Henry "Guilliam" Giasson
How long have you
been playing?
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| Photo by Angela Earle Gray |
My first event was Feast of the Scarlet Wench, I believe
1993. That year I also participated in the Tournaments of Chiron, which I
believe was held in the basement halls and function rooms of UMASS.
How has the game
changed since you've been playing?
That is an interesting question. for starters, the
players have matured. I think the average age has increased based on retention
of great players. You figure I've been almost 20 years now, and there are people
who have been around long before me. The oldest player that I remember in terms
of age was probably Robert Traynor in his 40's back then. Now it's really not
uncommon to see players close to 50 on a regular basis. It has helped in giving
people role models I think. I know there are people that I respect still
around. The magic system has changed immensely. I feel that people are more
focused on magic and game granted benefits than fighting in many places now,
where that did not used to be the case. Weapons technology and armor evolution
have made the game remarkably fast, marshalling has gotten better too. Plots
have always come and gone in waves, right now there doesn't seem to be as much
for people to be passionate about but in a year or two the next will happen.
It's the same with costuming, I feel like garb and roleplaying are on an up
swing again, which is good.
Who have you
learned the most from?
I've learned from so many people, too many to name.
To list a few: I've learned to treat people with respect and how to act like a
Knight in and out of character from watching Neil (Eldritch) for many years. He
was a role model to me when I was 14 and is still someone i respect. I learned
the magic system and how to marshal magic from Nate (Aelias) who was a mentor
in my younger years and still a friend. When I was his squire he pushed me to
strive for excellence and left me with the saying "A leader is above and
before all else, a positive influence". Fighting I learned from a great
many people, but I probably made the greatest advances in my career when Tom
(Blade) was coaching me not just on fighting, but on battlefield awareness and
making decisions under pressure. Believe it or not, this helped during my
combat tour in Iraq. Of course the men in Grimloch have continued to train and
push me to improve as a fighter all around. I learned to be a good host and
take the the time to care for your guests thanks to Lindsay and Matt (Cecil)
and how to be patient with newer players from Dan (Diamond). Mike (Panther)
taught me how to win with grace and respect those he's beaten- a lesson I
learned at a Queen of Hearts when he beat me and treated me with respect
all the while. PJ taught me that to be a man one has to confront head on their
concerns and talk to someone "like a man" face-to-face to clear
misunderstandings. David (Vawn) taught me that new friends can be found in the
most unlikely places if you are open to meeting them and willing to spend time
outside of your 'normal' social circle. I learned from others that you
dont always have to 'like' someone to respect them for being a good person or a
great contributor. I learned that being a host means opening your doors to
anyone who wants to learn and comes to your home with respect and friendship.
And through all of this nobody has shown me and taught me as much loyalty
through the years as many of the guys in Grimloch; they stood by me through
some of the hardest times of my life. I will always appreciate you guys so
much.
What was your best
moment IC?
There are a few. Hiring Eldritch by accident when he
returned to the Realms was a funny one. Winning the Queen of Hearts Champions
Tourney for Liselle as our characters began dating was a special moment. Venom
(my alt.) robbing Queen Meg was good. And if you haven't heard the tale of the
Mighty Hatchet or of Death Cows, get me talking around a fire some night. My
favorite moment though was standing beside Blade when we founded Grimloch. The
Grimloch idea was to raise the bar- to become the best in fighting, questing,
NPC-ing, casting, marshalling, and to become the epitome of good game-play. In
many ways we've done this and proof is in the knights, events, and players that
we have produced along with recognition that individuals have earned. No
matter how good we are, there is always room to improve and raise the bar
higher. Standing in the Feast of Rhiassa and in front of the Realms forming
grimloch beside the other founding members was a high point, and a signifigant
change in direction for Guilliam and for Henry. My favorite I.C. moment as
Venom was defeating Dal Kugan in honorable combat at I -believe it was- the
Invasion of Folkstone. The same event where I also separated the flame blades,
disenchanting them. Oops.
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| Queen of Hearts 9 - 2002 |
What was your best
moment as a NPC/EH/Player?
As an NPC it was probably playing the Duke of Slime. He
was just a fun personality to play and was very intriguing throughout the old
fae plot. As an EH, probably the night quest into another plane. We had set up
noise makers, pyro, trip wire traps and moved the PC's into random locations to
make the night quest realistic, out of element and scary for the PC's. We had
to help one person off of the night quest who was seriously freaked out by this
and the rest of the PC's were so immersed that their excitement could only make
us more excited.
What would you like
to see changed or developed more in game?
I would like to see more costuming and character
development. It has gotten better, but there's always room to improve. I would
like to see people transition away from asking the spell system to 'make them
better' through pushing for more powers and see people go back to personal
improvement, and practiced talents, both martial and problem solving. A game
granted spell should not define a player or character- their ability to
accomplish things should. It does not take the system to accomplish things.
What advice would
you give new players?
Meet people. Don't listen to rumors or personal opinions
of other players. Meet people for yourself. If you have a problem, go talk face
to face with that person. Most people in the game are genuinely decent people,
even if someone doesn't like them, and most problems are misunderstandings that
can be resolved by face-to-face discussion. Take every opportunity to learn.
There is a lot to be learned in the game. Leadership, craftsmanship,
interpersonal skills, fitness, fighting, costuming, acting, diversity, respect,
patients, loyalty, and all of these things can help develop a person's
character. Not the one we play, the one we are. Also remember that you are
never useless- anyone can help make the quest continue no matter how many
spells you have or have run out of. Anyone can move arrows to an archer, run
blocks, move bodies, healer support, scout, communicate, or even take command.
If what you are doing doesn't work do something else.
What do you love
most about the game?
I love being able to get out and interact with my
friends, fight them and laugh about it later. My favorite moments are the long
siege fights (castle or bridge) when every hit counts and you're always one
push away from a total win or a total loss. I love fighting overwhelming odds,
and listening to (and telling) stories about what happened. I also enjoy the
in-character political intrigue, again though, because I love to laugh
about it with those players afterwards.
Who would you like
to see the next interview be with?
I dont know who has already done one, so i'll throw in a
few names: Neil (Eldritch) [his interview can be read here], Kathy (Makhta), Ben (Rohde), PJ (PJ), David (Vawn).
Anything else you'd
like to take the opportunity to put into print?
This community is full of personalities- you will get
along with many, and not with others. You can learn from almost everyone, even
if it isn't the lesson you expect to learn. Computers and rumors are the root
of all evil, if you want to resolve an issue sit down with someone and listen
to them, and speak with them. In combat, you will win and you will lose. Do
both with grace. Honor begets honor, so always treat people with respect.
Always remember to separate your character from your person, and if you think
that the line is blurred, clean it up for yourself and make sure that the other
players know where one ends and the other begins. It's ok to be 'evil' or
'gray' so long as you play with respect and aren't a bullying ass just for the
sake of doing it, and so long as people know who you are when the costume is
off. Go out of your way to contribute something to the game, teach people what
you know and find someone to learn from. It is a game, but it can help you to
grow as a person and to network in your real world life. Each player is from a
different background, everyone is a teacher and a student. Thank you for a lot
of years and hopefully a lot to come.