Legends of Windemere

Art by Jason Pedersen

On October 30th, I made a post asking for questions that Delvin can answer. This is to help kick off the hype and final march towards Legends of Windemere: Warlord of the Forgotten Age. Let’s start.

N.A. Granger asked: What do you normally eat to keep up your strength?

Honestly, I’ve never had too much of a problem keeping my strength up as long as I got a good amount of sleep.  I do try to eat a variety of foods that include meat, fruits, and vegetables.  The problem is that none of it keeps very well, so I have to rely on dried foods like every other traveler.  My friends and I do try to supplement this with anything we find in the wild, but you never know how that will turn out.  My own knowledge of what’s edible and not out there isn’t the best.  I do know not to eat mushrooms because even the ones that look familiar could make me sick.  Learned that one the hard way.

Okay, I’m being told by the other champions that I have to admit to something.  I drink a lot of coffee, especially when I’m tired.  It isn’t the most common drink in Serab since it’s more popular in the Yagervan Plains, so it makes me stand out.  Things have been easier since I won a set of magical rings that make coffee.  Each one is a different flavor and the temperature is always perfect.

L. Marie asked: What do you like/love most about Nyx? What do you do daily to keep your skills honed?

1. Kind of an awkward question because it’s not the easiest thing to put into words.  I guess it was love at first sight or listen since she intrigued me from our first real encounter.  We met briefly before that, but I was talking to Fritz and Luke while trying to do a job, so I didn’t really spot her in the crowd.  Maybe it was that she had a presence that drew me in when we were finally one-on-one.  Picking one thing about Nyx is really tough because she’s certainly an overall package with one aspect not being more important than the other.  Really feel like I should pick something here, but I can’t choose one.  Her ability to never give up is a good choice, but I don’t know if that works for such a romantic question.
2. I try to practice as often as I can.  Being on the road helps keep me in shape, but my sword skills do require at least a daily review of the arm work.  If I’m able to, I try to spar with Luke or Timoran.  Tried with Sari once, but it cost me my money pouch and shirt.  Dariana doesn’t really like sparring since she fears she would hurt us if she got into it too much.  Oh, there is one exercise where Nyx or Fizzle create an illusion for me to fight.  Works better with Fizzle because Nyx sometimes cheats by throwing a few minor trick spells into the mix.  We’re pretty sure Sari is the one behind this habit since it’s a bit too mischievous for Nyx and she only does it to me.

Colin Noel-Johnson asked:  Have you ever gone up against an enemy who seemed to know your plan so perfectly you wondered if they had read your mind? Also, what is the most important thing to learn before going adventuring?

1. It’s happened and has only come down to an actual telepath once.  Sometimes you’re just unlucky and your strategy ends up being the one they predicted.  I’d love to say that it’s all about intelligence when it comes to strategy, but there is a little bit of luck needed.  The enemy has to act a certain way for your main plan to work and you have to realize that they could be doing the same to you.  Many times it comes down to whoever makes the predicted mistake first.  Early on, I wondered if I was being scryed on or there was a magical reason for the loss.  Then, I captured a warlord for a job and he accused me of being a telepath.  The two of us had a good laugh about that right up until he tried to escape and Tavris had to body slam him through a tree stump.  We also learned not to give our strongest warrior all of the strength-enhancing relics and an ogre power potion.
2. I can only speak for myself here because I’m sure the others would have a different answer.  You should also keep in mind that I trained to be a soldier or mercenary instead of an adventurer.  So, the most important stuff I learned was how to keep myself alive.  Not only swordplay and weapon maintenance, but how to find food if you’re lost in the wilderness.  Actually, food and shelter are probably bigger than fighting.  Doesn’t matter how good you are with a sword when you don’t have the energy to lift it.  With that said, I’m really glad I have Luke and Timoran with me because I never really mastered the art of hunting.  Closest skill I have is being able to negotiate a meal from a tavern and scrounging dumpsters like I did before Selenia found me.  Doesn’t really help in the woods.

Victoria Zigler asked: Do you enjoy the challenge of coming up with plans that factor in unexpected moves from allies – like Luke – who aren’t so good with sticking to plans?

Tough one because I do enjoy coming up with plans, but the real challenge is making ones that won’t get anyone killed.  I take this very seriously, so it really isn’t until after the operation that I notice the fun.  Not all the time since the champions work together and those conversations can become a party.  In fact, Sari makes sure they do because she can only be serious for so long.  As far as Luke goes, I feel bad singling him out here since there have been times that the others change a plan.  It happens when they see an opportunity that I didn’t predict or see.  He does tend to be the most common perpetrator, which is why I always come up with various backup plans that factor in him going on his own.  I’d like to think Luke has taught me to be better at thinking on my feet and I hope he’d say the same about me teaching him how to plan.