2018 - Changeling - Eric Lyakhovetsky
Introduction and Background:
Howdy! My name is Eric (as you no doubt already know from clicking my name) and I am seeking to return as the Changeling Coordinator, this time as the elected one. I’ve been the changeling coord for several years now by appointment, and my interest in the job has not waned but is only ramping up. I am very excited to be reapplying and to continue to serve the org promoting and improving this awesome genre!
In my time as coord, I feel I have had some pretty significant accomplishments. Myself and my team (well…me and Dave, I’ve only got the one subcoord, who joined about a year ago) have passed and run plot, enlivened interest in the genre and have moved things forward for it. When I began, there were about one third to one quarter as many changeling PCs (which I would presently estimate as numbering around 75~) as there are now and far fewer games. We have seen an almost tripling of games, with there now being half a dozen primary changeling satellites and full membership games in the org, up from one or two when we began. Several other mixed-genre games have a strong supporting element from our genre as well. I cannot even begin to take all the credit for this shift; the vast majority of it lies with the STs of those games and their awesome players. But, I do think our efforts to promote and increase the profile of the genre have contributed to this expansion.
Changeling games now feature routinely at event games which allow for non-vampire genres to run at them. Many of these have been directly put on by the coord office team and feature what is probably our signature national plot, the Third Resurgence and the return of the Fomorians. This plot has not only been engaged with by individual PCs from multiple genres across the country at event games, but has also been packaged as a ‘plot kit’ for use in other games: nearly a dozen individual chronicles have been touched by this plot. Never before have coord-fronted changeling plotlines been used nationally, nor were was there any kind of advancement of changeling issues on an org level. In the past year alone, changeling games or elements have been featured at 5 event games.
In my time, I have also overseen and written the first changeling packets ever passed through council: and not just one, but thee. One of which sought to plug holes and elaborate on mechanics of the genre, one of which served to update the genre from an RP perspective, something which had not been done since White Wolf original stopped publishing and, our biggest accomplishment, the shift to a new edition.
Though a ton of work was involved, not only by myself and Dave, but also numerous editors, playtesters and reviewers, we managed to translate an entire new system for changeling mechanics from our new edition in tabletop to LARP. What’s more, it was done in tandem with the legalization of that material for use in the Org, meaning no time was lost between when a new system was legal and when we, as an org, could employ it. This shift means a lot for a genre which never saw a revised edition and has been using one of the worst sets of mechanics (the Shining Host) in the MET line since the start of the org. Now, with our new far more playable rules in hand, we can finally play this game in a sensible, fun fashion without having to groan about this or that inconsistency or hole in our rule set.
While in the past the post of changeling coord has been a seat to advise other games on a fringe genre they may want to use an element of, I did not come into it with that view. It has been my goal from the start for changeling to be a much bigger part of this org than an amusing diversion and that is why I fully supported the move to have this post go from appointed to elected. I feel it is the right move for a genre which is totally awesome and will bring joy and energy to those who take a dive into it!
Introduction and Background (Portuguese):
Administrative Experience:
I have served as an AST and HST in OWbN for 10 years. I have AST’d for Shades of Crimson (now known as Stars Never Rise), Past is Prologue and Paradise Lost. About 5 years ago, I began the first ever changeling-primary genre full member chronicle in the org, Tea with Dragons and I still love serving as its HST. I also am now the HST of the Indianapolis-based Past is Prologue werewolf chronicle and serve to run the intermittent-episodic Entropy Enterprises satellite.
I have been on council as a CM for 7 years.
I have served as a Tremere Subcoord for 4 years and recently joined the CBC team as well.
I have been the Changeling Coord for 3 years.
I have personally run modules and events at the Gen Con event game (back when 100+ vampires flocked to Indy for it!), Glitter and Gloom and Beltane.
I served as the HST, game designer and creator of a fantasy boffer LARP, Wanderlust, for its 5 years of play.
I have run countless tabletops and 4 Troupe games over the last 15 years.
I have been part of OWbN for over a decade and have had a PC in every genre that has a game.
Administrative Experience (Portuguese):
Personal Statement:
I love this org. I unironically think, for all of its issues, it is a genuinely cool thing which has brought me countless hours of fun, excitement and without it there would be many people who I wouldn’t get to call friend now. LARPing is a great source of joy to me, from PCing, to STing to Coording. The people are great, whether or not I disagree with them, and always amaze me with their creativity, energy and devotion to this hobby. I have volunteered to make this a better place for many years now and I seek the opportunity to continue to do just that.
I want *you* to have energy for this hobby. I want you to discover new and exciting things you can do with it. New characters, new ideas, new settings, new foes, new challenges, new *Costuming!*. A lot of people say they’ve done it all in White Wolf or feel things are stagnant for then. To me, I don’t think, even 20-25 years, we have fully realized the world White Wolf made for us. And if you don’t agree with me, message me, email me or whatever and I will rant to you for hours about all of the things you have never or played with in my deeply tragic, joyful and terrifying little corner of it. I will talk your ear off about its fantastic premise, kewl powerz, amazing opportunities for LARP costuming and why you should be a fairy too.
Engagement is always the best in this org. I think event games personify this more than anything, and that is why I’ve attended five event games across the country this year. I will continue to try to keep up that pace and will always be happy to engage with people, answer questions in person and engage about this genre.
Personal Statement (Portuguese):
Goals:
We have not yet begun to coord!
My first and always goal is the promotion and expansion of the genre. We’ve gotten a lot more games and players than when I started. I want more and I think that should always be the goal of coords of smaller groups. I think our new, far cooler, far more playable rules, will be a great help to this. I will also continue to serve as a resource for anyone who says ‘…man, I just don’t know changeling’. It isn’t super hard to learn and it is awesome when you do. Finally, we will continue to up the profile of the genre by running both event games and providing national plots for those who are interested in engaging with them.
In terms of packets, we have made solid progress, but there is always more to be done. Within six months to twelve months of the original Changeling 20 Edition updated, we will release a revised version which will include the obscure elements of the genre not included in the original, such as those kiths and fae creatures which have little or no player representation. But the bigger priority will be the codifying of a Fomorian packet to allow games easy access to this plotline, as interest has been sustained and has grown regarding these antagonists since they were first introduced over a year ago. This will include suggested mechanics, plotlines and links to the broader world.
There has been call for a changeling email list in addition to the facebook group we created. I’ll be arranging for that early in the year.
It is my goal to encourage and support sensible, genre-appropriate cross-genre interaction, by providing understanding of the nature of Changeling and supporting staffs who wish to include elements of it in their game. Changelings do quite a bit of this, as the org stands, and I think that’s great. I have a big emphasis this time around on changeling PCs being their own creatures, being central protagonists, anti-heroes or antagonists. There is an inherent risk in the way changeling powers work that they end up just being batteries improving the abilities of other creature types. That has its place, but I think they are now, with their new rules, absolutely equipped to be heroes and villains in their own right without simply existing for the utility of others.
I want to bring a more solid sense to changeling politics as well. We’re still working on how to do this in a way which feels fun and cool for players, but the genre standards for Title, fealty and the changeling feudal system are definitely on the docket, as well as finding ways for changelings across the country to interact more.
I’d also probably be looking to expand my team a bit. I think the genre has grown past the ability of two folks to solidly maintain it well and I’ll be looking for a few others to help out.
On a final note, though not specifically related to my genre, it is my goal as both a coordinator responsible for playing a part in the leadership of this org, and as an HST, to continue to encourage and support the efforts of women to speak out and maintain this as a healthy environment for their play. Both my genre and my own personal game have a very large population of women gamers relative to much of the org and I consider it a core responsibility to speak out in support of the org being a safe environment for them to be in free from the pressures and intrusions of unwanted touch, interaction or harassment. We must all stand against this behavior and those who claim to be viewed as the leaders of the org most of all.
Thanks folks and good luck to all of the candidates across all offices and thank you to all the chronicles and coords that offered their support.