Congratulations Riviere, thank you for your dedication to the program 1. Why did you become a guide? After playing EQ for a few years real life caught up with me and I took about a three year break from the game. When I started playing again I soon realized that I was way behind in levels, AAs, flags and gear. My old guild had fallen apart and I hardly knew anyone so I decided on a fresh start on a new server. I joined a guild in which the guild leader revealed that she was a guide and how much fun it is. I remembered an old friend who was also a guide and how he had often encouraged me to join. I decided since I'm starting fresh here I think I'll give this guide thing a whirl. It opened up a whole new facet of Everquest for me I've enjoyed everything about it and my only regret has been that I didn't try it sooner. 2. How long have you been in the guide program? I had to check on that! I wasn't totally sure, but my Guide Certificate is dated May 14th, 2011. Time sure flies! For anyone out there that's on the fence about becoming a guide? Do it!!! 3. What is your guide race and class? I'm a wood elf druid. 4. What is your favorite land (zone)? There are so many! But I guess if I must choose just one it would be Western Wastes where all the beautiful dragons live. 5. What is your best or favorite moment as a guide? Oh my! How can I choose? It seems like they are happening all the time. Just last night the players joining our quest had me in tears from laughing so hard. Being on SWAT I get to meet a lot of the players across the servers, the players make it fun to be a guide. 6. What is your favorite quest event. Without a doubt that would be Festival of Might! I look forward to it every July. It's a fun set of challenges that test the players skills in several ways. The players enjoy seeing us out there on our Guide Avatars and it seems that every year we make new friends who along with our old friends continue to follow us and attend our guide events. 7. What has been your worst or least favorite moment during your time as a Guide? That would have to be the dark days when we feared for Yarlawion's health. He was my SMT at the time and had us all very worried. He is such a huge part of my guiding career. As a mentor and friend I learned a lot from him, and still do. Thankfully he pulled through and continues to inspire those that know him. 8. As a player do you ever run into Guides, quests or events? I have on occasion seen events or quests taking place and I always try to join in if I can. I know that there are times when it's difficult to get a quest going when there's not much interest for whatever reason so I try to help out, incognito of course. ) 9.What is your favorite thing about Everquest? The people! I have made a lot of friends over the years. Some don't even play anymore but we still keep in touch. It's a great way to spend time with family that might be thousands of miles away. There is always something to do, I never get tired of Everquest. 10. Would you like to include a bio of your Guide character? River, such a tiny little wood elf, she sure does get around for one so "Wee". This is due partly to her inquisitive nature and partly because she is almost always lost. Her siblings teased her about her sense of direction or lack thereof. Her brother loved to taunt her with, "Want to have fun with River? Find a round room and tell her to go stand in the corner." She would fire back with "I'm not lost! I'm exploring!" which inevitably became her lifelong mantra. Her ma and da had hopes that their wee little one would eventually develop a sense of direction but, alas, even with advanced tracking, sense heading, maps and find she is forever to be "Wee" and lost. Some things just never change. Most times being on an adventure was enjoyable and she took great pleasure in lending a hand where needed as she traveled from place to place; a heal here, a buff there. Or maybe just a port to somewhere else which invariably led to more "exploring" on her part. But oft times she managed to wander into some dangerous situations. So it was one crisp and frigid afternoon as she was, ahem . . . exploring . . . Everfrost. Somehow she managed to wander into a mob of vicious icy orcs and their malevolent leader Redwind. She was trying her best to outrun them but they were gaining on her. They were snarling and clawing at her until she was exhausted and resigned to the fact that she was about to succumb to their onslaught. She wedged herself between two icy boulders and waited for the inevitable. Suddenly two skeletons appeared out of nowhere and the orcs began falling one by one as the two waded thru the ferocious pack. It became apparent that the larger of the two was in command of the smaller one. The smaller one was slashing and stabbing his way thru the attackers as the larger skeleton was shouting commands and casting streams of lightning from his fingertips. These orcs were no match for this powerful skeleton and his minion. River remained wedged in her icy niche and tried to retreat even farther into the space behind her. Shivering with cold and fright she dared to peer up at the skeleton looming over her. Had she survived one attack to become victim of another? Suddenly the skeleton's image shimmered and he turned into a dark elf. Xerxes smiled down, "You needn't be frightened little elf. Yes, I am a dark elf but I don't "always" subscribe to that evil stuff people are always going on about." "I guess you could call me a "good" evil necromancer", he chuckled, "and you looked like you needed some help." Xerxes extended a hand to River. Gingerly she accepted and crawled out from her icy nook. "Let's see to those wounds of yours. I'm not much of a healer but I think I can manage a little first aid." As he continued to hold her hand River could feel a current of warmth spread over her body and she watched in amazement as her wounds faded and vanished before her very eyes. "Are you hungry? Let's have a little lunch. Pet! Guard!', Xerxes commanded of his minion. Xerxes's pet snapped to attention, "As you wish, Oh Great One!" "We'll be safe here for now," he said as he offered River some smoked wood elf. River gasped in horror and cringed away from Xerxes as he began to laugh at her reaction, "No? Maybe some dwarf pickles are more to your taste?" River exclaimed, "Are you insane? I think I'll just forage up some roots if you don't mind." "Relax, I bought those off of Boomba in Freeport and thought I'd carry them around with me to play pranks. I can see they were worth the coin invested." Xerxes was obviously enjoying himself. "Tell me, what is a wood elf doing wandering about Everfrost?" he inquired while peering intently at River over their makeshift picnic. "I might ask you the same thing! You don't see many dark elves in these parts." "Oh, my sister and I grew up here", he grinned, "But that is a story for another day. So what brings you to these parts?" River went on to explain how she was smitten with wanderlust and enjoyed exploring new places. "A group of adventurers asked me if I could port them to Surefall Glades as they were headed to Everfrost and then on to Permafrost in search of an icy dragon that lives there. They invited me to tag along and I thought it sounded like fun. I was fascinated by how beautiful it is here and wanted to explore Everfrost so I wished them luck and bade them farewell and here I am." "Ahhh... so you seem like the kind of person that likes to help others. Am I right?" he quizzed her. "Oh yes, I've met some wonderful people in my travels. Sometimes I stay and help out for a bit with whatever it is they are trying to accomplish. Sometimes I help adventurers in distress, much like what you did for me today. Thank you by the way! I was sure I was about to meet Mother Tunare that time." On that day a lasting friendship was formed. Although they were both in different guilds River and Xerxes became a rescue team of sorts. Everyone knew they could call on them for help. Many days were filled with River porting the duo to some obscure place where Xerxes would use his magical powers and summon a player's corpse when they were unable to reach it themselves. River would then heal and buff and if requested she ported them to somewhere safe. One day Xerxes asked River if she had ever considered joining a team they called The Chosen Guides of Norrath. "I am not sure I have ever heard of this team. What is it?" she asked. Xerxes went on the explain that he'd been a member for many seasons and how they did much the same thing that they were doing, helping players where they could, except that they were granted more power than just the average player. He encouraged her to join them and become part of the team. "Well that finally explains the "good" evil necro," she laughed, "I'll think about it, but I really don't think I'm experienced enough for something like that." As time went by this thing they call RL intervened and Xerxes and River lost touch with each other. The day finally came when once again River decided it was time to begin her wanderings through Norrath. A lot of her old friends and guildmates had moved on to other adventures. So she joined a new guild and one day heard the guild leader speak of Norrath's Chosen Guides! "I've heard of that team! I wonder if Xerxes is still a member," she pondered, "I'm going to do it! I'm going to see if they will accept me." She timidly approached her guild leader and spoke, "I have been gone for awhile but I remember an old friend encouraging me to join the team you spoke of. I'm a bit rusty, but I still like to help people and I think I might like to give this a try. Do you think I am worthy? I'm not sure what it is they would be asking of me." Her guild leader exclaimed, "Oh don't worry about that little one! They will be more than happy to teach you everything you need to know." The guild leader pointed to a box in the corner of the guild hall and explained, "Here, fill out this form and drop it in that box over there. Wait a few days and you should have a reply about what the next step will be." River followed the instructions to the letter and waited and waited until one day came a reply! Almost afraid to look she peeked into the envelope to see the first word in the enclosed letter and it said "Congratulations . . . " With that she tore open the envelope and read the entire letter. She danced around the guild hall with glee as her guild leader grinned at her knowingly. On the first day of training River was informed that she would need to change her name to make it unique to her. It seems someone name River had come before her. So with that she added a few extra vowels to her name and Riviere came to be. When she joined a team within the team of guides called SWAT (Server Wide Assistance Team) it opened up even more expanses for "exploration". You are sure to see Riviere (Rivieire to some, gotta love those extra vowels!) the Wee Wanderer still out there meandering through Norrath. There is still so much to see! And it's so fun to visit some of the old haunts! Riviere will exclaim to everyone she meets, "If you are on the fence about joining Norrath's Chosen Guides, do it! Being a guide opens up a whole new facet of Everquest and it's FUN!" And that is what we're here for, right?
