TriangleArrow-Left.svgDecember 2014 Issues of the Questaholic Magazine September 2015TriangleArrow-Right.svg

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CLAN QUEST PEOPLE
by Santa Ends
An Interview with Sinistral
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For the month of August.. we have Sinistral from Texas, one of our longest standing members in Clan Quest. For awesome back issues, you can look for them on the Magazine subforum here, there are lots of well done articles you might like. Without further ado..

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Santa:

How did you discover Runescape? How long have you been playing this game?

My friend of several years, who was with me through most of my schooling, from kindergarten to 7th grade, mentioned it to me when I was 16. At that time I had nothing but free time and he thought I could rule the highscores, hehe. I did get most of my levels and accomplishments in the game in my first year of playing. He found the game through Miniclips, so that would make me a second-hand Miniclipper.

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(Editor's note: Me too!)

I believe I started playing in 2006, so it's been somewhere between 9 and 10 years since my account was made, though I have not actively played all that time. I've also had a couple other accounts, my first I gave up on after dying to a Ghost in Draynor Manor since I didn't know how to get a new tinderbox at the time lol! I also have one other account that is only F2P, I occasionally use it when I crave a simpler time.

Who introduced you to the clan? Have you met anyone in Clan Quest IRL?

I first heard of the clan on the RSOF. I had recently gotten my quest cape and I don't THINK they had released Achievement diaries by then, so I was looking for a social group that shared my interests. Since I love a good story more than anything, and the quests are what has kept me playing so long, I searched for Questing clans, thinking it an unlikely find.

Truly, there were not that many then, but I saw Clan Quest, was impressed by the detail going into the charter and such, having come from a clan prior where ranks were given and taken based on favoritism, and thought to give it a go. Years later, and after many good times, even those I might consider "sub-optimal", I'm here now. There was a time when I had left the clan, but even then, I could not bring myself to join another, even going so far as to withdraw an application from another recruitment thread.

I have met one person from Clan Quest in real life. Draz also constantly plays with my emotions about flying here for a day or two, but nothing yet. I also look forward to the day when I can hang out with Earth at Steak and Shake.

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(This is Draz, photo taken without permission)

Where are you from? Any countries you like to visit/ migrate to? Why?

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. The 4th largest city in the United States by virtue of population. There was a time when I felt this city was boring, but have recently come to appreciate its cultural diversity and wide range of delicious eating establishments. They say you never fully appreciate the city in which you were born or live, and perhaps this is true. I still live here for the time being, though I would like to visit and possibly move to Seattle, Washington as its greenery and constant rainfall appeal to my sense of aesthetics.

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I've also visited London, England and enjoyed the time I was there immensely. Another fantastically culturally diverse place with lots of things to sink your teeth into. I would consider one day pursuing dual citizenship there and buying a vacation home, but that's nowhere near set in stone.

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What's your dream job?

My dream job is being a lottery winner. I feel I would fulfill the position like no one else could, if they'd only give me a shot. Maybe one day. Other than that, I prefer seclusion. My current job is alright for right now, but not a career job. I might like to work as a Pharmacist and am likely to take classes to finish my degree and move towards that goal this autumn.

As for dream job, I once though I might like to be a videogame designer, but that's really quite stressful and would probably ruin the enjoyment of one of my favorite hobbies, though it might allow me to appreciate it even more. I fully intend to become versed in some manner of coding at some point, because there's always room for that. I really don't know what I would consider my dream job, I'm quite lazy by nature, so even though I am willing to work as much as needed, my thoughts are typically centered around my free time and what I'll have for my next meal.

What are your current goals in real life and in RS?

My current goal in real life would be to pay off my credit card which I have recently made several large automobile purchases on. I plan to do this by actually going to the grocery store and buying food to cook instead of eating out 3 times a day. It really is ludicrously expensive. A long term goal would be to one day in the next 5 years buy a town home, rent it out, buy another, rinse, lather and repeat, because they're worth it, until I have 3 to draw income from.

I would also like to someday pay off a rather steep hospital bill accrued last year which is constantly being added to. Sometime this year I'd like to save up $6k for a down-payment on another car as well.

My goals in RS are much simpler. Due to the time I do not have to play, as well as a long time away from activity that I took, I find my peers have surpassed me in almost every possible way. I'd like to bridge this canyon in our experience points and get all of my skills to 90, followed by getting Taskmaster. After this I will likely work on all non-99 completionist requirements.

I hate 99's. I feel the Capes of Accomplishment were one of the laziest design implementations ever by Jagex. If it doesn't allow me access to new content (which most skills stop offering at 95 or less) then it doesn't concern me. Aesthetics and what other players think of me as a player are a fairly low priority for me.

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(This is still the best one!)

If you could give a piece of advice to everyone, what is it?

Rain is a precious gift, and at every opportunity, should have tea or coffee drunk in its presence in complete solitude. Because ambiance. Also, do not invest too heavily in any one person until 7 years of knowing them. Until then hold something back. Do not ever put yourself in a position where you feel you cannot live without them, because the feeling may not be mutual.

They say every 7 years we as people change our inner circle of friends completely. If they outlast that, perhaps they are a keeper.

Proto:

What's your favourite anime and why?

This will sound rather cliche'd, but as my avatar suggests, I am quite fond of Bleach. You could say I like many shounen style animes, mostly because I like the idea of building on oneself and improving, an approach heavily featured in these types. I particularly like Bleach, not because of fantastic writing or character design, but because it was something I would watch during a troubling time of my life which drew my family closer together. It was also one of the first animes I introduced to Quest Kitty, which sparked a mutual interest that furthered our friendship.

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Do you read manga too, and if so, any favourites?

I have read manga, and find them more satisfying than anime in many respects, mostly because they tend to be truer renditions of the creators original vision. However, as my preferred type of story is Shounen, I don't read as many manga as I watch anime because I find panels filled with "WOOSH, SLASH, BAM" to be disconcerting. I did like the Death Note manga though, because it was more of a narrative than most others I've seen.

Garden:

So Sinistral. Hi and Welcome Back. 42- icon cheers.png

You were gone from Runescape a while. What did you accomplish while you were gone? And what do you plan to do with that accomplishment?

While I was gone... well, I suppose I now have a job that pays well enough to live comfortably with it alone, no more multiple jobs for now. This has pushed the hours I can sleep from 4-5 up to 8 or 9. THIS IS A BIG DEAL. Not that I always take advantage of it. If I could I would sleep at least 12 hours a day though. I've also found a girl I might quite possibly marry.

There are a lot of things to work on between now and then though. Both personally and financially. I'm not sure if this happened while I was away, but I paid off my car as well. I plan to keep it til it hits 200k miles or disintegrates, whatever comes first.

Was there a particular person in the clan that brought you back into the fold?

Draziw, or Gerg as I like to call him. He expressed interest in my participation in the last Quest Cup. Although I declined involvement initially, he kept bugging me. There may have been tears. And promises of George Foreman grills which have yet to be realized.

Eventually I agreed to help, though I did not know at the time I actually had to be a member of the clan in order to run for it. Having been bamboozled into rejoining temporarily, I made it clear I would leave again after the Quest Cup due to personal reasons, however after much eye leaking by many people who I am glad to know, I chose to stay out of respect of their wishes. I have not yet regretted my decision.

Do you read books for pleasure, and if so what are some of your favorite authors or titles?

As a child I read many MANY books. In second grade I did not merely get first place for number of book reports submitted, I quadrupled second place. My reading has fallen off somewhat, but over the years I have enjoyed the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, as well as Angel's Command by the same gentleman. I've also read the Deltora series by Emily Rodda 3 times, including all the spinnoffs.

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Presently I am re-reading the Eragon series by Mr. Paolini. Some of my literary choices might be derided by some for their childish nature, but at heart, I am still, and will always be, a 5 year old boy. In addition, the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer gave me some of my most cherished memories. It was the only thing of note I got out of the 2 months of public education I partook of in my 13th year of life. I used to read Tin Tin Graphic novels, I loved the choose your own adventure books, Dragon Riders of Pern, Chronicles of the Chrestomanci, Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix, the list goes on. Obviously, I am a fan of fantasy.

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Who, in real life, has the biggest influence on your life at the moment?

Most definitely my father. As a child I thought he was mean, but as I grew older I learned to fully appreciate his honesty, his work ethic, his love of books, the way he knew a little bit about everything. He became one of the major executives of a drilling manufacturing company, survived several buyouts, was actually fired then called back, all without ever going to college in the traditional sense. I can think of no one who deserves their retirement more than him. He is a truly fantastic man. I'm not sure he knows how to lie convincingly. He is my role model, who I aspire to be. There is no person on Reid (Earth) who I respect more. I can only hope that I might one day have but a modicum of his strength of character.

So glad to see you back, Sarah 59- icon flower.png

MsK:

Hi, Sinistral -
Please tell us about your fascination with food!
I notice you often mentions something about foods you enjoy in many of your threads.

Do you like eating out, or are you a good cook yourself?

I love eating out! I believe that is the quickest way to begin an appreciation of cultures other than the one into which you were born. If someone you've never met happens to be eating your favorite meal with utter enjoyment, you know right then that no matter how different he or she is, you will always have the love of that food in common, and from that you may find you are more alike than you know. Having said all that, from a practical perspective, eating out is hella expensive and the meals gained through such means are in no way superior to fare you might make yourself. I have only recently discovered this. After actually buying groceries (even though it takes a lot of extra time) and cooking my own food, I find the results delicious.

I've always been able to follow a recipe, but I'm decent at "playing it by ear" also. Boiling, baking, frying and of course microwaving >:) all are subject to my mastery. Well maybe not mastery, but I have yet to burn any salads I made, so I must be decent, right?

Advertisement: Try Jack in the Box's Portobello burger. AWMG. It's so wrong but it feels so right.

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What countries feature your favorite dishes?

As a typical white person, I naturally could consume Chinese food 24/7. I also LOVE Vietnamese food, the dishes shared between the two almost always seem better to me when coming from a Vietnamese origin. Indian food is another great love of mine and I am so thankful to have a buffet near me as I have yet to even go near making something from the cuisine. I love curry omelets as much as the next guy but that hardly counts. I like Italian and Mexican and/or Texmex foods as well, but because many of them have overzealous amounts of cheese, which I've grown "fed-up" of, I tend to partake of these types more sparingly.

Of course, I like an occasional hotdog, hamburger, fried chicken, biscuits with gravy, typical "USA" stuff, but having been around it most of my life, I tend to find it dreadfully boring. Also, have you seen the sodium content in ONE, PLAIN, hotdog? Mother of Guthix.

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There is almost nothing I would not try though, I plan to get some grilled squid from a Mediterranean restaurant soon, that should be interesting.

I regret that due to the nature of the business, different places have to limit their artistic flair and compromise their cultural integrity to appeal to the demographic at hand. This is a true loss to both the customer and the establishment, as the customer is cheated out of the authenticity of the real dish in many cases. All of the food I have mentioned and more, I would like to eat in its natural habitat so that I may fully appreciate it in all its uncensored glory.

How do you keep from over-eating?

Well, in recent times my stomach has shrunk due to a long period of time where I could only eat one meal a day. Although I have a healthy appetite again, people say I still eat like a bird, which is to say I prefer to have something like 6 smaller meals as opposed to 3 normal sized ones. It's also said that this is the ideal way to eat since it keeps your metabolism constantly working. I can't stand to waste food though, this is something in which my lady and I tend to have differing opinions on, haha.

Do you like meal times to be a real social time with friends gathered around?

I suppose I could take them or leave them as social gatherings. I would naturally like to say that I prefer eating alone, however I find sharing a meal with my friends after work to be quite enjoyable and good for the soul, particularly if there is a responsible amount of alcohol involved. 2- icon smile.gif

Do you ever eat 'left-overs', re-inventing them into something entirely new?

All the time. Frankenmeals are the best meals.

Favorite foods now, and when you were younger?

When I was younger I ate mostly anything I wanted without concern. Chocolate ice cream being one of my favorites. I find that in recent years however, that my sweet tooth has fallen out, as I really prefer savory foods. I still have a weakness for pecan pie though. Presently, Mushrooms in any form are my favorite things to eat. Known as the meat of the vegetable world despite not actually being a vegetable, I could eat them like a cop eats donuts.

I've also taken more of an interest in my health the last 9 years or so, causing me to outlaw some things in my diet. That burger I mentioned earlier? I might try it again in a month or 2 even though I feel it was Guthix's gift to foodies everywhere.

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If you've made it all the way to the bottom of this article, I salute you! My style of writing may not appeal to everyone, but I hope I've made this as bearable as possible. If there are any other questions, WELL TOO BAD, YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE.

Just kidding. I'm always here to talk to anyone about anything, though my interest and knowledge on different subjects may vary and are subject to change.

This concludes the August issue... and I love feedback. If there's anything, anyone you like to see more of feel free to comment or drop a PM.

Article by Santa Ends