Did you know Washington State is one of the biggest states for tabletop gaming, with giants like Wizards of the Coast, makers of Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, and The Pokémon Company International, makers of the Pokémon Trading Card Game, both being based here? In Thurston County, we have a pair of passionate artists who create unique role-playing games (RPGs) using local artists at the Heart of the Deernicorn in Olympia. Now, owners Ross Cowman and Mo Golden are expanding into another artistic avenue, home décor, with Studio Golden.
Find Unique RPGs in Olympia
Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), Magic and Pokémon have been around for decades and are very popular. But many RPG players love to find something new and different to play, and the Heart of the Deernicorn fills that need. Ross has been a lifelong gamer – starting at age 8 when his mom bought him a used copy of the 1978 Dungeons & Dragons “Blue Book.”
“I was obsessed and started ‘playing’ by myself and running games during lunch at my elementary school,” shares Ross. “I’ve been playing role-playing games ever since.” Ross loves how collaborative fiction storytelling forms real-life friendships and community.
Since creating stories was what he loved, Ross says he liked being the Dungeon Master (DM). For those that don’t play, the DM in D&D is the person who tells the stories, plays the parts of any villains and tells players the consequences of their decisions. While they follow a written storyline, they have room to alter the story to fit the players in the game. For other role-playing games, this person is referred to as the Game Master. “I mostly liked being the Dungeon Master because I got to make up the adventures for the other players, and really think through the experiences my friends were going to have,” he adds. “That experience, combined with having some experiences of playing poorly designed games and wishing they were better led me to start making my own games.”
Being in Washington State was a help, with access to a large community of designers and artists in the region to help him create his new worlds.
Heart of the Deernicorn RPG games are unique, covering all kinds of genres, not just fantasy. Mo says you will find as many genres of games on their website as you would expect to find in books at a bookstore.
The way they are played are a bit different as well. “Unlike many roleplaying games that people are familiar with, like D&D, our games are structured so that all the players have a lot of agency and storytelling ability,” shares Mo. “Rather than one person, like the Dungeon Master, holding the knowledge and doing the prep for the other players, our games hold the structure and make space for a lot more narrative control from each person, without requiring set up or prep.”
And all the components are handmade by artists, many of whom are local, including screen-printed textiles. Mo illustrated Forest Night, as an example, while other games have been illustrated by others, including Bloom Evermore, Doug Keith, Taylor Dow, all from Washington, and Jabari Weathers from Baltimore. Ross is the art director on all the projects
New Handmade Home Décor Studio in Olympia
As an artist Mo, is always looking for ways to grow and expand the mediums she works with and through Studio Golden, she is now bringing handmade pottery and more to downtown Olympia. “I’ve mostly been a painter but had taken a few ceramics classes over the years, and I always loved it,” Mo explains about why they decided to open Studio Golden in 2025. “Ceramics is a wonderful extension of painting because you can create the same beautiful images, but on 3D usable objects. We want to offer people a one-of-a-kind art object that feels just as special as a painting, but also be something we could train artisans to create and make multiples of. Ceramics is a great fit for these goals.”
Currently Studio Golden has ring dishes, wall pockets –they are great for dried flowers, little notes, or keys – and other small dishes. Mo and Ross are dedicated to hiring local artists for both businesses. “Ross and I are both artists and we understand how challenging it is to find fulfilling work that respects your creativity and technical skills,” shares Mo. “We want to create the kinds of opportunities that we wished were available to us when we were starting our careers.”
Mo says they are working on more items, including some non-ceramic products, including oracle decks, ritual kits and workbooks. “Our first oracle deck is called ‘The Healing Bridge’ and it’s about intergenerational healing through connection to our bones and to Jewish wisdom,” she adds.
To order, head to the Heart of the Deernicorn website and the Studio Golden website. Wondering what game to try first? Their top three best-sellers are City of Winter, Fall of Magic, BFF!.
