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Valraven: The Chronicles of Blood and Iron

Created by The World Anvil Publishing

A fantasy TTRPG inspired by Berserk, A Song of Ice and Fire, and Dragon Age - Step onto the battlefield and defy a merciless destiny alongside your close-knit band of mercenaries. We aim to start shipping physical rewards by July 2025. Digital rewards for already-existing books will be sent when orders are locked down. Once they're ready, all other digital rewards will be made accessible (estimated Q2 2025). Pre-order sales are final.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

IMPORTANT - The Pledge Manager and the Late Pledge are OPEN
11 days ago – Mon, Jun 17, 2024 at 07:52:48 AM



Hello Mercenaries, 
We've finished the Smoke Test, and I just wanted to let you know that due to a system glitch, the first 6 or 7 people who completed it were not charged for shipping. This was an unfortunate mistake, and if you're one of them, you'll now see a pending charge for it. We're so sorry for the inconvenience! I'll also resend the surveys to each of the affected people, but if you're unsure, please log in and check your situation from HERE (orders are not considered complete until shipping is covered). I'm really sorry, but this was basically a Backerkit bug. 

Now for the most important news:

The Pledge Manager is now open to all

You'll get an email from Backerkit with a direct link to it. You can also access it from HERE.
Please read what follows carefully:

  • You must complete the survey in order to receive your rewards. Despite all of our reminders, in previous campaigns there were still people who didn't fill out their surveys. We're really not sure why, but if you don't complete the survey, you won't get your rewards.
  • We appreciate your time in filling out the survey! It should only take about 5 minutes. We kindly ask that you carefully read the instructions on the screen. If you can't do it now, please do it at your earliest convenience. We know it seems obvious, but we've had cases in the past of people completely disregarding the instructions and then complaining. We're here to help if you have any questions! 
  • Even for digital rewards, we must request your address. Please fill in your address because it is required for tax purposes in the EU.
  • 99% of you won’t have this issue, but just to make sure: if your package weighs more than 7-8 kg (about 10+ books) or you live in a remote location, you will see a shipping fee of 9 999€. That is not a legitimate charge, so DO NOT PAY IT; we will not be able to reimburse you. It's just a placeholder: it means I need to calculate how much it would cost to ship the parcel to you, and because yours is an edge case, I have to do it manually. Please contact me at [email protected] and I'll rectify the situation with the correct shipping fee. Please keep in mind that, as stated in the campaign, there are some countries where we do not ship. 
  • We will probably lock orders at the end of July. You can make changes until then (if you pay with credit card). Payment via Paypal is required immediately, and you can only add to your order after that. You can change your shipping address until your order is almost ready to ship.
  • If some fees remain unpaid by shipping time, your pledge will be converted to digital, and the remainder of your payment will be converted into credit to spend on the Pledge Manager (see FAQ).
  • Even for existing books, Pledge Manager PDF rewards will be delivered after the surveys are locked (end of July). If you want them earlier, we can manually lock just your order (get in touch at [email protected] and I’ll do it).
  • I made a video tutorial for a previous campaign that might be useful if you're confused. 98% of it applies to this Pledge Manager as well, so if in doubt, watch it!
  • On the final screen of the survey, you can share your survey completion on social media. That is actually meaningful because it directs people to the Late Pledge. If you have any energy left by the end, we'd appreciate it if you could smash that share button ;)

I need to mention again that if you want to switch your pledge level for another pledge level, you can do it only from the very first screen you see (see image). 



The Late Pledge is also open

Finally, the Late Pledge for Valraven: The Chronicles of Blood and Iron is also open HERE!
Know someone who missed out on the campaign?
Let them know that they can get everything we offered during the campaign (at a slightly higher price).

Cheers!

Reminders

#13 - Smoke Test & Failed Payments
16 days ago – Thu, Jun 13, 2024 at 04:51:12 AM

Hello Mercenaries, 

As the old prophecy foretold, some of the payments did not go through (sadly, we’re slightly above average). The good news is that we can fix this. How? All backers of this campaign have been imported into the Pledge Manager. Once you receive the invitation code, you'll be able to try other payment methods, including PayPal. 
When do the invitation codes go out? Not yet, because we need to do a…

Smoke Test

The smoke test is actually a test of the Pledge Manager where only 5% of you are randomly invited. The purpose is to see if everything is configured correctly, and if it's not, I can easily fix it before the other 95% hit the system at once. 

How will you know if you've been selected for the smoke test? If you receive a Valraven Pledge Manager invitation in the next 24 hours, you have. If you don't, you haven't and will get it later. 

It's a good idea not to give too many instructions before a smoke test, as the instructions on the Pledge Manager should be self-explanatory. If something isn't clear, please contact me and I will communicate it better and make sure I address any questions or issues before we open the gates to everyone. 

The only thing I need to mention is this, because it's not intuitive at all. If you want to switch your pledge level for another pledge level, you can ONLY do it from the very first screen you see (see image). 


Will you be one of the lucky 5%? Let's see. 

For everyone else, these pioneers will make your Pledge Manager experience smoother. I will send another update when we know everything is working as intended. 

Cheers!

Reminders

#12 - Thank You! + Twilight Spears: Epilogue
about 1 month ago – Fri, May 24, 2024 at 11:56:19 AM



Hello Mercenaries, 

This battle has been won and the campaign is officially OVER.

But don't despair, one battle doesn't make a war, and our march is still long. 
First of all, I would like to say THANK YOU to all of you, veterans of our campaigns or newcomers, who gave us the chance to do this. We're going to do right by you and make the best English edition we can.  
It will take time, Valraven is a big game, but it will be worth the wait. 

Second, by the end of Overtime Mode we managed to unlock The Birth Scenario. You can read more details about it on the campaign page. 

Now, before we take a little rest, there's one last thing we need to address. Who won the battle between Jared and Kyra for leadership of the Twilight Spears?

The Twilight Spears: Epilogue

[The final vote ended with an incredible 50-50 split! If you joined the campaign just before the end you can read the various Seasons here: Blood, Iron, Venom, Destiny]

Kyra attacks, confident in her superiority as a fighter. Jared is not an excellent warrior, so he has learned to compensate for his lack of strength with tactics. After parrying a series of lunges, Jared anticipates Kyra just as his sister is about to deliver the final blow, but to his astonishment, Kyra steps aside and slices cleanly through his sword-holding hand.

Jared falls to his knees, clutching his stump and screaming in pain. "You thought you could trick me? I know you better than you think, a duel is not a game."

Kyra leans over to her brother and helps him tend to the wound, then sounds the horn to summon the Company medic.Jared shudders in pain, tears in his eyes. Kyra helps him to his feet. "Now that you can no longer fight, you must focus on what you do best: management and strategy. Stay as lieutenant in the Twilight Spears and accept my superiority." 

Jared draws a smile, twisted by pain. "You are the best, I accept your proposal and will serve you loyally."
Kyra smiles in response and they both walk towards the exit of the cemetery. Jared turns one last time to look at his father's grave. A just revenge must be served cold: today Kyra took his hand, but tomorrow Jared will take back much more. 

Here's the final surprise: the Core Book will now include BOTH the Twilight Spears and a new Company-within-the-Company that Jared will lead, aided and encouraged by the Hand of the Abyss.

Cheers!

Reminders

#11 - Sancta Sanctorum unlocked, final Stretch Goals
about 1 month ago – Fri, May 24, 2024 at 12:34:27 AM



Hi mercenaries, 

A super quick update to confirm that we’ve unlocked Sancta Sanctorum, the Scenario written by Claudio Serena of Fumble GdR, that will be included in the Book of Eclipse. 

I’m also presenting you with the next two Stretch Goals, all achievable today according to our algorithmic overlords:

42 000€ - Scenario - The Birth (included in the Book of Eclipse): Lady Bryanne, of the noble De la Tour family of Erenwald, has come of age for marriage. Despite rumors that Lady Bryanne is more interested in expanding the De la Tour's influence by grinding her two-handed sword on the battlefields than in finding a husband, her elderly father, Breton, has decided to honor old customs by organizing a tournament where the winner will win his daughter's hand in marriage. But the tournament hides something much darker than that... The Birth is written by Michele Paroli of Mana Project Studio (Cowboy Bebop!, Nightfell, Journey to Ragnarok, and more).

45 000€ - Location + New Arena Rules (included in the Book of Eclipse): Many are familiar with the Crow's Nest, an area surrounding a clandestine arena where anyone can end up fighting for their life: disgraced nobles, Darokar outcasts, or even just mercenaries come to avenge a wrong done to their lord. The Crow's Nest adds a new exploarable Location, new NPCs, and a set of special rules to handle 1:1 combat in the arena.

We don't really know what to expect from the Overtime Mode, so if things go really well we may add something else, but it will most likely be announced live during the Campaign Finale stream (see details below). 


See you on the battlefield later today. 

Reminders

#10 - IMPORTANT - What happens after the campaign's end
about 1 month ago – Thu, May 23, 2024 at 09:01:16 AM



Hi mercenaries, 
The campaign is about to enter its last 24 hours. Please READ WHAT FOLLOWS CAREFULLY. 

To avoid surprises

  • Make sure you are pledging for what you want: if all looks good, great. If you want to change your pledge or add an Add-On (for example a copy of the Tarots, or an extra Dice Set), click on “Manage your pledge” on the front page of the campaign, then “Edit your pledge” and follow the instructions. 
  • If you’re using a debit card, make sure it’s funded. If your payment fails, Backerkit will ask you for a new card or try again for a few days before marking the pledge as failed. We can try to recover it in the Pledge Manager, but this adds a lot of extra work for us. 
  • Some credit cards and banks need you to confirm the pledge payment before it can be processed. This is usually between you and your bank. We noticed that German banks are particularly keen to block transactions by default, for reasons that don't seem entirely logical.
  • If all else fails, we'll enable PayPal on the Pledge Manager and we can work it out there. But PayPal has some drawbacks: we get charged more to use it, and you have to pay the shipping fees as soon as you confirm your survey (which isn't the case with credit cards, where payment is deferred).

Please keep in mind that we unlock Stretch Goals based on the nominal amount we collect for the campaign: if a payment does not go through, we still have to meet the Stretch Goals, just with less resources. We don't want that, you don't want that, and ultimately it benefits no one. 

I know this all sounds a little condescending, but it happens to about 5% of backers on average, and we've had spikes of 10% in the past. Since it puts unnecessary stress on the team, I'd like to avoid it as much as possible.

Coming soon: the Pledge Manager

  • The campaign ends Friday May 24 at 10:00 AM PT / 19:00 CET. Once the deadline passes, you won't be able to make any more pledges. But wait a minute! Backerkit has a new feature called Overtime Mode. If pledges come in after the campaign ends, as long as there’s another one within the next 10 minutes, the campaign will remain active, extending in theory forever. This is the first time we're trying it, so we'll be keeping an eye on it while we're streaming. Let’s see what happens.
  • Backerkit will transfer the funds to us within a couple of weeks. With that, we will have the funds to pay for development, your pledge will be confirmed and you can sit back and relax. 
  • It will take us some weeks to configure the Pledge Manager, importing campaign data, and setting up the surveys. These surveys are something like “Hey Jane Doe, you have pledged for A, B, and C, correct? Do you want to add X or Y to your pledge? Do you want to switch pledge? Where should we send your reward once it’s done? Here’s the shipping estimate for that destination.”
    We anticipate the Pledge Manager to be live sometime in June. We’ll send an update about it. 
  • Once you’ve done that, you just have to wait until we’re done with the game. We’ll send regular updates, once a month or so. You can always reach us and talk with the rest of the community on Discord. 

The work ahead

  • First of all, we’ll take a few days off from Valraven: The Chronicles of Blood and Iron. As you can imagine it’s been quite intense and we’d like to think about something else for a week or so.
  • We aim to have the Pledge Manager open in June. 
  • In mid July we’ll gather the whole The World Anvil Publishing team to discuss: 1) The overall campaign outcome 2) How to get everything done in the timeframe we set and 3) What the milestones are.

We now have 24 hours to unlock more Stretch Goals, so let’s spread the word and have fun!

Reminders