Interview - Ajit George - Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel (D&D 5E) - Shanti Bhavan

Today I talk with TTRPG Content Creator, D&D 5E Co-Lead for Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel and, Shanti Bhavan Director of Operations - Ajit George.

We discuss different Realms and Planes of D&D 5E, Supporting Content Creators of Colour, Shanti Bhavan and much more.

You can find Ajit and all of the things he's associated content via the links below.

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ajitgeorgeSB
https://twitter.com/shantibhavan

Website:
https://ajitageorge.com/
https://www.shantibhavanchildren.org/
https://dnd.wizards.com/
https://www.dndbeyond.com/

Other:
https://vampirelarp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/abhiart/?hl=en

Please leave reviews on ITunes to help us to learn and grow as a Podcast

Yours Sincerely,

Adam 'Cosy' Powell

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CAST & CREW

Host: Adam Powell

Guest: Ajit George

Sound Design: Adam Powell

Edited by: Adam Powell

Music: Epidemic Sound

Cover Art: Tim Cunningham - www.Wix.com

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Website:
https://linktr.ee/snydersreturn
http://snydersreturn.squarespace.com
https://www.redbubble.com/shop/?query=Roscoe%27s%20Chimkin&ref=search_box

Buy us a TTRPG Source Book: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SnydersReturn

Are you on DISCORD? Come hang out in our server! https://discord.gg/QgU5UNf Join us in the Snyder’s Return Facebook Group!

Visit https://www.patreon.com/snyders_return?fan_landing=true

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Social Media:

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Instagram -  Snyder's Return (@snyders_return)

Email - snydersreturn@gmail.com

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Transcript

Snyder’s Return: 0:25

Hello, and welcome to Snyder’s return a tabletop roleplay podcast. My guest today has been turning destinies into realities in both the real and fantasy worlds. No matter where the dire is cast, be at a realm of dread and a theory or place or classrooms around the world. He knows just how important the journey the opportunity, and on occasion, the role of a die can be offering to us and those who need it most. A safe place to keep each other not a fortress of solitude, but a meeting place to look out over the world together to hold what is dear to us, and learn what more we can be beyond our borders, both real and imagined. It is an absolute pleasure to welcome DND content creator, educator and director of operations for Shanti Beavan. Ajit George, you're welcome to the show.

Ajit George: 1:13

Thank you so much for having me on.

Snyder’s Return: 1:15

No, it's an absolute pleasure, a real boon for me, as it were. So how did you get into tabletop role playing games, I suppose is the first question I really have to ask.

Ajit George: 1:27

Yeah, sure. I started in tabletop role playing games. When I was probably in first or second grade. My mom brought home the old school, red box for d&d, and that was, you know, just sort of it helped me I was so strange and weird, something so different than than I have ever experienced before. And that that started my, I think, lifelong interest in role playing games, and in fantasy in general.

Snyder’s Return: 2:00

So picking up from from where you started with with the red box and moving on, how did your relationship develop with TTRPG as to where you are today?

Ajit George: 2:13

You know, I for the longest time, I was just a player or hobbyist and I enjoyed playing in various games. My high school game was very formative I played for four years from freshman year to the end of senior year, I loved it, played in college played in after college. But then I walked away from from role playing games for a while for for a variety of reasons. And only about 10 years ago that I get back into it. And when I came back into it, 10 years ago, I started to work for tabletop camps to and that was a new experience, but an exciting one, particularly because at the same time, I was thinking about and asking questions about the absence of people of colour in tabletop games. I started to you know, I think it was a little older and a little bit more cognizant that I wasn't seeing myself in the, in the books in the games and the material. I mean, I knew that even in high school, like it was pretty obvious, but I, I think at high school at that time, it was so normalised for me not to see myself in media that I didn't really think about it in any other contexts besides that. But now, I mean, I think about 10 years ago, I was I was very much like, Hey, I don't see myself in in games. And I, I want to talk about that. And I want to say that it is important for me to visualise myself in media and different forms. And so I started talking about it and I started writing or getting invitations to write for indie games. And that led me eventually to writing for Ben Perkins guide to Ravenloft. And of course, you know, being the creator co lead and writer Andreas irradiances.

Snyder’s Return: 3:52

Yeah, amazing. Amazing. So sort of stepping on through the the indie projects, is there anyone to shout out that that you've been able to write for? And sort of publicise before we sort of move on to this monoliths Goliath of an IP that is

Ajit George: 4:08

sure. I mean, I have good friends over at Monte cook games really appreciate their opportunities to work with them. You know, I had a lot of fun writing for, you know, bully pulpit and the Warren was a specific game I worked on. misspent youth for printing, we'll headquarters I wrote for that as well. So a number of others like that. But you know, I've had really good experiences in the field by a margin, and we appreciate the support from the indie community.

Snyder’s Return: 4:37

Yeah, I can, I can only imagine. So you mentioned that you could self writing for vMix and Skype for Ravenloft and then now co leading and writing for journey through radiant Citadel, so very different settings. You mentioned in a few other interviews, I've sort of scoured and gone through some various things that there are parallels but there they are. but still different to what's it been like? What was it like helping to craft the Ravenloft? Within the phone ringtones guide? What was that experience like?

Ajit George: 5:13

That was a dream come true. You know, I grew up with Ravenloft I played it a tonne. It holds a powerful place in my imagination. I think in a lot of us who play that played for d&d For a long time, right from off was very important. And it was exciting, particularly to be able to write Indian inspired material, as an Indian writer, for the first time in d&d, and it's hard to explain how it feels like to something that feels like your own your own. And that comes from your heritage and in your culture. And also, it was, it was intense and stressful to because I was like, so like, I really hope I do this, right. And, you know, Indians who read this, appreciate it and like what they see of themselves in it, and that the rest of the world also feels like this is exciting and new and engaging. So it was a rush, it was super exciting. I loved it, it was it was it was an honour to be able to write for Ravenloft. And to create new material for Ravenloft. You know, the domain that I wrote, both the domain and the mini domain are brand new to Ravenloft. So that was it was a powerful experience for me,

Snyder’s Return: 6:26

and sort of inventions in the journey through the radiant Citadel, using the mists of Ravenloft to help link these these two realms, so the the realm of dread as it is in this, make sure I say it correctly, the deeper the ethereal, deep, ethereal plane that the Citadel resides in. Were in this sort of transition between the two. Did you sort of draw the most inspiration from what really you mentioned? Your culture and heritage and wanting to excite everybody, I guess, but what is it that really sort of sparked the imagination in you, as you've sort of moved into this lead? CO lead this project?

Ajit George: 7:15

Yeah, I mean, to answer, I think the first part of your question, I think, you know, the radiant Citadel is, is in some ways a, a response or a oppositional force to the domains of dread. You know, players are drawn into the mess of Ravenloft of the domains of thread against the will, they can turn out run the mess, and I guess it depends on the DM deciding whether they can get away or not. But the missive Ravenloft encompasses and captures, you know, the PCs and brings them into the domains of dread. In opposition to that is almost the light of the world diamond, which is the centre of the radiant Citadel, and it is it guides people willingly only if they want to, but it guides people willingly to the Iranian Citadel, and when they're in need, when they're hopeless and in need. So they're really thematically oppositional and of course, having written for both, there was a reason for that, that those two pieces are almost counterpoints to each other. As to the second part of your question. Well, that's a huge question in terms of how I felt it was the greatest creative honour of my life, I have never done a creative project of this scope, scope and magnitude. Before it was over two years of my life. It meant the world to me to, to be able to write for that book. And to create that book, you know, the entire vision for journey serrated sort of role was mine, always in collaboration with my co lead West Schneider, but he gave me a lot of control in the creative elements or the vision, elements of that. And he was very focused on the d&d specific elements of it the mechanics and the structures that made sure that it abided by what is canon five v. And so to be able to to create the first book written entirely by people of colour, in the 50 years of d&d is history with the kind of cultural impact that d&d has because you see it everywhere in some form, or the other the stance, right? You have, you know, there's tonnes of video games development or come out, there's obviously television shows inspired by reference, so many pop cultural references. You know, there's going to be, I think, actual d&d TV show coming out as well, the movie, of course, and so on and so forth. To be able to be part of that, in such a significant way, was a bit overwhelming, and just an amazing feeling much of the time, so I loved it. I was deeply honoured to do it. It meant a world to me, and I think it meant the world to all of the writers who worked on it.

Snyder’s Return: 9:51

Yeah, speaking of the writers, some some established names, but also some some amazing new more, I would say A new to myself and I would hazard a guess to many others new creative writers for, for people to, to fall in love with and the the worlds the the cultures and environments that they created for us to play to open up into our sandboxes. And and so what was it like bringing together this team?

Ajit George: 10:25

I mean, I think the team was a rockstar team lead a hidden talents that were well known in the circles. And I think partially because one of the things is that we are very drawn by streamers and influencers and like bigger names that are in those circles. And they've served such an incredible and important part of the gaming scene, right. They are our ambassadors for books, they're the ones that entertain us. And they're the ones who kind of make us aware of all the cool stuff in our PJs. But the side effect of that is, is a lot of great writers don't always get the same kind of attention or limelight as as streamers and influencers. But the writers are the ones who who actually build those books and design those games. And they there, I scoured for a while for some of the best talents that were kind of hidden away, you know, looked a lot of what they've published or worked on, sometimes just on the Patreon or their, you know, on Drive Thru RPG or DMs Guild and just kind of looked at it. In collaboration with Wes Schneider, we pulled together a list, I mean, I came up with a list and he would check their work to make sure that he felt that they were ready for it. And we were in agreement and when everybody and brought them on. And for all of them. I think it was an enormous honour and also an incredible weight, a sense of grill responsibility to get this right for the d&d community and all the fans and all the readers and all the players, as well as for the people from the POC community, you know, other people of colour who weren't ever going to get a chance to run on this book and who are not, you know, who've been waiting for something like this, we knew that we help them to do our best.

Snyder’s Return: 12:08

Yeah, absolutely. And the quality of work, generated and compiled and given to us game game masters, dungeon master's players is is phenomenal. And I'm going to ask a potentially tricky question of the worlds that have been created and given to us within the book for the adventures. Do you have a Do you have a personal favourite?

Ajit George: 12:39

No, I don't. I think there's a lot of you know, I think it there's no personal favourite, because I think they all have a lot to offer in different ways. And they're there. They're quite, you know, quite extraordinary. I think if I were to say, ones that surprised me, I there's a couple of them that were really had a, you know, a twist, I think that I was not expecting and Shadow of the Sun is one of them and shut up the sun. It takes place in Auckland sungar, a city ruled by a solaar. So an angel rules city. And I think what was exciting about this adventure is, in theory, it sounds like it would be great for the city robot Angel. In practicality. Maybe it's not the greatest if you if you are a good person, but don't agree with the ideology of that angel. And so the opposing faction, and there's two factions that the players can can engage with. The opposing faction is also good. And I don't think I've ever seen a d&d adventure before, where the players are pitted against two good factions that are in direct opposition with each other because of ideological differences. And I thought that was really fascinating to me. Another one is between Tangled Roots. And that really struck me hard because it was a very interesting take on the after effects of colonisation colonisers were gone. They left 100 years ago, but the After Effects, the impact of colonisation have made deep wounds on the people and the land. And that actually is the catalyst for the adventure. And I really the ending is very poignant. And the big bag of the adventure is not maybe as big bad as people think. And that, you know, the preferable answer to it is to not maybe to kill the big bad.

Snyder’s Return: 14:43

Okay. Well, there you go. If you haven't read into the genius of the radiant Citadel, then that one will certainly inspire, to say the least. And this book is tailored for playing groups from level one through level 14 That's correct. When which which opens up so much so many play options, so many sort of opportunities for groups to try new things as they either play them sequentially or as one shots, as has been mentioned in other interviews and reviews of the book. When do you do you get the chance to play d&d with a moment? I realise you're very busy all the time. But do you get a chance to play those as a follow up question to this?

Ajit George: 15:31

Yeah, I do. I haven't played the the funny thing is, because I've been writing so much, I haven't haven't played as much as I would have loved. But I definitely got a chance to play.

Snyder’s Return: 15:41

So with this book offering such a broad spectrum of levels, where do you like to play? Would you like to pitch your characters and games, when you get the chance to play?

Ajit George: 15:52

I usually try to do with home games, I don't like playing online. You know, my own personal preference, I think I just grew up playing in person. And that's what I enjoy the most. And so I love to do it with just with friends locally, around the table as much as I can.

Snyder’s Return: 16:13

And so character choices. I'm digging into you here to be fair, I love I love finding out about people's home games. So do you have a current character? You you, you're playing at the moment? What kind of character and level are you at the moment?

Ajit George: 16:28

I don't have one regularly at the moment. I there's actually a session zero coming up on Saturday. So you know, I think we're going to start a new campaign with a few friends and haven't thought about what we're going to do. But we're going to play beyond the witch light and looking forward to trying that campaign.

Snyder’s Return: 16:48

Yeah, there's there's so much fantastic content currently out and coming with with things like spell jammer being officially confirmed and things like that. Outside of and you mentioned a great affinity and love for Ravenloft are there other settings that you enjoy that you you'd like to draw inspiration from as well.

Ajit George: 17:10

You know, in terms of d&d, specific, I would say, you know, sigil, and Planescape have, you know, a very have had a very strong influence on me. I love it. It's always been funny when people convert conferred, or compared, you know, sigil and Planescape, to the radiant Citadel, because I felt like the two cities are deeply, deeply different. And I was very hyper aware about not making them similar, but also I pay homage and respect to the work for Planescape. And I really love it. I also find dark sand very interesting, not for the brutality of it I in all of the offices in the midst of it, but I think, in another way it is oppositional to the radiant Citadel and the utopian nature of the devil hopefulness. I find there there's some really interesting themes of ecological disaster versus ecological Paradise, and the solar punk and hold on February bodies, and dark sand and so dark sounds really interesting to me. And I would love to I'd love to have an opportunity to work on that if possible. Well,

Snyder’s Return: 18:16

here's hoping Touchwood and all those good things the stars aligning and all sorts of good things that that chance materialises. You mentioned their sigil and, and not wanting to pay homage but not copy or sort of step on the toes. The Concord jewels sort of add that ability to move between the various sort of ethereal places and planes and things which, while not directly like sigil offers the opportunity for DMS to spread out or even come into a central hub how has it been trying to sort of tie all these potential story threads together to form this narrative around such a a hub that the median Citadel is

Ajit George: 19:06

there instead, it was designed very much as a hub city, but with a limited amount of locations right 27 Total, you know 15 that are there in in game 12 that are missing and they can only go to the Prime Material that the material plane so there's very specific limitations on like, sigil they can't go every plane possible. And unlike sigil, like the the Concorde jewels, you know, the collodion is almost constellation like Starlight constellation around the city, and they can be imperilled, you know, they could be destroyed potentially, or something could happen to them, but can be deactivated, there's a lot of interesting risks and problems are associated around that, which I think offers for some really fascinating roleplay opportunity. Very different from the portals of sigil I think sigil you know, you just you go through a portal, right you find the portal and you go through it and the end of story and there's not a lot of conversation around the portal and the portal can take you anywhere. And I like the fact that you can Potential go anywhere in such a law. But on the other hand, I also find really interesting story play opportunities when you have limitations and where you know, right that that forces, a narrowing of the story and a greater focus on the places you can go. And as opposed to like, oh my god, I can go everywhere. I sometimes find myself at the supermarket being overwhelmed with the glut of choice. You're standing there, and he's like, 50, peanut butters in front of you like, which one do I want. And I think narrowing choices creates a powerful narrative design that leads players in a very specific Wayne, you tell by specific stories. So I really enjoyed that. In terms of time, and the stories together, I think, you know, it's an anthology of adventures, but I also think it can so that you can pick and choose any of those adventures and we actually give a write up about how you can drop this adventure, and your homebrew how you can drop this in Forgotten Realms or dragon lands or wherever you want it to do it. But simultaneously, you can really sew together a full fledged campaign and play from the first adventure to the last adventure and I think would be very fulfilling campaign. And that would really rotate around the Reagan Citadel and to key individuals and factions in their from, you know, being sent on missions from the quarter whispers or, or by the dawn incarnates. Right, the don't incarnates themselves that these these repositories of wisdom and knowledge that are that are caused by this amalgamation of spirits. Maybe you can be sent on Request permission from them, or the speakers of the ancestors were the rulers of the radiance that oh, maybe on them are the shield bearers, which is, you know, kind of a, I always think of them as sort of a TV special forces where they get dropped into hotspots, the worst of the worst situations and that they go solve these problems with very specific rules of engagement. So I believe there's a whole full fledged campaign that can be built around, you know, the radiances at all. And it would be a very fulfilling campaign and we just take a little bit of like planning and awfulness from the data.

Snyder’s Return: 21:57

Yeah, I got the I got the impression. You mentioned Special Ops. I was I was thinking that the way you described them, the show bear was more like UN peacekeepers almost go in the disaster relief for situation de escalation and that kind of thing that could add a different dynamic to, to combat Yeah,

Ajit George: 22:16

I don't think so. I I've seen the UN Peacekeeper analogy. And I think that's a great one. And I think that's definitely a different angle on them. I think often because they're not there to interfere with local government. The peacekeepers in the UN peacekeepers have often struck me as forces that are trying to stop two warring factions from fighting and create like a demilitarised zone or prevent further violence in the region. And they can be used for relief efforts for sure. But actually, the shelters are not really there for relief efforts, specifically, nor are they today are to, like, stop warring factions from from fighting each other, they're really meant there to like evacuate civilians. And, you know, those are who are paralysed from from danger. And they can only protect themselves at attack first. And so I think those kind of scenarios are very tough, right? You're going into the most dangerous situations possible, because the shield arrows are sensitive to like, extremes, extreme danger. They are they're not allowed to attack unless attacked first. And they can't really change local conditions, they're not allowed to, like prevent the natural disaster or to stop military incursions. Right. And so who would who would survive that kind of situation will only the most, you know, badass adventures and the most the toughest of the tough, we're going to have that. And I think the shield bears actually have a high casualty rate. And so they're a really interesting faction because of the complex social challenges they face. You know, and if you could join the steel barriers, I guess and write those rules of engagement, then you'll get yourself kicked out of this role and will cause a lot of problems let's say you are sent on this mission in the rain Citadel breaks the neutrality. Maybe that means another force attacks them afterwards.

Snyder’s Return: 24:08

Yeah. I mean, the stories write themselves and maybe not used in the way that the the shield bearers are potentially as you mentioned, potentially there to get in and evacuate. But there is potential there for for GMs DMS and players to sort of play out the what ifs even if it's a one shot or a sidebar to a different campaign. So you've got my mind spinning, that's all its mind is really in its mile a minute. So so much content to sort of pick and play with the dawn incarnate I love the fact that they sort of bond and grow from single crystals and become these these entities of of wisdom and insight. And rather than being disconnected, you're able to Approach them as groups. How has it been to sort of provide these almost sage? Like characters, or creations to DMS and players to actually interact with rather than being off the page or unspoken?

Ajit George: 25:18

Yeah, I think what what is interesting with a dinner, Don incarnates for me is they're, they're different from what we think of a Western or European style. Look at how knowledge is passed on. We often think about the library, the musty library, the ancient library that's hidden in the ruins are on the top of a mountain or wherever, and players alike are excited to like, you know, go through the scrolls and read the knowledge in there. But ultimately, there's a lot of excitement about it, but there ends up being kind of like an info dump or lore done, right. And then you finally you get there, and then you read the information, and then you go to the next step in your quest. I think a couple of things that are really interesting with Dawn incarnates is first, they speak about the oral traditions, that a lot of other cultures that are non western cultures that have really, you know, had for centuries, India had an oral tradition of passing on knowledge for for many centuries, I know, parts of Africa and America as well. And I see quite a bit of the world of have, you know, a very strong tradition of oral knowledge passed on by elders and the wise to the next generation. And so I really love that because that's what the dominant artists kind of represent. Secondarily, I think they represent another point of interaction on play, right? So you aren't just going to go to the down incarnate and get an info dump, you're actually going to be in interacting with this spirit amalgam nation that has its own desires and wants, and may give you the information in the form of a parable, or a poem, or a riddle. Or maybe they will ask you to do a quest for them before they get the information you want simultaneously. Because the done incarnates or any other smaller incarnates in there are made of, you know, dozens or 1000s of small gems that are that hold the different spirits, spirits of ancestors, as well as spirits of the land, those individual spirits have their own story. And so, so maybe you have a spirit of an old woman, you know, who died centuries ago. And, you know, she she was dying on her deathbed, and she never got to see her children before she died, and she wants you now to go find out what happened to her family life. And I think you can create a very poignant story around that. And as like, as a DM very thoughtfully recite, you know, the voice of this, this, this old woman who comes to comes to the surface and is now you know, present and kind of speaking their needs, or, you know, a man who died in war and had never gotten back home to tell his his, his wife and his kids that he loved them. And he wants you to go, you know, to find his also word if it's on the battlefield somewhere, and then bring it back to like, you know, the descendants of his family or to put it in the family tomb or whatever, some will suddenly see there could be a spirit of a, of a grove of a forest in the forest has been destroyed or lost. And they want you to go replant trees in that day, that dead land and rebuild that forest. I think there is so many rich, potential store opportunities here, well beyond finding a book, or scroll in a dusty library.

Snyder’s Return: 28:35

And yeah, I can tell that you're the writer out the two of us because you sold that in beautifully. So if you haven't already raised over the, to your friendly local gaming store, or d&d Beyond or wherever it is, you pick up your copy, go and buy. And while I mentioned this before I sort of segue into the next thing. Where can we find you and everything you're associated with online, please?

Ajit George: 29:01

Yeah, I mean, the easiest place to find me is on Twitter. I am most active there I am audit George, SB at on Twitter. And so you can also just Google my name argit was AJ it I just George, and then you'll be immediately fine. Like probably my website and my Twitter handle and other things. But yeah, I'm most active on Twitter, and I'm talking often about games on Twitter, or sometimes I'm talking about Shanti Bhavan in my work there as well on Twitter. So that's most easy place to find me. If you want to contact me about work opportunities or collaboration. Usually going through my website is preferable though. My DMS are open on Twitter too. So I'm open to that as well.

Snyder’s Return: 29:42

All right, well, I will make sure links for your Twitter and your website are in the description below. This podcast also put DDB on link for the meridian Citadel as well, which you can pick up in your friendly local gaming stores as long as they have it in stock and it's not been sold out by everyone rushing out and fines has this amazing book,

Ajit George: 30:01

I think I think if you can get a physical copy as well, I mean, like I think online copies are fantastic, especially for online play. And so d&d Beyond or rule 20, or any of those platforms are fantastic to to access. But the physical copy is so gorgeous, especially the variant cover. I think the various cover as a whole with the cover and the pages is the most beautiful d&d book I have ever seen in my life. And I know that sounds incredibly biassed, but it is absolutely breathtakingly gorgeous. And I think it's, it's worth picking up. I think it's capturing a little piece of history, I think there's something it is it is historic book for for many reasons, you know that we've all written by POCs and 50, POCs worked on it in some capacity as editors and consultants and so on and so forth. Artists, art director or so on. I think there's, there's something great about having that piece of history as a physical object. So it's worth it.

Snyder’s Return: 30:54

But it's nice to have to put post it notes or memo tabs in so you can find the sections and all that sort of stuff. I like the tactile feel of a book so that they will probably be a payday purchase, which could afford to have by the time listen to this episode. So hopefully, it'll be coming through the post by now. We mentioned the the don't encounter and and passing on information and education through the ages. And that's very much something you're tied to in your work away from tabletop role playing games with shantyboat. You you are the Director of Operations, I make sure I get the

Ajit George: 31:28

director of operations for the international nonprofit, the Shanti Robbins, something about children's project,

Snyder’s Return: 31:34

which, if you haven't checked it out, there's a documentary on Netflix. I'm not going to put a link to that. Because I'm just going to tell you go and watch it. So your work your time your experiences with Shanti Bhavan. Oh, please. There's too many questions that I don't want to undersell it. Please tell us about that experience and and your work on the Netflix series? No, just just for shantyboat. That is just great.

Ajit George: 32:02

Sure, yeah. I've been the director of operations for for additional interventions projects since 2008. And I can say honestly, it is the most fulfilling thing I have ever done in my life. It is I think, not just my work, or even my profession, it is my life's calling. I think many of us struggle to find meaning in our daily life. And why are we here? And what are we doing? And I think some of our ills in life is our answer to that is to buy as many objects to fulfil our life with. I think doing things that are deeply meaningful is a better answer to that. And I think the greatest opportunity in doing something meaningful is maybe to contribute positively to others. Whether it's putting new art into the world by the form of books or games, or whatever we may do, or by doing work that may be positively impacting the lives of others. And that can be through volunteer volunteering, or part time activities, or, in my case, I'm very lucky to be doing it as my passion. So it has been an incredible experience to to work with the underprivileged in India, children from the poorest communities and the most community communities in India making less than $2 a day and give them a high quality education from the age of four until they graduate from high school, and then help them get scholarships and support them through college as well. And so they've it's radically transformed their lives. And they're there now in this amazing white collar professional jobs and changing their own personal lives by changing the lives of their families and their communities as well.

Snyder’s Return: 33:42

It's it's an incredible work that you do and there is an opportunity if those listening can do so there is the opportunity to spot this an opportunity to volunteer as well. But there's an opportunity to support all the amazing work you do. And it's not. It is spreading worldwide. From my understanding from the website.

Ajit George: 34:05

That's correct. We have a new chapter in the UK, that just opened up. We've had previous chapters, we have previous chapters in Italy, and in Germany and Canada. I think we're going to have a UK chapter or sorry, an Australian chapter pretty soon. We're also building a second school in India. So we have one school operational right now. And we plan to have a second one operational by 2020.

Snyder’s Return: 34:29

Wow. So how digging slightly into your personal life here, but how do you split your time between where you are in the Pacific Northwest and across with shantyboat?

Ajit George: 34:41

Yeah, I spend about four months of the year in India. Two months in the Jan Feb kind of period and another two months around now. In fact, you've caught me before I am planning to fly out to India for close to two months. So I'll be I'll be gone from August 1 through the end of September and I And it's very important to be on the ground, at the school working with the kids and working with the administration teams there simultaneously. I am, you know, you know, run operations and my teams in the US as well. And so going back and forth is really, it's really effective. And I'm married to a wonderful woman with the sixth baton, who is a narrative director on a triple A d&d video game, and obviously, she doesn't wanna be gone for too long, or she comes in visits while I'm at it.

Snyder’s Return: 35:29

That's amazing. The fact that you're able to have support at home and through your work is, is so important. And I am just in awe of everything that you do, because that is, all I can do is support it. And I guess that's something and something is better than nothing.

Ajit George: 35:51

I appreciate that. No, it's, I think, supporting me in any way that people can, if they want to come and donate on the website, or they're interested in looking at volunteer opportunities, or getting involved with the UK chapter for your listening in the UK, or wherever you might be, you know, there's many ways to help or get involved or, you know, get involved with a different organisation that you believe in and trust and you know, they're doing good work. I think I think you're just really it's about, it's about believing in a community and believing that you want to be a positive member of that community and whatever that community may look like for you.

Snyder’s Return: 36:22

Yeah. So between four months of the year, sort of away working with with this incredible cause, back in the Pacific Northwest working on TTRPG content, do you get such a thing as down? Do you have mentioned in playing a game possibly a little earlier on in the interview, but you get time for you and your family?

Ajit George: 36:47

I haven't haven't recently, and to be very honest, has been running a little bit ragged. And that's been pretty tough. And I've certainly hit a level of like exhaustion and a bit of burnout. It you know, I'm not really taking them a lot more projects, I'm kind of trying to wind down a couple other things on the side, I'm trying to wind those down and kind of just leave a lot of open space for myself to just maybe enjoy time and enjoy normal activities that are that are not that are not some form of work. Even creative work is still work. And it does take a toll. So I think I'm going to try to take it a little easy for a couple months, I'm going to be honest, I have a creative project in the backburner that I'm kind of dying to get on but a more personal project. And so I can take that a little bit at my own pace, as opposed to having a very tough and gruelling deadline to work on.

Snyder’s Return: 37:39

So if you were to have some free time, and I realised that is there anything you would sort of how would you be the exception of the creative project you just mentioned? Is there anything else that you would you would look to do or get involved into baby sort of just relax and have time for you and explore other interests? Maybe?

Ajit George: 38:01

Yeah, I think that's a really good question. Because I beyond the creative stuff. I also do a lot of mentoring for people of colour, especially people of colour, we're trying to get into the games industry, I've been trying to give them guidance and support and open some doors for them so that they can enter the industry and put their own creative works in there as well and kind of contribute to the greater whole of the community. But for myself in terms of personal time, I love reading I love spending time with my wife on adventures, maybe travelling and doing things together. You know, those are the things that I think that are important or you know, just watching a television show had much to do with that mass TV recently I wouldn't mind just kind of sitting on the couch couch selling out what that

Snyder’s Return: 38:43

person I'm gonna and apologies for for people listening but there's two pieces of incredible artwork one over each shoulder that I can see in your in your screen. Where are they from?

Ajit George: 38:57

Yeah, it's it's a Bombay artists by the name of Abishek I think it's Abishek Singh is this theme and he is a Bombay based artist that I ran across his work by accident at the very beginning of the pandemic and absolutely loved it. And so, you know, purchased purchased these prints online and had them sent across and they are Yeah, they're incredibly gorgeous. I think they're he he works in themes of Hindu mythology, but with his own vibrant takes of them and so I really, really grown to love his work and we've got like five pieces of his artwork around the around the home.

Snyder’s Return: 39:45

Well, if you can find obviously not going to take a screenshot of your home that's that's what I'm not here for but if I can find a link or something because the artwork is beautiful. I just had to mention it because I been it's been catching my eye while we've been talking and sort of filtering in and feeding my excitement, shall we say?

Ajit George: 40:08

Yeah, his name is Abhishek saying, he's relatively easy, I think to find his artwork. In video interviews with me, you could actually probably do see a screenshot of it because it is in the background all the time in trying to figure out whether his what his Twitter handle is because he's got a Twitter handle, but he sells his work online. And so it's relatively easy to pick it up. And it's his his work is pretty remarkable.

Snyder’s Return: 40:37

I would agree with that statement. Moving back on to track as it were, we've we've covered quite a lot, various topics and things, is there anything that that we haven't mentioned so far that you want to bring up towards the end of the interview?

Ajit George: 40:54

Now, you know, I really appreciate talking to you, I think, you know, I really encourage people to check out journeys to the radiance digital and, and find it as a celebration of expanding their creative outlets in their imagination. I have played d&d, since I was a little kid and loved it loved it deeply. But d&d has also been influenced by I think, just a handful of, you know, writers, you know, Tolkien being a big one. But I think you've got a little bit of Conan in there and you got a little bit of, you know, Elric in there. And you got, you've got pieces of different elements that have been influenced in a very specific, strongly European, you know, base of creativity. And I, I'm always surprised when people only can imagine fantasy, and gaming in that context, because this is literally a creative outlet. This is this is the place where our imagination should go and explore all options and to really break back a bit barriers and to not be locked into a few very simple themes. But then we realised that d&d can be so much more, and I hope people pick up that book and see how much more d&d can be, and that it doesn't take away from what exists already, but expands and adds to what our gaming experience says. So I hope to get a chance to check it out. The other thing is, you know, this is just a thing that I love, and I'm going to be at as the other the other game that I loved. Since I was a kid was World of Darkness, big, big World of Darkness player. And there's a vampire Lark called Southern Allium. In New Orleans, this November, really high quality lock, one of those kind of blockbuster locks, where there's pretty high production value, there's part of, it's gonna be in the vampire bars, and part of it's gonna be the steamboat part of it's going to be in the same kind of mansion that they filmed part of Interview with the Vampire, the new television series, that was a trailer just dropped a few days ago, part of its going to be in that same very same house. And in the good locations all across New Orleans or across the French Quarter, I think it's gonna be extraordinary as a two day event. And I strongly recommend people check it out. You can look at our website at vampire lark.com. I am not one of the organisers or otherwise involved except I'm just a player, I bought tickets for it. Love it. My wife and I are both going. And I think this is gonna be extraordinary

Snyder’s Return: 43:29

event. Yeah, no, that sounds like a line of inquiry for another interview in the future.

Ajit George: 43:36

Yeah, maybe I can help back after I'm finished. Or maybe you can you can you can talk to the the organisers of the event and ask them what they think about it, because they put a lot of care and effort into it.

Snyder’s Return: 43:45

Yeah, absolutely. Well, speaking of future interviews, I'd love to get you back in the future for follow up interviews, if if time schedules and all those sorts of good things allows as future releases and things come through and more supportive of creators of colour and all that. All those sort of really good things that are happening in the community right now. If you'd be willing to join me again in the future.

Ajit George: 44:07

I'd be happy to hear it. It's been a pleasure speaking with you. And thank you so much for your support and belief in our work.

Snyder’s Return: 44:14

Not at all. So just before we go to make sure that that we can sort of continue to push people to towards and help support your work. Would you like to remind everybody where they can find you and everything you're associated with, please?

Ajit George: 44:25

Yeah, sure. The easiest place to find me on Twitter, and that's my first name. And my last name, George, SB. So I'll just George SP, is my Twitter handle. You can find my website, which is RJ George, and you can just also Google my name. And I think I will quickly pop up. You know, my website, my Twitter will quickly pop up so you can you can check that out. Be easy. 200.

Snyder’s Return: 44:50

All right. Well, links, as previously mentioned, will be down in the description below this podcast. It's been such a pleasure. Thank you so much for joining me

Ajit George: 45:00

Thank you so much for having me. It's been a great conversation.

Snyder’s Return: 45:03

Thank you. Thank you for listening. If you'd like to learn more about the show, then go to www dot Snyder’s return.squarespace.com. Alternatively, you can find us over on Twitter. At return Schneider, you have a link tree link in the description of this episode. And if you want to support us, come and join us over on Patreon and we also have a Discord server. Please leave us a review because we'd love to learn how to improve the channel and provide better content out for for those who are listening until we until we speak again. Thank you