The Trotsdale Library

By Grease Coakes

Many people think of a library as a quiet place to use the computer for a short while or to borrow books or moives. However in the pony sim of Trotsdale it serves a very different purpose.

In a real life library you might get shooshed if you spoke above a whisper by a librarian or someone wishing peace and quiet. Instead the pony library in Trotsdale encourages talking to tell stories over voice chat. Just like open mike in book Island the Trotsdale library is an excellent place for aspiring writers to read their literary works out loud. Or if you choose you can read your favorite book to entertain your friends as your share the book that really wows your imagnation.

As you walk in the glass door with unicorn heads by the sides there's a reading chair towards the front and plenty of pillows on the floor. Sit on the classical looking chair if you want to read something in voice chat. But if you want to spend your lazy afternoon listening to one of your friends or an author you haven't met yet. Feel free to sit on a pillow and listen away to let yourself be whisked away into the world of the story. Don't be shy even though Trotsdale is a MLP sim you can show up in any avatar you wish. Just remember Trotsdale and Nisa nearby are G-rated sims, so use common sense.

Being in the library a few times before I heard Amehana Arashi read her favorite story "Rojuun by John H Carroll." The story itself sounded richer with many engaging characters in a fantasy environment involving dragons and magic with Amehana's reading. She also told me, "After I finish that one I'll be reading 'A Rosary of Stones and Thorns' by M.C.A. Hogarth." I myself read my children's book outloud and chapters from a book that i am working on. A few ponies showed up to hear my stories and Amehana's reading of Rojunn.

Not only is the library a great place for hearing people read out loud but there is also excellent artwork based upon the show "My Little Pony Friendship is Magic." The ceiling artwork shows Celestia,Luna,and Twilight. On the top floor there was also banners showing MLP related artwork. Sadly the bookshelves don't have any books, but they add to the atmosphere of a library even if they just are prims.

On a Sunday night at 7PM SL time, Milo the white pony, AKA Decitrex Resident, read out loud his story about a poor guy called "Hard Luck Hank Screw the Universe." Milo read in a dramatic voice read out the characters dialouge and described the scenes at a good pace. Hard luck Hank had ragged clothes and dealt with mutants down in the sewers in a space station. Milo did a great job doing various voices as a Irish rogue voice or a tough guy. He put lots of emotions into his voice as if they were right there in the library. When he finished reading, his main character Hank wasn't comfortable doing something even though a lady character offered him a  great deal of cash.

There's a schedule to the right of the reading chair that showcases locals and ponies who read  at certain times on the schedule. For now the schedule seems light. One of the events is also a music show. Maybe in the future more ponies, humans, dragons or whatever might fill in more slots to add flavor to the library.
Even if you're not a brony or pegasister the Trotsdale library is open to all who wish to try something new whether to test your story out to ponies who are eager to listen,or if you want to sit on a pillow and listen to exciting new worlds. Just like in MLP you might meet new friends as well. Even if you're shy like Fluttershy.

Trotsdale Heights (22, 156, 24)

Grease Coakes

The Pony Sim At Nisa

By Grease Coakes

When I interviewed Amehana Ishtari about her new book Selkie skins Castle And Wells, I noticed that the sim was unique as it was a friendly sim for Ponies, or rather; ponies akin to the popular show "My Little Pony : Friendship Is Magic," or in shorthand MLP. When I warp to the sim, I hear a classic rock music stream which fits the mellow atmosphere of the sim.

When I got off work one night Amehana and I agreed to meet at Nisa (97/243/25). She was hanging out with her two friends Phoenix another pony and YunaJones Resident under the second name Twilight Sparkle High Note.

Amehana told me about a summer solstice event which was like a treasure hunt looking for dragon pearls. The dragon pearls were used to craft items that were useful to the pony in one way or the other. She said that RP or Roleplay is not required, however it adds to the sim environment. She mentioned Phoenix her friend was very good at creating quests for ponies. You can learn more about their summer solstice event at http://www.manelands.com/topic/the-solstice-approacheth .

I asked Amehana is roleplay required and she said this, "RP is not required here. There are some that simply come to explore and enjoy. RP is encouraged though, as it's intended as an MLP sim, just with our own lore as Nisa, Thessalia, and the Ibex Empire are all fan created countries in the universe."

"You'll find that those that RP here tend to like magic, science and knowledge very much. You'll find some nods to other things here too."

I asked Amehana about her own character and she had this to say about her kirin fursona. To double check, a kirin is part dragon and unicorn She said for this sim she said it was a different species. Instead Raikou Hare is more like an alicorn (like Twilight Sparkle from the TV show), "Raikou Hake is a kirin from the Ibex Empire. That country is populated mainly by Ibex, other kirins, and dragons. She grew up in what equates roughly to a samurai family that oversaw rice plantations. Her family has a love of learning and it's own library, and from an early age she loved to paint and write. When she was very young she wrote a story that shocked her parents and her father's friend... a priest at the crystal shrine local to her family (and he is a dragon). As a result she ended up studying story crafting and art...with a large dose of  'study all the things.' She also has a very strong bond with the Ibexian Life crystals... When that becomes it's own sim she will be fully boded with those crystals."

To add to the roleplay experience Nisa and other pony sims like Canterlot have their own website at http://www.manelands.com/. Ponies add in their characters so people have an understanding of each other's fursona. Amehana mentioned so long as no one blows up the sim and makes sense, they are accepted within the website as an approved character. In fact to fufill the lore and RP of the Nisa sim they are looking for dragon characters. Dragons need apply if any scaly fire breathers are looking for a pony roleplay sim.

A good time to come to the sim is on the 16^thth of this month where Amehana announced there would have a Jellicle ball http://www.manelands.com/topic/jellicle-ponies-come-one-come-all.

Part of Raikou Hare's description is she's the sim librarian. She's planning a poetry workshop in the near future.

Over at the Trotsdale library Amehana was reading over voice lore about the pony sims to any interested ponies or anyone else. She added in this, "The books that I have read for Trotsdale are ones that I thought would be enjoyed by the pony community. I read 'The Last Unicorn' and then 'Mitama' with a bit of my poetry between those, and some poetry by young Oliver Lambert. What is available here in the Nisa sim are lore cards for sim RP, and some short stories and poems I wrote -as- Raikou for RP purposes."

"It was Mondays at 6PM I was reading. I finished the book this week and am taking a break while what's going on with that library is worked out. However I do read at the Sapientia Concha Librarium in the Computer sim Saturdays at 6 or 7 PM SLT. That's different from my MLP involvement though (even though I often don't change back to my usual avatar). Trots Mon at 6 (holding). Computer Sat at 6 or 7."

Amehana also gave me an info notecard explaining the rules of the Nisa sim. A lot of it is common sense on how it's a tolerant environment. No trolls or being mean to other ponies is allowed. Fair warning that any such behavior will get you banned. Also that Nisa is a G sim so no dead ponies or extreme violence. No adult themes either.

During the interview, a friend of mine from WAYYYYYYYY back IMed me asking what I was doing. I told him writing about ponies. His name is Sneaky Krugman and those who remember Tj Icey's before it was changed into Dance Island may remember he used to work there as a host. Sneaky is also known as a DJ and creator of voice emotes. Crim and Amehana and I encoruaged him to try out the sim as a pony. Sneaky felt like he was crashing the party and warped elsewhere. But maybe the ponies could recruit him as a dj.

Crim Mip, one of Rita Mariner's Sunweavers, is one of the main ponies of the Nisa sim along with his girlfriend Lacy. Amehana herself is also an admin. Crim Mip also showed up and asked if I had any questions, and I told him Amehana was very helpful. He commented, "She's a great help in watching over the sims."

There are a few houses for rent, at no cost, as Nisa is always looking for more dragons in particular, or any other sort of mythical animals or ponies. Amehana added in there's also caves to explore.

Amehana mentioned this was a home to her. Why not check out Nisa and see if it's a great fit for home for you as well?

Grease Coakes