Gencon. The Return

This morning began with a trip to the schools that was interrupted with a very groggy me and my truck backed up to the print shop tossing boxes through the door. I had only unloaded have the wares yesterday and as the skies were clear and blue I left all the Players Handbooks and Monsters and Treasures in the back of the open truck...and of course it started raining. Ha! That'll leaarn me!

Gencon was another success. We had even growth off of last year and the booth stayed pretty busy. We had four new products this time around, Upper Works, StarSiege, Towers of Adventure and Crusader 11. All sold well. Upper Works flying on Thursday, but slow and steady StarSiege crept up, and though it didn't surpass it, it came very close. Towers was a third so in all a very good convention. I'll give more details in my upcoming Convention Blog for Crusader issue whatever Jim puts it in!

I want to put a thanks out to the fantastic TLG crew! These mofos worked like dogs both in the load up, trip up, set up, break down and back down the hill. Not to mention keeping shelves stocked, product in order, reacting to Davis and I product shifts, keeping the video streaming, running the register, and let us not forget the real work, continuing to sell a fantasy RPG (Castles & Crusades) to a community that already has one. That's hard work at times and the crew did an AMAZING job.

So a special thanks to:
Mark Sandy (you may not have seen him as much but he put in about 3 60 hour weeks to get these products to the floor)
Richard, Hudson, McBain
Jason, Breakdaddy, Alexander
Kim, AGNKim, Hartsfield
Jeffrey, Ghul, Talannian
James Mishlar
Ashely McKenney

This con was a great success and met all my targets! So a hearty thanks to all those cats who helped make is so...even those who somehow redeployed into my dreams...er nightmares.

Tip of my hat to the great board members who showed: Storm Queen, very nice talking to you. Omote...who hammered Davis' game and I ran into at the Beaver, Gray Elf (we got work to do) and everyone else. McBain asked me and I agreed, if we could through a Pizza Party for board members next year. So we'll work it all out and let you all know where the free eats are!

Treebore has requested that we keep folks up to date about what we are doing here abouts...so today.

Mark is off and sleeping after a grueling 3-4 weeks.

Peter is working on CKG cover layout.

I'm going to go unload the racking, store it and move some product about. I need to get an inventory on the PH and MT. Peter and I will discuss the layout of the CKG cover this afternoon and I'll balance all the books, deposits and get paychecks out. I have to go through and update ALL the d20 pages and put that stuff prominently for sell, this will of course include GFW as all the d20 has to be gone by year's end. These files have to be sent over to Brian Kowalski for cleaning and uploading. If I have time I'll write one of the 3 articles for Crusader I'm behind on. Need to call Jim Ward as well and discuss various and sundries about Crusader and Towers.

Thanks for Playing!
Steve

Gencon

Layout
Contracts
Orders
Shrink Wrapping
Packing UW boxes
Inventory
all manner of stuff!!!

Busy in the Troll Dens for sure!

Thanks for Playing,
Steve

Week's Beginning

Monday was a good day, got a great deal of administration done. We are still winding down from Troll Con and other events have kept me from processing the sales and registration data. I managed to get the done and unpacked the boxes to boot. Mark was secretly hoping to keep them packed for Gencon I suspect, but none of that for me. ha. Ran some invoices, paid some contractors, balanced the books, billed some venders and outsource printing jobs. Writing assignments for the CKG went out to Robert Doyel and Mike Stewart.

I tackled the final format of James M. Ward's Towers of Adventure. Jason Walton sent the final art over, fast and sharp as usual, and the box needed its final touches before going to the press. It should make the show with little problem. The picture presented on the website is not the final by the by. That is a picture of Nulak Kiz Din's Towers, the picture for Towers of Adventure is even sweeter!

Also put a wrap on Book 5 of Upper Works and saw it to the print shop.

The afternoon saw me formatting the Monsters & Treasure 2nd printing for release in electronic format. Doesn't take long but kind of a pain to do. I released it on RPGNow shortly after it was complete and then turned my attention to the long neglected Paizo.com site, uploading 13 different files that should appear in the next few days.

Did a little shop cleaning at the end of the day and scheduled an interview for Tuesday night (that's now).

Today was almost entirely devoted to Crusader and Gencon. The proofs of #11 came back and I wanted to change some stuff around. So there's been a lot of scrambling all day, rewriting on my part and cleaning off a new monster to get it in the magazine. Jim and Liz reacted to my about face on several items and formats in good sport and its all being affected. Crusader is my baby and I get a little particular about it as I don't about other things.

The Gencon paper work isn't too much but things need read, filled out, signed and faxed or at least put in the convention folders so we will have them at the show. More filing of course.

Peter has been hammering away on various gencon related projects and Mark printing like mad. Tomorrow promises to be a bumpy day I wrecken!

Thanks for Playings
Steve

Saturday Postings

Friday was a day wholly devoted to emails as my account had mounted to some 636 unanswered emails. By days end it was down to 390. It was actually relaxing, especially considering the week's tangle of business. Mark had a more interesting day, he took the truck to pick up about a ton of paper and bring it back. When he arrived at the paper warehouse it began raining...not a cloud in the sky here...so he was stuck for awhile. Eventually he got the paper loaded and headed back dodging small rain bursts. We've learned if you drive fast enough in the rain most blows off the items in the bed of the truck (Todd and I did this at O-Dark-Thirty one night coming back from Origins. It began to pour, we were in the middle of no where with no tarp and lots of product. We drove like madmen to escape the downpour until we found a truck stop awning to duck under. He was listening to Cheech and Chong and I don't know if that was worse than the rain or not).

On Mark's return trip from the paper men he tried to drop the wraps off for several boxes we are producing but Patrick, ex-navy chief box maker, had locked his shop up and headed out. The woman there wouldn't let Mark in despite his pleas that he needed to drop some stuff off. Ha! That'll larn him. I helped him unload the paper over at the Shop, and it was a hell of a task in the grueling heat, but a welcome retreat from the office and this computer.

I generally try to take the weekends off, but generally fail. Updates are turned over to Brian the Webmaster on Sundays and these are usually not written until Sunday.

But today I was determined to not meddle in Trollish affairs, but Peter defied me. Sitting in Tulsa OK at Conestoga Con he sought after something to occupy his time. He wanted to lay out Shades of Mist and hollered at me. I took a few hours to go over Cory's edits and put in some small changes of my own. The book passed the first playtesters thoughts and looks to be good to go. I turned it all over to Peter this afternoon. The playtesters will run it through the mill work and get back to me with small corrections.

I suspect it will be print ready by mid-week at the latest and for sure out the week of Gencon.

I'll now wander off to find my book, The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper. I've never read this, nor his more popularly known Last of the Mohicans, but I have found the read very relaxing, if a bit slow. The main character, Deerslayer (Hawkeye), is truly the template for a hero.

I do have to say this has been one of the most surreal weeks in TLG's history. So with that in mind here's a little music for you that I think sums it all up!

Thanks for Playing
Steve

Hell Bent to the Tower's Top

If you haven't noticed it yet,the Troll Lord Games homepage has undergone a major face lift. Brian Kowalski, our inventive webmaster, has spent many, many hours laboring over a new, more efficient design for our homepage. He's created a new product viewer, streamlined the news section and modernized the look and design. A special thanks goes out to Brian, Aztecman on the boards, as he has really put the effort in to the website these past several years, expanding and growing it to meet both our needs and to make the whole site easier to navigate.

Hail Brian Master of the Web! Trollzah! Trollzah! Trollzah!

With this new website we'll endeavor to get updates out in a more timely manner.

I need to take a moment out to apologize to the United States Marine Corps! Apparently the photograph we had up on the site, the one linking to the military support page, had a picture of Marine wearing his insignia backwards. I hadn't noticed it before, though a close examination proved the truth of it. But thank you to Gunny Sergeant Brian Deming for pointing it out to us. The picture was promptly replaced. I would offer the Marine Corps "beers on me" but that would get very expensive very fast.

Its been over a month since I updated this blog and there is a deficit of information out there. But we have been working like madness to bring the Upper Works up to speed so that it makes it out in July. Jeffrey Talanian, Peter Bradley, Cory Caserta and Jason Walton have done an amazing job in bringing the final pieces of this project together and their work and labors would, I think, make Gary proud.

LGGC IV was a good show! Attendance was down just a bit, but the show was one of the best. The porch party was moved to the Legion Hall and the crowd swelled all night until we had over 50 people gathered about gaming and chatting. The hall was a constant buzz of gaming goodness with C&C, LA and AD&D dominating the playing field. I didn't see any 4e, though I was hoping for a look see at how it played. I ran a fast paced game for a bit on Saturday and the gang did a sound job of adventuring through the Darkenfold! Joe Goodman was good enough to join us and played one tough gnome fighter who rode the shield of a greater orc while pounding its head in. Sweet stuff. A thanks out to Frank Mentzer, James M. Ward, Tom Wham and Tim Kask, all great guys who went out of their way to participate and help grow the show. And a special thanks to Gail Gygax who made a wonderful ham and turkey for the feast at the Legion Hall. I'll post more later but good times were had all around.

We have more news coming, exciting news I think that may help propel the game you and I have built these past years into the general pit fight that is our common hobby. This will be around the Gen Con time frame....that's assuming I get my end of it done.

I'm really just babbling at this point and need to sign off. Hope you enjoy the new page and look to the post man cause Crusader 10 is at the printer now!

Thanks for Playing
Steve

The End of May

TLG has had another good month this May. We've been working extremely hard to bring the whole company into fighting trim for many, many long months and it seems to be paying off.

Dro Mandras shipped to retailers and Crusader 9 is on the press machines and being printed. I'm in the middle of a re-write on Shades of Mist...not really a re-write so much as a read through. The intro was pretty jumbled but after fixing that the reading picked up. I expect it to go to Cory tomorrow.

I've also been compiling my files for release on Paizo.com and we are planning on a big electronic release on Sunday, June 1st. June may be a good time to launch a certain annual event we have grown accustomed to doing. Check back on Sunday for that too...assuming I can get Brian to upload everything on the weekend. Sometimes he has a life or something like that.

But more importantly I've spent a chunk of this week working over CKG files. Davis turned the mass over to me for organization. I'll soon know where the holes are and what needs to be done to fill them and what we need to do to completed material. This will not move to editing or layout until Upper Works is 100% in the bag and Lejendary Pantheons is 100% in the bag and Lejendary Rules for All Players is 100% in the bag. It does look like it will be close to 180 pages with a $29.95 price tag.

Concerning Upper Works, pre-orders will open up on June 1st. We've about set the price tag. It is not going to be the $70.00 - $100.00 that other box sets go for, but it will probably be $39.95 or $44.95. This is way beyond what I would like to see in a price tag, but we are looking at some 30+ maps, some 11 x 17, one color. scores of illustrations 7 books with 5 covering levels the other two art and player handouts. Its a big project and we want to do it correctly.

Okay. Back to work for me.

Thanks for playing!
Steve

Merry Go Round

Its been a good solid work week here. With Free RPG Day wrapped up we moved on to other things. We've shipped off Dro Mandras and Crusader #9 has landed and is being prepped for printing.

Things have gotten a little bit busy and convoluted with the number of projects and now the number of associates working for TLG that I've taken to making lists of things that have to be done. I decided to do this Sunday night, late, while musing on all that Monday would bring. So while sitting on my screened in porch, overlooking the trees of the little valley behind the house I sketched out 20 things that I had to do on the following day.

I'm not much of a "list" kind of guy, but in this case it seems to have worked. It keeps me focused. And I try not to do anything else other than the items list, working from top to bottom. I'm also trying not to multi-task as I think that multi-tasking actually lets you do alot and finish little, sort of like the "short cuts cause long delays" approach. It all seems to be working. What I don't finish from the previous days task, move to the next and so on. Its not completely possible of course as the biz is a bit fluid and things come up that I can't control but have to be tackled. But the idea is to keep a good balance. We'll see if I can keep this up.

I have just wrapped up my articles for Crusader #10. We are starting a new column called "Monsters of Aihrde" where we will present a new monster each issue. This issue sees the Naerlulth, a creation of Unklar the Horned God. These beasts were powerful servants of his, not far removed from the Mogrl. Jason had read over for them and had this to say: "but if you want this thing to be a TPK machine then THUMBS UP CHUM, HE FULLY IS!" LOL It is poweful. But it creates its own landscaped within which a CK can run whole adventures without ever encountering the monster, as it spawns creations of its own...of course the first of those will be showcased in Crusader #11.

I also finally had a chance to sit down with Davis and get caught up on a number of projects. Personal issues have kept him from much involvement for a few months and it was good to touch bases and find out what is happening. His approach to gaming and design are not far removed from my own and we work well in tandem, thus making the Chenault Brothers the heart of the Swords & Sorcery milieu around here.

Lots of shipping today, and finally able to work on the Encounter Tables. We have some new product announcements this weekend that you'll see, so check back often.

See you on the boards and as always, thanks for playing.
Steve

Back to Aihrde

Wednesday at last found me back in the office. I spent the better part of the morning not writing as I had intended but working out freight problems with ABF for all the Free RPG Day material we've been shipping, paying some bills and clearing the desk of two weeks worth of paper work . . . invoices for such things as paper, new blades for the cutter, hoses for the cutter, UV coating etc etc. After lunch I discovered that my solicitations were due and I had to scramble to put that together. Of course, then I discovered that I had only half converted my dozen or so word sheets to the single excel sheet. Finishing this task I set myself to finishing the product announcements, getting the ISBNs set and stock codes determined. All this was wrapped up and it was suddenly 5 in the evening, quiting time.

Wednesday night is generally game night for us, so after some family biz I headed over to Todd's to run the crew through more adventures in the southern Darkenfold. The game went so well that it fired me up to get back to Aihrde.

Which is what I did today. I finished up some minor biz and spent a great deal of time on the phone with Jim Ward, Aldo, ABF (setting up TLG's shipping account) a few customers determined to get their copies of Crusader despite my apparent inability to ship them and some various and sundry other folks. By 1 p.m. I found myself in Aufstrag, in Klarglich with Unklar as he forged the Naerlulth, foul creatures of his design set to mock the trees of the All Father. These powerful creatures turn all that they touch to ash and live in the desolation of their never ending hunger. They attract the dispossessed minions of Unklar to their service and spawn other creatures of like evil.

Its brought me back to Aihrde with a gusto. This creature will be showcased in a new column in Crusader, starting with issue 10, that highlights Monsters & Treasure of Aihrde. And yes, for the doubtful, we are working on issue 10 already, as 9 should print next week and ship the week after.

Tomorrow is a short day as the family and I are off to Muskogee to hang with Peter at the Ren Faire. They do a big canon salute on Saturday that I know the youngins will love. On Monday I have cleared the docket for work on Shades of Mist ( a few hours at best before I turn it over to Cory) and the Castle Keeper's Guide. So with luck Monday's blog will bring some long sought after news about that little project.

Thanks for playing.
Steve

Machine Gun Kelly

I headed out bright and early to find a replacement hose for the cutter. I went to several hydraulic supply stores and came up empty, finally finding Royal Brass & Hose on Baseline Rd. It took about an hour for them to fabricate a new hose with new fittings. With replacement parts in hand I headed back to the print shop. Mark was arriving about then and we put the whole back together. Of course I had to head out and get some hydraulic fluid and while I was at the hardware store I decided to get 6 feet of rubber tubbing to extend our shop's indoor air conditioner's drain (the supplied hose was only 1 foot long and not able to reach anywhere, so in typical Arkansas fashion we jerry rigged a garden hose to it). After clamping that on and putting a fresh batch of fluid in the cutter we were back in business. Mark commenced to work and I did some shrink wrapping. The heating element promptly burned out and that machine went down. We had spare parts for it and after a bit had it running again.

This consumed much of my writing time of course and I pushed back to tomorrow what I wanted to do today. But we did manage to put to bed two outside projects and get Dro Mandras off to the Impressions warehouse in Ft. Wayne. The cover on that book looks great, a deep green to draw out the colors in the picture Peter Bradley drew for it. Great stuff by Casey and Peter.

Tomorrow we have some major shipping to do, the last of the Free RPG Day material goes out as well as one large outside job. Once that is in the bag I'm back in the office to catch up on email and writing. Things should lighten up and I fully expect the next couple of weeks to be very C&C productive.

Thanks for playing.
Steve

Good Weekend and Back to Work

After a long week last week Mark, Davis and I all scattered to recoup a bit (Peter was at the ren faire so he had to keep "working", I put working in quotes because there are many good looking young lasses wandering around that faire and he was probably not "working" that much ;) ). I spent the weekend on my folk's farm walking the fence line and repairing damaged fences. I got caught in a tremendous thunderstorm whilst out in the wood. All very relaxing, but it did make me wonder what it would actually be like to be in a suite of chainmail and get caught in that kind of weather. Mark spent the weekend hanging with my dogs and playing Lego Starwars on the Wii.

We opened shop early this morning and tried to get some outstanding jobs wrapped up. We are only half way through Free RPG Day now and stopped it to get Dro Mandras finished. We had a few outside projects that needed some TLC and we tackled those, only one of which was actually finished. I abandoned Mark in the afternoon and returned to the office to wrap up some ads for Crusader 9 which should be to press next week, and get some files out to editors and the like as well as upload A2 Slag Heap to Paizo's PDF warehouse. If the opportunity presents itself I'll upload a file each day until I've brought the Paizo website up to speed with RPGNow and Drivethru. I've neglected that site far too long.

Mark worked on into the evening until a hose on the cutter burst and sprayed oil all over the place. He called and I went over to the print shop and he and tried a patch job, but no dice, the split was too severe. So we pulled the hose and figured out what I'll be doing at 8 in the a.m. tomorrow. Hopefully we can get it up and running pretty quick as we need that machine.

Tomorrow I tackle Crusader 10 articles and start my re-read of Shades of Mist . . . after finding a hose of course.

Thanks for playing,
Steve Chenault

Long Time No Post

Well hello everybody! Its been over a month since I updated this thing, but I do have reasons. We've been busier than busier than a stump tailed mule in a fly patch. Mark barely had time to get his bearings one working full time and all that that would entail before Free RPG Day came roaring on us. Of course we weren't very prepared for it so after some scrambling and two odd week's worth of work we've caught up. This took myself, Peter, Jason Walton and Josh quite a bit of hoping to make it happen. But the end result is pretty good. We'll be shipping (and have already shipped some) 3000 books for C&C Quick Start and a further 3000 for Starsiege Event Horizon Quick Start to retailers.

All the while Jeff has put a wrap on Upper Works, Cory has begun the final edit. Spencer has finished Lejendary Rules for All Players, Peter is almost done with the cover. Casey Christofferson has sent in three small books, Cannfield whole sections of Essential Places. Davis has dropped part of the draft for A5 (Peter has also finished the final cover for this one) on my desk and some CKG material. Robert is busy on conversions for Lejendary Pantheons (not to mention Peter's new cover, now complete). Liz and Jim have hammered out Crusader 9. I've finished Dwarven Glory II and Shades of Mist. It lacks only a final reread.

So things have been a bit wild around here and I'm playing a heck of a tune trying to keep it all organized.

More as it comes to me.

Thanks for playing.
Steve