It's as natural as rolling dice or eating chips during a gaming session. In fact, it's an everyday occurrence. I'm not talking about looking forward to next week's session, just after the last one finished (though that too, is an everyday occurrence). In fact, it is so natural, that many gamers feel that it's okay to engage in this activity during gaming sessions.

Of course, I'm talking about certain odiferous bodily functions. Functions, which can generally garner odd looks and cries of agony from those present.

Now, there are two versions of this. Belching is generally the more acceptable of the two, and in many cases, is taken as a point of pride if someone can rip out a big one. Competitions can easily arise from this. I do have to admit that I have often won these gladiatorial tests of strength too. At least when judged on sheer volume. In terms of depth (and I'm talking depth like Booger's burp from Revenge of the Nerds), I am rather weak. That crown usually goes to my friend Will. And perhaps it's the gentleman in me, but I used to refrain from burping in mixed company (most of my gaming sessions were all male) during gaming. That was, until the woman we game with coughed up several successive belches, of considerable magnitude (and with her smaller size, it was quite a sight). Now, it's Open Season every Saturday night.

I refuse, however to engage in the other activity in mixed company. I just can't. Perhaps it's once again the gentleman in me, or perhaps I feel that inflicting this type of punishment on a woman is just more reinforcement of her perception that we men are nothing more than apes who have managed to be potty trained to a certain extent.

The group I game with on Sunday is another matter entirely.

Being all male, a strange culture has evolved there, where it is not only acceptable, but expected, that everyone participate in this activity. Again, it becomes a point of pride and competition as to who can cause the most olfactory damage to the others in the group. Believe me, gaming sessions can quickly become quite deadly, and not just for the characters. Indeed, many of us have come to the evening's session proudly shouting to the others what was eaten for lunch or dinner and exclaiming that everyone will soon pay for that "double bean burrito and a side of Burger King onion rings, washed down with a six pack of beer."

Of course, I don't want to mention any names in this regard, or I may find certain characters of mine face down in the gutter. But, just so everyone knows, it's not me.

No sir, not me at all.

We're not all barbarians however (though we may play them in RPGs). Some of our group does not engage in this activity to the extent of others. These individuals are also usually the ones to curse those who do find enjoyment in adding "Smell-O-Vision" effects to those dungeon crawls in the sewers of the city.

At the other end of the spectrum are those who revel in providing nasal entertainment for the group. Those who enjoy handing out Potions of Gaseous Form to everyone. They laugh evilly when they can force several members of the group to flee from their appointed spots around the table or living room. Hiding our faces in our shirts as makeshift filters, we return proclaiming him as Champion, while silently cursing his name, and plotting revenge.

Of course, insult is only added to injury in the fact that we live in the far North, which means it's too cold to open my windows to help return oxygen to our burning lungs. And this is during the summertime.

What does all of this have to do with gaming? I'm not really sure. Perhaps it reveals a level of comfort that we all have found with each other that was provided to us by the games we play. Of course, it could be a way in which we validate our existence to the group, and with their (sometimes violent) reactions, they are validating us. Then of course it could just be the fact that we are just a bunch of nerdy gamers that barely have control over our sense of fashion, much less our bodily functions, which for some reason, even though we're all approaching (or past) the age of thirty, still find insanely funny.

Yeah, that's probably it.