Ashton Mercer, one of several former Ainurian refugees who moved to Wintreath last year, has been an active roleplayer ever since he became a Wintrean citizen. Last fall, he created and hosted a superhero RP called
Super. Now he has started up a new, rebooted version called
Empowered. As Jarl of Culture and a member of the RP Guild, I sat down with Ashton for an interview.
Can you give a short introduction of yourself and your interest in roleplaying?
So, as most ex-Ainurians might know, I've been around the NS RP scene for a while. About five years, actually. Ever since I re-discovered Nationstates in 2012, I've discovered my enjoyment in crafting stories and characters. I've spent time in Albion, as well as other smaller regions, but my homeland and main haunt was Ainur. I did many RPs here and there, whether centered around a nation or a character, and near the end I was often leading them. About a year ago however, things began to fall apart, and people were looking to find somewhere else in NS to be. A lot of Ainurians left to join Wintreath, and I followed them here. The rest is good history.
Can you give a summary of the setting of the Empowered RP?
The Empowered RP is set in a universe that is (pretty much kinda) exactly like ours, except that a certain segment of the population have fantastic supernatural powers, like the heroes and villains you would see in the comic books. It's a fairly easy setting to wrap your head around, yet it has the detail and potential for exploration that very complex settings do. It strikes that perfect balance that makes it such a perfect world to enjoy and be a part of.
What is your role as Lore Master (the Wintrean title for Game Master) in the RP?
The way I see it, when I am directing an RP that I don't have a main character in, I'm basically supposed to be a very lazy shepherd. Point everyone in a direction that I think is fun, and let them work it out from there. Right now, I'm closely guiding the only main storyline so that we can work out the OOC/IC kinks without jumping through pan-dimensional hoops, but I'm hoping that more unique threads and separate stories will spring up once Innocence Lost has run it's course.
You've come up with a unique idea to Wintreath where there will be separate threads for each story-line. Where did you get the idea, and how do you see it playing out?
To be perfectly honest, the idea for the storyline threads wasn't mine. It was proposed to me by Doc in a private conversation, who himself was inspired by the typical way that comic books are structured: different issues for different stories, but with the capability to keep characters and story arcs intact. We came to the conclusion that an RP structured like this might be able to provide everyone with an ability to have heir own storylines without the clutter and story fatigue that comes with keeping everyone on a single thread, as is standard for most RPs. Also, it made more sense for Empowered in particular, since the setting is so open-ended than, say, Wintreath Space Expeditions, which has a focus on one ship on one mission. I think everyone will like the results.
Who are some of the current Empowered characters in the RP?
We have a good variety of characters so far: a constantly drunken pyromaniac, a antihero version of Thor with terroristic tendencies, a level-headed circus girl who can materialize mirror-like barriers from thin air, an archaeologist with some ancient aliens technology, and many more. The center of this latest story is a missing kid named Andrew, who has a tragic backstory, intense powers of speed and strength, and some mysterious and potentially deadly connections. If you want to see more or want more details, definitely check the threads out. The character apps and the story are both worth reads.
Finally, what direction do you think the story of the current issue, "Innocence Lost", will go? What should we expect?
While I know pretty well what I am doing to the story right now, I have no idea at all how Innocence Lost will end up, which makes all of this very exciting. Of course, I have some ideas about the various potential endings and how the NPCs I direct will handle it, but it all really depends on the player characters' actions and how they effect themselves and the rest of the acting parties in this story. A few players have actually thought of an ending that I hadn't considered at all and their characters are already going after it, which is awesome, and I'm looking forward to see what they will do at the climax of this chapter. I definitely will try not to spoil anything and there are still a lot of uncertainties that haven't been played out yet in the story thread. However, I will say this: barring a total disaster, this won't be the last time we see Andrew or the FBI Agent McGrath.
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you for your time, and if any of this sounds interesting to you, definitely take a look at us and consider signing up!