With around 8 billion people to choose from, it's only natural to wonder why this particular person was chosen to be the main character of the DMs campaign. It would have surprised Travis's former coworkers for him to be picked as the leading man of a play no less the largest game of DnD in the history of the Universe. He seemed a pretty charismatic guy, but not outgoing, or frankly not having much of a personality. Drawing little attention to himself, Travis mostly kept to his own devices.
After the service, he took some time to clear his head. He had planned on making the Army a career, but one brutally hot summer day in Syria, everything changed. We do not need to go over exactly what happened at this point in the story, but suffice it to say, Travis made the type of pragmatic, life-and-death decision that he had become famous for in the Special Operations Joint Task Force. No one could calculate risk and either give orders or take part in a decisive action quite like Major Travis Porter.
Unfortunately, for him and the military, the last calculated risk he took resulted in a serious loss of civilian life, despite saving many US service members. It was still considered the 'right' call. In the chaotic days of hunting ISIS in Syria, being enemies of the Syrian state forces, Russia, and Iran, who were also enemies of ISIS, led to complex encounters.
Sometimes they had to collaborate with the enemy of their enemy, but other times they found themselves fighting those groups because they suppressed freedom fighters supported by the US. Major Porter was given wide latitude to do what he did best: analyze intel, lead his men, make tough calls, and eliminate threats. However, the line between bad guys and good guys blurred, with former allies turning foes overnight. He faced the harsh aftermath of his tough decisions.
In a typical Dungeons and Dragons session, players are willing participants, making it easier to follow the GM's planned script. However, in this real-life game with profound consequences for its unwitting participants, it was far more complicated. Firstly, they were unaware they were even playing. Overcoming this challenge required strategic motivation, as Earth's inhabitants were bombarded with unbelievable occurrences. Predicting people's reactions in a world they no longer understood became incredibly challenging. Travis, however, was a different breed.
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During his service in hostile countries, he held one principle above all: minimize or avoid entirely his men's casualties while ensuring the mission's success. Travis acknowledged the painful reality that not everyone could return home in every situation, but he was determined to bring as many back as possible. Additionally, he aimed to safeguard civilian lives, not only due to moral obligations but also because harming civilians would complicate his team's efforts. Travis shared the intense focus on the mission common among many Type A leaders, but he also possessed a profound connection to the people involved.
One might think that Travis's two objectives—minimizing casualties and completing the mission flawlessly—would clash, but it was quite the opposite. These objectives honed his focus on the meticulous planning and execution of missions to perfection, aiming to minimize the loss of human life.
This was precisely what the DM had been seeking when he designated Travis as the game's main character. However, it's crucial to note that while the DM had access to every public interaction a person had, he remained unaware of their inner thoughts. For someone with limited self-awareness like the DM, this might not have appeared to be a significant obstacle. Yet, he would soon learn just how wrong he was.
Ultimately, the DM chose Travis because he desired a caretaker and a killer, a skilled operator and an empathetic leader, and above all, a sword and shield. Travis was not meant to be a protector out of concern for people's lives; instead, he was intended to fulfill the DM's fantasy of the perfect role-playing game. Having never played an RPG with other people, the DM fixated on concepts and themes rather than interpersonal interactions. One theme he particularly enjoyed was base building.
The DM believed he had everything he desired and more in Travis Porter. Just in case he was wrong or if Travis met an untimely demise, the DM dispatched 500 player character journals to other promising candidates. The DM manipulated events for the good of the game, not for any individual or group's benefit. Since he would be fixated on Travis to ensure the game's progression aligned with his vision, the fate of the other 500 candidates would be out of his hands for a while. He would eventually recognize the need for assistance in that regard. We will be introduced to that assistance soon with the AI.