Roll the dice and open your minds to tales of magic and adventure, because the 4th annual Gods of the North gaming convention takes place this weekend, with a very special guest.
Amongst the legions of role-playing gamers, Ed Greenwood needs no introduction. He’s a legend within the gaming and Dungeons and Dragons (D & D) community, creator of The Forgotten Realms, one of the most popular fantasy worlds and campaign settings within the D & D world.
Greenwood has immersed himself in fantastic fiction his entire life, stemming from a fascination with reading and writing that began in his father’s book-lined den. When he was barely a teen, Greenwood began publishing stories in Dragon magazine, which would form the basis of The Forgotten Realms universe. He’s been writing, creating, and working on new games ever since, and he’s eager to return to North Bay to take part in this weekend’s gaming convention.
His daughter used to live in North Bay, so he’s familiar with the area. His granddaughter was born at the old North Bay Hospital on Algonquin. He has fond memories of the city and mentioned he’s looking forward to meeting some new friends, hitting up the comic and game shops, and hopefully visiting Allison the Bookman as well.
When BayToday reached Greenwood by phone at this home outside Bowmanville, he was happy to chat about his pending visit. Despite his legendary status in the gaming community, he’s a humble, approachable guy who really enjoys connecting with fans. “Being an elder gaming god is sort of like being the downhill ski champion of the Sahara Desert,” he joked. “I mean, gamers go, ‘oh my God,’ and then you step outside of the convention centre, and some guys ask, ‘hey buddy, you got a light?’”
Greenwood remains active in the convention scene, noting, “Conventions can be as different as chalk and cheese. The little ones are a chance to sit down with friends and make new friends. It’s a chance to sit down and relax in the company of people who are of your tribe—fellow nerds—and just hang out and play and get to know people.”
As the conventions get bigger, those connections can be harder to maintain, Greenwood admitted, but he enjoys both the large and small cons.
Attending so many conventions, Greenwood admitted he has his share of mementos and memorabilia from the gaming community. He said he has three shipping containers full on his property. “They will probably excavate it after I’m dead, if you know what I mean,” he joked. Despite the depth of his collection, he said he still enjoys the handmade gifts the most. “Somebody went to a lot of trouble making those,” he said. “And you remember that person and that time they took.”
For Greenwood, it’s all about meeting like-minded people and talking with fans. “It’s never been about the money, I mean, the taxman and various publishers made sure of that,” he joked. He continues to write, collaborate on games, and create new worlds and characters. It’s in his blood, and he can’t stop even if he wanted to. “To me, creating is breathing. I just do it. Not a day goes by when I’m not creating something.”
This weekend’s event falls under the small convention category. Craig Stevens is one of the event’s organizers. The gaming convention came about when he and a few of his friends grew tired of always having to drive south for cool events. So, they created Gods of the North, a role-playing board game convention complete with about 15 vendors, selling “all kinds of magical, mystical stuff.”
See: Gaming convention rolling into North Bay
What can one expect this weekend? All the action takes place at the Elks Lodge in North Bay. There are three four-hour gaming sessions on Saturday, and two more on Sunday. “And there are multiple games in those time sessions, and players can pick one that has space and jump in,” Stevens said.
He estimated there will be around 50 games running, and not just D & D, but many other role-playing games as well. It costs $50 to participate in all of the gaming sessions, but people can enter for free if they just want to watch or to check out the vendors. There are also day-game passes available as well.
Everything required to play is provided—all of the games, dice, and any other necessities. Volunteers are running the games, so players simply need to show up and have some fun. And if you’ve never played before, that’s fine too. Organizers encourage everyone to come out, whether it’s your first trip into fantastic realms or you’ve achieved the D & D Masters of the World status.
Greenwood himself is hosting a couple of gaming sessions, and he’s also giving some talks over the weekend. Stevens explained he met Greenwood through conventions and is thrilled he’s able to attend this year as an honoured guest.
“We’re so happy he’s coming out,” Stevens said. “He’s such a nice, easy-going guy.”
The Elk’s Lodge is located at 325 Elks Lane in North Bay, a short side street off Trout Lake Road, near the highway intersection. For more information about this weekend’s event, visit the Gods of the North Gaming Events’ Facebook page.
