I knew kids who played D&D when I was in high school, but I always thought it was kind of goofy, and a bit geeky, so I never played. I was too busy, anyway. In college, I considered playing, but my boyfriend and I each had one thing that we did without the other, to prevent us from being so into each other's lives that we annoyed each other. His escape was D&D. So I didn't play.
So at 28, my friends who I spent all my time with started talking about setting up a game. I was really wavering on whether or not to try this. It now seemed like a school game to me. But I wanted to be with my friends. I couldn't decide.
Then came September 11, 2001. I had only been living with my now-best friend and roommate for two months. I had only been living in the city for eight months. I suddenly found myself needing to be home. My father and his wife both worked in the Pentagon and both in the Army wing, which was, of course, the wing that was hit. I was terrified, but I couldn't leave work until the other girl came in (she was coming in late because of a doctor's appointment). The second she came in the door I was out. I knew everyone had to work that day, but I wanted to be home, I was so on edge.
I got home, and everyone was there. Everyone that I now call family was either sitting in my living room or called in that day. I found out that both my father and his wife were alive and fell apart from tension and relief. Then I found out that not everyone my "family" knew made it out.
And then we watched. We watched the plane crash into the first building. We watched the plane crash into the second building. We watched the streets of New York turn into giant clouds of dust as the buildings came down. Then we watched the plane crash into the Pentagon. Then we watched it all over again. And again. And again. Finally, someone turned to our illustrious Game Operations Director (GOD), and said that we should start that game they were talking about maybe doing.
I don't remember who suggested it, or what anyone's actual response was. I just remember that I didn't even think twice this time. I needed to NOT be watching the Towers fall again. I'm so very glad I did. Not only was I with this group when I found out my father was alive, but I have been with them through a whole lot since then. Including the day that we saw the first airplane flying again.
This group, Fortune's Children, has been aptly named.
It was three weeks before my wedding. My fiance called me from his office and told me they were letting no one in or out (he works in a semiconductor industry) until they'd located every missing plane. I live in Texas currently, but I'm from New Jersey, and half my family and friends work in that block, and several of them in those buildings. I couldn't get the phone lines to go through to find out where my family was, and being alone in an apartment was driving me crazy.
I called "Tyuris" and "Sharna" and they told me to come over to their apartment, about a 40 minute drive from me. There, I sat with them and "GM" until my fiance, "Hearom," was able to join us. By that time, I'd at long last accounted for every single one of my missing family members and friends. All had miraculously been sick, late for work, on vacation, at an off-site meeting, etc. Anyone who didn't make it out was separated from me by two degrees: a friend's friend. An aunt's friend, a cousin's coworker.
We were in pieces with frustration, stuck in Texas where we couldn't even reach them with a phone call, staring at the television.
I was born and lived all my life in the Tri-State area. I was born the year the Twin Towers were erected (don't do the math, please!).
Finally, the GM shut the TV off and said, "All right. Enough of what we can't change. Let's make our own world."
The first gaming session was a bit halting, as pauses for phone calls were frequent. One of us would get the call and the rest of us would hold our breath until we could tell if the tears were of relief or sorrow.
Appropriately enough, our first task was to sift through the rubble of a city building destroyed by foreign attackers.
I started playing Fortune's Children when two of the original players took some time off to get married. My husband and I were invited by the DM to fill in. Since the party had no fighters, per se, we rolled up a fighter and a barbarian and jumped in. I had assumed that when the two original players came back that we would leave, but we were asked to stay, and we've been having a great time ever since!