tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75997846403686310742024-03-05T21:04:41.997-06:00 Brian N. Young - AuthorFrom my RPG Products to my literary projects, all can be found here officially. Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-35928022104869543022019-03-06T15:20:00.000-06:002019-03-06T21:07:05.893-06:00Codex Egyptium - Codex Celtarum: 2nd Edition & 'The Island of the Mighty' Campaign Book (and Genetics) <div style="text-align: justify;">
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. </div>
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In a more positive note, the <b><i>Codex Egyptium</i></b>, 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. </div>
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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 <b><i>Codex Celtarum</i></b>, 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:</div>
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- All of Ancient Celtic Europe defined in use for gaming.<br />
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- Over One-Hundred Faeries, Monsters and Beings, most NEVER heard from in most sources.<br />
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- Hundreds of Deities from the many Celtic pantheons in Gaul, Ireland, and Britain.<br />
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- Druids, Bards, and Seers from their original Celtic cultural origins in both history and myth in depth and compared to the Fantasy counterparts.<br />
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- 120+ Faery Powers Defined as Originally designed, and how to use them with Faery characters, or half-blooded races.<br />
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- Hundreds of Celtic Tribes from the British Isles, Gaul, Spain to Galatia.<br />
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- The 'Otherworld' from a level never before handled in Gaming, with a depth of detail that is extremely unique and useful.<br />
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- What 'Celticity' means today in Academics, Ethnology, and other fields of research. This will aid Gamers in their portrayal and role-playing efforts.<br />
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- The Celtic peoples from both a large and intimate scope, for whatever is useful for the Castle-Keeper and the gaming group.<br />
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- Celtic history from Prehistory up to the Norman Invasion (1066 C.E).<br />
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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 '<b><i>The Island of the Mighty</i></b>' or '<b><i>Ynys Y Cedyrn</i></b>' 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 ('<i>Culhwch</i><i> ac Olwen</i>', '<i>Preiddeu Annwfn</i>', etc) and my own tales together. It runs in two massive parts, with many smaller adventures within each. Part One leads to the famous '<b>Gwaith Faddon</b>' (Battle of Badon'), while the second half takes a darker plunge into Annwn and beyond and ultimately heads towards the infamous '<b>Gwaith Gamlan</b>' (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 '<i><b>Codex Celtarum</b></i>' and '<i><b>Codex Germania</b></i>' together. </div>
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<b>HELIX/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC</b></div>
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On a related note, I had my own genetics done by <i>Helix/National Geographic </i>a few months ago, to have more scientific confirmation of my ancestry. They made certain my Maternal DNA at being <i><b>K1a1c</b></i>, 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 <i><b>R-L144</b></i> (<i><b>U152</b></i>), 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.<br />
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<b>23ANDME</b></div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-20546613222699971672017-12-03T16:28:00.000-06:002017-12-03T16:28:53.762-06:00Dusting Off My Oldest Project To Start Anew - Korean Style!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know I haven't posted in a while, partially it was due to the holidays and to writing, and some contemplation about writing.<br />
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My old defunct project, '<i><b>The Rainbow Eyes</b></i>' trilogy, going back over twenty years and themed on Celtic mythology and about 6+ drafts, countless failed attempts at acquiring agents, etc. has been always in the back of my mind. Out of all of my many projects, this has been the one that never made it to print or its actual cinema realization - ever. It was the original basis for what sent me into finally becoming a true writer too! How ironic.<br />
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Each draft, I worked it out, figured out my own faults as an author and the endless gaps lacking in Celtic mythology and pressed on hoping each incarnation was indeed better. It wasn't, not really. So, each decade's draft sat, hidden away next to the last again. My ambitions died with it all over and burst anew.<br />
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Finally, after having my DNA analyzed and finding unknown relatives, I was astonished to find out that I had no real 'Celtic' relatives, but Korean (and Jewish) ones. To make a long story short, it has altered my worldview greatly, and this very project. In fact, it might have saved it. My East Asian descent was so obvious and I was blind to it for most of my life, looking other places, being misled by odd family information and ignoring other family stories from childhood.<br />
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What if I had been writing the correct story or stories since it is a trilogy, in the wrong cultural context all along? Every problem that I found lacking in a Celtic context was easily made up for in a Korean one, in fact, improved upon, my tales wrote themselves when I mentally moved them over from one milieu to another - as though it was really meant to be placed in this setting after all. Placed in a Chinese Wuxia story-telling mode, it makes them even better!<br />
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I am aware that 20+ years is a long time to spend, or waste, on a project if the direction was wrong, but perfection comes often in angles we do not predict. Now I see (I hope) that I can possibly complete the first drafts of these tales in script form, then move to Manga and possibly novels.</div>
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An entirely new world has opened up on my own creations that I am discovering as I am writing them once more, and I hope others can finally see what I see too.</div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-84057775335378235632017-05-05T13:15:00.001-05:002017-07-16T12:30:30.267-05:00My East Asian Connection - What It Means For Future Projects! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Having undergone some genetic testing with 23andme initially, after many, many years of wanting it, to verify my heritage and ethnic origins, and put many family stories to rest (i.e,. 'Korean Royalty', 'Coming from Ireland', etc), it was done. After a LONG nearly seven week wait, as my DNA sample was analyzed and then my Haplogroups were defined with my ancestry, to my horror and surprise I was scientifically defined. The joke is on me as I thought I was more of a 'Celtic' American but I am actually an Asian American, with the genetics to prove it! </div>
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I grew up hearing that my Dad's side was Korean and royal but never believed it for many reasons: I never saw anything from it, never met anyone from that side, etc - ever. So for the last forty-five years, I really had no reason to think otherwise, in addition, I never met that side of my family but knew they generally lived in California (he was from there). After my genetic results, ALL of that changed. 100%. I have 13% East Asian origins, with a unique Haplogroup (and an ancestry of Mongolian, Japanese, Uzbek, Tibetan, Han and obviously Korean), and all from him. Then, using their 'Cousin Find' system, I was able to locate my long lost relatives and link up with my family and begin to piece together my Korean family tree a little. It was all true after all. </div>
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We are descended from the Yun family that inspected the Emperor's Court and his Empire for corruption and weaknesses, and even further still back in time, we derived from the ancient Gogoreyo Empire or Dynasty. We also shared a past with the empire of Khitai and the Emperor Cao Cao in China. What our connection to Tibet is, I am not sure yet, but I am related distantly to the many peoples in the plateau that live there today. </div>
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I ran my raw DNA data through many other genetic sites to get other results, and the end results were the same regardless. I did a lot of research to track down my Asian relatives and their past, and to know more, and every little amount of data continues to add up. As a young kid I trained in Martial Arts (Go-Ju Ru) and was almost a Black-Belt but my Dojo closed on me! I sought to run away to join a Shaolin monastery and dedicate myself to Kung-Fu, even learned the art of meditation, memorized the Tao. I didn't obviously run away to Tibet, I was only about eleven or twelve years old at the time. </div>
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What all of this means is that my future Asian Codices will be even more in-depth and personal than envisioned before. There maybe three books, possibly four in the set for Asia, I am not sure yet. They will rival and do better than the old classic 'Oriental Adventures' AD & D book. </div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-46445455469417967012017-01-14T19:59:00.000-06:002017-01-14T20:45:30.107-06:00The 'Codex Celtarum - 2nd Edition' is Written! <div style="text-align: justify;">
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At long last, and after spending nearly the recent 3-4 months writing, not counting the previous two decades (and more) of play-testing and the release of the 1st Edition and its award and success - the 2nd and <b>FINAL</b> Edition of the '<i><b>Codex Celtarum</b></i>' is finished! It is the largest book I have ever written, being over 230,000 words in size, and packed with SO MUCH useful data, it will make gamers not know where to begin!</div>
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I put everything that I have promised and ever wanted from the beginning of this project into this book (within limits), and it is massive. There are so many monsters and faeries now, compared to the 1st Edition, it is a wondrous catalog of the mythic and folkloric Celtic mind through the ages. The new character classes are the actual '<i>Celtic Druid</i>', '<i>Celtic Bard</i>', and '<i>Celtic Seer</i>', as titled, to differentiate them from the Fantasy versions. Obviously, these were originally Celtic ethnic occupations from Antiquity, and so now it is possible to play them with a mythic touch that was barely possible before in the 1st Edition.</div>
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The complete rules on Reincarnation, Ogam and more are in this tome, and the Faery Abilities, as originally intended. The Gauls, Galatians, Celtiberians and other Celtic peoples from the past are now all provided throughout this massive Codex, and their glorious glimpses into the Afterlife. There is less than 5-8% from the 1st Edition's content in this Edition, as it is a completely original and new book from cover to cover.</div>
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Next, I write the epic campaign adventuring book, '<i><b>The Island of the Mighty</b></i>', as a companion to it and my many modules. It will take players on the legendary adventures alongside <i>Arthur</i> and his warriors, as they earn their place in his mythic warband in 6th Century Britain. Imagine many modules together in one book, broken into two parts, first working towards the '<i>Battle of Badon</i>', and then the dreadful '<i>Battle of Camlan</i>'. There will be nothing quite like it....</div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-37529025288549322842016-10-13T14:56:00.002-05:002016-10-13T14:56:50.400-05:00The Covers for the New Codices are...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-77263550163229715882016-10-13T11:57:00.001-05:002016-10-13T11:57:46.393-05:00Update on PhD and Codices.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Most bloggers say you should blog or post daily and keep this thing active all of the time, but really, if you have little to say that is worthwhile, then you only end up ranting or spewing ego driven words endlessly and I feel that if I need to post here, it should be important - and it has been a while! </div>
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Since the last time, my thesis direction has diverted towards where my Masters from <i>Prifysgol Cymru Llanbedr-Pont-Steffen</i> was focused, and that is '<b>Arthur</b>' or as many know him, as '<b>King Arthur</b>', in '<b>Arthurian Studies</b>' (<b><i>Astudiaethau Arthuraidd</i></b>). Under the Supervision of Dr. Tregidga and Vandrei at the University of Exeter (<i>Penskol Keresk</i>), I will write my Doctorate about the role Arthur has played to the Cornish Celtic people in their history simply put. In doing this, I have developed a unique angle that may also finally lay to rest the subject about him as well. That is a TALL order as generations of scholars have bickered over him endlessly either way to the point that he is not even mentioned in serious academic books any longer and ignored all together.. Only the 'fringe' element mention him at all now and are not taken seriously due to the misuse of his name. I have, in my thirty years of being interested in Arthur, finally saw through the many layers of scholarly debate and sources available to us, chopped away the clutter, and may have an answer to it all. I can't tell you about his personality, hair color, etc. but I can tell you about certain things I believe and put to rest centuries of debate FINALLY. The answers were right in front of us the entire time. </div>
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The read them, you will need my PhD thesis however. I am excited to at last be able to have some breakthrough material on Arthur as there really haven't been any in decades. </div>
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My three new Codices, the '<i><b>Codex Germania</b></i>', '<i><b>Codex Slavorum</b></i>' and '<i><b>Codex Classicum</b></i>' will be completed with interior artwork very soon and in print for everyone. Perfected. They will be amazing as expected and overdue I know. On a similar note, I am hard at work on the 2nd Edition of the '<b><i>Codex Celtarum</i></b>' and it is blows away the original, reinvents it in fact. I should have it completed in a month or so. Then I will begin on a special Arthurian Campaign adventure book called '<i><b>The Island of the Mighty</b></i>' that will be for the Kickstarter with it when the time comes. The campaign will span from the '<i>Battle of Badon</i>' to Arthur's last, the '<i>Battle of Camlan</i>' and be epic, taking place in all three worlds, tying together all the 'F' Series adventure modules of mine as well. </div>
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After this is written, I will begin on the '<b><i>Codex Aegypta</i></b>' and '<i><b>Codex Mesopotamia</b></i>' to complete the series in the Western Hemisphere. These will be the definable tomes, as the rest, on the subject, for gaming. Prepare for more character classes specific to the ethnicities, especially with the 2nd Edition of the <i><b>Codex Celtarum</b></i>. </div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-78163470917973479062016-03-05T14:15:00.000-06:002016-05-01T11:10:31.351-05:00Beginning my PhD, New Projects and More! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It has been a long time in the making, over twenty-five years of research regarding the Celtic-speaking peoples and their lost and fragmented beliefs, or what many consider today 'Druidism', but I have been dedicated in my pursuit since 1991. All of my game designing and Celtic related novels, even film scripts are connected to its basic ideas in some way, and I have been piecing together the vast remains of that era. Just as Tesla could understand the Earth's <i>Magnetics</i> and <i>Electricity</i>, and Einstein <i>Gravity</i> and <i>Relativity</i>, and each made it their own life's work, Stephen Hawking's work with <i>Black Holes</i>, I have really dedicated my own life secretly behind the scenes to unraveling the 'World of the Druids', and their philosophies. Their cryptic designs and fragmented concepts and lore make clear sense to me in the same way that Tesla, Einstein and Hawking (et al.) could understand their various fields.</div>
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I wanted to know who and what they were really were. Not what people told me they were. Not the Romans, Greeks, and especially not the wacko New-Age/Neo-Pagan Gurus today who are absolutely a universe away from that world. To better comprehend it all, logically, I had to learn the languages, past and present, and the prevailing theories of Celticity and Prehistoric European religion(s), and philosophies. The matter grew complicated many times over in the decades.<br />
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No one has yet figured the ancient beliefs of the Celtic peoples, or the teachings of the Druids, or the extent of where they went in Celtic Europe. All books about the Druids repeat the same information and only give some different angles in places, but generally share the same data without daring to explore anything deeper. This had always puzzled me. The top minds of Celtic Studies would write the same information time and time again essentially, if that, or take a harsher view towards the Druids and view them as barbaric knife-wielding priests bent on murdering innocents with a primitive religion (as Christian and Roman sources tell us). I do not see it this way, as the evidence betrays a very profound and deep philosophical system. </div>
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During my first two degrees I expanded my understanding of the material and Celtic Studies likewise grew into new and profound theories and views regarding who the Celts were and are today. This increased and advanced my own work, even simplified it. Using Einstein's own words, 'If you cannot explain it to a child, then you do not understand it yourself.' Now, after these many years I have it broken down to what could be a new startling and groundbreaking perspective on Druidism, Metempsychosis, which goes hand-in-hand with Celticism in Europe. I am about to start on my PhD in Celtic Studies from the <a href="http://humanities.exeter.ac.uk/history/research/centres/ics/" target="_blank">University of Exeter</a> (Studhyansow Geltyon dhyworth an Benskol Keresk) and finally put all of this data, decades' worth, into the thesis. I now hope my dissertation will prove this in a few years....</div>
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There is so much that I can expand it into nearly two more studies, lengthy, and will, extrapolating with early Pythaogorean Hellenic sources and other related materials, it will be unlike anything anyone has ever written on the Druids. I see it as a pivot-point in our already changing view on early man's religion from the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron-Age in Britain and Western Europe.<br />
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In essence, my interest in the Celtic Otherworld and Faery-folk goes back to the early 80's, and searching for that hidden spark of 'magic' in music and life. So this has been my life's pursuit from the earliest days. It is the core of who I am in the end and the basis of everything I have really ever done and sought, now culminating in my Doctoral work at last. The only difference is that, when I was younger, growing up in a very disjointed, culturally illiterate society in Oklahoma that was ignorant about the 'Celts', I didn't know who they were until the mid-80's. This was thanks to the BBC series, the famous six episode set of shows, and that fact that I was told of my own Irish, Scottish and Welsh ancestry and put the pieces of the puzzle together.<br />
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Related projects, are several books dealing with the faery-folk of which I am teaming up with well-known authors <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_M._Kent" target="_blank">Dr. Alan Kent</a> and <a href="http://www.kevanmanwaring.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kevan Manwarring</a> on one of my books. These faery themed books are a new direction in my own writing and are related to my PhD research, as everyone will later find out.<br />
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On the Troll Lord Games front: the <i><b>Codex Germania</b></i> is completed, and now the <i><b>Codex Slavorum</b></i> is next in line with editing and art, leaving the large and monumental <i><b>Codex Classicum</b></i>. Following in the wake of those books will be the supplemental adventures. Smaller but wondrously fun books to immerse yourself into the Germanic and Slavic worlds of gaming.</div>
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Separately, the blog of another fellow author, and the head of my English Department in which I teach at, <a href="https://stevenewedel.wordpress.com/2016/02/26/open-letter-to-oklahoma-voters-and-lawmakers/" target="_blank">Steven Wedel</a>, has gained a global and viral attention lately. If you haven't kept up with our state's problems, education is being reduced down to its barest level of funding by an uncaring government. They have stripped away our funds, and continue to do so without comment coldly. It is the usual case of thoughtless politicians, never the educated or ones experienced as educators, dictating how education should be managed. I come from a town where a similar dilemma was already underway by an uncaring ego-driven, over zealous, local government hell-bent on ridding the town of its legacy, arts and eventually culture (from what little it possessed to begin with). Now, added to the state-wide nightmare caused by the Governor and her cronies, Oklahoma is really set on destroying teachers and ensuring that children will never be fed, given decent funds for their proper education and emerge as broad (and open) minded individuals, ready to break this pattern of self-inflicted ignorance. </div>
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Ironically, I sit and write at the crux of <a href="http://www.sott.net/article/313177-The-cult-of-ignorance-in-the-United-States-Anti-intellectualism-and-the-dumbing-down-of-America" target="_blank">anti-intellectualism</a> in our country in Oklahoma, and it hurts every minute. The majority find their 'facts' in the media and by Social Media in general, or by their Religious 'Leaders', and disdain academics. They waste time and money battling over placing the Ten Commandments at the State Capital instead of focusing on making our students acquire a better education, THAT is their priority. Ignorance is plenty and it speaks heavy. Phone zombies, as I call them, are everywhere, and yet, having access to the Internet and all of the history, science and information of Mankind, they choose to linger on gossip and other petty nonsense. It is beyond Oklahoma I know, but here it is endemic. Being normally a history teacher since 2002, I remember that other times in history, scholars and teachers that were distrusted and campaigned against by the government: examples of this occurred by groups such as the Nazis, Qin Shi Huang, Stalin and many others who suppressed the spread of knowledge because it might harm their seat of power. When teachers and scholars are shunned by those in power and then the populace, as this State, and country, have done, then we are in dreadful times.<br />
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When Creationism and Religious Dogma is mandated as law over scientific and logical education and thinking, then things have begun their downward spiral into oblivion. I do not consider personally a scientist valid, or his or her, methodologies or words so, if they are a Theist and openly profess to a belief system. That would be contrary to the rational approach of Scientific Thinking and at odds. One cannot believe in some invisible Space Daddy on one end, in which you cannot prove through these same methodologies, and then be expected to act the part of scientist as well (especially when lives might be on the line due to your intervention).<br />
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This is not meant to give an answer or rant, just a quick observation of the problem. By this August, I have been teaching for fifteen years, in both Higher and Public Education, and the subjects I can teach cover the breadth of over a dozen or so at the moment. After my PhD is finished, this will grow to larger depths and range of over twenty topics I am qualified to teach - if not more. What is sad, is that my home state and home-town, frown upon intellectualism and being unique more than ever. The 'Buddy System' has thrived here forever and poisoned every aspect of life and now completely strangled it until nothing is left. Aside from these religious-minded politicians physicially closing our schools personally, or stepping into our classrooms and censoring what we teach, and they are getting close to that...we do not have much left. The students do not fully realize the danger they are in. My seniors do, and are savvy to the threat, but are powerless to stop it. </div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-78672700326639961802015-07-20T16:50:00.001-05:002015-07-20T16:50:44.291-05:00The Kickstarter of Epic Proportions Has Begun! <div style="text-align: center;">
<b>CLICK THE BANNER!</b></div>
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<br />Between these three books, you will have over 8 to 9 new character classes deriving from these cultures and myths to include in your games and over four hundred (or more) mythical monsters and beings, not including five hundred or more deities, titans and demi-gods. There is so much in these three books it is difficult to even easily define so quickly, and I wrote them!<br /><br />Having these three will also complete the European Codex set with the '<b>Codex Celtarum</b>' and '<b>Codex Nordica</b>', which will be a total of five hardback volumes to use at the table. Once the Kickstarter link is up I will provide it here and all of the information during the month long progress. It will be an exciting time!<br /><br />The '<b>Codex Germania</b>' obviously focuses on the Continental Germanic peoples, their histories, myths, monsters and more in one book, and works as a companion to the 'Codex Nordica' since those peoples are culturally akin to each other. There is even a small starter adventure in the back that links this book with the '<b>Codex Celtarum</b>' and the beginning of the Anglo-Saxon settlement into Celtic, Post-Roman Britain. New character classes include: <i>Rune Master</i>, <i>Dragonslayer</i>, and <i>Haliruna</i> or '<i>Witch</i>'.<br /><br />The '<b>Codex Slavorum</b>' details the Old Slavs as they swept out of the Steppes north of the Black Sea following the end of the Roman Empire in 475 C.E and flooded Eastern Europe and the Byzantine Empire. There are very unique character classes here including the <i>Shaman</i>, <i>Witch/Vampire-Hunter </i>and more. Quite possibly the largest list of mythological beings as well are given in this book. If you ever wanted to play a 'Bogatyr' from Russian legend, it is now possible!<br /><br />And finally, the '<b>Codex Classicum</b>' is about Ancient Greek civilization, both Hellenic, Hellenistic, and even including other Mediterranean cultures nearby that were influenced or influencing them: Etruscan and Roman. One of the new character classes is the eerie but real '<i>Necromancer</i>' of old, that wandered graveyards and battlefields for the dead, and the <i>Gladiator</i> class in its many varieties, and the <i>Explorer/Adventurer</i>, in the style of the first such as Pythias, who traveled from Magna Grecia to the British Isles and even possibly beyond, or Alexander the Great, who conquered the greatest Empire the world had ever seen! These are not the fantasy classes you are used to! Classical myths and civilization are now possible in this book at last....<div>
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Around the corner I will be updating my award winning <b>Codex Celtarum</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>and giving it the original vision I intended after two decades of playtesting and design as well. This means completely fleshing out the sections on the Celtic peoples to include the Gauls, Celtiberians, and Galatians, and their histories, myths and adding LOTS of expanded content including Reincarnation and more Faery-folk. If you thought the book was something before...just wait until you see it again! </div>
Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-83567254839744615832015-06-15T21:30:00.001-05:002015-07-03T21:59:27.987-05:00New Publications, Chaosium and More! (It has been a while on here)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since the publication of my '<b>The Axis of Shadows</b>' by Damnation Books last February, it appeared online, or at least on here that I went silent in the writing department. That wasn't true fortunately. Due to my teaching High School Freshmen English, which was a very involved job day to day, my writing did slow. Novel three in my Celtic series had abruptly stopped last August in 2014, leaving me hanging with only 20,000 words left! I do plan on finishing that wondrous adventure tale, filled with intrigue and Prince Rhun's first introduction to the Otherworld physically in the saga, and it isn't pleasant. '<b>A Perilous Pursuit</b>' is my Troll Lord Games module '<b>A Crimson Pact</b>' brought to life, and trust me, it has been! There is also wild passionate romance within its pages.<br />
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On that note, the first two books in the series, '<b>The Sullen Queen</b>', and '<b>Within a Dark Mountain</b>' will be re-published soon by Chenault & Grey Publishing officially. New covers and meticulous editing will help bring this Celtic series alive for readers. Once the third book I mentioned above is done, it will be added. The tale of Prince Rhun and his father's own powerful rise to power, King Maelgwn of Gwynedd, in 6th Century Britain, will be unlike any set of books before it. Last year I self-published the first on my own. '<b>The Sullen Queen</b>' had limited success and it was tough, but I didn't like the uphill struggle that it involved. I wanted the comfort of having access to artists and editors. I edited the novel ten times, paid a moody and random artist to do the art (of which I could have done myself, as I was a professional Celtic artist in the 90's of some renown). I made my money back roughly but it wasn't what I wanted to do, not at the pace that I write. My ambitions are higher and my production skill is greater, so I need the backing of funds and people to support me.<br />
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So the opportunity arose and I took it! Self-publishing works for some, but unless you have a million dollar seller, you never make your money back in the end and you are always in the low-end struggling to get noticed, handling advertising and getting paid. It is too much work added to the work of writing already.<br />
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Next month my long awaited '<b>Codex Germania</b>' begins its Kickstarter! Finally! Yes, it is true. You can recreate anything from the ancient Germanic sagas and tales, whether it is Anglo-Saxon, Frankish, Gothic, or name it, you can do so in this newest Mythic tome of gaming goodness. I even added a small starter adventure in the battle that takes place in Celtic Britain as the Saxons are trying to establish a foothold after the Roman Empire left. This sort of bridges the gap between the '<b>Codex Celtarum</b>' and the '<b>Codex Germania</b>' books now. This book is also a companion to the '<b>Codex Nordica</b>' as the cultures are shared and alike, both linguistically, mythically and otherwise, so expect many commonalities.<br />
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In addition to this, it appears that later in the Fall my '<b>Codex Slavorum</b>' will be next in line! That is right. The Slavic Codex, so you get a double shot of Codices so close to each other in this short time and that is amazing. That isn't all. In all of this, it is planned to get the next one (I am assuming), the '<b>Codex Classicum</b>' for the Winter/Spring. This is the next volume I need to write obviously before that time comes, and includes Greek mythology (with the Roman and Etruscan). So by Spring of 2016, you will have FIVE Codices on your gaming shelf! That will be the entire European set in one swoop amazingly. Then I will plan to write the Asian set, which will be two books. One for the Japanese islands, and the surrounding isles, and another for the mainland. Added to this, I will also write a 2nd Edition for the '<b>Codex Celtarum</b>' in the manner I intended originally, adding the material that I never included and much more. So it will be a mega time for Mythic Codices and gaming to come!<br />
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Now...onto Chaosium. It had long been a goal of mine someday to write and design for them. I had started gaming around the time I discovered both '<b>Call of Cthulhu</b>' and H.P. Lovecraft in 1984-5. Now, that goal has come true this summer. If you know the recent news, Sandy Peterson and Greg Stafford are back to save the company from peril. I submitted a campaign book idea just barely a month before they returned. By August I will be working on it. It will be a sort of....'<b>Codex Celtarum</b>' meets the Lovecraftian Mythos adventure campaign book. Imagine the classic campaign books '<b>Shadows of Yog-Shoggoth</b>', '<b>Masks of Nyarlethotep</b>', etc but with a Celtic theme throughout Celtic Europe and time. It will be compatible with their '<b>Dark Ages</b>', '<b>Cthulhu by Gas-Light</b>', '<b>Green and Pleasant Land</b>' and '<b>Cthulhu Invictus</b>' books as the Celts occupied nearly all of Europe throughout the last 4,000 years. I have one adventure written already and it takes place in 1920's Ireland. This will be odd and mindblowing stuff...my tentative name for it is '<b>Savage Hyperborea: Mythos Terror in Celtic Europe</b>'.<br />
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Also, my old scriptwriting venture is brought back to life too, with new Hollywood connections and more. One of these scripts dates back to 1999, and if ever taken by a producer and studio, it would be my '<b>Codex Celtarum</b>' and the modules/novels associated brought to life on the screen. Major things are happening. So the silence on here is NOT indicative of the reality of the fervent energy going on behind the scenes.<br />
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-59081324753219544872015-01-31T12:21:00.002-06:002015-01-31T13:14:03.401-06:00'The Axis of Shadows' is about to Become the Next Release on Feb. 1st!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615729555"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHZaD0o6ksWXUoAgEoeyNDc6pLURXuh85VIo7q12FUgqJMugjcziTsFX0zWd0sTFt_w-uNwcOsMEyEa31OlYfSfJROxxlBu0JOIdBELdG3OoxmheIWtCDkZ4l-4jnWdPaCqOdUehYWWbEK/s1600/Axis.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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<b>Click Book Cover for Link to Damnation Books for Novel!</b></div>
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I wrote this third book in my 'Silent War' Steampunk Horror series many years ago, when my skill at learning how to write a novel (with skill) was still new. My ambition, as it still is, was burning and energetic, but my skill at word-craft was much less than my overall years of experience of story-telling deriving from decades of Gamemastering. That gaming experience is now going on thirty-years. These novels ALL derive from my campaigns actually and a setting that I conceived that was my gritty anti-Steampunk world. While the others were just about to ride on the emerging trend that has since fallen a little, everything in those settings was pretty, oh so Victorian and filled full of fancy. I wanted mine to be dark, gruesome and filled with a Post-18th Century Early Modernistic malaise mixed with Gothic horror and high action, told in First Person. A bit ambitious for a series from an inexperienced novelist but I DID secure a book deal with a Small Press with it all. Not bad. I am planning on writing a campaign world book to accompany these novels, and likely for Troll Lord Games logically, to supplement Jason Vey's Steampunk system soon. </div>
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<a href="http://www.damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615728084"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQ4cy4d0kBFT_r6j8ui31CprE1W1A6-FdO_XcrWC6W7EKBm6tJ1LH0uiOg9LKcaHqdQzUuUBLLYo5I_G1vt-cwICwDFR-cl0WqRBkA0azaUmRgz9e8BeQOpuIhVZDvCLCL84dXn_TtIAN/s1600/TheVampiresCode_Draft2+(1).jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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Each book is a chapter sort of in the life of my main character as he finds his way in this secret society of Vampire Hunters, the Shadow Society of Vampire Hunters, across the world in the 19th Century and uncovers a terrible parasitic bond between the vampires and Mankind. Since the Dawn of Man's civilization, and really because of it, the Upiri, or Vampires have been feeding and trying to herd us into their livestock one way or another but we have managed to fight them off due to the secret society's efforts. In these centuries of Silent Warring a little of the Vampires' advanced Atlantian technology leaks out to the world and its civilizations giving us our next marvels and progress along the way. Some of our greatest 'discoveries' were due to these accidental hidden staches of ancient technologies found by Mundane Man instead of being confiscated by Shadow. </div>
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<a href="http://www.damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615726301"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtFkFvX0p72USAKJysoNC5iqFaGQsHqzxihhQsSeh_5ldrg48RNSjXuIC8ZZRGyNHMSb3Zw0zWG74PP9pypEB2La65VJkNHpiR4o16txEaLmi7M_lirPEUA-IhM5tTrYlFg_n3IBKjAcWS/s1600/DeCivitateSanguino_150dpi_eBook.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></div>
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It is a long story, and an ancient one. Book four, 'Atlantica' will reveal the Vampires' ultimate goal after their true origins are revealed in this third book 'The Axis of Shadows'. Once this terrible plot of uncovered it is a race against time as they set into motion something that Mankind has been too slow to discover. The war against them then is at its ultimate apex as the Upiri will play their age old plot, one that Mankind is too short visioned to perceive. These Upiri are not just shambling corpses of our own dead bent on feeding and destroying us, they have a larger plan. Mankind must devise a plan to stop them that is even smarter and unexpected, that will catch them and their bizarre intelligence off-guard. If these first four books work out to be a success, then I DO have envisioned from eight to twelve more planned in the series that will span history all the way to World War 2. </div>
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<br />Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-69753945489223035422015-01-08T18:20:00.002-06:002015-01-08T18:20:12.874-06:00Prince Rhun ap Maelgwn Gwynedd Returns! But...where did he ever really go you ask? <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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2015 is turning out to be what might be a superb year and it has barely even begun yet! As the first few weeks began several great things have unfolded, opportunities and long-awaited hopes crystallizing at last! <br /><br />What I am rambling about is this...even though my still fresh and new Celtic adventure series 'The Island of the Mighty' had only released the first novel 'The Sullen Queen' last summer, I had many delays in getting you the second, 'Within a Dark Mountain', and completing the third 'A Perilous Pursuit' last fall regretfully, but a recent promising turn of events has now appeared! <div>
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<br /><br />This opportunity was always there but I didn't seize it, and now I am fully. What I mean to say is, soon, the series will indeed be re-released, re-edited, with a new look, meaning a brilliant new cover, possibly even interior art, and more! Just to remind my fans of Troll Lord Games these novels are the Celtic adventure modules I have written, in order, put to prose, one by one. There will be a novel for each module, as the adventures of Prince Rhun ap Maelgwn of Gwynedd and his companion (as you will discover in book #2) Llewella, make their way through Post-Roman Britain, Ireland and the Otherworld one tale at a time. Ideally, there will be, as I have posted many times before here, up to thirteen tales in this series, written in a style inspired by Tolkien and Lloyd Alexander. <br /><br />- 'The Sullen Queen' is my bonus adventure module for the Codex Celtarum 'A Sylvan Gambit'.<br />- ''Within a Dark Mountain' is 'Goblins of Mount Shadow'<br />- 'A Perilous Pursuit' is 'The Crimson Pact'<br /><br />See...I DO have a masterplan with my many projects....</div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-79421328817817761152015-01-08T18:12:00.002-06:002015-01-08T18:12:27.270-06:00Daroganau Fyrddin - Merlin's Prophecies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"And at a certain time, as the narrative shows, it happened that Gwenddydd saw certain rare dreams on various nights. All these she carefully retained in her memory until she should find a place and time to relate them to Myrddin her brother. Against that time Gwenddydd prepared bread and butter on a herb cake of wheaten bread with various drinks in various vessels, every drink in its grade as its nature demanded, as wine in silver, and mead in a horn, and the beer in sycamore, and the milk in a white jug, and the water in an earthen jug. All these she placed in order besides the bread and butter inside the harbour to which Myrddin was wont to come, when he was in his senses, to take his nourishment."<br /><br />-Ystoria Myrddin Wyllt<br /><br />The time may soon come to pass that my Master's research or thesis on Geoffrey of Monmouth's dubious 12th century 'Prophetiae Merlini' (or 'Prophecies of Merlin'), thrown into his rather famous 'Historia Regum Brittaniae' ('History of the Kings of (the) Britain(s) will be published after all! I know this was a wordy paragraph...slightly, but I think I may already have a publisher, a Welsh one at that, and rightfully so! <br /><br />In the next week I will prepare the required proposal and what they need then wait for their word. Once I know for sure I will announce the publisher and give links and fanfare. This is my first serious non-fiction, academic publication, with hopes of many future ones to follow. I have many...<br /><br />If I enter into the Celtic Studies Doctoral program as well in the next month then I will be aggressively producing more scholarly work for print and publication in time. With the new theories and thinking emerging in my field, it opens up amazing new possibilities not had before, and I hope that I am the only one to find them! <br /><br />Aside from my half dozen Arthurian Celtic adventure modules, Codex Celtarum, and my 40+ times teaching the subject in nearly a decade at college level, this is next opportunity I get to put my Masters in Arthurian Studies from the University of Wales Lampeter (Prifysgol Cymru Llanbedr-Pont-Steffan) to good use! <br /><br />Rex quondam, Rexque futurus!Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-8750860293672346192014-10-28T19:15:00.001-05:002014-10-28T19:16:09.702-05:00Just in Time for the Trinox Samonios or the 'Three Nights of Halloween' Comes my Celtic Halloween Adventure Module! The PDF is for only $0.99!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.trolllord.com/tlgstore/#!/Night-of-the-Spirits-PD/p/43592450/category=8804338"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCD3Pi5ZwR5A9WLl0C9sJ7d9TN9l8itZLK-f_-Puo_umBjXzp6lYeMqFgBfpTY5JfahS7Aj3V_k-hNW37soJPbBJMqvZDIF8Uc2_QEuTRQvUsiUTSGKBsxjYRRryMSRG_HYPKy6_G9pnJ/s1600/1391603_10152340536070550_1976203728_n.jpg" height="400" width="283" /></a></div>
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<b>Click on Cover for Link to Troll Lords Shop to Purchase! </b></div>
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At the end of each year comes the month and holiday of Samonios, Samhain or Nos Galan Gaeaf, or Halloween. This is the time when the worlds are drawn together and monsters, gods and the spirits of ancestors wander between them. It is a dangerous and dark time in which the most holy and sacred of ideas mean more than they ever have before in the previous year. It is a time for the Dead and to honor them.</div>
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Events in the last year were steeped in bloody battles, the death of kings and encroaching evil from the Otherworld. The seers and madmen foretell that the omens are in place to bring a wrathful invasion from the Land of Magic. Most nobles and lords scoff at these superstitious words and ridicule them, but the common-folk know that there is truth in those portents and omens.</div>
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Families stay close, hold their festivities in honor of their ancestors and the gods, but stay wary of the dangers that might find their way into their darkened homes and lives. But for the young or unwary . . . .</div>
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Little Addolgar ap Maelon Gof has wandered into the thick foliage of the Coed Celyddon, lured by the many colored playful lights that he saw dancing and laughing. Now the young dark haired child of ten winters is deep in the mist-shrouded forest soaked in Otherworld energies. A storm is brewing in the dark woods, stirring the trees and causing the limbs and boughs to crack and knock against each other. Owls hoot in their haunting voice and somewhere distant, wolves howl. Addolgar climbs over fallen trees and makes his way in bramble patches trying to get closer to the mysterious lights in the boughs of the trees.<br />
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Night of Spirits plunges you into the heart of Nos Galan Gaeaf, bringing your characters face to face with the Otherworld and the true horrors of the holiday! </div>
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Night of Spirits is an adventure for 3-5 characters of around 4th-6th level.</div>
Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-57847597492454411062014-10-19T11:09:00.000-05:002014-10-28T18:44:31.898-05:00New Most Recent Adventure Module 'A Shattered Night' Has a Review! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_reviews_info.php?&reviews_id=113731&products_id=132137"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiodA1ENJ_HxbgNaMUhO40f6WwQJV6CvYPmhb79zQofKxVBia80VRhxi1jtck1yAq-n4PacRnQaXe2nUlBEutujl0sZDPw51OTHPzwrePI3RqOVzLBcHJzRM_b_4vaP930cp1uatCR-yXD-/s1600/A+Shattered+Night.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b>Click on Cover for Review of Module</b></div>
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As more of my adventure modules are released, for both the Celtic line and the '<i><b>Nine Worlds Saga</b></i>', I am hoping the reviews follow in their wake, feedback is always important! I believe some of my most important work is yet to come in these series. The <i><b>Codex Germania</b></i> is about to be premiered soon as well after months of intensive editing, and after I spent an additional seven months writing on it. </div>
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I took a small break in my writing, about 3-4 months. It was needed, for sanity and because I have a new teaching position to adjust to, and there was no way to do both with great skill. Now that everything is in order I can resume my plans as before. My previous novels will be edited and released/published, and obviously my Troll Lord projects were already underway as before. In addition, I have another gaming related project that will be completed too and written before long.</div>
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The <i><b>Codex Slavorum</b></i> is at its end now as well finally, it has been a lengthy book to write, more so than the <i><b>Codex Germania</b></i> due to the source material and how deeply I sought to get it accurate. This means that by the winter season I plan to work on the <i><b>Codex Classicus</b></i> slowly. That will be the larger Codex comprising the Roman, Greek and Etruscan worlds. Meanwhile I will also be writing more of the '<b><i>Nine Worlds Saga</i></b>', having just finished the third module in the series recently. </div>
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My '<b><i>Island of the Mighty</i></b>' novel series involving the Celtic prince Rhun ap Maelgwn is also back underway as well. Book two, '<b><i>Within a Dark Mountain</i></b>' will be finished with its editing and published at some point, and I will return to the first book, '<b><i>The Sullen Queen</i></b>' to revise its own editing again before I release the second. I believe it needs it. The third book, '<i><b>A Perilous Pursuit</b></i>' is still lacking its last 20,000 words but it will be completed before long and published. Then I will still publish them in Welsh as planned as well. </div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-50136833013925932192014-07-14T17:17:00.003-05:002014-07-14T18:36:57.537-05:00My Progress on the 'Codex Slavorum' is Russian Along! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGrp1c3mOEsNGje5hCkd9y0077MSbJRdOiJVUV4bw1Lu6xPASIGqQK8g1jogwIaxvknaxCQc4DDRVQqLerT2UX6HMXai5wVZ9idYmyWmITa9prNqYJWi2NWME2BI4IBjNX3R4Kq6Fme2H/s1600/0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGrp1c3mOEsNGje5hCkd9y0077MSbJRdOiJVUV4bw1Lu6xPASIGqQK8g1jogwIaxvknaxCQc4DDRVQqLerT2UX6HMXai5wVZ9idYmyWmITa9prNqYJWi2NWME2BI4IBjNX3R4Kq6Fme2H/s1600/0.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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A bad joke I know, but it is true! The latest Codex will be quite a complex tome of Mythic and historical data to use at the gaming table for sure. Last year I started on it and wrote in earnest, flying on it like mad, making progress by mid-Summer until I had reached 38,000 words and then I had to rest for a time. I was over six months ahead on my projects because I produce quickly, but now, a year later, I need to keep that pace and speedily make sure I do not slow down. With the <i><b>Codex Nordica</b></i> now released and the next, the <i><b>Codex Germania</b></i>, to come very soon, I want to get the next edition in the series ready. So I returned to where I left off from last summer, almost exactly to the week! </div>
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Similar to the plethora of Celtic tribes that once populated Europe, the Slavic peoples were a plurality as well, but unlike them a commonality wasn't so easily found and there was room for much variation. What balances out this unfortunate high level of diversity is their more recent entry into history. They came into history following in the wake of the Fall of the western Roman Empire during what is generally termed the Migration Era, and so their period is better documented than the earlier Celtic peoples. These early Slavic peoples are grouped into the category of 'Old Slavs' for an easier reference. It is from this period and peoples that the <i><b>Codex Slavorum</b></i> is based.</div>
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I introduce three new character classes in this Codex. The <i><b>Vampirdzhija</b></i> or 'Vampire Hunter', derived from the real historical counterpart that existed not more than 6-8 hundred years ago that also functioned as a Witch-Hunter in Eastern Europe. Next is the <i><b>Koldun</b></i>, or Wizard, not the typical wizard one finds in basic fantasy gaming or other European cultures, but a more modest and humble nature that serves the common man, and finally the <i><b>Molfar</b></i>, or Shaman, the most ancient of all spiritual holy-men. In addition to these classes I also have other very particular Slavic racial breeds that can be chosen and played that will be a welcome addition in any game. They are blessed and cursed both.</div>
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The monster and mythical beings section is very large, possibly the largest of the Codex series to date, pulling from every Slavic nationality, and there are many! I will be digging ever deeper before this book goes to press still to find more, making sure I don't miss any because as it stands I have plenty now. The chapter is huge. Between the many beings and monsters alone, it could be a mini-book nearly. There isn't much left to go in the completion of this book and it will be finished by the end of the summer. The only section in the book that will be nearly as large is the deities from the Slavic peoples I suspect and that will be written soon by Perun's Bolt! </div>
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Once this Codex is done, I take a breath and then dive into the next volume - the <i><b>Codex Classicus</b></i>! </div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-14948332914966876722014-07-10T10:34:00.000-05:002014-07-10T12:24:57.733-05:00The First Two Modules in My 'Nine Worlds Saga' Series Are Going to Print! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There will be 13 modules in this series, not just because thirteen is the typical number in which all series of Castles & Crusades modules end at, but in Nordic tradition that is one of the 'magic' numbers unique to their beliefs. These first two, along with the Codex Nordica, will enable the gaming group a jump start into the campaign, or saga, to find the Fimbulwinter Runes. </div>
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In the rough mountainous region of Ormr, the earth groans, turned this way and that by forces beyond understanding. The tremors send shock waves across the Nine Worlds, jolting the local kingdom of Eucia terribly. People, high and low, turn to their King, as is their right. But King Hrolfr is in the dark, as are his seers; so he must look beyond his wooden halls, calling to the stalwart heroes of his realm, brave adventurers to venture forth in his name and conquer the unknown.</div>
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Little does the King know that the quakes are brought about by a menace sent from the dismal world of Helheimr far below. Raiders carried by dark longships on ghastly winds have come with evil intent, but their goal here goes deeper than anyone could possibly imagine.</div>
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The adventurers must search out what is going on in the kingdom of Eucia, but to do that, they'll find more than they ever bargained for, because Hel has her fingers planted deep in the roots of all things. Before they can end the quakes they'll see this and so very much more . . . or die in the trying.</div>
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With Hel's plot unearthed, the Nine Worlds beckon, for somewhere beyond Midgaard lies Odin AllFather's scattered Fimbulwinter Runes! And to stop Hel and bring peace to King Hrolfr's realm, someone must fetch the runes and return them to Valhalla, before any take note!<br />
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But beginnings are oft as hard as endings and King Hrolfr's heroes must first sail to the frigid seas of the north and seek out the portal to the shadowy world of Svartalfaheimr in hopes of seeking the first of these coveted Runes of Odin AllFather.<br />
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Svartalfaheimr, however, is an endless world of shadow and confusion, where Dark Elves rule sprawling realms from deep places, wild beasts hunt for wreck and ruin and the Lord of that world is crafty and altogether evil. Somewhere in the midst of this lies a wise man, Boddi, who can serve as a guide through the Nine Worlds and aid those seeking the Fimbulwinter Runes before either Odin or Hel, or their agents do in time.<br />
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To fetch the runes, to find the guide, all this before the wrath of the Dark Elves is unleashed and before Odin AllFather learns of what's afoot, for his fury is one none can withstand and failure, unbeknownst to all, means the end of days . . .</div>
Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-47290842721256467462014-07-09T16:30:00.001-05:002014-07-09T17:04:21.233-05:00My Newest Adventure 'A Shattered Night' Is Finally Released! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.trolllord.com/tlgstore/#!/~/product/category=8804338&id=38146365"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVybMYq4gEk88zX3sOZF7WiwdvpWU_PQNJmdG2vxS31EOlfF0Pjpd20cVj0VBEKJkvAzrrsxacgw5YidsjAJMfHdhU9DAPCQxdMKbBYxzHbaNGdhU77Tzt02MsjFka1VIKLxCEKJ8lgCo6/s1600/A+Shattered+Night.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b>CLICK ON COVER FOR LINK TO PURCHASE</b></div>
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It has been a long wait, with a lot of delays in the meantime (the <i><b>Codex Nordica</b></i> and its two modules <i><b>Hel Rising</b></i> and <i><b>Odin's Fury</b></i>), but it is now available in PDF and print from the official Troll Lord Games site and on DriveThruRPG and <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product/132137&affiliate_id=121555">RPGNow</a>. </div>
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This adventure is the sequel to my award winning '<i><b>To Kill a King</b></i>' and was written not long afterwards, but takes place after the Halloween adventure '<i><b>Night of the Spirits</b></i>', which will be released this October. These were all designed in order in 2012. We are a long way from the end of this successful adventure series, and it has many epic twists and turns to go before it concludes. I even have a campaign series that envisioned to follow up this one with concerning the legendary Arthur involving about 35-40 adventures. It is something that I have spoken about before on here and will again, it would bring everything the <b><i>Codex Celtarum</i></b> and <i><b>Codex Germania</b></i> (once it is published in the Fall of 2014) books have to their complete potential.</div>
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As <i>Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow</i> inspired the first module through the song '<i><b>Kill the King</b></i>', another of their songs, '<i><b>Sixteenth Century Greensleeves</b></i>' inspired the second as well. Each module was my way to honor those song that have been a constant source of inspiration throughout the last thirty years of my gaming and Medieval/Celtic Studies. </div>
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Once I get the covers for the two new Viking adventure modules being released I will post them along with the blurbs and other info as well. I have spent three fourths of my life studying and creating medieval and fantasy, in both music, art and civilization, in a sort of complex fusion. It is nice to finally see it all come together at last with these projects. If you think '<b><i>To Kill a King</i></b>' was difficult and gave a good snap-shot of a Mythic Celtic Britain during the 6th Century (my specialty), this sequel continues that story without a break. </div>
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However your version of '<b><i>To Kill a King'</i></b> played out, you can adjust this adventure to fit to that outcome and move on, or make complete modifications in names, kingdoms, etc. The Saxon prince of Mercia will still kidnap a Celtic princess and drag her to his tower to ransom, ravish and do the same regardless and the adventuring party must stop it to the best of their ability. The module to follow this one is '<b><i>The Idle Wizard</i></b>' and it involves a dreadful menace that the pagan Celtic world feared and revered mightily... <br />
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In addition, I will be handling the retail for Troll Lord Games at conventions and, if I can help it, game shops in the state of Oklahoma, very soon personally. So when you see me at conventions my booth will be bristling with my novels and filled with all of the Troll Lord Games publications, new and old! I will be your go-to guy! </div>
Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-84191144539630280812014-06-08T15:30:00.002-05:002014-06-08T15:30:41.362-05:00The Prophecies of Merlin, Mab Y Darogan and Welsh/Brythonic Vaticination.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Along with my fiction and gaming I will publish my serious and heavy academic work too!<br /><br />I have decided to clean it up a little and publish it as a book, preferably through an academic publisher, my Master's dissertation '<b><i>Geoffrey Monmouth's Prophetiae Merlini and Welsh Prophetic Literature</i></b>' very soon just to get started on releasing some academic works finally. I wrote and submitted this to Prifysgol Cymru Llanbedr in 2006! <br /><br />Then I will eventually finish and publish my study on the Battle of Llongborth someday, it hinges and is dependent on the famous 'Arthurian' victory of the Battle of Badon Hill or Gwaith Caer Faddon. This is, as yet, incomplete and only notes and barely started.<br /><br />My reasoning is, since I should be starting on my PhD in Celtic Studies soon, and wishing to jump back into Higher Education soon in the form of teaching, ideally, I want to throw in many serious academic works into my long lists of publications and bibliography too. It might be a little droll compared to my usual fare here, but it is still fun stuff!<br /><br /><b>UPDATE</b>: I have already sent off a proposal to Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru (University of Wales Press) to see if this will be feasible. I believe it will be since I am a graduate of one of their universities and this is a dissertation they had to review and mark (pass). So now I wait....Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-68255820000752770932014-06-04T15:14:00.001-05:002014-06-04T18:04:15.996-05:00The Sullen Queen is now published! Book One in the my 'Island of the Mighty' Series is Born!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Cast from the same fires that the ancient Brythonic sagas and tales that we only have the smallest remnants and hints from, as discovered in the Triads (<i>Trioedd Ynys Prydain</i>), the Book of Aneirin, the Stanza of the Graves and the many others sources of early Celtic mythology from Britain, my first story is now published! '<i><b>The Sullen Queen</b></i>' is now in Kindle format and will be in print as well for all to read and review for themselves. Because my specialty is this subject I had hesitated writing tales in it, simply because I dreaded trying to figure out how to fit in EVERYTHING to do with the Post-Roman era and its peoples, so I wrote horror and Weird West instead. Doing so didn't get me anywhere as far as success but it did gain me experience in learning the craft of being an author, acquiring the technical side and humbling me soon enough to see that my skill wasn't as great as I imagined. </div>
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I composed '<i><b>The Sullen Queen</b></i>' in October of 2013 from a spontaneous will of wishing to reinvent my own writing career and taking my earlier Celtic novel project together and suddenly this happened in the result. Not only did I create something new, but related, but I also learned how to write better and proper in comparison to my earlier technique. My first draft was rough of course but by December it was done and then I was already into the sequel '<b><i>Within a Dark Mountain</i></b>', a book that is now edited and ready to go (except for the cover). Where we lack the greater part of the saga of Prince Rhun from a mythical standpoint, I have created one on my own in these tales. </div>
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Carefully I have taken the bits and pieces of the real Prince Rhun from history and myth and filled in the gaps using my three decades of study and research into his era, and plenty of imagination in between to flesh out his life starting from the age of fifteen on. Going from this age on the reader will learn about his past as one journeys into his future on his long and uncertain ride towards the tenuous chance of kingship of Gwynedd. Each book will flesh out his world, and those around it, below it and around it, more as he and his companions adventure onward. </div>
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These novels tie in with my '<b><i>Codex Celtarum</i></b>' and the adventure modules into one large 'set' together with each complimenting and adding to the other as a whole. One could gain the complete picture when all is said and done if you have them all and envision it all. Added to this, soon I will begin my PhD (hopefully) in Celtic Studies and it will be heavy research on the Celtic Otherworld. My Doctoral thesis will be exclusively about every scrap of what my work above is focused on, and so it will place it all into an academic perspective that will make complete sense to those readers that are very concerned and serious and want something MORE than just gaming and rolling dice. Trust me, this is and was a cultural matter long before it was ever placed into gaming context. </div>
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This song is one that has been my motto during the creative process of writing these tales, 'Bring it back...' is exactly what I intend on doing through these tales. I wish to bring back glorious marvelous action packed stories filled with enchantment, monsters, gods and heroes. epic battles and more in the old style. I have put all of my effort forward in doing so. Part three, '<i><b>A Perilous Pursuit</b></i>' is now midway from being written and it is already showing how such a saga is evolving and changing, much less maturing before my eyes. I cannot wait until that tale is published! </div>
Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-56127599859459262032014-05-29T22:17:00.001-05:002014-05-29T22:17:17.854-05:00The Codex Nordica Shall Be In Your Hands Come This Month (and Beyond)!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-46391071721763286922014-05-29T19:42:00.001-05:002014-05-29T21:52:06.738-05:002014 - The Summer of Changes! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This summer brings new surprises to my career as an author and writer/designer. I have a newer image, both on the professional level and the personal one that I will project, along with my many publications, past and present. Also, I am pushing a different mode of work compared to my recent past wherein I primarily wrote and published only Steampunk Horror/Weird West genres, now I am focusing on what I know and do best - Celtic and fantasy fiction. <br />
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The last thirty years of my life were spent learning, studying and honing the craft of storytelling, and it for some of it, this was easy and natural, but putting it into written form however was not. Only recently has it been overcome, and now that it has, I can unleash the plethora of tales that fill my head into publishable stories. Once my 'Island of the Mighty' series is far enough along I will branch out into some other areas of fantasy, possibly even Sword & Sorcery (Hyborean even - think of 'Conan') style and see where that goes. It was my dream to write this going back to the early 80's when I first read Robert E. Howard. Only now am I acquiring a mote of his skill I believe. It just takes hard and constant work.<br />
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I DO have some Eldritch/Lovecraftian horror in mind around the corner however and it will fill the pages of my tales very soon. I won't ignore that part of my literary heritage or origins. First, I need to get those dragons, woad-painted Celtic armies, bands of wild faeries and Saxon hordes out of my system before I move onto non-Euclidean horrors. There will be time for that soon. My early experimental days of writing are over I believe, to learn and discover the mechanics and techniques of writing and what I am best at, that phase is done! Now it is the phase where I intend to shine as a true author in the finest sense of the word.Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-13459453775836113922014-04-07T21:30:00.002-05:002014-04-07T21:30:29.087-05:00The Island of the Mighty Saga is About To Be Unleashed after 15 Centuries in Slumber!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In less than a month I will unveil and publish the long awaited '<i><b>The Sullen Queen</b></i>'. I wrote this novel last year and Fall and it went through about three drafts and many, many edits and several Beta Readers before it finally reached the point it is at now. I believe fully in this novel and the series that will follow it. This will be a very ambitious project, one that dwarfs my others by far and the efforts behind it will show this as well. The true test will be once it is in the hands of the readers...and that time will come very soon, on the verge of May Day I believe! Nos Calan Mai in the Brythonic calender appropriately.<div>
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<br /><br />Book two, '<i><b>Within a Dark Mountain</b></i>' will follow in its wake boldly and savagely as well as I introduce this series to all by this summer with two novels. You will be able to have the first two adventure tales of Prince Rhun ap Maelgwn in a short time to get you acclimated to heroic 6th century Prydain, and with this second book I introduce a new character to join him that I feel will be embraced and loved as much as the Prince. I just wanted to alert everyone that great and epic things are around the corner and they are fast arriving. </div>
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<br />I am already fast on the early and first draft of the third tale in the series '<i><b>A Perilous Pursuit</b></i>' and it is rolling smoothly! The iron in the forge is smoldering and I must strike whilst it is hot. In these tales I plan to return to the old days of classic story-telling with fun, action packed stories, original and complex characters, dynamic plots and wonderful settings. The Beta Readers are eager for more and I am writing them as quick as I can! Book three, ideally, should be ready by late summer or early fall if everything goes to plan. I do not want to slow on my production and skill as an author.<br /><br />Book four, '<b><i>Lord of Giants</i></b>' will be next in line, and it is a doozy...</div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-4653838958055127962014-03-24T22:40:00.003-05:002014-03-24T22:50:06.730-05:00Codex Nordica, The Sullen Queen, Within a Dark Mountain and MORE!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have been furiously writing as any writer/author should lately, even in the midst of my intense dental work schedule and other mundane world matters that intrude into my own plans. In the recent last few months I have written over 250,000+ words in content, all of which are being published in the next few months. I wrote so much that my laptop of barely two years suffered and perished in the process and had to be replaced, this is not an exaggeration or lie! Most are through <i>Troll Lord Games</i> and the rest in my new upcoming Celtic adventure novel series being introduced this summer. If you know anything about how my<b><i> Codex Nordica</i></b> Kickstarter went, it was a COMPLETE success bringing in at nearly 400% of what we needed and asked and this meant producing more content for the core Codex book, and write two adventure modules for it. I wrote '<i><b>Skallagrimr's Revenge</b></i>' and '<i><b>Odin's Fury</b></i>', the first two in the 13 part series planned that will be a linear campaign involving the Nine Worlds from Norse mythology. Using the <i><b>Codex Nordica</b></i>, the extra Kickstarter goodies it came with and the modules, the Castle Keeper can run an epic campaign unheard of in this genre. This is guaranteed!</div>
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In case you are wondering, the <i><b>Codex Nordica</b></i> has rolled off of the printers this week and will be going to the covers and binders and then be shipped out by early to mid-April! So be prepared for the Norse fun. I wrote this Codex in November of 2012 alongside its brother Codex, the <b><i>Codex Germania</i></b>, which is next in line later to be released. Also soon to be released is my next Celtic adventure module, the sequel to my award winning '<i><b>To King a King</b></i>', the '<b><i>A Shattered Night</i></b>'. It picks up right after the events in the last, even though it skips a beat to the Halloween module (<b><i>Night of the Spirits</i></b>) which will be released this October,and then resumes its place. </div>
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In April, possibly late in the month I will publish and unveil my first Celtic adventure novel in my new series, the first book being called '<i><b>The Sullen Queen</b></i>.' I wrote this in the Fall of 2013 and spent the last six months editing and revising it until it is now ready for release. It just lacks a cover, and that is being worked on now...in top secret! This series is labeled the '<b><i>Island of the Mighty Saga</i></b>' and chronicles the early years of the mythical-historical Prince Rhun ap Maelgwn of Gwynedd on his rise to power in the 6th century. His many wild adventures in turbulent Britain during the Saxon invasions, Irish and Pictish raids and threats from the Otherworld, and the endless problems from his own peoples the Britons. To seal the deal, and because I believe in this project so much I am also releasing the second novel in the series barely a month afterwards! Part two, '<i><b>Within a Dark Mountain</b></i>', continues his adventures and adds a new character to his story as well as prepares the saga for the epic events soon to come in the third installment '<i><b>A Perilous Pursuit</b></i>'. Of course I have spent most of my life researching this topic and have a Masters in Arthurian Studies, so I have a chance to dive in and go wild finally as an author in these tales. Before I never felt 'right' about doing it, as though my mountain of data was too much to reduce down to a novel, but I have found a way to translate it I believe.</div>
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My Beta Readers have said that it is better than Tolkien and hard to put down, so that is encouraging words to hear for sure! My style is somewhere between Tolkien and Lloyd Alexander for reference and at the same time something entirely different. The best way to know is to get a copy when the time comes and see for yourself! They will be available in print and in all eBook formats on amazon.com soon. Once they are I will post links, etc on here for all. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8ibLMy3PUNZe6NVuM6W2Hf5Fg7VbvOjFdiRhtDcewEPCLMDpR0rD7mVqYMhOUqVEPKcT672DXRKyLEb6auYnolmeN9t2lK3k2dZCEktvHaluWIwQqqOS0TA1ouwwojter0Xxq3MRHbQD/s1600/alan+lee_the+mabinogion_the+dream+of+rhonabwy_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG8ibLMy3PUNZe6NVuM6W2Hf5Fg7VbvOjFdiRhtDcewEPCLMDpR0rD7mVqYMhOUqVEPKcT672DXRKyLEb6auYnolmeN9t2lK3k2dZCEktvHaluWIwQqqOS0TA1ouwwojter0Xxq3MRHbQD/s1600/alan+lee_the+mabinogion_the+dream+of+rhonabwy_01.jpg" height="400" width="258" /></a></div>
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My third Steampunk Horror novel, '<b><i>The Axis of Shadows</i></b>' will FINALLY see publication from <i>Damnation Books</i> soon as well, possibly by May! I will have it proofed and sent to them very soon and then that will nearly conclude the series with one more story left in the works at 25% completed. Eventually I will complete this fourth novel and see it's end and then if the fan-base exists I will continue it, if not, I will move on gracefully and pursue my many other projects. It is the only way an artist can evolve is to adapt and not to linger and remain on old projects, or they will go stagnant. I DO have other terrifying horror projects, better ones, around the corner that will see the light someday...</div>
Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-21323529315722065342014-01-23T21:21:00.003-06:002014-02-08T10:48:55.410-06:00The Codex Nordica is NOW alive on Kickstarter! Cast your oars and bids all...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Award winning, I have come from last year's <i><b>Codex Celtarum</b></i> to the next book in the series, the <i><b>Codex Nordica</b></i>, with vigor and the fury of the Northmen running in my veins. This book has perfected the design and layout and design I used in my first book and took it to a newer finer tuned level while revealing a new gamut of Nordic materials from history and mythology that would make any campaign explode with the unmistakable Scandinavian style and culture. </div>
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On Kickstarter this book is now active with many stretch goals, each packed with really exciting goods and appropriate for the theme. Follow the link and take part and be there until the end in 32 days' time when it ends, we have grand surprises if all of the stretch goals are met by the end. If you have always wanted a Viking campaign that takes place in the Nine Worlds of myth and legend, and be able to play many unique character classes straight from Nordic culture and myth, this is your chance! </div>
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<a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/676918054/castles-and-crusades-codex-nordica"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvQlnRv63ngn36wc21FDsFZqKXr3sAvNiLOAKAnwp5LHN86Dl5VTlKo4_kgEgte4FrSYMSE_oevrdiCIbDCRjDzQmeLbV4tsvpgdDSFv8SiRR8juMTlpB4jgk6KFYfsa0veNjsS2SEQMh/s1600/1456653_10152378351350550_384021010_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7599784640368631074.post-11494576856036348412014-01-15T15:02:00.001-06:002014-01-15T15:09:42.001-06:00DieHard GameFAN Table-Top Game Awards Are In!The DieHard GameFAN Gaming Awards have been handed for 2013 and I placed in them, not once but twice! One was for my old pet project that was play-tested and worked on for over two decades in various incarnations and titles (Tir nAille, Tir na nOg, etc) and the other based off of one of my favorite Medieval Metal Songs of all time. So this was a double whammy of amazing! So...here it is and the link to the awards site as well. I guess this makes me an award winning writer now...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">BEST OLD SCHOOL RENAISSANCE TITLE</span><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><a href="http://diehardgamefan.com/2013/05/02/tabletop-review-codex-celtarum-castles-crusades/" style="margin: 5px; text-decoration: none;">CODEX CELTARUM (Castles & Crusades)</a></strong></span></div>
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The Codex Celtarum just might be my favorite Castles & Crusades release ever and considering I’ve been getting pieces here and there since first edition, that says a lot.Castles & Crusades had a fine year, with releases like To Kill a King and Tome of the Unclean, but I fell in love with the Codex Celtarum when it was released and it’s been hard to get out of my mind sense. The codex is part sourcebook and part campaign guide, but all masterfully done. The book is a one stop shop for all things Celtic Mythology-wise. Everything from creation myths to new character classes is covered here. It’s simply a fantastic piece and it can easily be used with other retro-clone system like Swords and Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord, Mazes & Perils and so on, with little to know work by the GM.<br />
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The Codex Celtarum one of the oldest and best OSR systems available. Whether you want to run a Celtic themed campaign in this or any other system, I can’t think of a better resource available to you than this book. Heck, even if you never plan to run a Celtic themed game, the Codex Celtarum is worth picking up and perusing simply to see how well written and organized the book is. Truly, this was not just the crown jewel in Castles & Crusades this year, but across all OSR games.<br />
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<i>Runners-Up: Castles & Crusades: To Kill a King, Dungeon Crawl Classics #78: Fate’s Fell Hand.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">BEST ADVENTURE (SOLO)</span><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><strong><a href="http://diehardgamefan.com/2013/07/15/tabletop-review-to-kill-a-king-castles-crusades/" style="margin: 5px; text-decoration: none;">Castles & Crusades: To Kill a King</a></strong></span></div>
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When it comes to Castles & Crusades, I tend to love the corebook books, but find the adventures lacking. Not so with To Kill a King. This was not only the best adventure I’ve seen written for one of the oldest D&D retro-clone systems out there, but it was by far the best adventure of the year. There was a lot of competition this year too. We could have easily done a top ten solo adventures for 2013 list and we still would have had to drop some favorites off. In the end To Kill a King won because it was the best stand alone adventure for your gaming dollar, as the adventure opens up enough subsequent story potential to let your GM turn this the fallout into a long running campaign. The adventure features some great writing, including covering all the ways the adventure can go completely off-rails. To Kill a King is pretty much prepared for all the choices the PCs could make and how to run the adventure accordingly. The majority of published adventures tend to really railroad characters into a set path and so it was refreshing to see how truly open ended To Kill a King could be, and doubly so that it was prepared for all the possibilities. It’s one of the best thought out adventures I’ve ever encountered and since it came out in July it really has been the litmus test for every other adventure I’ve played this year.<br />
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Besides the writing, it’s great to see an adventure that caters to both good and evil aligned PCs. After all, the title of the adventure does imply an assassination attempt and it’s wonderful to see an adventure where the Assassin class features so strongly in the game. I can’t remember the last time an Assassin PC got the chance to take center stage in a published adventure. Usually retro-clone pieces focus on warriors, mages and clerics. Again, the adventure can still be pulled off if you don’t have an Assassin amongst your PCs, but this is just another way To Kill a King was a breath of fresh air.<br />
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Even if you don’t play Castles & Crusades any fan of old school style systems should pick up this adventure just to see how it is written and/or laid out. To Kill a King is pretty much the gold standard for how to design a non dungeon crawl adventure for your D&D style games. Definitely take it upon yourself to see why.<br />
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<i>Runners-Up: No Security: The Fall Without End, Deadlands Noir: The Old Absinthe House Blues.</i><br />
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Brian N Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17939037869921560399noreply@blogger.com2