Home’s Forgotten Spaces #3 — The Neptune Suite
by Keara22HI, HSM team writer and filmmaker
I sign into Home one day, and there it is: Atlantis. The Neptune Suite.
Yes, the legends could be true. The latest theory, that Atlantis was actually on the island of Santorini and an implosive volcano sucked it down below the sea, captures the imagination. But what if it sank slowly, instead? Could that land mass have sunk so slowly and so deep that the inhabitants adjusted, in some fantastical, Jules Verne fashion, to the sea pressure and survived?
Obviously, there’s no such human civilization under the waves. That doesn’t stop such a concept from firing the blood and the imagination, however. The Neptune Suite is a wonderfully entertaining personal estate in Home, but like so many others, it seems to have been forgotten — left behind. And perhaps it’s time to rediscover it.
One of the major discussions taking place right now is that of climate change; this planet we’re on is largely covered in water, and if Al Gore is to be believed, even more of it’s going under. Certainly, as someone who lives on a tropical island, I’ve seen just in the last ten years how the tide line keeps creeping ever higher; certain beaches simply don’t exist any more.
Ironically, a warmer planet with higher stable sea levels fosters higher overall biomass — it’s only humans, who are stupid enough to build their settlements on the edges of these bodies of water, who end up displaced if sea levels rise. And what if such displacement occurred? Conventional logic is that humanity would relocate to higher ground. But imagine a highly advanced society choosing to go the opposite direction? And then slowly dying away?
It’s an idea that fascinates me. A trapped civilization. Just as someone who spent enough time in low gravity would theoretically be unable to ever walk again (due to the loss of bone mass and muscle tissue), the same could hold true in the opposite direction: after centuries at a much lower depth, they would not be able to return to sea level without dying from the change in pressurization. So their beautiful buildings and marvelous achievements would become a living tomb.
The island of Santorini is located in the Mediterranean between Egypt and Greece, off the coast of Turkey. With the amount of trade going on between those areas on the years before Plato wrote, the art and architecture in Atlantis would have been greatly influenced by those other cultures. So – in decorating the Nepture Suite, I went with a blend of ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Mediteranean influences. Over the centuries, games and other entertainment would have evolved along with sea farming. One of the major legends of Atlantis is that they used crystals to generate the energy needed to operate all their technology. So, in my video, my Atlantean lady checks her crystal energy level for the day as well as making sure the flame is still burning well in the fire pit.
But it is a lonely prison. Ethereally beautiful — but inescapable. Or is it? What are those small submersible ships that suddenly show up on the screen? Could it be…
March 22nd, 2012 by keara22hi | 10 comments
Keara is also known in Home as DarthGranny. She is a wicked little old lady with a wild sense of humor.
Wonderful, as always, Keara.
Those were graceful shots and showed the story you told beautifully! Another excellent work Granny!
Neptune, the home of HOME‘s first pet. I recall it being a big deal at the time.
I didn’t decorate mine like in the video which is terrifically well done but as I consider mine as a music space of sorts, I do have the baby grand piano which plays classical music in it.
I do not think of Neptune as a prison but as a place to go and relax. A place of make believe.
During the article and video, I saw a different Neptune.
Well done.
Nicely done Granny! Loved the music and the feeling it generated. You are getting quite good at this!
Great minds think alike! I also chose to decorate my Neptune Suite with the ancient Greece collection. My theory was that the apartment belongs to an experienced diver, so all the items represent treasures recovered from the depths.
I also use it to display all my water-related rewards, like the Dolphy statues, the various aquariums, the mounted fish plaques, the goldfish and the Irem/Granzella treasure chests.
Kera as always great stuff. I still love my Neptune Apt. I visit it the most. I am still able to go into the water & roof. Glitches by most part were all patched but mine works still. Great view from roof were I have a dance floor.
Great! The camera work was so seamless, it just flowed! the Enya really added to the mood! Looking forward to the next installment.
Good job Granny, I love to see the layouts of places. I often will look at homes by way of the YouTube channel, just to think of what I would decorate a place like. This was well thought out and well decorated. Thanks for the great video.
loved it granny i remember this spot ,,my first pet ,loved it great job
This space is SO underrated! Not only was it the first to introduce the concept of pets, but was home of the first personal space to include a game (2 mulit-player ones, actually), The first to have multiple levels, the first to introduce the concept of a teleporter, and the first (and still one of the few) underwater space. It also gives out rewards for certain accomplishments in the games!
I mean, that is a good space even to be released TODAY, but it released 2 YEARS ago! Mass Media really led the force behind a lot of what we now take for granted in Home these days.
Can you tell it’s one of my favorite spaces? lol
GREAT article, Keara! I love how you gave us a story to put behind this amazing forgotten space.