Andrew has created, nurtured, and destroyed many glittering kingdoms, but nowadays just tinkers with code, occasionally yelling like a madman at his scruffy NPC minions.
Kalamat State
Kalamat State is a somewhat militarised cluster of simulators in the west of the Kingdom of Irukandji, a virtual continent that has existed from 2007 through to the present day.
In Second Life, Kalamat State was never heavily populated. Only a year after its inception, the GFC struck and demand for virtual land fell through the floor. 😢
Kalamat State saw a resurgence in InWorldz in 2013, led in part by two of my estate managers who decided to roleplay as twin princes of Kalamat, and subsequently took it as their surname.
The golden age of Kalamat came during 2016-2017 on the DigiWorldz grid in the form of the enormous 36-square var-region, Aratura.
The Aratura var-region
Briefly named Kalamat for the first few weeks, the massive 6×6 OpenSim var-region, Aratura occupies 36 grid squares, or roughly 2.36 million square metres.
Being a 6×6 var-region, Aratura is technically a single region and occupied 236 hectares of land. Its large size made it ideal for subdividing into large sub-regions, eliminating border crossing issues for boats, cars and other vehicles.
The vast majority of Aratura belongs to Kalamat. Approximately 150,000 square metres of land and sea in the southeast of Aratura is disputed territory claimed by Palu State. A major underlying theme in Aratura is the civil war taking place between the Irukandji royal houses of Kalamat and Palu.
The design of Aratura is heavily influenced by Kiwi Islands (later Iruka) from 2015 hosted on the Reef VR grid. I’m 95% sure I uploaded a .png file from Kiwi Islands as the foundation for Aratura, but a heck of lot of new terraforming happened after that.
OK, that’s the real-life info out of the way. Let’s head in-world. 😁
Note: if you are trying to visit the current Irukandji world, the landing sim is Arius on the DigiWorldz grid. The region is hypergrid enabled for easy teleportation from other Open Simulator virtual worlds. If you have the Firestorm viewer, use this link to teleport to Arius.
History and culture
Liberation of Kalamat
A funny thing happened on the way to Aratura.
It all began in late 2007. These were strange times. This episode, remembered by the estate team as ‘The Liberation of Kalamat’ provides a peek into the insane frontier world of megalomaniacs (myself included) who occupied Second Life in the mid-2000s.
In short, Irukandji went to war. The owners of the neighbouring grid squares to our west; a six-region French banking consortium called Agricole, apparently hated having a gay-themed estate next door.
Violently-homophobic and just pure hateful avatars would teleport from their regions to ours and text the most disgusting, hateful abuse at anyone they encountered.
Having been subjected to that sort of vilification in the real world, I was not prepared to endure it in the virtual, so at huge expense, I bought all the grid squares around the French estate, strangling any hope of their future expansion. They were landlocked. Irukandji surrounded them.
I then set up military bases on the new regions. Any avatars who teleported to Irukandji from the French regions were now met with hundreds of scripted emitter explosions which would freeze their viewers, and to be honest, probably burnt out a lot of their graphics cards. 😎
Within days of our action, the French bankers bolted – not just from our neighbourhood but from Second Life.
Change of battle plans
Linden Labs, the owners of Second Life, clearly weren’t impressed by my actions. In typical passive-aggressive fashion, rather than raise the issue with me, Robert Linden stomped around my shops in a giant robot avatar for an hour or two, perhaps trying to remind me who was really in charge.
In the aftermath, I bought the French mob’s grid squares so no one could block our growth again. These newly ‘liberated’ regions became Kalamat.
Resulting from this ‘battle’ where real life turned into art, I became more militant in-world. I realised that I needed to tighten our covenant and rules to protect those who called Irukandji home – including against Linden Labs. And I needed visiting avatars to see our military.
I know it was only virtual but I was playing a psychological game. I wanted anyone who visited to see our culture, our absolute order straight away. Anybody who came to us with ill-will thought twice, and more often than not, just teleported away. Any who persisted were simply blocked from the estate.
The whole episode helped create the new Irukandji, a thing of history and culture and roleplay. It became a real kingdom with extraordinary over-the-top majesty. Meanwhile, its estate managers became its princes and its 400 residents became their protected subjects.
The military theme remained forever, even now 15 years later, sometimes overtly as a naval base or cannon here, but more often quietly just beneath the surface, as an occasional soldier NPC wandering about, or an off-shore submarine quietly circling the island.
They were crazy fun times and I loved it. 😁
Islands and seas of Kalamat
- Aquitaine Bay
- Aratura City
- Baie de Triomphe
- Grand Kalamat Island
- Haku
- Kalamantayo
- Kalamat Island
- New Batavia
- North Shore
- Plage de Kalamat
- Rainbow Reef
- Sunset Shoals
Aquitaine Bay
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: Second Life 2008
- Use: Light Commercial
- Terrain: aquitaine-bay080810.raw | aquitaine-bay081016.raw
One of the last simulators I brought online in Second Life, Aquitaine Bay formed part of the ‘former French colony’ themed Kalamat State.
Clockwise from NW, Aquitaine Bay was bordered by Mantaray Shoals, Coraki Lagoons, Byron Bay, Split Rock Mountain, Crystal Atolls, Baie de Triomphe, Rainbow Reef, and Palu Island.
Aquitaine Bay was predominantly a scenic region with no parcels ever offered for sale. The Trans Irukandji Causeway traversed the region from northwest to southwest.
A noteworthy feature of Aquitaine Bay was that it served as the outlet for a large naval submarine tunnel. A massive construction project that took around a week to complete, the tunnel ran the full length of neighbouring Split Rock Mountain all the way to the palace at Hephaestion, a total distance of around 500 metres.
Only one photograph survives of Aquitaine Bay which you can find below, plus the map up top which shows its location in the Irukandji continent. If you happen to have some photos of Aquitaine Bay, please let me know via the comments box at the bottom of this page.
Aratura City
- Size: 45.8752 hectares
- Grid: DigiWorldz 2016-2017
- Use: Commercial
- Terrain: hand terraformed
Part of the gigantic 235 hectare Aratura var-region (36 standard simulators), Aratura City occupies around 1/6 of its total area. The simulator came online in May 2016. Aratura City was the first section to be terraformed.
Aratura City is part of Kalamat State, located on the DigiWorldz virtual world. It is the commercial hub and landing point for the region. Located in the southwest corner, Haku borders Aratura City to the north, and to the east, Rainbow Reef.
Before the liberation of Kalamat in 2008, Aratura City was called New Batavia, the fashionable French administrative district of the isolated micro nation. After the Irukandji invasion, the capital returned to its original native name.
Many European citizens evacuated to New Caledonia or France while others settled in new enclaves on the north coast. A few remained in the capital and continue to help with the integration of Irukandji systems and infrastructure.
Baie de Triomphe
Baie de Triomphe v1 (Second Life 2008)
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: Second Life 2008
- Use: Scenic
- Terrain: hand terraformed
The Baie de Triomphe region is part of the French-themed Kalamat State. A sailing sea linking Kalamat to ‘Old Irukandji’, Baie de Triomphe had no above ground features and perhaps not surprisingly, no photographs survive except for the aerial map above.
Baie de Triomphe v2 (DigiWorldz 2016)
- Size: approximately 10 hectares
- Grid: DigiWorldz 2016
- Use: Scenic
- Terrain: hand terraformed
As with its predecessor in Second Life, Baie de Triomphe in DigiWorldz is a largely featureless sailing sea. It does have a very good section of highway though, called the Slingshot.
A handful of residential parcels are located along the Slingshot which crosses the var-region diagonally from the neighbouring Kalamantayo Naval Base to faraway Aratura City.
Grand Kalamat Island
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: Second Life 2008
- Use: Scenic
- Terrain: hand terraformed
The simulator, Grand Kalamat Island is located in the state of Kalamat in the far-southwestern corner of Irukandji. An unpopulated scenic region, Grand Kalamat Island is predominantly mountain ranges circled by a shallow sea.
A short segment of the Trans Irukandji Causeway traverses its foothills in the northwest, running from Plage de Kalamat to Kalamantayo.
I terraformed the terrain of Grand Kalamat Island in-world by hand. Unfortunately due to the briefness of its life, I have no photos of this region.
Haku
- Size: approximately 40 hectares
- Grid: DigiWorldz 2016-2017
- Use: Residential
- Terrain: Kiwi Islands template, then hand terraformed
Haku is located on the extreme far-west edge of the Irukandji Continent. Situated north of Aratura City, Haku also takes in the province of Shark Bay on the Aratura Sea. Haku occupies approximately seven grid square of the Aratura var-region.
Haku Beach is part of the region liberated by Irukandji in 2008, however the local Haku clan has unresolved disputes with the governing Kalamat tribe.
This issue, on top of the ongoing civil war between Kalamat and Palu States makes the western part of the kingdom a political hot-bed, which will most likely result in further dissolution of Kalamat State.
Karu the peacemaker
The reigning Prince of Irukandji, Karu de Tamita, has decreed that for now at least, Thai Haku, the elder of the lesser clan represents a minor royal house under the protection of the greater kingdom. This granted Thai and his subjects the same royal protection as that of the Manatu people in south Irukandji.
To help ensure Thai’s safety, Karu placed him in the direct service of his deputy and most trusted General, Storm Aboyo at the naval base on Arius. Karu then chose one son each from the Haku and Kalamat tribes as concubines to encourage the boys’ fathers to settle their disputes as quickly as possible.
Naturally, he selected the most beautiful and eager, but they also had to possess the will to join the navy – the Irukandji Navy, not their local militias. He was trying to unite an undisciplined nation and he had no time for wasters.
Baie Haku and Finn Kalamat had shared Karu’s life for nearly two years now. Progress back home was slow but where their fathers had failed, the sons had succeeded.
Baie, already a cadet when Karu first met him, had climbed the ranks to Lieutenant, and Finn was a squad Sergeant who oversaw the training of new recruits. Both seemed very happy and their old lives very far away.
A bond of kinship born of shared adversities had grown between Baie and Finn despite their fathers’ animosity towards each other, and the future looked bright in their hands.
Kalamantayo
The simulator, Kalamantayo or sometimes called Kalamantayo Island is a region in Kalamat State in far-western Irukandji. It is part of Irukandji’s history on the Second Life and DigiWorldz grids.
Kalamantayo (Second Life 2008)
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: Second Life 2008
- Use: Scenic
- Terrain: kalamantayo080810
At the time of its creation, Kalamantayo marked the most southwestern point of the continent. This was only surpassed eight years later in 2016 with the development of the Aratura sim on the DigiWorldz grid.
The deep-water region is predominantly open ocean. Two small shoals occupy the north of Kalamantayo Island.
The Trans Irukandji Causeway feeds into Kalamantayo Island from Plage de Kalamat in the east, and New Batavia in the north.
Beyond a doubt, the biggest legacy of Kalamantayo is the massive 120 metre tall Goodwill Lighthouse that has pretty much graced every simulator built since.
The lighthouse was symbolic as a peacemaking gesture following the Irukandji Navy’s successful Liberation of Kalamat from the French earlier that year.
Kalamantayo (DigiWorldz 2016 – 2017)
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: DigiWorldz 2008
- Use: Military
- Terrain: prim island
In this second iteration of Kalamantayo, I set up the region as a naval base servicing Kalamat. This is in contrast, or perhaps a natural progression of the previous version, given that nearly ten years had elapsed.
Basically, in the wake of the liberation of Kalamat State and its admission into the Kingdom of Irukandji, new power struggles began.
In the west, the Kalamat royal house was in ongoing heated disputes with the people of the minority Haku tribe. Added to this, the neighbouring Palu tribe to the east, declared war on Kalamat over the disputed regions around Plage de Kalamat and Nouvelle Palu.
Particularly in light of the latter, Kalamantayo seemed the best place to establish Kalamat’s defence in the bloody civil war with Palu.
Occupying exactly one prim square of the massive Aratura var-region, the landscape is made of prims; clipped green lawn with white marble stonework.
Kalamantayo links to all other destinations in Kalamat State via three highways, the Slingshot, Sunvalley Way, and Kalamat Highway.
The Kalamantayo complex can berth three submarines at any time. The central bath house provides accommodation and recreational activities for soldiers and seamen on shore leave.
The prim landscape used here was upcycled from earlier similar – but much smaller – builds on Tamita Island and Hephaestion in InWorldz and DigiWorldz. I recycled the concept again in 2017 for a new version of Hephaestion.
Kalamat Island
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: InWorldz 2014
- Use: Residential
- Terrain: hand terraformed
Kalamat Island is a region in Kalamat State in far-west Irukandji. It is very loosely based on the earlier Kalamat state capital from Second Life, New Batavia.
I commissioned Kalamat Island quite late into my InWorldz excursion, and as such, it only existed for about four months. Its history does continue however on the DigiWorldz grid.
During its time, Kalamat Island was surprisingly well tenanted, perhaps made popular by its isolation, as several larger landowners moved in there.
New Batavia
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: Second Life 2008
- Use: Light Residential
- Terrain: new-batavia080810
New Batavia is the old name for the capital of Kalamat State. After the liberation of Kalamat by the Irukandji Navy, New Batavia changed its name to Aratura City.
I terraformed New Batavia by hand, complimented with sand, grass, and coral textures. The Trans Irukandji Causeway traverses the region from Sunset Shoals in the north to Kalamantayo Island in the south.
Regrettably, only the aerial map above survives, showing New Batavia‘s location.
New Batavia returned in amazing splendour in DigiWorldz as Aratura City.
North Shore
- Size: approximately 24 hectares
- Grid: DigiWorldz 2016-2017
- Use: Residential
- Terrain: Kiwi Islands template, then hand terraformed
North Shore is located in the northwest of Kalamat State on the Irukandji Continent. Situated north of Haku and west of Kalamantayo, North Shore also includes the residential suburb, Sunset Valley on the northwest coast. North Shore occupies approximately four grid square of the Aratura var-region.
One of the few areas of true calm in Kalamat State, North Shore has a private school facing the northern ocean and backing onto the Aratura Sea. Pupils of North Shore High who are also cadets at the nearby naval base in Kalamantayo can divide their classes between the two.
North Shore is serviced by the Sunvalley Way, a high speed two-lane highway which follows the west and northern shores of the Aratura var-region.
Plage de Kalamat
Plage de Kalamat (Second Life 2008)
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: Second Life 2008
- Use: Light Residential
- Terrain: hand terraformed
The light-residential region, Plage de Kalamat, was located in southwest Irukandji in Second Life. I terraformed the region by hand into a long cigar-shaped beach, styled on New Caledonia. Rental cabins line the eastern shore and enjoy a mountain range backdrop.
One of the very last simulators I brought online in Second Life, Plage de Kalamat was part of Kalamat State. Clockwise from NW, the bordering regions of Plage de Kalamat are Sunset Shoals, Rainbow Reef, Baie de Triomphe, Grand Kalamat Island, Kalamantayo, and New Batavia.
I had great plans for the Kalamat group of islands and seas, but unfortunately the timing coincided with sudden 75% price increases in Second Life, and I had to abandon my plans.
Plage de Kalamat would appear eight years later in DigiWorldz.
Plage de Kalamat (DigiWorldz 2016-2017)
- Size: approximately 20 hectares
- Grid: DigiWorldz 2016-2017
- Use: Residential
- Terrain: Kiwi Islands template, then hand terraformed
Located on the east coast of the huge Aratura var-region, Plage de Kalamat is a residential island the size of 3 standard regions. This massive landmass had two large elevated homesteads with cliff-top views of the ocean, and six beachfront properties below them just above sea level.
A single road entered via a bridge through a slightly overflowing waterfall, which led out to the Kalamat Highway.
A tall-stilted roadside temple sat perched at the back of the waterfall to the north, and to the south, the highway continued down into the contested territory of South Palu (Nouvelle Palu).
The only photograph is the aerial map above however it does show the island in great detail including the huge waterfall complex.
Rainbow Reef
The Rainbow Reef region is located near the border of Kalamat and Palu States in far-west Irukandji
Rainbow Reef (Second Life 2008)
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: Second Life 2008
- Use: Light Residential
- Terrain: rainbow-reef080810
Rainbow Reef is a significant conduit for the Trans Irukandji Causeway in the region, which traverses the sim from the north at Palu Island to Sunset Shoals in the west.
One major homestead property occupied its central atoll which enjoyed full occupancy throughout the island’s life. I hand-terraformed Rainbow Reef using the popular template I developed for Minoan Atolls.
Rainbow Reef (DigiWorldz 2016 – 2017)
- Size: approximately 12 hectares
- Grid: DigiWorldz 2016-2017
- Use: Mixed residential and commercial
- Terrain: Kiwi Islands template, then hand terraformed
On the DigiWorldz grid, Rainbow Reef continued as an area in the south of the var-region Aratura. I terraformed its raised island landscape by hand and it occupied roughly two grid squares.
Feathers Night Club occupied the main body of the main island while several residences featured on the south-facing shore below.
The Kalamat Highway passed straight through Rainbow Reef connecting Aratura City with the disputed territories of Nouvelle Palu.
Sunset Shoals
- Size: 6.5536 hectares
- Grid: Second Life 2008
- Use: Light Residential
- Terrain: sunset-shoals080810
Sunset Shoals was a very pretty island and fully tenanted by two landholders from Britain and France throughout its life.
The terrain for Sunset Shoals was a double atoll joined in the middle. This terrain was unusual for me, in that it was completely made using Adobe Photoshop instead of in-world. As the terrain’s foundation, I used the .raw terrain file from Sulawesi Bay, copied it then flipped it to create two atolls instead of one.
Sunset Shoals was serviced by the Trans Irukandji Causeway which ran from Rainbow Reef in the east to New Batavia in the south. Palu Island and Plage de Kalamat also adjoined the island by sea.
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