"30 years ago I fell in love with two things at once: the wilderness and D&D. I was a little boy in the bush, which was suddenly filled with mages, monsters, heroes and vast alternate universes. I became proficient in the outdoors at the same time as I discovered pen-and-paper systems that allow people to imagine, create and play together in other worlds. Ever since, these two passions of mine have remained separate: I go hiking in the mountains, and then I play with friends at a kitchen table. But being out in the wilderness and playing TTRPGs go together like peanut butter and jam. It's time to make the sandwich."

I'm Ben Charland, outdoorsy-fantasy nerd and founder of Ember Range Adventures. I recently returned to my hometown of Calgary, Alberta, after six years in the Yukon. I've run several successful D&D campaigns and countless one-shots, with hundreds of sessions under my belt. I've built several worlds, including the Nereolm setting we use at Ember Range I'm also a veteran outdoorsman, with experience in boots, snowshoes, canoes, dogsleds and bicycles across a dozen countries and three continents. From climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to hiking the nine-day Northwest Circuit in New Zealand, I've been exploring the great outdoors for my whole life. I am a certified Wilderness First Responder with Advanced First Aid, currently working towards my ACMG Hiking Guide certification.

When I'm not out in the bush or running a TTRPG table, you can probably find me doing communications work as a writer and consultant. Or, better yet, spending time with my wife and two kids.