2021 year in review
A recap of a year! My first blog recap!
First of all, this year was kind of a blur. I drew, I wrecked my computer, the Bat Plague and political neglect got on like a house and fire, I got grant funding to publish adventures, I even got back on Twitter! In between of all this is spending way more time in the kitchen. Whiskey may be the solution for some, but for me, it’s a solid dinner…and hundreds of cookies. So what’s a year in review look like at the Blog of the Castle Librarian. Let’s esteem it by three topics: Blog posts, campaigns, and art. There could be other categories listed, but I like to start simple.
Blog posts: I made a blog post about every other month. Running a campaign report was my sole reason for running a blog in the first place, so I’m not surprised that frequency dropped after the ending of the campaign in Xyntillan. There was a lull for perhaps a month or so before I started up another game, this time in Erillion. Then I transitioned into posting art. Expect more of both this year! I’d also like to start reviewing some adventures I’ve ran (once I’ve finished running them). I thought about including more subjects to increase the post count, but decided to keep this blog for mostly fantasy games. Maybe I’ll change my mind about this in the future.
For the persons who don’t see your comments: I deleted them by accident, fending off my blog from bots spamming russian stuff. Comment again!
Campaigns: In 2020 I started up Castle Xyntillan, which ended right at the beginning of 2021. There were some starts on other games, and then I started up a (still-running) campaign in Erillion (from Echoes from Fomalhaut, #1-6, #8, & Baklin -whew!). The first party had a good start in the port town of Gont and traveled on to Haghill, signing up for service to Huberic that very night, but then players moved. So a second party started again in Gont, this time already in Huberic’s employ, but sent abroad for a solution to the killer in the Forest of Death, and this group has gone far, sailing around and exploring places. On non-campaign sessions we’ve been juggling different adventuring parties in Erillion, but all are on hiatus as a new party of 6 players work their way through The Valley of The Barbarian King (I got the entire EMDT ouevre last Christmas as a gift from the players). Maybe this year I’ll work my way into an adventure that Gabor Lux hasn’t written? To my adventuring crews’ credit, back in Erillion, they are making preparations to visit the Forgotten Grottoes of the Sea Lords…
Art: I’ve actually drawn more this year than I have in a long time. Perhaps not in painting, but drawings, design, portraits, maps, and all sorts of other small things (decorating cookies…). I started up business as a fantasy illustrator! So I did some illustrations for The First Hungarian d20 Society, a commission for a collector, and minted some NFTs. A pretty good spread. Fantasy illustration has been quite enjoyable, so I’ll be doing a lot more of that. NFTs is a total cray-cray zone and I can’t make any predictions there other than I would like to mint more NFTs and explore being able to share art digitally through the blockchain. I make art first! But overall it is an exciting and supportive space, if you’re not a jackass looking to get rich.
There we have it, my year in review. I’m excited for a lot of projects that I started last year and in the past to FINALLY come to fruition in 2022. Stay tuned, as tv folk say!