Faerûnian Times

Exclusive interviews with the cast of Kail's Story.

-by Alara Nimbletoes

Halfling reporter

Interview 1 - Kail Farlong

I step into the common room of the Sunken Flagon. It's a bright, clear morning, and most of the winter chill has left the air. The inside of the Flagon is warm, because the fire's been burning steadily for some time. It is, perhaps, quite poignant that I'm back here. The Flagon, after all, hasn't been used as a major set in Kail's Story for quite some time. The last time was during Kail's brief visit to Neverwinter (ch: 79, Liaisons). Right now, it's deserted, except for the figure waiting for me. She's settled into one of the seats beside the fire, and when she notices me, she stands up with a nervous smile and gestures for me to sit opposite her. She's taken time out of her recent scenes to graciously give me this interview.

Alara Nimbletoes: Hi, Kail, thanks for agreeing to meet me today! I know you've got quite a busy schedule at the moment. Could you tell me what you're upto right now?

Kail Farlong: At the moment I'm busy with chapter 100.

AN: Can you tell us anything about that?

KF: Sure. It's all to do with burning bridges to keep the King of Shadows' army from getting to the Crossroad Keep.

AN: And how's it going so far?

KF: Pretty intensive, physically speaking. We've just finished the travelling scene, and now we're about to start on another fight scene.

AN: I've heard that you do all your own stunts. Is that true?

KF: [smiling] Yes, that's right. I think it gives the storyline a bit more authenticity. Plus, I love all of the action scenes, whether I'm fighting or riding. I've had a few bruises but it's all part of the job.

AN: You've been thrust quite suddenly into the limelight, haven't you? How does it feel to be playing such a pivotal role, and how do you cope with all of the public attention?

KF: Oh, well, it's not been too bad so far. I mean, I've been pretty busy with the script so I've not had much chance to get out there and see the effect it's having on people. I'll be having a bit of a break once writing's completed, so I might go on holiday for a bit and just relax and unwind.

AN: The real question on everyone's lips is about the sequel. There are rumours that there's definitely going to be one... can you confirm that?

KF: Yes, I can [she smiles again]. We all knew when we signed up that it would probably be a two-story deal, and I think everybody's committed to making an excellent sequel.

AN: Have you seen the script, then?

KF: [nods] Some of it.

AN: Any tidbits you can share?

KF: Well, I'm not supposed to talk about it much. We've been sworn to secrecy, you see [she chuckles]. Suffice it to say, it's not going to be based on 'Mask of the Betrayer'. That just wasn't the direction the writer wanted to take us in, which I'm kinda glad about. We do all our scenes on location, and Rasheman doesn't sound too comfortable.

AN: Is the sequel set in the Sword Coast, then?

KF: No, it's not. We'll be travelling to a variety of different locations this time. It's going to be a larger scope than Kail's Story, and with any luck, the locals won't mind us coming in and borrowing their homes for a while.

AN: On the subject of your character... she's grown quite a lot, hasn't she, from when she left West Harbor? And yet she still remains the same, in some ways. People have even commented that she seems bent on self-destruction.

KF: [she grimaces] Yeah, she's not been an easy character. She's changed, but the changes haven't always been for the better. She's definitely hardened, but that's not necessarily a good thing. She's learnt a few lessons but she's determined to be alone.

AN: And yet we see, through her dreams and her memories, that deep down, she wants to be loved and understood. Did you find the sex scenes difficult to do?

KF: Not really. I mean, they're quite tastefully done, aren't they? I've read some scripts where the Knight-Captain is boinking everything with legs. I feel a bit sorry for the KC's who're written as nymphomaniacs. I'm not saying there's no place for love and sex in adventure stories like this, but sometimes it just gets really over the top, and the stories sacrifice character development for a bit of exposed flesh. I think I've only done... [here, she narrows her eyes and looks thoughtful]... maybe three sex scenes in the whole story. One with Valear, one with Bishop as one of my 'dreams', and one with him as part of his 'dreams'. But those tended to be a bit of allegory for Kail's desire to be accepted... it was never about personal gratification, but about understanding and exploration.

AN: That sounds pretty deep.

KF: [laughs] Yeah, I guess so.

AN: As the story's progressed, it's got quite a bit darker in tone, hasn't it? Did you know to expect that, when you agreed to play the part of the Knight-Captain?

KF: [nods] Kail was always going to be something of a tragic anti-hero. It's really easy to do the right thing when you're the sort of person who is unwavering in their faith and morals. The good thing about Kail is that she's often tempted, and sometimes she even gives in to her temptations. I think that's the sort of thing an audience can identify with. There was always supposed to be that question hanging over the storyline, the question of whether or not Kail would kill the King of Shadows, or whether she would join him.

AN: But she seems so dedicated to destroying him! Not just to save people, but as revenge for what he did at West Harbor.

KF: She is dedicated, yes, but that temptation will always be there because of what she is. Evil is in her blood, and it's trying to corrupt her.

AN: Was it always planned for Kail to be a descendant of Bhaal?

KF: No, that's a bit of a plot device that the writer snuck in to give Kail the impetus to do questionable things. People are driven to dark deeds either because of some internal force, such as a harsh upbringing, or an external influence, such as a geas or the desire to impress others. Kail was always going to be a 'grey' character, but the Bhaalspawn taint is one of those external influences trying to control her.

AN: How do you like working with the rest of the cast? Are they very alike to their characters?

KF: Gods, no! Thankfully, the rest of the cast are great. Casavir's such a laugh, and Qara and I actually get on really well when we're not in-character. Ammon's like the grandfather of the group, he's been doing this for such a long time that we all tend to look to him for guidance.

AN: Who's your favourite cast member to work with?

KF: [looking scandalised] That's favouritism! I think everybody brings something different to the story. Whenever I work with Neeshka we tend to end up in fits of giggles, she's just so much fun to work with. But at the same time, people like Ammon and Bishop are good from a character development point of view. They both play evil, dark characters, and both of them continually question Kail and push her into news ways of thinking.

AN: Which has been your favourite scene so far?

KF: Gods, there's too many to name. I think in terms of being the most fun, it's been chapter 15 (Sorcery, Sailors and Songs). In terms of character development... chapter 63 (Home) was really important for Kail as a character, because it changed her life. Chapter 69 (Little Death) was also really nice to do.

AN: What what is like, working with Jergal?

KF: It was great, he's such a professional. He gave me lots of tips.

AN: Do you know who the other figure was, the one who Jergal was speaking to at the end of the chapter?

KF: [smiles] Yes, but I'm not telling. There's been clues left throughout the whole story, albeit really subtle ones, but if you can't guess, you'll have to wait and see.

AN: Some of your readers have been wondering about the ending to Kail's story... is it going to be standard fare, or is it going to have a twist?

KF: A little of both. I won't say too much, because it will spoil things, but I know some people are going to be disappointed with how the story ends. It really does have to be that way to make the sequel work, though. It will be a realistic ending, but it will leave open a lot of opportunities.

AN: Is everybody who survives the ending going to appear in the sequel?

KF: All of the companions who survive, yes, though some will have bigger parts than others. There'll also be new characters introduced, of course, as well as some old faces.

AN: I can see I'm going to get no more out of you on the subject. Well, thanks for coming down and giving such a great interview. I'll let you get back to chapter 100 now, and I look forward to reading the results.

KF: Thank you.