I'm Glen Weldon, the pop culture happy hour team is off today, so we're bringing you

an episode from our pals at NPR's Code Switch podcast, all about Dungeons and Dragons.

It's one of the most popular tabletop role playing games of all time, but it has also

helped cement some ideas about how we create and define race and fantasy and in the tangible

world.

This Gene Danby and producer Jess Kong take a deep dive into that game and what Rachel

stereotypes and colonial supremacy it's illuminating.

Here's Jess.

In a world filled with magic and mystery, someone looking for adventure might find themselves

passing through the once prosperous city of Flann deep in the harsh northern frontier.

To navigate the unruly city, those adventurers might head to the tavern to grab a drink or

hot meal and possibly some work as long as they can keep it under the table.

In these lands, if you look tough enough, the work just seeks you out.

Tonight the drinks in Gossip are already flowing.

Oh yeah, little meat, a little cuss of Migos at the mid-eval watering hole.

An older man, a gnome enters, his clothes are a little patchwork and he grips a floppy

hat tightly in his hands.

His head is held high though, sizing up the patrons in the room with purpose.

He spots a odd trio, an elf with a glorious shimmering cape, a big guy with glittering golden

scales, and a very creepy looking bug-eyed human.

They look competent enough, so he approaches.

Are you adventurers?

...