It wasn't long after these discoveries that we discovered a strange
structure. It was nearly abandoned, yet seemed to provide a treasure trove of
knowledge. We swiftly determined the creatures within had very sensitive
hearing. At the slightest sound, the Alphas of this strange pack would tell us
to be quiet. We later discovered the locals called these Alphas, "Librarians."
From the information in the library, we began to learn a great deal about the
evolution of the Roleplayer. Starting with the Actors, we next found mention of
a group referred to as P&P Roleplayers, a nearly extinct species.
The P&P era which they existed in was named after the games they played,
Paper and Pencil Roleplaying Games. This era had the largest concentrations of
Roleplayers that we had yet discovered. This was likely due to the many benefits
these games presented for the Roleplayers. These included the establishment of a
social order of sorts, as well as allowing them to exercise their creativity and
imaginations.
The Roleplayer tribes created around these games were slightly unusual. Like
most species, they were led by an Alpha who directed the day's activities.
Unlike many species of animals, this Alpha could be replaced in as little as a
few hours with another, yet would often rise to dominance over the tribe again.
This dominating force came to be called "Game Master" or "GM" for short. He, or
she, was responsible for creating the imaginary world the Roleplayers would be
entering, as well as dictating what they could and could not do. The GM was the
final word on rules interpretations, and, at the end of the session, would
decide what rewards the Roleplayers would receive.
While the Roleplayers created their characters including descriptions, it was
the GMs who created everything else. The preparation for one of these gaming
sessions was truly massive. GMs built entire cities, dungeons, and the denizens
that lived there. Many of the best GMs also took the time to make unique voices
for their creations.
Interestingly, once the sessions ended, the GM seemed to lose his authority
almost immediately. The Roleplayers would begin to question the GM about their
rewards. Most of these conversations revolved around rewards of "Experience
Points," which the Roleplayers shortened to "XP". Each Roleplayer would do all
they could to get the maximum XP reward. Some of these conversations were truly
amusing, with some players trying to bribe the GM for more XP through promisses
of food and beverages.
Some of these Roleplayers sought the ultimate in Roleplaying challenges, and
would attempt to live through a character of the opposite sex. While the male
roleplayer seemed to have great difficulty playing a believable female, the
females seemed to have an easier time playing male alter egos.
Many of the males ran into their problems with the mannerisms and even
appearance of their female alter egos. Oversized breasts and skimpy clothing
that no respectable person would wear dominated. Many of these males employed
their creativity to come up with the "Chainmail Bikini," and would argue for
hours on end with the GMs regarding the "Armor Class" or "AC" of their creation.
The males used the logic that it was chainmail so should have the same AC as a
suit of chainmail. The GMs would point out that it didn't even cover 1% of their
body. Invariably, this led to discussions about enchanted armors, and would
often bring the session to a standstill.
src="http://images.tentonhammer.com/TTH/content/PreviousPageOnW110x50.jpg"
width=110 border=0> All The World's a Stage
border=0> The Cows Says, "MU"
