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Many people consider me an intelligent man, but when I tell people that I play video games, they scorn me. "That is not educational. You can't learn anything. Reading is much preferable to playing video games," is often the cry of the ignorant. People have the audacity to lump us RPGamers with those Maddenites as they now call themselves. Of course, you are not going to learn anything from Madden 0X other than how to read the defense like Peyton Manning (Go Colts!). I believe that RPG is an art form that can be comparable to a book, and there have been times where I have learned a word solely from an RPG. I have ravaged my brain to find those words, and I admit that I was disappointed that I couldn't find a lot of words. Yet I know there are more words, and I will make it my life's quest to document all the words.
Aegis: The word in the dictionary defines it as the shield of Zeus or Athena and the expression of 'to be under the aegis of someone' is to be under the protection of someone. My first experience was the really good shield in one of the Dragon Warriors (I believe III). I have known this word since I was six or seven watching my brother play it. I have surprised some people by using the word to describe a crest of a sorority and I have elicited surprises from individuals.
Cast: This word has many different definitions, but the one that I am talking about is exclusive to RPGs and Fantasy stories: to cast a spell. In my dictionary, there are 18 definitions of the verb Cast not including the noun definitions, and not one of them includes the idea of casting a spell. Add definition number 19.
Equip: If you play RPGs and you don't know this works, I can think of a list of fifty insults to sling at you, but I'm pretty sure I will get to five before I tire out. The word is practically obsolete of in modern times because nobody uses armor anymore except for cops and soldiers (provided the government gives it to them). Yet you probably could get some stares by saying to your friends, "I need to equip my bathing suit." A dare for the bold.
Egress: This word is not well known or used a lot in RPGs, but the only time I known to be used was in the Shining Force series and perhaps some other games too. It means to escape. It also serves as a cool code word when you want to escape something, like you whisper "Egress" to a friend, and you start formulating a plan to get out of a lousy party.
Mage: According to my dictionary, it is derived from Magus which is the singular form of Magi as in the biblical wise men of the Zoroastrianism religion who visited Jesus Christ. In modern times, we say Magician, but White Mage, Black Mage, Blue Mage, Red Mage has been used in Final Fantasy. So the next time someone says Magician? You say what? Oh Mage. Kind of like to-ma-to and to-mah-to.
It seems five is the limit on everything for me, but I am sure that you have many words that you learned through RPGs. There might have been times where you unconsciously used a word, and people are like, "Where the heck did you learn that from?" You should proudly say a video game or better yet, an RPG. Share your experience. After all, we may start talking to each other, "What's up, my mage? You still casting? Don't forget to equip your aegis in case you need to egress!" That may throw us into the looney bin, but if they got RPGs there, I'm willing to take one for the team.
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