About the Author

My name is Ben Torell from Atlanta, GA, and I've been playing and running TTRPGs since 2012. As is the birthright of every tabletop gamer, I decided to start a blog to post my thoughts and musings on running TTRPGs, as well as potentially my creative process if and when I decide to enter the world of TTRPG publishing (under the name Gordian Blade).

Welcome, traveler, to my little corner of the internet. Take a look around, and if you like what you see, I'd love for you to subscribe, either by e-mail, or by the old ways.

"Gordian Blade?" What does that mean?

It actually has a dual meaning, to me at least.

The general explanation is that it's a reference to the ancient Greek legend of the Gordian Knot. It was said that whoever could untie this terribly complex knot would be destined to rule all of Asia. When Alexander the Great was presented with the challenge, he instead drew his sword and sliced the knot in two. It's a fun story about thinking outside the box that I resonate with, and seek to replicate with my own takes on gaming.

The more fun explanation is that it's the name of a card in Android: Netrunner. I was an avid Netrunner player during the game's heyday, including attending and livestreaming several local, regional, national and World Championship events for the game. Gordian Blade has been around since the game's inception (the FFG incarnation, anyway), and it proved itself to be a solid staple in the runner's arsenal throughout the game's entire lifecycle.

“Thunder blade icon” logo comes courtesy of Lorc via game-icons.net, CC BY 3.0.