Dragons of the Gloaming

BRAD, CARLOS and RAJ discover a mysterious game in the home of the creator of their favorite role-playing game, Weapons & Wizardry. Dying to play but one player short, Brad asks his sister ELENA to sit in. Elena agrees so she can sneak out of the house to a party. When they roll dice to start the game, a portal of green light sucks them into the game world as their characters: a DWARF, an ELF, and a KNIGHT. Except Brad, the game master, who transports as his weak, teen self. In the game world, Elena helps the players survive a dragon attack that kills HAWK, the village blacksmith, and get assistance from DRYGA, a wise old man who tells them about a mythical green castle in the Dark Forest that may hold the key to their returning home. BREE, Hawk’s daughter, offers to guide them to the castle in order to take vengeance on the dragon. In the forest, Brad is badly injured in a fight with an Owlbear and must be healed by Elena. Later, the gang tumbles into a magically cloaked tunnel network where Raj kills a carrion crawler. At the Dragon’s lair, Brad is killed by a blast of poisonous dragon breath. Devastated but determined, the players fight and kill a stone golem causing four dice to materialize. Dryga appears, takes the dice, and reveals that he is DAVE GARY, the creator of Weapons & Wizardry, trapped in his own game for months. Dave holds Bree at knife point to force her to carry the Dragon’s treasure back to the real world. The Dragon returns, knocks the dice onto the floor, re-activating the portal of green light and zapping everyone back home, including Bree, Dave, the Dragon, and a very alive (but blind) Brad. Angered by the theft of its treasure, the Dragon attacks and eats Dave. Carlos attaches M-80s to Bree’s arrows, and she brings the beast down with a well-placed shot to its mouth. The heroes celebrate their defeat of the dragon, and Brad’s vision begins to return. Nia and Raj kiss, and the gang decides to bury the dangerous game module. That is, until Bree asks if they can help her return home.