The Herbalist’s Primer weaves science and thought into something more

One day, Anna Urbanek’s mother sat her on her lap and placed three different things on the table in front of her: a small glass of vodka, a few coins, and a small book bound in leather. It was his first birthday, and as is the Polish tradition, it was time for him to make a choice. What would he like best?

“My mother took the black book specifically, so it doesn’t distort the results,” Urbanek recalled. “Obviously a child [would reach] for something colorful. So he took his black leather bound mushroom guide, and that’s what I chose. That’s why we’re here, I guess. ”

Over the past few years, the Polish-born author and illustrator has carved a niche for himself with a unique series of books – First Herbalist, The first point of the Geologistand soon to be released The Mycologist’s first item (now on Kickstarter, courtesy of Hunter’s Entertainment). Together with his partner Jakub Wisz, the couple created a series of reference materials: fake picture books from real biology and natural science, but also pagan and occult practices. The result is a hybrid kind of documentary, looking back at the real world with love and understanding, but through the lens of fiction – old things that can serve as inspiration for a tabletop game.

For Urbanek, the desire to make these handmade items all goes back to his first and deepest passion, his love of books.

“I think the only real answer to that is I’m a librarian,” Urbanek told Polygon in a recent interview. This bookish kid grew up to earn a master’s degree in library science, and while it’s no longer his day job, it still inspires his work.

“I care about people pursuing books regardless of their background and interests,” Urbanek said. “I try to reach as many people as possible with good information and good news that I loved – and still love. […] I just want to throw away everything I’ve been watching […] in this wonderful world of fiction and natural science and how they meet at the intersection of the strange paths that I have come to.”

Some book lovers are often drawn to Urbanek’s illustrations. He says they get inspiration from 19th century field guides, such as John James Audubon as well as other British, French and German naturalists. But the best things are older than that.

“When it comes to news, […] I was definitely more inspired by books that were written before the Enlightenment,” Urbanek said, referring to books that were written and published before the 17th century. Before that, whenever you had a book about the natural sciences, they also included things that weren’t particularly scientific. […] We lost this. There was this giant tradition, in European literature at least, to include not only science when we talk about natural science, but also include how it is represented in literature or in art in general, and any skill of folklore that is also important to. that matter, and I miss it.”

Through Urbanek’s reinterpretation and reinterpretation of these classic and modern texts, TTRPG fans get a lot of valuable inspiration for their games. Allspice, in addition to being a strong part of the autumn festival, also has “limited control over the possibility of fall. [and] games of chance”; The primrose is an everlasting flower, and may be a sign that the portal to the realms of the fey is near; and the plant, which has long been considered a “plant of herbalists,” is also a votive offering that allows communication with the dead.

“When we write First HerbalistI was definitely inspired by the classics Green Magic by Ann Moura,” Urbanek said, “which obviously probably isn’t something the average Dungeons & Dragons player would have fallen for. You have to be interested in magic first to probably find some of those books, but they are great inspiration and a great source of great stories to draw from and introduce into the worlds you create.

He added: “I feel that it is my responsibility as a librarian to introduce people to books that they would not normally find on their own. Maybe that’s why I always add a bibliography to those books so people can find whatever I think is interesting.”

Now that the books are out in the world – both through DriveThruRPG and through Urbanek’s publishing and distribution partner, Renegade Entertainment – information is starting to come back to him about how people are using his management books. agnostic in their home games. There are plenty of people who use it to add color to their D&D games, sure, but then again A person who finds a way, Blades in the Darkand others. Soon, it may even become an integral part of even larger projects.

“We released the news of First Herbalistand generally all those books, [and] we allow people to use it under fair use,” Urbanek said. “Because I don’t own the biology, and I don’t own the fiction that I use to write all those books. We we thought it was right to release it to the country and let people make their own plans – as long as they put us somewhere in the credits.”

Now that The Mycologist’s first item has reached its goal — and then some, with less than two weeks to go in its campaign — Urbanek says Wisz has something more to look forward to.

“We already have a list of several other primers that are being prepared in the background,” Urbanek said. “But […] we are working on a very cool sci-fi system called Aphelion. […] We haven’t shared many details yet, but we’re definitely working on something that will let you ride a garbage truck in space. […] It will be a very fun game around the planets of solar sail powered ships and solar tracks. ”

And don’t worry: Urbanek said he’s found plenty of ways to wrap his passion for plants, gems and mushrooms with the project.

“I don’t know if you know,” said Urbanek, conspiratorially, “but for example, there are fungi and mosses that can eat sunlight and actually protect spaceships from do not illuminate and protect the people inside. So we are definitely planning something interesting. ”

The campaign of The Mycologist’s first item ends Nov. 15. You can find more from Urbanek and Wisz on their website.