Art - I have a deep love for the Flemish Renaissance, and the Northern Renaissance in general. I am also fascinated by woodcuts, woodblocks, and related matters, whether they be Japanese (Hokusai, I'm looking at you) or more western (such as the fascinating works done by Escher). Surrealism also holds an interest for me, especially Dali and Magritte.
I also love the operattas of Gilbert & Sullivan, if that were to fit here.
As far as music goes, I have very eclectic tastes. Ludwig van Beethoven is right near the top of my list, along with Tori Amos, The Who, Peter Gabriel, Louis Armstrong, classical ragas of India, the Chad Mitchell Trio, Gjallarhorn, Corvus Corax, the Mediaeval Baebes, Gordon Lightfoot, Arvo Part, and a few dozen others...
Religion - One of my closest friends once described me as a "Non-Practicing Everything". I have no formal religious call, but feel a profound and abiding respect for almost all faiths. I'll leave it at that.
Science - I know it exists, but I have little training. I have a fascination with marine biology, due to many Jacques Cousteau specials when I was a kid.
Vocation/Professional - Currently I am a freelance editor/proofreader, but I am trying to parlay this into a more regular position. I have held jobs from pizza parlour manager to "librarian" for an engineering firm during my time.
Historical/Historical Epochs - Yes. I have a degree in Medieval history (specialty is 12th/13th century England and France, oath taking and oath breaking), but I have a deep and abiding love for many times and places. This has underpinned much of my roleplaying, especially world creation, in that I like to deal with "realistic fantasy", the notion that the world has certain rules, be they social or metaphysical, and from these, coupled with geography, certain societies will develop. Currently I am buried in Victoriania, due to several friends who have gotten me interested in Steampunk. "What If?" is one of my favourite mental games!
Avocation/Hobbies - I love to read and I love to write. I have had several poems published over time, as well as a variety of articles and essays. I also am known as a storyteller and have been popular as a volunteer this way at several schools in my life.
(Ultimately rpgs allow me to bring together all my various interests -- history, whether it be social, intellectual, or military, art, music, fascinations with mythology and religion, storytelling, frustrated acting, knowledge of costuming and odd bits of lore -- roll it all together and your get rpgs!)
Entertainment - I love music. I always have music on in the background. I love to go to concerts, whether they be pop or classical.
I like very selected films and even more selected tv. With the former I can name hundreds of movies that I have loved (and easily 50 that I was forced to sit through and loathed...), but with the latter ... well, let's put it this way: I haven't owned a television in over a dozen years.
Gaming - Beyond rpgs? Well, some boardgames, such as Clue, and a few computer games (CIV IV is the current favourite).
Gaming Genres - Having played for over 30 years now, I can say that I have played in a few genres. I tend to prefer fantasy, but that is pretty broad. My favourite systems over time have been
Ars Magica,
RuneQuest,
Over the Edge, and
World of Darkness (new version), but that may be because these sustained the longest campaigns for me. I am
not fond of post-apocalyptic gaming. I have played sci fi (Hard, Space Opera, Planetary Romance, Steampowered), fantasy (Historical, Sword & Sorcery, Moorcockian, Gritty, Flashy), historical (Medieval, Musketeers), comedy (
Toon,
Paranoia,
Kobolds Ate My Baby), and probably a few other genres and sub-genres as well.
I game, therefore I am
