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Ben Foster portfolio: behance.net/Art-Glorified | Discord: ben_foster1

Not every creature in Afterglow is trying to kill you — some are just wonderfully weird, and Ben Foster is one of the artists making that corner of the Shatterlands come alive.

Ben worked on two of my personal favorite entries in the guide: the Floose, a fire-breathing goose that is exactly as dangerous as it sounds, and the Buzzkits, a genetic mashup of honey bees and squirrels that adds a genuine sense of wonderment to the field guide. The design details make these creatures feel deliberately and intentionally made — because in the Shatterlands, they were.

The standout piece though is the full page flora illustration. The detail is staggering. You look at it and you don't just see dangerous plants — you feel what it would be like to stand at the edge of that garden as a player, knowing you have no choice but to walk through it. All teeth and spines and no good options.

Highly recommend. Go check out their portfolio.

Before the Shatterlands became what it is, there were years of unraveling — and Afterglow doesn't skip over it.

The main lore chapter "Becoming the Shatterlands" is a collection of short stories drawn from real sessions, scattered across the years when the world was starting its spiral. Fear, uncertainty, distrust, anger, loss — each story carries its own emotional fingerprint, and each one is anchored by a single image meant to freeze that moment in amber.

Mary Bennett is the artist carrying that entire chapter on their shoulders, and the work speaks for itself. Every image lands exactly where it needs to — you read the story, you look at the illustration, and something locks into place. You don't just understand what the character is going through. You feel it.

This is no small ask for a single artist. The scope is significant and the schedule has been demanding. Mary has exceeded expectations at every turn without missing a beat.

Seriously — go check out their portfolio. The talent is obvious, and I'm grateful to have them on this project.

Gary Con kicked off Thursday at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, and we have been running Afterglow hard. Two sessions down and third one coming fast!

Watching players scheme their way through the facility in ways I never saw coming, then seeing their faces when something unexpected crawls out of the shadows — that's the whole game right there. The shocked expressions alone are worth the trip.

If you're at the Grand Geneva this weekend, keep your eyes open. There are surprises scattered across campus — you'll know them when you find them.

To everyone backing from home: the game is real, it's hitting hard, and we cannot wait to get it into your hands. Thank you for making this happen.

Learn more about the project:

— Jakob & the New Terra Studios ground crew