"Welcome to Dungeons and Dragons. A game of adventure, ingenuity, and most importantly, imagination. This will be a game unlike any other you have ever played before. You will play the role of a character that you create, you will in a very real way inhabit this character. You will live their life, you will suffer through their struggles, and you will celebrate their victories. You are heroes and adventurers. Your travels will take to the far off corners of my magical realm. Together you will have the power to change your world for the better or simply become a footnote in history. So I say again, welcome my friends to the game that will change your life forever."

Dan leaned back in his chair doing his best to hide his smile. This guy was really laying it on thick. Dan had found this Dungeon Master on an online message board through their college student's association website. The post said he was experienced and offered a truly immersive and mature style of game play. There was also a warning of possible adult content. Dan just assumed he liked to run a dark campaign. This was just what Dan was looking for. His gaming had gotten a bit stale of late as his old group only wanted to slay endless hordes of monsters and never really got into the roleplay side of things at all. Dan yearned for a deep and immersive game that he could really sink his teeth into. Also, Dan had almost always been the DM, he was very excited to finally get to play again. Dan was a medium height overly lean nerdy type. He had played tabletop rpg's for as long as he could remember, having been introduced to them by his dad.

Dan looked around at the group he had assembled. With the exception of the DM they all went to the same college as him.

There was his buddy Conor. Conor had been Dan's dorm room roommate for the past two years. They had entered college in the same year and had struck up an instant friendship. Conor was currently failing badly in almost every class. His drinking and partying and general goofing around taking its toll on his grades. Even now he really should have been studying for a midterm the next morning. Conor was obese and had questionable grooming habits, he had a head of bushy unkempt hair and a huge beard. Conor was a gamer but more of the video game variety, this was his first tabletop experience. Conor was surrounded by snacks and had a six pack of beer beside him. He wore a dopey grin as the DM made his opening speech, he was just happy to be here and was looking forward to kicking some goblin ass.

Next was Sara, Dan's girlfriend. She was a year ahead of him in school and he was her first boyfriend ever. She was short, pudgy, wore glasses and was just as nerdy as Dan though in different ways. She was rather plain looking, to put it generously. She and Dan had gotten to home base exactly twice. Both times were strange awkward experiences. Sara was extremely sexually repressed, even more so than Dan. Sara was a board gamer and she was really looking forward to finally experiencing D&D for the first time. She was a big fan of an online D&D broadcast that featured a bunch of nerdy ass voice actors and she had some high expectations of the campaign to come. She was transfixed by the DM's words and just couldn't wait to get started.

Finally there was Kirstie, Dan's younger sister. Kirstie was in her first year of college and was still in the process of making friends. She was a star athlete and was living off the variety of athletic scholarships she had received. She was anything but a gamer and had only agreed to come out because she didn't have anything better to do that night. She was planning on blowing off the game the moment something better presented itself. She was also drop dead gorgeous. Conor kept ogling her while Sara kept glancing at her jealously. Kirstie was rolling her eyes every few seconds as the DM spoke of the 'amazing' adventure to come. She was already starting to think she had made a mistake by coming here.

The new DM had introduced himself as Damien. He was at least fifteen years older than the rest of the college aged group. He had long black hair in a ponytail and a well trimmed goatee. He had actually arrived in costume, a long velvety black robe with strange silver symbols stitched in along the edges. Dan groaned when he met Damien, this was the sort of weirdo that gave D&D a bad name. Dan really wanted to play though so he thought he'd give the old guy a chance.

Damien stared over his DM screen. "If you are ready lets start rolling up some characters."

Dan, being the only experienced player among them, says. "I'll go last, I don't mind playing anything."

Damien smiles and nods. "Very well." His dark eyes scan across the group.