CKY: Good evening, Corinne. I'm your player in the
D&D 5e Blank Slate game. I know you have a lot on your hands right now, but I was wondering if you could take some time to answer Mown's survey.
Corinne: Of course, of course! I'm flattered that there are people who want to hear about someone as insignificant as me. How could I refuse them?
CKY: Haha, that's the spirit! Well, let's not keep our readers waiting. We'll jump straight into the questions. Fire away, Mown!
"What is your character working towards, right now?"
Corinne: Ah, that's an easy question. I just awoke naked in an unfamiliar place, surrounded by strangers. There are people who are trying to kill me! Everything is happening very fast. The question at the forefront of my mind is just, "what's going on?"
CKY: Of course. I'm sure anyone in your shoes would react the same way.
"If I met your character, what would be my first reaction?"
Corinne: (laughs) I don't know. I'm no one special. Perhaps they might be intimidated by my military equipment, or my scar... But really, I'm just an ordinary woman.
CKY: Aw, don't be like that. If you're a PC, you're already extraordinary!
"What is your character's 'idle animation'?"
Corinne: "Idle animation?"
CKY: Oh, um... Imagine you had to wait in line at the market. So you're just standing there, with nothing to pass the time. What would you do? Do you have any nonverbal tics or unconscious body language?
Corinne: What a strange question. I can't say I have paid much attention to my own body language. Well...
(becomes visibly more self-conscious) I... That's a difficult question. I don't know.
CKY: Never mind, then. As someone who has served in the military, I imagine you would be very disciplined in your body language. You wouldn't perform fancy flourishes or do anything that might make you stand out.
Corinne: I suppose...
"What is your character most afraid of?"
Corinne: (breathes sharply)CKY: Are you comfortable answering this one, Corinne?
Corinne: It's... it's alright, sir. I can handle this. What I'm most afraid of...
(long pause) I fear loneliness. I fear being alone.
CKY: Thank you, Corinne. That was a brave answer.
"How honest is your character about himself? What parts does he hide?"
Corinne: "He"?
CKY: ...Just answer the question.
Corinne: I like to believe that I'm fairly honest with myself. I'm definitely honest with other people. I rarely lie... I'm not one to pretend to be something I am not.
CKY: What are you, then?
Corinne: Just an ordinary woman.
CKY: Hogwash. You're a PC, remember?
Corinne: (smiles nervously)"Does your character find any values in having companions, and if so, what are they? What does he not like about it?"
Corinne: Oh, companions are absolutely vital. Having people by your side, to walk the same path together... That's the meaning of life to me. I'm a fighter... but fighting skill is meaningless by itself. You need to have family and friends to fight for.
CKY: What a refreshing viewpoint. Are there any downsides to companionship, though?
Corinne: Ah, I suppose they can be a great deal of trouble sometimes. You have obligations to fulfill, promises to keep and so on.
"What is the best approach for dating your character?"
Corinne: (falls out of her chair laughing)CKY: Hey! Corinne, are you okay?
Corinne: Aha... ha... I'm fine...
(regains her composure) Um... this is an interesting question. Let's see. I... I suppose I am more of the traditional type. I like flowers...
(blushing)CKY: Flowers, huh?
Corinne: Yes... I mean... It would have to be a serious relationship. I can't stand those really promiscuous people, or people who play with the feelings of others. I want someone I can settle down with, you know?
CKY: So, someone stable, someone dependable?
Corinne: Exactly.
"You see a struggling character. When are you willing to help, and when are you no longer willing to? Is the willingness affected by the struggle or the individual? If the struggling person actively asks for your help, does anything change?"
CKY: That's a pretty complicated scenario. I think what it boils down to is, who would you put yourself in danger to protect?
Corinne: Oh, that's easy. My companions, my family, my friends are all dear to me. They are my treasures. If any of them were in trouble, I would be there for them.
CKY: What if it was a stranger, though?
Corinne: Well... I don't know. If I saw some kids bullying a boy or girl in the street, then of course I would give them a stern talking to. But I don't know about putting myself in danger. I mean, we live in different times, you know? Maybe you don't understand because you live a comfortable life... no offense, sir.
CKY: None taken.
Corinne: In your world, you don't have to worry about your life every day. But in the world I come from, it's very dangerous. There are goblins and bandits. Even the diseases and all these things are dangerous. If one or two people die, two or three people die...
c'est la vie, you know? You can't always be the hero.
CKY: I guess that makes sense. The better part of valor and all that.
"A group of individuals you have no connection towards are in danger. Would you help if it was: A monster, a natural threat (plague, flood, etc), people you don't know, people you do know but don't actively support, people you know and actively support?"
CKY: Mown sure loves his long complicated questions.
Corinne: Ça va. I just have to go through it step by step. Let's see: monster, natural threat... The strange thing is, I think I would be more likely to help if it was a monster.
CKY: Because you like to fight?
Corinne: (shakes her head) No, no. Fighting is a terrible thing. But fighting is what I do. If the job is to fight a monster, I can understand. The alternative is plague or famine... those are things that cannot be fought.
(sighs) That's what I really fear.
CKY: I see...
Corinne: For the different people, I think I would only help those people I actively support... Like I said, the world is cruel. I can't fight everything, so I have to choose my battles.
You find a lost expensive object on the floor in a high-class party. What do you do with it?
Corinne: How did I get in the party in the first place?
(laughs) Well... It depends on what that object is. A lot of things can be expensive.
CKY: Mown was probably thinking of jewellery or precious goods when he wrote that.
Corinne: Then... I would pocket it.
CKY: You would!?
Corinne: Yes, I would. I would try to sell it later.
CKY: I had you pegged for the diligent lawful type, and--
Corinne: (laughs) I'm diligent, but I'm no dog of the ruling class. What do the kings and queens know about life in the fields? They don't need the jewellery. If that valuable object was a sword or something useful, I would respect that. At least the sword has a purpose. But if it's something as shallow as jewellery... I can't stand for that at all.
You are informed your family will come visit next weekend. What do you do?
Corinne: Oh. Oh! I would be so happy. I have always wanted to see my family once more. I would clean up my living quarters, polish my armor, maybe get a new set of clothes...
CKY: It sounds like you really love your family.
Corinne: (smiling) I do. Didn't I say that family and companions are what I live for? The ties that bind us are the most important thing of all. What ties are stronger than the ties of blood?
CKY: But... you don't remember your family, right?
Corinne: ...No. No, I don't.
CKY: ...I'm sorry.
Corinne: No, it's fine. That's why I'm so eager to meet them... so that we'll never be separated again. Not in this life, or the next.
You feel love at first sight. Who did you see, and how do you approach them?
Corinne: (laughs)CKY: This again!? And we were just getting dramatic back there!
Corinne: Don't be so stuffy. Love is a wonderful thing. Now, well...
(looks into distance) I have dreams... strange dreams... that I think are from my past. And one person who keeps appearing in those dreams is a beautiful woman, with smiling eyes.
CKY: You think... you used to love her?
Corinne: Yes. She's so wonderful. I think we had many good memories together... but it feels like I'm seeing her through a thick fog. She feels so far away. If I ever meet her again... I don't know what I would do.
CKY: I'm sure that once you meet her again, you'll know.
Corinne: I hope so too.
"A man openly insults you in a crowded area as he meets you for the first time. What did he say, and how do you respond?"
CKY: Oh, that's nasty.
Corinne: It pains me to say that I have experienced this many times. Though I don't remember where...
CKY: You're pretty tough. I imagine anyone insulting you can't be all that bright.
Corinne: Ah, I don't think I would be greatly offended by such an insult... but I would be amused. I wouldn't be above giving someone a good thrashing to teach them a lesson in manners.
(smiles)---
CKY: Well, I believe that's all the questions he put down. Thank you so much for joining me this evening, Corinne.
Corinne: No, it was my pleasure.
(curtsies) Thank you for inviting me, sir. It was a very enlightening experience.
CKY: As I'm sure it was for our dear readers. There you have it, folks: An interview with Corinne of Lacambre! Now, I'm sure you are very busy at the moment with all those dwarves and crossbows, so...
Corinne: Yes, I will be taking my leave, if you please. Farewell, and may we meet again!