Remembering Those Passed

 In the Realms, when you die you go to the realm of your chiefest deity. Such realms range from terrible to awesome. If you are not claimed by one you are then accepted into the Realm of the Dead by its Lord. This position has changed several times, from Jergal to Myrkul to Cyric to Kelemvor. Thankfully this last has the most peaceful version of the realm. In real life there are many places people do and do not believe in. I won’t get into that today, but it’s pertinent.

I wanted to make a special post today to remember those fallen. However it happens, it’s a circumstance of life. We all die. There are plenty people that large swaths remember, the likes of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson spring to mind as the creators of Dungeons & Dragons. I also think of Ed Greenwood’s late wife, Jenny. But there are those more close to home, family, friends. I am young and have not experienced much death in the family. As far as D&D is concerned and the reason for this publication date, is my friend, Wes. 

Wes was a fantastic Dungeon Master, and a similarly great player when I DMed. He even played a character I made, Daoine “Dao” of the Forest of Shadows (from the Cleric Quintet). I have generally played TTRPGs with my brothers, but a group I was a part of while living in Colorado (2020-2021) had Saturday set aside to play. Well after I moved, a year ago today, Wes passed away after a serious car accident. 

While I miss him and his congenial nature and his happy attitude, I am grateful for the memories. I cannot think of anything negative associated with him. It was grand adventures, good food and copious snacks. We travelled through the Underdark, fought cultists in Neverwinter, traversed the plains, had WWE style matches with giants, and experienced so much that was “not natural”(an inside joke, stay with me). 

The first Day of Might, October 2021, we appropriately played Dungeons & Dragons. We lit our red candles, drank root beer, and I even brought gifts of sword and sorcery books for my pals (Howard’s Conan and Leiber’s Fafhrd and Gray Mouser, for those curious). 

I’ve had characters die, and I’m grateful for the time I had with them. I’m even more grateful for friends like Wes, taken far too young. But he’ll live on as himself and the multiple hours of fun he was a part of. My latest 5e character is named “Wes of the Mattock” and is a Rashemi version of Montana born Wes. Maybe one day we’ll roll some new characters together, in the meantime I’ll roll more with him in mind. 

Anerriphto kubos, friends.