Big names from the RPG world again at Pyrkon! Representatives of Rowan, Rook and Decard as well as Modiphius Entertainment to visit the RPG Zone.
20 May 2026
Did you miss them last year? Or do you still want more? We’ve got some good news: some of the most eagerly awaited guests of the RPG Zone shall visit Pyrkon again! This year’s edition is another chance to talk game design, narratives and worldbuilding with the creators of cult RPG systems and the authors of some of the most interesting modern pen and paper games.
The crew of Rowan, Rook and Decard
Once again, Pyrkon will host the crew of Rowan, Rook and Decard—a studio known for their unconventional, atmospheric, and often uncompromising RPGs.
The studio will be represented by:
Grant Howitt & Chris Taylor
They are allegedly separate individuals who live and work in Sheffield, England. Once a day at dawn they combine like a sort of giant robot into a single entity and make books for Rowan, Rook and Decard–books such as Heart: the City Beneath, Spire: the City Must Fall, Honey Heist, DIE: the RPG, Eat the Reich, Hollows and (soon) Children of Time.
Once the working day is done they detach from one another with a series of sharp grinding noises and return to their houses to stare into the darkness and await further instructions. The gestalt entity enjoys talking to itself, and spending too long researching etymologies when it should be bloody writing.
Their games are renowned for their extraordinary creativity, uncompromising atmosphere and mechanics that regularly push the boundaries of modern RPGs.
Maz Hamilton
One of the founders of Rowan, Rook and Decard. They make sure the games go from being feral Google Docs to beautiful, high-quality, and above all real books in the hands of people all around the world.
Elaine Lithgow
A Scottish TTRPG designer and producer at Rowan, Rook and Decard. She’s been working full-time in games for over a decade, including videogames (such as Angry Birds), boardgames (such as Adventure Mart) and tabletop roleplaying games (various projects from the Warhammer universe). She has also left her mark on Heart: The City Beneath—one of the most unique and atmospheric modern TTRPGs.
Chant Evans
A game producer and writer specialising in horror and dark fantasy. He’s worked for studios like Helmgast, Cubicle 7, Onyx Path Publishing and Renegade Game Studios. If you want to talk about dark RPGs with him, be sure to set aside some time—it’s hard to stop him once he gets going!
Naomi Clarke
As Rowan, Rook and Decard’s Social Media Wretch, she writes much of the company’s communications and jokes. She’s an Actual Play veteran with dozens of campaigns under her belt, and has organised more groups of recalcitrant gamers into efficient recording teams than she’d care to mention.
She’s also a prolific scriptwriter best known for her work on The Secret of St Kilda; the audio drama has garnered over 100k listens, 12 AudioVerse awards (including Best Writing), and festival nominations worldwide. With over 100 podcast credits, there’s very little she can’t do.
For years, she’s been advocating for the use of safety tools and inclusive play with the charity she co-founded, No More Damsels. Naomi’s favourite games have almost no rules and as much capacity for unbridled mischief as is physically possible!
Alex Levene
Rowan, Rook and Decard’s logistics expert. Thanks to him, enormous quantities of books find their way into the hands of players all around the world. He combines his operational experience with a love of fiction and storytelling.
For TTRPG fans that want to grow into creators, it’s going to be a unique opportunity to talk game design, narratives, worldbuilding and own ideas for both systems and campaigns.
CChris Birch, founder and creative director of Modiphius Entertainment
Without this guest our RPG Zone wouldn’t be the same! Pyrkon will yet again host Chris Birch—founder and creative director of Modiphius Entertainment and one of the most recognisable RPG publishers of recent years.
For Chris, his road to RPGs led through music, fashion and business. Before he created Modiphius, he worked in the music industry as a booking agent and organised EDM events. He also founded Joystick Junkies, a videogame-inspired streetwear brand.
Modiphius Entertainment, which he established in 2013 with his wife Rita, very quickly gained global recognition thanks to successful crowdfunding campaigns, as well as hit roleplaying and wargame projects. The studio is responsible for titles such as:
- Homeworld: Fleet Command
- Achtung! Cthulhu
- Dune: Adventures in the Imperium
- Fallout: The Roleplaying Game
- Skyrim: The Adventure Game
During Pyrkon, Chris will talk about his studio’s latest projects, including XCOM, Wolfenstein, Fallout, Mass Effect, and Star Trek. We will also get some details on the soon-to-be-published Discworld RPG. The biggest treat, however, will be a live game which Chris will run for some of our Pyrkon guests!
Who knows? He might have some other exciting news to share at Pyrkon still in his pocket!
See you in the RPG Zone!
Creators of games with cult followings, designers of acclaimed TTRPGs, graphic novel scriptwriters and, overall, people responsible for some of the most creative universes of modern fiction—this year’s RPG Zone sounds like a one-of-a-kind adventure.
If you like tabletop RPGs, worldbuilding, storytelling, and game design, you simply must meet our guests. It’s an opportunity you just can’t miss!
Katarzyna Zakrzewska
Człowiek-orkiestra, człowiek-chaos i wszystko w jednym naraz. Z wykształcenia genetyk sądowy, zawodowo organizator szkoleń medycznych, prywatnie postapowiec, który marzy o końcu świata. W wolnych chwilach trenuje wspinaczkę sportową, organizuje eventy Drugiej Ery, rysuje, gra w RPG, ratuje ludzi w stowarzyszeniu SOPR, gra na basie, umiera w moshu na koncertach, szuka vintage ciuchów po lumpach i zastanawia się czy nie rzucić tego wszystkiego i nie zostać archeologiem.