Jason "Sir Aeston" Rosa
1. What year were you
awarded your white belt?
It was in 2006, at that
year’s Queen of Hearts.
2. Who administered
"the punch" and-- be honest!!--did it hurt?
It was Seth Flagg, and
surprisingly it wasn’t that bad. He punched me in such a way that the impact
was not that painful but it pushed me back a bunch. I recall flying through the
air much more so than being in pain.
3. Whose belt did you
wear until you got your own, and how was this significant for you?
I wore Steve
Johnson’s/Sir Duncan’s belt, which, of course, was very meaningful. Perhaps
more than anyone else, Steve put my on my path of continuously working towards
the betterment of the community. He showed me that a single individual,
properly motivated, can change the entire course of the Realms solely through
their effort. I’ve been running with that example ever since and endeavor to
pass it on to the people who have learned from me.
4. Please describe your
own belt's heraldry.
In emulation of Steve’s
belt I chose to have my belt painted with the traditional diagonal stripes. The
heraldry in the center is that of the nation of Vinehaeven.
5. Why did you chose
that heraldry to represent you?
A couple of years prior
to me receiving my belt I experienced the only true ‘burnout’ I’ve ever experienced
while being a part of this game. This was somewhat aggravated by me becoming
very, very ill, and having to move from the Worcester area back to my parents’
home in Connecticut to begin several months of convalescence.
Though I never doubted
that I would return to the Realms, when I finally started getting better I was
somewhat stymied; taking a hunk of time off made me somewhat hesitant to come
back, unsure of what could have changed in that time or the welcome that I
would receive after being gone.
At the same time,
however, a great opportunity presented itself. Many of my hometown friends
still lived in the area. They were underclassmen to me in highschool and had
stayed in the area to attend community colleges or the UCONN branch campus part
time while they worked. I was able to move back to my home welcomed by a group
of good friends. These friends, by the way, through a very, very circuitous set
of events, had a bit of Realms experience to speak of (translation: Sea Elves).
We discussed the idea at
length and decided that we should all return to Realms together as a new
nation, a small, tight-knit group of friends who called themselves Vinehaeven.
The name and heraldry was a homage to the state flag of Connecticut, with three
grape vines on it. Over the next couple of years we made some of the best
memories I have as a part of the Realms, not the least of which was working
together to start UCONN practice and the Oaken Guard. This was the era that I
received my belt and, to me, the symbol represents the bond I have with those
friends and what we achieved together in those years.
6. Who did the artwork on your belt?
Andrea Ruzzo (at the
time Andrea Farr) now a loyal Rhiassan, then the Captain of the Oaken Guard.
7. What do you remember most about your knighting?
Not a great deal. I
remember that Seth spoke, and Seth pretty much always gives away the surprise
while he is trying to speak on a person’s behalf, so I knew it was me before he
called my name.
8. What does being a KoEF mean to you?
To me, being a Knight of the Eternal Flame is a responsibility. A happy one, but a responsibility nonetheless. I believe that Knights of the Eternal Flame are called upon to be leaders of service, to dedicate what free time they have to moving the community forward, and to properly shepard newer players into the game, among many other duties. I believe that receiving a while belt is as much a commitment as it is a reward and that if a person receives one, it is just the beginning of their mission, not the end.
