Hello Fellow Mizaharians!
Keeping with our tradition, the Founders Circle is proud to announce that the Featured Character of the Month for the month of January 2012 is Xalet! Unique among the Akalak of Mizahar, Xalet has been chosen because of his uniqueness and the flavor he adds to the Syliran Knights in Syliras. |
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The Interview
1. Playing an Akalak is exactly like playing two PC's at once in the same time and space. How challenging is this? How did you settle on deciding the two different personalities and who was forefront?
Oddly it's not as challenging as I had anticipated it to be. The idea of having two souls sharing the same body was so intriguing that instead of feeling suffocated by the difficulty I felt inspired. I knew Xalet was going to be a Syliran Knight, which meant his more 'socially acceptable' personality needed to be at the helm. Xalet and Xuphim (Xalet's darker Soul) have more in common than they would readily admit, but I felt that in order to properly act the part of a squire Xalet would need some chivalrous qualities. Xalet is the voice of reason. He's incredibly level headed, calm, reserved, polite, and dedicated.
This isn't to say that all that Xuphim consists of is malicious and destructive. I decided that Xuphim would encompass all of the emotions Xalet keeps hidden, locked away so tightly so he can continue to play the role of the stoic Akalak. Xuphim is jealous, obnoxious, and crass, but he is also passionate, confident, and quick thinking. Just as Xalet is far from perfect, Xuphim has his strengths and weaknesses, but together they compliment each other.
2. You embrace the Syliran Knight lifestyle as a squire. What motivates you to stay in the knighthood and what drives your PC to stick to this lifestyle? What do you yourself get out of it as a player?
Having Xalet involved in the squire lifestyle is potentially the best decision I could have made for the character. It gives me a clearly defined goal, and that makes it extremely easy to write for the character. Xalet knows what he wants, he knows how he has to get there, and because I recognize exactly where I am with the character and where I want to go, I'm never left asking myself 'what do I do now?' I think that without this, there may be times where I would just be sitting there, staring at my computer screen wondering what I should be doing. With the path to Knighthood laid out in front of me, I simply need to seize the opportunities as they're presented.
Many of the opportunities come in the form of being able to interact with other squires. A lot of Xalet's interaction isn't PC to Mod, but PC to PC. Just because of the Knighthood, Xalet has met several characters (and I've met several players), and I'm pleased to have gotten the chance to write with them, all do to having something in common.
Now in character Xalet continues on his path toward Knighthood for a few reasons. First and most importantly, Priskil approved of his choice. Xalet is devoted to Priskil, bordering on obsessed. With her blessing he believes the choice to strive to be Knighted cannot be wrong. His Akalak blood drives him to be productive as well. To become involved in the evolution and perfection of his mind and body, and the trials and training of a squire serve as the perfect regimen of physical and mental challenges to keep him satisfied.
3. You are an Akalak away from Akalaks all alone in a sea of humans. How does that impact your PC and how do you cope with it as a player?
I've written it that throughout Xalet's childhood he often felt alienated from other children, either because they were distrustful of him, fearful of him, or otherwise simply just not very accepting of him. Xalet wasn't beaten up or physically tormented, it just wouldn't make sense given the sheer size he has, but being unable to interact with people in his own range of development has left him socially awkward. Xalet is terrible with people that have nothing to do with the Knighthood, and his personality can often seem extremely flat. He doesn't have a very good sense of humor, he's terrible with the opposite sex, and the direction he takes with conversations is more based upon trial and error than social experience.
As a player it's actually fairly difficult, because essentially I write Xalet has having a 'boring' outward personality. He doesn't joke much or do wild and crazy things. He doesn't fly by the seat of his pants, everything in his world is to be completed in an orderly fashion, often as he had been instructed in the past. This means that any humor has to be pulled from either his thoughts, his awkwardness, or his internal dialog with Xuphim. Essentially, my coping mechanism is Xuphim, whom is wild, sarcastic, and doesn't play by the rules. Whenever I can't stand being a good little boy anymore, I can always find a way to have Xuphim come out and totally ruin some lives.
4. Each person can make a difference in Mizahar through their roleplay. What do you think Xalet adds to Mizahar through his presence both in his city and in the culture of the Akalak and or knighthood as a whole?
Wow, this is a deep question, probably too deep for me. I suppose Xalet shows that darkness is not evil, nor is it weakness. Also that his light side (in essence Xalet) is not perfect or infallible. Xalet is rigid, unsure of himself, and even somewhat cowardly. I think that the dual Souls of the Akalak is something that really separates them from everyone else, strange skin tones and rippling muscular bodies aside. My biggest goal for Xalet was to play these two Souls appropriately, which meant they had to have their own sets of goals, strengths, and weaknesses. I focused on those Souls because, for the rest of the Akalak culture, Xalet can't really offer much as he hadn't been involved in it growing up amongst the Humans.
In the Knighthood, I really think that sometimes the Knights get a bad rap, and I'd like to show through Xalet that they actually are decent people. I also think that sometimes the Knights are viewed of as the bumbling guards that constantly get outsmarted like in ten cent medieval fantasy novels, but to me the Syliran Knights are the elite. They dedicate their lives to a cause, and through that dedication they become smart, strong, and skillful. I'm not sure if it's self-centered or egotistical or what, but my hope is that one day Xalet becomes so skilled that people begin to think "Wait...THIS is what a Knight is? I must have been crazy to think I could just take down half a dozen of them with my dagger."
5. Xalet has a strict code of honor and follows it to the letter according to his CS. Is there any case where he'd throw this aside and why?
I guess there's a few hypothetical 'what if' scenarios, but when I made Xalet I wanted him to be somewhat rigid. Xalet (at least in my plans) is not going to change much when it comes to his personal ethics. He's not going to suddenly find out everything he's been doing is a lie and go crazy, and there's not much anyone he interacts with can do to make him think his code is wrong. If Xalet's entire family was slaughtered, his order was shattered, and Syliras burned to the ground, he would still be Xalet and follow his code, THAT is how much dedication he has. The only way I could see him altering or outright breaking it is if Priskil asked him to, and even then he would be severely conflicted.
Now consequently, Xuphim sees Xalet's code as nothing but a hindrance toward they're real power, and wouldn't hesitate to break it in order to succeed.
6. The Worship of Priskil is very popular throughout Mizahar. What drew Xalet to her? Why does he follow Her so closely and defensively?
Her sincerity is endearing. To him she, much like himself, has genuine feelings for someone besides herself. She cares for Aquiras and her followers, and that to Xalet is noble. Many of the Gods (in Xalet's perspective) seem to only be out for themselves, pushing forth their goals and only interacting with mortals when it suits them. Priskil interacts with her followers because they are her friends, and goes so far as to not even request special treatment. To put it in perspective, this would be the equivalent to a Sergeant getting out there and training with his or her men, getting down there in the mud and running, doing push ups, and otherwise forgoing the formalities of the stripes in order to show that they're all on the same team. There's just so many good things about her, Xalet finds it difficult to find any fault in Priskil. She is beautiful, strong, and so modest.
On a more selfish level, Xalet is (for lack of a better word) in love with Priskil. He would want nothing more than for her to suddenly recognize her love for him, give up on Aquiras, and become his wife. Of course he realizes this is basically impossible, considering how devoted Priskil is to her current lover despite his condition. Due to this, Xalet would be content being Priskil's Champion, as even if he's unable to truly make her love him like she loves Aquiras, it can at the very least fulfill some (perhaps twisted) desire he has in becoming extremely important to her.
7. What future plans do you have for Xalet and his character development? If you could take him anywhere, where would you and why?
I think the biggest development will be the changes in his relationship with Xuphim. As he learns how important that other half is, he will become more and more comfortable allowing Xuphim freedom, which means he will spend less and less energy keeping Xuphim at bay. This means that some of Xalet's rigidity and perhaps consistency will go away, but he will become much more versatile as a person. If he gains some rank in the Knights, he will also need to learn how to lead instead of simply following, and I think that after a life of following orders that will be a tough change. I'd actually kind of like to have Xalet become romantically involved with someone, not so much because he's lonely or anything, but because as a playing controlling his PC I think it would be good for Xalet to have to worry not just about himself, but someone else as well. It would certainly help him gain some experience with women, and it would also present an opportunity for exploitation against him, should he make any rivals.
My first answer to 'where would I take Xalet' would have to be Riverfall. Even if he never grew up there, it's still his homeland, and part of him yearns for understanding more about it and learning about what his culture is supposed to be like. It also holds the secret of what happened to his father, an issue that his Human mother keeps locked tightly up with her.
8. Xalet hasn't exactly been acquainted to his dark side like most Akalaks have been. He's not totally in balance and as a Founder and the creator of the Akalaks, I see this as a ticking time bomb. Has Xalet's dark side put in an appearance and will he do so in the future with any regularity? Most people see 'dark brothers' as evil, though I claim fervently that they are not. They are just stronger in different ways and a lot more unfettered than the usual dominant personality is. Tell us your thoughts on this situation and Akalaks in general.
I'm glad this came up. Just recently has Xuphim started to make regular appearances, and Xalet actually had a pretty epic thread with Verilian which made Xalet realize just how important Xuphim is. In the beginning Xalet wanted nothing more than to crush Xuphim into nothingness, as he believed then he could focus on his goals without the prospect of having Xuphim rising up and making a mockery of how serious he takes his squirehood. What he found out was that, while Xuphim and he don't necessarily have exactly the same ethical standards, they're actually quite similar. They both love Priskil, and they're both devoted to the Knights. In that way Xalet's worries have been unfounded, as Xuphim would never do anything to drive Priskil away, or to damage his shot at becoming a Knight. Xalet also got the chance to recognize Xuphim's strengths, most notably his fearlessness and his extremely good instinct.
During a battle that meant life or death (the very first real combat Xalet had ever been in), Xalet froze up completely, riddling with fear and reluctance to kill another person, while Xuphim relished the idea of using his strength to crush those that would go against Priskil and the Knighthood. When Xuphim took over, Xalet got to see the raw power of an Akalak for the first time as the rules of engagement were completely cast off by Xuphim in lieu of winning and surviving.
In the end, Xalet learned that while Xuphim is a perverted, womanizing barbarian with no sense of etiquette, he actually cares for Xalet. In fact, it was Xuphim who realized his own faults, and how important Xalet was, rather than the other way around. Essentially throughout my play with Xalet I got what I wanted, which was a slow and gradual acceptance of his dark Soul. Eventually I do want Xalet and Xuphim to work together without restriction, becoming the absolute best Akalak they can be. So, I agree completely with you that the dark half is not evil. In Xalet's case, the dark half is simply that bestial, primal passion that may be seen as uncouth or socially unacceptable. It's also this reliable, unshakable force of power that fights for it's beliefs, and won't accept failure at any cost.
9. Mizahar is a complex world in which anything is possible. Moving away from Xalet for a moment, tell us what you like most about Mizahar and why the game as a whole initially appealed to you and still does to this day?
The more I play Mizahar, the more I realize I like it, which means that it's difficult to answer this question without typing up a thirty page essay. I love the theme, the time period, the races, the lore, and all that stuff of course. Beyond all that though, I suppose I just love being a part of something and getting the chance to interact with so many great people. The folks inside of Mizahar, storytellers and players alike, really are great. Every time I log in I look forward to posting, and every time a see a new person join I hope that they'll stick around for a good long time so that I can get the chance to interact with them.
Moving away from the emotional and more toward the mechanical side, I enjoy that I can build, create, and improve a character, and watch him grow and evolve. I love starting at the bottom and slowly working my way up to the top, and that's what I've wanted to do with Xalet. I wanted him to start as a lowly squire, and through hard work and determination become a true Knight. I'm definitely much more the tortoise than the hare. Slow and steady is how I do things, but I think it keeps me from becoming overwhelmed or burning out.
Mizahar has a flavor that is unique. It's world is pointedly deadly and unyielding, and that intrigues me. Civilization sunk into oblivion, but from it a new world was born, and everyone has the chance to make an impression upon it. There's so much to do in Mizahar that I know I'll never get bored, and that is quite the hook that keeps me from being worried about it becoming stale or repetitive.
10. Is there anything else you'd like to share with your adoring fans?
Haha adoring? Now I don't know about that. First off thanks everyone for taking the time to read my barely conscious drivel. Due to some holiday schedule issues I ended up answering all of these questions at 5am in the morning, so I hope they're all at least somewhat legible. You folks are the reason I keep playing, so don't you all forget how important you are. Xalet is always looking for more friends, comrades, and rivals, so feel free to become a squire or join the dark side and try to take Xalet down. I love conflict just as much as I love casual interaction. I'm open for just about everything, and if I'm around I don't mind chatting, my AIM SN is in my profile thingy. Other than that, everyone have fun, and write on!
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by Bolden Denusk on January 1st, 2012, 6:28 pm 
