Nerds, geeks, and spazzes worldwide are in mourning over the loss of Dungeons and Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax. For decades, Gygax has stood as a legend to legions of awkward adolescents who needed to escape their mundane, girl-free lives through role playing.*
At a local gaming hangout, young up-and-coming healers were killing rats and small undead creatures in a desperate attempt to level up. "If I can just get 175 more XP," 6th-level human cleric Ashram Ket said adamantly, "I can learn the 'Ressurrect' spell and bring him back!"
From a nearby table, 28th-level elven druid Nipa Honeyhut looked back at Ket over her shoulder and rolled her eyes. "Stupid kid...doesn't he realize you can't force a rez on someone who doesn't want to be rezzed? Sometimes the soul is quite happy where it is. Let the dude rest in peace."
A moment of silence drifted across the gaming center, and for a while, the only sounds to be heard were the scratching of pencils, the munching of pizza, and the tumbling of twenty-siders on the tabletops.
Nobody from DW2K8 rolled a 20 and hit Gygax's 31 points.
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*I was a Level 7 Half-Elf Thief before I became the Grim Reaper...
