.  I remember one Sunday where we had forty
avatars chattering away around the pool. They were good times, and I
realised that our formula worked.Solid rules in the covenant, coupled with laidback Aussie charm. And well, an Estate Team composed of pretty lads (and one token lass :)) who wandered about in scanty but regal outfits doing their jobs. Some of the guys immersed themselves in the roleplay aspect of being a Prince, and for one in particular, I think the experience saved his life. We all grew, even me - especially me. Irukandji was a terribly nurturing place. Our motto was 'Freedom - Peace - Integrity', and we lived by that code. A mythology grew around us and those tales became the core of Irukandji culture.  I encouraged their
telling; expanding and perpetuating the legend, and the story teller that I
am, created a complex history called Tales of Irukandji.We formed the Irukandji Ministy of Heritage and Culture. We had our own festivals and events, from which new histories were made, and our lives became a living novel. Irukandji soon became as famous for its Princes as for its beautiful beaches and bays. For some people, virtual worlds are just escapism, but for our merry band it was a curative. It's said that like attracts like, and not by design, I found myself surrounded by others who were damaged in some way. The effect of our kinship cannot be put into words. Irukandji saved lives in the real world. It fixed people and gave them hope. It was fucked up and it was wonderful. Regrettably though, art is rarely a match for tyranny, and Irukandji fell. It lasted two years on the Second Life grid but was eventually dragged down by SL's corporate greed and mismanagement.  My estate wasn't the only
one to go. I only had 70 sims out of the 1000 that collapsed, and the
next year, another 800 followed. The artists fled en masse leaving SL
a barren grid.In the intervening months and years since, I've been chipping away at my own grid, You3D, and I have a version of Irukandji up and running there. At the moment (January 2012) I also have a single sim on SL but I'm not sure why. I'll probably let it go soon. The Princes are still hovering around though, and I guess it shows critics of virtual worlds that true friendships can actually be forged. For myself, I count the Princes as my family and friends. They helped run Irukandji without pay, purely for the spirit of the community - building roads and bridges, making tunnels and airfields and harbours, planting trees, digging holes, holding local elections, and adjudicating disputes between neighbours. But most importantly, they shared my virtual life, which so often overlapped with my "real" life. To me they were family. More than family. You can read more about them via the links below. The Princes of Irukandji are: Andi Oh New Zealand Cale Topaz (a.k.a. Twinky Siemens) Australia Damian Topaz Australia Icon Ferraris (also Governor of Palas State, Head of the Council of Governors) South Africa Jai Noel Australia Keppel Sands (also Governor of Aboyo State) Australia Rah Mayo (a.k.a. Clap Papp, also chief elder of the Pinjarra nation) Malaysia Tigra Quintessa USA Xay Tomsen (a.k.a. Andrew Topaz, also chief elder of the Tamita nation) Australia |
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