Topic: Random Updates from Terry Amthor

[Terry K. Amthor]

Currently struggling with the NE Jaiman timeline. Need to integrate factors from Xa-ar, Cloudlords, Iron Wind, Jaiman and some larger events, and not make it too long. So much to remember! Brain hurts!

[Valkrist]

Terry, forgive my spotty memory as I know this has been answered before but is either Iron Wind or Vog Mur due for a possible revision? I know you mentioned being hesitant about touching at least one of them due to... rights or old file formats or some such?

[Terry K. Amthor]

Terry, forgive my spotty memory as I know this has been answered before but is either Iron Wind or Vog Mur due for a possible revision? I know you mentioned being hesitant about touching at least one of them due to... rights or old file formats or some such?

NP. Part of Vog Mur was actually reprinted in Emer II (and will be again) with Pete's permission, but a lot is not relevant as part of Shadow World. Iron Wind was written by several other people besides me, and I am reluctant to dive in and change much. The original is available through GCP. With so many other projects on my plate in addition to those issues, I don;t see a new IW coming out any time soon.

[Valkrist]

Good to know and thanks for the answer, Terry. Pity about Iron Wind, I'd certainly love to own a modern, updated version, but I can definitely understand your reluctance and your already more-than-full plate of projects.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Busy-busy-busy on NE Jaiman! Lots of progress on regions, interesting places, and animals. Also begun mapping out the Subshuttle system. I love it when I am in a productive cycle! (And oops, need to finish that last adventure of Gryphon...)

[egdcltd]

Busy-busy-busy on NE Jaiman! Lots of progress on regions, interesting places, and animals. Also begun mapping out the Subshuttle system. I love it when I am in a productive cycle! (And oops, need to finish that last adventure of Gryphon...)

Remember, sleep is overrated!

[Valkrist]

Terry, when time permits and at your leisure, have you ever considered writing a tell-all blog about the creative process and discussions, meetings, etc, that provided the genesis for Shadow World? I think it would make for a fascinating insight as to how this fantasy world and some of its particulars came about, though I'm unsure how in depth you can get given any lingering rights with the old ICE and any others who may have contributed to the project, like Pete.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Terry, when time permits and at your leisure, have you ever considered writing a tell-all blog about the creative process and discussions, meetings, etc, that provided the genesis for Shadow World? I think it would make for a fascinating insight as to how this fantasy world and some of its particulars came about, though I'm unsure how in depth you can get given any lingering rights with the old ICE and any others who may have contributed to the project, like Pete.

Wow, that's so long ago... and it's really probably not all that interesting as far as SW. I was given a pretty free hand as far as setting up the world, after it was decided that we wanted to have an actual 'world' support for RM, rather than the generic Loremaster modules. The biggest debate came over the outside material that we would accept. The financial people wanted to crank out a lot of volume, and someone else wanted the modules to be more generic, and not have to adhere closely to my overall concept of the world. Naturally I was not thrilled about that, so we got several books, that (while not necessarily bad in themselves) were not really "Shadow World."

[RandalThor]

Well, as I delve into running a Middle-Earth game and have been reading The Court of Ardor, I can see some of the genesis there, and in other ICE MERP products.

[Terry K. Amthor]

Well, as I delve into running a Middle-Earth game and have been reading The Court of Ardor, I can see some of the genesis there, and in other ICE MERP products.

Hah, well true enough. Court of Ardor was, as Pete Fenlon once said, a 'rogue project.' Though I was never quite sure what he meant, it was certainly unlike any other MERP module, and perhaps had more of a proto-Shadow World flavor than Middle-earth. Maybe ironically, it's the most expensive module if you try to buy it on ebay. I once sold a copy for over $400.

Anyway, I'm curious what SW genesis you might have seen in other MERP books? Naturally there were beginnings in the Loremaster books, especially Iron Wind and Tanara. It's so long ago now that I doubt I could remember much about my thought processes at the time. I remember being on a terrible deadline to get the Emer boxed set books out...

[Terry K. Amthor]

Now this is a desk


http://themetapicture.com/this-antique-cabinet/

[Terry K. Amthor]

So, it looks like Scotland is staying in the United Kingdom! I'm personally relieved, though I think that Scotland certainly has some legitimate grievances that I hope will be addressed. Being equal parts Scottish/Welsh/English/German and a shameless Anglophile, I was following this closely. Back when I was a kid my family drove around Scotland: we visited Loch Ness, Loch Lomond, Edinburgh, Glasgow and I remember a town called Pitlochry. We also visited several cool castles.

Anyway, back to Shadow World. Lots more done on Wuliris, last touches on Green Gryphon, and started a long edit on a submitted module about the city of Lethys. Lots of interesting ideas, but it will have some input from me. We'll see how it goes!

[zyax1]

So, it looks like Scotland is staying in the United Kingdom! I'm personally relieved, though I think that Scotland certainly has some legitimate grievances that I hope will be addressed. Being equal parts Scottish/Welsh/English/German and a shameless Anglophile, I was following this closely. Back when I was a kid my family drove around Scotland: we visited Loch Ness, Loch Lomond, Edinburgh, Glasgow and I remember a town called Pitlochry. We also visited several cool castles.

Anyway, back to Shadow World. Lots more done on Wuliris, last touches on Green Gryphon, and started a long edit on a submitted module about the city of Lethys. Lots of interesting ideas, but it will have some input from me. We'll see how it goes!

How much of that Scotland trip now is in Shadow World? I love Scotland myself, have to go there again to cover the parts I did not in the last trips.

Besides, I like you being productive Terry I hope the editor Terry get into some material too

[Terry K. Amthor]

So, it looks like Scotland is staying in the United Kingdom! I'm personally relieved, though I think that Scotland certainly has some legitimate grievances that I hope will be addressed. Being equal parts Scottish/Welsh/English/German and a shameless Anglophile, I was following this closely. Back when I was a kid my family drove around Scotland: we visited Loch Ness, Loch Lomond, Edinburgh, Glasgow and I remember a town called Pitlochry. We also visited several cool castles.

Anyway, back to Shadow World. Lots more done on Wuliris, last touches on Green Gryphon, and started a long edit on a submitted module about the city of Lethys. Lots of interesting ideas, but it will have some input from me. We'll see how it goes!

How much of that Scotland trip now is in Shadow World? I love Scotland myself, have to go there again to cover the parts I did not in the last trips.

I was only 12-13 years old on that trip, but many fond memories. As for SW influence, purely subconscious. (Of course the Haalkitaine book is heavily based on England... I spent a lot of resarch on those titles.)

We went on these cute mini-bus tours in England to see several cathedrals and Stonehenge, then took a train from London to Edinburgh, and then the driving was hilarious, as I was the navigator while my mother drove (on the left side was quite exciting)! My return trips as an adult were limited to London, Oxford, and a few locations in SE. I'd love to go back to Scotland some day.

[markc]

That is a sweet desk.


Are you going to make one with all of your extra free time?
MDC

[Terry K. Amthor]

That is a sweet desk.


Are you going to make one with all of your extra free time?
MDC

Hah! Actually when I was in my teens I built a desk with a folding cover and a sliding work surface and lots of little drawers. And I also built a harpsichord (yes, from a kit, but wow talk about a project). So I was a rather crafty boy back in high school (too bad D&D had not been invented!)

Here is a link to the harpsichord kit I built, I guess they are still in business!

http://www.zhi.net/instr/FS56ZHI-K.shtml

[markc]

Holy ****, Batman. That Harpsicord kit looks like a lot of work and of course the picture looks amazing.
MDC

[Terry K. Amthor]

Holy ****, Batman. That Harpsicord kit looks like a lot of work and of course the picture looks amazing.
MDC

Our paint job was MUCH simpler, but we did get the paper that went along the inside around the keyboard. But all the internal workings were the same. Ironically, no one in our house could play keyboard! We had to have friends over to play it. The plectrum (the little things that plug the strings) were a little stiff on mine, so you had to press the keys hard, but otherwise it worked pretty hard. Harpsichord action is very different than on a piano.

[Vurkanan]

[…] I designed that special PDF of printable GM handouts for the Xa-ar module. However, I never got much feedback on it, so wasn't sure if it was worth doing for books since.

Ok, here's some feedback. I liked it and would appreciate printable handouts in future products.

[Terry K. Amthor]

[…] I designed that special PDF of printable GM handouts for the Xa-ar module. However, I never got much feedback on it, so wasn't sure if it was worth doing for books since.

Ok, here's some feedback. I liked it and would appreciate printable handouts in future products.

Thanks Vurkanan! Anyone else? Maybe we can figure out a way to give away the handouts PDF to people who write reviews for the modules... heh heh.