Exclusive: Justin Sirois’ Essay Explains Why Dread Risen is the Perfect Figure to Represent the Mörk Borg Universe

Severed Toys and Stockholm Kartell have teamed up to bring their Mörk Borg RPG to life with four brand-new, seven-inch, fully articulated action figures. Based on the Mörk Borg book’s iconic cover art, “The Dread Risen figure is the perfect frightening, gritty representation of the game that’s sure to appeal to RPG fans and toy collectors alike.”

“Stockholm Kartell’s Mörk Borg is an independent roleplaying game inspired by Black Metal music that has gained a cult following with fans and collaborators all over the world. With nearly 2,000 third-party publications supporting the game, the creative community has built the brand into one of the most successful open-license RPGs.”

Having just launched their new Kickstarter, Severed Toys owner Justin Sirois shared an essay with us, discussing the magic of Mörk Borg and the new venture into Mörk Borg Universe action figures:

Dread Risen is the Perfect Figure to Represent the Mörk Borg Universe by Justin Sirois

From the day Mörk Borg (Dark Fort in Swedish) hit the scene, the character on the cover was seared into the minds of both indie and mainstream players. It’s really difficult to unsee. Most roleplaying game companies hire artists to create lush, full-color covers with multiple characters battling dragons and other iconic beasts. They assume players want obvious action before they even open the book.

Mörk Borg broke all those rules. The cover is deceptively simple. It’s a black and white drawing of a skeleton with an unusual animal head. Behind it is the title of the game so large that it bleeds off the cover and is even difficult to read. Form over function, in a way. It begs you to look closer and when you do, the magic really happens. The production value of the core rulebook is unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Foil interior pages, a custom printed ribbon, debossed cover with a glow-in-the-dark spine. The graphic design is frenetic and sometimes confrontational, just like the text it encapsulates. And all for this seemingly humble undead skeleton slinking on the cover. Who is this creature… and who the heck created this wretched game?

I feel like those questions persist even though we know the answers. Mörk Borg remains somewhat of a mystery because of its simplicity. It allows game masters and players to insert themselves into the world because they are allowed to fill in the blanks. There’s not too much exposition. Nothing is overwritten. This is why well-known writers like Brian Evenson are creating projects for the game system. The bleakness draws people in, but the mystery keeps them lingering. 

Dread rises from the very pages of the book. No creature is safe. Death is imminent. So why not bring Dread Risen to life so it can live (undead?) on fan’s shelves? The unconventionality of the character spoke to me right away. A hunched and filthy skeleton with battered and bloody weapons. Where most game companies would put a hero on their cover, here comes a vile enemy. There’s no question who the star is here… its death. And it’s coming for you. 

Pelle Nilsson and Johan Nohr masterfully give their audience just enough to entice them and allow their imaginations to take flight. That’s part of the Mörk Borg magic. Literally thousands of projects have been created in the past four years by fans who were inspired to create their own content. With Mörk Borg’s open license, Pelle and Johan openly invite people to create, collaborate, and continue the cult. I think they picked the perfect “thing” for their debut book’s cover—a shadowy threat not just to players, but to the tabletop game industry at large. They are saying, “We’re here, lurking, with talent dripping from our filthy nails, and we cannot be ignored.” 

We hope that Dread Risen turns even more people on to Mörk Borg as the cult grows and more people are inspired to create their own content. For us, it’s about fostering a healthy and inviting community of makers. Adapting the iconic character from the cover of the book is a way to celebrate Mörk Borg’s lasting appeal.

“Severed Toys is proud to present four action figure variants, including Dread Risen (Standard edition), Blood Drenched, Glow-in-the-Dark, and Cursed (Fully Blacked Out edition). All four of the action figure variants will come with an original zine by Johan Nohr and Pelle Nilsson, creators of Mörk Borg.

Backers who pledge in the first 48 hours will also get a free exclusive Flanged Mace weapon for their figure. The Kickstarter campaign will have additional weapons packs as stretch goals as well as upgrades to the zine printing, and bonus items like large embroidered patches and tabletop game miniatures. Retail incentives for online shops and brick-and-mortar stores include one free Flanged Mace with each figure on the Kickstarter.”

To learn more, visit the Kickstarter campaign at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/justinsirois/mork-borg-action-figure-w-zine-by-stockholm-kartell/