#05 - The Valraven Tarots: an example
6 months ago
– Wed, May 15, 2024 at 10:01:22 AM
Hi mercenaries,
First of all,
we're pretty close to unlocking Solo Mode, and one of our backers has a suggestion for an additional Solo Mode expansion -
chime in here if you think you'd like to see rules for playing solo, but with a full mercenary company rather than just a single character. We'll have to figure out how to make that work, but it's probably something that could be implemented if you prefer it over other Stretch Goal content.
Second, Kyra has once again prevailed in the Season of Iron, and before the end of the week we'll see where her choices lead the Twilight Spears.
Also:
I'm leaving tomorrow for a weekend gaming event in Modena. I'll do my best to respond to comments and requests, but keep in mind that these events are basically 12-14 hours of daily straight social interaction, so I can't guarantee a timely response. On the plus side, there will be
an unprecedented Valraven multi-table game with 40 people playing at the same time. I'll have pictures.
Tarots - An example
Today I wanted to show an example of how the Valraven Tarots will work in practice. Please keep in mind that the deck is still under development and details may change.
First of all, if your pledge does not include the Tarots,
you can add them from here. The instructions on how to use them will be available in both English and Italian, and the deck will be fully compatible with the Italian edition of the game which is already available.
We will take a look at
the first Major Arcana, the Captain.
Under the portrait, you’ll find these Keywords: Command / Difficult choice / Reaping the rewards / Leadership. These Keywords give you the general feel of the card and serve to inspire the answer to some of the questions you can ask the card as a Master of Chronicles, such as "What is the resolution of the duel?" or "What is the fate of this NPC?"
Below the Keywords you'll find more details; in this case, here's what the answer might be, depending on what the question is trying to uncover:
Event: One party takes charge and gets to the objective.
Battle: By following good orders, the Faction wins overwhelmingly.
Faction: The Faction takes control by performing well in the field. Advantageous agreements are made.
NPC: Gains a success/advantage through the intervention of an authority.
Opportunity: The favor of a leader.
Minor Arcana are used by Players to detail Support NPCs, create Bonds, past events, or the outcome of a mission you have assigned to an NPC, and the extended prompts are presented in a similar manner.
The Master of Chronicles can also use a Major Arcana to create various elements for the game. Here are the prompts provided by the Captain tarot card:
NPC: Type: A leader / Personality: Accustomed to leadership, gets their way by any means necessary.
Location: A command center for a Faction.
Mercenary Company: A large company led by a famous and feared commander.
Creature: An Apostle.
Mission Hook: To bring down the entire hierarchy of a Faction, it is necessary to eliminate one of their key leader.
By drawing different combinations of the Major and Minor Arcana, your Valraven's games will never get boring!
Reminders
#04 - The Invader, Magic and the Season of Iron
6 months ago
– Mon, May 13, 2024 at 10:07:08 AM
Hello mercenaries,
The latest Stretch Goal to go down is a Scenario called The Invader, which will now be included in the Book of Eclipse. The Invader can be played as a stand alone or as a sequel to Widmar's Destiny, and it deals with the mysterious eastern invaders Darokar, their Titans, and their alien warfare tactics. Who are the Darokar and why no one in Valraven is ready for them? Find out in The Invader!
This also means that we're well on track for the next Stretch Goal, the coveted Solo Mode, written by game author Alberto Tronchi, who also created the beloved Solo Modes for Broken Tales and Dead Air: Seasons.
Please share the campaign if you know someone who not aware of it yet, and let's unlock the Solo Mode fast!
How does magic work?
If you've been following the campaign since before the official launch, you'll know that we've already given an overview of some of the game's mechanics, but if you've only recently learned about Valraven, it might be useful to go over some of the basics again. Today we'll focus on magic.
Magic in the world of Valraven is related to the world of spirits and inner consciousness, an art that humanity has rejected throughout history in favor of progress and survival. Magic is the domain of a few people and is divided into several branches.
Witch Magic: this is the purest and most natural of all. Following the arcane flow of the elements, a witch acts on energy nodes in accordance with the forces of nature to achieve incredible results. Witch magic is respectful of creation and establishes a balance between the material and spiritual worlds.
Abyss Magic: is the exact opposite of Witch Magic; demons attack the elemental spirits, consuming them to generate a great deal of power in a short time. Abyss Magic is aggressive and violent, creating an imbalance in the spirit world and consuming its energy mercilessly.
Miracles of Faith: are nothing more than the unconscious use of magic, born from the firm conviction of the believers of the Holy Church of Light. The power of Faith is neither good nor evil, containing both the principle of the natural magic of witches and the entropic power of the Abyss.
Darokar Witchcraft: for the Darokars, sorcerers are the equivalent of witches, but unlike the folk of Valraven, the people of the Dominion have no particular qualms about magic, a tradition to be proud of.
In the game, magic is formalized through special Gifts that allow those who use them to tap into rituals and (often) sandbox magic. We cover the basics in the Core Book and go into details in the Book of Eclipse.
The Recommendation Corner
And now for something a little different. Crowdfunding is harder than most people think, there's so much work behind the scenes and it's all about being seen when it counts, so we're happy to draw your attention to the campaign our friends at Nord Games are running right now here on Backerkit,
The Oracle Monster Generator for Fantasy RPGs! Need some inspiration for monsters, stories, or NPCs? Nord Games has you covered with their generator cards, which offer billions of combinations and are compatible with all fantasy RPGs (even Valraven, why not).
Take a look! 
The Twilight Spears - Season of Iron
[
Note: The Season of Iron is the culmination of everything you fought for in the Season of Blood. It's where objectives are achieved or failed.]
You can read the previous episode,
the Season of Blood, HERE.
Kyra's gamble pays off: the enemy lines are broken, but at the cost of the blood and lives of the Twilight Spears. With less than fifty soldiers left, Kyra leads the survivors in the final charge, eliminating the Iron Giants' leader. As the enemy retreats to regroup, Kyra realizes that the Spears have little time to get back into Widmar and secure themselves behind the walls. The problem is the many wounded: moving quickly would mean abandoning them to their fate.
Jared's choice: "We must fall back quickly and leave the wounded behind. A leader must also make hard choices, and in this case, their sacrifice will save those who have a future instead."
Kyra's choice: "Absolutely not. We will leave no one behind; we are brothers and sisters in victory and defeat. We will do whatever it takes to save our comrades."
You have 24 hours from now to cast your vote!
Reminders
#03 - War Site: Widmar Unlocked!
6 months ago
– Fri, May 10, 2024 at 06:54:30 AM
Hello mercenaries,
Only a brief update today to confirm that another Stretch Goal has been unlocked. War Site: Widmar, which will be included in the Book of Eclipse, is a new chapter focusing on the city of Widmar, which has historically been contested between the Republic of Dormas and the Erenwald Empire. The chapter includes story hooks, new NPCs, events, faction agendas in the city, and more.
Early Bird expiring soon!
For those of you following the campaign who have not yet made a decision, this is also a friendly reminder that you still have two hours to get the Early Bird Map of Valraven for free with your physical pledge. Don't wait, even a later upgrade from the 1€ pledge will still entitle you to the Early Bird Reward!
Note: You will still get a free map if you signed up on the pre-launch page, or if you supported our previous campaigns and back with the same email.
What will happen to the Twilight Spears?
In a few hours, we'll also find out how the Season of Blood has turned out for the mercenary Company of the Twilight Spears.
If you are a backer, you can still cast your vote. We'll be back after the weekend with the next episode, the Season of Iron!
Reminders
#02 - Alchemy RPG, Widmar's Destiny Extended and the Twilight Spears
7 months ago
– Thu, May 09, 2024 at 09:05:52 AM
Hello mercenaries,
It's been 24 hours since we launched, and we have:
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Funded the campaign (yay!)
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Unlocked the expanded version of Widmar's Destiny, the Quickstart Scenario, which will now be printed in the Book of Eclipse, with more scenes, narrative forks, and more pregen characters to choose from.
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Unlocked FREE Alchemy RPG VTT support for all backers, so you'll be able to easily play games online when the module becomes available.
Not a bad start!
We have several other things that we hope to feature, including… has anybody said Solo Mode? Yep, that will unlock at 30 000€!
However, we know for a fact that the best way to tell people about the campaign is for them to hear about it from a trusted friend.
Besides, we can't reach every corner of the Internet without your help, so please don't take it for granted that someone else will do all the sharing :) (imagine me pointing like Uncle Sam right now, we need you, pls)
Sharing the link with friends and fellow players on online and offline communities is the easiest way for YOU to get the best game we can make.
Introducing the Twilight Spears
One of the things we wanted to do with this campaign was to take a mercenary company through the four seasons of the game with our backers. Whatever the outcome, we'll include it in the Core Book of the game as something you can use at your table.
Here's how it will work: Over the course of 4 different updates, we will tell the story of a Company called Twilight Spears, led by two siblings who are unable to find common ground. After the story bit, you'll be able to vote on what happens next. Whichever option wins will be the basis for the next season. Are you ready? Let's get started.
INTRO
The Twilight Spears are a notorious mercenary Company serving the Republic of Dormas, led by two siblings, Jared and Kyra Dyer. Brother and sister are like day and night: Jared is calm and thoughtful, while Kyra is bold and impetuous. The two inherited leadership of the Company from their father, who died a year ago during the bloody battle to retake Widmar.
Jared and Kyra compete for the absolute leadership of the Spears, but never escalate to an actual duel. At least until now...
The Twilight Spears - Season of Blood
[Note: The Season of Blood is the part of the campaign where a mercenary Company takes steps toward a greater goal.]
Fifty-seventh year of the Sun, third day of the fifth month: the Twilight Spears are stationed in Widmar, just outside the walls. The situation is not the best; the Iron Giants, the most feared Company of all those serving the Erenwald Empire, has just completed a major encirclement maneuver, locking the Spears in a deadly grip.
As the front line of the Twilight Spears is being torn apart by the Giants' armored infantry, Jared and Kyra find themselves faced with a crucial decision:
Jared's choice: "Let us surrender and bargain with the leader of the Giants. The salvation of the Company in exchange for the secrets we have learned about our employer's defenses. We will be accused of treason by the Republic of Dormas, but with good mediation the Giants will integrate us into the ranks of the Erenwald Empire. They will certainly want to avoid any leaks."
Kyra's choice: "Surrender is not an option, the only hope is a desperate charge to smash through the center of the enemy ranks and take out their leader. It will be a massacre for us, but the few survivors will go down in Republic history for their heroism, and with the reward we will rebuild the Company."
Voting will be open for the next 24 hours only!
Reminders & other notable things
#01 - The campaign is funded!
7 months ago
– Wed, May 08, 2024 at 10:54:48 AM
Hello mercenaries,
If you're a veteran of our previous campaigns or you've watched the launch stream, you already know me. If not, my name is Tommaso, I'm the Creative Director at The World Anvil Publishing, and I'll be in charge of all campaign updates and backer communications.
Funded!
The first battle is won! The campaign was funded in just 90 minutes – Thank you! We hope this will be the definitive edition of Valraven, so spread the word, we've got plenty more to unlock.
You can:
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Share the campaign on Discord servers, Whatsapp, iMessage or Telegram groups, or post the link anywhere you think your fellow players might gather. There's only so much we can do on our own, so word of mouth is really the best way to get the most out of your pledge.
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Talk about Valraven with your regular group or other players you meet live - maybe some of them would like to join your order, add an Add-On or two, and save on shipping?
With that out of the way, let’s talk Stretch Goals – the upcoming ones are:
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Scenario - Widmar's Destiny Extended (included in the Book of Eclipse): The Quickstart Scenario with additional scenes, an alternate beginning, and more pregen characters to choose from!
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Alchemy VTT support: All campaign backers will receive free access to the Alchemy VTT version of Valraven: Chronicles of Iron and Blood and all available supporting materials backed in the campaign. Estimated delivery end of 2025.
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War Site: Widmar (included in the Book of Eclipse): A new chapter focused on the city of Widmar, with story hooks, new NPCs, events, faction agendas in the city, and more.
…and we have more in store.
Also, if you have the time, let us know what is the MAIN reason you supported the campaign,
you can vote here.
That will help us plan the next updates.
Before I go, two suggestions: make sure
you read the project FAQ, especially our Refund Policy, and even if you're the "back and forget" type, don't mute the updates - we don't want people to miss out on important information about production, surveys, and shipping. I promise I'll make them worth your time.
You can reach us in many ways
