She Kills Monsters

“Forged by the hands of nerds, crafted in the minds of geeks, and so advanced in its advanciness it would take a whole second edition to contain all its mighty geekery.”

The narrator introduces the game of Dungeons and Dragons with the same grandeur one would introduce an epic fantasy title and credits “nerds” and “geeks” for creating the elaborate and pioneering game. These two terms have traditionally been derogatory names for someone deemed socially awkward and obsessive about niche interests. However, in accordance with a common trend within nerd culture in general, the narrator reclaims these words as signifiers of intelligence, talent, and innovation. Like artisans, these individuals created the game out of genuine love and refined knowledge. The cheeky neologism “advanciness” plays with the idea that nerds are misunderstood because they are ahead of their time, so much so that that words haven’t been invented yet to describe their genius.

“I’m ‘big’ where it counts…As in MY BRAIN!... Not because I’m fat. Seriously, it really has nothing to do with body mass index, I actually work out…or plan on working out.”

Chuck’s description of himself reveals his preoccupation with masculinity and whether he upholds the ideals of what makes a man appealing, particularly sexually. His quip about the size of his brain shows that he values intelligence over physique, yet his almost apologetic explanation that he plans on working out reveals that he has some insecurities about his weight. Known to his friends as DM Biggs (short for Dungeon Master Biggs), Chuck re-signifies his last name to connote his skills as a master storyteller and leader and not whether he measures up to the social norms for body image.