Taste of Ashes Dedication

[Kwintak#1156]

Hey there fellow Pathfinders and Blood Lords enthusiasts.

A Taste of Ashes is dedicated to a player named Dennis. I'd like to know more about him, what was he like, how was his life taken, and how does he live on in this volume?

I mean no offence and I completely understand if the author does not wish to relate it. I ask out of curiosity and also a desire to honour the memory of Dennis by sharing his story with my players when they encounter the part/s that are inspired by him.

I also apologise if this question has already been asked. I've never used the forums here. I mainly use mobile phone and this site is not the most mobile phone friendly site.

[Brian Duckwitz]

Hi everyone. Thanks for the interest. I'm the author of "A Taste of Ashes." Kwintak#1156 reached out on Facebook and kindly asked about the dedication. I'll post here what I told him.

Dennis was my best friend. I met him in college and we really connected over RPGs. We played and GMed in games for each other, sometimes as part of a larger group, but often just the two of us. He was one of those guys everyone got along with. We played a ton of D&D, Star Wars, and especially Battletech.

As our friendship grew we'd have really great conversations (and more than a few arguments) over what was most fun/best in adventures and gaming in general. He really helped improve me as a GM and understand the game should be about the PCs, not some plot I had in mind.
He passed away in February 2020, just a few weeks before COVID hit. He died from an incredibly rare form of liver cancer (something like only the 12th recorded case ever). He was 43.

When I'm at conventions I hand out "Friend of Dennis" buttons to those I play with. I figure he shaped my views and playstyle enough that if you've played with me (or read my work, in this case), you know him and are an honorary friend. I go to Dragon Con, Gen Con, Coulee Con, and Gary Con each year, so if you track me down there I can hand you a button. I put a post in the Pathfinder 2nd Edition group on Facebook with the image file if you want to hunt it down and use it as you wish.

A Taste of Ashes spoilers:

Ghiasi the Unraveler (the cover character) is based on the kind of character Dennis loved to play: someone who appears to be one thing but is secretly something else (rich and powerful usually), someone who has and keeps secrets, and a character who likes to meddle. Since this was usually a backstory part of his characters, it didn't cause problems at the table.
More even than a PC, Ghiasi is a perfect example of Dennis's favorite kind of NPC. He liked to play characters who didn't look imposing but were very dangerous and typically sneaky.