Gary Gygax

I think that I was ten years old when I found a book in the local library called How To Play Dungeons And Dragons, and it all started from there.

I bought a Basic D&D set. I started getting White Dwarf (which was, at that time, a rpg magazine). I bought an AD&D DMG not long afterwards, and a Player's Handbook, and a Monster Manual.

One year when I was twelve or thirteen, my parents gave me some of those AD&D Monster Cards in my Christmas stocking. I don't think they expected me to take them along to church as my token Christmas present to show off. But the Grey Elf was so pretty. (The Carnivorous Ape less so, perhaps.)

I have got into many other games since, but I still have a nice little stack of D&D stuff, and I still remember the thrill I got when I got onto a gaming industry email list and had a greeting from Gygax himself. (Probably just a proforma to the new person, but who cares? He sent me an email. Nothing more was required.)

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0536.html is a nice tribute. There are many more.

But from me: thank you, to someone who helped start so much and found a hobby that has made me very happy.

drabble for undauntra -- bad books

Title: bad books
Requester: undauntra
Series: In Nomine / Exalted crossover
Requested Topic: Secrets upon Secrets
Due to http://incandescens.livejournal.com/622248.html

It was widely known that Yves' Library, besides holding all books that had ever been written, and all books that could have been written, held all books that should never have been written.

To some people, this was Temptation With Knobs On.

But as the Malakite of Janus explained to Dominic later: he could understand why perhaps he shouldn't have looked at the Testament of Lucifer, or the Book of Fate, or maybe even the Apology Of Lilith, but he couldn't see any harm in one called The Broken-Winged Crane.

And he'd never known that Yves had secret kick-ass ninjas.