F. WESLEY SCHNEIDER, JAMES L. SUTTER talk PATHFINDER RUNESCARS #1, on sale in MAY from Dynamite!
BYRON BREWER: Gentlemen, in May you will be writing together a comic depicting a monster franchise you yourselves co-created. Tell us a little bit about what role the comics from Dynamite play in the overall Pathfinder franchise, and is the writing something you enjoy?
JAMES L. SUTTER: Enjoy? Nah, I followed the advice of my career counselors and became a fantasy writer for the money. The yachts and Ferraris are nice, but sometimes I wish I could do something creative for a living, like investment banking.
F. WESLEY SCHNEIDER: I really like the term “monster franchise,” it nicely sums up a property full of fantasy beasties that’s burst loose and run wild. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game’s world, characters, and stories have definitely exploded over the past few years. Where we used to just explore these elements in tabletop roleplaying adventures, now we’ve got novels, audio dramas, comics, and more, all telling really fantastic stories. It’s been a blast taking elements that Sutter and I have been building alongside Paizo’s whole amazing creative team and exploring them through different mediums. With Dynamite’s comics, we get to see the Pathfinder world from the ground level—from the inside—and tell stories no other format can allow.
BB: I just realized we have reunited here two-thirds of the Pathfinder: Hollow Mountain writing team. That adventure certainly gave readers a specific view of the PF world. What “view” will we be seeing in Pathfinder: Runescars?
JAMES: I think one of the biggest things Wes and I bring to the comics is the fact that, as co-creators of the world, we can really go deep into the canon and play with all the toys. With Hollow Mountain, we got to see the last moments of the Runelords and dig into their legacy, as well as give voice to a bunch of our less-savory iconic characters for the first time. With Runescars, we’re taking that approach and doubling down—we’re going to be showing you one of our most beloved cities, getting deep into groups like the Hellknights and Gray Maidens that have been fan favorites for years, unveiling more of the legacy of the Runelords and the secret origins of Varisian tattoos, and so on. The fact that Wes invented the Hellknights, and we both did a lot of early work on key parts of the setting, means that we can showcase everything for new readers but also seed a lot of stuff that’s going to be fun for Pathfinder fans who have been following the game since the beginning.
BB: What heroes will we be seeing here? For the uninitiated, could you do a capsule summary about them please?
WES: A crew of Pathfinder’s greatest heroes return for Runescars: Seoni the sorcerer, Valeros the fighter, Kyra the cleric, and Merisiel the rogue. They’re a classic RPG adventuring party, and their adventures have made them more family than mercenaries at this point. In the past, we’ve explored a good bit about swaggering Valeros or the strengthening romance between our brash elven rogue Merisiel and patient Kyra. But in this arc Seoni really takes center stage. Back in Pathfinder Origins #3, I wrote a story about Seoni coming to the city of Korvosa, hoping to learn more about her mysterious tattoos and sorcerous abilities. We pick up that mystery again in Runescars, delving into the secrets of Seoni’s past, those of her family, and the ties her people have to a dark, ancient secret. This whole mystery has been a part of the Pathfinder world since the beginning and it’s exciting to explore it through the experience of one of our favorite heroes.
JAMES: The one I’m most excited to get in here is Quinn, our iconic investigator. He’s basically a fantasy version of Lester Freamon from The Wire, a lawyer-turned-vigilante with elements of Sherlock and Batman. He travels around investigating things and using his knowledge of the law to help people—but he also doesn’t have a problem breaking it in order to see justice done.
BB: … And the big-bads?
WES: Runescars takes place against the backdrop of one of the Pathfinder RPG’s most popular Adventure Paths, Curse of the Crimson Throne. Rather than tread on the toes of that campaign the new series runs parallel to it, allowing us to slip in several groups readers have been clamoring to learn more about. Most notably are the Gray Maidens, notorious masked knights in the service of Korvosa’s ascendant queen. Runescars pits members of that group against one of the Pathfinder RPG’s most intimidating forces, the Hellknights—merciless enforcers of absolute law. I won’t say which group ends up being more good or bad, but the conflict between them makes drives our heroes into the path of a killer hiding in one of the groups’ midst.
BB: Will you guys be introducing any new characters in Runescars?
JAMES: This is the first time Quinn’s appearing in a comic, but we also introduce Tanin the Gray Maiden and Lazku the Hellknight signifer as brand new creations for this series.
BB: Why is Ediano Silva the right artist for this exciting new adventure?
JAMES: The detail! I just really love his linework and attention to the characters’ outfits.
WES: We’re seeing something new from Ediano every day and it’s all incredible. Dozens of artists have worked on developing Korvosa, meaning that we sometimes send along a daunting amount of reference material. Ediano’s done a fantastic job exploring what’s come before and taking the next steps. His work is giving us an active, lived-in view of Korvosa that we’ve never seen before.
BB: Pathfinder adventure comics always have great extras included. Do you know what will be awaiting readers in issue #1 in the way of “bonuses”?
JAMES: There’ll be a mapped encounter, of course, one that works both on its own and as something you can insert into the Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path, which this comic is tied to in a lot of subtle ways.
WES: Paizo Developer Jason Keeley, who worked on a bunch of the game content for Pathfinder: Worldscape, is back for this series. We’ve talked with him about how we can use the Pathfinder RPG game content in the back of every volume as a way to further explore Korvosa. Readers unfamiliar with the Pathfinder world will find more details about the wider setting here, while veteran Pathfinder players can expect more nuances about schemes unfolding in Korvosa and play-ready encounters perfect to slot into Curse of the Crimson Throne or any Pathfinder RPG campaign.
http://dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewPr...13025833501011
BYRON BREWER: Gentlemen, in May you will be writing together a comic depicting a monster franchise you yourselves co-created. Tell us a little bit about what role the comics from Dynamite play in the overall Pathfinder franchise, and is the writing something you enjoy?
JAMES L. SUTTER: Enjoy? Nah, I followed the advice of my career counselors and became a fantasy writer for the money. The yachts and Ferraris are nice, but sometimes I wish I could do something creative for a living, like investment banking.
F. WESLEY SCHNEIDER: I really like the term “monster franchise,” it nicely sums up a property full of fantasy beasties that’s burst loose and run wild. The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game’s world, characters, and stories have definitely exploded over the past few years. Where we used to just explore these elements in tabletop roleplaying adventures, now we’ve got novels, audio dramas, comics, and more, all telling really fantastic stories. It’s been a blast taking elements that Sutter and I have been building alongside Paizo’s whole amazing creative team and exploring them through different mediums. With Dynamite’s comics, we get to see the Pathfinder world from the ground level—from the inside—and tell stories no other format can allow.
BB: I just realized we have reunited here two-thirds of the Pathfinder: Hollow Mountain writing team. That adventure certainly gave readers a specific view of the PF world. What “view” will we be seeing in Pathfinder: Runescars?
JAMES: I think one of the biggest things Wes and I bring to the comics is the fact that, as co-creators of the world, we can really go deep into the canon and play with all the toys. With Hollow Mountain, we got to see the last moments of the Runelords and dig into their legacy, as well as give voice to a bunch of our less-savory iconic characters for the first time. With Runescars, we’re taking that approach and doubling down—we’re going to be showing you one of our most beloved cities, getting deep into groups like the Hellknights and Gray Maidens that have been fan favorites for years, unveiling more of the legacy of the Runelords and the secret origins of Varisian tattoos, and so on. The fact that Wes invented the Hellknights, and we both did a lot of early work on key parts of the setting, means that we can showcase everything for new readers but also seed a lot of stuff that’s going to be fun for Pathfinder fans who have been following the game since the beginning.
BB: What heroes will we be seeing here? For the uninitiated, could you do a capsule summary about them please?
WES: A crew of Pathfinder’s greatest heroes return for Runescars: Seoni the sorcerer, Valeros the fighter, Kyra the cleric, and Merisiel the rogue. They’re a classic RPG adventuring party, and their adventures have made them more family than mercenaries at this point. In the past, we’ve explored a good bit about swaggering Valeros or the strengthening romance between our brash elven rogue Merisiel and patient Kyra. But in this arc Seoni really takes center stage. Back in Pathfinder Origins #3, I wrote a story about Seoni coming to the city of Korvosa, hoping to learn more about her mysterious tattoos and sorcerous abilities. We pick up that mystery again in Runescars, delving into the secrets of Seoni’s past, those of her family, and the ties her people have to a dark, ancient secret. This whole mystery has been a part of the Pathfinder world since the beginning and it’s exciting to explore it through the experience of one of our favorite heroes.
JAMES: The one I’m most excited to get in here is Quinn, our iconic investigator. He’s basically a fantasy version of Lester Freamon from The Wire, a lawyer-turned-vigilante with elements of Sherlock and Batman. He travels around investigating things and using his knowledge of the law to help people—but he also doesn’t have a problem breaking it in order to see justice done.
BB: … And the big-bads?
WES: Runescars takes place against the backdrop of one of the Pathfinder RPG’s most popular Adventure Paths, Curse of the Crimson Throne. Rather than tread on the toes of that campaign the new series runs parallel to it, allowing us to slip in several groups readers have been clamoring to learn more about. Most notably are the Gray Maidens, notorious masked knights in the service of Korvosa’s ascendant queen. Runescars pits members of that group against one of the Pathfinder RPG’s most intimidating forces, the Hellknights—merciless enforcers of absolute law. I won’t say which group ends up being more good or bad, but the conflict between them makes drives our heroes into the path of a killer hiding in one of the groups’ midst.
BB: Will you guys be introducing any new characters in Runescars?
JAMES: This is the first time Quinn’s appearing in a comic, but we also introduce Tanin the Gray Maiden and Lazku the Hellknight signifer as brand new creations for this series.
BB: Why is Ediano Silva the right artist for this exciting new adventure?
JAMES: The detail! I just really love his linework and attention to the characters’ outfits.
WES: We’re seeing something new from Ediano every day and it’s all incredible. Dozens of artists have worked on developing Korvosa, meaning that we sometimes send along a daunting amount of reference material. Ediano’s done a fantastic job exploring what’s come before and taking the next steps. His work is giving us an active, lived-in view of Korvosa that we’ve never seen before.
BB: Pathfinder adventure comics always have great extras included. Do you know what will be awaiting readers in issue #1 in the way of “bonuses”?
JAMES: There’ll be a mapped encounter, of course, one that works both on its own and as something you can insert into the Curse of the Crimson Throne Adventure Path, which this comic is tied to in a lot of subtle ways.
WES: Paizo Developer Jason Keeley, who worked on a bunch of the game content for Pathfinder: Worldscape, is back for this series. We’ve talked with him about how we can use the Pathfinder RPG game content in the back of every volume as a way to further explore Korvosa. Readers unfamiliar with the Pathfinder world will find more details about the wider setting here, while veteran Pathfinder players can expect more nuances about schemes unfolding in Korvosa and play-ready encounters perfect to slot into Curse of the Crimson Throne or any Pathfinder RPG campaign.
http://dynamite.com/htmlfiles/viewPr...13025833501011