Hagglethorn Hollow

The Fantasy Artists Roundtable
over 5 years ago – Mon, Oct 22, 2018 at 05:36:57 PM

Sometimes unique opportunities present themselves that you can't ignore! This was one of them. With Stefan Pokorny being in New Zealand and the fortunate timing of our other guest's schedules, we had the chance to have four passionate fantasy artists sit around a table and talk about their work and love for fantastical worlds... so why not turn a camera on and share this with everyone! And so here we are. Tabletop Troubadour is proud to present this Fantasy Artists Roundtable. 

Hosted by renowned creature actor Jed Brophy, (known for his performances as Orks Snaga and Shaku from The Lord of the Rings, The Dagda Mor of The Shannara Chronicles and, Nori the Dwarf from The Hobbit), we find out how each artist brings fantasy worlds to life in their respected fields. 

Take a seat at the table with Jed, Johnny Fraser-Allen (conceptual artist and creator of Hagglethorn Hollow) Stefan Pokorny (Dungeon Master and Founder of Dwarven Forge) and Richard Taylor (co-founder and Creative Director of Weta Workshop) in Wellington, New Zealand against the backdrop of Hagglethorn Hollow as they discuss their passion and love for the genre.

Enjoy, and thanks for all your support. 

 ** A extended version will also be released post Kickstarter.

The Art and Making of Hagglethorn Hollow Update!
over 5 years ago – Mon, Oct 22, 2018 at 01:03:13 AM

As many of you know, we have a unique add-on that will be released when we hit 300K USD, this being “The Art of Making of Hagglethorn Hollow” book. This endeavor was incredibly well received by the community, and now we have another exciting aspect to add to it. We are very pleased to announce that Ignite Publishing will be co-publishing our book.

Ignite are well respected in the fantasy art world and responsible for the award-winning series of art books, 'White Cloud Worlds' (shown below) that showcase stunning science fiction and fantasy artwork from New Zealand artists. Hagglethorn Hollow creator, Johnny Fraser-Allen is also a contributor in several of these volumes.

We are thrilled to have Ignite partner with us, and as an additional bonus, we are also lowering the Stretch Goal target to 290K USD! 

Watch out for more reveals, stretch goals and add-ons coming very soon! 

The Nixie Statue Unlocked!
over 5 years ago – Sun, Oct 21, 2018 at 02:18:37 AM

The residents of Hagglethorn Hollow and well aware of the Pixies and Nixies who haunt the local waters. The Pixies who nest along the banks of streams and the Nixies who lurk in the sinking swamps. The statues stand as a constant reminder to the town folk that they best be wary when wandering, for strange tales are told of these creatures by those fortunate enough to return from adventures in the marshy wilderness beyond the gates of Hagglethorn Hollow.

Coming up next is the release of the artist roundtable! This included Johnny Fraser-Allen of TTG, Stefan Pokorny of Dwarven Forge, Richard Taylor, the co-founder and Creative Director of Weta Workshop and also Jed Brophy, the actor famous for his portrayals of The Lord of the Rings Orks Snaga and Shaku, The Dagda Mor of The Shannara Chronicles and of course, Nori the Dwarf of Thorin's company in The Hobbit.

It was an encounter like no other and one we can't wait to share with everyone.

The Troubadour and the Dwarvenaut!
over 5 years ago – Fri, Oct 19, 2018 at 11:00:26 PM

Hello fellow Hagglethorneans (a term coined by backer, JK), Johnny here! What a week it has been as support continues to flow in from across the globe for this project. Another exciting thing for me personally this week as an artist/gamer has been the connection and friendship made (or shall I say forged) with a personal hero of mine, the Dwarvenaut himself, Stefan Pokorny! Stefan reached out to us in the first week of the Kickstarter offering truly heartwarming support and encouragement. Our correspondence continued and it would lead to him jumping on a plane with his lovely partner Anne to come visit us at Tabletop Troubadour HQ here in New Zealand!

Stefans long history of crafting his own fantastical worlds through his company Dwarven Forge and his skills as a Dungeon Master has inspired me for many years. I’ve been able to show Stefan around Weta Workshop, take him to some iconic Lord of the Rings filming locations and most importantly, assemble my innermost gaming circle for a night of Dungeon crawling DM’d by Stefan himself. Stefan took our party of eight adventurers through the Township of Hagglethorn Hollow and down into Valorian dungeons. It was a truly epic adventure and an incredible honour to experience the Dwarvenaut Dungeon Master in action.

We have more to share from this truly unique visit including a very special artist roundtable that not only featured myself and Stefan, but also the co-founder and Creative Director of Weta Workshop - Richard Taylor and Jed Brophy, the actor famous for his portrayals of The Lord of the Rings Orks Snaga and Shaku, The Dagda Mor of The Shannara Chronicles and of course, Nori the Dwarf of Thorin's company in The Hobbit.

The roundtable discussion focuses on how we bring fantasy worlds to life in our own specific roles; with Stefan’s rich history of Dungeon Mastery, Richard’s legacy of World Building, Jed physically bringing characters to life and my experiences in Conceptual Design and Sculpting. We can't wait to share this fantastic evening with the community!

Till then, here is just a little sample of a Troubadour and a Dwarvenaut’s journeys through Middle Earth.

Johnny

Worlds Within Worlds
over 5 years ago – Wed, Oct 17, 2018 at 09:07:45 PM

As our growing community is discovering, Hagglethorn Hollow is far from a stand-alone world but part of a rich tapestry of interwoven worlds from the mind of their creator, Johnny Fraser-Allen. 

One such world is ‘The Gloaming’. This immersive world of mythological folklore creatures is an exhibition that has traveled the world, showcasing a range of work in sculpture and paintings.

Here are a few of Johnny’s watercolour studies of creatures featured in 'The Gloaming' on which many of the Hagglethorn Hollow Stretch Goals are based, bridging these two worlds. The statues hint at the mysterious origins of the township of Hagglethorn Hollow while also offering a sneak preview of what's to come from Tabletop Troubadour Games. These water-colours and more will also feature in “The Art and Making of Hagglethorn Hollow” book.

To all of you who have chosen to join us in this adventure, thank you. We look forward to having you as active participants in this ever-expanding narrative.