Jaume Mayans i Sergi 'Seri' Amat: "The folklore of the Balearic Islands is as powerful as Nordic or Japanese folklore."

PalmThe original idea of Pork Death It was born from a conversation between Jaume Mayans and Sergi Series Beloved. Jaume wanted to make a historical comic with touches of fantasy – a kind of Game of Thrones Set in the Balearic Islands, the project began as a comic strip, but Seri suggested a twist: transforming it into a role-playing game. The project took a complete turn, becoming a dark and apocalyptic universe steeped in Balearic folklore, where fantasy and storytelling intertwine. Together with Mer Prats and Daniela Kropeit, they have brought to life a decadent and grotesque world where sobrasada (a type of cured sausage) is forbidden and reality crumbles under the weight of its own myths. We spoke with them about the creative process, the folkloric background, and the future of the project.

How did the idea come about? Pork DeathWhat was the starting point?

— Jaume Mayans: I'd wanted to do a fantasy comic set in the Balearic Islands for a while, a kind of Game of Thrones Islander. Something very historical, but with touches of fantasy. Chatting with Seri, while we played in Mörk Borg And I was reading fables with my son, and that's when the idea was born. I could do the illustrations, but we needed good writing, and he and Mer Prats provided it.

— Sergi 'Seri' Amat The goal was to create a fantastic world, but one that breathed what we love about the folklore and history of this place.

— JM We didn't want to make a game with a typical Mercator-based map [a standard for map representation]: we were inspired by 17th-century French maps, where everything is somewhat anachronistic. It's an imaginary world, but with a background that any Mallorcan can recognize. Some people have pointed out that certain territories are missing, but it's important to remember that it's an imaginary map.

At first glance, one of the most striking details is that sobrasada has been banned in the game's universe. Where did this idea come from?

— SA It all started with a drawing by Jaume: a pig with a halberd. And from there we decided that sobrasada, the quintessential symbol of Mallorca, should be banned.

Why was it important for you to integrate Balearic folklore into a role-playing game?

— SA We've always played games that draw from Norse or Celtic mythologies. And we thought: why not make one with our own folklore? Our legends are just as rich, if not richer; they simply haven't received the same treatment. We want to assert that our imagery is universal, that a Mallorcan can see their roots in it, but a Swedish player can also enjoy it. Our folklore is as powerful as Norse or Japanese folklore.

He has used the system of Mörk BorgWhat attracted you to this system?

— SA We like it because it's straightforward and simple, unlike other games with 800-page rulebooks. It also has that end-of-the-world feel that fits perfectly with our universe: three pillars of Mount Randa have already fallen, and the world is crumbling. We've made some modifications to the original system: for example, the personal daemon rule, a kind of dark blessing that accompanies each character. We've also made the heroes somewhat more resilient, and they can even become legendary figures, like characters in fairy tales.

What would you say to someone who has never played a role-playing game to encourage them to try it? Pork Death?

— We wanted that Pork Death It could be someone's first role-playing game, easy to play and that boosts the imagination. And I always say that if people play this, they won't have money for drugs [laughs].

How do you see the role-playing game landscape right now?

— SA When we started, everyone was saying the market was in crisis after the rebound during the pandemic, but we went ahead anyway. There are a lot of people coming here for the first time.

He has future plans beyond Pork Death?

— SA We've created our own publishing house, Cabo de Cerdo Games. We'd like to make expansions for Pork Death And maybe even board games. We already have ideas for a new campaign setting. The intention is to continue creating worlds that draw from our folklore. We'll see what happens after that.

Any funny anecdotes from the process?

— SA In one of the first test matches, they didn't kill a single enemy. We thought, "This isn't right." The next one went perfectly. We found the balance (river).

The crowdfunding campaign of Pork Death It is active on KickstarterThe creators invite everyone to join them and help bring their world to life, where even eating sobrasada can be deadly.