Armageddon Unlimited™ & Strange Musings

[Kevin]

I’m really enjoying working on Armageddon Unlimited™ Carl Gleba has done a wonderful job on it. The writing is crisp and entertaining, and the ideas . . . wow. Armageddon Unlimited™ is packed with one great idea after another. New Power Categories, new types of mystic (Hellspawned) weapons, magic, Demon Hunters, and more. Awesome.

One of the many things I like about Armageddon Unlimited™ is that Game Masters can use the Armageddon scenario a dozen different ways in virtually ANY game setting, including Palladium Fantasy® or Phase World®. Nice. It also gives you a great feel for just how vicious Deevils and demons are, and how out of control the Minion War has become. I mean, heck, the Deevils are so insidious that they are willing to destroy an entire planet and kill billions of people just to stick it to their rivals, the demons. Yep, good stuff.

My weekend was a little strange for me. A number of things have seemed to wrap up or come to fruition these past few weeks. I feel relatively at peace with my father’s passing and enjoyed a strange sort of calm the entire weekend. Actually, I felt that way most of the week. The rush, rush of deadlines, the pressure of money, stress of business and the worry about my Dad seemed to all go away. I enjoyed working with Wayne, Mark and Matthew last week on a special project. Carmen Bellaire popped by twice this week, and I’ve talked to a number of friends and family members, spent some time with others, and did a bunch of odds and ends this weekend that all felt good. Little things mostly. Through it all, I felt strangely at peace. Can’t explain it. I know the six weeks my father was in the hospital were extremely tumultuous. There was a constant cacaphony and jangle of nerves. Part of the barrage came from telephone calls from the hospital and certain people trying to help. Part of it was . . . well everything else.

I don’t know, but ever since I found those greeting cards from my father in the closet, I’ve felt like my Dad has been with me, at my side. And it has been comforting and soothing.

Looking back at things, it feels as if my life these past several years, especially since Erick Wujcik’s sickness and death, had me stuck in a bad place I couldn’t escape. Trapped in a downward spiral of neverending chaos, stress and exhaustion. Why my father’s unexpected death would knock me out of that mind set, I don’t know, but I feel like the roller coaster I was stuck on has (at least for the moment), come to a complete stop and let me off. Now, I’m walking down the garden path at a leisurely pace taking in the beauty around me. I feel reflective, clear-headed and at peace.

Weird, eh? Weird but good. I’m feeling positive. Hopeful. Re-energized and motivated. My Dad truly wanted me to be happy. He wanted to see Palladium get back on its feet and be strong again. A plan to do just that is forming in my mind. I can feel it percolating along with ideas for new books and new possibilities.

For the first time in a long while, I feel like I can do anything. I used to always feel that way. Not sure when I stopped. I’m glad to see that feeling return. Again, it feels like it has something to do with my Dad’s passing. Hmm, not my Dad’s passing, but with the reflection and celebration of his life. Thinking about him and the stuff we used to do and talk about together.

When I was young, even though we were poor and everyone around me laughed and condemned me as “a dreamer,” Mom and Dad always made me believe in myself, and believe that I could do anything I put my mind to. And I did. Alex Marciniszyn was my partner in crime in everything, always there at my side, supportive and fueling my imagination in that supportive and gentle way of his. Then came a new friend, Erick Wujcik, who latched onto my imagination, spun it around and threw it into the air while hanging on for the ride and shouting, “We can do anything, Kev, go for it.” I remember an evening Erick and Kay stopped by the Detroit Gaming Center after seeing the musical, A Chourus Line, and teasing me that one of the characters was me – the guy who watched everything around him with excitement and amazement and kept saying, “I can do that!”

Palladium turns 30 next year, and I think it’s going to be the start of a new era. I have big dreams. I can feel my imagination taking wing and soaring higher and higher. I know from experience I can do anything and go anywhere my imagination takes me. Yeah. I can do that. I hope all of you come along for the ride. After all, it has been your love, support and positive energy that has helped me keep my sanity through thick and thin.

Keep those imaginations burning bright and game on. You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Sincerely,
Kevin Siembieda

© Copyright October 24, 2010 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

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