Hello Outlanders,

Backers have access to the first two chapters from the draft manuscript for At The Gates, and we'll get the next two chapters on Tuesday May 14. But who wants to wait until then to see some of the fun stuff that we'll get to play with?

It' sounds like it's time for a Sneak Peek!

But first! Let's celebrate our first Stretch Goal achievement!

ACHIEVED! - At $32,000 in Funding - AT THE GATES Storyguide Screen - A three-panel Storyguide Reference Screen with charts and information for running a game set in the lands of Everend will be created and offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tiers for +$25.

In Gaia, the term mage denotes someone who had dedicated their life to the study of magic. While everyone can utilize Gaia’s magic in their everyday lives, mages don’t just use magic, they seek to understand it and the very fabric of existence. A mage is a scholar first and foremost, open to learning everything they can about the world, how it works, magic, the gods, and the nature of all things. In this, they develop a strong affinity for the magic of the world itself, able to wield the elements or take magic apart at its roots.

Anyone who takes a special interest in magic and its nature is bound to learn how to not only wield it, but also control it. Mages learn the Art of Control early in their career, which allows them control over magical elements. This art is both physical and mystical in nature, giving the mage the ability to enhance her magic, and the magic of others. The Art of Control is one of focus and determination, allowing the mage to infuse her magic into everything she does.

Mages learn from one of two schools of magic, either to manipulate the world itself and the elements that make it up, or to manipulate magic itself. Those who concentrate on learning about Gaia, Outlands, and the nature of the magical world tend toward the Pillar of Elementalism, learning to create, destroy, and hold both those things in balance. They harness the generating forces of the world and turn them to their own designs. An elemental mage can conjure the elements to perform a variety of tasks from building fortifications from earth, creating a healing spring, or bringing down lightning. They also learn to manipulate time and fate, which holds all things in balance.

Mages who study the fundamental elements of magic itself instead learn the Pillar of Transformation. With it, they can manipulate magic to change the world around them, often affecting immaterial objects and constructs, giving them life, making, and breaking them, and even changing themselves to fit any situation.

While mages clearly delineate themselves into two groups, scholarly and wild mages, there are few formal organizations built up around the profession. Mages are too headstrong to listen to anyone other than an archmage tell them what to do, and so they don’t even try.

That said, many mages have strong ties to the community that taught them. Wild mages aren’t all loners who experiment wildly. The most famous group are from Clan Mistwalk in Caparanite, who have a tight-knit community of generational mages. They are secretive of their magical ways, but those who leave their lands are conversant in magic that can only be found in the Outlands. Rumors state that their affinity for shapeshifting comes not from learning about the nature of magic and the natural world, but instead from the Void itself. Of course, there’s no foundation for these rumors that anyone can see.

Mages who study within an academic setting find that their colleagues are lifelong allies. No matter where they came from, or where they move to, those allegiances tend to ignore national borders. When Vitrumaria summoned daemons to attack Invesse, they refused to share their research with outsiders, marking the first time this tradition had ever been broken. Many mages who trained in Vitrumaria feel betrayed by their once friends, and blame President Hollister for the separation.

Why Play a Mage?

Play a mage if you want to be a scholar who experiments with magic, be a battle mage who wades into a fight wielding the elements, be a crafter who infuses magic to make legendary items, have control over the very elements of the world, be able to make and unmake magic, or just really like being a know-it-all with a great deal of power to back it up.

No matter where you come from in Everend, you’re expected to learn how to defend yourself against monsters, beasts, and void tainted creatures. Even the highest nobility has some training with a sword. A warrior isn’t just someone who has trained but has mastered the sword and all other weapons. They are in their element when armed, though are equally as skilled when carrying nothing more than the clothes on their back. A warrior isn’t just someone who fights well. They have trained in a variety of brutal attack styles and can easily switch based on the situation. If a warlord is an army’s commander and tactical mind, the warrior is the army’s right arm, as good as a hundred trained soldiers when in the heat of battle.

Warriors are weapon masters trained in a variety of fighting styles and martial arts to ensure they can pick up anything and be a deadly force. All warriors use the Art of Might , which teaches them not just how to fight, but to be a whirlwind of damage in combat. They can set their sights on an opponent and goad them into one-on-one combat, then unleash a barrage of attacks that leave them staggered. They train with ranged weapons to maximize their output, allowing them to shoot further and with more deadly accuracy than any normal archer. As they learn deeper parts of the art, they can even summon their weapon to their side through magical attunement.

Warriors don’t just learn to wield a weapon, they learn to become one with their weapon, treating it as an extension of themselves. They specialize in the Pillar of Transformation, which allows them to perfect both themselves and their weapons, or even just create weapons out of nothing but light. Some warriors prefer the Perfection Block as their Keystone, allowing them to keep their weapon in pristine condition regardless of the stresses they put it under. Others choose Metamorphosis to allow them to dominate the battlefield by weakening opponents and changing to meet any situation. Finally, those warriors who focus on Transmogrify do so to let their weapon loose to fight on its own, or make or destroy weapons on a whim.

People have two views of warriors depending on where they come from. Either a warrior is a representative of a nation’s military, and they should be feared for what they are capable of. Otherwise, a warrior is a home-grown hero, who protects their friends and family from outside dangers. These are extremely simplistic views of what a warrior is and can be, but it’s the common trope.

When people first meet a warrior, they might be wary of who she works for. Is she a mercenary for hire? Is she a noble’s personal bodyguard? Is she part of the army? If she proves herself useful, those concerns seem to melt away. Most people are happy to have a trained warrior nearby if a problem arises, no matter who they work for. Then again, cut-throats, thieves, or established mercenary groups might see a new warrior as a threat to business and try to run her out of town or kill her if they think she’s overstaying her welcome.

While most people in political positions tend to be warlords or harriers, warriors easily slot into leadership roles through dent of might. In Caparanite, warriors are valued as leaders over all other professions, regardless of how tactically minded or smooth talking someone might be. Warleader Tristan Beard is a warrior of great renown, and he earned his title through combat prowess. Of course, he would be a fool not to listen to a warlord’s council, and is smart enough to keep council with the other clan leaders and pay them mind.

Why Play a Warrior?

Play a warrior if you want to be an elite fighter, be able to take on multiple opponents at the same time, focus on having a single cool weapon that changes and grows with you, fly into a furious rage of metal and death, be a knight of the realm, or protect those you care about most.

This is just an excerpt from Chapter 3, which covers the Professions your characters can take in At The Gates. We'll get the whole manuscript for this chapter (along with Chapter 4) on Tuesday.

On Sunday, we'll get another sneak peek looking at Heritage and Upbringing, two other important Paths in building your characters.

Until then, please continue to spread the word to your friends and friendly gamers and let's see if we can't unlock a Stretch Goal or two while we journey across Everend!


 

At $36,000 in Funding - AT THE GATES Bookmark Set - Need something cool to mark your place? We'll have a set of six At The Gates cardstock bookmarks offered as an Add On to any hardcover reward tier for +$15.