I'm supposed to fill it up with something

Let's go to Aryadeva!



So, upon arriving at Halloween@Aryadeva, one learns that one is, in fact, deceased, from a plane crash in some sort of mountainous-yet-swampy place.



Well, okay.



There are at least two rides at this attraction--Charon's boat ride, located just down from this sign, and a plane ride through the deeper caverns. (There may be more; this is a huge haunt space.)



There are some really, really bad texture glitches on this sim. In this image, you can see the overlayering visibly in the upper left corner, but it's ALL over this room, in particular, and other rooms throughout the house. Even granting that, though, the surround is pretty impressive, and the ideas behind it are fun. How forgivable is it? We'll see as I go.



Guillotine. Scary guy. This does not bode well.



Run! There's two of them!



Pirate ship. In a pool of blood. In a cave. In the underworld. Uh...



Underwater section? Yep, underwater section. Weird, but okay.



And this is where I stopped, because friends got online and wanted to finish Octoberville. There is a LOT of terrain to cover, though, I didn't cover all of it. There are at least two--maybe three--other houses, there's maybe another ride, though I never found it, and there's probably more if one doesn't take the plane through the caverns, and walks them instead. It's not the most up-to-date haunt this year, but with so much acreage devoted to haunting, there will likely be something worth seeing!

did you have to ruin what was shining? now it's all rusted

The Chilbo Haunted Manor was next.



Under search, it listed this as the brief bio for the stop:

Public is welcome to tour the Chilbo Haunted Mansion and Chapel. Enjoy a collection of some of the best "haunted finds" accumulated through "the SL ages."

Huh. Okay.



Carol-Ann again, but this was beautiful--the haunt designers made a slight addition to the set. To hear Carol-Ann screaming and crying out "No more...No more!" while watching The Lion King was precious beyond all things.



I'm beginning to understand what they meant about haunts through the SL ages. From the ground floor, as I went up, it was definitely nostalgic. Like this set piece. Sure, it's ageing--all the Grimworx pieces are, unfort--but this one still holds up fairly well.



A glowing puppet theatre at the top of the winding stairs; to the right of this (unpictured) is a gathering of some very familiar mesh figures, but...they still manage to more-or-less work within the haunt theme.



And, in a separate building was a lovely little haunted chapel. All in all, a fun diversion for your time. Short, but nostalgic, and good use of "traditional" SL haunt items, some that aren't seen as often anymore (like the puppet theatre).

I'm a nightmare dressed as a screensaver

Next up: the Scared to Death Haunted House Ride, 2015 edition. Neat!



But it's opening soon. Bah. So we'll come back later.



In the meantime, we're headed to .:XTICEYS:. (yes, that's how the name is spelled, apparently) Haunted Hall of Horrors. Yes, really.



In we go. After reading the warning.



Choices, choices.



Death leads to this fellow--ew--so I guess I'm visiting Eternal Hell.



Past the creepy spider-thing...



And this skeleton, just hanging around...



Deeper into spider hell...



Into clown hell...



I guess I've reached actual Hell.

There's a lot of falling in this one, and if you push aside the repetitive themes, the falling aspects, combined with the genuine creepiness of the maze--which is essentially wrought-iron fencing and fog--until the falling starts, makes me want to recommend this at least if you just need more haunts in your life? It's not top-notch, but it's at least a fun stroll. Three out of five skulls?

monsters don't stand a chance

Pickled Spooky House? Pickled Spooky House. I don't name 'em, I just visit 'em.



They have a Hallowe'en tree! Awesome! Though, admittedly, it made me miss the loss of Relic all over again, because--Relic tree.



The wall is talking to me!



I think I saw this episode of Dexter...



Haunted phone, a 'birthday' cake I do not want to even poke with a stick, and terrible sounds...And by 'terrible', I mean, really effective and kind of unnerving.



The kitchen is the typical serial-killer sort, but...with more disturbing touches here and there. Still, it works surprisingly well.

[02:51] Study door: Emilly Orr is disturbing the spirits.
[02:51] Ms. Channing: Are they exactly the same?

I'm sorry! I don't know!



There's a lot of hanged spirits out there, but a hanged, de-bodied couple? That's new.



And another hanged sailor who will not rest...



Now, is this fellow a...servant, who's helping the nanny in the nursery, or...the child? Either way, eep.

And that's only maybe half of what's here. There is so much going on in this house. The build is tall, and very narrow. (In other words, even going through on mouselook, you'll probably have your viewpoint slip through a wall or two.) It really needs to be experienced in person. Spend enough time so that everything fully loads, because the true delight in this one is the small details, the unexpected touches. Have fun.

oh, there ain't no rest for the wicked

I'm sensing a theme this year, for no specific reason I can ascertain. I walked through the Haunted House of Ill Repute.

Purportedly an abandoned Victorian bordello--and again, on an Adult parcel--it was clean and bright outside, so considerably unnerving, considering the normal sunset/midnight settings for most haunts on SL. Then I walked inside.



A-ha--the first time I've entered a haunt on Adult land and known instantly why it was on Adult land. Good to know.


Lovely little cobweb-strewn dining set. Obviously chairs of fine wood, with a plush velvet fabric. I can easily see gentlemen slicing roast or braised duck, enjoying sparkling wines and intimate conversation with the house madam, or perhaps even their chosen companions for the evening.



The art is a complete hodge-podge of eras, but I've seen at least a couple houses that work that way, so I have to assume others do as well. Both Nevada's Mustang Ranch (link is NSFW, naturally) and Wallace, Idaho's many brothels (possibly SFW, but definitely dealing with Adult content) point to storied histories in their art and in their construction, and pieces that are in good condition are left on the walls along with newer photographs or more "modern" art pieces. So, while some of the 1980s- to 2000-era pictures were a bit odd, the paintings from the 1950s and 1960s seemed to fit right in with the turn of the century drawings, and the actual Victorian-era burlesque photography.



This struck me as ingenious--matching the baroque wallpaper of the house to the baroque lampshade? Neat little detail.



Though I did not bring a friend on this jaunt, and would not be willing to show any of the furniture pieces "in action", as it were, there are a few pieces scattered throughout the house. Beds, of course, but also spanking benches and the like. It does make the house tour more entertaining...



The attic, of course, has a fully-equipped electric chair for...hrm...torture sessions? Once seated, it will offer a set of cuffs and the helmet (with built-in bit gag to muffle screams, perhaps?). Whereupon whomever's in control of the chair can affix one to it, raise uncomfortable metal studs from the surfaces one sits and leans against, or run three different levels of power through the chair itself. It's on the morbid side for a sexual toy, but I can see it getting use within a prison roleplay, perhaps.

I found this one thoroughly enjoyable, and possibly even worth revisiting with a partner. If you also are intrigued, do check it out.



And the "Once Upon a Witches' Tale Haunted Hallowdays Scream Park"...cumbersome as that name is...seems to have vaporized. We'll move on, then.

I looked in the mirror and somebody blew up

Passions Haunted Forest confused me--hadn't I already gone to something with that name? But no, that land was Adult, this is moderate. I guess they're separate.



Pretty enough going in, for all that it's shoehorned in to a tiny parcel. Still, I've done fun haunts on 512s, this was at least twice that, if not three times, so there was space to wander and peer around.



Lovely combination of props--when walking over the rope bridge, the skeleton's rigged to pop up when crossed over. I did jump a little. Neat effect.



Inside the house, there's some subtly haunted furniture, some floating books, and this ethereal feast with floating champagne and steaming turkey. Beautifully put together.



Inside, in a closet, this creepy little girl who's either about to be grabbed by the claws, or about to invite them out to play.



And, in a house full of neat little touches, this was the absolute neatest: that hand holding the candle you see there? As I walked up the stairs, every few feet a hand would pop out of the wall, holding the light. Quite impressive.

Overall, I'd give this a full five out of five skulls. Take some time, it's worth a wander.

oh, it's so sad to think about the good times, you and I

The Haunted House of Miracles is actually on Moderate land. Be still, my undead heart.



But how's this for cognitive dissonance? This is the front door.



But if one turns away from the door....oh. Oh, dear.



There's...um...not a lot here.



And...yeah, that's about it. I don't think it's worth a visit, frankly.

if you live like that you live with ghosts

And then there was Castle Whorenstein. With that name, do I even need to mention the land rating?

I have dread.



I also have a touch of actual fear, because while the land isn't damage-enabled, the pumpkin one touches to gain a lantern also offers a shotgun. Does this mean zombies? If my brains are going to be nibbled, I'm SO out of here.



This was a nice little moment. Neatly posed skeleton in a top hat, smoking. Just something to catch the eye, to be sure, but done with style.



And there was a coffin, with poses, so...y'know...I had to jump in and pose. It's a thing.

How'ver, as I wandered deeper into the main house, I found people...um...interacting? And I did not wish to disturb, so cut the visitation short. There's honestly not that much here, anyway, though notecards on the way in indicated there was some sort of hunt--for either hidden items, or the aforementioned zombies, is unclear--so I may return to see which, precisely, they mean.

If you go, bring a voyeuristic friend or so, or be one yourself; elsewise, there won't be much to see.

you speak softly, we are capsules of energy

[20:09] Bad Tempered Skull: If you wake up in the morning with a few less toes don't blame me, unless you want more to come up missing.

Well, okay then. We're now at Haunted Heightened Passion, another Adult haunt. (What is it this year with Adult haunts?)

The floating horned skulls--nice touch. They are all over the entry zone, in all colors a demonic, floating horned skull might be. Some drift close to the ground, some fly, some move up and down vertically. They're fascinating to watch.

This is going to be tricky...There is a way to walk around the saws, and still reach the front door, so that's good.

The haunted mine section is exceptional. I could have made thirty entries with pictures just from the mine tunnels, and I'm still not sure I found everything. Very, very well done.

And here's one case of taking the tried and true--and usually boring--and making it work for your haunt. You have possessed Regan--with her priest. You have Silent Hill's Sharon. You have Sadako climbing out of the well. You have Alma--in a cage, crawling through a wall, standing next to a glowing rocking horse. (Unless that's Sharon again.) What links these young women? Creepy dark hair and mad eyes. And it works. It really works.

All in all? Quite pleased with this one, quite pleased. Well worth a visit, and there's a few more things I didn't even cover, like the haunted gondola ride. (I was a bit rushed, but may go back to see if I can track it down!)