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Looks like the nominees have been announced at GTS, thanks to the_monkey_king for the heads-up.

Talisman Studios has two nominations this year, Suzerain for Best Roleplaying Game and Shaintar for Best Roleplaying Game Supplement.

( Congrats to all the nominees! )

Just been really busy, both freelancing and with studio work. Just finished ten sketches for the next L5R set, and I'm really happy with a couple of them. Might be my best L5R cards yet... I'll post 'em when I can.

Meanwhile, the daily dose is still going strong on the Suzerain blog, Here's the latest entry, her name is Jen. She's a phoenix about to transform. Suzerain has some great races to choose from, but I think this is my favorite.

Another image for Talisman's 'In Character' series, this one depicting a stalker (Suzerain's take on the vampire) pirate.

This is Sorcha, a Star Shaman from Suzerain's Untamed Empires setting.

I had a few deadlines collide last week, so I didn't get a chance to do any new pieces for my journal, but I did manage to keep up on the Talisman Studios site. Sorcha is the latest in our new 'In Character' series, with illustrations and flash fiction published daily, Monday - Friday. If you like swashbuckling, war ships, magic, and pirates, come take a peek, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

The Dungeon Master has left us.

Here's the AP story:

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.

He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.

Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said.

"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Besides his wife, Gygax is survived by six children.

***

Troll Lord Games on NPR.

VR2: Gamescapes Story Cards, Fantasy Sets 2 & 4 from Dragon Avenue on Vimeo.

Taking a cue from gmskarka...

Illustrating
* Suzerain Illustrated #1, the first in Talisman's new line of illustrated novellas. This one is titled The Legend of Five Shadows, a western-flavored horror story written by Michelle Klein (shellefly), with illustrations by Jason Engle and yours truly.
* A few illustrations for the latest open_design project, can't really say more.
* A five-page Untamed Empires comic with Jason Engle.
* 'In Character' portraits 6-15 for a 15-part serial running daily m-f in the Talisman Studios Suzerain journal (a project spawned from my [daily dose] posts here).

Designing
* Relic (Suzerain's Dark Fantasy RPG setting) world map for playtest groups.
* Relic focus map - the prison city of Isirion (sketch & illo below cut).
* A set of Gamescapes tile maps... a western boomtown.
* 13 new logos/titles for upcoming books.

Art Directing
* Mr Vermilion's Carnival, a set of Gamescapes character cards by Michelle Klein (shellefly) and Alida Saxon (seian).
* A set of fantasy Figure Flats - a Gamescapes/Relic crossover by Frank Walls and tbd colorist.
* Suzerain Hero RPG by Aaron Rosenberg (gryphonrose).

Writing
*Isirion primer for Relic playtesters.

( Relic teasers )

The roads are lovely, dark and deep…

There are things in the world that no laws account for – things that bestow blessings no man remembers or curses for slights long past. But the things, they do not forget. They wait for the right hand to fall upon them, the right eyes to see their glory, the right heart to recognize their power.

Midnight Roads includes:
• A host of story hooks, sample locations and supporting characters suitable for chronicles on the go.
• New systems for car repair, hotwiring and vehicle modifications.
• Contains new Merits related to stunt driving and survival on the road in the World of Darkness.

Midnight Roads is a supplement for the World of Darkness.

***

The first White Wolf book with my work in it was released on my birthday. Woot! You'll find a couple of my pieces behind the cut.

( WoD artwork )

Here's a follow-up to our Champions MMO conversation.



For more info, check out the official site.