Spotlight On Alveus Malcanter

The release of Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition heralded the appearance of that most major of the modern minor mages, Alveus Malcanter. His reputation as the greatest 1st-level mage to ever live convinced us to use Alveus as the spokesperson for our game (specifically, how not to die in it). After the success of his library lecture series How to Avoid a Horrible Death in Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition, his popularity continued to grow. We caught up with Alveus to chat about his newfound fame.

Beamdog: Were you surprised at the amount of attention you received after your library lecture series?
Alveus Malcanter: Not a bit, not a bit. When you’ve been a first-level mage as long as I have, nothing surprises you. Consider the enormous amount of practical information I’ve bestowed upon my admiring fans--it’s actually surprising, and if I’m honest a little disappointing, that I’m not MORE popular. I was offered a column in the gnomish periodical “Beyond Illusions” but nothing else on the media circuit. THAT I consider surprising.

B: What led you to pursue the path of mage?
AM: I’ve always known I possess an advanced intellect compared to my peers. Magery is a time-honored profession in my family, going back generations to my great-great-granduncle Oromanus Malcanter. The Silverymoon Malcanters have always risen to great heights, and I am no different. Though some cast aspersions on my decision to deliberately specialize as a first-level mage, here I am years later, still alive and highly regarded for my talent and persistence, at least by those who aren’t obsessed with trivial matters like levels and numbers of spells learned (hello, cousin Kadina!)

[pause as AM trails off, muttering, before regaining his composure]

B: What’s the next step in your career?
AM: I’ve taken a bit of a vacation recently and headed back to Kuldahar. I thought there might perhaps be some good portrait opportunities next to that enormous tree (me in the foreground, of course, and off to one side, lest it appear I was posed in front of wood panelling). I intended to visit all the Ten Towns and write a sort of a travelogue, but then I remembered how incredibly, unbelievably cold it is in Icewind Dale. Instead I’m writing an opinion piece on the woefully limited number of beverages available at the Root Cellar and a scathing expose on the quality of their bed linens.

At that point our magical connection cut out and we had to suspend the interview, but keep watching the Beamblog for a continuation of our conversation. You can connect with Alveus by tweeting @AlveusMalcanter or by posting questions for him on our forums.

Icewind Dale: Enhanced Edition

 

$19.99