Kenders' Musings

Time to roll up a new character my friend.

If you understand the title of this post, or it's first line, then you may be sad to learn, if you don't already know, that Gary Gygax has passed away.

I admit it...I am kind of a geek, but I am a specialized geek. I am an old school D&D geek, still using first edition modules and first edition versions of the AD&D DM Guide and Players Handbook, dogeared, marked up and beloved. I can probably quote most any page, like a Southern Baptist Preacher with a Bible. I still play, not as much as I wish, but that is about to change, as I am introducing my son and his vivid imagination to the game next week. For a child raised on video games and computer technology, it may be a bit of a change, but among my many geeky talents is Tale Telling, Yarn Spinning and Master Crofter of the Spoken Word, bardic arts, if you will, and it is a skill I have honed over many years of countless ren faires and SCA events. As I said....geek.

My geekiness is a pure geekinees. I read LOTR at 8, and have never seen the movie, refusing to taint the movie in my head with a second rate version from a fat wannabe directing geek. I can discuss in depth Dragonlance storylines, and in fact it was because of those books that I was tagged with my nick, which stuck. I make Tas look absolutely timid. In fact, if you hear someone call me by my given name, not only am I slow to answer, rarely using it, but you can be sure that they have known me since I was a wee bairn.

I won't spend a lot of time on maudlin prose, suffice it to say that D&D had an impact, not only on me but on many many people. Adam Rogers has said it best in this post here (click here).

So here's to you Gary.

We make our way to the tavern, calling for ales as we pass through the door, except for our erstwhile abstaining paladin, who asks for water, and we find seats by the fire, keeping an ear out for interesting conversation that may lead to adventure, or a scornful remark about our scarred up dwarvish traveling companion, hoping for a good brawl, and I am wearing my bracers of speed +2 that give me automatic initiative in any fight.

Can someone bring me a Mt. Dew?