Hello Fellow Mizaharians!
Keeping with our tradition, the Founders Circle and Regional Storytellers are proud to announce that the Featured Contributor of the Month of June 2018 is Paaie! Paaie is just the latest incarnation of a player who's been around a long long time and has probably graded at least one or more of your threads if you've been here multiple times. She works thanklessly behind the scenes not because she wants recognition, but because she's addicted to Miz's stories and wants to see what everyone is up too. I can't think of a more deserving generous person who also tends to step in and help new folks when and where she can. I also should mention at this point that she's a fantastic writer who always has interesting plots going on within her PC's sphere. So please join us in welcoming her to the elite club of Featured Contributor! Her interview is below! |
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The Interview
1. Although this PC doesn’t have a lot of posts on her, you’ve been around the site for quite a while and during that entire time you’ve done a great deal to help other people get through by grading and giving advice. You’ve also done fantastically well as a grader on my super secret uber hard grading quiz… which you took for fun. What keeps you GIVING to the site in such a wonderful manner? What is in it for you?
I feel like I should say something about "helping the greater good" but really...It's sheer ambition. When I see a massive grading queue it just seems like a good challenge! I want to grade the whole board. JUST TO SAY I COULD, AND DID. It's a good way to flex the creative muscles besides writing threads. I'm getting to read fantastic stories (the best bit about grading) which is the best cure for writer's block, so when I'm feeling uninspired I binge grade until I feel like writing again. At the same time I'm asking myself questions like—have I already awarded the max XPs for this thread; has this writer written enough to warrant an XP; how will I word this lore so it's succinct and useful—so grading is a fun brain teaser too! I know how nice it is to get a grade, and brightening someone's day is always a nice feeling.
2. I’ve seen you cycle through quite a few PCs. I was curious as to what your motivation was for changing PCs and moving on to a new one. How do you ‘warehouse’ the old ones and are you planning on ever going back to them? I’m looking for advice for those people that love making PCs but never have time to play more than a couple at a time!
I guess I just get bored or stuck or uninspired—by the PCs, where their stories are going, or the ways they are growing away from what I'd imagined and I don't have time for alts so switching PC is the tempting "fix". Other times I just get an idea and can't resist the excitement that comes with making a new PC. I think playing a PC for two seasons at least is a good balance between getting that new PC buzz without being too flippity-floppity (I should take my own advice!), or another idea to keep things feeling fresh is to assign alts certain seasons and rotate them. New PCs are fun but it has its downfalls too, I feel I don't get to delve into storylines as deeply or experience that beautiful thing where a PC starts to take on a whole will and life of their own (that's magical). As for old PCs, I'd return to Rufio in a heartbeat, that drykas has got a special place in my heart.
3. How did you first discover online roleplaying and subsequently Mizahar? What kept you here?
I stumbled across roleplay on a social network about seven years ago, hooked ever since. After a handful of years my troop disbanded, so I took a very long break. When I was looking to get back into it, I googled "fantasy PBP roleplay" and Mizahar popped up. Can you believe I spent a year admiring from afar? The lore is MASSIVE, okay! Then I jumped in with Rufio, and I've been in love with the place ever since! I liked Mizahar's XP system but it's the races and geography that really anchored me here. Each race and each domain and each city and each magic fit a niche that means whatever I fancy playing is in Mizahar. I've tried out other forums, but they where too big, too small, too complex, or too Tolkien-esque. Mizahar is a place like no other, it's special.
4. What has been your favorite domain and favorite storyteller? They don’t have to be the same place with the same ST. Yea, I’m asking you to play favorites… but I want to know why!
Ekytol, even though I've never got to play in it. I think I just have a love affair with post-apocolyptic fantasy desert stories, so Ekytol is just my thing. The scorching deserts, the Eypharian history. the downtrodden nomadic Benshira, and the mysterious Chaktawe, it's fascinating. As for STs? I don't have a favourite, I can't choose: you're all terrible! (I lie! You're all amazing!). I love how each of you bring your own strengths to the board and not one ST STs like another. Meadow was incredibly approachable and down-to-earth, which gives shyer players confidence they need to get involved. Prophet's penchant for epic proportions makes quests and calendar events so much fun! I have to say, though, the depth of the stoyrlines with which Gossamer storytells is unmatched! Sorry, I haven't really experienced the rest of the STs to know what I like about 'em, yet.
5. What is just one thing a PC who doesn’t have a lot of time to volunteer could do to contribute to the site in your opinion that would go a long way towards helping others?
I'd say grading is a quick good deed, since it usually only takes me twent minutes or half an hour to grade a thread. However I think the self-grade system is working wonders, so I'll say instead...peer reviewing or answering questions is the next quickest Mizahar good deed. It takes minutes to read someone's lore article, idea or question, have a bit of a think while you do mundane life things, and then check in with suggestions, answers, thoughts. It's a good way to give back (and feel connected: bonus!) to Mizahar community, even when the spare time is scarce.
6. IS there anything you’d like to see players or STs get move involved in? Why?
I enjoy seeing players getting stuck in to city storylines, using city locations and making impacts on the cities they're playing in. I'd love to see STs surprise players with random posts in their threads, just one post to mix things up a bit, award overgiving or random loot, or even having an NPC popping in with a mini-quest would be fun. I guess I'd like players to get more involved with ST's storytelling, and STs more involved with players' threads.
7. As a Player (yes I know this is a contributor interview but I’m digressing), what is the best and worst thing you have done to your PCs?
Worst: killed off their family and got them banished.
Best: found them a wonderful PC family to thread with. Since Paaie is very fresh, I''ll have to get to scheming for her!
8. What do you think the hardest thing is about grading? What is the easiest thing?
Hardest—knowing the lore. Saying that, stumbling across something you don't know in a thread and jumping into Mizahar's wiki to find what you're looking for is the best thing for writing ideas. It's always while I'm grading that I find something in the lore to write with my PC.
Easiest—enjoying the stories! Mizahar writers are amazing.
9. I love to ask people what their favorite aspect of Mizahar is. I normally get the answer of ‘the community’. So if that is your answer, can you give me your SECOND favorite aspect of Mizahar and why?
My favourite aspect of Mizahar is the community. So my SECOND favourite is the lore. It's what drew me here and it's why I stay, I love the vibe of it. There's something for every player, and never going to be two PCs the same.
10. Since you are a contributor, I’d love to know (in case any ST’s are watching who oversee your PC) what your favorite all time “If I could do anything with my PC, I’d….” thing is. Maybe someone sometime would have time to throw something together for you!
If I could do anything with my PC, I’d...love for Paaie to find her bondmate! Apart from that, I'd love for her to uncover a magical artifact that she has to hide from the wrong hands and enlist the help of fellow PCs to figure out, or get really tangled up in some big adventure that adds to a domain's greater storyline, or even attract a visit from a god/dessert.
11. This next question is your soap box. Use this space to talk about whatever it is that’s on your mind. People actually read these interviews so know that this section will get noticed.
Become a grader! Answer player questions! Fall in love with the lore! Write an article! Review an article! Become an ST! Write cool things! It's just as good, if not better, than a Netflix binge!
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by Allassanachassanya on June 2nd, 2018, 11:34 am 
