Sex & Drugs & Dungeons & Dragons

B4: Hidden Knowledge

Griffin angrily threw his D&D books into the box he'd set on top of his bed. First in went the three hardcover rulebooks: the Player's Handbook, the Monster Manual, and the Dungeon Master's Guide. Then went in the iconic Dungeon Master's screen that separated him from the players during the game. Then he tossed in composition books filled with notes and maps of his home-made fantasy world. And then came dozens of magazines, "Dragon Magazine," a monthly publication with news about the game. Finally, he threw in his coveted copies of official "Adventure Modules", little magazine-sized quests published and approved by Gary Gygax himself. Each had a letter and a number to designate them in addition to their title: B2 Keep on the Borderlands, X1 Isle of Dread, T1 Village of Homlett, S2 White Plume Mountain, and finally I6 Ravenloft.

Griffin hesitated at the last one. It was the module he was currently playing, the one he was Dungeon Mastering for Derek, Cobi, and Tony. The picture on its cover showed a classic vampire standing on the balcony of a giant gothic castle. "An adventure for 6 to 8 characters of level 5 to 7," was written underneath the image. Griffin opened the booklet to where he had slid his precious Gencon ticket, which he was using as a bookmark.

"Hey bro, thanks for not narcing on me."

Griffin spun around to see his brother standing in the doorway. "You could've defended me in there," Griffin spat.

"No I couldn't, you know how they get." Conrad looked regretful. "The best I could do was say something true and get it over with as quick as possible."

"But that's not even true," Griffin complained, "everyone at school doesn't call me a geek or a loser."

Conrad frowned sympathetically. "Come on, bro, you know that they do."

Griffin looked away. His brother was right. He knew he was right even if he didn't want to admit it.

"Anyway," Conrad continued, "I owe you one."

Griffin glanced down at the Ravenloft module he still held in his hands. "Actually, you could do me a favor by taking this." He hid the Gencon ticket between the module's pages and then held the little booklet out to his brother.

"What, why?"

"I don't need the rest of this stuff," Griffin indicated the box of rules and magazine. "Tony's got practically the whole game memorized, anyway. But this is the adventure we're playing. I'm gonna need it if we're ever gonna reach seventh level."

"So what do you want me to do with it?"

"Hide it."

"Hide it? Where?"

"Come on dude," Griffin practically yelled, exacerbated. Then he got control of himself.. "Where do you think?" he whispered. "Hide it where you hide your drugs."

Conrad looked down with distaste at the contraband literature he now held in his hands. "Is that a vampire?" he asked.

"Yeah his name is Strahd von Zarovich. Are you gonna hide it for me or what?"

Conrad frowned but then nodded his head. "Yeah, sure." He held up the module in a wave and walked down the hall to his bedroom.

Griffin hoisted the now-heavy box up onto one shoulder and carried it down the stairs to his parents' study.