Ever engaged, Dungeons & Toast sent a large contingent of members to the Toastmasters Leadership Institute yesterday. Andrew B, Cliff C, Michael C, Yanini C, Loni H, Arbind R, Greg S, Kelly S, Patrick V were all present for personal and professional development through officer training and a variety of great workshops.

Here are some key takeaways, according to those present:

In the distance you hear a faint buzzing. You look around, trapped in a gray haze. In front of you is a stack of note cards. What in the world? The buzzing is getting louder. It’s coming from all around you. You finally slam your hands against your ears and…

Ugh… you’re awake. You remember who you are again. You’re the Toastmonster of some member of that weird Toastmasters thing. Dungeons & Toast. You walk by the mirror wiping the crust from your… eye? Okay, so this fool thinks they’re a cyclops today. Why couldn’t I have been a Salt and Grace Toastmonster? You grab one of Stephanie and Cliff’s imaginary muffins and read your Toastmonster Gazette.

FIRST MEETING OF 2022!

Are you kidding me? They let me sleep for how long? You brush your tooth. Gargle on some Listerine and spit up thinking of Hovey’s “Deadwinter’s Carol.” (Hit that link if y’all missed it!) The speech line-up will be full. The Toastmonsters are well-rested and ready to play.

Happy 2022!

The New Year opens up new possibilities and new horizons! As we cross the line and take the leap from the known to the unknown, from the present to the future, be thankful and express gratitude for what you have . . . and prepare to embark on the adventure that 2022 is sure to be!

Thank you to the Dungeons & Toast Club Sponsors, Club Mentors, leadership team, club members, dignitaries, and guests who have made the Dungeons & Toast Toastmasters club’s first calendar year in existence a special and amazing one. You are all stupendous!

The best is yet to come in 2022! We rolled a natural 20 and a modified 22, so 2022 is bound to be an exceptional year!

Game on, my fellow adventurers, game on!

Happy New Year!

#D100 #toastmasters

I was recently reminded of this story, which seems appropriate to post during this season that is hopefully about being in the company or thoughts of loved ones. It is from a Tumblr writing prompt years ago, and tells a tale of a small god and his follower.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Whatever holidays you celebrate, whatever traditions you follow, this is the season of joy. Therefore go forth and spread joy and make merry!

From all of us at Dungeons & Toast, we wish you the happiest of holidays and a year filled with XP and loot!

And if you missed Hovey’s spectacular, RPG-themed “Deadwinter’s Carol” keynote, be sure to check it out!

Tales from the Round Table are the collaborative stories, instant character creations, wild speculations, and introspective responses that come from Dungeon and Toast's always-creative Table Topics.

For our Halloween-themed open house, Quest Master Greg. S. created a set of table topics from the stuff of nightmares…

Table Topics Master introduction: These Table Topics are designed to be nightmare triggers. Consider going with the story, reach for the horror, and let it play out in some way. They are designed to be specific in the setting but open as to the outcome.

1. You receive a deed to a family home, for family members you’ve never heard of, in a place that doesn’t exist, but you know how to get there.
2. You’re walking in the woods, there’s no one around and your phone is dead. Out of the corner of your eye, you spot it, following you.
3. You’re home alone. For several days, things have seemed just a bit out of place. You head to bed, and on your pillow is a copy of “No Time to Die”
4. You see a good friend on the street, and they have no idea who you are.
5. You look in a mirror, and it’s ever so slightly out of sync with your movements.
6. You come home, and somebody has been walking around with dirty shoes…on the walls and ceiling.
7. You’ve had to spend much of your day dealing with your overly needy and energetic dog. As you finally get to sleep, you remember that the dog has been dead for two years.
8. You get a phone call from a friend who died, and they speak as if nothing is going on.
9. You have a penpal, through a service that delays all mail by 3 days. They begin sharing some problems they are having in their letters. Then one day write you a frantic letter about how they are in danger.
10. You get a phone call that you can not hang up from. No matter what you do with your phone, which phone you pick up, or even if you just turn on the TV, it’s the same call…
11. You open a book you’ve never seen before. Inside, the words, symbols, pictures are gibberish. When you’re in a dark room ready to sleep, you begin to remember and know things from it.
12. You go to a show, to see an small group perform a show. It’s going along well, and then they point to you, and call you up…it’s your turn to perform.
13. You come home and start to open the door. Your mother is there, and says “run” and slams the door.
14. You go for a walk in the woods, and you begin to notice that trees die as you walk by.
15. You are in a cave, and you’ve climbed down a deep hole. Finding nothing but a small area at the bottom, you climb back up. As you pull your rope up, it becomes taut.