Interview: Caias Brian Ward

Unknown Whelp: Caias Brian Ward. I was born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, I kilt myself a b'ar when I was only three... no, wait, that was Davy Crockett.

He was the King of the Wild Frontier, you know?

GG: I can dig it.

What does "Caias" stand for?

CBW: Caias is a derivative of 'Gaius', a name common to several Caesars, including Caligula. Gaius was also the traveling companion of Paul the Apostle, and the recipient of Paul's 3rd Epistle. It translates out to 'lord' or 'earthy man'. I like the softer sound of Caias, however.

GG: Makes yer enemies think yer soft, eh?

CBW: Nah, I can't get away with that. I'm a damn tank; years of Judo and swordfighting for a hobby do that to you.

GG: Cool--how did you break into the industry?

CBW: I've been running live action and interactive storytelling events for years, and I happened to meet Chris Adams (of *Yamara* fame, and now Continuum) at a convention where I was helping to run a live action event. He was running a playtest of Continuum back in 1998 or so, and I fell in love with the game. I knew where Chris lived, so I told him that if he didn't let me write for the Continuum time travel RPG, I would hang him out the window of his apartment and shake him upside down until loose change fell out.

He agreed to look at my writing samples, and it's been going from there.

GG: Geez, years of judo and swordfighting, and you think you can shake people from a window? You do it on a rooftop!

What do you think of Esperanto replacing the dead language of Latin for the Catholics?

CBW: Mia Dio! Hakilo estas en mia kapo!

Oh, for those that don't speak Esperanto, that means:

Oh my god! There's an axe in my head.

Something everyone should know...

I think everyone should speak Pali, the language of Buddhism. It's very mellow.

GG: Do you speak Pali?

CBW: Trying to learn as I have time. It helps with my religious studies.

GG: OK, so you have some writing for CONTINUUM--big deal! You'll never topple an empire that way! Answer this question: What is the project you're wrapping up even as our readers see this interview?

CBW: Ah, I knew that would come up... *presses secret button under the desk* You are wise beyond your years...

DreamSide, the interactive storytelling game of Dreams and Nightmares.

Go ahead, ask me more about it, I dare you...

GG: You read my mind, Judo Lad! Can you give us more info on DreamSide?

CBW: Well, here's a teaser for you (as I dangle the prerelease of DreamSide tauntingly)

"Every wonder why you can't remember all your dreams after you wake up? What if they don't stay in your head? What if you could go find them? What kind of world would be made up of the errant dreams of billions of people? What if you were a hunted and feared god in that world?"

That's enough for now, except that we've created a system that is designed for both live action and tabletop play in the same rules set, and our prerelease format will allow players to have a big hand in developing the final product. You ever get a game home, and then wish you could have talked to the writer about how or why they did something, or you had an idea that you think would work better that what they wrote?

Now, we give people that chance, to be a part of a unique experiment in interactive storytelling.

GG: Your experiment sounds similar to that of TORG and 7th Sea, but it is an interesting one nonetheless. I wish you the best of luck!

You really like Live Action Roleplaying, don't you?

CBW: Haven't played either one. I guess great minds think alike, though, as I've heard that those games have actually sold a few copies here and there...

I actually prefer live interactive events to tabletop gaming. It's total immersion in a storytelling, gaming, and event enviroment, and all those NPCs that your GM would normally play are replaced by dozens of players with their own motivations and plans. I've run about 40 events, from 5 hour sessions with 15 people, to events with hundreds of people in nightclubs in Manhattan, to the first live action In Nomine event in the nation (or so people told me), and I love all the events.

I've lost track of how many events I've played in, though. I don't think I can count that high *takes off shoes and then runs out of toes*

GG: Heh. You just gave the reason of why I DON'T like LARPs--too many people makes me go buggy.

CBW: Well, that is what you get for living in your compound in the mountains, boss. Try coming out of the woods and interacting with people, it will do wonders for you. :)

Really, live interactive events let you drop into a character and be someone else for a while. People may make you buggy, but after a while, you *as your character* won't even think about it. And isn't one of the reasons we play these games is to take a break from ourselves for a bit, have some fun, tell a story, and spend time with our friends?

GG: I don't have that many friends, though I do have some people who sponge off of me [smiles]

OK, now it's time for the EMPIRE TOPPLING question! What gaming company is the "dream company" you'd love to work for, and why?

CBW: I'm not particular as to what company I work for, as long as I can tell a good story and make people think. I like Deadlands, In Nomine, some of the World of Darkness games, CyberPunk, and Hero System/Champions. More work from Aetherco/Dreamcatcher (makers of Continuum) is always good, as I get lots of creative control.

But like I said, as long as I can tell a story, I'm good. Words mean things, and even though these are games, we can also get a message out. Yeah, it sounds high-minded, but I'm one of those people with a highly developed sense of honor and justice, so I like to do the right thing. Guess it comes from all the Buddhism and the swordfighting...

Oh, and and they have to pay me, preferably on time.

GG: Any last words (since you like them so much) before I send you out into the uncaring world?

CBW:

1. Telling the story is the most important thing, or so I think.
2. Live Action events tend to attract more women gamers. It's the social interaction; I won't argue with it. And you also get alot more younger gamers, and families. It's fun and easy, a great deal easier than programming your VCR.
3. www.talespinnerstudios.com
4. Love Conquers All.
5. Thank you, people from Aetherco and Clockworks Games for being great people.
6. "Schmacknasty": not just a word, but a concept. Email me for the definition (talespinnerstudios.com)
7. www.talespinnerstudios.com
8. Line Directors: I work quickly, know proper grammar, and get stuff in on time. Please hire me.

GG: I asked for Last Words--not Last Rites! Thanks for sharing, Caias!