Stretch Goal Heaven!
about 5 years ago – Thu, Apr 11, 2019 at 11:42:32 PM

Wowzers. Those stretch goals are dropping like flies... on the way to Stretch Goal 5 of 6 unlocked.... And we are still a couple of days from the end of the campaign, with the 48 hour mark to come. Amazing effort, and thanks so much to all of you -- the backers and supporters -- for getting us this far. You are fantastic!

I've even got another writer lined up for a further 16-page adventure if we hit £15,500! Don't tell anyone :P

I have John Large's stretch goal adventure draft already, and it's fabulous.

So, I expect this will be the last update before the campaign end, so include some final campaign-peeks... (all unchecked and unedited).

Grumblewick’s (B41)

Grumblewick’s is a large stone structure with a towering chimney stack. The business is run by Thurse Grumblewick a portly man with a balding pate except for two tufts of white hair either side of his head, and generous, salt and pepper mutton chops. He wears a pair of brown overalls at all times, although they are heavily blackened to the front.

Various wooden lean-tos are tacked onto the sides of the building encroaching into the street. Under them, workers are found hammering metal into shape and bodging holes in hinge straps daily, come rain or shine. Hinges, door handles, latches, door bolts, crude padlocks and other ironmongery for the needs of the city are churned out here. Up the side of the chimney is a narrow iron ladder that reaches all the way to the top, where a small wooden platform has been installed around the chimney rim. The view from here is spectacular when the forge is not belching out acrid, black smoke from below. Thurse charges one silver shilling to climb up and take a look for ten minutes. From the top, all the wards can be seen, and into the fields beyond. The view is not for the feint-hearted though, as the platform is narrow, and it can get quite breezy. It is not uncommon for ‘brave’ sightseers to start climbing and get stuck halfway up the ladder frozen in fear. They have to be rescued at a cost of two silver shillings. It has been known for people to fall, and this has prompted Thurse to require all those climbing the ladder to sign a sworn affidavit that relinquishes him of any responsibility.

Thameswater Ferry

Old Thameswater Ferries operates the Thameswater Ferry crossing between Ferry Ward on the north bank and Swine Ward on the south bank. The ferry consists of two large chains spanning the river allowing two large barges to connect to them through a mudcow-powered drive wheel, which engages with the chain, thus moving slowly across the river. They traverse the chain from bank to bank, stopping to let their cargoes disembark before allowing more onboard to make the return crossing. This occurs as many times a day as is required. The barges charge for each person, each piece of livestock or per barrel or crate.

Stockton Keep

Governance Hierarchy

Faces of Great Lunden

So, with the finish line approaching, let's share this to the masses and get all the stretches!

Have a great coming weekend all, and looking forward to working on getting this out to you all in the following months.

Onwards to victory!

Glynn and the team.

Final Week...
about 5 years ago – Fri, Apr 05, 2019 at 01:22:37 PM

After this Sunday, we will be into the final and most exciting week of the campaign! Wow, that went quick...

I couldn't be happier with how the campaign has progressed, and thank you for your continued and very valuable support. Myself and the rest of the team have been beavering away on the content in the background.

Artwork

Structure Art and Maps

Featured Creature

Ridiculous Laws

"Some laws are—quite frankly—ridiculous, and have their origins hundreds of years previously. Here are some still-current laws that no longer make any sense but have been used to snare those that are wanted of other crimes. Most of the cityfolk wouldn’t even know they broke one if they did. Most Peekers don’t know half of them either.

• No hopping anywhere on Traitor Street during a festival day.
• A carp cannot be caught between Lunden Bridge or the Tower of Great Lunden by anyone whose surname begins with a letter F.
• Hats must not be worn on boats passing through the arches of Lunden Bridge.
• A double ruff is not to be worn in Hackle Ward."

Scurvy Brothers Abattoir

"On the northern edges of Slaughter Ward is a grubby warehouse and yard, much like many of the other structures in the ward. This one specialises in the slaughter of mudcows. A slow trickle of watered-down blood hemorrhages out of the entrance to the yard, and into the street gulleys. Baying mudcows wait nervously in pens around the inside of the yard. Workers in blood-smeared leather aprons carrying knifes and cleavers wander between the pens and rear of the warehouse, some leading animals to their destiny.

Inside the front of the warehouse is the office area where the Scurvy brothers are usually found. The Scurvy brothers are the only known conjoined twins working in Great Lunden. They share a body, legs and arms, and the only evidence of their conjoined nature is their two heads.

Known around the ward as ‘The Ettin’, the brothers are actually called Werrem and Borrin Scurvy. Bald-headed and unkempt, the brothers stand just under six feet tall, but would be taller if it wasn’t for their curved spine making them hunch over slightly. The brothers are hard workers and in good physical shape despite their struggles.

Werrem – on the left – does most of the talking, whilst Borrin’s head leans to the right and stares with one of his eyes wide open peering inside the soul of whoever is before him. As well as making people uncomfortable, Borrin has a habit of finishing all of Werrem’s sentences, which Werrem has learned to live with, although occasionally snaps and shouts at his brother.

Whilst Werrem is awake, he has control of the brother’s limbs, although as soon as Werrem falls asleep, Borrin comes into his own and takes control of the limbs. He has run up a considerable gambling debt whilst Werrem sleeps, slipping out of their living area in the warehouse and heading into Netherwark Ward whilst Werrem dreams the dark hours away."

Have a fantastic weekend, and as ever, please feel free to share about the campaign on social media, and let's see those stretch goals fall.

Onwards to victory!

Glynn and the team

FUNDED and still 13 days to go…
about 5 years ago – Mon, Apr 01, 2019 at 08:14:24 AM

You folks are amazing!

Now, let’s smash some stretch goals and get some more amazing creator's content onboard. Woot, woot! :)

Onwards to victory!

Glynn and the team.

Halfway There!
about 5 years ago – Sun, Mar 31, 2019 at 09:41:28 AM

Hello Everyone!

I hope you are all looking forward to a great weekend filled with gaming.

We are at halfway through the campaign and we are on the cusp of funding, which is magnificent. Thank you all so much for the support, it's fantastic.

Now to show some more progress...

Rooftop Map

I got a copy of the Rooftop map printed out (for playtesting purposes). The campaign ones will be A2 and machine folded to A5, but this one I got printed is via my RedBubble store (not public yet as its still not final). I also go an A0 one printed just to see what it was like (haha). I intend to have all the maps up on RedBubble after the campaign, so that anyone that wants larger, unfolded version can purchase them separately.

Ward Heraldry

All of the wards of the City of Great Lunden have their own heraldic device that is displayed in various places throughout the wards. The Peekers (City Guard) wear tabards emblazoned with the heraldic device.

Watcher's House

The clergy of the Watchers from the Shore have their own building in the city, within Bishopsgate Ward. This is the 3 page dedicated to the 'Important Structures' - 1 page elevation, 1 page map, 1 page information.

And finally...

The sewers are dangerous places as we have said previously. There are a frightening array of Sewer Crocodiles...

So, just a final THANK YOU for your support and generosity at this stage in the campaign, and as ever, please, please share everywhere :D

Glynn and the team.

90% Funded!
about 5 years ago – Wed, Mar 27, 2019 at 05:28:49 AM

Hello!

Now 90% funded and only a week gone. Fabulous, and THANK YOU!

Radio Grognard

I was interviewed by Ol' Man Grognard (Glen Hallstrom) the other day, and we talked about the Great Lunden project. Listen to the awesome Radio Grognard podcast episode here.

Short Story

As mentioned in the last update, the short story is now complete and ready for editing. I've tentatively got it into layout ready too :). Richard has done a magnificent job.

Dourgul's House (Bileward)

The hook-nosed, wart-goblin, Dourgul is a legend amongst the wart goblins. Having saved King Oculon III from a mortal wound delivered by a Gaulandian spy who had infiltrated the Royal Court, Dourgul slipped away from this life, and into wart-goblin folklore. As a reward for saving Oculon’s life, the king posthumously awarded the courageous goblin with The Oculon Cross, the highest medal of honour that can be awarded to Havenfolk. Additionally, an inner ward was handed over to wart goblinkind, which they named Bileward.

Today, the ward is filled with varying businesses and dwellings owned and operated by civilised and educated wart goblins. The ward is primarily known for the middium and gloomium forges and workshops, found here due to the ability of wart-goblin smiths to work these materials to a very high standard, much to the frustration of the human metalsmiths of Blackgate. The gloomium forges run under strict licenses and produce small amounts of goods, usually under commission from the queen herself. This work is secretive, and the wart goblins take their security very seriously.

ENnies 2019

I packaged and sent out all the ENnie 2019 submissions this week. The Midderlands Expanded (Setting), Murder Knights of Corvendark (Adventure), and Midderzine Issue #1 (Supplement) are all out there.

I would also expect that this project to be entered into the 2020 ENnies! Keep an eye on the submissions and awards process here: http://www.ennie-awards.com/blog/

Discord

For those of you who use Discord, there are now two places to find MonkeyBlood Design & Publishing. Either;

• Our own MonkeyBlood Design & Publishing Discord server: https://discord.gg/B3U8hzE
• A Designers & Makers channel over on the Tenker's Tavern Discord server: https://discord.gg/uDpc6ch

Check it out and feel free to engage in Midderlands-related discussions there.

To close...

As always, please spread the word and the sooner we get funded, the sooner we can start smashing stretch goals down.

Have a great weekend everyone! Onwards to victory!

Glynn and the team