And they lived happily ever after.

Last night my friends and I completed “Rise of the Runelords,” the epic Pathfinder campaign.  It took us two years to do it, but we finally did it.  We worked together and beat the wicked Runelord to save the world.

Okay, so it wasn’t the tabletop pen-and-paper roleplaying game version.  It was the card game version.  And it took us two years to complete it because we’re all (allegedly) adults now, with adult responsibilities like marriages and children and mortgages and jobs.  So free time that worked with our schedules was rare, but when the opportunity presented itself we all gathered to play our fantasy roles and bring the fight to the forces of evil.

The completion of last night’s game made me remember how much I enjoyed completing a long campaign with friends, no matter how much time or what form it takes.  Building a character up (in this case a card deck) from humble beginnings to legendary heroics is a thrill that speaks to the very geekiest of geeks.  Doing so with friends at the table with you is a bonding experience that connects us nerdiest of nerds.  Working together at that table, sharing everything from snacks to stories, building memories that lays the foundations for the strongest of friendships, is the real reason we enjoy pretending to be wizards and fighting trolls.  That and the epic loot.

We defeated an ancient evil.  We saved the world.  We got priceless treasure.  What’s next for our (allegedly) adult heroes?  Time to pack up the swords and staves and return to our responsibilities?  Yes.

But we’re returning to tabletop pen-and-paper roleplaying soon.  Another adventure waits on the horizon!