14 | FOREVER Keele
ALUMNI REUNIONS
Keele gamers reunite on campus
Written
“ We should do a reunion !” by Phil Lucas , English & History ( Class of 1988 )
With those fateful words , spoken in an online chat , the ball was set rolling for a get-together of gamers , former members of the Keele Sword & Sorcery Society in the 80s and 90s and specifically those who had played in , or been associated with , one particular long-running Dungeons & Dragons game .
We were directed to the Courtyard Marriott as a venue , and they looked after us admirably with a conference room booked for two days with tea and coffee , a catered lunch both days and dinner in the restaurant on the Saturday evening . Some attendees also stayed in the hotel , while others stayed locally or commuted in . A far cry from student days playing games in the Square or Hex at Lindsay or the Chancellor ’ s Building !
All those invited were still in touch via social media or otherwise . Though some hadn ’ t sat down together at a table for over thirty years , others had been still actively playing games together until a few years ago . Friendships built at Keele really do last !
Before the reunion , there was plenty of discussion over what rules we should use and what kind of adventure scenario we should play through , as well as lots of reminiscing . Ultimately it was agreed to use the current rules edition of the world ’ s oldest and best-selling role-playing game , Dungeons & Dragons , and for the adventure to retrace a perilous route from a previous game many years before . This was made possible by one of our players sharing a treasure trove of old maps and game notes that they ’ d been safeguarding .
The weekend commenced with a drink and a bite to eat in the Sneyd Arms , where it was observed by one attendee that we had all got incredibly old ! The actual fun and games began at midday Saturday , which gave those already there the chance to explore the much-expanded campus and the local area .