So, long story long: I normally save the Copper Dragon for Saturday, but Wizards of the Coast forced me to change my plans (more on that later), so CD got all gussied up for Friday, including new experiment on scales (fishnet stockings, lip gloss, and iridescent eye shadow). Unfortunately, in the rush to get out of the hotel, I forgot my bag, which means, I forgot my camera.
Head. Desk.
Anyway, MOST of the day was spent walking the rest of the hall, but we did stop to play the winner of this year's Spiel des Jahres, or Game of the Year.
Camel Up is pretty adorable, though I can actually say I played all three nominees this year...
Camels. Racing.
There was the rest of the hall: a few more art prints, some pretty, shiny, pokey things, checking my phone to make sure the GPS wasn't on sucking power, but most of the focus was on the events that night...
Wizards of the Coast has been gearing up for the release of the new edition, Fifth, and the release of the first big adventure, Tyranny of Dragons. There were plans for a huge release party on Georgia Street, normally a hub of food trucks and the home to a very nice beer garden. Having wandered through earlier and seeing that our friend Liz Smith was working with the set-up company for the release party, I was truly excited.
And I was dressed as a polymorphed copper dragon. For the party. Yes, I am a nerd.
Steve had a company dinner with some of the higher-ups, so I wandered over to the tent to try and get a good position. It got crowded fast, and after hovering off to the side and watching them try to work a traffic flow, someone wrote out an exit only sign that I just grabbed and help and then used to help direct people. This put me into direct contact with Shelly Mazzanoble, author of the wonderful Confessions of a Part-time Sorceress and the even better Everything I Need To Know I Learned From Dungeons &Dragons. Not to brag, but she and I kind of bonded. Very quickly.
NERD GIRLS UNITE!
So, other than the (and PLEASE forgive me for this) TOTALLY TYPICAL, ARCHETYPAL nerd "reviewer" who demanded to know if this was "seriously...really" the release party for Tyranny...no really, that was all he said...even after I said I was just helping the set-up company and had no official connection to WotC and hey dude my eyes are up here and are you really just going to keep rubbing the bridge of your nose and sighing without even saying what you have an issue with and hey how about you cut back on the chili-cheese fires and try a salad oh and maybe change your shirt...
Sorry, where was I...OH, right the release party that was turing into a huge success. They had a great improviser playing a legendary dragon relic "collector" who also happened to be an accomplished DJ, fun puzzles to help get people in the mood of the adventure, and some amazing props of from "Davian's" private collection.
Basically, Tiamat, the evil dragon goddess is trying to take over the world, and it is your job to stop her...One of the pieces she needed to make the "Mask of Tiamat" was the Blue Dragon mask that was guarded by the "very trust-worthy" guards hired by Davian. Yeah, not so much...
Yeah, you know, I just realized I left the stove on...
So, Steve and the others got back from diner and I got to hang out with all of the cool people. Chris Perkins. Rodney Thompson. Greg Bilsland. Keith Baker (who still remembers me and still loves that I am one of only two Eberon cos-players he has ever met...and that my husband I tried to run him over a few years ago). Oh, and the lecherous gentleman himself, Ed Greenwood. This guy is awesome. Like, "I ate my lunch off a lady" awesome. And he hit on me. In front of my husband. And I went with it and matched him innuendo for innuendo. And it was fantastic.
Now, the COOLEST part of the night was when they started giving out the prizes, because now I can talk about what Steve was called down to Indy early to sign.
SCRIBBLE FASTER, MONKEYS!
(yeah, I took this picture Wednesday but could not release it until after the party)
Yeah, he was signing almost 300 copies of the 5E Monster Manual. That he helped write. Like, half of it. And people were winning a prize pack that included copies of this book that aren't even available until September. Of course, the fact that we had a copy back in our hotel room already was just icing.
Now, the loud music and lack of drinking water had caused both of us to have rather magnificent headaches, so once the prizes were handed out we said good night and headed back to the hotel.
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