“My character’s backstory isn’t nearly as detailed as that,” says Sandra, after hearing Julie’s story.

“Tell us about her,” prompts Bert.

“Well, Meegan is a loner. She’s a half-elf that lives with her mother in the Western Wood, away from her mother’s Elven community. A human diplomat seduced and impregnated her mother. Her father reacted badly, and she escaped, finding a place to hide and raise her daughter.”

“Good.” Bert looks around the table.

“So, you just met the protagonist of this short campaign. Who’s next?”

“I’ll go,” says Yvonne. “My battle cleric’s name is Aeryn Qillian, but she’s more battle than cleric. She’s a third generation soldier, like her father and grandfather before her. As an agent of the crown, she’s on a mission to thwart the region’s growing slave trade.”

“Very good. Mac?”

“Roland Firestone, at yer service,” he says in his character’s persona. “I be a dwarven barbarian from th’ Dragonspine Mountains t’ th’ east.”

Everyone at the table laughs. Mac is, after all, a theater major. They look forward to his character introductions.

“Excellent. Chuck?”

“Naathyn Greenleaf, at your service,” says Chuck, in a fake British accent. “My family hails from the western edge of the Sylvan Wood. I left home when the woman I loved found another. Roland and I traveled together for many years before we met Aeryn and joined her troop.”

“Dave was going to join us tonight, but caught the stomach bug going around. He decided not the share the love.”

“Tell him we said thanks,” says Mac.

“I’ll do that. He wanted me to introduce his character, Beiron Shaelar. Beiron is a human great weapon fighter.”

They spend the next couple of hours role-playing their new characters as the team gets to know each other.

“That was fun,” says Julie as the evening wraps up. “It felt like we were really in that tiny forest clearing.”

“That’s why we like it here,” says Yvonne. “It’s the magic of this place.”

“I can hardly wait ‘til next week.”