Rhiannon "Demetria" Chiacchiaro
How long have you
been playing?
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| Photo by Robyn C Nielsen |
My four year anniversary was at this past Uncle Cecil's.
How has the game
changed since you've been playing?
Apart from the year-to-year spell changes, I have noticed
a new wave of reorganization and revitalization of groups that I am involved with.
The Order of the Spoon, The Dancer's Guild, and The Bardic College have all
begun to start making more pushes to enhance cultural aspects of the Realms and
make it a more immersive world, even outside questing.
Similarly, the vendors of the Realms have increased in
quantity and variety. I like seeing healthy competition between merchants, as
well as novel things like the Rhiassan Game Shop.
Who have you
learned the most from?
I have learned from many different people. I learned a
lot about organization and event preparation from Matt Brenner (during my Order
of the Spoon apprenticeship). Janna Oakfellow-Pushee taught me ways to engage
new and normally disinterested players in a storyline. I've also learned quite
a bit about myself and the way my mind works from Aaron Metzger and the rest of
Clan Rua Thar Cinn.
What was your best
moment IC?
I have had a couple memorable IC moments. Recently, I
threw Feast of Highbridge, and I was absolutely ecstatic over the reception it
got, and the amazing kitchen crew I had (we ran ahead of schedule the entire
time). I am also very proud of the various awards for feasts, bardics, and even
combat tourneys I have won over the years.
The most memorable moment to me as Tria, however, is when
I was sworn into Chimeron by both Pyr and Cecil at Black and White '10. It was very
important to me to be able to be a part of the nation before Pyr left, and to
be able to take a knee to both kings was something that really meant a lot to
me.
What was your best
moment as an NPC/EH/Player?
As a player, I would say that picking out a particular
moment is really hard. I think my best moments generally go back to Five Counselors
plot (especially becoming a master of the Runes, which I poured so much time
and effort into), and in being Luna's High Priestess. They are places where I
feel strong and confident, and help me be the person I want to be.
Additionally, any feast I run or bardic/dance/cultural event I participate in
really makes me happy and feels like where I belong.
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| Photo by Michelle McCarthy |
What would you like
to see changed or developed more in game?
I am always happy to see more culture introduced into the
Realms, via art, music, food, or just events where the players stay in
character the whole time. I would love to see more things that focus on the world
as a whole.
Also, and this is more like wishful thinking I know, but
there always seems to be strong friction OOC between some people or some groups
at any given time, oftentimes, but not always, due to some IC fallout (and no,
I am not passively aggressively referring to anyone specific; this is a
widespread general thing that even I have been guilty of). Conversely, I
regularly see OOC issues brought into IC interactions, even if it doesn't seem
to make sense. I know that we tend to be a "high stakes, high drama"
game at times, but it becomes off-putting to see so much ill will and
constantly have to be up on who isn't talking to whom and what nations won't
deal with others for seemingly irrelevant reasons. I would like a little more
concord, I suppose, but I don't know what the best first step on that track is.
What advice would
you give new players?
Listen first, act later. Get to know multiple nations,
not just the one you meet first or might be geographically closest to. Don't
feel pressured to join a specific nation, or any nation at all, based on other
people. The same goes for groups, orders, and religions.
Get advice from people on multiple sides of an issue and
from many different backgrounds, then decide for yourself what you think and do
about a situation.
Be patient; you won't become a king or a champion in a
day. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of all the magic and wonder
and fighting and heroism, but it's OK to take your time and feel things out.
You will make mistakes. You will have people think you're
either impulsive and reckless or quiet and unimportant. It's alright; you will
find your place.
What do you love
most about the game?
It's a way for me to become something memorable, something
that matters. It's also an amazing breeding ground for new talents. If you've
ever wanted a safe environment to practice things like performing, cooking,
fighting, or puzzle-solving, you would be hard-pressed to find a more
supportive place.
Who would you like
to see the next interview be with?
Well, to be entirely biased, I would like to see either
my husband (Ged), or my laird (Rel) interviewed. If they're already on the
list, then someone who perhaps left the game for a while and then came back and
totally reinvented themselves.
Anything else you'd
like to take the opportunity to put into print?
If you are looking to work with/employ Tria's Treats, the
Tea Tree, the Bardic College, or just me personally, send me an email (my info is
on RealmsNet).
Also, I'll leave with this: People say "remember
that it's just a game" but it really is more than that. It's a community,
a family, a world, and a story that we are all building together every weekend.
Be cool to each other; support each other. And do the same for yourself.