Last Thursday, just as the wan winter light was starting to shine through my window, I awoke at the ungodly hour of 7:30 a.m. to prepare for my first introduction to the whims and wiles of the Clayton court system. My notice had appeared innocuously enough, an indistinct white envelope with a form letter enclosed inside.

Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is one of the go-to stereotypes of uber-nerddom, along with mouth breathing, a lack of social skills and glasses thick enough to repel lasers. The image of geeky groups of pimply, reclusive geniuses sitting at home on a Saturday with manuals detailing the adventures of trolls and knights pervades pop culture.