Wife: I'll Play D&D, But Only in the South of France

My wife announced yesterday that she would be willing to play D&D if the setting was in the Dordogne. She said that part of her reluctance in playing has been in visualizing the setting, and since she’s seen numerous castles and villages there and has a feel for the area, she can see playing there. Of course this was quite a pleasant surprise since she’s hasn't played for a long time after her one short experience last year. “Given that it’s an actual location, would you want it to be a more realistic setting with only humans? You know, no dwarfs, elves, that sort of thing?” No, she wanted the “full” D&D experience, just played in that locale. Far out!

I have to wonder if the map from the region I’d recently scanned and left out on my desk might have provoked some nostalgia for the place, so hopefully the game can be more than just that for her. I definitely have my work cut out for me if I’m to sculpt a whole new campaign setting. Fortunately there’s a ton of inspiration - the Dordogne is steeped in history and architecture well suited to the game. We're both most familiar with the Périgord Noir so I see it as being the primary focus.

Years ago, the first time I went there, I did a lot of hitchhiking and walking around the the area by myself...I managed to find a little work helping repair some of the stone houses (hundreds of years old). I was 27 and really overwhelmed with the beauty of the area and the unbelievable food and wine. There are plenty of caves there too, which had always been an interest of mine. Years later, after marrying, I was able to show my wife the place - and she was entranced. It’s great that we might be able to go there again, in a sense, via the game... who knows, maybe we’ll visit one day. It'd be interesting to sort of read our own game history in the place names. I'm trying to keep my enthusiasm in check though, as she can always change her mind!