By Popular Demand!
almost 6 years ago – Tue, May 29, 2018 at 10:58:36 PM

Hey Backers,

So After An Early Morning Discussion...

Jere and I have decided to include both the Dark Ish'ra and the Tir'ians in the World of Alessia Campaign Primer, which happens when we reach 200 backers. So, we'll be adding these two species into the book when we fund.

And the Tir'ians.

 A Look At More Drifters...

So I have a few pet projects inside the World of Alessia I'm really excited about; drifters are one of those. I wanted to share a few more images.

 The Subterranean Species

When I was at KoboldCon two weeks ago, one of the backers there asked me if Alessia had an "Underdark." At the time, I explained that Alessia was a slightly different (and much larger) world and the "Underdark" most folks are looking for is pretty standard - dark elves, brain-eating aberrations, and under-sea oceans with even more foes. 

Not in Alessia. 

The World of Alessia has a slightly different subterranean eco-system with a unique, localized hierarchy. At the top of that hierarchy is the Stone Giants, a group of powerful, foundation-shaking beings who use their magic to walk the hidden roads under Alessia. These giants are served directly by the Rock Gnomes, who continue the work they started in the skies millennia before. 

Under the deserts of Fyrea, Minotaurs and Dwarves work hand in hand to expand their underground halls, with the minotaurs acting as the guardians to their beloved dwarven wards.

Cheers,
Jaye

We Hit 10k!
almost 6 years ago – Sun, May 27, 2018 at 10:31:55 PM

TL/DR: We hit $10k thanks to a local gamer! Also, here's a look at some (not all) of the species in The world of Alessia Campaign Primer. If you download the PDF, please read this update.

We Hit $10k!

Thanks to a local backer/gamer who we'll call Charles Christiansen just helped push us past $10k and our campaign is happily moving forward again. I've run a few of these Kickstarters, too, and I can assure you - forward movement is always a good thing! So, as we rally the forces and push into the last two week, stand by for even more awesome. 

And speaking of...

Scope, Size, and Species

The World of Alessia is massive (a little smaller than Saturn, or about 8 times the size of Earth) and over the millennia of its development, has grown to accommodate over two dozen species. With far more territory than people (about 49.3 billion people live on Alessia) than people, there is plenty of room for lots of darkness in a civilized world of light.

 It's taken me a few days, but I've been adding all of the various species to a single PDF so you can get a better look at some of the images we're using with individual species or even specific iconic characters. 

 Unlike the World of Alessia Campaign Primer, which will dedicate several pages to each species, the Species PDF gives you the very basics - a look at each species, some profiles, some lore (I'm still adding some), and their general traits - we list three of each species traits.

 I like that the Elathi are so wildly different in dispositions and ancestry. We've had a lot of fun playing in that space.

 As you can see, we've let some room for additional lore and some additional fun stuff, all of which you'll see a lot more of when we release the primer!

So, if you're interested in an early, incomplete look at all the species (we're using placeholder art for the dwarves for the time being), download the Species of Alessia PDF here.

In Alessia, drifting has a very specific meaning.

 And it rarely includes wheels.

I really can't wait to share the vehicle rules with everyone! Gah! Anyways, I need to for now, but I'll be answering more questions, as well as revealing more awesome fun stuff about Alessia later this week. Until then, onward to funding!

Huzzah!

Cheers,
Jaye

A Quick Follow Up
almost 6 years ago – Fri, May 25, 2018 at 07:27:32 PM

The Schedule

Seems the image of our production schedule didn't process with the last update. Given the size of the image, it probably deserved a post of all on its own.

 Okay, we're done now. Enjoy your weekend!

Cheers,
Jaye

The Friday Morning Update
almost 6 years ago – Fri, May 25, 2018 at 11:05:03 AM

TL/DR - 1) Thanks for supporting The World of Alessia. 2) Help us reach 200 backers. 3) We reveal more information on the Ish'ra and Dark Ish'ra, 4) We explain how familiars are different in Alessia, 5) We're using BackerKit, 6) We share a cool graphic displaying all the products we have planned through 2020, and 7) we add a new digital pledge level.

The Friday Morning Update

Hey Backers,

First, I want to thank all of you for backing our Kickstarter for The World of Alessia Campaign Primer. Your continued support means the world to us and I wanted to personally thank you for it. 

So, what's our first stretch goal and what happens when we reach 200 people?

 So, who are the Dark Ish'ra?

The Dark Ish'ra

In order to understand the Dark Ish'ra, players need to first understand who the Ish'ra are and how their arrival on Alessia impacted the planet, and more importantly, its various evolving species.

The following excerpt (from the World of Alessia Campaign Primer) describes the Ish'ra:

"For millennia, the Ish’ra knew little more than servitude. Designed, grown, and trained by the Orgothii (a species of aliens who enslaved whole planets), the Ish’ra are now a free people. 

"That freedom came at a cost, one the Ish’ra will never forget.

"Before discovering Alessia and winning their freedom, the Ish’ra served their masters as scouts, warriors, and heralds. Their mission was a simple one; seek out new places for their masters to enslave and dominate. When their masters arrived, the compliant Ish’ra watched in subservient horror while their masters enslaved, and in some instances, devoured whole civilizations. Then, with but a thought, their Orgothii masters wiped their minds clean (absolving them of their “sins” in the process) and sent them out to seek out the next world and to repeat the process. 

 "For millennia, the Ish’ra repeated this horrid cycle, acting as the unwilling agents of death and destruction. But with each world they destroyed, they changed and evolved. Slowly, their scarred minds rebelled. Then, Ish’ran scouts discovered Alessia. For centuries the Ish’ra struggled under the weight of the Orgothii’s tyranny, resisting their wicked traditions internally each time their “sins” were forgiven. Over time, this continued resistance gained strength, developing into a natural defense against not only Orgothii mental controls – but against all psychic energy. By the time those same Ish’ra scouts reached Alessia, they knew what they had to do.

"The small band of Ish’ra resistance fighters who brought The Enduring Dream down into the heart of Elysia knew they had only one opportunity, and they took it. It killed thousands, but it also saved thousands more. The Ish'ra's sacrifice pleased the Sovereigns of Light and when the Orgothii discovered their departure, the Sovereigns of Light shielded the Ish'ra from their old masters’ notice. On Alessia, under the wise guidance of the old gods, the Ish’ra were free."

The Ish'ra who gained their freedom on Alessia were not the totality of their species and it is here where the story of the Dark Ish'ra begins. 

 The Dark Ish'ra are an outsider species, the biological brothers and sisters of the Ish'ra who, over millennia, cast off their roles as Orgothii War Scouts. The Dark Ish'ra, on the other hand, embraced these roles and over the millennia, have become Orgothii Apex Knights, Orgothii Mindhunters, and Orgothii War Scouts. Moreover, the loss of the Voidship The Enduring Dream has become a myth among the Dark Ish'ra, all of whom dream of recovering the loss vessel and slaying the cowards who fled in it.

The World of Alessia Campaign Primer will show you more about these two species and the pivotal roles these refugees play in its history and future.

Strange Familiars

In 5th edition, characters acquire familiars by casting the find familiar spell. In Alessia, anyone (yes, any class) can form a bond with a familiar, although the process requires a series of skill checks and once the bond is formed, the newly acquired familiar is treated as a magic item for the purpose of determining the total number of items that character can use (which is slightly higher in Alessia than a standard fantasy campaign setting). Character classes like the warlock capable of casting the find familiar spell may still acquire their familiars that way, and by doing so, bypass the restrictions on attunement.

Additionally, in Alessia, familiars are treated as sentient beings who must be bargained with before a bond can be formed. Every familiar's test for its new master is different, but that test is often tied to the boon it provides its master.

We're Using BackerKit!

I've been speaking with a representative over at BackerKit all week and we've decided we're going to use them to help us with fulfillment. This will give all of you an opportunity to manage your pledges the Kickstarter has funded, add items you may have missed, and will help us keep you up to date until the very end of the campaign.

 Which is good, because we've got a lot planned. The graphic below displays not only our plans for the future but also Jere's sweet, sweet Photoshop skills! As you can see, this handy graphic gives you a look at everything we've released so far, as well as everything we have planned. We'll likely make minor adjustments to this schedule as we move forward, but in general, these are the benchmarks/waypoints we've set for ourselves! So, if we can release a few things a little early, would any of you complain?

 The Alessian Archivist

On Monday, fellow game designer (and backer) Ben McFarland asked us if we'd add an "all the PDFs" reward level that included both Starfinder and 5e. After a few days of discussion (and examining how this pledge level might shape the campaign), we decided to give it a go.

 This pledge level will give you access to PDFs from both systems, including stretch goals (which we're going to continue to reveal starting next week).

Going Into the Weekend

Before I sign off (and get back to writing/designing), I want to remind you that you can help us fund just by talking about Alessia, sharing this page with your friends, and by sharing the chibis we've been sharing with you! While we'd normally tell you to "share and like" on social media, we also want to remind you not to do so overmuch - none of us want our feeds spammed with a single thing, no matter how awesome it is. 

(Well, except kittens. We're probably all cool with that).

Anyways, just think before you share. We'd much rather have a strong, open, and committed community of backers than a flood of people just following just the shiny. 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Cheers,
Jaye

Have Past There!
almost 6 years ago – Tue, May 22, 2018 at 11:22:58 PM

Hey backers,

Jere and I have been working hard in the background to continue to show you more of The World of Alessia (without overwhelming you, of course) and I'm happy to share something that I'm personally very excited about.

Dashers & Drifters

Player characters are going to discover a wide array of new equipment, gear, armor, and vehicles. The primer will cover four primary vehicle types, including dashers (multi-wheeled bikes), drifters (hover bikes), dreadnaughts (hovering war skiffs that can hold several dozen people), and skyships (higher altitude vehicles) capable at docking at one of Alessia's floating cities.

 As the Kickstarter continues, we'll be sharing a lot more about Alessia, its lore, and the technology that drives (pun intended) part of the cinematic wonder that really makes Alessia shine.

But, back to Drifters. These are a personal favorite and a bit if a pet project because, to be perfectly honest, I wanted speeder bike races for 5e! Moreover, I'm a huge fan of the modular approach to vehicle design, so I wanted dashers and drifters that characters could customize. So, the campaign primer will have several frames that player characters will be able to customize.

 Player characters will also find new types of equipment they'll be able to attune to; some of this equipment will grant them fantastic abilities, like the ability to fly, hover, and balance just a little bit better. 

 Enjoy!

Cheers,
Jaye