A system-neutral, Himalayan Buddhism-inspired sourcebook of holy sites for analog adventure games.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
SHRINE REVEAL: Altar of the Unbreakable Carapace
almost 2 years ago
– Thu, May 09, 2024 at 02:58:17 PM
Venerators!
We hope that you're having a wonderful spring and thank you for your patience since the last update.
We're chipping away at the book's remaining illustration and writing, engaging productively with cultural consultation, and are generally heads-down and at work. We're aiming for excellence here, which means this book won't finish quickly, and we trust that you share this priority. One foot in front of the other until we reach the top.
Shrine Reveal
In the meantime—and look away if you hate spoilers—here's a new spread (high-res link) that shows our refining direction for narrative specificity and mechanical crunch.
I used to think proper nouns had no place in this book's fiction—that a system-agnostic text should also remain setting-agnostic to ensure narrative portability—but now I'm finding that spice simply too tasty to withold. It's a strong spice! So you won't get much of it. But every dish needs hero-flavors to not be bland, and this micro-fiction should offer enough detail to inspire.
Likewise, while we trust GMs to express these gameplay hooks through whatever system they're running (we cannot, nor would ever try, to stop you), there's a percentage of that work they should never have to do, and there's enough shared convention between tabletop RPGs for us to define any critical functionality with confidence in its broad utility. The rules for stacking, expiration, and repeated application are distinctly gamier (and so more alienating to readers less fluent in RPGs) than I originally expected us to include, but we want this book to offer meaningful gameplay value to its readers—not just vibes and fancy printing—which means you should expect more mechanics at approximately that level of complexity.
The Discord Grows!
Since the last update's invitation, some wonderful newcomers to the EM|NCD discord server have been chatting, sharing work, and generally beginning The Discourse. I reiterate the invitation to join us and look forward to meeting everyone who does!
Thanks again, and in touch,
James
Production begins, writing expands, and the Discord server invites you
about 2 years ago
– Wed, Mar 27, 2024 at 12:46:55 PM
Hello again!
Thank you for such a successful campaign. Here's a quick update for the stretch ahead.
Production Begins
With Conner back from some farmwork, where they welcomed at least one little goat into the world and javelined my heart through Instagram, we're officially beginning the book's main production push.
On the art side, this includes the remaining 2/3 of the book's illustrations, plus layout for the essay and generator tables. We'll share drafts and final work through future updates, as appropriate—perhaps polling your preferences when there's a toss-up on direction.
For printing, concrete numbers from the campaign enable concrete logistics and budgeting, so I'll be back and forth between Risolve Studio and Lancaster Print House over the next few months to ensure that both the book and t-shirts come glowing off their respective presses.
More Gameplay, More Buddhism
In terms of writing, I'm heading back to my desk with a fat red pen to reimagine or outright replace a number of the manuscript's shrines. The campaign's reception sharpened my vision of what this book could be, and in general I'm exploring two changes:
A tad more depth from the gameplay mechanics. System-agnostic minimalism remains a core pillar of our design philosophy, but there's a line between lean and undeveloped, and I want to ensure that each of the book's vignettes satisfies as practical, if lyrical, material for heroic tabletop gameplay.
More than a tad more Buddhism throughout. Frankly, I didn't expect people to find this component of the project as exciting as they did, so—with the intimate involvement of our cultural consultants—we're gonna crank up the Himalayan influence across all aspects of the book. Thank you for your collective willingness to engage with this material. We reiterate our commitment to its informed, conscientious transposition into roleplaying game design.
Join Us on Discord!
Finally, did you know that EM|NCD has a Discord server? You need another of those, right?! Since Shrines was the press' first real public campaign, joining the Discord now would...enshrine...you forever in the...hallowed...halls (*blows brains out*) of whatever that community happens to become.
So hey, come hang! We'd love to meet you, chat about art or philosophy or whatever, and generally contrive meaning and connection across the great digital divide.
With love, as always,
James
Foiled covers UNLOCKED! Also 44 hours remaining to back.
about 2 years ago
– Thu, Mar 14, 2024 at 10:34:11 AM
Shrines followers!
Stretch Goal Unlocked: Foiled Covers
We foilin', baby! At $10k, which we reached just now, both cover designs gain a premium foil finish. Thanks for helping us make this book literally shine.
Two Days Remaining
And just like that, the month is almost done. The Shrines campaign officially ends in 44 hours, so if you've been planning to back but haven't, now's the time!
Thank you again, and see you in production,
James
T-shirt brand, fulfillment timeline & the campaign's home stretch
about 2 years ago
– Sun, Mar 10, 2024 at 11:02:56 AM
Hi, beloved backers!
I hope, wherever you are, that spring starts when it should. It's starting too early here, and I wish I could shove the little flower buds back into the ground. I guess it's ironic that people choking on convenience would end up dreading their basic myth of abundance. What a surreal time.
ANYWAY, here's a quick nuts-and-bolts update about art we're compelled to make.
T-Shirt Brand
After testing multiple brands and styles—by which I mean buying a bunch of shirts and noting the ones we actually reach for—we're officially screenprinting both of the Shrines t-shirt designs on AS Colour's CLASSIC TEE. The fabric is sturdy, soft as hell, and cut to flatter—ideal features, IMO, for a t-shirt blank.
Sadly, the women's cuts come in fewer colors, so while the Camel pictured above (I would've gone with "Marigold") is perfect for the Oracle of Malice design on the standard shirts, we'll have to swap the palette for women's. Yellow printed on black, approximating the Hallowed design, is probably the play here, but we'll absolutely stay in touch about this.
Fulfillment Timeline
After checking back in with our team and manufacturing partners, we expect to ship you Shrines sometime this August, 2024. I know the reward tiers estimate May delivery, but frankly that was silly and unreasonable whip-cracking on my part. We've still got plenty of book to make, and we simply refuse to do a shoddy job. Thank you for your patience and continued excitement as this project grows and grows.
The Home Stretch
Somehow we're down to the campaign's last five days! If you haven't backed but keep thinking about it, tossing in your sleep like a babe, the time is extremely nigh! The Hallowed Edition and both t-shirts are for-real-and-for-true Kickstarter-exclusive—which means we'll never print them again, which means regret will stalk you like a wolf if you wait for retail. Slay the wolf before it strikes and grab this awesome merch.
With gratitude and love, as always,
James
James talks design, publishing, and Buddhism on The Weekly Scroll TTRPG Podcast
about 2 years ago
– Fri, Mar 01, 2024 at 07:40:04 AM
