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About the Cover

Back in 2020 — when "The Arcanist: Fantasy Publishing" was an indie table-top game studio called, "The Arcanist's Refuge" — James put out a call for a commission; cover art for a massive TTRPG project.

After talking with more than 20 artists, James hired Charlie Borovský, an artist well known for his naturalistic style, deliberate hand-painted digital art, and stellar Critical Role fan art that has been featured in their official art book.

Charlie labored on the piece for over a month, all the while sending progress shots, reference poses, and ideas for the color palette. There was a long conversation about whether the elf on the tower should be shaded by the roof, or bathed in sunlight.

Charlie recommended that the watcher should remain in the shade. This decision created a visual juxtaposition between light and dark, which might have been entirely absent without it. The dark elven watcher is clearly out of her element, so she finds what succor she can in the strange world of humans she's sworn to defend.

The TTRPG project this piece was intended for went through several stages of development, deferral, and ultimately cancellation. The painting languished on James's hard drive until it was revived in January 2025 to headline the inaugural issue of The Literary Fantasy Magazine!

A sucker for thematic tie-ins, James authored a flash fiction story, "To the Watcher on the Tower," to immortalize this amazing piece of Fantasy history. Consequently, the story finally gave the dark elven watcher a name: Reyna.