What is the Blackthorne Community?

I should have written this post first! Anyway, if you are reading this you are interested and want to know more. This post is just a brief introduction. Reading other blog entries or IM Minh Ahn in world to learn more!

I created the Blackthorne Community to fill what I feel is a void in Second Life, residential land with a sense of community. Although we are a BDSM community, I think all of our residents so far would say that even more important is we are friends and family. In fact, I do believe anyone would enjoy many of the aspects of our community, even if they are not into BDSM.

We are also instituting a title system to facilitate BDSM role play and interactions. Its based loosely (some would say very loosely) on European feudal systems. The goal is not to become role play nazis, but rather to facilitate social interactions. Something that I think is lacking in most BDSM clubs and sims.

The focus of community development is our club house, referred to as the club house, Stephanie's Secret Garden and Blackthorne Gardens. It serves as a meeting place, a place to hang out, hold events and in the near futures we'll hold classes and other such events. Its a great place to meet new people, romance them, chat with them, flirt with them, then move on to more private places if the mood takes you.

The community consists of land owners (the primary income comes through land sales and tier payments) and paying members. Membership fees are currently set at 350L/month. We also welcome anyone to the club house and other public areas. Land owners and paying members receive other benefits such as use of titles for role play, access to members only land, invitations to members only events and discounts on any products offered for sale in the info center.

Tell Me More You Say?

SURE! We are currently in the process of planning and developing what I believe to be a new concept in Second Life. We have all been to clubs and although many of them are wonderful and welcoming places, the successful ones often suffer from lag, large numbers of non-interactive people and they aren't really home. Do you own land? Well, you probably do not know your neighbors, and you probably only share a little in common.

Our first island in Blackthorne Estates, Blackthorne Gardens is designed to provide a place for you to live on land you own in a beautiful LOW LAG and PRIVATE setting. We are setting aside a large part of the island to maintain a modest clubhouse, and members-only land for residents and paying members to play in. In addition to the clubhouse, we will include other communal areas for people to meet, interact and hang out. Future expansion will include water sims with private islands and navigable water as well.

You say you don't want to live by a club?

This club house is there primarily as a focus for community and social activities for our residents. The business model does not rely on traffic, and only partially on having paying non-resident members. However, we will try to make it a place where you can meet new people and get together with your friends. It is not a strip club. Our staff will be hand selected to be friendly and helpful and make your time in the club house and members-only areas fun and enjoyable. They will not be put on a stage but rather on the floor to interact with our guests. Additionally, we will facilitate BDSM role play by "encouraging" members to display their Dominant/Sub status and behave accordingly (switching is allowed of course).

We also plan to host community building activities such as live music, BDSM classes, discussion groups and workshops, D/s speed dating and other activities (these are some ideas we are working on, please don't hold us to specifics at this point!). Some functions will be open to members only, some will be open to the general SL public. We also hope that members and residents will host some of their own events. I will be living there too, so I want to have fun!

Who are you and what makes you think you can do this you say?

Well...I have managed and owned rental property and land sales for more than a year now. I also manage a BDSM sim (Domina Island) with a successful BDSM club on it. I have come to believe that the Second Life BDSM community truly values quality and lush surroundings and truly intimate and honest personal interaction. It is our plan to bring this to you.


I will post developments soon...look for land sales to start in a week or two, depending on cooperation from the Lindens. If you have any questions, suggestions, or would like to talk about pre-sales (10% discount on price) IM me in world.