This story comes to us from our good friends over at AskAJedi: A triumvirate of ex-BioWare developers have now announced that they have formed a new gaming studio in the Austin area. Name of this read hot new studio:  Stoic.

Stoic is comprised of Arnie Jorgensen, Alex Thomas and John Watson, all of whom up until recently worked on SWTOR.  They’ve now moved on from a huge-budget MMO that’s been in development for years to their own small startup. How small, you ask? Well, their main office is actually an old goat shed.

"Hey, what's that weapon you're holding?" "Oh, this? It's a Viking lightsaber."

Stoic is working on a game called The Banner Saga, and it’s looking like a fun idea.  Here’s the official by-line on the game:

What is The Banner Saga?

Short answer: role-playing meets turn-based strategy, wrapped into an adventure mini-series about vikings. 

Travel through stunning landscapes straight out of an animated film as your party escapes what could be the end of everything. Battle painstakingly hand-animated foes in strategic, turn-based combat. Make decisions with real consequences in conversations with people you’ll actually care about. 

The Banner Saga is a mature game aimed at gamers who appreciate art, story and strategy. Hope you’ll join the caravan.

There’s a bit more info over at Indie Games Magazine.