Troll Lord Game was founded in 1999 by Stephen Chenault, Davis Chenault and Mac Golden. With a great deal of assistance from friends and family that launched their first 4 products, three adventures for the Sword  & Sorcery game and a setting with map, the After Winter Dark campaign world. The products debuted at Gencon 2000, the same year that the d20 revolution and Third Edition stormed the table top world.

TLG quickly joined the band wagon and began producing d20 adventures. In 2000 they met and began a long, prosperous and amazing journey with Gary Gygax, renowned game designer and father of the industry. His first book, The Canting Crew, was released in 2001 along side the expanded After Winter Dark setting, renamed the Codex of Erde. In 2001 and 2002 the company grew slowly, expanding its product line and growing the relationship with Mr. Gygax. A whole series of books, The Gygaxian Fantasy World series, as well as adventure modules and supplement books like the Book of Familiars established TLG in the publishing industry.

In these early years TLG signed with Aldo Ghiozzi’s Impressions Advertising and Marketing (or Marketing & Advertising, we aren’t sure even after these many years). Aldo worked hard to expand TLG’s place in the market and along with Gary Gygax the arrangements with Impressions were to be the longest lasting business relations in the company. The veteran artist Peter “20 Dollar” Bradley signed on to the TLG bandwagon in 2003, his art first appearing in Stephen Chenault’s Winter Runes.

Mac Golden and Davis Chenault both left the company in 2002 to pursue other ventures. But when the d20 revolution ended and the market began to collapse both returned to the company to design the C&C role playing. Using notes from their early ventures in game design with Sword & Sorcery, and with a great deal of community involvement TLG launched Castles & Crusades RPG in December 2005 complete with a whole spectrum of Peter Bradley’s art and design work. The game was an instant hit and has been a pillar of the company’s publishing endeavors.

C&C launched with a whole new series of books by Gary Gygax. The famed and long anticipated Castle Zagyg first released unde the C&C banner with the hard back book Castle Zagyg Yggsburgh. It was very well received and was followed up with more CZ goodness.

The company’s expansion was under way in games and cards when Mr. Gygax passed away in March of 2008. The loss was deeply felt and for a time Stephen Chenault, now sole owner and managing director of the company considered shutting the company’s doors.

The recovery has been long and slow but the company has refocused its energies on Castles & Crusades, building the print shop, now managed by Mark Sandy, running a series of conventions and the Crusader Magazine. Peter Bradley, Impressions and many of the early associations remain with TLG helping to carry the company into the future.

For more information, visit the website at www.trolllord.com.

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