NOTE: Due to not getting much of a response, and because I’ve had a really long work week, the next journal is delayed. Please vote on the version of the troll/Red Cap you like best in the meantime:)

Happy Halloween! Why not kick off the holiday with a peek ahead at our current monster and a little contest, eh? First, a little backstory on the big guy:

Above you see different versions of the upcoming creature, referred to by one of our Merchant of Venice characters as “The Red Cap”. In the play, Shakespeare states that Jews must wear red caps in order to be identified as such, much in the same way that peoples throughout history have been marked for being considered a lesser race — which we now call racism and shun completely but it was the thing to do in the old days. And as some of you may know, a Red Cap or Redcap is a vicious little goblin/troll/fairy which catches travelers unawares and usually eats them/sucks out their blood. We at Shards love to combine stuff and so came up with this version of the Billy Goats Gruff troll being designated a “Redcap” due to Shylock forcing it to wear said cap to mark it as his personal slave.

So! From the different appearances above, which is your favorite? Beady eyes? Droopy cap? Crazy wide eyes? Warty guy or smooth-skinned guy? Pick your favorite and give a shout. I’ll be keeping tabs:)