The El Paso RPG
I don't know how many of you have ever played an RPG (Role Playing Game), but I was struck recently on how great a setting El Paso is for an RPG. I'm talking about something more along the lines of Dragon Warrior or Final Fantasy, not really Dungeons and Dragons or World of Warcraft.
All RPGs have low level enemies in them, most famously is the "slimes" in Dragon Warrior. Or, that's what I think. Today, I encountered El Paso's low level enemy. It wasn't my first encounter, but it was the one that finally made me realize the hidden deadliness of this monster.
I know you're all thinking about scorpions, and those are great random encounter enemies for games, but I'm talking about something even lower level. You can start to search your mind now because El Paso has plenty of creatures: the scorpions, tarantulas, rattle snakes, road runners, mexicans, chihuahuas, etc... But I'm actually talking about grass.
Yes, the grass in El Paso is dangerous. For those of you unclear on the concept, most desert plants have a defense mechanism of some sort: spikes, thorns, needles, burs, whatever. The grass does too. The grass here, when it is long, starts to seed, like normal grass, but the El Paso grass puts its seeds into spiky little coverings. No joke, these things are like stepping on broken glass. They are very sharp, thorny, little balls and today was the day I realized they are my low level enemy. Don't worry though, I will triumph over the grass. I will find the plus two sheers of cutting. I will don the armor class 2 garden gloves. I will destroy my enemy, the grass.
All RPGs have low level enemies in them, most famously is the "slimes" in Dragon Warrior. Or, that's what I think. Today, I encountered El Paso's low level enemy. It wasn't my first encounter, but it was the one that finally made me realize the hidden deadliness of this monster.
I know you're all thinking about scorpions, and those are great random encounter enemies for games, but I'm talking about something even lower level. You can start to search your mind now because El Paso has plenty of creatures: the scorpions, tarantulas, rattle snakes, road runners, mexicans, chihuahuas, etc... But I'm actually talking about grass.
Yes, the grass in El Paso is dangerous. For those of you unclear on the concept, most desert plants have a defense mechanism of some sort: spikes, thorns, needles, burs, whatever. The grass does too. The grass here, when it is long, starts to seed, like normal grass, but the El Paso grass puts its seeds into spiky little coverings. No joke, these things are like stepping on broken glass. They are very sharp, thorny, little balls and today was the day I realized they are my low level enemy. Don't worry though, I will triumph over the grass. I will find the plus two sheers of cutting. I will don the armor class 2 garden gloves. I will destroy my enemy, the grass.