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unfadingones · 6 years ago

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Avariel (Winged Elves)

Disclaimer: All information here is copied directly from the Avariel elven subrace entry in the Races of Faerun book of the Forgotten Realms Dungeons and Dragons series, 3.5 edition. Nothing was changed except the occasional grammatical error.

Regions: Most avariel choose the Avriel region, but other valid regions include Damara, the High Forest, Narfell, the North, Silverymoon, the Vast, and the Western Heartlands. Racial Feats: Flyby Attack (See Monster Manual), Hover (See Monster Manual), Improved Flight, Rapid Flight. Racial Prestige Class: Bladesinger Level Adjustment: +3 (may not be applicable in 5e)

The avariels, or winged elves, are without a doubt the most reclusive and least numerous of the elven subraces on Faerun. Many scholars have long dismissed them as creatures of myth. In truth, small numbers of avariels still dwell in Faerun, concealed in hidden enclaves and remote regions.

The most striking feature of the avariels is their soft, feathered wings. These wings have spans of anywhere from twelve to sixteen feet and are usual white, but they may also be gray, brown, black, or speckled. Avariels take great pride in their wings and spend long hours grooming them. Their skin is pale, often porcelain white, with tinges of blue or faint silver. They have silver-white or black hair, with other shades being rare but not unheard of. The avariels' eyes are rather large and more expressive than those of other elves, and they tend to be brilliant shades of blue or green. A few avariel have scintillating violet eyes as pure as amethysts. Avariels stand 5'9 tall on average, with thing, graceful limbs and angular facial features. They are the most beautiful and striking of the elven races, although too often this beauty is marred by haughtiness and condescension toward their land bound kin, whom they often pity.

Avariels are even more delicate than other elves, and their movements are quick, calculated, and graceful. They prefer to wear loose fitting, diaphanous clothing that catches the wind in flight and ripples and weaves in the air. Armor is almost never worn, because it tends to weight them avariels down and hinder their graceful motion. Avariels cannot fly while wearing heavy armor.

Avariels age more quickly than most elves, having the starting age and life expectancy defined for gnomes in Tables 6-4 and 6-5 of the Players Handbook. Avariels use the following random height and weight characteristics instead of those described on Table 6-6:

Avariel, male 5'0 +2D8, 70lbs x(1D6)lbs Avariel, female 4'8 +2D8, 65lbs x(1D6)lbs

History:

Along with the green elves and lythari, the avariels are one of the three oldest elven races. Today, though, they are all but extinct, forced into the far corners of the world ages ago by the ancient dragons and hunted mercilessly by evil folk.

The avariels, upon their first migrating to Faerun millennia ago, found the world to be a vast, beautiful place. Unfortunately, vicious dragons ruled the skies above ancient Faerun. The newly arrived avariels were nearly wiped out by the dragons before the First Flowering. the last of their race flew eastward long before the first Crown War, wandering the skies only when they had to, hiding on the ground like vermin and living terrible, dirty lives as nomads and scavengers.

The last redoubt of the avariels today is known as the Aerie of the Snow Eagles, a crystal citadel hidden atop one of the most remote peaks in the Icerim Mountains of distant Sossal. The exact location of the Aerie of the Snow Eagles is one of the avariels' most closely guarded secrets.

The aerie itself resembles a tremendous castle or tower of glass, built on a sheered-off mountaintop. A flight of avariel nomads discovered it abandoned ages ago. The avariels believe that the original mountaintop was taken by a Netherese archmage who wished to use it to build a floating city. The present-day aerie is a wonder to behold. The walls of the glass aerie are magically hardened to the strength of steel. Inside, the Aerie of the Snow Eagles supports a tropical climate, complete with jungles of plants and trees long extinct elsewhere in Faerun.

For two centuries, this last lair of the avariels has been led by Winged Father Aquilan Greatspan (CG male avariel Ftr4/Clr12/Dis5/Hie1). The avariels fly there still, fishing in the freezing waters of the Great Ice Sea and hunting the icy reaches of the Great Glacier.

Outlook:

Avariels came dangerously close to extinction long ago, and has taken them thousands of years to recover to the point where they don't have to worry about the fate of their race. Only recently have they begun to expand back into the world, sending explorers, diplomats, and merchants south into Faerun proper. Small, scattered bands of avariels still exist in the heartlands of Faerun, but these groups rarely number more than a dozen and usually avoid civilized areas.

Avariels are free spirits who would like nothing better than to simply soar on the currents high above the ground, taking in the views Faerun has to offer. They possess an irrepressible zest for life. Even in the darkest, most desperate situation, an avariel remains cheerful. Unfortunately, while friendly to those they consider their equals, avariels also tend to be condescending and even downright rude to land-bound races. The avariels are usually unaware of this; it's just their natural reaction to treat land-bound races as lesser creatures. Given time and enough exposure to other cultures, avariels can overcome their natural bias.

Avariel Characters:

Winged elves combine a tradition of vigilance and skill at arms with a joyous reverence for the sheer peaks and open skies of their homelands. Many become fighters, rangers, or clerics. Avariel civilization is old and established, so avariel barbarians are unheard of. Wings elves lean toward the divine rather than the arcane, but a small number take up the study of wizardry and generally excel at it. Common multiclass combinations include fighter/cleric, cleric/ranger, and cleric/wizard.

Favored Class: The favored class of the avariels is cleric. While many avariels are drawn to the study of combat and skill at arms, the hearts of the winged elves favor a more contemplative and philosophical existence. Even those who spend their lives studying the marital tath often set aside these pursuits in order to return to a holier calling.

Prestige Classes: Some avariels practice the art of the bladesong and use it to protect their communities. Like other kinds of elves, winged elves greatly respect the skill needed to become a bladesinger. Avariel wizards often aspire to become arcane devotees or loremasters, while avariels of all other classes are drawn to the divine champion and divine disciple prestige classes.

Avariel Society:

The avariels have a unique model for their societies, separating into two groups when they congregate in large numbers: a war-like society of fighters and soldiers, and a peaceful society of thinkers and religious scholars. These two subcultures, as diametrically opposed as their separate philosophies may be, work together to forge a powerful symbiotic relationship.

Warlike avariels have a complex code of honor that they use to guide and temper their militaristic activities and training. These avariels spend their lives defending their kin. Their lives are geared toward war and power, and they answer to their ward chiefs, who share responsibility for ruling the society with the religious leaders of the peaceful avariels. The martial avariels are proud and hearty, and they form eternal friendships with those who earn their respect and trust.

In combat, warlike avariel have little pity or remorse about cutting down their enemies. The concept of surrendering is highly dishonorable to these avariels, both for themselves and for their enemies. Once lethal combat begins, few avariels break off until they or their enemies are dead. Drawing blood from and enemy is nothing less than a promise to honor the enemy with one's skills in combat and not humiliate him by leaving him alive to dwell on an embarrassing defeat. The act of slaying an enemy is viewed simply as delivering on that promise.

Warlike avariels prefer to use ranged weapons, and they aren't above using wings to gain an advantage over land-bound enemies. This is supported by their code, which allows them to cut down an enemy from an unassailable distance in the skies above. Those who cannot defend themselves against an attack from the skies should know better than to mak an enemy of a clearly superior foe.

The peaceful avariels, unlike their warlike kin, focus mainly on arts and the intellectual aspect of life. When faced with conflict, a peaceful avariel relies on her brains and diplomatic abilities- and often on her magic power. Peaceful avariels are artists, philosophers, and researchers who spend their lives studying the world and its history and creating works of art simply for the sheer joy of creation. The peaceful avariels are also responsible for providing their society with food, entertainment, and education. Many peaceful avariels are also very religious and spend much of their time contemplating the ways of their deity, Aerdrie Faenya.

Despite their divergent personalities, these two subcultures interact surprisingly well. Young avariels typically spend time immersed in each subculture, learning from both warriors and priests. These exchanges, which often last for a decade or longer, allow avariels raised in one subculture to learn how the other subculture lives.

Language and Literacy:

All avariels can speak Elven and Common, and each learns an additional language based on his or her native region. Most winged elves are intelligent enough to pick up at least one additional language. This additional language is usually Auran, so the avariels can speak with allied creatures of the air such as the giant eagles they adore. Additional languages often learned by avariels include; Goblin, Orc, Sylvan, and the predominant human language(s) of their home region. Avariels also often learn the Draconic and Giant languages so that they can converse with their hated enemies if the need arises. All avariels are literate, except for avariel barbarians (assuming they exist).

Abilities and Racial Features:

Avariels have all the elven racial traits listed in the Player's Handbook, except as follows: (Note: One or more of these may be retconned due to 5e rule changes)

+4 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom. Avariels have hollow bones and, as a result, are more fragile than humans. At the same time, they are gifted with a keen intuition and intellect, and an almost otherworldly grace.

Keen Sight (Ex): Avarials gain a +4 racial bonus on all spot checks, this replaces the standard +2 racial bonus that most elves gain.

Avariels gain a +4 racial bonus on jump checks. They are strong for their weight.

Proficient with either rapier or longsword, profient with lasso and bolas. This replaces the standard elven weapon proficiency with longswords or rapiers and proficiency with short bow, longbow, composite longbow, and composite shortobws.

Flight (Ex): Avariels have a flying speed of 50 feet with average maneuverability, as long as they do not carry more than a medium load, are not wearing heavy armor, and are not fatigued or exhausted. Avariel wings have a span of 12 feet on average; they cannot fly in an area that does not allow them to fully extend their wings.

An avariel may make a dive attack. A dive attack works just like a charge, but the avariel must descend a minimum of 30 feet and attack with a piercing weapon; if she hits, she deals double damage. An avariel can use the run action while flying, provided she flies in a straight line. For more information on flight, see the Tactical Aerial Movement second in Chapter 3 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, Home Region. Bonus languages: by region.

Favored Class: Cleric

Level Adjustment: +3. Avariels are more powerful and gain levels more slowly than most of the other common races of Faerun. see Table 1 in the Introduction.

Avariel Magic and Lore:

Although the warlike subculture of avariel society appreciates magic and respects its power, members of the peaceful subculture the the true masters of divine and arcane magic. The avariels, like most other elven races, have wholly and completely embraced the art of both divine and arcane magic. Unlike most other races though, the avariels have only recently (in elven terms) become re-established on Faerun. For most of their history, the avariels simply haven't had the luxury of experimenting and toying with magic; they were too focused on simply surviving. But with their discovery and colonization of the Aerie of the Snow Eagles they have, for the past 500 years, felt safe enough to begin researching magic once again.

Spells and Spellcasting:

Avariels favor conjuration and transmutation magic for their versatility, and the miniature jungle world within the Aerie of the Snow Eagles is the culmination of their most potent conjurings and transmutations. Avariels have also been focusing more on divination spells of late, as they seek out their lost - and well hidden - brethren.

Avariel Magic:

The avariels are commonly thought to be the originators of wings of flying. Ancient rumors hold that powerful and compassionate avariel spellcasters invented the first wings of flying as gifts to for land-bound friends so that they too could know the bliss and rapture of soaring the skies above Faerun. It stands to reason that winged boots may have also been introduced into the world by generous avariels as well.

Avariel Deities:

Like the aquatic elves, the avariels acknowledge the Seldarine as a whole and pay lip service to most of these elven deities, but they hold a special reverence for a single member of that pantheon - in their case Aerdrie Faenya, the elven goddess of the skies, weather, and avians of all sorts. Although they do not elevate their religious beliefs to the level of fanaticism, the avariels as a whole are deeply religious, and the thought of not venerating a deity is alien and unwholesome to most of them.

Avariels believe that it is due to Aerdrie Faenya's intervention that they are able to survive at all. Ages ago, Aerdrie Faenya gifted the avariels with their wings because she knew that they would face great trials and danger in the future and would need the advantage of flight if they were to have any hope of survival. Avariels also believe that she takes more of a direct hand in their lives than do the gods of the other elves. Avariels often attribute to Aerdrie Faenya's intervention events that most other races would view as simply fortunate coincidences.

Relations with other Races:

The avariels are on good terms with other sentient, good aligned avian races. They admire and respect giant eagles, a bond that survived the dark centuries of draconic persecution. The avariels are also fond of the aarakocras, but since the winged elves were driven from the Star Mounts, their interaction with these bird-men has dropped off significantly. They get along well with air genasi as well, although they are often frustrated with the genasis ambivalence and disinterest in good and evil.

Avariel relations with land-bound races are not nearly as productive. The avariels have traditionally viewed those who can't fly as objects of pity (at best) of derision (more commonly). Recently, the avariels have begun to realize the error of their ways - the landlocked faces, despite their lack of wings, can be powerful and helpful allies. Avariels from the Aerie of the Snow Eagles have recently sent diplomats to neighboring kingdoms (Narfell, Rashemen, Damara, and the Great Dale in particular) and have been doing their best to treat the ground races as equals.

The avariels are still hunted to this day by evil dragons, who view the winged elves and their magical aptitude as the greatest threat to their dominion over the skies of Faerun. Dragons have nowhere near the presence in the skies as they did in the ancient past, but their memories are long. In particular, the white dragons of Hoarfaern are particularly dedicated to the final destruction of the avariels and the Aerie of the Snow Eagles.

Avariel Equipment:

The avariels have taken the craft of glassblowing and elevated it to an art form. When most races turn to metal, wood, or stone to craft gear, the avariels have turn to the fragile and delicate medium of glass. In a way, their affinity for glass as a medium reflects their very nature, for the avariels themselves hare fragile and beautiful people.

While much avariel glass is delicate and decorative, the winged elves have also mastered glassteel (see the appendix), a form of glass as strong as metal. Many avariel outposts are made of glassteel, as are some armor, weapons, and tools.

Arms and Armor:

The avariels prefer to fight with ranged weapons and usually carry bows of some sort when they are away from the Aerie. The avariels sometimes prefer ranged weapons that incapacitate their victims. As a result, the winged elves train with lassos and bolas extensively. When forced into melee combat, avariels use swords almost exclusively, with a marked performance for longswords (for stronger avariels) or rapiers (for more dexterous avariels). Avariels prefer lighter armors that do not restrict their ability to fly, so mithril armor is especially valued.

Animals and Pets:

The avariels have long had a close bond with the giant eagles of Faerun, and they settle in the same areas. Giant eagles are intelligent creatures and are considered allies, not pets. Avariels are naturally fond of any non evil avian creatures, particularly birds; most avariels keep a few birds as companions or pets. Pet birds are never caged though, and can come and go as the please. Cages don't sit well with the avariels.

Avariels sometimes employ arrowhawks, griffons, and hippogriffs as guards for their aeries. They adore rocs and think of them as magnificent beast touched by Aerdrie Faenya. Rocs are admired from afar, however, as such massive creatures don't easily fit in avariel cities.

Avariel Region:

Small numbers of avariels live with their elven kin in various refuges across the northern portions of Faerun, but this region describes a character native to the Aerie of the Snow Eagles, north of Rashemen.

Preferred Classes: Cleric, fighter, ranger, wizard. A character of one of these classes may choose a regional feat and gain her choice of the bonus equipment below as a 1st level character. An avariel of any other class may not select one of the regional feats here and does not gain the bonus equipment at 1st level.

Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, and Auran. Bonus Languages: Damaran, Draconic, Giant, Rachemi, Sylvan, Tuigan. Regional Feats: Artist, Education, Mind over Body, Rapid Flight, Strong Soul. Bonus Equipment: (A) rapier* or longsword*, or (B) /wand of cure light wounds/ (1st level, 20 cgarges(m ir (C) scroll with 6 1st level and 1 2nd level cleric spells.

#Races of Faerun: Avariel

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overwatch-does-stuff · 7 years ago

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Overwatch Discusses Their Early Life

(Remember what I said about the selection screen update? Me neither. This will be in current selection screen order.)

Offense: Doomfist's early memories are mostly involve his parents; he grew up wealthy and in a large estate. He remembers learning how to fight with his father, training in the traditional martial arts of his homeland; and his mother, who instilled him with dignity and pride, as the son of a wealthy CEO. He had to betray his parents when he became the next Doomfist; he could not be limited by sentimental values. Still, he allows no one to know how much he misses them. Genji remembers Hanzo, first and foremost. His big brother was his idol. They were inseparable. They played together, learned together, and occasionally fought, but they always made up afterwards. Oh, how the times were simple then. McCree remembers a small homestead deep in the southwest of Arizona. He remembers a family, vaguely. His ma and pa are only blurry faces now, overshadowed by the flicker of flames. He was so small when the Omnics started pouring out of Mexico, overrunning the border within weeks. What happened after is blurrier still. Pharah's memories are of Overwatch. She remembers them all: Jack, Gabe, Reinhardt, Torbjorn, Mercy, and of course, her mother. They always smiled when she came into the room. She likes to think that they were always like that; smiling and happy, untouchable by the trauma of war. Pharah knows better now, having become a warrior herself. Reaper remembers nothing. Death does not have a place where it came from. However, in between blinks, he can see it clearly. A small home in the city, always smelling of cinnamon, and an old woman, kind, telling stories of the spirits that looked over this world. In a blink, it is gone. He remembers one thing clearly, however: a barn owl means death. He touches his mask. Death walks among you. Soldier 76 remembers the farm where he was born and raised. He remembers playing with his cousins in the fields, raking hay in the barn, caring for the animals that his family raised and weeding the garden when his mom asked him to. It was idyllic, but boring, at the time. He remembers wishing for something more. That's why he enlisted when the Crisis broke out. The rest, as they say, is history. Sombra knows nothing of a family; only of bouncing in and out of foster homes. Sometimes, if she was lucky and if she played her cards right, a family might keep her for more than a couple months. But no matter how much they said they liked her, they always handed her off sometime thereafter. She learned a lesson early on: trust no one, for they never really care. Tracer was born to a wealthy family in London. Her mother and father were both former RAF pilots that met and fell in love during active duty. She remembers traveling the world for her father's business trips, seeing many places that instilled her with a sense of wonder and curiosity. She also remembers learning how to pilot; her mother helping her learn the controls, and then finally allowing her to fly for the first time. She'll never forget that moment. Defense: If Bastion could speak, it would tell you of the peacefulness and beauty of the forest that it awoke in, and a small, yellow bird that built a nest on its shoulder. It would not tell you, however, of the sound of explosions, bullets whistling through the air, some finding their targets deep within metal or flesh; of fire and blood staining what was once grass beneath its feet. Hanzo remembers his father vaguely. The man was always busy with business somewhere. When he was home, however, he was soft and kind. Hanzo then remembers when Genji was born. His father became much harder on him. Responsibility was thrust upon him. He did not want it. He has never quite forgiven Genji for that. Junkrat knows very little about his past- it never seemed very important to him in the long run, and forgetting what was before made it easier to accept what he had now. All he remembers consciously is the big blow up, flashing across the sky in full glory, that irradiated the wasteland. That giant explosion was beautiful, extraordinary. It makes him sad that he'll never see an explosion of that caliber again. Mei was born and raised in China. Both her parents worked for the government, one a news reporter and the other a specialist in utilities. She grew up hearing news of increasing energy demands and failing coal plants. She also remembers her first visit to Beijing, for her parents' jobs. The city was choked with smoke and pollution, unlike anything she had ever seen before. Through all this, she was inspired to work for the bettering of the environment. Torbjorn remembers growing up in a middle-class family in Sweden. He loved designing things from a young age: from marshmallow cannons to footstools that would unfold for you when sent down (for his mother, who passed on her dwarfism to him,) their house was always alive with his inventions. He did not like school very much, however, for his classmates always harassed him for his height and his ideas. Home was where his heart was. Widowmaker remembers very little of Amelie, and what she does know is very impersonal. She grew up in Chateau Guillard, her ancestral home. She had a mother and a father. She liked to dance. In dreams, she remembers details; dancing in the garden, sunlight streaming down her face. The sound of clapping as she finished the routine. Smiles from two people that are otherwise shadows. After dreams like this, Amelie Widowmaker must report to reconditioning. Tank: D.va was born in Seoul, the capital of what was once South Korea. She remembers glancing out her window to see the big gray walls that protected the city from the Omnic that came from the sea. She remembers the drills that were held every month; evacuation orders, stay calm and orderly, proceed to the shelters. She played videogames to get her mind off of what could happen. The digital world was her escape, a chance to fight back against the monsters. When MEKA showed her she could do the same in real life, she jumped at the chance. Orisa remembers when she first woke up. Her optics onlined to first see her creator, Efi, and the first words that she heard were that of her name. She also remembers seeing her city, Numbani, for the first time. Everything was silver or gold, and the skyline sparkled just for her, or so it seemed. Immediately she knew her purpose was to protect it. She is still in her childhood, technically, only being one month old, but she is eager to grow beyond that stage. Reinhardt remembers being the oddball. He never quite fit in with his peers with his larger-than-life personality and his penchant for the pretend. He remembers playing Dungeons and Dragons with his family on the weekends for hours on end. In school, even though his grades were not the best, he was the star of the drama club and always tried too hard in PE. And from the very beginning, Reinhardt knew that he was destined for something more than a normal life. He wasn't wrong. Roadhog doesn't remember much at all. Whether it's the radiation, or perhaps the drugs he takes for it, he doesn't know. What he does remember are the Omnics. He lived right next to the Omnium when the Crisis started. He barely remembers someone distracting the robots, allowing him to escape into the wilds of the outback. He's been on his own ever since. Sometimes it helps not to try and remember. Winston could never forget Dr. Winston, the scientist of his namesake that practically raised him. When the Dr. showed him the Earth for the first time was a particularly impressionable moment. However, things on the Horizon Lunar Colony weren't all so wonderful. Vaguely, he remembers the tests where they would electrocute him when he got the answer wrong, or the painful shots that made him so nauseated afterwards that he couldn't eat for several days. He was lucky to have Dr. Winston, who helped regulate the tests on him. The other apes were not so lucky. Zarya does not remember the Omnic crisis; she was only a couple months old when the Omnics poured out of the Siberian Omnium. What she does remember is the aftermath. Her village was devastated, and from a young age she worked repair it. This required a lot of heavy lifting, and even though the adults told her she couldn't help, she did anyway. Nearly every building in her village now has been rebuilt by her hands. Support: Ana's parents were always in and out of the house. Both of them were soldiers in the Egyptian military and were in the reserve. Her father was a war hero in the army and her mother was in the air force. She grew up target shooting and learning self defense martial arts, the former being an activity she enjoyed immensely. Her parents encouraged her to join the military when she was of age. Looking back, she wishes that she had more of a choice in the matter. Brigitte remembers entering her papa'a workshop for the first time. All the machinery looked so amazing, and she was pointing to everything and asking how it all worked. Her and papa spent several hours in there, nearly missing dinner. She remembers her first welding creations; nothing could have looked uglier, but her mamma still hung it up on the wall anyway. And, of course, she remembers making jetpack cat. Poor kitty. Lucio remembers the close-knit community of the favela he grew up in. No one had much, so everything was shared. One person had an old MP3, and they would invite everyone that could come to listen to the music that was downloaded on it. He remembers those evenings quite fondly. Things only got better when he finally earned enough money to buy a music player of his own. With the basic programs on it, he started making his own music and sharing it with his family and friends. Music helped distract them from their harsh reality, if only for a little while. No one asks about Mercy's early life, not that there's much to share. Both of her parents died in the Crisis.. She was in and out of foster homes and she threw herself into schoolwork to take her mind of things. She excelled in her classes, skipping several grades and graduating from college at younger than she should have been. One of the only highlights of her youth was visiting the Swiss Overwatch base, where she met Torbjorn and they stayed fast friends. Moira does not like to think about her childhood. Her parents were absent and the other kids in her neighborhood were afraid of her. She loved to take apart things to learn how they worked, whether that be the vacuum cleaner or the neighbor's pet frog. Her destructive tendencies aggravated most adults to the point of giving up on her, and she struggled through grade school. She learned to be self-reliant. As a result, she will do anything to satisfy her curiosity. She looks upon this as a triumph, not a mistake. Symmetra remembers what her life used to be like before Vishkar gave her a better life. It was horrible. She was always hungry and dirty, and her bed was raggedy and itchy and uncomfortable to sleep on. She does not remember a mother or a father, only distant faces screaming. Vishkar told her that her parents did not deserve her, and for the most part, she agrees. The rest of her childhood was spent at Vishkar facilities, where she saw true order and harmony for the first time, and she was at peace. Zenyatta is happy to tell you about his early life if you ask, as most people are curious about where Omnics come from. He was made in an Omnium near Numbani, one of the few still allowed to operate after the Crisis. In the Omnium there is a school set up for the newly formed, run by both humans and Omnics, and he spent several years there before he left to gain his own experience in the world. From early on he sought to define what living was about, and he journeyed his way through Asia before meeting up with other Omnics that shared his same ideas. They would become the Shambali.

#overwatch #overwatch headcanons #overwatch heroes

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unixcommerce · 7 years ago

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Becoming a Better Marketer by Embracing Your Passions Outside the Office

In the first post I ever wrote for the TopRank Marketing Blog, I reflected on the marketing lessons I’d picked up through my baseball blogging hobby. Helping build an online community at Twins Daily has instilled many important fundamentals that, I feel, make me better at my day job. I’m always fascinated by this interplay. We spend so much of our time each week alongside our coworkers, but are often unaware of the interests and side hustles that drive them outside of the office. Those very passions can be such integral parts of who we are and how we operate. More recently, this has been a topic of focus for our friends at LinkedIn*. In April, Jason Miller wrote a piece about following your dreams while staying committed to your career, and in June, Sean Callahan profiled a LinkedIn marketer who moonlights as a DJ. The subject of Sean’s piece was Ish Verduzco (aka DJ Ishh), who says that spinning the turntables on weekends has helped him learn how to get in tune with online audiences as a social media marketer. Incidentally, Jason and Sean themselves are great examples of this dynamic — Jason is a rock-and-roll photographer whose creativity and energy infuse the content he produces, while Sean is the author of several children’s books with a knack for conveying information clearly and understandably. These posts from LinkedIn inspired me to learn more about my own colleagues here at the TopRank Marketing office, and how their outside hobbies or passions help shape them professionally. So I asked around: What activities occupy your time when you’re not at the office, and how do they help make you a more clever, curious, and courageous marketer? Hopefully their answers will inspire other marketers to fully embrace their own passions, and think about ways in which their personal pursuits can fuel their professional success — or vice versa.

The After-Hours Passions that Elevate Our Team Members’ Marketing Skills

Improving Through Improv

Josh Nite, Senior Content Marketing Manager His jokes and puns are cherished staples during the workday, and Josh puts his sharp wit to good use after it ends by participating in improv shows and competitions. He believes that these comedy performances make him a better marketer for two primary reasons. “First, they force me to carefully consider words, how they have an effect on people, how powerful they can be. Second, they’re performed live in front of an audience, so I can see whether or not I’m making a connection. It really helps me have a mental image of the reader in mind when I’m writing content.”

Making a Habit of Being Helpful

Debbie Friez, Influencer Marketing Strategist Debbie is very active at her church, Spirit Garage, where she applies her professional skills to help out with marketing functions. “I serve on the marketing committee, so that has me looking for new ideas,” she says. “I subscribe to a few newsletters and I’m active in Social Media Shepherds, a group of church communicators.” In turn, Debbie’s community work through church and other endeavors — she picks up garbage at local parks on Earth Day, participates in a book club, and serves cotton candy during street festivals, for example — helps her develop rock-solid relationships with influencers and clients.

Finding Focus on the Fairway

Anne Leuman, Content Strategist As someone who regularly covers SEO-related topics on the TopRank Marketing Blog, Anne understands the importance of links (she recently wrote about examples of link-worthy content). And on the weekend, she likes to unwind by hitting the links. “My No. 1 hobby outside of work is golf,” Anne says. “Golf, believe it or not, requires a great amount of imagination. If you can see a shot, you can make the shot. Playing the sport allows me to hone my imagination skills, leading to more creativity and well-thought-out content strategy.” She also adds that the sport’s individualistic nature helps her focus on self-improvement. Bolstering your score on the golf course is all about looking inward and making the right personal tweaks, which is also true of content creation. “Similar to working on my golf game,” she starts. “I’ll take lessons, ask for advice, or spend hours writing each day to ensure I’m above par.”

Managing to Make a Difference

Elizabeth Williams, Account Manager As a mother raising two young children of mixed race, Elizabeth feels strongly about doing her part to create a more accepting and fair environment for individuals of all ethnicities and backgrounds. “As a marketer sometimes it’s hard to see that direct impact on ‘making a the world a better place’ in your day-to-day. But, it’s something I crave. Having that reason behind what we do inspires us to keep going when we’re feeling frustrated or overloaded.” She continues: “My ‘making the world a better place’ is working toward MLK’s dream — for a world where people will not be judged by the color of their skin. In my family, we experience racism nearly every time we’re in public, whether it’s big or small.” And so she commits much of her energy outside of work to advocating for the cause of social justice. A marketer’s understanding of how to engage and influence proves helpful in this regard. “I love applying my knowledge of digital marketing to my activist communications,” she says.

Making Creativity is the Name of the Game

Patrick Pineda, Motion Designer If you watched any of the awesome 8-bit videos he whipped up for our Content Marketing Combos series, you might peg Patrick as an avid video game enthusiast. But his real passion is for tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and World of Darkness. Earlier this year, he collaborated with Anne to create a blog post around content marketing lessons from the realm of D&D, such as the value of originality, the pitfalls of corralling an audience, and the importance of customization — something that is incredibly important and top-of-mind for marketers today. “The best Dungeon Master doesn’t just create a good story, but they also help players reach their goals,” Patrick noted.

The Rabid Researcher

Lane Ellis, Social & Content Marketing Manager Working remotely from northern Minnesota, Lane conducts plenty of helpful research for the team at TopRank Marketing, and his proclivities in this area are deeply ingrained. “Since 1994 I’ve been doing family history research, including several years as one of Duluth’s few professional genealogists, which has taught me many research-related lessons that I try to apply to my social media and marketing career,” he explains. As someone who was using the internet for research before many of us were using it at all, he’s very adept at quickly finding what he’s looking for.

Harnessing Healthy Results Like a Boss

Lee Odden, CEO Employees at TopRank Marketing are accustomed to the occasional week or two where Lee isn’t in the office, given the amount of traveling he does for speaking engagements around the world, but recently we’ve noticed that we’re seeing less of him — literally. The agency cofounder has been on a major health kick over the past several months, and the impact has been visibly evident in his physique. “I’ve found diet, cardio and other exercise have direct correlations to goal-setting, discipline, quality of effort, time management, and optimization of marketing performance,” Lee explains. In particular, he’s sees parallels in the ways success is measured for fitness and marketing. In neither case should vanity be the name of the game. “I found it interesting not to focus on weight loss, but clothing size, energy level, and quality of life improvements since those are the real goals,” he says. “I think there are lessons there as a marketer in measuring performance. Views, shares and impressions are like sugary candy metrics that give spikes of endorphins, but don’t really reflect the real goals of leads, deals, and revenue.”

What Drives You?

At TopRank Marketing, we’re lucky to have a team with diverse interests and hobbies. Working with these folks on a daily basis, it’s easy to see they are keeping their marketing skills sharp through after-hours activities, even if that’s not necessarily the inherent rationale. Meanwhile, staying busy and focused on other things outside of work helps us stay refreshed and rejuvenated once we arrive each morning. So, I ask you, too: What passions outside of work make you better at your job? Let us know in the comments section below. Disclosure: LinkedIn is a TopRank Marketing client.

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itswomanswork · 7 years ago

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Becoming a Better Marketer by Embracing Your Passions Outside the Office

I’m always fascinated by this interplay. We spend so much of our time each week alongside our coworkers, but are often unaware of the interests and side hustles that drive them outside of the office. Those very passions can be such integral parts of who we are and how we operate.

More recently, this has been a topic of focus for our friends at LinkedIn*. In April, Jason Miller wrote a piece about following your dreams while staying committed to your career, and in June, Sean Callahan profiled a LinkedIn marketer who moonlights as a DJ.

The subject of Sean’s piece was Ish Verduzco (aka DJ Ishh), who says that spinning the turntables on weekends has helped him learn how to get in tune with online audiences as a social media marketer. Incidentally, Jason and Sean themselves are great examples of this dynamic — Jason is a rock-and-roll photographer whose creativity and energy infuse the content he produces, while Sean is the author of several children’s books with a knack for conveying information clearly and understandably.

These posts from LinkedIn inspired me to learn more about my own colleagues here at the TopRank Marketing office, and how their outside hobbies or passions help shape them professionally. So I asked around:

What activities occupy your time when you’re not at the office, and how do they help make you a more clever, curious, and courageous marketer?

Hopefully their answers will inspire other marketers to fully embrace their own passions, and think about ways in which their personal pursuits can fuel their professional success — or vice versa.

The After-Hours Passions that Elevate Our Team Members’ Marketing Skills

Improving Through Improv

Josh Nite, Senior Content Marketing Manager

His jokes and puns are cherished staples during the workday, and Josh puts his sharp wit to good use after it ends by participating in improv shows and competitions. He believes that these comedy performances make him a better marketer for two primary reasons.

“First, they force me to carefully consider words, how they have an effect on people, how powerful they can be. Second, they’re performed live in front of an audience, so I can see whether or not I’m making a connection. It really helps me have a mental image of the reader in mind when I’m writing content.”

Making a Habit of Being Helpful

Debbie Friez, Influencer Marketing Strategist

Debbie is very active at her church, Spirit Garage, where she applies her professional skills to help out with marketing functions.

“I serve on the marketing committee, so that has me looking for new ideas,” she says. “I subscribe to a few newsletters and I’m active in Social Media Shepherds, a group of church communicators.”

In turn, Debbie’s community work through church and other endeavors — she picks up garbage at local parks on Earth Day, participates in a book club, and serves cotton candy during street festivals, for example — helps her develop rock-solid relationships with influencers and clients.

Finding Focus on the Fairway

Anne Leuman, Content Strategist

As someone who regularly covers SEO-related topics on the TopRank Marketing Blog, Anne understands the importance of links (she recently wrote about examples of link-worthy content). And on the weekend, she likes to unwind by hitting the links.

“My No. 1 hobby outside of work is golf,” Anne says. “Golf, believe it or not, requires a great amount of imagination. If you can see a shot, you can make the shot. Playing the sport allows me to hone my imagination skills, leading to more creativity and well-thought-out content strategy.”

She also adds that the sport’s individualistic nature helps her focus on self-improvement. Bolstering your score on the golf course is all about looking inward and making the right personal tweaks, which is also true of content creation.

“Similar to working on my golf game,” she starts. “I’ll take lessons, ask for advice, or spend hours writing each day to ensure I’m above par.”

Managing to Make a Difference

Elizabeth Williams, Account Manager

As a mother raising two young children of mixed race, Elizabeth feels strongly about doing her part to create a more accepting and fair environment for individuals of all ethnicities and backgrounds.

“As a marketer sometimes it’s hard to see that direct impact on ‘making a the world a better place’ in your day-to-day. But, it’s something I crave. Having that reason behind what we do inspires us to keep going when we’re feeling frustrated or overloaded.”

She continues: “My ‘making the world a better place’ is working toward MLK’s dream — for a world where people will not be judged by the color of their skin. In my family, we experience racism nearly every time we’re in public, whether it’s big or small.”

And so she commits much of her energy outside of work to advocating for the cause of social justice. A marketer’s understanding of how to engage and influence proves helpful in this regard.

“I love applying my knowledge of digital marketing to my activist communications,” she says.

Making Creativity is the Name of the Game

Patrick Pineda, Motion Designer

If you watched any of the awesome 8-bit videos he whipped up for our Content Marketing Combos series, you might peg Patrick as an avid video game enthusiast. But his real passion is for tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and World of Darkness.

Earlier this year, he collaborated with Anne to create a blog post around content marketing lessons from the realm of D&D, such as the value of originality, the pitfalls of corralling an audience, and the importance of customization — something that is incredibly important and top-of-mind for marketers today.

“The best Dungeon Master doesn’t just create a good story, but they also help players reach their goals,” Patrick noted.

The Rabid Researcher

Lane Ellis, Social & Content Marketing Manager

Working remotely from northern Minnesota, Lane conducts plenty of helpful research for the team at TopRank Marketing, and his proclivities in this area are deeply ingrained.

“Since 1994 I’ve been doing family history research, including several years as one of Duluth’s few professional genealogists, which has taught me many research-related lessons that I try to apply to my social media and marketing career,” he explains.

As someone who was using the internet for research before many of us were using it at all, he’s very adept at quickly finding what he’s looking for.

Harnessing Healthy Results Like a Boss

Lee Odden, CEO

Employees at TopRank Marketing are accustomed to the occasional week or two where Lee isn’t in the office, given the amount of traveling he does for speaking engagements around the world, but recently we’ve noticed that we’re seeing less of him — literally. The agency cofounder has been on a major health kick over the past several months, and the impact has been visibly evident in his physique.

“I’ve found diet, cardio and other exercise have direct correlations to goal-setting, discipline, quality of effort, time management, and optimization of marketing performance,” Lee explains.

In particular, he’s sees parallels in the ways success is measured for fitness and marketing. In neither case should vanity be the name of the game.

“I found it interesting not to focus on weight loss, but clothing size, energy level, and quality of life improvements since those are the real goals,” he says. “I think there are lessons there as a marketer in measuring performance. Views, shares and impressions are like sugary candy metrics that give spikes of endorphins, but don’t really reflect the real goals of leads, deals, and revenue.”

What Drives You?

Meanwhile, staying busy and focused on other things outside of work helps us stay refreshed and rejuvenated once we arrive each morning. So, I ask you, too: What passions outside of work make you better at your job?

Let us know in the comments section below.

Disclosure: LinkedIn is a TopRank Marketing client.

The post Becoming a Better Marketer by Embracing Your Passions Outside the Office appeared first on Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®.

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befoundonlinemarketing · 7 years ago

Text

Becoming a Better Marketer by Embracing Your Passions Outside the Office

The After-Hours Passions that Elevate Our Team Members' Marketing Skills

Improving Through Improv

Josh Nite, Senior Content Marketing Manager His jokes and puns are cherished staples during the workday, and Josh puts his sharp wit to good use after it ends by participating in improv shows and competitions. He believes that these comedy performances make him a better marketer for two primary reasons. “First, they force me to carefully consider words, how they have an effect on people, how powerful they can be. Second, they're performed live in front of an audience, so I can see whether or not I'm making a connection. It really helps me have a mental image of the reader in mind when I'm writing content.”

Making a Habit of Being Helpful

Finding Focus on the Fairway

Anne Leuman, Content Strategist As someone who regularly covers SEO-related topics on the TopRank Marketing Blog, Anne understands the importance of links (she recently wrote about examples of link-worthy content). And on the weekend, she likes to unwind by hitting the links. “My No. 1 hobby outside of work is golf,” Anne says. “Golf, believe it or not, requires a great amount of imagination. If you can see a shot, you can make the shot. Playing the sport allows me to hone my imagination skills, leading to more creativity and well-thought-out content strategy.” She also adds that the sport’s individualistic nature helps her focus on self-improvement. Bolstering your score on the golf course is all about looking inward and making the right personal tweaks, which is also true of content creation. “Similar to working on my golf game,” she starts. “I'll take lessons, ask for advice, or spend hours writing each day to ensure I'm above par.”

Managing to Make a Difference

Elizabeth Williams, Account Manager As a mother raising two young children of mixed race, Elizabeth feels strongly about doing her part to create a more accepting and fair environment for individuals of all ethnicities and backgrounds. “As a marketer sometimes it’s hard to see that direct impact on ‘making a the world a better place’ in your day-to-day. But, it’s something I crave. Having that reason behind what we do inspires us to keep going when we're feeling frustrated or overloaded.” She continues: “My ‘making the world a better place’ is working toward MLK's dream — for a world where people will not be judged by the color of their skin. In my family, we experience racism nearly every time we're in public, whether it’s big or small.” And so she commits much of her energy outside of work to advocating for the cause of social justice. A marketer’s understanding of how to engage and influence proves helpful in this regard. “I love applying my knowledge of digital marketing to my activist communications,” she says.

Making Creativity is the Name of the Game

The Rabid Researcher

Lane Ellis, Social & Content Marketing Manager Working remotely from northern Minnesota, Lane conducts plenty of helpful research for the team at TopRank Marketing, and his proclivities in this area are deeply ingrained. “Since 1994 I've been doing family history research, including several years as one of Duluth's few professional genealogists, which has taught me many research-related lessons that I try to apply to my social media and marketing career,” he explains. As someone who was using the internet for research before many of us were using it at all, he’s very adept at quickly finding what he’s looking for.

Harnessing Healthy Results Like a Boss

Lee Odden, CEO Employees at TopRank Marketing are accustomed to the occasional week or two where Lee isn’t in the office, given the amount of traveling he does for speaking engagements around the world, but recently we’ve noticed that we’re seeing less of him — literally. The agency cofounder has been on a major health kick over the past several months, and the impact has been visibly evident in his physique. “I've found diet, cardio and other exercise have direct correlations to goal-setting, discipline, quality of effort, time management, and optimization of marketing performance,” Lee explains. In particular, he’s sees parallels in the ways success is measured for fitness and marketing. In neither case should vanity be the name of the game. “I found it interesting not to focus on weight loss, but clothing size, energy level, and quality of life improvements since those are the real goals,” he says. “I think there are lessons there as a marketer in measuring performance. Views, shares and impressions are like sugary candy metrics that give spikes of endorphins, but don't really reflect the real goals of leads, deals, and revenue.”

What Drives You?

The post Becoming a Better Marketer by Embracing Your Passions Outside the Office appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Becoming a Better Marketer by Embracing Your Passions Outside the Office posted first on http://www.toprankblog.com/

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unixcommerce · 7 years ago

Text

Becoming a Better Marketer by Embracing Your Passions Outside the Office

The After-Hours Passions that Elevate Our Team Members’ Marketing Skills

Improving Through Improv

Making a Habit of Being Helpful

Finding Focus on the Fairway

Managing to Make a Difference

Making Creativity is the Name of the Game

The Rabid Researcher

Harnessing Healthy Results Like a Boss

What Drives You?

The post Becoming a Better Marketer by Embracing Your Passions Outside the Office appeared first on Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®.

http://www.toprankblog.com/

The post Becoming a Better Marketer by Embracing Your Passions Outside the Office appeared first on Unix Commerce.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2Kw7GKw via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

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