Dungeons with Dragons

Sunday Events: Breakfast once again in the Sala Rossa of our hotel was charming and pleasant. We watched part of 'American Prophet' this morning as we prepared to go out. It turns out that the television in our room would accept inputs from my video iPod so we have been watching our own movies in the evenings. Today began with broken clouds and that maintained throughout the day ... occasional sunshine and no precipitation ... perfect for fall. We had lost our schedule and so we decided to go over to the convention around 10:30 am and find someone with our schedule so that we might get an idea of what was expected of us today.

It turned out to be another roller coaster of a day.

We first had a scheduled interview at 11:30 in the morning. This was being set up with a small camera crew to film an interview for the internet. Our interpreter had gone over the questions with us when suddenly we were whisked away to join Larry Elmore, the President of Lucca Games and ... of all things ... the Mayor of the City of Lucca to tour one of the Live Action Role Play (LARP) areas that had been set up for the convention. In particular, this one was set up in an actual dungeon (which had been named by the Mayor in honor of Gary Gygax for the duration of the convention) and which was rumored to contain a huge dragon.

Our adventurous group set out with a film crew to document the confrontation. We knew we were on the right path when we saw the sign: "Dungeon with Dragon!" and pointed down the path toward the exterior of the Lucca wall. We entered the dungeon at the base of the city wall. High arched stone ceilings rose above our heads, water dripping down ominously from the ceiling and various denizens of the underground lair (outfitted in particular fantasy flair) lurked in costumes at every turn. It was quite a magnificent setting even if the dressings were a bit gentle. We came to a great (if light weight) pair of closed doors at the end where Larry Elmore and I were invited to pick up a battering ram and blow open the door. We did so with great success but this took us to the lair of the DRAGON!

It was a huge creature reminiscent of a cross between a gigantic stuffed plush toy and Jabba the Hut. It was a tremendous puppet with an animated head, jaws and arms with fixed claws. Laura found it rather gentle, with a charming innocence about it. It looked like it had a pleasant smile and not terribly menacing. Perhaps it looks better with smoke billowing from it's nostrils. We may never know. We paused for photographs before the dragon who took it all in good stride before making our way back out into the sunshine and returning to the convention.


We were in a bit of a hurry to slay that dragon since I had an event at 12:30 pm ... called 'Meet Tracy Hickman.' Emanuelle from the convention and Alessandro from our Italian publisher were there to make sure that the event was properly structured after the Italian style which seems to require long and very flamboyant speeches of praise. Both the interpreters were there for the event ... Gabrielle helping me with translations in and out and Valerio helping Laura who had thought she was sitting this one out but was told she is a celebrity, too. We recorded the event and will see about using it as a special Italian podcast ... since it was essentially conducted entirely in Italian. We answered their questions and received a very warm and delightful acceptance from the audience.

Afterward, a number of people there were ushered into the 'Living Room' backstage. It seems that they all had a train to catch and would we please allow them to have their books signed then instead of at our scheduled signing at three in the afternoon. We consented, having our picture taking with a dwarf and his party of adventurers. We then signed an amazing number of books there and had a number of pictures taken with fans.

We made a quick return to the hotel for a few minutes in the afternoon and then headed straight back to the gaming tent for our three o'clock signing. We were once again stationed in the artists area and still had to fend of an occasional person thinking that I was an artist named Mark Tedin but it was wall to wall signing until the end with many pictures taken there as well. Gabriele assisted with that for occasional translation. Both of the translators were hoarse this morning ... it is really taking its toll on them.

We still had not had lunch and it was approaching 5:00 pm. Our assistant Nicola took our tickets and went to the food tent for us. He returned with a 'hot dog', lasagna and three Coke Light. Italians do not believe in either ketchup or mustard so the hot dog was a bit on the plain side. While we were eating, ANOTHER interview was arranged and we gave this video interview while seated with our lunch between us. I talked a little video production with the producer/camera operator as we waited for the set up.

Lunch woofed down late and exhausted we gathered our things together and headed toward the exit. We had done our duty for Con and Country and were ready to get some rest. As we had just exited the tent no more than ten feet, we waved to a man we remembered from earlier in the day ... but apparently had not remembered well enough. He was the producer of the segment in the morning that we were supposed to shoot when we first arrived. He asked if we had forgotten our scheduled interview with him that was to take place in a few minutes back in the 'Living Room.'

Back into the tent.

We had a good interview and his questions were actually very pointed, informed and good. It was a good and enjoyable interview although Laura's biggest problem was exhaustion. She just kept telling herself "Don't fall asleep on camera! Don't fall asleep on camera..."

We returned to the hotel at last, took of our too worn shoes and tried to relax. The show was closing down but we had one more duty to perform: the closing night dinner. Evening means usually start between 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm with people lingering over their food and wine until around 10:30 pm. OUR dinner with the heads of the convention and all the other guests of honor was not scheduled to start until 10:30 pm.

We were picked up in a car and taken outside the city walls and seemingly out into the Italian countryside. There we gathered in the upper floor of a charming country restaurant. Joe Dever and his charming wife sat across from us with Larry Elmore on Laura's right. Chris and Gretchen Peterson sat down the table from us. Chris called down the table that his Italian friend next to him said that 'too much water is bad for a bridge!' Chris laughed as he found our being in Italy and not drinking wine to be remarkable and he loved to tease me about it.

This was the quintessential Italian celebration meal: Antipasta, Plate One of Pasta, Plate Two of Meat and a desert with many other sides in between. Wine on the table readily available and spumanti served strong in narrow glasses as well. The warmth of the evening wore on into the night. Two of the Italian men at the next table began singing. The conversations rolled on like the tide. Bella Notte.

Around two or three in the morning we made our way outside to head back to the hotel. I was momentarily captured by a very large and very drunk Italian from the convention staff who, it turned out was a fan and who was enthusiastically insisting on telling me how wonderful I was. The evening closed with goodbyes to new, wonderful friends and how we will miss them. I could have spent days with the Devers and never truly begun to say everything that needed to be said. Our translators are fine men and the staff has taken care of our every need. Falling into bed a 4:00 am still left us with the sweet sadness of the parting.

Musings: If you had told me a week ago that I would have ended this evening kissing the rough cheeks of drunken Italian men and enjoying it ... well, what would YOU say?