Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Images of Osprey Therian

Osprey far right during the Nova Albion 5th anniversary parade
A noob visiting a brownstone to participate in a photo contest. Osprey's events were my first sense of community and belonging in Second Life.  Nova Albion, a mainland community during an era of adfarms and eyesores was dominated with ultramodern builds. And then there was this old block in Grignano, owned by some of the community's earliest settlers. Osprey, Sal, HBA, the Graysons... a presence still felt a ways from the bustle of the Miramare infohub Osprey helped to maintain. Back in the day when the residents built infohubs and railway stations I would find Osprey's name a few times.

The vaudeville act TSMGO aka The Show Must Go On, which took place on an airship converted into a theatre over the lake in Phobos. Here yaks perform an interpretive dance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzyplcsH7IU

The Nova Albion anniversary parade. Os was a co-conspirator of those earlier parades.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNd4g4IJ3aA

Osprey's passionate pursuit of gamer cards as virtual sport:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I_AVfOLwyk


The die cut tin ducks (I think I know what I'd wear if there was a memorial event)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeIEKdnEASs

I remember those first days in spring 2008 and a media screen caught my eye upon leaving her photo gallery following one of the contest exhibits. I watched Bitstream Boogie, my first taste of SL machinima. Possibly that of most people:



Even as recently as a few days ago Os came into Second Life. I imagine to see it one last time or to set some affairs in order. It may be selfish to say - especially from someone who wasn't as close to her - that it hurts to know someone who barely brushed your life and made such an impact in it is dying a slow death, even moreso when you know their time has finally come. In truth Osprey started dropping off her presence in Second Life just as I made mine. But there is no priority in how someone touches a life or plants seeds of inspiration.

Osprey showed me early on that there was more to Second Life than avatars, Linden dollars and parcels.  This place has amazing potential limited only by the imagination, and much of Os' imagination brought people together and enriched them all.

A recent machinima of Osprey's ride into the sunset with some friends before MS claimed her in both worlds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcoDwBS0oSo

Farewell Osprey Therian, from your neighbor across the river.

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the hard news about Osprey. I never met her, but boy-oh-boy did I admire her. She did SL right! If there's a memorial, I'm gonna wear my free Moth wings that she made in honor of the New Continent.

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  2. There will be a memorial celebrating Vivian Kendall, Osprey’s physical life counterpart, on Saturday, December 14, at 10:00 am SLT at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bodega/225/112/23 – I think a mass donning of her moth wings and, perhaps, a flight to the Moth Temple may be in order.

    Vivian wanted her avatar, Osprey Therian, to continue on as a fictional character in virtual worlds, much like the role Magellan Linden plays for Second Life. Her last SL-related Tweet illustrates this:

    https://twitter.com/Osprey/status/406425278278156288

    To celebrate the transition of Osprey’s new role, she will be going through a portal in Rodeo on Sunday, December 15, at 10:00am SLT to help find Salazar Jack. All longtime role play friends and cohorts are welcome to attend, assist with the sendoff, or follow her through at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rodeo/31/29/50

    Osprey’s Second Life profile will be updated to reflect Vivian’s passing and the avatar changes. A new Twitter account has been created for the now fictional Osprey Therian character:
    https://twitter.com/ospreytherian

    More details will be posted at http://kahruvel.com/

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  3. Thanks JE. I'll share this in the morning via groups and elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete