Toru

The island of Toru might at first glance bear a strong resemblance to the sim Hazardous: its tall island is split into two by a deep chasm that cuts down to the sea, the land looks far over the water below, and owner/designer Wayne (a.k.a. WayneNZ Resident) has made frequent use of materials from the shop we're closed (and he credits Hazardous as a point of inspiration). The land has a violent history, traumatized "by a major earthquake and underwater volcanic eruption hundreds of years ago, a cataclysmic event so devastating it split the land apart and left it barren for hundreds of years." Since that time, as one can read at the landing point, life has slowly returned. On the uppermost level of the island, a windmill spins lazily against the sky, the land is dotted with old wooden buildings, and a sturdy footbridge connects the two elevated plains.

There's also a little shop on the top of the sim—Kiwi Made features a few mesh tank tops for men—and a modest bar is situated next door. Far below all this, where the land drops down to meet the sea, rests a photographer's studio, a delightful space worthy of having its own photos taken. Glowing over the western edge of the sim, and reaching down to this studio, are the Northern Lights, and so Toru is best viewed with a windlight setting that allows these lights to shimmer. (The darker ones in this post are Annan Adored Darkness, a setting I often find myself using.) If you enjoy the region, please consider leaving a contribution.