What is there to say about him that hasn't been said already? What is there to say, that isn't so over whelming that your hands tremble when you attempt to type it out? Its like trying to hold back the tide, to describe a color to a blind man, or to talk about the kind of impact that a man like Dave has had on your life. I mean seriously, we're talking about a Knight of the Realms, who is also a Knight of the Eternal Flame, a Knight Avatar of Chimeron and a Knight of the Crown. He's also the first Champion of Queen of Hearts, father of the heir to the throne of Chimeron, and in The Dark Future (which I think might have come to pass by now) he's the mage Callinostros. I could go on, if there is a title or an accolade in the Realms, the man has earned it. But the thing is, Dave is so much more than that.
I had the privilege to meet Dave back in 1992, before many of the current players of the game were even born. He was big, he was important, he had a pile of titles, and he whupped everyone that he fought. Being all of 17 years old at the time, this made him epic, awesome, and amazing all at the same time. He had armor, his clothes matched his sword (Gerta), and he even had a story about his sword (stories are key, we all know this). The man even had a helmet, a big metal skull cap with chain mail hanging down around his face. How cool is that!
All that said, it would be a few more years before I really got to know Dave. A buddy of mine moved to New Hampshire to attend UNH, and started to get to know the Folkestone crowd. I tagged along a few times, and started to get to know them. That summer a Gamma World RPG sprung up, and I got to know a young woman named Carrie. It was a great game, she wrote a far more intelligent plot than we wanted her to run, we goofed off a lot during the game, and she put up with it for the sake of continuing the plot. When we weren't paying attention, she started to see Dave on a romantic basis. Which meant all of nothing to us, as we were barely 20 years old at the time and dating didn't mean much beyond the next weekend. But after awhile we noticed, that time was passing and they were happy together. Soon their relationship became one of those universal truths. Water is wet, Algebra won't be used outside of a classroom setting, and Carrie and Dave are happily involved.
That summers event season was pretty intensive, there were evil mages, Champion swords, and a big dragon named Strathmore. Sir Callin was in the thick of it, if there was a tournament he would win it, if there was a villain, he would defeat it, check that. He did defeat it. Little did I know, Dave was about to achieve a different victory. His close friends knew what was going on, but I was about 90mins drive away. I had no clue what was happening, then my brother and I got the card in the mail. Dave and Carrie were getting married. I admit, I squeed in excitement. Because, ya know, because.
Somehow Dave had managed to yet again, be a big role model in my life. He was one of the first weddings I'd been to, that wasn't some distant cousin or some other weird family relation that I couldn't remember outside of the annual Christmas card. Epic fighter, hero of the Realms, and now he's getting married to my friend? How awesome is that? A few weeks later, Folkestone threw him a bachelor party. But was this some knock down drag out drinking fest? No, it was a quest. Dave got to fight his way through the darkness at Creathorne. Some crazy kid got picked to be his support healer and keep him going forward, through the quest. Not that he needed my help, he was doing great, but seriously they were out to wreck his night. Of course he completed the quest, he's Sir Callin.
Dave's a great guy. Folks talk about his sword swing, his intimidating manner, and his amazing ability to run a fair yet fun plotline. But do they tell stories about the grin he hides in his eyes? About his bad puns? About how Dave is a really warm, wonderful compassionate human being? Sure they do, because he is. All too often people forget the little details, the silly things, the things that make your heart sing. People forget the song that Dave and Carrie danced to at their wedding. I'll never forget it, because every time I hear that song, I remember the light sparkling in Dave's eyes. The sheer joy and love that he is capable of, and that my friends. This is my favorite memory of Dave.
Presented for your consideration, Simon Smith and his Dancing Bear. From the original cast recording of the Muppet Show. Dave had it on vinyl.
http://youtu.be/GND0R8Q8Qgg