Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Rulebook Updated!

If you read my last post in the blog, you'll know that I've decided to launch my Kickstarter project on December 1st and there's a lot to do before that. One of the things on the list was to perfect both the card design and the rulebook. This week I've decided to do both, I've already begun to make the new card design with about 20 cards out of 60 already done.

=

This is all final card art and text, or at least it is for the results from the Kickstarter. Any minor changes will be added before the cards themselves get printed as real playing cards.

There's also the matter of the updated rulebook. I had been working on it for quite some time and there are only a few changes I need to add to it before it's ready for the final print. I also need to be testing it in the Quality Assurance lab here at Champlain.

If you're curious about what the rulebook now looks like, check out the word version here (http://michaelbujtas.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/masqueraderulebook2-0.docx) or the pdf version here (http://michaelbujtas.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/masqueraderulebook2-0.pdf). Both are the same document.

What I was going for the rulebook this time was a smaller, compact, and more to-the-point design. After all, if I'm going to sell Masquerade to people, I need to expect them to understand the basic rules without me having to explain them.

Please, if you're curious, check out the rulebook and let me know if you spot any errors or inconsistencies. All your editing will be of great help in the future when I finally get around to printing the game. Here's to doing it by next semester!

Monday, October 29, 2012

8 Steps Before Kickstarter

As I've discovered, the steps before Kickstarter are going to be long and tedious but I think I can do it before the final date of December 1st. There's so much to get done!



In case you didn't watch the video and are too lazy to make a mental note of the steps, I'll record them here for your convenience.

  1.  Get a proper website: I've spoken before that I'm working on this. I want to post in the future what some of the pages will look like. The art for this is all done save for a few missing components and pictures.
  2. Design the final cards: This is why I've been working so hard on the card backs lately. Now that the backs are done, I want to get the final art in for the fronts. Then I'll be all set!
  3. Copyright: I've also said this before. Copyrighting is going to be a huge thing so that no one steals my idea or name. It should be simple enough to do.
  4. Book Editing: The book is now finished, so I need to edit it! I want to send it to publishing agents by the time the Kickstarter starts, so I need to make sure it's as polished as it can be.
  5. Perfect the Rulebook: The rulebook has been something I've been working on and off on for the past month. I need to make sure the rules are clear and understandable for anyone who wants to pick up the game and play. A few sessions in the QA lab should fix this.
  6. Speak to Blogs: I've been thinking this over and I want to spread the word of what I'm working on to other big named sites once I have something more to my name. It will be awesome to get even one of the major sites on the internet like The Escapist to do an article about what I'm working on.
  7. Rewards: Kickstarter is about giving rewards to people who pledge money to you, therefore I need to  think long and hard about the kind of rewards I'd like to give. I have a few ideas and may even do a future article about it.
  8. Design the Page: How Kickstarter is going to work is I'll have a page all to myself that I have to post information on about my project to get people interested. I'll be doing research all month to find out what sort of design successful pages go for.
  9. (Optional Step) Find an Agent: This may be optional considering I may go the self publishing route, but it would be awesome to have an agent to help me publish the book. Even an adviser would excellent in the coming days.
Well, that's it. Those are the eight (nine) steps I have ahead of me before I get the Kickstarter started. Remember, it will be on December 1st. Mark your calenders, we're going for the gold!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Book is Done!



So now that the book has finally been completed, I have to start focusing on editing and finding people to edit! Email me if you'd be interested in that at michaelbujtas@gmail.com

Also an important note: I've decided to plan the date for the Kickstarter for Masquerade for December 1st! More details on that later including a list of goals I need to accomplish before then.

Thanks guys for your support so far! Here's to taking the next step in the road to publishing.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Making a Card Back




For a card game one of the most memorable pieces for me is the card's back, especially in games like Magic, Pokemon, and Yu Gi Oh. Heck, I even remember some of the cool designs on regular old playing cards because they're so symbolic to the card game. My point is, for a card game where players often see the back at least, the back is an important feature to consider when designing the look.

It just so happens that Masquerade is one of those games where player's often see the backs of the cards.

I spoke of the back being a symbol to the game, and it really is on some levels. The back is going to appear on every card in the game, so it's important to give the players a message to take away from looking at it if that's your intention. Taking a look at Magic's card can speak volumes about the actual game itself. It appears to be some sort of cover to a book, much like one of the old tomes wizard use in fantasy stories. In the center of the card are five circles, each a different color. These aren't like the four red circles in the corners of the cards, which are probably a part of the book cover. The designer wanted us to see these five colors (red, blue, green, white, black) for a reason, so they must mean something. Lastly is the text with the name of the game, Magic the Gathering, at the top and the words Deckmaster at the bottom.


What can we take away from this card back? Well besides the name, we can deduce that the game probably involves wizards on some level due to the tome-like design and the words Deckmaster. We also must guess that those five colored circles in the center play some significance in the gameplay.

Those who actually have played Magic will know that this is correct; the game is about two wizards fighting each other with summoned creatures of five different elements. That's saying a lot about the context for such a small picture which is also uniform enough to allow for a deck of sixty or more of these cards to not look unusual. If you're wondering what I mean by uniform design, take a look at the back of a playing card sometime. While the art is very beautiful, it's not so distracting that you lose sight of the more important part of the card, the actual front with the information!


So if there's two things to take away from the card backs it's this: they must show a little about the context of the game and they must be uniform on some level. For fun, let's take a look at some of the designs Masquerade has gone through over the months.


The first design was certainly uniform enough to suit a card back and correctly conveyed the context of conflict as well as the medieval setting, but it didn't quite hit the point I wanted to send to the players. You see, when the players have their cards face down, it means they're "hidden". Mystery was an important theme of the game that this back doesn't display. Though it certainly is a nice design that I wouldn't mind going with.


The next design a friend made for me was certainly more mysterious and dark, but it wasn't quite what I was looking for. The images felt too strong and distracting and the strong color draws your eyes to the card. I imagined players would share more at the back than the actual card!



The card design I've made myself was an attempt at combing all that I learned with the first designs made by my artist friends. I think the stained glass windows in the corners is a nice touch while the picture is the center grabs your attention and accurately portrays a masquerade mask. The saturated windows in the corner also display the actual classes and symbols you can find the game, a nice touch if a player decides to really observe the card back. I'll probably be going with something like this as my design.

Don't think that means I don't like the other designs! They're both really awesome, they just don't quite fit with the style I wanted to pursue. As I said, they certainly gave me ideas!

Monday, October 22, 2012

New Website- Coming Soon!

I know it sounds cliched, with the coming soon thing that is, but Masquerade be having it's own official website where I plan on advertising and eventually selling the products. That and the card back has been where I've really pooling my resources during the weekend.

I promised last week was going to be where I looked into copyrighting the game, but things have been moving forward with the website. I found a friend who is interested in organizing the site as I had envisioned it but he needed me to create all the pages, so I couldn't resist.

Here's what the new homepage is going to look like, call it a teaser:


The style is going for a realistic feel with all sorts of nods to events and characters in the book. The cheery character drawing will also be seen on many of the pages, as you can see from the homepage. A lot of the symbols like the wax stamps and letters are things that appear in the card game as well.

My hope is that this flashy new site will grab people's attention and allow me to show the project more seriously at conventions. The hosting has already been purchased and soon www.themasqueradeproject.com will be going live!

There's also the card backs which I've been working on. I was going for a stained glass window look, but I'm thinking about swapping up the colors for something more relative. Going to ask my artist friends though, but if any of you have feedback, feel free to comment!


This week I hope to print out the latest versions of the cards for a final playtest round to test the rulebook again the week after. I hope things go well!


Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Sneak Peek: Chapter Three

As promised to you guys, here's chapter three from the Masquerade book. I'm actually almost finished writing it and am in need of editors or people who simply want to take a look at it. Let me know if any of you are interested!

This is more a background chapter that really sets the world in place and explains what the boundaries are for the fantasy. My hope is that it also clarifies a lot of questions the reader has been having up until this point.

And so, without further a do...

Masquerade Chapter Three


            “Your ignorance surprises me, Count Wymund. I’d never have imagined that there would be a soul in the nobility who did not know about the Emperor of Berma.”

            “You’ll have to forgive me, Lord Carnell. Unlike you, I am not the smartest man in the kingdom.”

            The funny little man, who was Lord Jop Carnell, sat across from Wymund giggling like a gnome. By all accounts he looked like an elf from the old folktales, save for his lack of pointed ears. He was a good foot shorter than Wymund and had a bush brown beard that covered most of his face so much that only his long nose and silver spectacles could otherwise been seen. Carnell seemed to fancy giving the impression to others that he was a sorcerer, as he enjoyed wearing long robes and pointed hats.

            “Now, now, I have never made such a claim. I’m just a man who believes information is among the most important things one can acquire in life. I’ve based my fortune on it after all.”

            “Right, I’m sure plenty of people want to pay for information on shipping manifests…”

            “Not just shipping manifests, my young friend!”

            Carnell stood up on his stubby little legs and wandered around the study where he and Wymund had been drinking tea in most of the afternoon. Aside from old tomes, most of the room was filled with legers, newspapers, charts, maps, and every other sort of parchment imaginable. Wymund found it impossible to believe that such a mess could be considered organized, but Carnell seemed to be able to navigate through the maze of papers with such direction that the young count could only assume he knew where he was going.

            “Behold, nearly every piece of information within Avalot, and even some of our nation’s surrounding neighbors! My collection is constantly being updated on a daily basis by my agents who find every newspaper, every written word, and any tidbit of knowledge that anyone can know!”

            “Yes, and I haven’t come to listen to you brag about it, Jop.”

            Carnell looked angrily at Wymund, who sat looking bored in his chair. “True, you certainly have your father’s arrogant disposition towards my brilliance, Wymund. What was it you asked? Why an old soldier like Captain Newgate would be so shook up by a presence like the Emperor’s? I’ve heard a whisper that you and he have been friendly with one another lately.”

            “I simply wish to learn more about the Emperor of Berma. No doubt you’ve heard of his impending arrival, correct?”

            “Of course I have! You’d have to be a fool with stones in your ears to not know about it, the way they talk about it within the Court!”

            “I don’t understand what the huge fuss about this old man is, though.”

            “Then I suppose it’s true what they say about youth, so quick to act but never taking the time to consider their actions.”

            “Isn’t that why I came to you?”

            A sly grin appeared underneath Carnell’s bushy beard. “Indeed, even after mocking my collection. You wish to learn? Impress me with an appreciate sum for cooperation, information should not be freely given.”

            “Ah, so what you’re saying is you know next to nothing about the man or his imminent arrival and wish to charge me for the legwork involved?”

            The smug smile on Carnell’s face quickly disappeared as a pair of big angry eyes took its place. “No. No. No! It irks me to think a know-nothing lord such as yourself could make such an impression within the court! Don’t insult me by claiming I know nothing about a subject you only remain ignorant about because it was before your time!”

            Carnell hopped up on one of his table’s and pulled down a map of the world as Wymund continued to sit smiling, happily sipping his tea. “Now pay attention, you young upstart, I’m only going to explain this once!”

            He took a stick and pointed at a large landmass in the center of the map. “As you no doubt know, Avalot wasn’t always the great nation it is today. In fact only fifty years ago, we were as much divided as the Outland Countries are now. This was because of two great factions at the time.”

            The world map was divided into several large chunks, with two provinces larger than all the others. Carnell aimed the pointer at the one on the right.

            “On one side of the conflict was our general province today, Avalot. Our great mines and forests, including our trade on gasoline, allowed us to maintain a constant presence among the other nations through trade and commerce for generations.”

            This time he pointed to the section on the left. “On the other was a relatively new power rising in the west. A small unnoticeable nation called Berma had made a discovery that drastically altered the face of warfare and allowed their small armies to acquire territory faster than we could have been prepared for.”

            “Gunpowder.”

            “I see you aren’t completely empty-headed, Wymund. Yes, by stroke of luck, the tiny failing government had stumbled upon that explosive black powder. With the help of their inventors, they equipped their armies with it and began marching to conquer their neighbors before we could react to stop them.”

            “I thought gunpowder was some queer magic they used in the stories to scare the troopers.”

            Carnell’s face turned beet red in anger. “And I trust you heard such rumors while drinking with those vagabonds in the tavern! I detest excusing simple science as works of magic, rest assured gunpowder is a very real and very dangerous natural phenomenon. It allowed the once small nation Berma nation to expand into an empire which pushed all the way to our borders until twenty years ago.”

            “What happened then?”

            “What was inevitable, the Emperor of Berma declared war on us. He and King Alric were practically at each other’s throats for a time, if the word from the old veterans of the noble court is to be believed.”

            Carnell hopped off of his desk and began flipping madly through some of his old books all while continuing his explanation. “It was a brutal war. Many of my relatives fought and died in the war, leaving me alone as the sole inheritor of the Carnell fortune after my father was killed. The armies of Avalot at the time were the largest in the world, but Berma had the advantage of their new technology. Imagine fields of men charging at each other, only to have wave after wave of them being cut down by only a handful of soldiers. Much of the battles had been fought on the lowlands to the west, making the land there completely unusable.”

            “Charming, who emerged victorious then?”

            “No one, the fighting ended in a draw that lasted for years. The Bermans couldn’t push our vast armies east enough to make any more progress inland, but we couldn’t supplant them from the hills west, they were too entrenched. The worst days of the war happened there, day to day charges into the Berman filled hills with no real sense of progress.”

            Carnell held up a sketched picture in what appeared to be an old journal of sorts. It was a crude drawing of men in armor walking towards mountains with more soldier aiming sticks at them. Red ink covered the paper, to the point where Wymund wasn’t sure if it was blood in the picture or real blood the artist had himself spilled on the book.

            “Captain Newgate had been one of the commanders in the armies that took part in these marches. I suspect he saw many of his friends perish at the hands of those Berma soldiers in the hills. Any mention of Bermans or their worst enemy, the Emperor of Berma, no doubt sparks some pretty disquieting memories for the Captain. Worse still was that the conflict never really ended, save for the truce.”

            Finally, Carnell pulled out an old newsletter which read in big bold letters “TRUCE ACHIEVED!”

            “Former King Alric finally was able to negotiate with the Emperor. I think you know the rest; peace happened at last. The King agreed to marry the Emperor’s daughter, our Queen Beatrice, in trade for an alliance between Avalot and Berma. Beatrice was wedded and dozens of nations followed our unity. After years of conflict, we now have the largest and most powerful country in the world.”

            “With some old in bred bad blood it seems. Knowing all that, it comes as a complete surprise to me that the Emperor would bother to come to his most hated enemy’s funeral.”

            Carnell cackled as he took his seat and returned to his tea. “I know many things Count Wymund, but I cannot claim to know the thoughts of men. Motives and history, most definitely, but the shadows in men’s hearts are best left alone. There are too many variables to consider as to why men behave as irrationally as they do.”

            “I never thought you’d be one to decline on learning something new.”

            “I’ve lived a long time to know not to trifle with the Bermans, especially their crazy Emperor. Whatever he’s scheming, so long as I can maintain my status, I care not about the fate of Avalot.”

            “When you put it like that, you make it seem like the King being murdered was no freak accident, just like Newgate.”

            “He’s said such things, has he?”

            “Not to me directly, he hasn’t. But the way he and the Queen have been at each other throats, you’d think it was some sort of conspiracy.”

            “Perhaps, but people like you and me shouldn’t trouble ourselves thinking about the what-if’s and theories that no doubt litter the court. If there had truly been some sort of plot, I’m confident I would have heard about it at the very least. Newgate’s behavior can easily be written off as grief, he and King Alric were very close. Childhood friends, even.”

            “I wasn’t aware that you considered me in your little upper crust noble club, Carnell. Should I be honored?”

            The little noble sighed reluctantly. “Though you are incredibly naïve, young Wymund, I cannot deny that you’ve been making a particular amount of waves within the noble hierarchy. We’ve all made our claims to different lands and regions as members of the noble court, but only a select few of us ever hold enough influence to win over the crowds of Avo. Information may lead to power, but it appears as if it isn’t the only road to rule.”

            “I have no idea what you could be implying…”

            “Act the fool all you wish, I can see through your ruse. You have a silver tongue on you that can convince anyone to do anything for you. How you managed to win over half the population of Avo is beyond me. Those bands of cutthroats and ruffians are beyond me, but it may be their voice that wins you a piece of the pie that gets divided up after Alric’s funeral. That will make three of us.”

            “Perhaps if the rest of you actually cared for the common folk, there wouldn’t be a funeral to begin with. You should go down into the ‘sewers’ as you call them once and awhile to have a drink.”

            Carnell made a quick look of disgust and continued sipping his tea. “And lower myself to drinking in the same room as those ruffians? Not a chance!”

“Who’s the third member of this jolly round table you seem to be establishing, anyway?”

            “That loudmouthed exploiter, Radolf Maynard. No doubt you’ve heard of him, haven’t you Wymund?” Carnell gave a sickening laugh.

            Wymund just stared into his tea. His coy smile had completely vanished. “Yes, him I’ve heard of.”

            “He’s apparently been amassing a fortune through weapon’s trading and armaments dealings. He was right on the border with the Berman Empire during the war. Rumor has it he’s even discovered the Berman’s secret to gunpowder but has been selling it for such outrageous prices that no one’s willing to buy it.”

            “He’s a disgusting man.”

            “Well, we can call him what we want, but the fact of the matter is he’s been playing the trade game right for the past few years. In fact, I daresay that even if you added up all the wealth from each noble in the court together, it still wouldn’t be enough to topple his fortune and he only seems to have a taste for more.”

Wymund continued quietly contemplating his tea, Carnell merely shrugged and said, “Between the three of us, there’s more than enough influence to run the kingdom.”

            “But not one of us would be fit enough to rule it.”

            “I hadn’t pegged you as a cynic, young Wymund. Or are you merely speaking about others and not yourself?”

            “It doesn’t matter I suppose. You know things, I know people, Maynard knows the market. What happened to the heart of the kingdom? Ruling with a just cause and divine righteousness? What does power do to a man to twist them so?”

            “I think the answer to your question is that we grew up. Such ideals are the things for the youth and blind men, like your father.”

            After a long pause, Wymund finally spoke. “Do you think we’ll improve ourselves?”

            “Well, that’s one of two roads we can go by. But look not to the future for too long, it is the present we must be wary of.”

            It was at that moment, there was a knock at the study door. Carnell cursed and continued to sip at his tea.

            “Just as I finally sit down too, come in!”

            A messenger nervously entered the room. He tipped his hat and bowed, not daring to look Lord Carnell in the eye.

            “M-Message for you sire! Urgent delivery! Didn’t mean to disturb-“

            “Fine, fine, fine! Be gone you whelp! Set it down on the table!”

            The young boy nodded and looked up briefly. His eyes caught a glance of Wymund and the look of anxiety on his face transformed into a sincere smile.

            “Lord Wymund?”

            “Ah, Terry. Off delivering messages today as opposed to cleaning up the vomit in the bar, are you?”

            “Yes, well, it’s only that way when you treat the house to a free round, my lord.”

            “Are you here to deliver me a message, boy?” interrupted Carnell. “Or are you here to waste my valuable time with pointless stories from the gutter?”

            “B-But I have a letter for the Count as well…”

            “Bring it here then, Terry.” The young boy sheepishly handed it over to Wymund. The Count noticed a wax seal that he did not recognize, but continued to open the letter and read it out loud.

            Greetings Count Lancelot Wymund,

Despite these darkest of times with news of the death of Avalot’s greet leader, King Alric Dacre, I have elected to hold a small gathering of great host. The most influential and popular noblemen and nobleladies have been invited to attendance.

I seek only to gain a greater perspective of my former rival’s lands by getting know the stalwart defenders who have assisted Alric in ruling it for all these years. No doubt you keen members of the Court can make a guest to this nation feel more welcomed, especially since I go to a funeral of not only one whom I respected but one whom I considered a friend.

I look forward to seeing you there, Lord Wymund. We will meet in the royal garden, overlooking the courtyard an hour after the wake.

Signed…

            Wymund gave a great pause in the reading as both Carnell and Terry looked at him with intense curiosity. But only Carnell spoke aloud.

            “Well!? Who’s it from, Wymund?”

            “…The Emporer of the Berman Empire. Julian Narvineous.” 

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

What Makes a Good Story?



Now that I can sit down and iterate on my thoughts a little bit better, I can safely say that I can agree with myself mostly in this blog. What does make a good story? To me that's characters and how they shape the world around them.

I'm on record for being a huge lover of comic books like Batman, Watchmen, etc. What drives me to keep reading those works is how interesting the characters are in the plot (I'm a huge fan of Rorschach by the way). But as I say in the video, it's more than that. They work off of each other and are just generally engaging to watch, even if it's just two characters having breakfast with each other.

I have a little theory that I'd be willing to test for my next novel, when I get to write it that is. I bet that it's possible to write an incredible story with just five well-developed and thought out characters doing just about anything in the novel.

But my question to you guys is what you think makes a good story? Correct me if I'm wrong!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

A New Contest? Upcoming Chapter 3!

Like I've mentioned in this weekend's blog video, things haven't been going as great as I wanted with that new contest.


I think I might do a revamp of the contest so that I'll let people design their own cards and fight over with one they'd like to see go into the card game. That way I can encourage the fans to really get invested with the game.

We'll have to see what people think though, I don't want to manipulate anyone after all!

On the news with the book, if you watch the video you'll notice I said it's almost done, and it is! I'm on the last few chapters and all the really climatic stuff is happening. It's both exciting and sad at the same time, it's been such a joy writing this now I have to focus on editing and publishing it once it's finished. I might go into self-publishing or maybe I'll take it to a larger company and see if they pick up the game and the book.

No one's ever marketed both a card game and a book to my knowledge.

With that note, I think it's time to post the next chapter of the book on the blog (I believe we're on chapter 3). I'd love to hear what everyone thinks of it! Until next time.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Concerns about the Contest

Hey guys, this is going to be one of the rare updates where I actually talk about my thoughts on some stuff.

After seeing how the contest has been going so far, I'm concerned that at this rate there will be no winner! Sure, people have been liking the page more but there have been no emails from anyone. Therefore, I'm considering changing the rules a bit but I need to give it some more thought. I'd like to make it so that people can easily do whatever the requirement of the contest is while at the same time encouraging the popularity of Masquerade.

Maybe I can have a contest where whoever designs the best card wins? It's something more doable and doesn't require that you get your friends to like the page but it might spark some interest with people to take a look at the page.

Besides all that, I'm working with some web majors to design Masquerade's new website. I don't have a picture of it yet, but I promise you all later this week I will show you what I have in mind.

Just a brief update, I suppose. Today I go to talk to my college's marketing head about copyrighting the game, so wish me luck on that!

Monday, October 8, 2012

Bloody Christmas Contest!

To increase the hype for the Masquerade card game, I'm throwing a little contest for people to enter! Introducing the Bloody Christmas Contest!

The prize is a chance to create your very own Masquerade card that will be in the final game! (Within reason)


The rules are simple, in case you can't read the picture, you must get as many people to like the Masquerade Facebook page (besides yourself). Whenever one of your friends likes the page, send me an email (michaelbujtas@gmail.com) and I will keep track of your tally.

A leaderboard will be posted on the Facebook Group (http://www.facebook.com/masqueradegame) at the start of every week until Christmas, upon which the winner will be decided and contacted.

I don't expect this to be that huge a thing but let's see how this turns out!

The winner will get to design their own card with me which will be in the final print out of the game, including name, art, and stats. The card must be within reasonable balance, no instant winning cards, so don't get any funny ideas!

Please contact me if you have any questions! Try to have fun with it!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Count Lance Wymund: A Character Study

I promised I'd make you guys a new character study page for you to read, so I did! This time around it's a character more prominent in the book, Count Lance Wymund!

As I said above, Lance Wymund is much more of prominent figure in the book than in the actual game, though don't mistake that for a second. In the card game, Wymund is named Lance the Bastard and can have an 8 Attack (strong enough to kill the King) so long as the King or Queen are in play. This makes him a great situational card if you're willing to put up with him for that long.

My father abandons me and I'M the bastard!?
While in the card game Lance is a commoner, in the book I decided to make him a noble with the last name Wymund (which is actually the name of one of the squires in the card game, whoops!) Within the story, he is one of the big five characters who I wanted to make the main focus about, the other four being Mary the Mute, Gunter Newgate, Queen Beatrice, and King Alric Dacre.

Not wishing to spoil anything in the story, but Wymund's role is far more reaching than it initially appears to be. I don't want to say his name in the card game gives it anyway exactly...But Lance is indeed a bastard in both the game and book. In the book, he was adopted by the kindhearted nobleman Thaddeus Wymund, who dies of an illness around the time Lance comes of age to inherit his step-father's property. That's pretty much where the story picks up for him.

Personality wise, many people who have read the story said they find him charming. That was the point of his character type, a young, dashing, and alluring count who's a bit of an idealist. Around chapter 7 or 8, readers will see that he directly clashes with the main antagonist, the Emperor of Berma, with how to properly run a country. That conflict has some interesting results that propels the story into the Rising Action.

Count Wymund borrowed from the Count of Monte Cristo for a lot of his inspiration, though his name Lance was actually taken from my favorite Pokemon game, embarrassingly enough. His name, Wymund, was a spin on a type of dragon as well, so I guess you can say he's a rather used character. But I think readers will be surprised by the twist in the story by the end of the book enough to forgive me for that, I haven't told you guys EVERYTHING yet.

Always interesting and probably a figurehead of my own ideals of leading, Wymund is definitely a joy to write for every scene he's in.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Video Updates

I've been missing a few of these, so I figured I'd throw them at you guys all at once. I'll start at my sick day last Saturday and beyond, so you can call this a compilation of all the videos this week. Check em out and see what you think! Also, I'll try to do a Character Study again of Count Wymund, a major character in the Masquerade book tomorrow!




Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Cards!

I thought it was high time I posted the cards for you guys to look at so you're not always guessing what it is I'm working on. So for your pleasure or complete torture, here are all the current cards in the most recent build!

Why am I posting this now? Well, you'll all see soon enough...