Talan Va'lash - 5/10/2006 11:49 PM When I conceptualized some of the events that could happen on this quest (months ago) I knew I was giving a big challenge to whoever ended up running it. In fact, I feel that the challenge I gave out was greater than any challenge that could be given to me. Talan and Lalaith's story is so tangled and nuanced and filled with misperceptions that have existed for decades and become the very foundation of some of their ideas and emotions about themselves. orth read through the pages of material Lal and I sent him about their past, and reached an understanding of the complex relationships and the paradoxal emotions that allowed him to navigate the difficult scenes that took place with a tone that felt natural. The biggest challenge, playing an NPC that played the largest role in Talan and Lalaith's life (despite the fact that he has never appeared since we began playing the characters) he handled wonderfully. The NPC was very defined, and there were definitely a large number of things, or ways of saying things that would have not been in line with the character. orth deftly projected the characters last known actions and mindset almost 50 years forward (since the last time he was seen by Talan) and played him as well as I could have played him myself. In fact, better. I would have had more trouble projecting the character into the present time, as my conceptualization of him as he was in the past was so weighty. Nothing on this quest brought me out of my character, or broke my immersion and with the level of difficulty involved in coming into this emotionally complex story and picking up the characters, well, I hope its obvious by this point that I was (and am) impressed. (well, when the factions got messed up at the end and I accidentally auto-attacked and killed the "elf-male" that kinda broke the immersion for a second hehe. Not complaining, just had to mention it as it was kinda funny... Talan kills the bad guy and swings his bow 180 degrees and starts wailing on the populace lol.)