Life in other Kingdoms

As I've written for the blog, I think the best thing that's happened to me is that I've had a chance to meet and learn about the other kingdoms in the Aurean Empire. Before, I may have known how the game is played, and I certainly knew my own kingdom (why shouldn't I, they're my friends)... but other kingdoms were largely a mystery. But as I've had a chance to talk with some of the monarchs and others, I've had a taste of what is out there. Now I wonder what it would take to help bring that to others.

This past weekend, a friend showed me his stargate. Most of you have probably seen the movie(s) and/or series based on the concept of the Stargate: a huge ring of stone, about 25 to 30 feet across, which can be used to open a wormhole to another stargate many light-years away. The concept has been adapted for Second Life. For those of you who haven't seen it, you may want to find it... there are several hundred "stargates" within Second Life, all connected in a network that lets people travel instantly (via teleport) from one to another, either randomly or to a selected location ( once they learn the commands. ) My friend tells me that his stargate has dozens of people coming through it every weekend-- explorers traveling the network at random.

Many kingdoms within the Aurean Empire have "headquarters". They are often full sims, devoted to a particular kingdom. As my mind wonders about how to bring about greater communication between them, I see a vision of some sort of gate... perhaps not the form of a stargate, but something similar... that lets a traveler go from one kingdom to another within Second Life, and have a chance to see for him or herself what each one is like.. and what they have built for themselves and for any visitors.

On a much more modest scale, the TE wiki already lists a few websites for the various kingdoms within the empire... perhaps simply having people add their own kingdom's link there would provide a good starting point for explorations... if not in the world of Second Life, then at least on the web.

Or, if it were made part of the Tiny Empires system itself, a monarch could have the ability to specify a website url and slurl for their kingdom... information which would be available to all players within that kingdom via the 'regular' hud, and to players of other kingdoms through, say, the TE Companion.

In the end, of course, kingdoms are people. People create places. People make websites. But if you want to know what those places and websites really represent, talk with the people themselves. I know I've talked to a few, and the little bit I've done has only given me a small idea of the many tales that can be told of events within the Terra Aurean Empire! Perhaps others will be willing to share their stories... if not in a public forum, then among each other.

And, though I don't know about you, I personally find that a fascinating idea, indeed.