This Fearsome Predator Can Take Down an Amazon Drone in 3 Seconds

This is a short update . I’ve gone for Buzzfeed-themed headlines for this View from A Pelgrane’s Nest – I hope you forgive my indulgence.  Anything I haven’t mentioned is covered in my previous missive.

This month we release Hillfolk and Blood on the Snow for DramaSystem, Albion’s Ransom: Worm of Sixty Winters  for Esoterrorists, and make Stone Skin Press’ anthologies available from the store.

The Most Important Sales Graph With an Unlabelled Y-Axis You’ll See All Day

I’ll do the full business-y round up in January, but I’ve included a summary below.

This is what our gross sales look like since 2010. The spikes are GenCon or new releases, usually both. I need much higher sales to break even than I used to because I have staff costs, and the mass release of books in August has hit me with a whole bunch of print bills, but the Pelgrane is looking healthy. 2014 is for consolidation.

One Unique Thing About You

Rich Longmore has pretty much finished up the 13th Age Bestiary art, and the Bestiary now in layout. 13th Age and Bestiary customers can now download three monsters from their 13th Age and Bestiary order pages. Here is Rich Longmore’s illustration of a Zorigami.

Surprise! When Moore is More

Sometimes the Pelgrane’s cries warn you of its coming; but occasionaly she will swoop down and snatch you away without warning. This is such an occasion. Cal Moore, 13th Age editor and Bestiary contributor has surprised us with an entire introductory for 13th Age  – Shadows in Eldolan – and now it’s ready for you to playtest. We’d love to get your feedback.

Meet Your Mother-In-Law – Iron Age Style!

Hillfolk and Blood on the Snow are on order and available in the Pelgrane store. Earlier this month, I played Moscow Station – Kenneth Hite’s setting – in our traditional pre-Dragonmeent game. The atmosphere was both oppressive and amusing. It was enjoyable to play the wife of Ken’s klutzy agent, pushing him above his level of competence, and Robin plays a mean KGB agent.

Watch this Giant Stone Whale Eat A Whole Castle

The Lair of the Stone Thief is still under construction – Rob Heinsoo has given it a good grouting – and it’s is due for playtesting in January.  The concept – Moby Dungeon – has become a malevolent and injured monster – a unique thing to

Bigger than a Freight Train: You Won’t Believe Your Eyes When You See This Creature

This month sees the latest KWAS offering from Kenneth Hite the Shoggoth – the huge bi0-engineered monstrosity the shoggoth. It’s the shock trooper of the Mythos Keeper, shaking the very ground, but on a sufficiently human scale that Investigators will consider facing it. Ken covers the canon then sprinkles his corpse dust to bring it to horrible, unexpected new life.

5 Acts of Generosity Which Will Definitely Make You Cry Or Possibly Wet Yourself

I’d like to thank all those Pelgrane customers and other contributors who generously supported charitable works and helped others this year.

• Bundle of GUMSHOE and Bundle of Tentacles customers, you raised more than £1100 for Cancer Research UK, and £600 for the Cochrane Library.
• Dragonmeet bidders raised over £2200 for Alstrom Syndrome UK.
• Adam Gauntlett’s RMS: Titanic has raised over £650 for Sight Savers. (The original recipient Heroes in the Dark discontinued his projected, and suggested I chose another charity for the blind).
• Sean Patrick Fannon’s After the Storm bundles raised £2600 for people affected by Typhoon Haiyan.
• And let’s not forget the sale which helped Chris Huth after his apartment burned down.

Ten Exotic Trips You Can Take for Less Than $50

Mythos Expeditions for Trail of Cthulhu is done playtesting and Cat’s art direction continues, with David Lewis Johnson doing the honours. I’d be amazed if a single investigator surives every expedition.

This One Trick Will Fulfil Your Weirdest Dreams

The manuscript of Dreamhounds of Paris is now complete, with art direction underway. We’ve decided to give Paris the Bookhounds of London treatment when it comes to the maps – scanning and including full-colour maps of Paris with an index. We are looking for volunteer to help us with this part of the project.

Cows Gone Wild

I leave you with a message I received from Mystic Moo. Our American customers might wish to google “pantomime” to get some context. MM will be back in the New Year with another column.

 

The Cow Shed
The Farm
December 2013

 

Dear Mr Rogers

Thank you for your recent letter regarding my successful audition for the part of Daisy the Cow. Until this year I was unaware that Pelgrane Press presented an annual Christmas pantomime but am delighted that you have chosen to perform the bovine-positive Jack and the Beanstalk. We may need to negotiate on salary, however.  If one cow takes the place of two humans then I think the least you could do is throw in an extra bottle of sherry.

Your letter has caused a bit of a flurry here in the cow shed. Marigold is, to use the vernacular, “well up for” her role in the chorus and has already begun tap dancing lessons which I’m sure you will agree is quite a challenge to her athlet-moo-cism.  Hamish has volunteered to accompany the show on the piano; a rare treat that I recommend to you most highly. As for the human cast – I’m sure Cat will make a delightful Princess but am slightly dubious about your Widow Twanky.  Still, we have a month to get things right.

NB Please ensure that your paddock is properly prepared as we will be arriving on Christmas Eve and remaining with your family throughout the festive season. We do not wish to be under-rehearsed.  A list of our requirements is attached.

 

Mystic Moo