On this day the 4th of March, 2008, we say goodbye to a great man, one of many fathers to the fantasy world, Ernest Gary Gygax. In 1974, the greatest game ever was published. Dungeons and Dragons, created by Gygax and Dave Arneson, has provided entertainment to an innumerable amount of people. From all ages, millions have enjoyed the game of Dungeons and Dragons, and for many of them, it was more than just a game.

To people like me, Dungeons and Dragons is not just another game but an ideal way to escape a life over which you have no control. To create and roleplay a completely different persona and make a name for yourself in a fantastic world. We all dream of being someone, and in Dungeons and Dragons, you can be whomever you want to be. There is nothing you cannot accomplish, no obstacle insurmountable. Forget the pains and troubles of real life and face concrete and mythical creatures which you can overcome, meet NPCs that you can befriend, clash with or leave behind. The possibilities are endless.

Gygax's only accomplishment was surely not Dungeons and Dragons as I'm sure all living generations of his family and friends would concur, but it was his most renowned. An epidemic, even, that changed the way awkward teenagers and supposedly childish adults had to face life. Thanks to these two men, we now all have a choice. A fantastic beginning awaits in your first session and after that, it only gets better. Dungeons and Dragons gives many, such as myself, a reason to get through the day, week, or life in its entirety. And for this, Ernest Gary Gygax, we salute you.