HYPERBOREA: Beasts and Cannibals

Layout Samples
almost 6 years ago – Mon, May 28, 2018 at 11:41:35 PM

Hello my bestial and cannibalistic friends,

Today I would like to share some printed layout samples of the working files for The Beasts of Kraggoth Manor, by Tim Callahan. Mind you, these are printed using #20 paper on an old laser printer. The point is to show you the overall look and feel of these pages.

Here we have page 1, the title page, featuring Johnathan Bingham art:

Here is page 12, featuring Diogo Nogueira art:

Here is page 43, featuring Del Teigeler art:

 And here they are together, with my cat, Elvis:

Work continues! Also, pre-orders are still open for any gaming friends who missed out on the Kickstarter. Here is the link:

https://hyperborea.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Thank you.

Cheers,
Jeffrey Talanian
North Wind Adventures

Beasts and Cannibals Progress Report
almost 6 years ago – Sun, May 13, 2018 at 01:06:38 AM

Greetings,

Since the last official update for HYPERBOREA: Beasts and Cannibals, work has been progressing nicely. 

The layout files for The Beasts of Kraggoth Manor (T. Callahan) were sent to Mr. David Prata for final review, and his corrections have been implemented. We still have a few illustrations remaining for that module, but it is mostly done, nearly ready for print. It rings in at 52 pages. 

Meantime, Mr. Michael Haskell is busy editing The Anthropophagi of Xambaala (C. Walden), and I am pleased with the preliminary results. We are waiting on but one more illustration for that module, so it's all falling into place nicely.

Working on the covers for each module has been exciting. The overall look conforms very nicely with our last four modules, Beneath the Comet (B. Ball), Forgotten Fane of the Coiled Goddess (J. Salvador), Ghost Ship of the Desert Dunes (J. Talanian), and The Mystery at Port Greely (J. Talanian). One of our stretch goals was for Xambaala to have a gatefold cover. Basically, the book measures 8.5 x 11 inches, and the front cover will have a flap that measures 8.25 x 11 inches. Here is an early glimpse of how that will look:

So, imagine, if you will, that the map is the part that folds in. Oh, keep in mind that any of this can change before going to print, but hopefully you get the basic idea on the direction.

Working on editing and layout is part of the process, but it is not all of the process. Preparing for fulfillment is an integral part of completing a crowdfunded campaign. To that end, our boxes for shipping the physical modules have arrived. Using boxes and not envelopes is an important part of our business model, to mitigate the chance for damages. It is very effective. Here is a photo of the 500 boxes that just rolled in a few days ago:

Speaking of stretch goals, we've also taken care of one of those. Each physical module will include a lovely bookmark. These have been designed, ordered, and received. Check these out! 

This project remains on schedule. I hope this message sees you well, gaming fellows. Thank you for pledging your support. Your support keeps North Wind Adventures running. Excelsior!

Cheers,
Jeffrey Talanian
North Wind Adventures

The Beasts and Cannibals are Victorious!
about 6 years ago – Thu, Apr 19, 2018 at 10:24:52 PM

Greetings fellow gamers,

Last Monday morning, our Kickstarter campaign, HYPERBOREA: Beasts and Cannibals finished successfully. Not only did we achieve our funding goal, but we also unlocked every stretch goal. You will each receive a brand new Corvette! No, no, our stretch goals were cool but modest in scope: map printing on inside covers, bonus art, bookmarks, and a gatefold cover for The Anthropophagi of Xambaala. 

In the next day or two I will be sending out BackerKit surveys, collecting your email address for PDF fulfillment. Please make certain that this is the same email address associated with your DriveThru / RPGNOW account. I will also require your physical address if you've ordered physical books. This will then determine your shipping fees, which must be paid in order for your to receive your items. 

When you receive the BackerKit survey, you will be presented with the opportunity to add-on extra modules if you'd like any, as well as several of our past products, such as Beneath the Comet, Forgotten Fane of the Coiled Goddess, Ghost Ship of the Desert Dunes, The Mystery at Port Greely, the AS&SH 2E hardback, and more! 

You will also have the opportunity to add our newest T-shirt, featuring the Johnathan Bingham and Daisey Bingham cover art for The Beasts of Kraggoth Manor. 

Also, folks who missed out on the campaign will also have the opportunity to pre-order the two new modules (The Anthropophagi of Xambaala and The Beasts of Kraggoth Manor), as well as the new T-shirt seen above.

In closing, I present to you this uncanny and fantastic illustration by Mr. Peter Mullen, which will see print in The Beasts of Kraggoth Manor. 

Soon I'll be sharing layout samples from one of the forthcoming modules, too. I hope this update sees you all happy and healthy.

Cheers,
Jeffrey Talanian
North Wind Adventures

48 hours, and what the future holds!
about 6 years ago – Sat, Apr 14, 2018 at 09:53:39 PM

Gaming fellows,

It's hard to believe how fast this Kickstarter campaign has flown by! It's seen steady growth for the last month, proving that there is still value in solid adventure modules that can be played out in, say, 4–8 sessions. This is encouraging! 

When I formed North Wind Adventures in 2008, it was with the purpose of creating a game, a setting, and adventures that I would want to play with my own gaming crew of ne'er-do-wells. It's been exciting to learn that other gamers around the globe share an interest in traditional tabletop role-playing that draws inspiration from the fiction of authors such as Robert. E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith. So, thank you for your support and encouragement! 

Some of you may be wondering what is next for North Wind Adventures, once this current Kickstarter, HYPERBOREA: Beasts and Cannibals, comes to a close. Upon completion of fulfillment this coming summer, we'll be launching a new Kickstarter campaign. The focus of it will be two in-demand resources for the AS&SH game: a softcover Players' Manual (Vol. I, II, III of the hardback), and a Referee's Screen. After that, we have two more adventure modules lined up for 2019! Beyond that we are looking at a supplement for The City-State of Khromarium, and a pet project of mine that I've been tinkering with for years: Mount Vhuurmithadon, a deadly mega-dungeon filled with daemons, monsters, and gods. 

In closing, I leave you with this beautiful illustration pencilled and inked by Del Teigeler, and coloured by Daisey Bingham. This piece will be featured on the back cover of The Beasts of Kraggoth Manor.

Thanks for your generous support of this Kickstarter campaign, friends.

Kind regards,
Jeffrey Talanian
North Wind Adventures 

72 Hours Left! Third Stretch Goal Unlocked!
about 6 years ago – Thu, Apr 12, 2018 at 12:06:38 PM

Gaming fellows,

It's the final 72 hours for HYPERBOREA: Beasts and Cannibals! It's been an exciting campaign, starting with an amazing launch in which we funded right away, followed by steady growth ever since. During this time we've unlocked three modest yet excellent stretch goals:

• Maps printed on inside covers
• Additional art commissions
• Bookmarks for each physical module

In these final 72 hours, we are hoping to see the final stretch goal achieved: a gatefold cover for The Anthropophagi of Xambaala. In anticipation of this, I've already received a prototype of the cover from my printer.

So, you might be wondering what we've accomplished and what we have yet to do for this campaign. I've been keeping careful track for a long time now. In fact much of the groundwork for these two new adventure modules, The Anthropophagi of Xambaala and The Beasts of Kraggoth Manor, was laid a few years ago. Here is where we stand:

• Writing 100%
• Editing 60%
• Cover art 100%
• Interior art 82%
• Maps 100%
• Layout 40%

What happens next? A week or two after the campaign ends, we will be issuing a survey via BackerKit. Here are some of the things we'll be covering:

• Your email address associated with RPGNow / DriveThruRPG (for PDF fulfillment).
• Your physical mailing address (so that we can bill you for shipping, and for fulfillment purposes) for printed module orders.
• Add-ons! Do you want to add any extra modules? Do you want to add the new Kraggoth Manor T-shirt, and if so, what is your size? Do you want to add any of our past publications (modules or hardbacks)?

I hope you enjoy these two new adventure modules as much as I do! In closing, I leave you with a couple of Troll Bros. as illustrated by the talented Mr. Jason Sholtis! 

I hope this update sees you well, my friends. Please share the news with your gaming pals that this Kickstarter campaign is just about over! Enthusiasts of AS&SH and the world's most popular tabletop RPG (as well as it's modern simulacra, such as OSRIC and Swords & Wizardry) may well enjoy these adventures quite a bit. 

Cheers,
Jeffrey Talanian
North Wind Adventures