Well, at the risk of seeming narcissistic, I'll share a little information about me with you. Of course, I'm not sure what will be the most interesting to the general web-surfing public. (And you'd think I'd have some idea, as this is the third time I'm writing the content to this page.) So, I'll just hit the highlights that seem to spark the most topics of conversation.
The first of these is my age, relatively speaking. While my age is obviously going to change from when I write this, my generation isn't. I'm part of what social scientists have been calling "Generation X". Slightly more specifically, I'm part of the leading edge of that generation, born in its earliest years (just a couple of months after the first moon landing). As a result, I've survived the leading edge of the technology tidal wave. I started my computing experience on a Commodore 64, and my first gaming console was an Atari 2600. (And if you have never heard of those things, I'm feeling even older than I already am.) Unfortunately, while I saw many firsts, I've started to fall behind; not only are things going a bit too fast to even bother keeping up, it gets expensive trying to always have the latest toys. The biggest evidence of this "falling off the wave" is these web pages - frames and simple animations are the extent of my skills. No flash, no style sheets, no MP3 audio. But then again, I've always favored content over style.
Something else that isn't likely to change soon is my education and career choice. I'm a Mechanical Engineer with a preference for the hands-on rather than design aspects. (Yes, a current dream is to get on "Junkyard Wars".) At the moment, I'm pursuing a career in the automotive industry. So far I've been lucky; I hired into one of the Big Three right after getting my graduate degree and I'm still with the same company years later. In fact, I'm working for the same company my father spent nearly all of his corporate life at, and I hope to spend all of my time here as well. At least, until I accomplish another lifetime dream of mine - making enough money to be considered "eccentric" (as opposed to "odd", "bizarre", or "just downright looney").
It's actually not too much of a surprise that I'm an automotive engineer when you consider where I live - Detroit, Michigan. (Well, a western suburb to be exact.) While that's where I work and more or less live, I end up spending most of my free time over in Ann Arbor. That's where I went to school and a fair number of my friends still live there as well. But what does this mean to you? Not much, save that you're probably having better weather than I am. Don't believe me? Check the local forecast and see for yourself. And if the weather doesn't throw you, perhaps the fact that Hell is on Earth and it's in Michigan will. But local jokes aside, it's a pretty decent state to live in. Wander over to the Michigan Travel Bureau Homepage and see for yourself.
DragonsWhy do I like dragons? Hard to say, really. From what I can remember, I've always liked them - way back from early childhood. I'm sure part of the start of this near-obsession stems from every child's love of dinosaurs. A love of dragons is almost a natural progression. Dinosaurs are simple, but interesting beasts; perfect for the relative simplicity of a child. But as the child grows and learns, he eventually wants more complex toys. As something of a scientist, the Dragon was the next logical step. After all, it's easy to picture that if the dinosaurs had survived and continued to grow and evolve, they might very well have turned into dragons (regardless of what that episode of Star Trek: Voyager proposed). |
 |
 |
In addition to this "evolved" love for the creatures, it seems I could very well have a draconic soul. Now before you accuse me of being in New Age religions and reincarnation, let me explain. I've always been blessed with a bit more luck than the average person. (Although some of my friends will argue that it's not that I have more luck, it's just that I drain it from everyone around me.) It turns out that for the Chinese, the dragon is the symbol of good luck. Also, I was born under the sign of Dragon - maybe. By Western Zodiac, I am a Libra, which is the seventh sign of that zodiac. In a couple of places - which I have recently been unable to confirm - I have seen a list of the Asian Zodiac, which places Dragon in the seventh slot. So, by a direct comparison of the lists, I am of the sign of the Dragon. (Unfortunately, I was not born in an official year of the Dragon. Oh well, one can't have everything - where would you put it?) |
 |
|
Of course, I have a few other draconic traits to my personality besides luck. Dragons are well known for their hoards of treasures (at least, Western Dragons are) - I have a hoard as well, although it is made up of books rather than gold and gems. Dragons are known to respond well to flattery - so do I. (But then, who doesn't?) And finally, Dragons - long-lived creatures that they are - are quite well known for taking as much time as is necessary to enact the proper revenge against those who have offended them. Forgive, but never forget. As it's been said: "It's best to have a dragon kill you quickly before it has time to think about it." |
|
First off, what is a swashbuckler? Most people know this term as a way to refer to a dashing rogue of a swordsman; someone who's intellect and wit are as keen and fast as his blade; a person whose luck lets him fall into and out of trouble quickly and easily; someone who faces life with a hearty laugh and an occasional swing on a conveniently placed rope. However, this is only the modern interpretation of the term - first hinted at by Alexander Dumas in his Three Musketeers novel, but perfected by Errol Flynn in the early days of Hollywood. The term was first coined back in the Renaissance, when swords were still in use by everyone and viewed as a fashion accessory as much as they were a weapon. At that time, there was a style of fighting known as Sword and Buckler - the use of a one-handed weapon such as a rapier and a small shield. This style was particularly favored by the youths of the day; they would boldly walk through town, looking for a fight so they could show off their skill. These young men would carry the rapier and the buckler on the same hip in such a manner that the sword would rub - or "swash", as it was called - against the shield, thus letting everyone know that they were coming. Thus, the term "swashbuckler" was actually an insult, carrying a meaning akin to "young, arrogant punk". Amazing how a few hundred years of nostalgia can turn an insult into a romantic notion, eh?
I embrace the modern, romantic version of the swashbuckler. After all, anything that lets me use my luck on a regular basis can't be all bad. (However, I have been noticing a distinct lack of conveniently placed ropes. Somebody should do something about that.) I've been describing myself as a latter-day swashbuckler and gentleman for some time now, and doing a reasonable job at living up to it. (As a swashbuckler, I know of several ladies you can ask on this point. As a gentleman, I'll not reveal their names publicly.) And, I'm fairly qualified to do so. After all, I can dress and act the part.
|
For quite a long time now - over a decade - I have been engaging in the art of theatrical combat. As part of this seemingly life-long pursuit, in October of 2006 I helped found The Theatrical Combat Network performance group. This is something of a fancy and scientific way of saying I'm part of a group of people who swing metal objects at each other and fall safely off of tall things. Essentially, think of it as a martial art that focuses on swords. Granted, it's a martial art that is geared towards performance rather than actual offense or defense or peace of mind, but it's still a physical activity that takes a lot of training to do right and not get hurt. (To date, the group has an incredible track record for safety; we've suffered no injuries during shows.) This activity helps to satisfy my "frustrated actor" impulses. In addition to playing with swords - great fun, I'll admit - I do get a chance to attempt to act in the various shows that our group puts on. Admittedly, it's more improvisation and role-playing that actual acting, but it's close enough for me. |
At the risk of continuing to sound egotistical, I am a grizzled veteran of the RPG scene. I've been gaming for at least half of my life, and a lot of that has been in the driver's seat (The "Game Master" [GM] for those who care about proper terminology.) While I didn't get into role-playing right when it came out, I did start fairly close to the beginning. Let's put it this way - I remember when Dungeons and Dragons was the only game in town and it came in a series of cardboard boxes. (Can you say "Basic Set", kiddies?) That's right; long before there was Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, 2nd Edition AD&D, 3E, White Wolf, and even collectable card games ("Magic: The Addiction" anyone?) I was gaming. Actually, it's very refreshing to see how far the industry has come. Especially since we're now an accepted part of mainstream America and all of that silly "corruption of youth" stuff has gone away.
Regardless of how long I've been playing, the question remains of why I (continue to) play. It's fun! What other reason do you need? But, to be a bit more helpful, I game because I enjoy the storytelling aspect of it. That's one of the many fine traditions the modern world has diluted - storytelling. Oh to be sure there are a huge number of entertaining books, TV shows, and movies out there; but none of them are live - they're all prepackaged. And while plays can come close to the thrill of live storytelling, they've got a script and always end up the same. No, I'm talking about real storytelling - one person in front of an audience making up a plot on the fly and using what the audience gives back to improve the tale.
I count myself very lucky to have found a group of people to game with that also enjoy the story as much as I do. I doubt that I'd have created half as much stuff as I have were it not for these folks. If you look through my RPG pages - as well as those of my friends - you'll see that game mechanics take a backseat to plot and description. There's also a large number of true stories written that don't really concern themselves with anything beyond exploring the rich story potential of our characters.
My interest in and enjoyment of role-playing games is primarily why these pages are rather simplistic and sparse - most
of my on-going efforts are focused on the RPG materials. I've created two main subsites with these efforts:
Although all of my work is within the D&D framework, I'm not elitist when it comes to gaming. I'll try any system at least once. Here's a quick list of all the game systems I can remember playing: D&D, Hero, Chill, Rifts, GURPS, White Wolf, Shadowrun, Deadlands, Star Wars, Traveller, Alternity. With the exception of Deadlands, all of my favorite game systems seem to be from the folks at Wizards of the Coast (or rather, the portion of WotC that used to be TSR). Obviously, D&D tops the list, but I'm also fond of the Alternity system (with the Star Drive and Dark Matter settings) which happens to be the first draft of the recently released Third Edition (3E) of D&D. 3E is actually a harbinger of a new "D20" game system. Much like GURPS, the D20 system is just that - a system. It's a consistent framework of rules to allow you to play any setting you want. Thus, the latest version of Star Wars is now available as D20. And (hopefully) a version of Deadlands as well.
Actually, I do have a parting thought or two. It's the chorus from an old Irish song called "The Parting Glass", followed by a traditional toast amongst my friends and I.
Fill the parting glass to me,
And drink a health to those who've gone.
I'll gently rise and softly call,
"Good night and joy be to you all."
For those who are here... And those who are not.
 |
Authored by: Ken Lipka E-mail me: krlipka@yahoo.com |
Return to Homepage |
 |