'Zine Construction Continues

Work continues on the first issue of the Stronghold 'Zine. Foundations have been laid; bricks for most of the outer walls have been put down and mortared. Some of the infrastructure is still a bit unclear--the architect keeps changing his mind about exactly what rooms need to be included and where they need to go.

I think there's some good stuff there. Most of it is the kind of stuff that would be included in the online version of the 'zine. Most of the struggle is coming with the mini-adventure I want to include. I've drawn three different maps and started to digitize each of them...then I try and stock them, and that's where the wheels fall off the wagon.

I'm also in the need of some illustration(s). I've got a couple specific ideas and then some general needs. The biggest problem is finding someone to whom I can beg for a freebie commission. I can't afford anything for art, at least for this first issue or so. If anyone out there has some ideas or offers, let me know...please. I've put out some initial feelers, but it's tough approaching people I barely know and saying, "Hey, you do good work, I really like the art you spend so much time on, and could you do me a solid and give me some for free? I'd really like that."

Sigh.

Anyway, I just wanted to throw out this update; it's been a little while since I gave one. More soon, I hope.

[Map Monday] Still Alive, Still Plugging Away

Despite appearances and weeks of sickness, I'm not dead yet. I'm not dead and neither is this blog. This is also despite two trips to the Emergency Room in the span of four days for non-stop vomiting (including vomiting up blood). The diagnosis? "Well, you're sick."

No joke.

Oh, even better was the comment, "We don't think your internal bleeding is critical."

While the dizziness continues, the stomach issues have (mostly) resolved, and since I don't have the $400+ "up-front" to get the esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), I'm just crossing my fingers for now and trying to relieve stress in my life.

In "Even Better News," the Stronghold Zine is still alive. I'm plugging along, trying to come up with more ideas and doing my best to make the Stronghold epic. Tim, over at Gothridge Manor challenged his readers to a massive map-share. So, I dug into my drive and threw out a little sneak preview for The Stronghold, Issue #1. And so I need to share it here as well:

It's your basic forest lake, gnoll village (complete with boar pen), and gigantic monolith on a small mid-lake island. More details will be forthcoming in Issue #1 of The Stronghold.