Into the Mother Lands is a Scifi TTRPG Series You Won’t Want to Miss!
My PoC heart is jumping for joy as Into the Mother Lands, funded by Twitch, is a sci-fi tabletop role-playing series created by the legendary Tanya DePass!
The reason for my excitement is because Into the Motherlands was created by, and will star an all PoC cast. This is one of, if not the first time, that a tabletop role-playing game series had complete creative control by minority geeks. Since the dawn of TTRPGs the community has been dominated by male Caucasian gamers and because of the lack of diversity, various issues have arisen. This project marks immense progress for brown geeks like myself and many others.
From the Press Release:
Players will land on Musalia, 1500 years or so after descendants of Emperor Musa made their way to the Mother Lands after a strange, very off-course detour on the way to the Americas. Play as descendents of Emperor Musa, one of the alien cultures that called Musalia home before they arrived; or cultures that evolved from the blending of human and alien technologies.
Take a journey with us into a sci-fi world that will take you to new places, test your skills & your wits. Make your own path on Musalia’s many locations and learn their cultures when the system & book are published in the near future.
This new series will premiere on 10/4/2020 at 4pm PST on https://www.twitch.tv/cypheroftyr! The system they will be using is the Cortex Prime System. If this all wasn’t enough to convince you to check it out, you should see all of the wonderful human beings who worked on this project!
Development Team
Creative Director – Tanya DePass
Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers attend the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make it better and more inclusive for everyone. She’s part of the Rivals of Waterdeep live play stream on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep, a partnered Twitch variety broadcaster; and often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions.
She’s also contributed to publications at Green Ronin, Paizo and Monte Cook Games and is the co-developer for the Fifth Season RPG based on N.K. Jemisin’s three time Hugo award winning Broken Earth trilogy. Additionally, she is a Senior Annenberg labs Civic Media Fellow at USC (2020 Cohort) and was nominated for a Hugo Award in 2019 for Best SemiproZine with Fireside Fiction
@cypheroftyr – Twitch/Twitter/Instagram
Lead Developer – B. Dave Walters
B. Dave Walters is a Storyteller & proud Scoundrel American. He is best known as the writer and co-creator of Electropunk, Dungeons & Dragons: A Darkened Wish for IDW comics, and creator and DM of the Darkened Wish streaming show for Wizards of the Coast. He plays Baron Victor Temple on Vampire the Masquerade: LA by Night on World of Darkness Twitch and Freely on Silver & Steel on D&D Beyond Twitch.
Developer – Sharang Biswas
Sharang is an NYC-based artist, game designer and writer, specialising in games and interactive work. He has won an IndieCade award, two IGDN indie-groundbreaker awards, and a Golden Cobra Award. He has exhibited games at numerous art galleries, museums, and festivals, and teaches game design at Fordham University.
Sharang game writing credits includeJiangshi: Blood on the Banquet Hall, Spire, D&D Live 2020 and more, while his non-fiction has appeared in publications such as Eurogamer, First Person Scholar, and Unwinnable. He is the co-editor of Honey & Hot Wax: An Anthology of Erotic Art Games (Pelgrane Press), and the upcoming Strange Lusts / Strange Loves: An Anthology of Erotic Interactive Fiction (Strange Horizons)
Developer – Gabe Hicks
Gabe is an independent game designer for digital and tabletop. He’s currently working on a Goblin Dating Sim called Hidden Treasures, created the CMM an alternate creation tool for 5e focused on narrative and the class itself which has been downloaded over 10,000 times and been featured on multiple shows and even the Roll20 marketplace.
He has worked with Roll20, Paizo, Shadow Health, MageHandPress, MCDM, Grim and Perilous, and more. An avid cosplayer, voice actor, streamer, and writer Gabe is seen wearing many hats with the focus that you can always find a balance, especially when you learn who can help you create those stories. One of the most important focuses for him is the emphasis of what a community can create. “Let’s put more magic into the world, together.”
Developer – Jasmine Bhullar
Jasmine “ThatBronzeGirl” Bhullar is an actress, internet personality and content creator best known for her daily livestreams on Twitch as well as the many role play productions she has been apart of. She is not only an experienced tabletop RPG player, but a skilled Game Master as well. She got her start on Geek and Sundry by writing and GMing the Starter Kit for Vampire the Masquerade which led to her playing the infamous Beryl the Brutal on Relics and Rarities. Jasmine enjoys creating video game, role play and comic book content when she doesn’t have her head in a science fiction book.
Developer – LaTia Jacquise
Cast member of Rivals of Waterdeep, Community Manager for D&D Adventurers League, writer of D&D5e content, seller of board games and magical cardboard, flow artist, and all-around bubble of positivity in the TTRPG community.
Lead Artist – Vanessa “PleasantlyTwstd” B.
Vanessa B, also known as PleasantlyTwstd, is a Charity Success Manager at Tiltify, and a part time charity streamer on Twitch. Her focus is on cultivating community, with an emphasis on activism efforts surrounding Black and LGBTQIAP2+ communities. The content she creates ranges anywhere from friendly, casual baking streams, to no-hit runs of Dark Souls 3. PT got her start in gaming at an early age with a passion and emphasis on character concept and design. Now, she does freelance work for streamers on Twitch in conjunction with her streaming schedule.
Cover Artist – Will “Black Oni” Wiggins
Will Wiggins III, otherwise known as Black Oni, is an action RPG focused Twitch Partner, content creator, and artist, heavily influenced by Black and Japanese culture. “Born, and protector of sacred land,” reflects his views of art and gaming as sacred forms of exploration & expression. As an Illustrator, designer, and content creator, he leans into his passion for telling stories through visuals, and sharing his love of gaming through podcasts, game coverage, and Twitch livestreams. He has led panels on branding, (including the most viewed and attended Twitch creator camp panel at Twitchcon 2018) had his designs presented to US Congress, worked with brands such as Snoop Dogg, Twitch, and Gillette, and has been highlighted in several large gaming publications including Cracked, Kotaku, Shacknews, and more. Above all, his content is where passion meets purpose, and he aims to entertain, entice, and educate.
@BlackOni – Twitter/Twitch/Instagram/Other links/Portfolio
Stream Producer – Leoni
Leoni is an experienced marketing professional who worked for various London-based companies for over a decade, including positions in the gaming industry. Her passion for D&D led her to begin her own tabletop group, which went on to become one of Twitch’s fastest-growing TTRPG streaming channels alongside her ongoing duties as a localization and translation specialist on major releases such as the recent Destroy All Humans remake. In the few spare moments Leoni gets every day, she runs her own handcrafted costume jewelry business – another passion high on her list.
@GlossandGadgets – Links to all of Leoni’s work is here
Into the Motherlands Stream Cast
Game Master – Eugenio Vargas
Eugenio is the producer and Dungeon Master for an actual play Dungeons & Dragons podcast called The Last Refuge. Three years in, the podcast has over 150 episodes and has been acknowledged and supported by industry leaders such as Wizards of the Coast and D&D Beyond. Eugenio designs and edits adventures and monsters for the 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Tabletop Roleplaying Game. Products he has worked on are published and available for purchase on the DMs Guild. He is also on the design team for the upcoming tabletop roleplaying game published by Green Ronin Publishing based on N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy.
@DMJazzyhands – Twitter/Twitch/Site
Cast – Krystina Arielle
Krystina Arielle is a Los Angeles based Actress, Singer, Host, and Table Top Roleplayer. She has been featured by Buzzfeed, Dropout’s Dimension 20, Critical Role, Nerdist, Geek& Sundry and much more. She is a vocal activist fighting daily to raise awareness of the importance of Diversity and Inclusion within the gaming community.
Cast – DeejayKnight
DeejayKnight is a Space & Sci-Fi focused broadcaster & Event Host. Through his Twitch channel, he has developed a space focused on positivity, optimism & education about gaming that is comfortable for any & everyone to stop by and have a good time.
Cast – Tanya DePass
Tanya is the Founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit foundation based in Chicago. She’s a partnered variety broadcaster on Twitch where you’ll find her playing anything from Animal Crossing, RPG’s to Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. Additionally, she’s the producer & a founding cast member of Rivals of Waterdeep; an actual play Dungeons and Dragons show airing on Sundays at 10am Pacific. She’s contributed to publications at Green Ronin, Wizards of the Coast, Paizo and Monte Cook Games; and is one of the lead developers on the RPG based on N.K Jemisin’s Broken Earth series by Green Ronin. Tanya is the programming & diversity coordinator for OrcaCon and GaymerX. She often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions.
@cypheroftyr – Twitch/Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr/Facebook
Cast – Michael Sinclair II
Michael is a former Navy Corpsman who is now a full time student majoring in Computer Science. He is also a professional role player and part time streamer. Michael has Dungeon Mastered for Encounter Roleplay for one season, played a character in two seasons of The Last Heir for Kobold Press, and now role plays professionally with Looking For More Network.
Michael regularly streams Magic: The Gathering on his Twitch channel and loves to teach new people how to play. He also loves to educate folx on panels about topics he is passionate about. Some of the panels that he has spoken on are: #BlackAFRoundtable, Romance in TTRPG’s, Sex Postitivity In The Military. Michael is also a former life coach and uses his skills advocate for marginalized people and to empower others in his personal relationships. If Michael is not indoors he is typically doing something outdoorsy for recreation and likes to promote inclusivity for marginalized people.
@MichaelCrits – Twitter/Twitch/Instagram
Chicano | Fighting/Writing for Diversity | DM since 08 | Anime Lover | Site: https://www.thegeeklyfe.com | info@thegeeklyfe.com | http://twitch.tv/that_deangelo | https://linktr.ee/deangelomurillo
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