FED MEET AND GREET
with RAPHAEL, DUKE OF VISIONS


March 21, 1999


Admiralrose asks, "Who's tonight's vict....err....guest?"

"Duke Raphael", smiles Chiefsgirl.

Raphael grins

Cen gets out a set of prepared notes and looks them over before asking any questions.

Raphael has bought you a Shimmering Visions Surprise!

Raphael has bought you a Round of Your Favorite Beverage for this time of day in the appropriate container and at the proper serving temperature, with your chosen garnish.!

Chiefsgirl laughs

"That's covering your bases", says Chiefsgirl with a wink.

"raph must be a resturant manager", says Moot.

"Garnish for a beverage?", asks Cen.

Chiefsgirl likes pineapple and little umbrellas in all her drinks

Mancow looks at the lil umbrella in his soda

"That used to be the signature drink of a friend of mine, but i do a class here every friday night so the bartender knows my preferances", says Raphael.

Cen says, "Bah, straight up Scotch, on the rocks"

"bunny milk", says Aiki.

"Naaasty", says Cen.

Mancow asks, "bunny milk?"

"chocolate milk", says Aiki.

Raphael chuckles

Aiki says, "kind with the rabbit on front"

"for a sec I thought you were milkin rabbits", says Mancow with a wink.

Mancow shudders

"Milking rabbits?", asks Chiefsgirl.

Chiefsgirl thinks she misses a lot while she advertises

Dreammaker asks, "what time does this start?"

Aiki asks, "all of the CG ?"

Raphael says, "hasn't started"

Cen shudders at the word time

Chiefsgirl says, "in about 2 minutes"

Chiefsgirl asks, "All of what CG?"

"Rumors", says Aiki.

Moot says, "last time i went to one of these we crucified unicorn...."

Chiefsgirl winks and says, "Of course"

Dreammaker asks, "crucified?"

"Well not too many know of my earliest days in FED", says Raphael.

Aiki marks off all by CG's name

Chiefsgirl laughs

"you get the point", says Moot.

Raphael says, "i always thought of these more like a Roast"

Moot grins

"a Moot Point?", asks Mancow.

Dreammaker smiles, "roasted Rapael?"

Mancow chuckles

"oops.. Raphael", says Dreammaker.

Chiefsgirl stands and clears her throat

"I'd like to welcome you all tonight to the Meet & Greet", says Chiefsgirl.

Moot listens

Aiki hands CG a chair

"We get the opportunity to meet a lot of different personalities every Sunday evening at 9pm eastern", says Chiefsgirl.

Chiefsgirl says, "Tonight my guest is Duke Raphael"

Chiefsgirl says, "He'll tell us a bit about himself and field questions and comments"

Raphael smiles, "Thanks CG"

Chiefsgirl applauds for the duke

Raphael says, "'I first began FED in late november of 96, as Sknt on AOL and as CptSkntASG"

Mancow applauds

Chiefsgirl takes a seat and sips her drink

Raphael says, "At that time i was doing chat room roleplaying as part of ASG"

"They told me of this really neat space game they found called FED", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "I initially couldn't decide which SN i wanted to use so I started 2, one to use as a back up persona"

Chiefsgirl nods

"At that time i knew hardly anyone except my friends who were all ranks from commanders to GMs", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "i was one of the really odd people who hauled off the very busy boards at that time"

Raphael says, "i remember when you actually had fierce competion for board jobs and round trips"

"early on i found myself hauling a lot of trips in and out of connor", says Raphael.

Aiki wipes the cobwebs away uhmmmmmm oh yea

Chiefsgirl cheers for Connor

Raphael says, "Some of my friends actually had offices on Krypt back when it was a planet"

Raphael says, "eventually after much hauling and actuall <Gasp> work i made trader after about 2 months"

Raphael says, "At that time i was in utter awe POs and as a mere poor person would never dare to speak to lofty POs"

Raphael giggles

Chiefsgirl giggles and remembers feeling that too

"9 used to be a private party", says Moot.

Aiki remembers laughs

Raphael says, "finally in Feb of 97 I made the lofty rank of merchie"

Raphael says, "during the 10day cycles"

Chiefsgirl nods and remembers

Raphael says, "which a few may recall were not fun, but we also had time in hand"

"you didn't need to macro because of time in hand", says Raphael.

"By the middle of march that year, i onlined my first planet named Minbarr with CptskntASG as po", says Raphael.

"i had such fun as PO i sort of neglected my following character", says Raphael.

"this was aslo the days when you could only have one peronna in at once unless you had 2 lines", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl wants to hear about the fun

"The Fun was hauling parties, where 6 or 7 merchies and jps would hire a dozen cpt and adventures to haul. The most fun though was becoming a jp as merchant to PO of Dimitros", says Raphael.

"i was vice-pres of keeping the economy active for the planet and got a share of the weekly profits", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl says, "wow"

"Dimitros is actually an alt planet of the Duke of IO", says Raphael.

"profit shareing in Fed", says Aiki.

"That alt had all the groats, his Dukes were poor", says Raphael with a wink.

Raphael says, "As a result of that relationship, my first duchy was IO"

"but the real fun when i moved into one of the more infamous duchies", says Raphael.

"Which was that?", asks Chiefsgirl.

"after 3 weeks in IO it was too quiet i wanted action, intrigue, fun...", says Raphael.

"I petitioned and was granted moving into Rainbow", says Raphael.

Moot cringes

Moot remembers some of that action

Raphael says, "where i promptly impressed Shaver with what i could do in the workbench"

Aiki shudders

Raphael says, "i quickle became the resident expert of the duchy on all workbench stuff"

Raphael says, "Then OG and Shaver had a little disagreement......"

Raphael grins

"ahhh the good ole days", says Moot with a wink.

Raphael says, "we all recall what glorious fun we had dumping on each other as well as the rhetoric to and from both sides"

Chiefsgirl smiles

"which got more then a little heated at times", says Raphael.

Aiki says, "that like saying grandcayon a hole in the ground"

Raphael says, "in the summer of 97 came the fateful anouncement of moving to the web"

Moot remembers

Raphael says, "some people didn't take the news well"

Chiefsgirl laughs

Chiefsgirl says, "That's putting it mildly"

Raphael says, "In particular LordMikeC PO of Talshiar"

"some of us tried closing our planets to boycot fed... lol", says Moot.

"Talshiar had been fun planet to go to, the exchange was on the LP", says Raphael.

Moot says, "mikester.. my fav po of rainbow"

Raphael says, "fast in and out, no odd into orbit and out"

Raphael says, "Mike flipped out and one afternoon turned it into a DD planet"

Chiefsgirl says, "Ut oh"

Chiefsgirl knows where this is heading

Raphael says, "he caught most of us first victems because of our habits"

"we would just auto maticall jump type land o o o", says Raphael.

"i thought he only got 2 po's?", asks Moot.

Raphael says, "after all we had been doing it for sometime"

Chiefsgirl nods

Raphael says, "he got me and RossDeBoss in Rainbow, he got a couple others after being expelled"

"thinks it was three", says Aiki.

"he almost got Ven", says Raphael.

"some one else got ven", says Moot with a wink.

"Ven was on when i DDed not shaver, and checked it out, got killed and travelled off", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl asks, "Then what happened?"

Raphael says, "Well needless to say i was crushed"

"well The Duke of IO , and Blaze gave me the meg to get Sknt to PO and some of his builds", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl nods

"9 days after Minbarr was no more, I onlined Visions", says Raphael.

"what rank were you at the dd?", asks Moot.

"Thane", says Raphael.

"with about 80 planet locations done", says Raphael.

"ouch", says Chiefsgirl.

Chiefsgirl winces

Aiki sheds a tear

Raphael says, "now i don't care what else may be said about Shaver, but he kept a slot open for me while i was a jp and GM"

Raphael says, "Visions was in Rainbow from right after online, all the way to Baron"

"As Doktari Shaver gave me my first tour of Horsell", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl asks, "Did you always aspire to be a duke?"

"At that time Shavers love was GamingLady and the times they had together kept rainbow coms funny", says Raphael.

"yes i did CG", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "it was as a Thane that i told Shaver that was my goal"

"Shaver about drove me nuts with his hints", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl laughs

Raphael says, "contrary to some belief, he didn't go sharing the answer to the puzzle at that time"

"but at the same time he made sure we saw all the hints", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl asks, "hit-me-with-a-brick hints or subtle?"

Raphael says, "subtle"

"i figured out most of it except that one object i thought was important wasn't", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "BTW it was in IO that i first met Phiddie, who was probably the most active PO of IO early days"

Chiefsgirl thinks Phiddie is one of the active POs period

Chiefsgirl smiles

"Someplace along the way it became soemwhat wider known about my Workbench skills", says Raphael.

"most active, I mean", says Chiefsgirl.

Chiefsgirl asks, "Just how much skill do you have in the workbench?"

Chiefsgirl would love to learn how to do an event

Raphael says, "and i quickly found myself invited to do one of the regular FED event"

Aiki would love to be able to not take a hummer with her to the WB

Chiefsgirl asks, "Workbench class?"

"first the puzzles events class and later the combined workbench/puzzles/events class", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl nods

Raphael says, "which i try to enliven by field trips to planets to illustrate a point"

Chiefsgirl exclaims, "ooooo...field trips!"

Chiefsgirl bounces happily

Chiefsgirl says, "I'm going to come to this class"

Moot gets a permission slip

Raphael says, "i also am participant to doing the occaisional Scavenge planet as well"

Chiefsgirl loves field trips

Raphael says, "where its an art to create an event that will run an hour"

Aiki wonders what a fieldtrip is

Chiefsgirl nods

Chiefsgirl says, "Some of those Scavenge planets are so excellent"

Chiefsgirl is impressed

"Field trip is goint to a planet that has a number of events that people have questions about doing", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "The last great event to occur was the Dukes puzzle, when they brought it back, 2 of us started on it instantly together"

Chiefsgirl nods

Chiefsgirl asks, "How many times did you warp doing attempts? did you count?"

Raphael says, "bluebeard and I took 4 trips the brief week it was open and solved about the first third of the current puzzle"

Raphael says, "personally i did 14 trips under my own power and double that as helper observer of others"

Chiefsgirl has went along for a number of rides herself

Raphael says, "and a HUGE visa bill for January"

"heh", says Allanon.

"well i worked it out to almost 200 hours", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl boggles

Aiki blinks

Chiefsgirl asks, "What kind of duchy do you have?"

"with repeat trips to the DNI, reading 2 books", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "one of the books mentioned in the DNI really was the crux and what led me to the solution"

Aiki writes clue down

"in fact there is a refrence to that book when you first arrive on earth as newbod on the way to the permit office", says Raphael.

Raphael asks, "have you all seen the hobo at least once?"

Allanon says, "yes"

"many times", says Allanon.

Chiefsgirl nods

Aiki throwns the paper away

Raphael says, "He carries a Bindlestiff"

"he does?", asks Chiefsgirl.

Chiefsgirl wonders how she missed that

Raphael says, "the bindlestiff is a term for space traveling hobo from the book called Cities in Flight by James Blish written late 50s early 60s"

"Cites in flight was actually 4 books, the 3 rd of the series was written first", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "and just so happened to be in my home library"

Chiefsgirl smiles

Raphael says, "now then there are other referents to the books, one of which is key to the Dukes puzzle AND snark"

Chiefsgirl says, "Very convenient"

"did you write the books?", asks Allanon.

Aiki says, "makes a nice bundle"

"once i reread the third book, Earthman come home, all the pieces fell into place", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl thinks she could read billions of books and not have any clue what to do

"about that time from talking to others 3 other 'groups' came to the same answer, but only a couple actually found the clues in the book", says Raphael.

"the series is called cities in flight? are they good books?", asks Moot.

"yes they are, all 4 books were put in one cover, with the duplicates and repeated sections removed", says Raphael.

"i read the original series book by book as a kid", says Raphael.

Aiki read dream of the red chamber as a kid

"but There are 2 mobiles and 1 object in sol from that book so it clearly had some impression on Alan LEnton", says Raphael.

Chiefsgirl looks around the group, "Does anyone have any questions for Raphael?"

"not to mention its DNI mention when you look up one sol object", says Raphael.

"i just wish FED had more puzzles", smiles Raphael.

Chiefsgirl smiles

Aiki makes note

"Any questions about Shaver or Rainbow?", asks Raphael.

Gross belches, "tell us about Zorra."

Raphael says, "just After FED moved to the WEb, i was invited to a party on Serenity"

Moot winks and says, "can you ask shaver to come back? i miss him"

"i actually met Shaver RL once, he is a pint sized Yul Brynner in appearence complete with 2 earings in his right ear", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "At the party on Serenity i met this wonderful person who was looking for a reason to stay in FED"

Moot asks, "what about the party on serenity?"

Chiefsgirl smiles

"He's telling us about Zorra", says Chiefsgirl.

Chiefsgirl sighs and listens to the romantic tale

"that person was Zorra, several long conversations later we found ourselves in a budding relationship that began with nothing more then talking", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "we sort of waltzed around each other, both of us had had bad relationships and were skittish"

"in fact i was using alts rather then using this name outright", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "we soon discovered we both had a lot in common, not to mention similar creativity and both having a love of the Southwest"

Raphael smiles, "The fun thing is we are still together and its more then a year later"

Chiefsgirl quietly lets everyone know that Zorra will be our Meet & Greet guest on April 25

Raphael says, "her FED life was a bit wilder then mine"

Chiefsgirl asks, "Any other questions for Raphael?"

Raphael says, "Zorra and i have more creativity then we have planets"

Chiefsgirl giggles

"did you use your creativity in your planets", says Allanon with a wink.

"is vision a theme planet?", asks Moot.

Raphael says, "If you like romance and a devious puzzle come to visions, if you just want a fun place to explore come to Visions"

Raphael says, "My last planet Mrin won the Carpenter's Award"

Raphael says, "Mrin of my wild alter ego and secondary personna, Belgarath"

Chiefsgirl laughs

Aiki claps for Mrin

Chiefsgirl learns so much at these things

Raphael says, "I try to play Belgarath utterly differently"

Raphael says, "and as such, people do react differently to him"

Zeusgod asks, "Raphael, Have you any regrets regarding Fed? Or something you wish you could do over?"

"you could say each personna is an aspect of the person behind the character", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "Actually, yes, i wished i had socialized more at lower ranks instead of being hell bent on ranks"

"raph thats the best part of rping", says Moot with a wink.

Raphael says, "i know, which is why Belgarath did everything Rafe didn't, he partied, he never hauled"

Chiefsgirl laughs

"so yes the only thing i would do differently is take the time to enjoy being with people", says Raphael.

"Have inadvertantly DDed any Char, Raph?", asks Zeusgod.

Raphael says, "the only personna to to DD was CptSkntASG on Talshiar, i never got into redoing that name"

Raphael has this odd thing about not repeating roleplaying names

"when fed moved to the web, CptskntASG stayed a merchie till p2p started then i let fade away", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "just as an aside when i first played in Connor i became really good friends of Dado2kps who is same RL age as i am"

Chiefsgirl asks, "Anyone else have any questions?"

"When FED moved to the web he decided he wasn't going to pay, and his planet had many fond memories for me and was mostly undeveloped", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "So i inherited one planet, finished it to 120 locations and have kept the original beginnings intact"

"if you want to see a planet that fits the guides description of a planet layout, visit Penny its liek time traveling", says Raphael.

"ahh no other questions? i am hurt", says Raphael with a frown.

Raphael sniffs

Chiefsgirl smiles

Chiefsgirl makes note to visit Penny

Chiefsgirl says, "I want to thank you all for coming tonight"

Gross asks, "do you dink burpin' is a good fed pastime?"

Aiki says, "it be ok we still love you"

"And thank you Raphael for being my guest tonight", says Chiefsgirl.

Chiefsgirl has given Raphael a hot hug!

Raphael says, "Thanks for having me, some people expressed difficulty with even gettign into fed since the last maintnance"

Chiefsgirl nods

Zeusgod says, "yes, many still can't"

Chiefsgirl says, "Lots of folks still having trouble getting in"

"Next week my guest is Blaze, Duchess of Gossamer", says Chiefsgirl.

Aiki says, "just sometimes now"

Chiefsgirl heard a rumor that Blaze has a lot to say

Aiki says, "Lady Blaze"

Raphael says, "i had to take off the IP address to get in"

Raphael says, "Blaze has been around a very long time and has strong opinions on how the game should be played"

"she does that", smiles Zeusgod.

Aiki says, "oh that not true Lady Blaze is a cream puff"

Raphael says, "She was a strong early influence on me while i was in Connor"

"She can be one at times, at other times a cannonball", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "She is a very interesting person"

"She is one of the best friends you can have yet be implacable as an enemy", says Raphael.

Raphael says, "She helped me get back on my feet as a PO after cptsknt died"

Raphael has bought you a Round of Your Favorite Beverage for this time of day in the appropriate container and at the proper serving temperature, with your chosen garnish.!

"Thanks again Raphael", smiles Chiefsgirl.

Raphael smiles, "i owe the favorite drink macro to Sterling PO of Argent"


Read some more duchy reviews

Back to main Events page


HOME

INFORMATION

HELP

FEDERATION

AGE OF
ADVENTURE

BARBAROSSA

ODDS &
ENDS

SEND
EMAIL