Two hackers of questionable allegiance and legality are meeting in cyberspace in a weary, dystopian future. Host is haranguing Twitch for information which he seems loath to give up. In the physical world, the paramilitary divisions of giant mega-corporations hunt for the cyber-refugees, while others like them plan grand heists and resistance efforts.

These events all occurred within the first five minutes of the Illini Roleplaying Network’s weekly session of Shadowrun, a tabletop roleplaying game. The character of “Host” is played weekly by Tim Kuehlhorn, senior in Engineering, and “Twitch” is played by the game’s moderator and University staff member David Kees. Kuehlhorn and Kees are two of around 70 members of the Illini Roleplaying Network, which runs many similar weekly gaming sessions.

Kees, the adviser to the Illini Roleplaying Network, works for the University as the Web and Database specialist for the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, and he has been part of the Illini Roleplaying Network since its formation in 2004. He said he immediately began searching for a roleplaying group when he arrived on campus.

“I love gaming. It’s a big part of my life,” Kees said. “I still remember my first game. My father was running a giant game based on ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ You could play through the story line any way you liked. The freedom was what interested me so much.”

The Illini Roleplaying Network proved a perfect match for Kees. Formed by a small group of friends who wanted to bring roleplaying games to a wider audience at the University, the club now holds weekly Thursday night meetings in the basement of the English building. At these meetings, new gamers can learn the ins and outs of the many games that the Registered Student Organization runs.

Kees said that he appreciates the diversity of games that a new player could seek out to join.

“There are games based on things like Marvel and DC superheroes, games based on anime and books like ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ etc.,” Kees said. “The ‘Harry Potter’ books don’t have an official game based on them, but I know plenty of people who have created their own ‘Harry Potter’ games based on other games’ rules. It’s all a matter of creativity.”

Creativity is a very important part of one of the games Kees is currently part of: Shadowrun. The game, which meets every Saturday, is different from the conceived worlds of the “Dungeons and Dragons”-type setting because it is not a fantasy game. It is instead set in a dystopian future, in the genre known as “cyberpunk,” where governments have fallen by the wayside and huge corporations rule the Earth.

Examples of cyberpunk themes in popular culture appear in portrayals of the future in movies such as “Blade Runner” or “The Matrix.” In the Shadowrun game, Kees serves as the game master. He creates the story line for the entire run of the game, which may last the entire semester.

“As the game master I have to be every character that my players are not,” Kees said. “I have to be the drug dealer at the corner, the corporate executive that they are meeting, the prison guard, even the guy they’re ordering food from at McDonald’s. Basically, I am the world.”

Not every player’s role is so wide-spread or multifaceted. Kuehlhorn said his character is more of a classical cyberpunk hero.

“My character is like a hacker,” Kuehlhorn said. “He’s a master of computer systems named ‘Host,’ which is a sort of code name. He has a special characteristic about him which allows him to control computers with his mind, which scares a lot of people in this world because computers are everywhere.”

These characteristics are all written and conceived by the players themselves, which is one of the features that draws new players to the game. Mary Beyer, junior in LAS, said this was her first time playing Shadowrun, but she was attracted by the setting and the ability to tell a unique story.

“If something’s dystopian, I’m all about that,” Beyer said. “I’ve created a character who is a master infiltrator, she can get in and out of anywhere without being seen.” Beyer also said that she loved the games run by Kees, and his storytelling skill made her want to join.

To the observer, the game does unfold like an engaging story. The players take on the parts of their shadowy future selves and improvise as they come into contact with one another. It is one part street theater, one part murder mystery, and all is fragile enough to be broken by a role of the dice.

For more information on the Illini Roleplaying Network, check their Web site at www.metagamers.org.