Into the Breach or Joining the Order of the Wednesday Knights

Something You May Not Know about Me

 I am an old-fashioned table-top gamer. Translation from Nerd to English=I have played AD&D and other versions of this most ancient of role-playing games (RPGs) since I was fifteen. I love them. When you role play you not only get the thrill of killing enemies and monsters (like a video game) but you get the added benefit of learning to work with others and think in tactical or strategic ways. In a lot of ways, playing these games has helped me with navigating through a lot situation as well as given me the ability to think creatively on my feet. 

My character class (my in-game job basically) has pretty much always been that of thief/rogue/scout. This means I get to sneak around, spy, climb trees, take apart traps, open locked doors, and generally look really cool in leather armor. I love solving puzzles and problems in game, so this class is really up my alley. 

There is this whole backlash about women in gaming, especially the whole "I started gaming because of my boyfriend" story. I argue that there is a reason for this story---there is some truth to it. Not every woman who games (notice I said woman, not gamer girl---I am 46 years old. I am not a gamer girl. I am a woman who games) has this story, but many of us (me included) do have this story. I started gaming because a guy who I would eventually date and his guy friends invited me. I then dated another guy in the group. That's not what caused me to love gaming though. Lots of gamer girlfriends come and go (another thing that is actually a myth is that guys who game do not have real girlfriends---obviously whoever perpetuated this myth never met the guys I know who game). Some sit there and really don't have an interest or understanding of what is happening. It's not an activity that is for everyone. Then there are those of us who stay and begin to figure out the system and create characters who are not only interesting but intrinsic to party cohesion. That's sort of where I ended up. I enjoyed the character interaction and the real people interaction. I enjoyed taking time to learn certain skill that would lend to my character and her party (the group of characters who work together). 

Fast Forward Twenty-Five Years into the Future

My love and interest in the game has lasted over twenty five years, which means most of my adult life has been spent rolling dice and growing characters. There have been times when I've not gamed, and times when I was running the game (or being Game Mistress---it's not as kinky as it sounds, promise). I haven't played in a fully adult game (this means that all the players are adults---once again, not as X-rated as it sounds) in years. I'm not complaining about this at all, don't get me wrong. Teaching your children how to play RPGs is a real treat, especially when you get to watch them come into their own. My children are LARPing now because, in part, they learned to table top game earlier in their lives. 

A few weeks ago, I was invited by a local game master (Thomas, who rocks, by the way) to join a group he runs here in West Cobb. I was honored and floored. Actually, he didn't just invite me, he asked me to apply to The Order of the Wednesday Knights. I had to create a gaming resume and a letter of introduction. I was interviewed and then voted on. This was serious business.

Lucky for me, the vote went well, and I was formally invited to join. They believed me to be a good fit, and I was taking over a NPC (non-player character) who was...wait for it...a thief. I was so excited. 

I was also a little terrified. I only knew Thomas, sort of. We'd only met once and had a brief conversation. We became Facebook friends, mostly because I thought he was pretty intriguing and wanted to get to know him. The interview process gave me hope that my experience with them would be good, but I was still scared. I've gamed with some groups who were excellent and others who were just plain bizarre. 

The Order of the Wednesday Knights

Our first game together was Wednesday night. Rusty's house was only fifteen minutes away and in familiar territory, so I was comforted. If things turned weird or I didn't like anyone, I could bail and be back home in time for Arrow, right? I was the first to arrive, and had time to stare at his house, wondering if I was in the right place. The house was large and beautiful. Rusty's son answered the door, and soon I was inside facing a guy about my age who looked like he would be more comfortable at a country club that rolling a d20 and fighting demons. 

As more of the guys arrived, I began to sense the camaraderie and bond these grown men had over what is basically advanced playing pretend. They had history. They shared moments and inside jokes they shared with me. They are also professionals by day. They have careers and family. One of the guys has a new baby. (There is yet another myth. The myth of the basement-dwelling unbathed gamer guy. The Wednesday Knights blow that out of the water by a long-shot). 

These men took me into their order and there was no demand that I prove myself in game. They listened to my observations and ideas. They encouraged me to have fun and relax. It was as if I was meant to take my character, Mezrial, all along. They play an older version of the game, and I was surprised at how fast my knowledge of that edition came rushing back to me. 

It didn't matter that we got our asses handed to us later in the evening, or that we managed to piss off a circus owner and had to hide in the forest. What mattered is that I became a part of the party and really, really had a great time.

I found myself, as our characters hid in the forest, contemplating how many total years of gaming was represented in that kitchen that night, and was blown away. All of us started playing in our teens, and a lot of our experiences were parallel (if you say "Tomb of Horrors" to any of us, we are guaranteed to get a sort of panicked look in our eyes. Yes. It's really as horrifying as all that. I still have emotional scarring from that particular game). We have had to learn how to juggle our real lives and our game lives pretty successfully. Oh...how many total years, you want to know. Well...there are six of us, if you count Thomas (btw Thomas is a dj and has a very successful karaoke show he does in a couple of bars in Canton and Douglasville), sooo six times roughly twenty-five years each equals (does the math...hopes it's correct) one hundred fifty years of gaming experience. No wonder we all know how to do this! 

I went home after midnight despite having to work the next morning. I had a real feeling of contentment. For someone who doesn't handle being in a room with people she doesn't know, I did well. There was a time where I would have freaked out and not gone simply because I can be afraid of strangers. What is interesting is that I did go and discovered a group of really warm and supportive guys who I now consider friends. After facing what we've faced so far, I hope we are friends! 

Gosh, I can't wait to play Mezrial again. I'm very thankful to Thomas and the rest of the Order for allowing me to join them. I also want to thank them for being kind to me and not acting like jackasses or ignoring my thoughts or possible alternative plans.