In a world of possibilities, how do you choose your destiny?
For C’loni Bailey of Plot Hunters & Indoor Recess, the answer came relatively easy. The Greek inspirations of Theros have called to her since she was young, primarily through popular media such as Hercules and Xena. For C’loni, the relationship between Heroes and their gods, chosen or not, is an exciting dynamic. It can be a fraught, but thrilling situation, especially while trying to get through the college equivalent of Hero school–while also only four years old.
C’loni plays Shushua, Air Genasi Tempest Cleric, in a world where Genasi aren’t a regular sight. Thus, in the world of Theros, Shushua is a Nyxborn, those born fully formed from Nyx, the realm of the gods.
She follows Keranos, God of Storms and Wisdom, an apt patron for a character who is an Air Genasi with intuitive wisdom and a naivete born of limited life experience compared to those around her. Keranos appreciates clarity of thought and action, exemplified through one without the baggage of life preconceptions.
The surety with which C’loni chose her character doesn’t mean that she never considered a different path. While she was sure she wanted to play a Tempest Cleric, she had considered going with either a Triton or Water Genasi instead of Air Genasi.
If she had gone down that route, her chosen god might have been Thassa over Keranos, aligning closer to the water theme that may have been. But Destiny demanded the creation instead of her Air Genasi Tempest Cleric of Keranos, wide-eyed and wise, but naive.
C’loni has clocked far more hours as a DM than as a player, so her switch to a player for Indoor Recess was a difficult change. As DM, she is mostly all-knowing and aware of events occurring in the world, while as a player, especially with the character she is portraying, much of the world is new and unknown.
For both Shushua and C’loni, the world is fresh and new, pushing them to always learn more. This perspective affords C’loni a different approach to playing than she is used to, but one she is more than willing to tackle head-on.
While learning of the world and its various going-ons, C’loni is looking forward to exploring her relationships with her fellow players. While her character is only four years old, there is much to be learned of her origins. She looks forward to exploring said origins alongside her fellow players, while learning more about the world of Theros.
Theros is a flat, largely insular world, but still provides a boundless playground of adventure. One aspect she is hoping to explore further is the Underworld of Theros. For both C’loni and Shushua, the Underworld is a great unknown that they are eager to learn more of–and what better way to do so than with friends?
The world of Theros is both familiar and not to C’loni, her perspective shaped by her experiences as a DM, Player, and fan of Greek Myth and media and culture-inspired by it. As a DM, her usual frame of reference is a broad, mostly all-knowing view. As a Player, her perspective is limited to the information that her character knows, especially as a character whose experiences with the world is minimal.
As a fan of Greek Myth and media, she looks forward to exploring and adventuring in the world, something she has dreamt of since she was young, and seeing what its varied realms have to offer.
Her dream of getting stuck in a labyrinthine Minotaur maze may yet become a reality. At least for her character Shushua.
This blog was written by Carl Pierre-Louis of PoC in TTRPGs. Want to keep up with Carl’s work or learn more about him? Follow him on Twitter.
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