Dariana by Jason Pedersen

On November 6th, I made a post asking for questions that Dariana can answer for our final interview. This is to help kick off the hype and final march towards Legends of Windemere: Warlord of the Forgotten Age. Let’s start.

Victoria Zigler asked:  What are your least favourite and most favourite of the changes you’ve witnessed in the world each time you’ve been woken up?

I can’t really think of anything that would be a least favorite because I typically didn’t stay awake for very long.  Prior to my current adventure, my record was a few months where I stayed on the run.  Not much time to critique my surroundings.  Closest thing to something I don’t like is how I have to keep learning the new leaders since the ones I heard of before sleeping would be dead.  Most favorite is the music, which I like listening to and comparing to what I remember.  Even when nobody is playing, I’m able to pick up on songs in the minds of those around me.  I’m sorry if that sounds very intrusive, but I swear I only do a surface scan and don’t touch on other thoughts.

L. Marie asked:  Who among the other champions is someone you feel closest to? Why? What are the qualities you value in a comrade?

1. I’m fairly uncomfortable picking a favorite since I’m close to all of my friends.  Since I haven’t had so many at once, I’m nervous that picking one might make the others jealous.  As long as they understand that I’m not picking a favorite, I would have to say Luke.  Not because we have a lot in common or get along so well since that would usually be Nyx.  Don’t get me wrong because I’m very close with Nyx.  The two of us are considered living weapons and have known about our destinies for most of our lives.  Yet, I’ve spent more time in Luke’s mind and connected to his thoughts than the other champions.  We talked before I woke up and I’ve helped him recover from many traumas.  Maybe it’s just a telepath thing that I feel closer to him regardless of having more similarities with Nyx.
2. Most of my comrades have been mean and suspicious because of my lineage.  So, my standards might be lower than they should be.  A level of understanding and acceptance is very much appreciated.  No sense in being friends if the other person hates me for what I am.  Sari has told me that I should value people who like to have fun.  I’m still trying to get the hang of that since I don’t drink and modern dances are kind of odd to me.

C.S. Boyack asked: Would you prefer to get on with life, or be put back to sleep to look for a better era to live in?

Being put back to sleep always felt like a punishment, so I would really not want to go through that again.  There’s no telling if I’d ever find a better era too, so it’s wiser to live the life I’ve been given.  Considering I have the lifespan of a god, I would get to that period anyway.  Perhaps it would be more enjoyable if I experienced the events that led to the new era instead of simply waking up during it.  I’m sorry, but I find it hard to wrap my mind around the concept.  Only because I’ve only ever been given the second option and the first one has always been a dream.  Still feels strange that it might be my reality.

Deby Fredericks asked:  As a demi-goddess, do you find it difficult to connect with mortals?

I’ve never really felt comfortable with the title of demi-goddess since that side of the family doesn’t include me very often.  Due to the Law of Influence, they can’t really interact with me, so I do understand.  This is why I connect to mortals with more ease than other immortals.  There’s still a difficulty there because my slumbers have been so long that I’m constantly out of touch with the world.  My telepathy can help with this, but I’m pretty sure that’s cheating.  One thing that does help is realizing that I really don’t have a choice in interacting with mortals or not.  As a champion, I have to be in public to some extent, so a connection has to be made.  I prefer to listen instead of talk, which can delay the revelation that I’m not exactly normal.  People don’t really react too strongly when they find out I’m a godling, which probably goes to show that I’m not as strange as other things in our world.

Nicholas Rossis asked: Given who your father is, do you ever feel torn in your loyalties?

There have been times that I feel torn, which is only natural.  The Baron is my father regardless of his evil acts and our minimal history.  I’ve wondered many times if I was made a champion in order to hurt him and, to a lesser extent, my mother.  So, the whole situation makes me question who I should be loyal to in terms of those manipulating the entire game.