Presenting Syndre! March's Featured Character New to Mizahar yet proving to be a great addition to our growing family, Syndre is a dark, roguish character with shady intent and no fear of doing what it takes to survive the sin-filled streets of Ravok. It is my pleasure to present him as March's Featured Character and provide a little insight into the character and the player through this interview. Please join me in congratulating, Syndre! 1. There is often a story for everyone as to how they got into Role-playing. Is there anything particular that introduced to the world of Role-playing in general? Played a lot of tabletop AD&D when I was a kid and loved it. From there I started reading a lot, mostly Forgotten Realms novels. When I finally got my own computer and internet access (back when everyone had dial-up) I created an AOL account and searched the chat rooms for the first time. I found a Role-playing chat and was curious. I was amazed as a teenager at what I saw, it was like Dungeons and Dragons, but people when writing in novel form. The combination drew me in. 2. On Mizahar, we have players from all walks of life from across the world. Of all of the online role-playing experiences out there, what brought you specifically to Mizahar? Mizahar was different from any forum I've played in. I strictly played in dice forums, mainly Drow Houses and later I branched out into White Wolf, role-playing vampires. All the forums were chat room based. Mizahar looked intriguing because it was thread based and that was new to me. I rather enjoy creating stories with other players and moderators. 3. We all have reasons for why we name our characters the way we do. How did you come up with yours? Random, planned, your readers want to know. At the peak of my role-playing, like ten years ago, me and a good friend of mine created dark elf brothers, one a House Assassin and the other a House Weapons master. We named our characters Syndre and Syndri. Syndre was definitely my favorite character that I ever built and we were well known in the forums we played in. He eventually died thanks to the dice system. I quit online role-playing for many years and recently decided to get back into. So in honor of good memories, I named my rogue Syndre. 4. We choose locations to play our characters for a variety of reasons. For Syndre, he can be seen active in Ravok. What was it that drew you to that city? Different reasons that came together. I wanted to create a human character, because almost every character I've played has been non-human. Choosing to play as a rogue, I narrowed my choices down to Ravok and Sunberth. Sunberth seemed like it would have been to easy to play a thief. I like to be challenged and you need a system of law in place to make situations difficult. Ravok may be a tad bit corrupt, but its law enforcement is ruthless. I also liked the fact the city was built on a lake with canals, very cool idea. 5. Do you have a favorite feature of Mizahar; perhaps something you haven't encountered in other games or something that stands out that has made your playing experience enjoyable? Being thread based is entirely new to me. This probably stands out the most. Not only that, but the sheer size and detail of this world is remarkable. I've never encountered a forum with as much depth as you guys create. I applaud the Founders and everyone who has contributed on making Mizahar such a unique place to play. 6. Syndre is a bit of a rogue. Is this a character concept that you have played before or is it something new? This is my first time playing a rogue. Coming back to role-playing from such a long lay off, I wanted to dabble in something new. I really enjoy the combat aspect of role-playing, so all of my past characters were mainly skilled in fighting and killing. While Syndre would rather run and live another day, I haven't necessarily given up completely on combat. He has plenty of tricks up his sleeves. 7. Do you have a specific direction for Syndre? Are there any future plans you feel comfortable sharing with us? I don't want to spoil all the fun... but I can say that being a small time thief in Ravok is just the beginning. Being such an arrogant character, that attribute will either get him killed or lead him into infamy. I'd choose the latter if I could, but part of my enjoyment is getting into dangerous situations. 8. Your character stands out as having a deep faith in Akajia which comes out in your role-play. Why Akajia and why is faith so important to your character concept. This also stands out since Ravok is Rhysol's city and you actively defy him by worshipping another god. Early in character development I decided that his immediate family would all be thieves. Mother and Father teaching their unlawful knowledge to their only son. His parents were followers of Akajia, and they passed down their faith unto him. Akajia really fits well with a rogue build, especially if you're lucky enough to get blessed by a Gnosis mark or two. Then the fun really begins... Does Rhysol really feel defied by one such as Syndre, or is he amused by the treachery he instills and the chaos that follows in his wake? 9. Your character has a tendency to develop unique relationships with others who do not necessarily share the same outlooks on life. How do you balance this with your character concept? Does he get close to others in order to take advantage of them either immediately or at some point in the future? Or is it a genuine need to have others close in order to balance the character's darker persona? Syndre was taught early on never to get close to anyone besides family. Having friends was not acceptable, because friendship could cause you to make rash decisions you wouldn't normally make. Choices that could put your life at risk. He did have a friend at a young age, despite his parents' warnings, and when his friend returned to Ravok, he couldn't help but get close again. Whether this leads to something special or gets him in trouble, only time will tell. Syndre is a bit of an actor, and has played the part of a friend and lover to others for the sole reason of an easy backstab. Be careful who you get close to. First and foremost, Syndre is a selfish creature and everything he does revolves around only two... His Goddess and himself. 10. Mizahar unfortunately lacks a strong population of evil, dark, or otherwise gray characters. What in your mind could be done to foster a more plentiful selection of evil player characters to provide deeper conflict in the world? I think a major problem for players of evil aligned characters is situations that would bring them to kill another player. I was a little worried at first when joining Mizahar because your system doesn't involve dice. The main reason I stuck to dice rolling forums was to prevent God Moding. When rolling dice, every action is determined by chance, thus making a fight to the death fair in a since. Gossy recently implemented some rules that put me more at ease with my choice to play here. Though attacks aren't scored by a random roll, I do trust our wonderful Moderators to decide how such a serious confrontation plays out. Evil characters need to be rewarded for their wicked deeds, or it just isn't worth playing them. When I further develop Syndre, I hope to inspire those that tread on the dark side. 11. Is there anything else you would like to share with the readers? Good experiences, wishes, suggestions, etc.? I have some advice for those that want to build up their character quickly: Take your time and enjoy the ride. Most importantly have patience when requesting storylines and grades from your Moderators. I myself have two jobs, one late in the evening and the other right after overnight. I work six days a week to take care of my mother and my three year old son. I do what I need to in order to give them a comfortable life. The people overseeing your threads could have the same struggles I do, if not worse, so it may take them some time to read over/contribute to your stories. Have some respect for what they do, because they are sacrificing their time to help you have fun. |