Codex Egyptium - Codex Celtarum: 2nd Edition & 'The Island of the Mighty' Campaign Book (and Genetics)

I haven't posted on my blog in many, many months, almost a year, I know, and I am sorry! Much has changed in my personal life, and a little is left to go before it gets 'normal' again. I suppose with most authors and artists, it is typical that my personal life is one filled with turmoil and troubles, but not of my own doing. These problems were all done by my exes (something I will elucidate on later in future posts here) and not my own personal judgment or actions, only by me in default in choosing in being with them. These last six months have been some of my darkest in my life. 

In a more positive note, the Codex Egyptium, written between the summers of 2017 and 2018 and finalized by the start of last August, I tried to fit every useful and obscure amount of data in the tome except one thing - the Egyptian Zodiac & Astronomical charts. That was simply a larger amount of data that I could not find an easier way to simplify and place into the book. My rule in composing these Codices has always been the same, it is Einstein's rule, 'Make the complex simple.' If I cannot, then I will not. This was the case with their ancient and original system of Zodiac. Perhaps in a future publication, I will find a way. 

Regardless, this Kickstarter was 965% funded at $24,135 and all eight Stretch Goals met. Even more amazing, it was funded on its first day and with two Stretch Goals met then! Just to reassure everyone on the 2nd Edition of the classic Codex Celtarum, it is essentially a new book at four times the 1st Edition's size. This is what I first envisioned over two decades ago in its completeness from cover to cover. Here is just a small list of what the massive Codex has in its tome:

- All of Ancient Celtic Europe defined in use for gaming.

- Over One-Hundred Faeries, Monsters and Beings, most NEVER heard from in most sources.

- Hundreds of Deities from the many Celtic pantheons in Gaul, Ireland, and Britain.

- Druids, Bards, and Seers from their original Celtic cultural origins in both history and myth in depth and compared to the Fantasy counterparts.

- 120+ Faery Powers Defined as Originally designed, and how to use them with Faery characters, or half-blooded races.

- Hundreds of Celtic Tribes from the British Isles, Gaul, Spain to Galatia.

- The 'Otherworld' from a level never before handled in Gaming, with a depth of detail that is extremely unique and useful.

- What 'Celticity' means today in Academics, Ethnology, and other fields of research. This will aid Gamers in their portrayal and role-playing efforts.

- The Celtic peoples from both a large and intimate scope, for whatever is useful for the Castle-Keeper and the gaming group.

- Celtic history from Prehistory up to the Norman Invasion (1066 C.E).

Although I had semi-began writing on it many years ago, I never did anything more on it unsure about it, but now seeing the response by the fans during the Kickstarter, I will complete the campaign book of mine called 'The Island of the Mighty' or 'Ynys Y Cedyrn' in its original Welsh. This is my mega-sized Arthurian saga that is set in the Post-Roman Celtic Britain during the Late 5th and Early 6th Centuries, fusing myth and history together. I use the few remaining remnants of Brythonic tales and poems ('Culhwch ac Olwen', 'Preiddeu Annwfn', etc) and my own tales together. It runs in two massive parts, with many smaller adventures within each. Part One leads to the famous 'Gwaith Faddon' (Battle of Badon'), while the second half takes a darker plunge into Annwn and beyond and ultimately heads towards the infamous 'Gwaith Gamlan' (Battle of Camlan'). The players will be swept up into the tales and saga of the Celtic Warlord Arthur and his entourage of Semi-mythical warriors and godlings as they defend Prydain against Saxons, monsters and more. I have play-tested this saga three times over and it is simply brilliant. It will fuse the new 'Codex Celtarum' and 'Codex Germania' together. 

HELIX/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

On a related note, I had my own genetics done by Helix/National Geographic a few months ago, to have more scientific confirmation of my ancestry. They made certain my Maternal DNA at being K1a1c, and it comes from Ireland, no problem there. What they didn't verify was my Paternal Y DNA being East Asian however! In fact, their results are completely contrary in every way. My original purpose for all genetic testing was out of curiosity and to hope to justify my Celtic Studies a little, to make sense of why I am naturally good at it all. Their results say that my Y DNA is R-L144 (U152), which is from the Alpine Gauls. This would make me 91% European (they still acknowledge my East Asian ancestry at 9%). I have written them three times, sent them my Korean Great-Grandfather's immigration information and his genetic raw data that I have inherited from other genetic companies, but they have not changed their results after four months now. Ugh. Sure, this would define my 'Deep Ancestry' as being both Insular and Continental Celtic ultimately, and THAT alone would justify everything I do. It does not explain it all though, or where my Korean Great-Grandfather's genetics enter into it all.

23ANDME