Troy Story

I have watched the pleasing strife

Within thy tender bosom, have inspected

Thy young ideas teeming into life,

Thy mind with wonder, joy and awe affected.

For when before thee lay the mighty tale

Of great Achilles' wrath and Hector's doom

By turns elate with joy, with pity pale

For varying passions scarce thy mind had room.

On her first reading Pope's Iliad, Arthur Henry Hallam

Pointless mooching rocks. Whenever I do it, I always meet the best people. This time, Troy. It's one of an archipelago of RP sims offering combat in ancient times, from Persia to Mongolia to Scandinavia. There's advice, attire and freebies, including combat HUDs on offer here; the group uses the DCS combat system and also support compatible weaponry, so you might like to pull out your Gorean Quiva (hmm how did I...?) and show us what you're made of in the bloody arena.
Being a scribbler, not a fighter, the combat element isn't my cup of tea, but it was fascinating to see how other people have fun. Troy is run by Lew Nightfire, Ricard Collas, Sheema Rae and Yumi Acker. It is a place much frequented by newbies for some reason, and the more experienced players can often be heard pleasantly explaining how to 'Stop all animations'. The sim offers not only a fabulous arena but also palaces, a wooded hill with nice places to relax, ot to mention this fantastic Wooden Horse.

There were four people combatting in the arena when I got there, Rock Aquila, Anubis Guisse, Mor Lannock, and Trojan Hoplite strelnikov Dubrovna. This is them, from left to right. I was very jealous of strel's tusks but was too shy to say so at the time. I got them to stop for long enough to take a photo, which proves they have infinite patience. That surprised me, I don't know why but I imagined them a more fighty and less welcoming crew, but the notecard is enough to show how wrong I am: "we are a sim where all avaters will try to help you get started with no experince in combat, or role play. Lessons are held to guide you of the ways of roleplay conducts. Everything is easy, hard thing is to take first step, we will guide and help you through everything." And yes, I know fighty is not a word. Or wasn't. I went exploring among the palaces and managed to break into the Blacksmith's bedroom - don't ask - and take the photo seen below. After a bit, Mor Lannock came over to have a word. She asked me if I had seen the Library ... I said no... and so off we went.

Mor Lannock: I built this library, or rather, when it is finished it will be better... maybe over the holiday I'll have time. I am going to add many other characters from the story, Paris, Helen, Menelaus, Achilles and so on. The uniform over here is a Greek one, made for Achilles. You can see the leaders of the Greek army on the left, and the Trojan commanders on the right. Did you know the city of Rome was founded by a decendent of Prince Aeneas, a survivor of the Trojan War? His name was Romulus. I have here the Iliad in many different languages, and there are books, maps, busts in the room, if you pass your cursor over them they give you information about the person or place.

Thirza Ember: why did you want to make a library?

Mor Lannock: To inform people. For me, the sim is like a poor man's guide to history. I know many people have never read the Iliad, but many people are curious. They can come here and read the notecards. Maybe they won't read them all, but they will just learn a little. It's my goal to pique and cultivate their interest in the subject.

Delight and inform... a warrior princess after my own heart. See, mooching around pays off... HO FATTO UNA PICCOLA GITA A TROIA OGGI. Di solito i sim di combattimento e gioco di ruolo non mi attirano molto, ma avevo voglia di vedere qualcosa di diverso. E poi hanno un cavallo di legno, chi di noi sa resistere alla tentazione di vedere un cavallo di legno, magari portarlo in casa.... Ed eccomi a Troy la città - anzi l'impero - di Lew Nightfire, Ricard Collas, Sheema Rae e Yumi Acker. Il cavallo mi è piaciuto molto e sono graziosi anche i palazzi (ci sono case e stanze in affitto, io un po' stanca dopo tutte quelle scale, mi sono intrufolata nella casa del fabbro di Troia, e ho fatto un pisolino, non so resistere ai mobili altrui... Ssss non c'è bisogno che tu gli riferisci la mia piccola invasion of privacy... Quando mi sono alzata ho fatto una bella passeggiata nel bosco, e infine sono arrivata all'arena dove combattevano quattro guerrieri. Eccoli qui, sono: con il martello Rock Aquila, accanto a lui vestito di nero Anubis Guisse, Mor Lannock con la corrazza d'oro, e infine, con i denti strepitosi, Trojan Hoplite strelnikov Dubrovna.

Ho fatto due chiacchiere con la bellissima Mor Lannock, una ragazza che per fortuna parlava italiano. Mi ha chiesto se avevo visto la Biblioteca ... Abbiamo fatto un salto insieme e mi ha mostrato le carte geografiche, le pergamene, il busto di Omero e le immagini di altri famosi scrittori e pensatori dell'epoca classica.

Mor Lannock: La biblioteca l'ho costruita io. Veramente non l'ho ancora completata....quando completa sarà meglio. Ho altri personaggi da mettere, come Menelao, Elena, Paride, Achille ecc. Questo uniforme greco, di Achille, l'ho fatto io. E qui, vedi i capi dell'esercito ... quelli greci sono a sinistra, quelli di Troia a destra. Sapevi che un discendente di Enea, un sopravvissuto della guerra ha fondato Roma? ... Si chiamava Romolo... ops scusa certo che lo sai!

Le ho chiesto perché ha voluto creare una biblioteca in Second Life.

Mor Lannock: L'ho costruita per informare la gente. La sim è come un guida alle persone non disposte a leggere un libro. Così posso informare tutti i curiosi in un modo leggero e anche divertente. Non tutti hanno letto L'iliade, e magari non leggono tutte le cartoline ho messo ma almeno adesso sanno cose e magari posso stuzzicare e coltivare interesse...

Bella, brava, coraggiosa e intelligente... insomma un'eroina per tutti i tempi!