Okay, we are getting personal now because this is about one of my besties: Anne Spanget-Larsen. We have known each other since the early 90’s when we met at university and discovered our mutual love for fantasy. For many years Anne has been my GM (game master) at pen & paper roleplaying. And so, I have firsthand experience of her ability to conjure engaging and mind-bending stories.
Photo by Kitty Mortensen
About a year ago she finally wrote her first novel about the young kitchen girl Mirja, who lives in a castle deep in the forest - which in more than one way grows darker and more dangerous by the day. And Mirja is the only one who can (perhaps) do anything about that. If she dares. 
The book was one of the winners of a writing contest held by the publisher Krabat and Anne entrusted the drawing of a world map, to be printed in the book, to me. What a nerve wrecking responsibility, but also a very fun task! I framed the map with a decorative border, which amongst other details contains a certain key which plays a vital role:
“Raven's Amulet. It feels surprisingly heavy in Mirja's hand as she lifts it up by its leather strap. A strange little root stump with beautiful veins and structures marring the wooden surface. “Is that a key?” Mirja asks. The moment she asks the question, she realizes how stupid it sounds. Everyone can see that it’s just a tree root and not a key.”
When Annes birthday came up I chose to create that exact key as a gift for her, and since I had just drawn it, I knew exactly what it looked like. So off I went - wax and tools in hand.
Shaping it took quite a few hours and even more than when I work with “regular jewelry” it was very much a labor of love and artistry. I had it cast in silver, partly tarnished, and bound it into a leather cord before gifting it to her in a medieval-looking wooden mini chest. On moss, of cause. She was suitably surprised and so it was worth all the hours’ crafting to see her that happy.
Now the book is out. It looks gorgeous, got great reviews, has been purchased by libraries throughout Denmark and she is already busy writing the sequel. To support her project, I chose to make a mold of her key, enabling others to get hold of this artifact as well. Whether they can use it in the same way as it is done in the book, I will leave to the magical abilities of the individual though…
I am offering this key in silver (bright or partly tarnished and in a black leather cord) in both my online and physical shop in Copenhagen. But as always: Since it is created especially for you when you order, you can ask for alterations: Different precious metal, another color leather strap or perhaps a chain.
What a happy marriage of imagination, fantasy tales and artistic craftmanship this journey with Anne has been! I hope she will go on to become as popular a novelist as she clearly deserves, and I am eagerly awaiting her next tales.
The kitchen maid Mirja lives at the castle “Ash Mountain” deep in the dark forests. She has made an art of being invisible to survive but eventually she must realize that she (very unwillingly) seems to play a role in a drama, which started many generations ago. It involves the ancient King of the Forest, his son and the powerful magi Miramar. Ever since, the forest has grown more and more dangerous and now everybody’s life is at risk.
Too bad Mirja. Your hiding days are over! Realize who and what you are – and then DO something! And please try not to fall in love. Things will just become (even more) messy…
By the way: This key is not the first item from a novel which I have created my take on! A few years ago, a customer asked me to create a special version of the Ourobouros ring worn by the female Aes Sedai magicians in the novel Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. Read about that project here:
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