Sunday, February 14, 2021

A Valentine's Day Saga

Below is a Romance tale

So. Thessaly Chance, Mz. Thess, and me have known each other for about eight to twelve years now. I really can't remember how long. But as long ago as eight years ago, the woman approached me about publishing her T&T scribblings. I said yes. Her vision of Our Game fit into mine quite well. She likes to make up new creature-Kindred and isn't always trying to turn things into a d20 format. She, very flatteringly, tends to use the species that can be attributed to me from the T&T 7plus edition Codex Monstrum(?) published circa 'o8 or so, when running games as well as when playing in others.

This year she sent me yet another poke to see if PeryPubbers were still interested. Of course I was and would be still so. All my friends want some T&T, and while Tess and I don't always see eye to eye, we get roleplaying the way it should be done-- mostly with kewl Character-species in very imaginative settings. I wasn't expecting to see any results, I mean, I have only been waiting on them for eight years, but this time around she delivered. And how...
I have been staring at about 190 pages of material and accompanying original art for the last month. It is complete and the artwork is gamery wonderful. The work's been edited and just needs to be formatted. The only reason you all haven't gotten this product yet is because the writing is so good that I am reading it slowly.

There was a fight and I wasn't involved? Whaaaa....?
Wait. What happened? I was just sitting here minding my own business. Heck I wasn't even in the room.
Apparently PeryPub is the rebound publisher. There is some grief and gripe by folk representing at Flying Buffalo Incorporated; they feel jilted. You see, they were just this close to getting Mz. Thessaly's work published but then they got high or something or another. I've heard tale that the very day that "Uprising at Buzzard Gulch Monster Rez" was announced to be a Peryton Publishing product that the guy in charge over at FBI, quoted by multiple sources, was about to send the work to a, no, the format-person that very day,  a few seconds, most likely, after the announcement of another interested party had been brought up.
I don't mind being the rebound guy in this situation. Sure the woman has been keeping her options open, but I, like any true gigolo publisher, am all about the perks not the work.

A bit more seriously
Buzzard Gulch, actually having read it, I think the work is more suited for Peryton Publishing than an FBI product. Thess's, I prefer Tess but hey, work is what T&T used to be, a sideways comment on the world around the roleplaying hobby. You'll get the references without being hammered over the head. And it will probably piss off the Social Justice Warriors as well as the Alt-Right froggers, because the author and her backers are outside of both groups and we know things that neither of them have bothered to lookup.

It is full of the author's idiosyncrasy and tabulating compelling drama that can be used in the scenarios and adventure hooks provided. References to the world of Raaalph's background, such as multiple major conflicts known as The Monster Wars, help provide the unique Trollhalla feel to things. No less than thirty NPCs, I stopped counting around then, have enough detail to help even the most "sandbox" of GMs knit yarns without making too many notes to remember for themselves later. The locales have rhyme and reason, both ecology as well as economy, that helps with a Star Wars-like lived-in feel permeate throughout the work. Woven all together, if you're a fan of atmospheric pieces like Fafhrd and Gray Mouser or Dune AND play, or even thought about playing Monsters! Monsters!/ T&T this setting book is going be a gem.

So this work is upcoming. Hopefully with a color cover from Simon Tranter, because I am actually no gigolo. I am pretty sure you all will like the T.R.O.T.T. logo I have to present as well. A few of you might even run or play in some of the material inside. Welcome to the Elder world of Trolls and Tunnels when you do.

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