Evana of the Thieves Guild
A Tour of Guildmasters: Evana of the Thieves Guild
by Kerrin Gaile
This is one of a series of articles involving interviews with the
current guildmasters of the realm. We will be finding out what each
guildmaster thinks of his or her guild, and hopefully learning a little
about these leaders in our community. So, join me as we sit and chat
with each of these powerful and influential figures.
For this particular article in the series it was my great pleasure
to get to converse with Evana, guildmaster of the Thieves guild.
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KERRIN: Thank you for granting the Times this interview.
EVANA: We'll see how it goes.
KERRIN: Okay, an easy question first...How long have you been the
guildmaster of your guild?
EVANA: Actually, that's a hard one first.
I was too busy and insecure when I got the job to make note of
the date, and now it's been too long to give a definite answer.
But, most likely over a decade. I'm fairly certain it's less
than a century.
I could probably narrow it down further, but I doubt we have
the kind of time required.
KERRIN: Since becoming guildmaster do you feel you spend less time being
an active guild member and more time being a parchment-pushing
administrator?
EVANA: Nope.
KERRIN: Are you super efficient, good at delegating, or is your guild
that easy to shepherd?
EVANA: I just don't worry about the little things, they tend to take
care of themselves. And the big things are so big, we all get
involved.
KERRIN: A nice low stress philosophy.
Do you view your guild as a professional association, a
clubhouse, a close-knit society, a way of life, a comedy club,
or as something else entirely?
EVANA: A combination of all those things, and some other things as
well.
KERRIN: Any particular sort of combination you can sum up?
EVANA: No, I prefer to maintain an air of mystery.
KERRIN: What do you feel is the biggest misconception about your guild?
EVANA: That we steal! Can you believe it? I know, it may come as a
shock to some, but we have actually been accused of that.
KERRIN: What are you doing to either encourage or change that perception?
EVANA: Things like this interview, to set the record straight.
KERRIN: What is the charter of your guild, what purpose does it serve or
work to accomplish?
(Evana must have gotten something caught in her throat because
she coughed rather violently at this point. It must have
made her lose her train of thought because all she said was...)
EVANA: Next question.
KERRIN: A charitable organization perhaps?
(And then she recovered rather nicely...)
EVANA: I can't really say we're a charitable group, since real charity
is anonymous, and if I said we were a charitable group, we'd
lose our anonymity.
KERRIN: What do you feel are the strongest traits of your guild and its
members?
EVANA: I've always been struck by their generosity and honesty.
KERRIN: What sorts of things do your guild members do that make you the
most unhappy or cross?
EVANA: I'm sure it must be the same in all guilds, but petty
squabbling really annoys me.
KERRIN: What sorts of things do your guild members do that make you the
happiest or proudest?
EVANA: They give me money.
KERRIN: Coins do seem to make the world go 'round.
EVANA: Well said. That's why they're rounded themselves, you know.
KERRIN: With which other guilds do you feel your guild has the closest
and best ties or relationships, and why?
EVANA: We feel an equal kinship with all other guilds.
KERRIN: So then there are no other guilds with which you feel you have
any particular contention?
EVANA: No.
KERRIN: Why is your guild better than every other guild in the realm?
EVANA: Because we know where we stand at all times. We have no
delusions.
KERRIN: Do the issues of ethos or religion ever cause disruptions in
your guild?
EVANA: Naturally, people tend to put their own beliefs ahead of all
others', but we try to minimize any strife that might erupt
from it within our halls.
KERRIN: Is it difficult to keep your personal beliefs in-check when
dealing with the usual three-headed debate that is ethos?
EVANA: No, I have no problem at all with that. My first duty is to my
guild, ahead of all other considerations.
KERRIN: Why do people refer to your guild as the thieves guild? I
mean, that carries with it certain connotations that do not seem
all that flattering.
EVANA: I'm sure it started long ago, as some attempt to besmirch us.
However, over the years, we have come, as is often the case, to
embrace the epithet, and to make it our own, wearing it proudly.
Besides, Nocturnal Relocators of Wealth and Property is so
unwieldy.
KERRIN: Hmm, interesting potential bit of history there.
Oh. I see. Part of your guild is in the moving business,
helping people relocate their belonging when they move and
whatnot.
EVANA: The bank isn't open all day, so we do what we can.
KERRIN: What are some of the things your guild does to help Sable and
its people?
EVANA: We encourage our members to get involved in organizations that
support the less fortunate and confused, we help the wayward
find their way, and we often can be found quietly supporting
charitable events.
KERRIN: Does honor amongst thieves really exist?
EVANA: Most certainly. In fact, I would go so far as to say it only
exists there.
KERRIN: Does your guild ever offer things like self-defense classes or
home security consultation services to the public at large?
EVANA: Not to the public at large, no, we work on a case by case basis.
KERRIN: Ah. High-priced consultants who only work with the most
well-to-do clients then.
EVANA: Something like that. Let's face it, if someone has nothing to
lose, they aren't going to pay you to help them hold on to it.
KERRIN: If you could change any one thing in our society or in the realm,
what would it be and why?
EVANA: I would change the general malaise that showed itself back
during the time when we were digging up all that rubble.
Too few people did too much work, while too many people did
too little.
KERRIN: What is your favorite color?
EVANA: Green.
KERRIN: Is there anything else about your guild you would like to say to
the rest of Sable?
EVANA: All we are saying is give thieves a chance.
KERRIN: Noted.
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to grant
this interview.
EVANA: You're quite welcome.
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Keep your eyes peeled for the next article in this ongoing series.
Several guildmasters have already agreed to grant interviews, and
hopefully all will eventually appear here in the pages of The Sablean
Times!