happy new year from one buzzing particle to another


Hi Reader,

Welcome! Happy New Year! Please, come in. Let's shake off that snow.

Make yourself at home. The candles on the table are set up for Hanukkah. Tomorrow night's the eighth night—the big one!

I haven't had you over for a while because I've been heads-down in the text for Defy the Gods, trying to finish it so I can hand it off to Rue Dickey, the copy editor. Now that the Christmas brouhaha is over, I'm putting every spare hour into this.

I'm preparing to launch a Kickstarter for Defy the Gods in March! In advance of that, I'll soon start marketing the game more actively. Once I can get my head out of this manuscript, I'll make a hard pivot from total introvert to total extrovert. At least, that's the plan.

Here's the logo that Cris Viana came up with—not final-final, but getting there. Isn't it awesome? The book is starting to feel real!

And here are the color versions of the character portraits!

Aaaah! They're so cool! Thalie did such amazing work—as she always does.

But! While all this has been happening, a new batch of raccoon dice arrived from Poland! Ros is planning to come over this weekend to assemble the last 170 or so Raccoon Sky Pirates games. I'll ship most of them to Indie Press Revolution and have a few to sell from here, Hectic Electron Central (that is, this table, when it's not Dinner Central). Probably as soon as Monday.

In other news, Udo now wears a harness all day every day, so we can help him down the stairs and up into the car, because he's been getting more tottery. I have to say he looks quite sharp in it. He's an old dog, but he's hanging in there. I'm glad he gets to experience the snow. What he really wants to do is lie on the bed, ideally with us, and we try to maximize his time there.

What are you up to? How have your holidays been? Are you ready to brave the new year? Because I have to tell you, it's here.

Cheers,
Chris

P.S. Quick poll! I'm still trying to land on a tagline for Defy the Gods, so people know what they're getting into when they pick up the book. The current contenders:

  • Queer Sword & Sorcery
  • Discover Queer Sword & Sorcery
  • Sword & Sorcery Romantic Adventure
  • Steamy Sword & Sorcery
  • Sparks, Swords & Sorcery

What do you think? Would you want to know up-front that it's queer-focused? That it has romance in it? I'd love to know. Okay thanks! I'll check in again soon!

Everlasting, Neverending Game Night

🌈🚀 Reliable wonder engine. I make narrative role-playing games that imagine a weirder, queerer, more connected world.

Read more from Everlasting, Neverending Game Night

Hi Reader, What began as a silent shaking in the earth has grown to thunderous, resounding hoofbeats. The armies of Doom approach. Time to draw steel. That is—the Defy the Gods Kickstarter ends on Thursday! If you haven't read my emails for the last year, or I just didn't tell you, Defy the Gods is a queer sword & sorcery tabletop role-playing game set in fantasy ancient Mesopotamia—a game full of daring adventure, messy romance, and cursed power. It's a game where a single sword stroke or...

Hi Reader, It's good to see you. Please, have a seat. Have some iced tea. On the table is a little succulent called, I shit you not, goblin fingers. Other name, for real: Gollum jade. It's the most tabletop role-playing game plant I've ever met. The Defy the Gods Kickstarter ends on Thursday. It's been a roller coaster. In these last four days, I need to tell as many people as possible about it. Expect a few more emails from me this week. If you don't want to get them, you can opt out here....

Hi Reader, Welcome! Please, come in. Sit down. We've got some cold fizzy water and some pizza from this place up the road. On the table and chairs there's an oiled bronze sword, a boiled leather shield, a skeleton key mottled in verdigris ... let me get all that out of the way. There. As you can tell by all the detritus—We're just a week and a half away from the end of the Defy the Gods Kickstarter! So far, we've unlocked an embroidered patch, a spot-gloss upgrade for the standard edition, a...