Fear and Loathing in Greyhawk

I’m back. Back from the U.S.A and the best four days in gaming. Still trying to process it all. I have a d1000 yard stare and am feeling…otherwise. Had a great time. I write for a company called GCT Studios and was manning their booth at GenCon. They produce Bushido-the Game, ( a table-top miniature skirmish game of an Asian bent, as well as a board game called, Rise of the Kage) not to be confused with the 70’s RPG of the same name. Firstly, it’s a long way from Cape Town to Chicago. A long way indeed. Secondly, well, they say things are always bigger in America, but fuck me, you lot aren’t kidding, are you?

GenCon was mad. I won’t bang on about it, you lot know the score. Met some really great people at the booth. Met some absolute twats. Turned loads of people onto our product, pimped and pushed the GenCon specials whenever possible, and did some great business. Our miniatures on display were wildly successful and pulled hundreds of people into the booth to learn a little more. I managed to network as planned, and have filled up my writing calendar with enough paid work to keep me busy for the next twelve to fourteen months.

Because of the scarcity of RPG material in South Africa, I had a shopping list the length of an  elephant’s todger. Big thanks to the lads at DCC for my purchases, and to Games Plus for seeing me right with my collectibles. I have now plugged all the holes in my immediate collection... but I see more purchases on the horizon, regardless. I also picked up an excellent copy of Outdoor Survival for my OD&D game from the lovely people at Noble Knight.

Who ate all the pies?

Once we finished the show, it was off on a road-trip to Ground Zero. ‘Bloody hell,’ I thought, ‘this is Greyhawk…’, as we turned into the more pastoral and bucolic lands of Lake Geneva. We parked the car and went meandering around the town looking for the sites. We stopped at the Horticultural Hall to see where GenCon 1 took place, back in 1968.

GenCon then.

GenCon now

Then it was a short stroll to where it all began. It’s a modest house. White, wooden clad. I wanted to knock on the door and see what was on the inside, but I thought that would just be rude, not everyone shares my passion for D&D in all its many fashions. So I took some snaps and tried to imagine what had gone on there, all those long years ago. I’m glad I went to see the town and the little things that mean so much to me.

 I met a few people who used to game with him, and a few who referred to him as, ‘Oh, Gary What’s-his-face’.  And so it goes. We spent the night drinking the King of Beers, listening to the frogs and cicadas come up as the sun slowly went down. It was pleasant. I’ll be back next year at GenCon, just like the Pie-Man, selling his wares. I don’t think I will return to Lake Geneva until the sculpture/statue is up. Once was good enough. We headed up to Chicago and stayed in a place that looked like the Hotel from the Shining, and reminded us of the Bates Motel at its finest. Needless to say we escaped, unscathed. Then it was plane after plane, mile after mile, until the wholesome sight of Table Mountain appeared over the left-wing of the plane. A simple matter of touchdown and I was home. Knackered, but well worth it. See y'all, next year.

"Above there is no ending

For the Vodka spinning Mir

All that is is passing

And now is never here

So keep on raging

You frenzied pioneers

No time for the wringing of hands

Strange faced ambassadors, strike up the band

Bust out that Dom Perignon

Johnnie Walker Red on that fairway lawn

Remember tripping on the fourth of July?

Exploding octopuses in disguise?

They picked you up and they never let you down.

Everyone's forgiven in the land of Pleasant Living now.

Yuri Garagin sends

His kindest regards

How those Yankees doing?

Still Rock and Roll and Fancy cars?

But onto pressing matters

Such as the gluttony of the starving stars.

No time for the wringing of hands

Strange faced ambassadors, strike up the band

Bust out that Dom Perignon

Jonnie Walker Red on that fairway lawn

Remember tripping on the fourth of July?

Exploding octopuses in disguise?

They picked you up and they never let you down.

Everyone's forgiven in the land of Pleasant Living now."  - Clutch.