The Market of Rebirth- A Dungeons & Dragons Festival

CHENNAI: In Mike’s family basement, he, along with Dustin, Lucas, and Will are combating a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Mike’s mother calls for the kids down the stairs to stop playing, so they can go home, after which Will mysteriously goes missing. Yes, this acquainted scene is from Stranger Things, a worldwide phenomenon that has become one of the most talked about shows.

Everyone remembers their first Dungeons & Dragons character. But Yashwant S customised his own miniature, Funda, who was a raging alcoholic with issues, but with a desire to discover the true meaning of life.

Over the course of the game, he gave up his drinking habit, fell in love, fought a literal monster to save her multiple times, and helped liberate an entire nation from evil. “I made him a flawed man who is trying to be better, something I think I resonated with a lot back in 2019,” Yashwant says.

The infamous tabletop role-playing game of D&D will now come to life at ‘The Market of Rebirth’, a live Dungeons & Dragons gaming session, at Maadi Spaces, in Kodambakkam. The Market of Rebirth will be a coming-together celebration of the tabletop role-playing game, the aesthetics of which is medieval fantasy mixed with magic, fantastical races, and thrilling adventures with your friends and community.

What if you could be anything you wanted? What if magic was real, reality didn't apply, and you could do whatever you wished? What if you could be a hero? This became the basis of the game, first published in 1974.

“More than 50 million people worldwide have played the tabletop game, which also includes movies, books, video games and livestreams. D&D is also played in game cafes, club meets and at private gatherings in Chennai,” highlights Jonathan Faust, founder and creative head of The Sunshine House, organisers of the Dungeons & Dragons festival.

"I always say that all we need to play D&D is a piece of paper, pen, and a vivid sense of imagination!" states Thara Srinivasan, who is one of the Dungeon Master’s (DM) along with Yashwant during the live gaming festival. The artist, who is also the Dungeon Master at The Board Room cafe, has made the dice and other accessories which the players will be experiencing during the live D&D game.

“Having physical props like miniatures, dice and terrains will enhance the overall gaming experience. It's a huge sub-culture within the RPG community that loves to get their specific characters designed and made, and then hand-paint them with a ton of concentration and love,” Thara explains.

“The players and guests can come in to enjoy, not just the skills of the city’s amazing artists, but also the game. Community of people are the core of not just a thriving art culture, but also the game, and with all the amazing fantastical things the world of Dungeons and Dragons has to offer, the artists there can help bring it all to life,” adds Dungeon Master Yashwant.

The Dungeons Master, or DM, makes the world come alive. They are responsible not just for describing the world that players see and experience in as vivid details as possible, but also play the role of every ally and every enemy the party of brave adventurers may meet.

“We are also their friend and silent companion throughout the whole adventure, being a key component to the game,” he adds.

From Wizard’s, the rockstars of the magical realm…Rogue’s, who are the masters of stealth, and the champions of chicanery…Ranger’s, the guardians of the wilderness, the protectors of the land, and the masters of the great outdoors…and the fierce warriors who possess a deep connection to their ancestral heritage, the Barbarian’s, all of which will be present during the festival, waiting to meet the 'Adventurers' (players of the game).

A video game, no matter how much of a sandbox it is, has limits. Imagination becomes the only clampdown for Dungeons & Dragons. “True, video games have graphics and other mechanics, but D&D has a strong community, driven by imagination and can most times match the storytelling capacity of most AAA video games,” opines Yashwant.

Humans are social animals. But there isn’t really a social structure for adults to meet new people past a certain age. The city's very own marathon clubs and cultural clubs do exist. But what does it have for the introverted, nerdy community?

D&D can provide that very artificial structure for adults to socialise with each other.

“The experience of playing in person, whether it is with a known set of friends, or a table full of strangers, always ends with camaraderie, and a sense of comfort within the players. As a former introvert, I can vouch for the fact that it is great for those of us who are somewhat debilitated by social anxiety,” Thara says.

Co-organised by Tonight We Dice In Hell, Asia Culture Club, and Totality Gaming, The Market of Rebirth will see a whole bunch of miniatures, maps, monster tokens, dice, dice trays, and a fantastic time playing D&D tomorrow, from 12 pm to 8 pm.