Lycanthropy failing his hide/move silently check.
Ninja: Thanks for doing this interview Lycanthropy. First questions, what brought you to Avlis?
Lycanthropy: Not a problem. My fee is in unmarked bills, like I asked? Jolly good. I first found this place in 2003, when I was a bored teenager with a copy of Neverwinter Nights casting around for something to do. I'd got bored of the campaign and was looking into multiplayer things. I think I found Avlis' listing on NWVault and took a visit to the forums. I spent a couple of hours reading over things, especially the in-character stuff - I remember the argument about something around the Blandenberg Ferry in the M'Chek-T'Nanshi war really caught my eye - and I thought, you know, this sounds better than a static world or an MMO, this sounds like people are serious about playing their characters.
Ninja: How long have you been playing on Avlis, and what was your first character?
Lycanthropy: The question I was dreading. I played from about April '03 to May '04 or thereabouts in my first stint. I was gone for about four years, during which time I got myself edumucated, then came back in spring of '08. So technically I've been here nearly eight years, but actually I've only really been playing for four. My first character was a blue-skinned fighter named Illivara who never made it past level seven and joined the Warrior Maidens. But we've all done stuff we're not proud of in our youth, right?
Ninja: Definitely, my first character was a fighter named Gru who was exactly like a comic book Groo the Wanderer. Surprise I wasn't banned, but I didn't know any better. Tell me about the character you play now.
Lycanthropy: I think everyone nearly gets banned first time out. It's like a rite of passage! Silver Fox was rolled up as my first character coming back. I had no real expectations or plans, but I can't do spellcasters to save my life and the Tyeduan background on the wiki had a lot of potential, I thought, so I rolled up a barbarian from the frozen north. She was great fun from the outset. I hit upon the mercenary idea pretty soon after as a good way to get involved with things (and make some money along the way), and it really seemed to work. I also fell in with some really excellent players who helped develop and flesh out the character. As a result, she's nothing now like she was when I rolled her up. I didn't set out to go Blackguard, that was the influence of those naughty Malekite PCs she ran with - Quin, Ang, Kurt Villainova - and her position in the M'Chekian Army was a result of mercenarying around when Drotid was invading. I've never looked back! She's always been great fun, and it's allowed me to construct a character from a lot of the things I like in fantasy and other fictional settings - the cold, hard warriors from the frozen north, a strong, assured female character, and a sort of take on a "Dark Knight" who is quite charismatic and charming and easy to be around, but is nonetheless a vile and twisted person who only cares about her own advance.
Ninja: What keeps you on Avlis?
Lycanthropy: That's an easy one. Two things. The most important is the people behind the characters and the plots. We really do have some magnificent people here, who are sheer delight both IC and OOC. The second thing is the mutability of the world and the possibility of changing things through action or inaction - whether on your own initiative or in your response to a situation. The idea of being able to impact the world in a meaningful way is what raises it above a static MMO. I don't see the point in those kinds of games - if it's all on rails, if it can't go horribly wrong (or terribly right), what's the point? But mostly it's the people, I have to say!
Ninja: I agree. It's cool to do something IG and have it affect something on Avlis where there is a change. What would you say your most defining moment as a player is?
Lycanthropy: I think anytime Silver Fox chops something big and nasty in two with an oversized sword counts as a Defining Character Moment. As a player, I'm most proud of the work with the M'Chekian Army - keeping that going through thick and thin. It's a great bunch of characters and players, and I'm very proud of all the stuff I've done with those guys. We've assassinated lizard generals, launched daring raids, captured territory, defended against hordes of Shaahesk, planned and schemed and skulked about... fantastic stuff. I can't pick one moment in good conscience, there's been so many great times.
Ninja: Besides playing on Avlis, what other games do you play?
Lycanthropy: I like RPGs a lot, and I think I'm a Bioware nut. Mass Effect 2 was the best game of last year, I liked the first one as well. Dragon Age, as well, does a lot of things I like, I'll be playing the sequel to death this weekend, probably.
The recent Fallouts were also good, but apart from that it's probably sports games. You're not English until you've played videogame cricket.Ninja: ME2 was great, and I'm definitely waiting on DA2. After I crushed AC:Brotherhood, I needed an RPG to play, and picked up Two Worlds II. Not as crappy as I would have thought. It's no Oblivion though. Where do you live and what kind of work do you do?
Lycanthropy: Ha, "work"! I'm a self-hating Englishman and a student - my degree is in history and I'll be starting a Masters in medieval history this October. I want to go into academia full time. I can't stand the idea of doing anything more productive than reading a lot and talking a lot of nonsense about the past.
Ninja: What is on your 5 song playlist?
Lycanthropy: Oh hell. Uh... I have kind of an eclectic taste in music, but here's some of the things I've been listening to lately! 1. Kristin Hersh - Sno Cat; 2. Tom Waits - How's It Going To End; 3. Kyuss - Freedom Run; 4. Idiot Flesh - Twitch; 5. Marduk - Still Fucking Dead
Ninja: Do you have any other hobbies besides RPGs?
Lycanthropy: All sorts. I read a lot - people I know here are an endless source of good recommendations - I like movies, live music, wandering around aimlessly, hanging out with people, drinking. Lately I've been teaching myself to cook better and that's been pretty successful so far! I've tried my hand at a bunch of sports at university, but I'm mostly hopeless.I also play or have played a whole bunch of musical instruments. I started off with brass things like cornet and tuba (tuba is ridiculous, it was bigger than I am) then gravitated to bass guitar when I hit my teenage years and discovered rock and roll. I was in a really, really bad band in high school, but none of us cared! I also like travelling but I've not been able to do much these past few years - I've got plans though, oh yes.
Ninja: Travelling is great. I try to take 2 or 3 trips each year. Of course, they suck up my bank account quickly. Finally, what is something interesting about you that people would love to know?
Lycanthropy: I went to university at Oxford (and am going back for postgrad) so I've got all kinds of silly anecdotes and weird experiences. I met the Princess of Japan at an asian wine tasting she was helping to run. One of my tutors was an extra in the movie Alexander. My room in first year was J.R.R. Tolkien's when he lived at my college. It's a really crazy place!
Ninja: It sounds fantastic! Thanks for doing this interview Lycanthropy. Any parting words to the Avlis Community?
Lycanthropy: I'm Brighton Pier, you're rap's Piers Morgan.
Leave a note, you suckaz
and he's a Patton fan to boot.
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