Last night, I ran the first gaming session on the island of Vitas. I’m using the game as inspiration and to help me build a detailed, hopefully interesting fantasy world, and if the first session is any indication, that was a smart move. Having others play characters in the world naturally conjures up questions and details that I would have never thought of on my own.

The adventure we’re playing is set in a small village built around an old abbey, sitting atop a hill from which an underground river springs; Chillriver. It’s early fall, harvest is over, the big markets are winding down as people prepare for winter. I will be sharing the adventure in a downloadable version, once we’re done playing it.

The characters, Johann Horsemaster (trainer of horses) and Orville Grimm (tracker), were asked to deliver a small shipment of cloth and salt to the monks of Chillriver Abbey, and return with a few barrels of their fine ale. They were given plenty of time and promised a reasonable payment, and since both men needed gold to survive winter, they took the job.

The story took a twist when shortly before arriving in Chillriver, they encountered a boy around the age of 12, looking pale and sick. They stopped to help, only to find that the boy was mad, incapable of speech – and tried to bite and stab poor Orville. They ended up pacifying the sick boy and taking him along, hoping the monks could shed some light on his condition.

Upon arrival in the village, they found it shuttered up and closed down, even the monks had closed their gates. Only after tying the mad boy to a nearby tree and proving that neither had been bitten, were Orville and Johann allowed inside the abbey walls.

The monks eventually explained that this mysterious malaise hit their area a few days prior, infecting a large number of villagers. Some were killed, others were rounded up and isolated. Abbot Greystone and potion maker, Brother Halthor, said they had studied the stricken, both dead and alive, and they believed a cure could be made. To concoct it, quite a few herbs were needed from the nearby forest, and though Halthor would normally go find these himself, the abbot would not allow it given the circumstances. Reluctantly, Johann and Orville agreed to help.

Finding the needed ingredients proved harder than expected, though they did discover a small shack in a hidden clearing. Upon further investigation, they found a primitive altar inside, with a dead baby goat on top, and next to it a small leather journal…

That’s more or less where we left off. It was very much about setting the scene and introducing the world to the players. They could have chosen to kill the sick boy, but saving him ended up adding to their sense of commitment, and it added a nice touch that as a couple of normal travelers (as opposed to battlehardened soldiers, for instance), they tried to do the right thing instead of taking the easy way.

They did encounter a crazed elk out in the forest, the only actual combat encounter, which began and ended with one well placed arrow. This was definitely not a meat grinder session, but it was a lot of fun.

Huge thanks to Lee and Nick who took on the parts of Orville and Johann, and helped Norkol, Vitas and Chillriver come alive.

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Next week I run the first session in my new fantasy roleplaying campaign (still to be named). It takes place in the same world as my recent short story – The Final Prophecy of Jalahar, currently in editing. The events in the game unfold a few years after those depicted in the story. This would make a lot more sense if you knew either story, I know, but I can’t reveal those just yet.

What I can reveal is some of the background information; my notes, essentially. This is basic stuff, outlining the geographic area and hinting at both political structures, trade and so forth. There’s even a crude map! Norkol is inspired by a mix of early Nordic middle ages and dark fantasy. You won’t find jolly gnomes or aloof elves here, but a goblin might steal your firstborn in the night.

I will be sharing the progress of the game, once we get underway. In the meantime, here are some notes on Norkol and the island of Vitas.

Norkol

Norkol consists of an eastern peninsula and a number of islands to the west. These lands hold a number of small kingdoms and clan strongholds. The people are hard working folk, farmers, fishermen and hunters for the most part, but also some of the best sailors in the world. The weather is harsh in the fall and winter, the winds and snow taking their share of lives every season. The summers are hot and dry, and the people depend on the flow of streams and rivers.

It is a time of stability and peace in Norkol. The kings have intermarried their sons and daughters, and forged alliances that have left their lands to prosper. The last of the goblin tribes were defeated half a lifetime ago, and now traders from the southern lands can be seen at some of the bigger markets, selling exotic spices, wine and silks.

The Island of Vitas

TThe western part of Norkol is the largest of the islands. Vitas stretches about 120 miles from north to south, and about 90 miles across at its widest point.

The Long Forest stretches through the middle of the island, separating the more settled and domesticated eastern half, from the wilder and largely untamed west. Brek and Salthorpe are the only real towns in the west. Brek (population 2,000) is known for its ship builders, Salthorpe (population 1,000) for its salted cod and smoked herring.

On the eastern side, the southern most city of Grenthorpe is the largest settlement on Vitas holding over 20,000 people, swelling to as many as 35,000 during the summer months, when trading is at its height. The Grenthorpe fleet is strong and patrols the Bay of Kings, which is sometimes plagued by raiders from the smaller islands to the south, around The Bay of Teeth.

The largest city of the north is Bitton (population 8,000, up to 11,000 during trade season) on the coast of the Bay of Sighs. A trading hub connecting Vitas to central Norkol with its busy port and three major trade routes by land, north to Valborg, east to Brek and going south, the Spear Road leads to Seston and Grenthorpe. Along these trade routes are many small settlements and hamlets, inns and guarded rest stops for travelers.

Between Grenthorpe and Bitton lies Seston (population 5,000), a lakeside town that has grown rapidly during the last 20 years. The area is known for its wool and a nearby iron mine.

The northern highlands, north of the Bay of Storms in the west, and the Bay of Sighs in the east, has an unwelcoming rocky coast leading into the Norkol Sea. Besides the Valborg clan, a weatherbeaten tribe of whalers – and in harder times, raiders – not many people live in the highlands. The town of Valborg holds about 1,000 people.

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Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC) last weekend was my first con in nearly twenty years (not counting techie/photo trade shows). It pretty much went like this: on the first day I was extremely overwhelmed in an awesome way. It was great connecting with a few friends, take lots of pictures and discover tons of great art. Day two, I was warmed up and really enjoying myself, and on the final day, I was happy and tired. And really sore.

A few highlights worth sharing…

The nerd busking session – performers Molly Lewis, The Doubleclicks, Vixy & Tony and Marian Call shared a super intimate set in one of the lobbies.

Meeting up with Jade Gordon – an artist soon to be featured on Another Passion, Jade makes nerdy fan art so taking her portrait for the upcoming interview at ECCC made perfect sense.

Hanging with Thadeous – the man behind Geek Cred had a very special project going on. I can’t talk about the project itself, but I was more than happy to lend a hand.

I’d gone to ECCC thinking it would be 100% leisure time. Turns out of course, I don’t know how to have leisure time anymore. I’d brought my camera of course, and I just couldn’t help it but put it to use. The massive amount of fantastic art and costumes were inspiring too, making me want to create stuff!

Pics for Liz – On the last day, I teamed up with nerdwrangler extraordinaire, Dammit Liz. She needed photos for a project too, I had a camera and time to spare (leisure time? Pssh!) – everybody wins.

Fanboy moment – I spotted John Layman, writer of my favorite comic currently in print, CHEW! I learned that it has been picked up for a pilot by Showtime (move over, Dexter!) and that mr. Layman and I share something, which may account for my love of this particular comic: we’re both married to foodies! I didn’t get a photo because I was in fanboy mode and completely didn’t think about it. Don’t know Chew? Start here.

This weekend, I will be at Norwescon. My mid-thirties body is asking why I am doing this. My early-twenties brain is chanting: Let’s GO!

Come find me on the “New Media vs. Old Media” panel, Saturday at 3pm, or ping me on twitter if you’d like to meet up during the con.

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This post was inspired by a post about a video series I worked on. For that project, I promoted six local poets and was shocked to see how few of them had any kind of online presence to go with the videos.

Unfortunately, artists of all types have a real problem promoting their own work. I talk to a lot of different artist as part of my work with Another Passion, but even as a kid, I saw the same pattern with my dad and some of his artist pals. There seems to be a mental block, preventing many creatives from promoting their work, or thinking of it as a product to sell.

With all the tools available online, there really is no excuse for not using at least one of them to get more eyeballs on your work.

Some turn up their noses at self promotion, claiming that a real artist won’t need to sell themselves because quality work will attract attention automagically. Nothing could be more wrong. No one is going to “discover” you, unless you put yourself out there to be discovered.

Then there are those who are simply overwhelmed, not knowing where to begin. That I can at least understand. The options are many and you can spend all your time fiddling here and there, not really accomplishing anything. Or you can lose yourself reading books, posts and articles, trying to figure out whether it’s better to take up tweeting or blogging, videos or podcasting, Google+ or Facebook — if you even get that far.

The answer is simple: pick something that suits your personality, stop procrastinating and use it! The thing is, they are all good tools if you use them consistently and well.

Choosing the right tools is a personal matter more than anything else. If you hate being in front of a camera, YouTube is not for you. If you are dyslexic, perhaps talking is better than writing. The point is, there are options for everyone.

Being overwhelmed by the choices is a matter of eliminating the ones you don’t like and making an executive decision. With a day of research, anyone can learn the differences between the available tools and decide on one or two to go with. Learn the ins and out of your chosen tools, the basics first, the details can come as you go. With someone guiding you, you can get started within a day.

You have to see self-promotion as part of the creation process, just like putting the milk back in the fridge is part of eating a bowl of corn flakes. It’s not the most fun part, but it’s necessary. It should never be an afterthought, or something you’ll do when you get around to it, maybe next weekend or when the kids are asleep. If you leave the milk out all day, chances are you’ll be eating dry cereal tomorrow morning.

It pains me to see so much wasted talent, so I have started taking on artists who need a helping hand. Right now, I’m helping my neighbor who’s a working musician with a degree, massive skills and a great personality. He is not computer illiterate either, just overwhelmed and somewhat easily distracted. I’m giving him weekly assignments along with encouragement to explore further. You can follow his efforts here.

I very much enjoy coaching artists, helping them build confidence, aim higher and get a wider reach. If you’re an artist struggling with self promotion, you are welcome to contact me.

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I’m at a fork in the road. Truthfully, I’ve been standing here a while, for several months in fact. One direction is lit up in bright neon. Down this road lies ambition, dreams and risk alike. The other is murkier, but I can sort of make out an alarm clock and getting old before my time. All my life, I have wanted to create and build things, from songs and photographs to a self-sustaining business. Creating jobs for other people is high on my wish list too. You’d think choosing a path would be easy, but it turns out, it’s not.

Creatively, I have reached the point where I really should hire a part time assistant, because my projects get more and more complex, as my ambition grows. Which is great, and the way it should go. Another Passion is the best example. What started as a side project grew into a priority, and instead of a one-man creativity blog, I wanted to build an Arts & Culture site with multiple contributors and high quality content, as well as a framework through which other, original projects could take root. And all of that is happening, slowly but surely. It’s pretty awesome.

But. Other things have made me reconsider many a plan and ambition. Most importantly Kelly’s cancer, the treatments and the toll all of that has taken on our household. A situation that makes life difficult, even if you’re not trying to make your own way and build a business. It’s made me realize, that if I really want to go down the neon lit path of risk and possible wonder, I need a better plan – and help.

Of course, while I’m busy working on said plan, Life keeps happening.

Kelly is not out of the woods yet, which means I still have to focus on supporting her more than anything. It’s not a chore or a duty, it’s a privilege, but it does drain a lot of energy of both the physical and emotional variety. I channel most of what I have left into Another Passion. And when there is nothing left at all, I hop on Minecraft and take a mental vacation.

On tough days, you might find me here in the Clearview Lounge, hanging in the bar or at the jukebox.

While standing at this fork in the road, I have been living off of my savings – leftovers from selling my apartment last year. There is still a little left, but not enough for another year of living like this. So I need to get that plan done, get my ducks in a row and buckle up (and whatever other clichés you can fit in) – or dial it all back and focus on work that pays me, instead of being paid for by me. But I’m not quite ready for that.

The one good thing I have to say about cancer, is that it puts everything in perspective. There’s a lot of little stuff I don’t sweat anymore, and I appreciate the good people in my life more than ever. Even on the tough days. For that very reason, I still want to build and create, and I still want to create jobs instead of just taking one.

These are interesting, and scary times.

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I am a nerd. I always have been, from my early memories of playing with Star Wars toys in the late 70s and graduating to Dungeons & Dragons, video games and comics in the 80s. Then the 90s, where I was deeply involved in the Danish gaming community, writing for a magazine, active on the con scene and even getting paid to game with kids! However, that was also the time I started feeling the pressure to “get a life” and “grow up”.

I spent the late 90s and a good part of the 2000s looking for a new identity. It’s clear to me now, but back then it was just life. I had wanted to be a writer, a photographer, a filmmaker and tell stories for a living, but that did not seem to fit with the rest of the world (as in: paying my rent). So I adapted, got a haircut and a “real” job in IT. It was vaguely creative, and I even made pretty good money for a while, but I also felt the joy of life getting sucked out of me.

In 2001 my mystery novel "Det perfekte offer" (the perfect victim) was published in Denmark. I was one proud nerd.

I found photography as a way to tell my stories and make some cash, but I still supplemented my income as a bartender for the first couple of years. My nerdier interests remained firmly planted in the back seat.

Eventually, I started running into people with similar backgrounds, but who had stuck to their nerdy interests in their professional lives. Some had become established authors, others were designing story-based team building events. The range was larger than I had imagined, and that inspired me.

Since 2009, I have made a conscious effort to reawaken my inner nerd, and I truly believe it’s the best thing I have done for myself in years. Luckily, I have a wife who is also a nerd at heart, and who supports me completely.

I started a fresh gaming group, playing D&D for the first time in more than a decade. Even though the campaign died out, it got me back to writing game material — I wrote maybe 150 pages of notes for that campaign, some of which was put online. And it felt right. It felt good. It felt like home.

So for me personally, I am naming 2012 as the Year of the Nerd. I will be working on as many nerdy projects as I can, and for the first time since the 90s, I will be attending (at least 2) conventions this year. I’m even a panelist at one of them. So here’s to you, my fellow nerds. And thank you for the inspiration.

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Throughout any given year I shoot thousands of photos, so when I was recently asked which one was my personal favorite of 2011, I had a difficult time answering. However, when thinking about it over a couple of days, the one above kept jumping out at me.

On 11-11-11 I documented Jason Webley‘s concert at The Moore in Seattle. That was where I caught this moment in time. Webley is talking about the virtues of love, while Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer sit together behind him, listening.

There is a love story there, and it starts with a look of genuine happiness on Jason Webley’s face, as he looks up into the light, sharing his joy with (and for) the audience. Amanda Palmer represents that audience to me, relaxed, attentive and having a good time, and Neil Gaiman ties the story together, looking down at his wife with complete adoration and a smile that says simply: “I Love You.”

There is enough intimacy in this photo, that I felt a little like a peeping tom as I put it through post processing, like I was crashing a private party. I actually had to remind myself that it was taken at a public event. That is why this is my favorite photo of 2011. It makes me feel like giving my wife a kiss, putting on some good music and take pleasure in the little things in life.

Click on the photo above to view a larger version.

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2011 will never be my favorite year, but if there is one recurring theme that is good, it’s the people.

A year ago I was back in Denmark for the first time in half a decade to experience one last Christmas with my mother. My mother had aggressive Cancer and died on the following Mother’s Day. This is the experience to which all other experiences of 2011 are compared, at least in terms of personal impact. If you have lost a loved one, I don’t need to say more. If you haven’t, then good for you.

It was the toughest year of my life, so far. After my mother passed away, my wife got hit with Cancer. Major surgery was followed by radiation treatments. The last of which will be over just before new years eve. My mother was going through treatments a year ago, but it wasn’t enough for her. In Kelly’s case, they caught the Cancer early. Things are hopeful, as well as painful.

I have spent a lot of time being a caregiver this year. It continues to be my most important job, until Kelly is well. It’s rewarding because I get to take care of someone who is extremely important to me. And sometimes it is incredibly hard for that very same reason. But life is not all bad.

When the stress of medical bills started piling up alongside the health related anxiety, two friends we have never even met started a benefit drive, and in less than 24 hours the bills were taken care of. Elizabeth and Ryan, I cannot thank you enough for what you did, and the same goes for the hundreds of people who showed their support.

My personal project – Another Passion – started out strong and took a back seat when Kelly’s health went down hill, but not before Lily had signed on as the first regular contributor. He work has been crucial and kept me at least a tiny bit responsible and on task.

Two comedians, Paul and Storm, have provided more awesomesauce in 2011 than they are probably aware of. Twice, they let me come take pictures of them performing. They even made me part of the show. You know you’ve had a bad year, when one of the highlights is tripping over a hole in the stage floor, interrupting Wil Wheaton mid story in front of a packed venue of laughing nerds. I had a blast that night. And at the other Paul and Storm gig, I took pictures of Hank Green – who liked them so much, he put several in his new album, Ellen Hardcastle.

Good people have carried me through 2011, and no one more so than Kelly. In spite of her own ordeal, she has remained loving and supporting of everything I do – no matter how scattered my efforts or lacking my follow-through. I am lucky to have met her, and I treasure every day we have together. She is amazing.

Looking back at the year 2011, I feel blessed by having met, worked and played with many kind, inspiring people. Many, many more than I could ever name in a blog post. I also feel closer to my wife than ever before. So I guess, even the awfulness that is Cancer is not without a bright side. That said, I will be glad to see it gone.

Here’s to a healthier, happier 2012 for all!

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I’m not a big Christmas person. I like the food, spending time with loved ones and the spirit of the season, but by the time we get around to it, I’m usually just waiting for the jingle bells to stop and Santa to go back on vacation. I hope this doesn’t automatically classify me as Naughty.

2011 has been a stressful year for me to say the least. More precisely, I would call it my least favorite of the 35 years I have been alive. Marred by death and disease, dealing with Life became the main and often only focus point. I never got the traction I was hoping for to push Another Passion as far as it deserves.

When Christmas rolls around this year, my wife will be nearly done with her radiation treatments. That’s what I am looking forward to the most, not just because of her being Cancer free and finished with treatment, but because it also symbolizes that we’re finally heading for a fresh start and better times.

If I am allowed to wish for more than that, it would be for a busy 2012. I have so many things I would like to do, in terms of growing Another Passion, but also various other projects – from apps to video, photo shoots to writing – but I need the resources to get it all done; time and money both!

I can only do so much as a single individual and having had my own life turned upside down in recent months, it has become clear that help is needed to keep up productivity when Life throws you a curveball. So I’m wishing for an assistant and/or an intern to help out! I would have taken on an intern already, if I weren’t working out of my home with a sick wife and two insane cats.

Wonderfully unexpected and possibly best thing about 2011 for me, has been the outpour of support from friends, acquaintances and strangers all. The community support during the hardest weeks around Kelly’s surgery was absolutely amazing – and continues to help both her and I through dealing with healing, hospitals and everything in between. From notes and emails to flowers and cards, everyone who has reached out, has touched us.

If I may have one final wish this holiday, it will be for my fellow creative and artistic friends to have an inspired, productive and successful 2012.

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In the last few weeks it seems my world has gotten smaller in almost every sense. It started when my wife’s health took a hit and she was diagnosed with not one, but two serious conditions, one of which was cancer. This kind of news will make everything else seem unimportant, all of a sudden. The fact that I lost my mom to cancer in May is probably not helping any.

The good news is that they caught it super early, and that the doctors are expecting a full recovery from the cancer part. There’s still the other issue of course, which will require surgery and several weeks of recovery. The ugly kind, where they give you hardcore meds just to deal with it. Right now, we are both mentally and physically preparing for what’s ahead.

Since we are both independent businesses owners, this situation has another effect on us – neither one is working much, while the bills keep piling up. This is added stress that we really don’t need. We are not on the brink of starvation or anything like that, but we are definitely feeling the crunch. Which is what led me to write this post.

If you are a freelancer or a one-man band, do yourself this favor: cover your bases in case of an emergency. Get health insurance. Let me repeat that. Get. Health. Insurance. As an independent, insurance is expensive and if you’re bootstrapping it is easy to tell yourself you’ll add it later. Don’t. Bite the bullet and pay the man. Cancer doesn’t wait until you’re ready.

You’ll want a support network. We have had daily messages from friends and family, checking in and offering help and encouragement. This support is crucial, especially if you’d like to try and stay positive.

Anybody working for themselves will be used to being immersed in the work, and powering through to get the job done. You may even enjoy it. But when illness hits the household, that is taken away. Focus shifts, and staying on top of business quickly fades into the background. It has to. If you can, put a little aside for a rainy day. You might even look into getting a backup in place, if you have clients who need regular pampering or can’t be rescheduled.

Whatever you do, don’t just sit there thinking it will happen to someone else. It’s not a gamble worth taking.

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