At Role, we believe in the power of independent creators & publishers in the RPG community. More games, more worlds, and more voices mean better stories for everyone. To that end, we’re excited to highlight a few of the creators we’re working with as we gear up to launch the Role platform later this year. Each of these creators will also be part of our Kickstarter campaign, which you can follow here!
In this Creators Spotlight, we’re talking to Swordsfall! This indie creator is a power-house of writing, design, and world building who has crafted a massive multi-media Afropunk universe.
For those who are new to Swordsfall, can you give us an overview of your work? What’s this universe all about?
Swordsfall is an Afropunk Sci-Fantasy Universe with a focus on black characters and PoC as a whole. It takes place on the planet Tikor, an Earth-like planet in an unnamed galaxy. It’s within that world and this universe that I write the stories of Swordsfall.
I call the world of Swordsfall “A Utopia in Conflict”. It’s not a depressing dystopia, nor is it all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a world where there is danger, but the average person fights for the betterment of everyone.
What got you started as a writer & designer?
I’m part of the wave of black creators that were reinvigorated by the success of the Marvel movie Black Panther. It has this authentic sense of blackness that was more about celebration than exploiting our pain. It was a movie that I enjoyed as a comic fan, and also deeply moved as a black man.
I didn’t stand up and yell, “Time to make Swordsfall!” or anything, but the experience sat with me. And it definitely gave me the confidence to set about crafting a whole world.
How long have you been working on Swordsfall? Where did this world come from?
It’s a twofold story. The base of Swordsfall comes from a story/world I wrote decades ago with some friends at the time. We decided to make a game, and I designated myself as the story guy. Well, long story short, no one really did any work on it but me. I wrote 40 pages of world building and theory, and that was about all we had. The game died, and that was that.
But I never really got over the world I built. I really had stumbled across something that stuck in my head. Fast forward almost 15 years later and I had the wild idea to make a campaign for a tabletop game. Along the way, I decided I wanted to be extra and develop a whole world. I used that old game story as the framework, ripping out old ideas, and putting in new perspectives. That was the early beginnings of Swordsfall.
What’s your favorite thing about being a world builder & creator? What are some of the best things you’ve seen come from your work?
It’s hard for me to say what is my favorite part, as I don’t necessarily look at Swordsfall as something I do for fun. Not at this point anyway. I try to take a practical, scientific-method-style approach to my building. As a person, I’m always trying to add learn new things and expand my perspective.
I tend to look at world building more through that lens. It’s a cake you’re baking, a big tasty cake. Even if my favorite part is frosting, that doesn’t mean I can neglect the actual cake part. Having a good, tasty cake helps make the frosting stand out that much more.
So in a weird way, I try to focus more on my LEAST favorite parts. Smooth those edges. That way everything is my favorite. I’d say crafting lands is my weakest skill, and yet I’ve made some fantastic lands like the Ebon Cascade – a tainted part of the world that holds a priceless resource amongst scores of monsters and twisted creatures.
That sets me up for my favorite part, which is just making a seductive and thrilling plot. To me, that’s the best thing. When I take my least favorite things and make them strengths.
What are some of the most interesting and unexpected things you’ve seen your community do with the Swordsfall universe? How has that changed the way you create?
The most unexpected thing has really just been the overwhelming support from fans. It’s been interesting gaining fans as a whole. It’s not something I thought I’d really have, but I’m grateful for it! We’ll see more about how people interact with as time goes by.
What makes role playing special to you?
It’s just a really unique sort of experience. It’s a game that you get to create moment by moment with friends. It’s not something you get to do in the same way with other mediums.
Where is Swordsfall going next? What’s on the horizon for you and your work?
I kind of let Swordsfall grow in the direction that feels right. The next wave of projects is going to include an anime animated by Powerhouse Animation (Castlevania on Netflix) and some other things. I’m ready to finish up the first full length novel for Swordsfall that explains what happened during the pivotal Longest Night – an event that set the world of Tikor on the path it’s on now. And of course, there’s the Swordsfall RPG which people are hankering for.
Swordsfall will be part of the Role Kickstarter campaign this summer!
