Dimension 20's Ayda Aguefort Is The Autistic Character I Always Wanted To See

Though tabletop games and their surrounding communities have done much to improve diversity, one group that still goes largely underrepresented is Autistic women, like myself. Much of this likely comes down to a continued lack of understanding about autism and the fact that many Autistic people, especially women, have been flying under the radar for years, only receiving a diagnosis well into adulthood.

The fact Autistic characters are so rare means that, when we find an Autistic character that resonates with us, we cling to them tightly. For me, that character is Ayda Aguefort from Dimension 20’s Fantasy High actual play series, a half-phoenix divination wizard and librarian who is an unexpectedly perfect embodiment of my Autistic experience.

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Ayda is first introduced in Fantasy High: Sophomore Year, working in a library in a pirate city. She’s the daughter of Arthur Aguefort, founder and Principal of Aguefort Adventuring Academy, the school the party attends. When we first meet her, she’s straightforward and blunt, not wanting to be in debt to anyone for anything. She also finds being forced into small talk with these strangers to be “bothersome.” However, Ayda isn’t rude. She’s just not a fan of social interactions with unknown adventurers. After some encouragement, she teaches a member of the party, Siobhan Thompsons’ Adaine, a special pirate version of the Sending spell.

Originally, this was Ayda’s one role in the story. DM Brennan Lee Mulligan simply put her in to get Siobhan her spell, and that was it. In D20’s Adventuring Party podcast, he says Ayda was originally a “fetch quest character” designed to make getting the spell more interesting. However, in typical Bad Kids style, they loved her, and Adaine and Emily Axfords’ Fig immediately befriended her.

And so did the community. After the episode aired, fans fell in love with her and quickly remarked on how she reads as Autistic, a conclusion I also jumped to after about 37 seconds.

This first interaction alone shows Ayda’s Autistic traits. Difficulty communicating with strangers, and making small talk, is a core characteristic of some Autistic people. While it reads like a stereotype, evoking Rick Sanchez-style misanthropes, my own group of Autistic friends and family have all found it to be “bothersome” on many occasions, and for good reason. A fear of saying the wrong thing or being told we are awkward, weird, or strange means it’s difficult to jump over that hurdle of initial contact.

All too often, Autistic-coded characters don’t have their autism made canon because writers don’t want to do the research. Mulligan went above and beyond with Ayda, and it means the world to those of us who can identify with her.

In the interview, Mulligan states that Ayda was based on the equally Autistic-coded Sherlock archetype and some Autistic friends of his. When people were remarking on her being Autistic, Mulligan says that he “jumped in, and did a bunch of research” as it was important to him that he got the portrayal correct if she was going to be sticking around. It was time well spent, as Ayda sums up so many authentic things about the Autistic experience.

She may come across as harsh at times, but she’s primarily honest and fiercely loyal with no ill intent behind her words, traits I also share. Making friends is incredibly difficult as an Autistic woman, but if you can stick with the awkwardness, most of us are fiercely loyal, justice-driven, and honest. Our honesty can be misinterpreted, but often it’s down to confusion on our part, since we struggle to read subtext and understand social conventions, such as when Ayda has to clarify the meaning of common sayings used by other party members.

Adaine asks Ayda if she wants to be friends, and she wholeheartedly accepts, clearly excited by the prospect of having friends and the clarity offered. To have an interaction like this would be an absolute dream; Adaine lays out what they have in common and the reasons she wants to be Ayda’s friend, then explicitly asks if they can be friends.

There’s no room for misunderstanding, and it’s simply a question asked and a choice to be made. It’s so nice to not just see an Autistic character like Ayda, but also see other characters try and meet her on her own terms, and adapt to her Autism. Once this friendship is established, Ayda quickly proves her loyalty by joining the others to rescue Adaine from Fallinel, where her family is holding her against her will.

One part early on during Ayda and Adaine’s interactions always stands out to me. Adaine tells Ayda about her familiar Boggy the Froggy, who lives in a backpack. Ayda misinterprets and believes that Boggy carries a tiny backpack. Adaine immediately makes this true, and Ayda’s sheer glee when she sees how cute the perfectly round frog with a backpack is will no doubt ring true with many Autistic people. The switch from deadpan tone to absolute joy is pure Autistic energy, and is a common sight in my neurodiverse household.

As part of Spring Break! I Believe In You! Part One Ayda is gifted the spell “Ayda’s comprehend subtext” by Adaine, which reads, “For the duration, you understand the non-literal meaning of any spoken or hidden language. The spell doesn’t uncover lies, just the implied metaphorical underlying meaning.” I need this spell to be real.

As Ayda continues to dip in and out of the narrative over the remainder of the season many more moments connected with me. The way she needs reassurance from Adaine that she’s “not bothersome,” the way the pair bond over being socially awkward and anxious, and the way her eventual romantic relationship with Fig blossoms slowly and awkwardly. Over time, she begins to open up, and you can see her struggle to understand why she’s so different and how she seems to misinterpret things so often. It’s so relatable that almost every time she speaks, I connect with the situation, remembering when I’ve been in similar ones myself.

These kinds of character arcs have been done in other places, but there’s something incredibly pure in Ayda, as the character is built to be so bluntly honest and open that, once she bonds with the bad kids, she wears her heart on her sleeve, another common Autistic trait. The torture of her belief that Fig won’t like her when she “sees the real her” is one of the most authentic and relatable things I’ve seen depicted in an Autistic character. Many of us mask our true selves to begin with, usually only unleashing our often chaotic personalities once we know people well. Years of being rejected as soon as we can no longer fake a performance that complies with social norms leaves you with a deep-rooted fear of being authentic.

The Dimension 20 Fantasy High and Fantasy High: Sophomore Year artwork was created by Victor Rosas II, while the Fantasy High: Junior Year artwork was created by Cait May.

Another moment that stuck with me was Ayda’s reaction to Jawbone, the school guidance counselor and father figure to the bad kids, giving her some books about Autism. In this episode, she shrieks and cries and gets so excited about being able to finally understand herself. It’s a feeling that I know well from my own diagnosis that unlocked answers to questions I’d had for decades. I’ve never before seen this captured in media, and I never expected to find it in a Dungeons & Dragons actual play.

Watching Ayda develop as a character and form successful and meaningful relationships has been a joy to behold. Many autistic characters remain isolated or are manipulated and used by those around them. Ayda is just purely herself at all times and is accepted as such by those around her. She represents so much I see in myself, and the kind of relationships I hope to build in my own life. To all involved in Ayda’s creation and development, thank you. Just the fact she exists means more than you’ll ever know.

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