November is a month of many things: cornucopias, crunchy leaves, Thanksgiving, the color orange (that is, if your synesthesia syncs with mine). This year, once again, Dungeons & Toast declares that this month shall also be about facial hair. Give your razor a rest – give it the whole month off! Join us in our annual No Shave November contest and fundraiser. This year, we will once again be donating all proceeds to the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, to support research into a disease that affects one of our beloved charter members.

This year, we open the contest to all guild members, regardless of gender. We will be voting for the following categories:

• Established Beard (grown prior to 11/1)
• Fresh-Faced (started growing on 11/1)
• Artificial (painted, wig…)

All persons are able to donate a pledge, which will be multiplied by the number of participants, to indicate the total donation. For reference, we had 12 participants last year, and we are hoping for more this year. If you were to pledge $3 and we have 15 participants, your final donation would be $45.

The voting will take place at the first meeting of December (12/1) and the total amount donated will be announced at the second meeting of December.

Please sign up to participate and, if you’re able, make a pledge.

On October 28th, Patrick V led a Dungeons and Toast (D&T) raiding party, composed of Michael C, David E, and Dr. Michael, on a Halloween adventure within one of his clubs, Visionary Toastmasters. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, as Visionary Toastmasters had embraced a Holiday theme that harmonized seamlessly with the unique essence of D&T. Furthermore, our expertise in costumes flawlessly embodied the Halloween spirit.

Patrick delivered a captivating presentation on Leadership, intriguingly adopting a Ghost’s perspective. This topic seamlessly blended with the typical D&T presentation as well as the Visionary Toastmasters’ meeting theme. During Table Topics, Michael C took a humorous approach, playfully poking fun at Lucifer and Crunch. His storytelling and responses to the Table Topics questions were not only entertaining but also served as an excellent introduction to the world of D&T for those who were paying close attention. In addition, it provided an opportunity for Dr. Michael to mug for the camera. David E, who, notably was awarded the title of the best Table Topics presenter, cleverly weaved these characters into his discussion while branching off on the terrors of Public Speaking.

Dr. Michael, appearing as a see-through ghost thanks to OBS tricks he had mastered for the club, engaged in a spookier exploration of Pathways during the Table Topics session. As he delved into the subject, he demonstrated his remarkable vocal talents by assuming various character voices one on top of the other.

Following the event, both Patrick and Dr. Michael stayed back to foster interest in Dungeons and Toast among Visionary Toastmaster’s members, even engaging the Regional Advisor in the conversation.

Well done, everyone!

Pirate scum – you have been captured, tried, and sentenced to die for your crimes!

I, Commodore Crux, have been sent by the Admiralty to preside over your executions. However, in their wisdom — and in obedience to His Majesty’s request that mercy be shown, if appropriate — you will each have one to two minutes to answer my questions and say your last words.

If you wish to participate in Table Topics on November 20, prepare your pirate persona and send me your pirate name. Contemplate – for the last time before your well-deserved hanging – the terrible crimes you committed as a pirate! If you are called on during Table Topics and don’t wish to speak – say “I confess my guilt and accept my punishment” and Commodore Crux will move on to the next culprit. If you answer – remember to speak like a PIRATE.

On-theme backgrounds for this evening:

Welcome to the enchanting world of the Enchanted Autumn Harmonies Festival. It’s a place where the mystical meets the musical, where dreams and reality blend into an extraordinary adventure.

As you enter, you’ll don an enchanting mask, concealing your identity while gifting you a touch of festival magic. These masks hold the key to unraveling the festival’s secrets.

Register Here

At every turn, intriguing choices await you. Will you follow the map to uncover a lost melody, or will you let your intuition guide you into the unknown?

Explore the mystical marketplace, a treasure trove of trinkets with unique powers, ready to enhance your festival experience.

Wander through the enchanting firefly groves, where their gentle glow reveals hidden talents and paths, illuminating your journey.

Make a wish at the Wishing Well, where your desire shapes your festival adventure, potentially changing your life forever.

Conclude your journey with a grand finale of magic and music, under the moon’s gentle glow, filling your heart with unforgettable memories.

The Enchanted Autumn Harmonies Festival invites you to embrace adventure, enchantment, and the extraordinary. Join us for a weekend of magic, music, and memories amidst the embrace of autumn’s beauty. Your extraordinary journey begins here.

Looking for an on-theme background for tonight’s meeting?

On Friday, October 20, Dungeons & Toast will welcome Carl Walsh, a distinguished finalist at the 2009 Toastmasters World Championship of Speaking and a dedicated member of the ACTS 416 and Online Presenters Toastmasters clubs. Carl will share insights on how his extensive background in professional theater has significantly enriched his business career.

Register Here

The theme for this meeting will transport us to the high seas, as Dungeons & Toast playfully commemorates “Talk Like a Pirate” day. We hope you will don your eyepatch and your best peg leg and join us for what promises to be a soirée fit for a swashbuckler.

Dr. Michael has given the AI (Artificial Intellegence) the exact same prompt for a Solo adventure as he did in “The Enchanted Grove”

https://dungeonsandtoast.com/story/the-enchanted-groves-conundrum/

in an attempt to see how creative and varied Chat-GPT’s response would be. The results were amazingly different. While “The Enchanted Grove” was a simple solo adventure, this story “Shadow of the Whispering Grove”

https://dungeonsandtoast.com/story/the-shadow-of-the-whispering-grove/ is a cooperative story, in which the AI sometimes speaks and makes decisions for him. Also of note is that the AI generated such rich descriptions that it essentially did all of the work to generate the illustrations, itself.

In his latest Artificial Intellegence (AI) experiment, Dr. Michael asks the AI to serve as a Game Master for a solo adventure. The result is an original game where Harvey has to face evil, understand, and conquer it. Is he up to the challange?

Is the AI up the task? We will find out in “The Enchanted Grove’s Conundrum” https://dungeonsandtoast.com/story/the-enchanted-groves-conundrum

Evil will rise, but so do the forces of good. Who will triumph? When the Big Bad Wolf and his gang prepare for even more terror on the poor pigs, will the pigs have learned enough to defend themselves? Find out in the latest Episode of Dr. Michael’s experiment in AI generated storytelling. https://dungeonsandtoast.com/story/the-wolf-pack-meets-its-match/

Hello all! I would like to announce a service that has opened up for my term as VPPR. Starting today, if you have a speech that you would like a custom background for, I can make you a background based on your creative vision. Simply fill out a custom background request!

Requests must be made at least 48 hours in advance; any later and I’m unsure if I can get to your background. I can’t wait to see what ideas all of you have, and here’s to some fun collaborations to bring your speeches to life!