You have met them, see them on a daily basis, interact with them, abide by the rules they enforce. Every minute & hour spent of their time benefits us & the realm we love, Aardwolf. Yes, I'm talking about our beloved immortals.

Firstly, to get this out of the way, there is no real "power" or "status" in being an imm. There might be for a week or two, but it quickly fades. If you become an immortal on Aardwolf it is because you would prefer to spend more of your time on the MUD helping it grow and run smoothly. You will get the most satisfaction from being an imm if you genuinely enjoy helping other people in the game and like to see others appreciate your work.

The Immortals referred to as Imms are the people who provide, manage and maintain Aardwolf. In other worlds, they may be known as Gods or Admins. The Immortals run this game as a hobby. They receive no payment-in fact, most donate to the MUD to keep it running. Instead, they often perform various functions to keep the MUD running smoothly and keep the players entertained and sticking to the rules.

So How well do you really know them? Are they human beans perhaps human beings! robots or maybe even aliens!! do they feel emotions? We all know they care, now I am on a journey to find out to what extent. Get to know as much as I possible can, to gain a little incite directly from them.

For the past few weeks I have sat down & conducted a short interview with as many of our Imms as possible.

Starting with my favourite of course, Guinness.

Guinness catapults down from the sky and hits the ground.. SPLAT.. hard! Oops...

Guinness says 'hi'

You say 'Hello there, Thankyou for joining me'

You say 'Lets hop to it.'

Guinness chuckles 'great :)'

You ask 'We all know the pros, What are the cons of being an immortal?'

Guinness says 'the major con of being an immortal is having to tell folks the rules when they are not obeying them'

You rapidly nod twice, in complete agreement.

You ask 'What have you learnt about being an imm that has surprised you?'

Guinness says 'you really don't get nearly as many tells as one would expect'

Guinness says 'sometimes i wait for hours before i get a tell'

You chuckle politely.

You ask 'I have noticed you spend quite a considerable amount of time visible, do you enjoy Kojiro's 'opinions'? Second thoughts dont answer that. However, is this your role as imm?'

Guinness chuckles politely.

Guinness says 'yes, when i applied for imm i said that i would stay visible as much as possible'

You ask 'What is your fondest memory as an imm?'

Guinness chuckles 'i haven't really been imm long enough to gain any super fond memories, but the moment i was happiest was when lasher sent me a tell to let me know i'd been picked. that was definitely one of my happiest aardwolf moment :)'

You ask 'Lastly, any messages or words of wisdom you would like to spread across the realm?'

Guinness says 'it's okay to not wear pants when you MUD'

You snicker softly.

You say 'Thankyou very much for your time.'

Guinness chuckles 'cheers :)'

Guinness waves happily.

You tip your hat gallantly.

A vortex opens up from under Guinness. Guinness gacks! Oops.. yup she's gone.

After removing my pants, I visited my favourite imm Rhuli.

Rhuli smiles happily.

You bow deeply.

Rhuli asks 'How are you?'

You ask 'Very well thankyou. Thanks for having me, shall we get started?'

Rhuli chuckles 'Sure. :)'

You ask 'Imm's take on a huge responsibility, Does it ever get overwhelming?'

Rhuli says 'Honestly, no. It's really a lax position. It's not near as busy as people think. It can get busy, but nothing a few "Sure, give me a few minutes" can't handle.'

You snicker softly.

You ask 'What was the hardest adjustment for you to make, as a player?'

Rhuli goes, "Hmmmm."

Rhuli says 'Well, I wasn't a very well known player. So going from zero to a very "in-demand" person was quite a shocker. I did give up clanship, but a small price to pay in my opinion.'

You rapidly nod twice, in complete agreement.

You ask 'We sometimes see Lasher decapitating/executing other imm's in the name of fun. Have you ever tried to kill Lasher?'

Rhuli chuckles 'No, I respect Lasher. Sure, it could be in the name of fun but for all he does I wouldn't try something like that. I'm not sure how he'd respond if we did execute him. :)'

You ask 'If any, which previous imm would you want to see back again, and why?'

Rhuli says 'Justme, she trained me and was very nice to me when I was a new imm. Would love to have her back on the team.'

You ask 'Any messages or words of wisdom you would like to spread across the realm?'

Rhuli says 'Well, thanks for playing Aardwolf. I know everybody here has many other options in games, and the fact they chose our game to play makes me very happy.'

You say 'Thankyou very much for your time.'

Rhuli asks 'No problem, that is all?'

You say 'For now.'

You cackle gleefully.

Rhuli smiles happily.

Rhuli exclaims 'Ok, let me know if you have any other questions!'

Rhuli waves happily.

Only a short while after I was summoned by my favourite imm, Korridel.

Korridel has summoned you.

You tip your hat gallantly.

You say 'Lets get to it.'

Korridel exclaims 'Sure!'

You ask 'What have you learnt about being an imm that has surprised you?'

Korridel exclaims 'How time consuming it is!'

Korridel says 'It's also a bit of a thankless job.'

Korridel says 'and spammy.'

You rapidly nod twice, in complete agreement.

You ask 'What was the hardest adjustment for you to make, as a player?'

Korridel says 'being unclanned, for the first'

You ask 'What is your fondest memory as an Imm?'

Korridel says 'all of it, really.'

Korridel says 'I love every bit of it'

You ask 'Do you take shifts as visible imms?'

Korridel says 'Nope - you put in your time when you can and/or if you're around.'

You ask 'Any messages or words of wisdom you would like to spread across the realm?'

Korridel says 'Don't cheat. Play the game. Enjoy the time. Know we're doing our best to make this game the best for everyone.'

You exclaim 'Thankyou very much for your time but mostly for what you do!'

wink

Have you got something in your eye?

Korridel asks 'mostly?'

Korridel says 'one sec'

Korridel empowers you with sleight of hand.

Korridel has summoned you.

The Grand City of Aylor (G)

You stand on the edge of the beautiful City of Aylor.

Luckily i had the chance to sit down with my favourite imm Anaristos.

Anaristos is flipped into a giant puddle of slime as the mighty warsnail he rides stops on a dime.

You tip your hat gallantly.

Anaristos chuckles 'Hello :)'

You say 'Lets get to it.'

Anaristos says 'ok'

You ask 'We all know the pros, What are the cons of being an Immortal?'

Anaristos says 'for me, the uncertainty of some of my decisions. Nothing is black and white. We have rules, but their application is not always obvious. So I have some fear that I am in error.

Anaristos says 'Also, some of the decisions I make break my heart.'

You nod.

You ask 'Considering you are relatively new to the team, Do the other Imms treat you like the "baby" of the family?'

Anaristos says 'The other imms treat me with the utmost respect as I do them.'

You ask 'If you could send a message to yourself in your first month as an imm, what would it be?'

Anaristos chuckles 'I would say: being an Imm is not the same as being a player, there is very little resemblance. Also, read your help files :)'

You chuckle politely.

You ask 'What is your most embarrassing moment as an imm?'

Anaristos exclaims 'I once loaded an object by vnum and the underlying item had changed. It caused quite a rokus :) It was a hard lesson for me to learn. Pay attention!'

You ask 'Any messages or words of wisdom you would like to spread across the realm?'

Anaristos says 'Now that I have seen the game from this perspective, I love it even more. If one is to complain, complain consturctively. The time and care Lasher has put into Aardwolf deserves the respect of all us and one will not find the like anywhere else.'

You rapidly nod twice, in complete agreement.

Anaristos chuckles 'Aardwolf is beautiful inside and out :)'

Anaristos chuckles 'and you can quote me on that :)'

You say 'Thankyou very much for your time.'

Anaristos chuckles 'you are welcome :)'

Anaristos smiles at you.

"Who was that masked Imm?" you ask, as Anaristos jumps on his mighty warsnail and gallops away.

Now I was terribly excited by this next interview because Rumour certinly is my favourite imm.

You say 'Hello, lets get started.'

Acheos sits down and hits the record button on his fancy little device

Rumour gulps.

You ask 'Did you choose your position among the immortals as Game and Events co-ordinator If so why?'

Rumour sits down and thinks deeply.

Rumour says 'Well, there was a call for more games and activities from the players. I decided to volunteer for the position as I just love being involved with the player base on a positive, fun-filled level.'

You ask 'What is your most embarrassing moment as an imm?'

Rumour exclaims 'oh dear!'

Rumour "The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal. Because any moment might be our last. Everything's more beautiful because we're doomed." - Achillessays 'Well this one was just recently, actually....'

Rumour exclaims 'I demoted a player from leader, as per clan request, then promoted them right back!'

Rumour says 'So I had to demote them again and then promote the right one - oh boy! Eyebrows were raised over that one...'

Rumour scuffs her foot sheepishly on the ground.

You chuckle politely.

Rumour blushes.

You ask 'Of all imms not current, who do you miss the most?'

Rumour exclaims 'While there are a few, the one who really comes to mind is JustMe. We were clanned together as mortals and as imms. She is a beautiful person indeed! If you are reading this JM, come back to us!!'

You ask 'If you could send a message to yourself in your first month as an imm, what would it be?'

Rumour sits down and thinks deeply.

Rumour exclaims 'There will be ups and downs, but trust me, it will all be worth it!'

You ask 'Any messages or words of wisdom you would like to spread across the realm?'

Rumour goes, "Hmmmm."

Rumour says 'Read the rules, stay out of trouble and enjoy your time here. Aardwolf really has a great community, if you take the time to experience it.'

You say 'Thankyou very much for your time.'

Rumour exclaims 'thank you!'

Rumour exclaims 'Happy Aarding!'

Then suddenly my favourite imm Kharpern appeared!

A magic carpet unravels before your eyes! LOOK OUT! A massive knitting needle is being wielded by Kharpern!

You give Kharpern a VERY warm welcome!

Kharpern says 'hey'

You say 'Hello there, Lets jump right in'

You ask 'What is the reason you wanted to become an imm & have you accomplish it yet?'

Kharpern says 'hmm'

Kharpern says 'I was imm before and Lasher asked me if I was interested in joining again'

Kharpern says 'I wanted to help with the game again, I like helping players and that is what I do

You ask 'Now I have to ask, what does your rank "Miss PFY" stand for?'

Kharpern giggles.

Kharpern says 'well I believe it means miss pimply fresh youth or something like that'

You chuckle politely.

You ask 'What is your most embarrassing moment as an imm?'

Kharpern says 'I can't remember off hand'

Kharpern says 'hmm'

Kharpern smirks 'this time or last? :P'

Kharpern chuckles 'this time probably just being clueless how to do things :)'

You chuckle politely.

Kharpern says 'or not remembering how to do things'

You ask 'And last?'

Kharpern says 'oh I know'

Kharpern says 'actually this is a good one'

Kharpern says 'as you know we like to change sex people'

Kharpern says 'we can do at player and do things'

Kharpern says 'doat'

Kharpern says 'so I usually doat player cast 14 player'

Kharpern says 'in this case it was stormlord'

Kharpern says 'that is change sex'

Kharpern says 'this time I cast 16 instead and attacked him'

You snicker softly.

Kharpern says 'luckily it only did a little damage and didn't continue'

Kharpern says 'he thought it was funny'

You ask 'What do you regret the most about imming?'

Kharpern says 'I think last time it was the time lost on my character'

Kharpern says 'but we are able to keep an alt of our main now so it isn't an issue now'

You nod.

Kharpern says 'I enjoyed being imm so it really wasn't much to regret'

You ask 'Any messages or words of wisdom you would like to spread across the realm?'

Kharpern chuckles 'I would say have fun, and enjoy each other :)'

You say 'Thankyou very much for your time'

Kharpern goes: "No Problem!"

Kharpern waves happily.

A massive knitting needle soars into the room, knits a magic carpet and takes Kharpern away!

Penthesilea has summoned you.

Before I realised it, I was in my favourite imms Laboratory!

Penti's Laboratory (G)

[ Exits: none ]

A cluttered desk stands here.

A Large Leather Chair looks very inviting, but do not dare!

(Magic) A small, long-handled pot for making Turkish coffee lies here.

(White Aura) Penthesilea writes tangential teases. is here.

(Golden Aura) (White Aura) A stuffed Oladon is here to keep you company.

Penthesilea says 'hello'

Penthesilea tsks A stuffed Oladon. You feel sorry for her.

Penthesilea purges A stuffed Oladon from the room.

Penthesilea chuckles 'hello again :)'

You chuckle politely.

You say 'Hello, so I have a few questions for you.'

You ask 'Firstly I'd like to ask, did you want to become an imm initially or did it just play out that way?'

Penthesilea says 'To be honest, it had never even crossed my mind, until I was approached about it by one of the imms at the time.'

Penthesilea says 'It took that particular immortal some effort to convince me to send an application.'

You ask 'Knowing what you know now, If you had to do it again, would you send in your app?'

Penthesilea says 'I definitely would.'

You ask 'What do you regret the most about imming?'

Penthesilea says 'I suppose, it took me some time to learn not to take it too seriously, to find a balance, so to say. I mean, I know what we do is important for the game and its players, but in the end, it's just a game.'

You rapidly nod twice, in complete agreement.

Penthesilea says 'so the time it took me to figure that out, I wish it had been a little shorter'

You ask 'Your rank as an imm is "BOFHette" what does this mean and where does it place you amongst the others?'

Penthesilea chuckles 'well, clan ranks don't really mean anything in Wolf. We demote and promote ourselves just for the fun of it. Although, we kind of try to stay away from Admin and Architect for obvious reasons :)'

Penthesilea says 'the fact that I rank BOFHette and someone else ranks say Unverified doesn't mean anything at all.'

You rapidly nod twice, in complete agreement.

Penthesilea says 'BOFH = Bastard Operator From Hell, btw'

You snicker softly.

Penthesilea chuckles 'look it up :)'

You ask 'Where can my readers and myself find such information?'

Penthesilea says 'umm, I'd say google, hehe'

Penthesilea chuckles 'I only found out about it after I joined the imm team, I'm really not an expert :)'

You ask 'Lastly, Any messages or words of wisdom you would like to spread across the realm?'

Penthesilea chuckles 'Instead of constantly living in fear of getting caught one day, play it botfree :)'

Penthesilea chuckles 'I'd hardly call those words of wisdom tho :)'

You laugh out loud.

Penthesilea says 'on a side note'

Penthesilea says 'the thing I dislike most about being imm is to always have to pay attention whether anyone is breaking any laws somehow.. so, playing it safe would mean a great deal to me / us.'

You rapidly nod twice, in complete agreement.

You say 'I think that is a great message! Thankyou so much for your time.'

Penthesilea says 'Personally, I think it is me who should thank you for your time and effort to talk to us.'

blush

Your cheeks are burning.

You tip your hat gallantly.

Penthesilea waves goodbye to you. Have a good journey.

You receive Penti's Calculator from Penthesilea.

Penthesilea has summoned you.

The Grand City of Aylor (G)

You stand on the edge of the beautiful City of Aylor.

In conclusion, the imms are just regular people like you & I. As busy as they are they still take the time to assist us in every way possible, with a smile & always polite. Ultimately we are all in good hands.

"Imms are only human too behind the keyboard and I (Lasher) constantly struggle with all of the above." - Lasher (help immapps)

So here is my message & words of wisdom.

I encourage everyone to read "help immapps" It may just open your eyes. Have you ever heard the saying:

"The gods envy us. They envy us because we're mortal. Because any moment might be our last. Everything's more beautiful because we're doomed." - Achilles

For those who dont know, here is a list of things imm's cannot do

Although wolf is a clan they cannot participate as we can & Imm alts cannot be clanned. Even though they may have been clanned before hand, they will not experience what you an I get to on a daily basis unless they choose to step down as imms. Even so, there is a process involved prior to commencing as an aardwofl player.

* Your player cannot join a clan for at least 3 months after you stop being an imm (3 months for noPK clans, and 6 for PK clans).

* Information you learned as an imm, particularly about other clans or players, is still considered confidential.

Even though they could spend countless hours questing, campaigning & levelling, no one will ever believe they actually did it!

Imms cannot marry mortals. *sulk

Also, keep in mind that Immortals are not allowed to give out free gold, equipment, enchantments, spellups, etc., to particular players. (I do this all the time without contemplation)

Imms really *are* watched as much as the players just *think* they are watched. (& there are a lot less of them to watch!)

So the next time you see an imm, send a random thankyou, a thankyou for being who they are, for doing what they do but mostly for giving up their time, experience & freedom so that we as players can enjoy our time on Aardwolf.