Roleplaying games have hit the college scene in 1980s Portland, Oregon. But as an eighth-grader, Steve has already mastered the craft, finding his muse in the new girl, Tess Arthur, and in her dark-priestess alter ego, whose backstory hints at Tess’s own troubled past. Together Tess and Steve build an imaginary world of horror and heroism to unite against real-world bullies, jaded teachers, and sudden grief. However, monsters are one kind of challenge; a relationship, quite another.

Set in Portland and other locales in Oregon state, Age of Monsters describes the subculture of Oregon high school and college students exploring roleplaying games during the early eighties, and follows a parallel story from a novel written by one of the players, chronicling the fictional world. It’s based on the author’s own experience, first as a young gamer and then as a professional in the roleplaying game industry.