I am saddened by but in support of the cancellation of Gary Con XII. This has been a tough decision for Luke, Caroline, and the rest of the team, but I believe they made the right call. I've seen Gary Con grow from its very beginning, and I have been a part of it since its earliest days. And if you go back further, prior to Gary's passing, we had a small con called the Lake Geneva Gaming Convention, which was held by Troll Lord Games and attended by a few hundred people, many of whom continued on attending Gary Con. 

I've made so many friends over the years thanks to Gary Con, and I always look forward to reuniting with them, sharing tales, rolling dice, and talking shop about role-playing games. All of this is done while honoring the life and legacy of Gary Gygax, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons. This year was going to be extra sweet, because Luke and I had written a special 1e adventure, called "The Trouble at Loch Jineeva". I was so excited to work with Luke and share the results with fellow gamers at Gary Con XII. I am optimistic that we will find a way to get this adventure into the hands of our interested gaming peers once the dust settles and this virus has run its course. 

At Gary Con II, I premiered the first adventure module for my own game, called Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. The adventure was called "Charnel Crypt of the Sightless Serpent". This module represented my attempt to bounce back after years of working on creative materials with Gary Gygax, and having all that work swept away by the mismanagement of those who had inherited Gary's IP. But with the support of my beautiful wife, Erica, I decided to strike out on my own, creating my own small publishing company, called North Wind Adventures. Gary had given me my first break, so it was only fitting to premier the first book for my new venture at Gary Con II -- and we're still truckin' along! 

Having no Gary Con does have an impact on sales typically generated at the con and following the con. This year we were set to have our biggest presence to date: Over 30 events, including a Saturday Night Celebrity Hyperborea game, and a Friday morning Livestream Hyperborea. To help make up for this, North Wind Adventures is putting some key products for sale, 40% off cover price: 

- AS&SH Players' Manual ($23.99 -- normally $39.99) 
- Beneath the Comet ($13.20 -- normally $22.00) 
- Ghost Ship of the Desert Dunes ($13.20 -- normally $22.00) 

The sale will run until next Saturday, March 21. These items can be found at our online store: www.hyperborea.tv 

In closing, as my friend Rich Franks pointed out, let's not forget why we were gathering in the first place -- to honor and celebrate Gary, whose life was well played. Cheers, Gary! ~Jeff Talanian

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