Hello I've been using Itch for a while but I never realised it had blog options and stuff! I figured I'd make some posts and talk about who I am and what I do, and what projects I'm currently working on.

My name is Andy but I use Lost Haven Art or Games in various places online. I'm first and foremost an illustrator, I work freelance and do commission work and also produce some stock pieces (that are available here). I've got a deep passion for games, particularly tabletop RPGs but not exclusively as you'll see. My most popular thing so far here on itch is Irezumi, my rules-light TTRPG/TRPG that puts players in the position of Yakuza and is inspired by a mixture of Gangster Movies, a love for tattoos and symbology and the video game franchise, Yakuza or Like a Dragon as it has been rebranded worldwide now. This game uses the Caltrop Core system, so revolves around pools of D4's, something that I liked symbolically due to the number 4's negative connotations in Japan and felt it fit the style of game.

I am currently working on two much bigger and much more substantial TTRPGS. I've been rotating through the two of them over the last year. 

The first of these that I'll mention is 'The Skies Above' a game that takes a heavy dose of inspiration from JRPG's such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, The Mana Series and even games like Legend of Zelda. It's a high fantasy world of magic and technology, where the land masses are floating in the clouds after a great calamity broke the world. As a result, the ruins of the old world are littered in this new one, the power of the 8 goddesses is a tangible force that those magically inclined can hear and see and feel and even use. The system uses traditional levelling within a Job/Class system, that will be familiar to those fans of the genre, where characters are able to pick up a 2nd Job/Class at 10th level. Combat is simple but has its own tactics taking place on a two row grid for players and NPC's. My hope for the game's initial release will be a core book with 6 unique lineages, a dozen JRPG tropes as backgrounds, 10 classes each with 6 abilities, dozens of spells for spell casters, unique mechanics for the Invoker (summoner) class, lots of items, including crafting mechanics, as well as dozens of monsters, as well as lore that establishes a world but still leaves a lot for the Games Master to do their own thing with.

The other game I'm working on is Abbadon - The Thirteen Seals. This game uses a full standard 54-card deck, including jokers, to determine the outcome of a character's actions. It is a dark fantasy game that draws inspiration from Diablo and visually from Darkest Dungeon. It takes place in the world of Haven, wherein the players take on the roles of ill-fated and grim heroes who face perilous odds - hordes of undead, monsters, and Demons - to stave off the growing darkness, and stop the return of the Lord of Demons, Abbadon. This game is currently the furthest ahead in development having seen a fairly rigorous play test. The game itself has 4 archetypes befitting a dark fantasy setting - The Elementalist. Powerful magic users who harness the powers of the elements in their magic to rain down destruction on the servants of Hell. The Faithful - warriors of light who use the power of prayer, light magic bestowed on them from they dual gods of the sun and moon, and can even become more powerful the more damage that they've taken. The Hexxing - magic users who dabble in darker arts. They summon the undead to do their bidding, use their own blood for powerful spells, and manipulate the threads of fate themselves. Finally the Stalker - Long ranged fighters used to hunting terrible beasts and monsters, they have expert marksmanship, unique ammunition, traps and can even use shadow magic to aid their hunt. Characters progress through spending experience on their attributes and abilities and by gathering better equipment from their slain foes. 

Please feel free to follow me to be kept updated by the progress on these projects!