Eric and the Dread Gazebo: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Latest revision as of 18:21, 28 October 2024

"Eric and the Dread Gazebo" also known as just “The Gazebo story"^[1] is a role-playing game-inspired anecdote, made famous by Richard Aronson (designer of The Ruins of Cawdor, a graphical MUD, and the voice of Cedric in King's Quest V). Aronson's account first appeared in print in the APA Alarums and Excursions #139, (March, 1987). It was reprinted in the RPG APA The Spell Book in 1987, and Mensa's The Mensa Bulletin in 1989. It subsequently spread to the internet where it has been frequently retold and adapted as short stories and comics. The story, as it was originally published, was titled "Eric and the Gazebo" but many retellings inserted the word 'Dread' in the title.

The tale features a player who misunderstands the gamemaster's description of a gazebo on a small hill, mistakenly assuming it to be some kind of monster in the game. After asking the gamemaster its color, size and distance from the group, the player attempts to call out to the gazebo. When it fails to respond, he looses an arrow at it, to little effect. ("There is now a gazebo with an arrow sticking out of it.") By the end of the encounter the player, lacking the means to harm the gazebo, opts to flee in desperation. The frustrated game master retaliates by humouring the player's misconception and announcing that the gazebo has awakened to capture and consume the player.^[2]

According to Ed Whitchurch (the real gamemaster of the story), the original incident on which the anecdote is based was actually less than a minute long, ending rather unceremoniously with Whitchurch asking "Don't you know what a gazebo is?"

The story has been called "legendary".^[3]

References

^ Woods, Timothy (2017). Anything Can be Attempted: Tabletop Role-playing Games as Learning and Pedagogy. St. John's University.
^ Richard Aronson (198). "The Tale of Eric and the Dread Gazebo". DreadGazebo. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
^ Byers, Andrew; Crocco, Francesco (2016-03-04). The Role-Playing Society: Essays on the Cultural Influence of RPGs. McFarland. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-7864-9883-3.

[1] Woods, Timothy (2017). Anything Can be Attempted: Tabletop Role-playing Games as Learning and Pedagogy. St. John's University.

[2] Richard Aronson (198). "The Tale of Eric and the Dread Gazebo". DreadGazebo. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008. Retrieved 15 January 2012.

[3] Byers, Andrew; Crocco, Francesco (2016-03-04). The Role-Playing Society: Essays on the Cultural Influence of RPGs. McFarland. p. 271. ISBN 978-0-7864-9883-3.

[1]

[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Short description|Anecdote in role-playing game culture}}
-{{singlesource|date=October 2016}}
 [[File:Bandstand, Singapore Botanic Gardens - 20060805.jpg|thumb|300px|right|A gazebo]]
-'''"The Tale of Eric and the Dread Gazebo"''' is a [[role-playing game]]-inspired [[anecdote]], made famous by [[Richard Aronson]] (designer of ''[[The Ruins of Cawdor]]'', a [[MUD#Graphical MUDs|graphical MUD]], and the voice of Cedric in [[King's Quest V]]). Aronson's account first appeared in print in the [[Amateur press association|APA]] ''[[Alarums and Excursions]]'' between 1985 and 1986. It was reprinted in [[Mensa International|Mensa]]'s RPG APA ''The Spell Book'' in 1987, and ''The Mensa Bulletin'' in 1988. It subsequently spread to the [[internet]] where it has been frequently retold and adapted as short stories and comics. The story, as it was originally published, was titled "Eric and the Gazebo" but many retellings inserted the word 'Dread' in the title.
+'''"Eric and the Dread Gazebo"''' also known as just “'''The Gazebo story'''"<ref>{{Cite book |last=Woods |first=Timothy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TX8GvgEACAAJ |title=Anything Can be Attempted: Tabletop Role-playing Games as Learning and Pedagogy |date=2017 |publisher=St. John's University |language=en}}</ref> is a [[role-playing game]]-inspired [[anecdote]], made famous by [[Richard Aronson]] (designer of ''[[The Ruins of Cawdor]]'', a [[Multi-user dungeon|graphical MUD]], and the voice of Cedric in ''[[King's Quest V]]''). Aronson's account first appeared in print in the [[Amateur press association|APA]] ''[[Alarums and Excursions]]'' #139, (March, 1987). It was reprinted in the RPG APA ''The Spell Book'' in 1987, and [[Mensa International|Mensa]]'s ''The Mensa Bulletin'' in 1989. It subsequently spread to the [[internet]] where it has been frequently retold and adapted as short stories and comics. The story, as it was originally published, was titled "Eric and the Gazebo" but many retellings inserted the word 'Dread' in the title.
-The tale features a player who misunderstands the [[gamemaster]]'s description of a [[gazebo]] on a small hill, mistakenly assuming it to be some kind of [[monster]] in the game. After asking the gamemaster its color, size and distance from the group, the player attempts to call out to the gazebo. When it fails to respond, he fires an arrow at it, to no effect. ("There is now a gazebo with an arrow sticking out of it.") By the end of the encounter the player, lacking the means to harm the gazebo, opts to flee in desperation. The frustrated game master retaliates by humouring the player's misconception and announcing that the gazebo has awakened to capture and consume the player.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dreadgazebo.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8 |title=The Tale of Eric and the Dread Gazebo
- |author=Richard Aronson |year=1989 |work=DreadGazebo |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804140516/http://www.dreadgazebo.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8 |archivedate=4 August 2008 |accessdate=15 January 2012}}</ref>
+The tale features a player who misunderstands the [[gamemaster]]'s description of a [[gazebo]] on a small hill, mistakenly assuming it to be some kind of [[monster]] in the game. After asking the gamemaster its color, size and distance from the group, the player attempts to call out to the gazebo. When it fails to respond, he looses an arrow at it, to little effect. ("There is now a gazebo with an arrow sticking out of it.") By the end of the encounter the player, lacking the means to harm the gazebo, opts to flee in desperation. The frustrated game master retaliates by humouring the player's misconception and announcing that the gazebo has awakened to capture and consume the player.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dreadgazebo.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8 |title=The Tale of Eric and the Dread Gazebo  |author=Richard Aronson |year=198 |work=DreadGazebo |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080804140516/http://www.dreadgazebo.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8 |archivedate=4 August 2008 |access-date=15 January 2012}}</ref>
-According to Ed Whitchurch (the real gamemaster of the story) the original incident on which the anecdote is based, was actually less than a minute long, ending rather unceremoniously with Whitchurch asking "Don't you know what a gazebo is?"
+According to Ed Whitchurch (the real gamemaster of the story), the original incident on which the anecdote is based was actually less than a minute long, ending rather unceremoniously with Whitchurch asking "Don't you know what a gazebo is?"
-==The Dread Gazebo in popular culture==
-*The first issue of the comic book ''[[Knights of the Dinner Table]]'' contains a retelling of the story (and makes a similar reference to a [[davenport (sofa)|davenport]] in a [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] animated short).
+The story has been called "legendary".<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Byers |first1=Andrew |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AVetCwAAQBAJ&dq=%22legendary+gamer+story%22&pg=PT279 |title=The Role-Playing Society: Essays on the Cultural Influence of RPGs |last2=Crocco |first2=Francesco |date=2016-03-04 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-9883-3 |pages=271 |language=en}}</ref>
-*A gazebo features prominently in the winter 2006 issues of ''[[Nodwick]]''.
-*A Gazebo monster card appears in the [[Munchkin (card game)|''Munchkin'' card game]]; Aronson told Steve Jackson the story in the mid 1990s.
-*A base called ''The Dread Gazebo'' also features in the ''Awesome Level 9000'' expansion for the ''Smash Up'' game by [[Alderac Entertainment Group|AEG]].
-*In the [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|MMORPG]] ''[[RuneScape]]'', examination of a player-constructed gazebo results in the message "Run for it! It's a gazebo!"
-*''[[Godville]]'' has a "dreaded gazebo" in its lore, which is a monster that can be tamed.
-*During a side-quest in ''[[Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward]]'', a character exclaims "A gazebo! Aren't those dangerous!? Then again, you seem a responsible sort--not like to let a wild gazebo run amok."
 ==See also==