Character bio interview.
Hi there! Furryfan3000 here with an exclusive interview with Mysterydude! We're here today to take an inside look at Mysterydude's recent writings and the main character of his stories. So, Mystery, so far all your stories have featured this Shawn character. Just who exactly is he? Is he supposed to be you?
MD: No, Shawn is not supposed to be me, although he is my primary character. His appearance does echo mine slightly, but his personality is quite different. Shawn is 5'9, 145 pounds. Slight build, but athletic. He has short dark brown hair and blue eyes, light skin. Usually seen wearing jeans and a t-shirt or a hoodie. He's 24 years old, but appears 18, as wizards age slower than ordinary humans. He is a human wizard, and has the ability to shapeshift, as well as dimension hop. He also carries a unique sword (Divine Edge) that gives him control over elemental energy (Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Light, Dark). Perhaps there is a bit of wish fulfillment with this character, but really he and I are a lot different.
FF3000: So, you say he's a wizard, what exactly do you mean by that? Can you tell us a bit more about that? Origin of his power etc.? Is this information available in your stories?
MD: Well, Shawn's backstory is a bit complex. It also has absolutely no elements of furry or yiff in it, which is why I'm doing this interview to fill in some of the gaps rather than writing an actual story. Some of this info you will see in my stories, but a bit of it will only come up here to avoid lengthly origin pieces in the middle of a story. His wizardly abilities are based on a power within himself that he is born with. He and all the wizards that he interacts with have the same basic powers, just to varying degrees of raw energy and experience. I can't take full credit for the magic system, as it is based on the wizards in Diane Duane's Young Wizards series (good books, you should go read them!) However, it is my own interpretation of that magic system, and things such as Shawns elemental powers and the Dimensional Balance Watch are completely my own.
FF3000: And what does he do? The Dimensional Balance Watch has come up in your stories before. What exactly is that? And what about Shawn's elemental powers?
MD: Like all wizards in his universe, Shawn is given various assignments from time to time, deploying to foil the plans of malicious forces, prevent disasters etc. It is the sworn duty of all wizards to prevent death wherever possible, and Shawn is no different. However, he also is an agent of the Dimensional Balance Watch. They are kind of like the wizardly CIA. Not only are there multiple universes, but any universe that is imagined in ours, and gains enough psychic energy supporting it, will manifest itself into a real universe. The DBW attempts to keep these going on their projected paths. It is common for aberrations to arise within the manifest universes, including but not limited to malevolent interference. If the universe gets too unbalanced, it will collapse, not only killing the occupants, but possibly creating a domino effect. To combat this, the DBW sends its agents in to fix the aberrations and restore balance. They also serve as the main headquarters for the faction that actively hunts down dark wizards. Due to Shawn's high power level and unique abilities, he has a bit of an elite status, and is usually given the highest difficulty missions. Although occasionally he is given more ordinary ones when things are quiet, which he generally finds irritating. As for his elemental powers, they are completely separate from his wizardly power. They don't require use of the wizard speech to activate, and as such are faster to use. However, they aren't as versatile. There are many things that can't be done with them that can be done with normal wizardry. Although the two powers aren't directly linked, they do resonate with each other. If Shawn's power reserves are low, so are his elemental powers, and vice versa. Even though the energy for the elemental powers aren't coming from within himself.
FF3000: I see. Are you worried at all that he might be a little TOO powerful?
MD: Actually, yes, that is a bit of an issue. Within his own universe, Shawn is very strong, but still has plenty of enemies that can give him a good run for his money. The problem is that when he switches to another universe, most of the time his abilities (those of any of his type of wizard) are completely overwhelming. So I've had to come up with a way to 'clip his wings' a bit, to keep things interesting. The answer is that the created universes have their own sets of rules, and won't necessarily allow for him to use his full powers.
FF3000: So is Shawn going to appear in all of your stories?
MD: No, I already have plans for several stand alones, one that is partially written already, that won't involve him at all. He is however, my primary character, and one you will see a lot of in my writing.
FF3000: Can you tell us a bit more about his origin?
MD: I don't want to say TOO much, I've gotta leave some stuff to write about after all. However, I will say this: He hasn't always had his elemental powers. In fact, he didn't have them when he joined the DBW. He hasn't always been the wizardly bulldozer he is either, he's had to go through a lot of trials to get to where he is now. The set of battles that gained him the Divine Edge, plus the subsequent responsibilities have gone a long ways towards shaping his character.
FF3000: Well, I think that answers most of my questions at least. Thanks for taking the time to take this interview Mysterydude!
MD: No problem. Expect to see more from me and from Shawn in the future. Happy fappin' So Furry!
DISCLAIMER:
If there really is a Furry Fan 3000 out there somewhere, I apologize for using your name. I just pulled out something random.