Happy New Fear
over 4 years ago – Fri, Jan 10, 2020 at 08:42:40 PM

Well, here we are again and, yes, double figures into January is the perfect time to wish people a happy new year, thank you for saying so. I hope everyone had a lovely festive period. I myself was visited by 3 spirits who encouraged me to change my ways. Luckily, famed monster hunter Thaddeus Loach banished them with extreme violence and prejudice, and I remain as miserly and cold-hearted as e'r I were. 

So where are we with Dreaded Accused? Good question, faithful backer. Well, the main manuscript is done, with the exception of encounter tables, which Isabel is currently working on. Once those are done, we can have a better idea of which chapters need additional artwork to fill them out a bit more. The very talented Joel Holtzman has produced a couple of pieces for mummies, lycanthropes, and vampires (below), but you never know, there might be some more to come if the layout demands it (and, as the layout demands, so let it be done).

What else? The work on Monster Hunter Journals continues. Got 11/15 near enough done, set to speed up now that Spectacular Settlements is on its way out the door and the writing duo of Stickley and Fryer can really put their heads together with some gusto. The exciting thing about that is that the journals can start to be illustrated too, this time by the also very talented Karen Petrasko, (of Spectacular Settlements fame). 

Finally, we really appreciated your kind messages to Takashi in the comments of the last update. We passed them all on, as promised, as he was surprised and touched with the 'warm concern and understanding' (his words). We are really lucky to have such a supportive community back our projects, and we look forward to rewarding your patience with an awesome, ghoulish tome. 

Lots of you great folks are engaging with us regularly on Discord, so if you want to join the party, ask any questions about the book, or generally hang out with your fave Nords (the British ones), you can find us here. 

Bye.

-Ralph and Lou

An Update on the Schedule
over 4 years ago – Wed, Nov 20, 2019 at 12:48:41 AM

What ho, netherworlders, 

Bit of a short update just to confirm that, as I suggested might be the case in the last update, we are unfortunately looking at a short delay. As I mentioned, our main character artist, Takashi, suffered a bereavement which, understandably, put him out of commission for a bit. His current estimate for being done with the artwork is late February. With production times, this would put the book in your hands somewhen towards the end of May/start of June. 

The delay is disappointing (to us too, believe me) but, ultimately, this book is being made by people, and sometimes things happen beyond our control. 

While we could have worked with another artist to get things done quicker, we have not done so for two reasons. One, Takashi has been doing fantastic work so far, not only for Dreaded Accursed, but for Revenge of the Horde and the Ultimate NPCs books as well, and we want the creature artwork to be consistent throughout. Two, we didn't think it would be right to give away work we'd promised to him for reasons so completely out of his hands. 

Luckily, the layout of the book is such that the character artwork can be slotted in pretty easily once everything else is in place. The plan is, therefore, to get to a point where everything is ready to go, and we're on schedule to do that within the initially expected timeframe. 

As always, I'll keep you informed if anything changes. In the meantime, I will leave you with this cool lich. 

Thanks in advance for your understanding. We have a great community, and I know that you will join us in sending virtual positive thoughts and best wishes to Takashi and his family. If anyone wants to do so in writing (or just wants to wax lyrical about his previous artwork), please comment below, and I'll be sure to pass them along. 

- Ralph

October Update - NOTE: Ralph, Put Some Kind of Spooky Halloween Pun Here For The Title
over 4 years ago – Wed, Oct 30, 2019 at 12:05:00 AM

All Hallows Eve is upon us, my dears, and an update tap-tap-taps its bony finger on the mist-shrouded window for ingress. Will you let it in? Do you dare? 

Well I hope so: I've got a couple of juicy bits and pieces for you to sink your fangs into this month. 

First up, a status report. My goal is to get all of the written content done by the end of the year. These monster hunter journals have definitely turned into the longest-form fiction I've ever tried my hand at writing. I'm loving the challenge (and how they've turned out so far), and am hopeful that, now Spectacular Settlements is very near to being finalised, I can have a lot more time to lavish on them. 

Isabel has sent over her first couple of bits and pieces for player options, and they are looking fantastic. Granted, these are the most in-depth ones (lich, lycanthrope, and vampire), but they are SO much more involved than I thought when I first typed that stretch goal. Oh, the customisation options. You'll love it. 

Unfortunately, our main character artist Takashi suffered a bereavement recently which, very understandably, put a bit of a delay on artwork. I'll keep you updated on progress; at this point, it looks like we might just squeak by on time, but I also wouldn't be surprised if we're a little late. Keep your eyes on the updates.

Now, onto more exciting and flashier things. First of all, our wonderful social media and marketing manager, Megan, put together a delightful (and very, very stupid) quiz to celebrate the coming of  #Nordoween2019. 

We know you're secretly a mummy. Step into the interrogation room, and let's find out exactly what kind: https://nordgamesllc.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/The-Mummy-Interrogation.html

Now that that's out in the open, feast your hollowed, bandage-wrapped eye sockets on these!

With the new layout plugin I mentioned a couple of updates ago, my process has been significantly sped up, which leaves more time for making things pretty. Chris van der Linden (of Loresmyth fame)'s graphic design work does pretty much all the heavy lifting in that regard. On top of that, I'm really trying to push the 'scrapbook' type feel we were going for in Revenge of the Horde to its logical extreme. I hope you like it; I know I do. 

Finally, I'd like to close things out with the beginning of our monster hunter journals. The name might be somewhat inaccurate at this point, as I've landed on a series of letters as the way to tell the story, but this is the nomenclature we all got used to, so it's stuck. Anyway, I hope you like it. Please don't tell me if you don't - I'm very fragile. 

See you in the next one!

Ralph 

My Esteemed Editor,

Having arrived in the provinces as you requested, I found the war done, the people content, and a dearth of stimulation. However, having been told by your honoured self to return with a story or not at all (for which you displayed an obvious preference), I seated myself in a parochial tavern by the name of The Tavern (for the village had but one), paid for a watery ale (for their wine selection was “both”), and reflected on my misery.

It was around my third tankard of the stuff that a local halfling, sunburnt from the fields, sauntered over with unearned confidence and asked, gesturing with a grubby paw at my quill and ink, if I was “one o’ them fancy writer types”. As I began to respond, he continued with what he, no doubt, considered a knowing smirk to his fellows back at his table. “’Cause if’n it’s a real story you be lookin’ for, go to the old farmhouse up on the hill.” He offered to guide me, proffering a stubby hand for payment, but I declined, confident as I was in my ability to find my way around a village whose notable buildings could be counted on one hand and still have fingers enough ‘tae pick yer hooter’ (to borrow an earthy dwarven phrase).

The farmhouse, as it transpired, was a fire-gutted ruin, home to a few intrepid sparrows and little else, truly notable only for its being the sole stone structure in the village (the rest being wattle-and-daub). Within the wreckage of collapsed beams and ashes in what might have been a dining room, was a rough cairn, a colourless and papery bouquet of what might have been wildflowers propped up against it.

“He put them there,” said a voice in the back of my head. “After.”

I immediately knew this unbidden thought to be true, much as one accepts unquestioningly the logic of a dream (my unconscious mind was, perhaps, emboldened by the ale, poor as it was).

It was as I reached down to investigate the flowers closer that the room briefly caught fire.

What further mishaps await our intrepid narrator? Well...I'll tell you in a couple of months, how's that? 

Two Wrongs Don't Make A Wight
over 4 years ago – Mon, Sep 16, 2019 at 03:22:03 AM

Oh, there you are. 

Sorry it's been a while since the last update. Summer kind of got away from me, but do not take this to mean that work is not being done on Dreaded Accursed. Far from it! Takashi is hard at work colouring his sketch artwork (in effect, he has created an extensive, very gross colouring book for himself), Isabel is busy tweaking statblocks (including some devilish little additions to the higher-level zombies), and David and Lou are ensuring all the i's are crossed and the t's dotted. My main focus at the moment is the monster hunter journals, which I think are off to a really good start (you all like disgruntled, snobby, and kind of clueless writer types as point of view characters, right?), and hopefully I should have some stuff to share with you in the next update (in that spookiest of months).

For now; they're mean, they're sallow, you'll find them in a barrow, it's the wights...

With each step, the ground blackens; grass withers in the blighted rot spreading from its foot-fall. The air grows cold, as if the warmth of life itself grows unnerved and shrinks before its approach. Its downturned face, riven by deep crevasses of ancient flesh, is passionless save for the hint in the corner of its mouth of a sneer of contempt. The dark, black pits of its eyes, however, burn with undisguised hatred. 

Should I die without breath to curse, hear my words. I call upon you, o demon, whoever you are, to grant me once more my life. I shall pay any price, undertake any service, for the cold of the grave should not be mine and my deeds are not yet done.

-Inscription on a lead curse tablet

Ralph: I ended up liking wights a lot more than I was expecting to; I had always thought of them as fairly generic filler undead, but there's actually a lot of opportunity for fun stuff here. Somewhat like warlocks, they have some specific higher power to thank for their un-life, which I think could lead to some interesting roleplaying - even though everyone who becomes a wight does so for selfish reasons, they might not start off as completely iredeemable monsters. However, once the unfinished business that drove them to seek this path is completed, they don't really have any other choice than to go along with their master's wishes, and are eventually ground down into emotionless killing machines.  It could be quite tragic if you don't think too hard about the reflexive and dispassionate cruelty that goes along with it...

There's the potential there for a recurring villain, especially using the angle of wights serving mostly as lieutenants in armies commanded by more powerful undead who might be more suited for a climactic final boss fight. 

Alwight then, until next time.

-Ralph

Happy Labor Day (in 5 Days!)
over 4 years ago – Thu, Aug 29, 2019 at 03:23:02 AM

Hello, spooky Dreaded Accursed backers!

This is Megan, Marketing and Community Manager for Nord Games -- nice to meet you all!

I'm popping in and interrupting your regularly-scheduled programming for a short announcement: as of right now, Nord's Super-Shiny-Ultra-Fantastic Labor Day Sale has begun!

Spend $60 or more on products and enter code LABORSAVER2019 at checkout to receive:

• 10% off of your ENTIRE purchase,
  

AND

• a FREE 3-5 session softcover adventure book ($10 value)!
  

What you could get for just $60:

• All 4 decks in our Critical Hit Deck series: $60!
  
• Ultimate NPCs: Skulduggery and Remarkable Inns: $60!
  
• Ultimate Bestiary: Revenge of the Horde and the Revenge of the Horde Pawn Set: $65!
  
• All 3 Dungeon Discoveries decks, a dice set, and a Crown Royal dice bag: $60!
  

Plus, you'd get 10% off and a free $10 softcover adventureon top of each of these lovely options! How stupendous!​​​​​​​ Just don't forget to enter code LABORSAVER2019 at checkout!

Have fun shopping, and a most joyous (early) Labor Day to you, dreaded adventurer!

Happy Gaming,

Megan