Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) originally created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson in 1974. While initially a battle-oriented, masculinity-lathed, heteronormative power fantasy expanding on the tactical war games of the 1960s – the D&D 5e (5th Edition) of today is a collaborative storytelling framework …
I first met Jennifer Cheuk 卓嘉敏 when she was plus-one’d to my 2017 birthday party. Within minutes of meeting, we were analysing niche animated media, fangirling over comics and brainstorming each other’s future projects. Half a decade later and several Auckland Zinefests later, in January 2022, I received a message. …
Culadán lead the Young Man into their room and sat down on the bed. He motioned for the man to join him. Maebh locked the door, and the Young Man didn’t react. “What’s your mission, comrádaí?” Said Culadán. “Classified.” Said the Young Man. “Classified. I see.” Said Culadán. He repositioned …
She washed herself with a cold efficiency. Maebh was obsessed with practicality, every move she made wasted as little time as possible. She had always been bad at relaxing. For as long as she could remember, she had thought of the act as just one more task on an ever-growing …
The common ancestor of Homo sapiens and every other land animal was a lizard. She existed roughly 300 million years ago and was a riot at parties. The common ancestor of that lizard and the cephalopods existed roughly 750 million years ago. It was a primitive flatworm, and its friends …
The following is a short story from Rat World Issue Three Valentine’s Day 2004 Lucy wanted to spell the name of the boy she liked. I, a hopeless romantic at age five, volunteered to help. I could spell. I was damn good at spelling, and I was going to use …
The following is a short story from Rat World Issue Three . Kelly Tarlton’s 2002 My mum has a cute story that she likes to tell of the first time she took me to Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium to visit the king penguins. “Ooh, look at the penguin!” She …
Two short stories from my neurodivergent childhood. In one I spiral into existential dread as a misunderstanding leads me to think that penguins are 6-foot-four. In the other a good-natured cupid-moment teaches me the consequences of lying to 5-year-olds with dyslexia. Rat World Issue Three is available for purchase HERE. …
