A fish, a fish, my kingdom for a fish!

 

Okay, so it's not quite Shakespeare, and I'm going to hope I'm not the villain in anyone's story. I'm Oliver, of the brand new LGH kingdom Tír Na nÓg, and I'm here today to answer a misleadingly simple question: Why create a Kingdom in the world of Linden Gold Hunt?

For those as-yet uninitiated, a "kingdom" is LGH's name for organized groups of players who participate in LGH games such as Fish Hunt, The Society, and others. These kingdoms vary greatly in size and activity, but most share at least one or two main goals - to help one another when it comes to fishing, and making connections with other LGH players in a slightly more intimate fashion than simply chatting in the main LGH groups.

There is one built-in mechanic for being part of a kingdom, and that is gaining +10 Royal Points (RP) per fishing cast if you are participating in the weekly Royal Fishing competitions. Every kingdom offers this automatically, and any other perks are created by the kingdom membership itself. So, when there's already over a dozen existing kingdoms with various bonus perks, why create your own? 

I can think of many reasons for that. Maybe you feel that current kingdoms are too big to comfortably get to know the other members. Maybe you're worried about meeting activity requirements a kingdom may have. Maybe membership is closed on the ones you wanted to join. Maybe they don't speak your native language. Maybe none of them have a name you like! I could list more, but you get the jist. Any/all of the above leave you with a couple options: go solo, or start your own kingdom. I went with the latter.

In creating my own kingdom, I was able to set my own ground rules... Which for me, tends to be "the less, the better!" I also wanted to be able to exist as sort of a "Switzerland" among the big kingdoms. I have made friends from multiple kingdoms, and in games such as these, inter-group rivalries can become pretty tense. I didn't want my kingdom affiliation to inadvertently stand in the way of cultivating solid friendships with whomever I wish. I am also a major introvert and what I like to playfully call "politely anti-social." Being introverted does not equal being rude: I do my best to be friendly and kind. I enjoy talking to folks, sometimes. I enjoy the company of others, sometimes. I don't run away when a large group forms... usually. Anyway! I wanted to create a kingdom where there is absolutely zero pressure to interact, there is no Discord server, no inworld group, and our kingdom buoy is on a nice quiet sim in a nice quiet park. There's also no activity requirements, because sometimes we all need breaks from any social platform, including Second Life.

But, there is one more pretty BIG reason I wanted to create my own kingdom: Relay For Life of Second Life. Since its inception in 2004, Relay For Life of Second Life has raised over $5 million for the fight against cancer. Relayers in SL do many of the same things that you see at a live Relay event. We walk inworld laps, light virtual Luminaria, and make donations using Linden dollars. This is one of the ONLY charities officially recognized and supported by Linden Lab. Every L$ donated to RFL of SL kiosks, vendors, raffles... goes to The American Cancer Society

My current avatar may not show it, but I have been in SL off and on for a very, very long time. One of the things that has always kept me coming back is RFL of SL. I am a cancer survivor or fifteen years, I lost my father to cancer last year, and I have been relaying in Second Life each year without fail since 2009. In 2020 I decided to become a RFL of SL team captain. Since that time, I've reached out to all sorts of SL communities to introduce them to RFL of SL and, hopefully, get them passionate about the cause. We must be doing something right, because since 2020 team Attention on Cancer has raised upwards of $10,000 USD.

And so, the kingdom of Tír Na nÓg, named after the Celtic myth of a paradise and supernatural realm of everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance, and joy... can be considered a branch of my RFL team, Attention on Cancer. Because everyone deserves health, and joy. At the Tír Na nÓg buoy in Bandito Park, we do not accept personal tips of L$ to help maintain the land. We instead ask that any L$ tips be donated to the RFL of SL fundraising kiosks located nearby. We would also be more than glad to help other kingdoms and landowners set up RFL of SL donation kiosks, if any are so inclined. This is what team Attention on Cancer does. We reach out, we touch, we offer.

Bandito Park buoy with RFL donation kiosks: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Airdree/24/234/22

If there's any community in SL that fully and completely understands how every Linden Dollar counts, it's the Linden Gold Hunt community - the Fish Hunters, the Coin Chasers, the Citizenry of The Society, the Snuffle Breeders, the Farmers... You get the picture. And every L$ donated to Relay For Life of Second Life really, absolutely does count. It all adds up to one amazing whole: a Second Life wide fundraiser that routinely raises almost half a million US dollars each year. LGH community members deserve to proudly say 'we helped make that happen!' The Tír Na nÓg kingdom is here to help everyone who wants to contribute, do just that.

Or, maybe you just want somewhere quiet to be politely anti-social. That's totally cool too.

See you at the buoys, folks.

    -   Oliver Onyx, avid fisher and "king" of Tír Na nÓg kingdom
        ...AKA Gavin Huntsman, team captain, Attention on Cancer

*Article and Photos by Oliver Onyx