May All the Dice Roll Twenties in a Moment of Remembrance of Gary Gygax
Gary Gygax — a man whose name is linked to fantasy in gamers’ minds as much as Tolkien is, has passed on to the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, the Blessed Fields of Elysium, or the Olympian Glades of Arborea (depending on his alignment). Gygax was the co-creator of the legendary role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons™. Many have said that D&D leads kids to the devil and paganism (for proof look no further than our good friend Chick and his track Dark Dungeons) but then I have always argued that paganism can lead to D&D.
The reason that I come before you is to tell a tale of a game that brought many people together who might not otherwise have found each other. We need to remember the person who was instrumental in that. I remember fondly my first rolls to build a character and the many adventures I have been part of — with my old friends, and with friends that I gained by just rolling some dice. So whether you have never picked up a d20 in your life, or you just finished battling the tarrasque, I ask that you remember a man that has brought so many people together around a table to roll dice, to create worlds, to be with friends, to laugh, to cry, and to be themselves. And being yourself is sometimes is the hardest thing to do.
-Magus-