Fresh Face- Brittany "Ashara" Viens

Photo by Matt Norris

How did you learn about Realms?

Justin Pluff (Syroc) thought it might be something that I’d enjoy and dragged me along to last year’s Uncle Cecil’s Crazy Tavern. I’ve been hanging around ever since. 

How many event have you been to?

I’ve been to about 9 or 10 events (now, if only I could remember to learn a spell at each of them I’d be set!)

Have you ever LARP’ed before?  If so tell us about it? 

Negatory. Realms got the first stab at my LARP cherry. I have since joined the cast of Future Imperfect. 

What is your character like?  Where are they from? What is their race? What is important to them? 

Confused? Can I go with confused? I play Ashara, a young dryad who was forcefully ripped from her tree and taken from her land, also known as ‘that chick in all the green that Tak was found carrying over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes last Crazy Uncle Cecil’s. Ashara tends to be on the shy side but, once she warms up to you, you’ll find that you have a kind and loyal friend in her.

I hope you don’t mind questions and lots of them; Ashara’s as inquisitive as they come. As for those things which she finds dear, you will find sunlight, plants, most wildlife, friends, and Gaia (her mother and savior) among them.

Something that most people don’t know about Ashara: Gaia has embedded a piece of the tree of life / world’s tree within her heart so that she might pass freely across the Realms without carrying a token of her lost tree. In short, it’s no surprise that she hold the Great Mother so dear.

What do you remember most about your first event? 

Very little, it was last year’s Uncle Cecil’s. Alright, truth be told, I was surprisingly sober, which is more than I can say for some (most) of you. I recall following the blur of white that was Yip, Niccodemus threatening to make Ashara into paper, and wondering if the heater in our cabin was working (only to have someone open the door, at which point, everyone inside realized that yes, in fact, it was working just fine).

What things have helped to make you feel welcome in game? 

Mythguard (I bet you don’t hear that often). Mythguard has been unbelievably welcoming, and its members have helped me come into my own as I’ve gone about learning the ins and outs not only of the Realms but of LARPing in general. Calls, spell requirements, restrictions, you name it, the members of Mythguard have always been quick to field my questions and even quicker to include me whenever I look lost.  Mind you, I’ve found the Realms community as a whole to be very inviting. You’ve all made events well worth coming to. Plot, what plot, I come for the people (alright, so some of the plots are pretty snazzy too). 

What parts of the game do you find most challenging? 

Those of you who have seen me attempt (the key word here being attempt) to fight with a sword can probably answer this for me. I think I’ll stick to my bow, thank you very much.

Do you have any game related goals (as either a player or character)? 

Like a goodly number of people, I’d love to find myself in the midst of a major plot arc or in possession of a few magical trinkets of doom. What can I say; I like shiny things as much as the next magpi--- erm Realmsie.

What advice would you give other new players? 

RUN! Just kidding. Actually, I’d like to tell them to explore all that the Realms has to offer before settling down. In other words: wander around, talk to strangers, and learn about the various nations before you decide to stick with one of them. I, for one, have had a blast being an independent and wholeheartedly recommend it. 

What have you enjoyed most about the game so far? 

The community, hands down. Though my experience with all of you may be limited, and there are many individuals that I have yet to encounter, those that I have interacted with (both in and out of character) have been some of the warmest, most welcoming people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Anything else you'd like to take the opportunity to put into print?

Realms appropriate songs, I need to learn them.