A proposed union between the bandit poetry of the Balkans and role-playing games. Questions about translation between mediums and artistic decisions required to deliver a vision play a part in the outcome. The process consisted of gathering available source material, creating a method to incorporate it, and establishing a tone. Work continues towards a viable commercial and artistic product. Heritage is not fixed; it is made of surviving fragments and our imagination.

Source material for „HAJDUK: Against the Midnight Sultan“ is the epic poetry of the Balkans, namely the later cycle of bandit songs. The specific sensibilities, attention to materiality, quality of action, greyness of characters, and tragicomic tone inform the attitudes and direction of the work. These aspects come to the forefront when players assume the roles of bandits and outcasts. As a game, “HAJDUK” emphasises and further exaggerates its poetic foundation. The world is presided over by a global Ottoman empire, a twisted version of its historic counterpart, with a demonic or alien Sultan who lives among the stars. The characters’ surroundings are bleak and their situation difficult, they risk their lives in search of wealth, but this is complicated by the lethality of their obstacles. Within the tradition and medium of tabletop role-playing games, “HAJDUK” draws from the OSR -Old School Renaissance, movement. Its main inspirations are independently developed games such as “Into the Odd” by Chris McDowall, “MÖRK BORG” by Pelle Nilsson, “Vermis” by Plastiboo, and “Corny Groń” by Kuba Skurzyński. The project aims to critically examine the material it’s based on, develop a new reading of it, and (re)present it to those who share or appreciate this rich cultural heritage, all in an entertaining and interactive format/medium.