Minerva:
Some see the name and immediately think of the tough but fair transfiguration professor of JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, while others may recognize the name of that of the ancient roman goddess of warriors, wisdom, arts and medicine. Either fits.
I am a huge JK Rowling fan, both for her literature and for her drive, determination and luck. I have been a mythology buff since grade school. I always had my nose in a book and since I come from the pre PC era, I can claim to have read all the volumes in my parent's Encyclopedia Britannica by age 12.
I joined Layonara in November of 2004. I had picked up NWN platinum in the stores after waffling between it and Everquest. I played most of the single player campaigns but grew curious over the multiplayer component. Previous to NWN I had played games mostly in the vein of Myst and Sim City. I discovered the link to Layo at Neverwinter Connections and agonized for 2 days over my character submission. I applied, Katrien was created and I have never looked back.
About 14 months ago I joined the GM team first as an administrator on the forums to give Leanthar, Orth, Dorg and the others a break from the day to day monkey work and allow them to work on the stuff their genius is better qualified for. Later on I moved up to GM'ing quests of my own. I also write for the site. The writing is a curious new muse for me. I used to do some creative writing as a teen but somehow lost that in the avalanche of technical writing needed for my pre med and veterinary degrees. I could write a darn good case report or journal article but when it came to expressive writing, I was toast. The world of Layo helped me to open up that portion of my brain and I fear the wall there will never go back up. I have this niggling desire to write my own book someday.
For me it's about the Role-play. Bashing is secondary to developing a character and telling a story. Characters develop. They are not scripted. They are dynamic and a product of action and reaction. I have zero PnP experience. Rule lawyers beware.
My real life job is as a veterinarian. I have a strong surgical background as well as medicine. I am, at present, just starting a new career branch as the 5th doctor in a busy practice in Thunder Bay Ontario, Canada. An exciting move for me and something I am looking forward to. Outside of work and Layo I have other creative activities. I love to paint. I am an eclectic reader. I love to cook and bake, but alas as the single mother of 3 furry children, cooking for one gets unfulfilling after awhile. My fur children are 2 cats named George and Fred (yes after the Weasleys even though George was pre JK) and a German Shepherd dog named Jaxxon.
