Hello Deep Delvers,
The World Below is currently in the errata and indexing stage, so we’re going to switch to another of our stretch goals - the upcoming Underworld Adv...
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James Bell
24 days ago
October 2024 - Reward Distribution! Backer PDF is Ready!
Hello Deep Delvers,
It's time for our monthly update! I know I've waited until the very final day of the month, but I was holding out as The World Below PDF was finishing up...
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James Bell
2 months ago
September 2024 Update
Hello Deep Delvers,
In last month's update, I had a preview of some the text from Ed Greenwood’s Monstrous Ecology. This month I've got some artwork from our main book - The Wo...
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James Bell
3 months ago
August 2024 Monthly Update
Hello Deep Delvers,
With The World Below currently being art directed, it feels like a good time to reveal some of what you’ll find in one of its stretch goals - Ed Greenwood’s...
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James Bell
4 months ago
July 2024 Monthly Update
Hello Deep Delvers,
Work continues on our World Below projects, but not quite to the point where any new dots appear on our tracking charts. I'll have a sneak peek at some mate...
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James Bell
5 months ago
June '24 Monthly Update
Hello Deep Delvers,
Whew! The Onyx Path team ran their Fifth Annual online convention over the weekend, and it was great! And exhausting! Thanks to everyone who checked out the...
The World Below is currently in the errata and indexing stage, so we’re going to switch to another of our stretch goals - the upcoming Underworld Adventures - and I’m going to preview the very start of the In The Roots scenario. If you’re looking to start up a game of The World Below yourself, feel free to use this as your jump off (or drop down) point!:
Hooking the Characters
In the Roots’ opening scene, Grand Entrance, offers an easy way to literally drop your characters into the story. Still, Root-Home is a ways off the beaten track, so characters have several reasons to arrive in the area:
Unreliable maps send an exploration expedition off course before the characters break through into Root-Home.
A friend from their community was among Urdra’s expedition and never returned home. Knowing they began from Root-Home, they set off to discover their fate.
Seismic activity and Kaos storms continually reshape the ever-changing World Below, so it could easily be that the characters’ home base has new neighbors.
In this story, where the characters came from and how they prepare doesn’t affect the course of events or how they respond to the unfolding situation in Root-Home, leaving you free to get straight to the exciting part.
Distant Rumbles
The characters survive a traumatic arrival in Root-Home, experience a modicum of comfort, and are plunged into a night of attempted mass murder.
Grand Entrance
The journey begins with the characters finding themselves in a vast, unoccupied cavern. There’s nothing but bulbous brown fungus creeping across the walls, but signs of animal presence exist. With a Survival + Intellect action, characters can discern something recently spooked the animals, with two or more hits indicating it’s likely a reaction to something environmental: perhaps a poisonous gas or earth tremors.
Allow the characters to explore this phenomenon or simply cross the cavern. Before they leave, the earth rumbles and the cavern collapses around them, giving them seconds to react before plummeting into the unknown.
Roll initiative (the cavern has a pool of 6). Characters who beat the collapsing floor receive one action (at difficulty 2) to cling to something before the ground crumbles away. Athletics or Survival — plus an appropriate Attribute — are the most likely Skills, but certain Theses, Syntheses, or Sorceries may also help. Regardless of our outcome here, we want the characters to end up in the cave below, so this is less a chance to avoid it, and more an opportunity to arrive uninjured. All routes to exit the cavern are sealed by the cave-in.
Descent into Root-Home
As the cavern floor collapses, the twinkling lights of a colony pierce through the darkness below. Almighty splashes signal that below them lies water, and once the tumult of the cave-in dies down, the lights of the settlement shimmer across the newly revealed lake.
Characters who failed to react plummet directly into the deep lake around which Root-Home has grown. It’s a long but not lethal drop, and the water breaks much of the fall. The drop (and the falling rubble) inflict 3 injuries; certain Theses and Syntheses may help here, as does an Athletics + Might action to help land safely (reduce injuries by 1 for every 2 hits).
For those who succeed, there’s now no way across the cavern in either direction, and the risk of falling is high — really it would be easiest to descend to the settlement. Climbing down requires an Athletics + Might action (difficulty 2). Characters who fail take 1 injury as they land in the lake.
Since the aim of this scene isn’t to fatally injure characters, they drag themselves out of the lake without an action.
The rockfall significantly damages several of the structures in the settlement, but somewhat surprisingly, the locals’ immediate concern is for the injured strangers (and their own injured people, but the characters are unlikely to see that). Characters immediately notice how the populace of Root-Home is overwhelmingly of the Myceli Dialectic — not unusual to see, but certainly rare in such vast quantities. A group of four myconidal people, led by Snag (a short, stout man with hints of makiru ancestry) wade in to help everyone out of the water, before leading them to away to the safety of D’anandell Gardens. Other denizens of Root-Home stare slack-jawed at the outsiders. Snag keeps them company until Zelandre, the town’s physician, arrives at the gardens.
Characters may feel this is an unusually warm reception for a settlement in the World Below: Suspicion and hostility are more the norm. A Culture + Composure action confirms the folk of Root-Home have no ulterior motive — they’re just kind, concerned people.
Something about Root-Home seems… off. Keen observers (Empathy + Intellect, difficulty 1(1) — unresolved Complications inflict the Confused status effect) catch on to something unusual in the way the people of Root-Home interact.
One hit: It’s like they barely listen to what other Root-Homers are saying. This doesn’t apply to their visitors, to whom they’re solicitous and courteous.
Two hits: They have an unusual degree of empathy and concern for one another: They’re quick to anticipate what another Root-Homer needs and often start fulfilling a request before the other person’s even finished asking. Some locals group themselves tightly together.
Three+ hits: Either they’re phenomenal at interpreting body language or they’ve got an additional way of communicating which outsiders aren’t privy to. The occasional fungal-flecked group can be caught staring blankly at the characters but are quick to resume their cheery demeanor when engaged.
The explanation behind the behavior is the mycelium network — not only does it flow through the very roots of Root-Home, but it lives within the flesh of locals. Any of the people of Root-Home explain the network if asked. It’s not a secret. In fact, they’re rather proud of it.
Going Your Own Way
The World Below lets you combine any appropriate Skill + Attribute to make a dice pool. This is a great example of when and why to do that. Let players use any Physical Attribute they can justify: Might could represent clinging onto something to slow the drop, Dexterity landing well, and Stamina holding one’s breath and relying on that water landing.
What happens next? We’ll have to see how your group handles their descent into Root-Home or wait for the book to arrive! It’s coming soon!
REWARDS STILL PENDING
Thansk to everyone who sent in their feedback for The World Below backer PDF. The team are using your notes to help take the book to the final stages so they can release the PDF and begin prepping the print run. The Storyguide Screen is now in layout.
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
Trinity Continuum Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
Redbubble Backer T-Shirt Link(April 4 '24 Update)
The World Below Backer PDF(Oct 31 '24 Update)
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://the-world-below.backerkit.com/
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <October 2024 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates everymonth until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
You may be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
The Alchemical Exalted are the Chosen of the Machine God, biomechanical demigods forged from divine metal and heroic souls. They do not rule the Eight Nations, but serve as Champions of the people, a sacred duty greater than any ambition. The eldest of Alchemicals transcend their human forms to become metropoli, living cities that offer the Eight Nations a stronghold against Autochthonia’s perils.
The Realm of Brass and Shadows is unforgiving, and the Eight Nations find themselves faced with many challenges: cataclysmic upheavals of Autochthon’s world-machinery, incursions of gruesome techno-organic gremlins, and the ever-present threat to their livelihoods. All the while, the slumbering Autochthon grows ever sicker, his corrupting Blight metastasizing throughout his world-body. Despair not. There is work to be done.
Alchemicals: Forged by the Machine God is an expansion for the ExaltedThird Edition tabletop roleplaying game. It’s set in a mythic world where spirits walk openly among humanity, warring demigods topple kingdoms, and the restless dead roam on moonless nights. Heroes granted divine power contend against one another for the future of Creation. These are the Exalted!
It's time for our monthly update! I know I've waited until the very final day of the month, but I was holding out as The World Below PDF was finishing up in the proofing phase and I wanted to have a treat for you on Halloween!
Reward Distibution: THE WORLD BELOW Backer PDF
The World Below provides, but only to the worthy. The unworthy fall, consumed by bugs, lava, acidic fog, the vagaries of Kaos, and the World Below’s convulsing tunnels.
The World Below is a game of adversity, heroism, terror, and awe. Your characters will overcome or be defeated by terrible beasts, environmental calamities, and Kaos storms ravaging their surroundings and the souls they encounter. They will chart their journeys, chronicle their tales, and pass their stories down to their descendants, who will, in turn, become your characters when your old ones perish or retire.
The World Below is a complete tabletop roleplaying game. It includes:
Numerous playable options, some from the traditional fantasy mold, others unique to the World Below.
The complete Storypath Ultra System, allowing you to play this game straight from the book.
Myriad settings, monsters, powers, and abilities for use in your stories, which you can play as minimalist dungeon crawls or World Below-spanning expeditions.
REWARD DISTRIBUTION
If this PDF was on your list of rewards, your link to claim your THE WORLD BELOW Backer PDF will be sent out by our BackerKit pledge manager over the next day. Since we are using our partners at DriveThruRPG as the host for this, you will need to set up a DriveThru account if you don't have one already. If you encounter any problems with downloading your rewards, please contact DTRPG's customer service to resolve the matter, they've always been top-rated for customer service. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/contact_us.php
Again, you will receive an e-mail from BackerKit with links for this reward over the next 24hours if it is on your expected list of rewards.
The easiest way to see if you've got digital downloads available is to login to your backerkit account: https://the-world-below.backerkit.com/ and it'll show anything available. Your backerkit account should also confirm all rewards that you should expect from your reward tier selected.
BACKER PDF VERSION
This is the first version of The World Below to be released. The design and development teams have done their best to proofread and correct any errors and typos - but some always sneak through. If you catch any typos, incorrect math, visual glitches, and the like, we want to hear about them and correct them before we send the book off to print.
With that in mind, I'd like to introduce the TWBFeedback Form!
Onyx Path will be launching a special The World BelowFeedback Form, which you will be able to access here: https://forms.gle/jTQ95sHhJmhGvYUq8
They are aware of the Page XX notations - those are left in to replace for the final version once any changes you've suggested are made, so they can reference the correct page if any shifts in layout result.
Onyx Path will keep errata collection open for the next week. Please submit your feedback as soon as possible so the team can get on to finalizing this file - and working on our print version as well!
They won't be collecting errata from other spots, just this specific form.
Also, a special request from the team! This is the first game to be built using the Storypath Ultra incarnation of the system, and therefore the first to have an SPU character sheet. If you could put the character sheet (page 384) through it's paces and provide any feedback you have on the feedback form, that'll help not only The World Below but other games using the Storypath Ultra system.
After any needed corrections are made (based on your feedback!), they will prepare an updated final PDF version of the book and you will receive a notice from DrivethruRPG that you can re-download your file with the latest version.
You've already made the book a reality with your Crowdfunding support. Now you can make it even better by helping us crowdsource any minor errors and corrections.
SO: Look for your reward email over the next 24 hours, or check your BackerKit page to see your digital reward redemption links. Review the backer PDF and submit any feedback you have, and let's make this book as awesome as possible!
REWARDS STILL PENDING
With the Backer PDF, a big reward moves to delivered! Once your feedback has been collected work can begin on finalizing the PDF and beginning the set up for the printing of the hardcover books. Our stretch goal supplements are still in the earliest stages of art direction.
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
Trinity Continuum Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
Redbubble Backer T-Shirt Link(April 4 '24 Update)
The World Below Backer PDF(Oct 31 '24 Update)
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://the-world-below.backerkit.com/
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates everymonth until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
You may be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
Curseborne is a game about being unapologetic monsters in a world where being monstrous is the least of your worries. In Curseborne, you play as Accursed, descendants of monstrous lineages lurking in a modern world that closely resembles our own. You rebel against the ancient feuds between these entwined families, as well as against the web of curses that bind you, while fending off inhuman antagonists seeking to claim — or reclaim — your power.
The world of Curseborne is full of intrigue, magic, and things that go bump in the night. It’s just like our world, except the reason that things don’t go your way or that bad things happen is that the people are literally living in a world of curses. Some people are cursed more than others, and these are our Accursed characters. They have a particularly large curse that hangs over their heads and makes them more prone to bad things happening to them and around them. The nature of this curse also makes them magical in nature. They have a sense of the thing holding them back, and they can manipulate it in ways that normal people cannot.
This book is comprised of two main parts. The first part is the setting of Curseborne, as well as more about the Accursed themselves through the view of the characters. It shows how they see themselves, their world, and their place in that world. Lineages represent five broad categories of Accursed: The Dead (ghosts and spirits), The Hungry (vampires), The Outcasts (angels and demons), The Primal (shapeshifters and werewolves), and The Sorcerers (magicians).
The second part of the book are the instructions on how to use this book to play a game. You’ll find the chapters on how to play the game using the Storypath Ultra system, how to create a character, all the cool powers those characters have, and information on how to run a game of Curseborne.
<This Update> has a list of resources to check out, including Panels and Discussion about the game, Explainer videos, a ton of Actual Play sessions, and free brochures.
<This Update> covers the Reward Pledge Tiers and Add On options for the Kickstarter campaign.
<This Update> has the ENTIRE draft manuscript available for Backers to read before the campaign ends, before any pledges are processed or payments collected. A $5 pledge will get you access and you can be building characters tonight!
In last month's update, I had a preview of some the text from Ed Greenwood’s Monstrous Ecology. This month I've got some artwork from our main book - The World Below it'self! - to share with you. Check out our World Below artwork throughout this update.
I always say you know we're getting closer when artwork starts to sneak out! I expect the next few months to be pretty busy for the team behind the curtain!
REWARDS STILL PENDING
Artwork and templates are just finishing up and layout will begin any moment. At the same time, our two Stretch Goal supplements are in the Art Notes Prep phase, where the developers write up material and information to hand over the art director and artists so they can complete that phase and move the book from purely text to something more...
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
Trinity Continuum Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
Redbubble Backer T-Shirt Link(April 4 '24 Update)
Once a project finishes up on the progress chart and is distributed to backers, I'll move it down to this list and note which update talks about reward distribution for that item in case you want to go back and get more information.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://the-world-below.backerkit.com/
In addition to redemption links for distibuted digital rewards, all backers have received a link to the compiled draft manuscript. This link can be found in your BackerKit digital rewards page (See the link above for Claiming Your Digital Rewards if you need a refresher). Again, this isn't a new manuscript, it's just all of the pieces we shared during the campaign put together in order.
ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <August 2024 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates everymonth until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
You may be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
Via BackerKit: Click "Need Help?" from your page, and then fill in the Contact Us form. BackerKit will pass your message along to me.
CURRENTLY FUNDING
In 2017 Onyx Path unveiled the Storypath System, the rules engine that has come to power many of our games: the sci-fi universe of hope, heroism, and peril known as the Trinity Continuum, the modern-day stories of old gods and titans called Scion Second Edition,and the trope-focused exploration of genres that is the They Came From! series, and more.
We're extremely proud of what we’ve done over the years with Storypath, but felt it was time to tighten up the rules, smooth off the rough edges, and get rid of anything that got in the way of telling amazing stories. As a result, we’ve created the Storypath Ultra Core Manual.
Storypath Ultra isn’t a new edition, nor is it a replacement rule set — many of the concepts we developed and refined from the Storypath System are still there, even as they rearrange or rename things to make them as clear as possible. Think of it as a new take on Storypath: It’s the same great game but spruced up and tweaked to be the best possible version.
Curseborne is a game about being unapologetic monsters in a world where being monstrous is the least of your worries. In Curseborne, you play as Accursed, descendants of monstrous lineages lurking in a modern world that closely resembles our own. You rebel against the ancient feuds between these entwined families, as well as against the web of curses that bind you, while fending off inhuman antagonists seeking to claim — or reclaim — your power.
The world of Curseborne is full of intrigue, magic, and things that go bump in the night. It’s just like our world, except the reason that things don’t go your way or that bad things happen is that the people are literally living in a world of curses. Some people are cursed more than others, and these are our Accursed characters. They have a particularly large curse that hangs over their heads and makes them more prone to bad things happening to them and around them. The nature of this curse also makes them magical in nature. They have a sense of the thing holding them back, and they can manipulate it in ways that normal people cannot.
This book is comprised of two main parts. The first part is the setting of Curseborne, as well as more about the Accursed themselves through the view of the characters. It shows how they see themselves, their world, and their place in that world. Lineages represent five broad categories of Accursed: The Dead (ghosts and spirits), The Hungry (vampires), The Outcasts (angels and demons), The Primal (shapeshifters and werewolves), and The Sorcerers (magicians).
The second part of the book are the instructions on how to use this book to play a game. You’ll find the chapters on how to play the game using the Storypath Ultra system, how to create a character, all the cool powers those characters have, and information on how to run a game of Curseborne.
With The World Below currently being art directed, it feels like a good time to reveal some of what you’ll find in one of its stretch goals - Ed Greenwood’s Monstrous Ecology! Now, I weighed up whether to preview a pure monster or a playable one, and have decided on the playable end of things this time around! So here’s the Vulpa, a new ancestry for The World Below. And don’t worry, the Monstrous Ecology will contain plenty of new Theses so you can make full use of this and the other new Ancestries presented in this book!
Ancestry: Vulpa
My people are expert diggers and trappers, and we will be happy to render our services in exchange for a warm bed and solid roof.
Vulpa are known for their smiles, their ear twitches, and their gentle laughs. Many are affectionate to the point of unexpected handholding, embraces, and even kisses. These traits are unusual in the World Below and often feared from the vulpa, due to their reputation for carrying disease. When a vulpa is worried, they instinctively draw away from the threat (even when they could win in a clash). Many treat bright lights as threatening. If a vulpa swings their tail sharply, it implies their anger or concern. A gentle waggling indicates enthusiasm, while a horizontal tail with a raised tip indicates attraction.
“You need to trust me.” (“I can help you.”/“I feel alone.”)
“Fortuna bless me with a hundred tails!” (“I could really do with some luck right now.”)
“Ignore my tail.” (“I can’t control how my body betrays my feelings.”)
Many folk of the World Below were surprised by the appearance of vulpa in recent seasons. There were always the rumors of furred people with tails and pointed ears, dwelling worryingly skyward, but few could claim to have met one. Vulpa now appear across multiple settlements, some claiming to be the most recent refugees from the surface. This claim is in fact true, though the means by which they survived the surface for so long is a mystery.
Vulpa establish themselves across a wide number of settlements, but have yet to build any of their own, preferring to maintain nomadic communities. They readily adopt non-biological vulpa into their ancestry, mainly out of a sense of curiosity. Worryingly, some communities (Hurreth’s Bones chief among them) are all too keen to capture and skin these people for their warm hides. If they continue, they’re at risk of discovering and catching the various diseases the vulpa carry.
Biological vulpa rarely stand much taller than 150cm/5ft and tend to be of slight build. Red, gray, silver, white, or black fur covers their bodies (with the occasional combination of shades or colors, especially on tail tips and faces) and their face shape, teeth, and ears are more akin to foxes than human. This doesn’t prevent their communicating in common languages, however. Unfortunately for the vulpa, few of them have thick coats or well-tended tails, instead showing signs of illness on their skin through patches and sores. Vulpa have lost the ability to move comfortably on all fours, as their upper limbs (and clavicle) are more humanoid than fox.
Vulpa claim to trace their lineage back to a people known as the kitsune. In those days, vulpa had multiple tails, with each tail capable of granting a wish or resurrection to the person who possessed it. Long ago, these kitsune vulpa would gift their tails to the deserving. But then, people hunted them for their tails. A vulpa’s final tail is as important to their life as a heart is to any other being.
Momentum Generators for vulpa include:
Provide a surface secret to one of the guilds.
Defend a solitary traveler or refugee from harm.
Improve the negative attitude of mourners via storytelling.
Receive an invitation to stay within the habitat of a non-vulpa.
Use a Thesis, Synthesis, or Sorcery to assist you in finding something hidden.
Story Hook: Antidote in the Blood
Rumors of plague-stricken vulpa are common and often true. They build up resistances to surface illnesses in their systems, but other beings aren’t so fortunate. A handful of vulpa envoys have offered any Holies of Fortuna access to their most squalid settlements (where miasmas of disease float in the air) to retrieve samples of blood and craft cures for all manner of illnesses throughout the World Below. They do this in part to spread good health and build their reputation, but also because they know many of the infections in the World Below came down with them or the surface-touched and, at some point, a powerful leader’s going to demand the vulpa be driven back to the World Above.
REWARDS STILL PENDING
I'll post this chart in each monthly update, and fill in dots as projects move along.
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
Trinity Continuum Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
Scion Second Edition Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
They Came From Digital Starter Bundle (January 25 '24 Update)
Redbubble Backer T-Shirt Link(April 4 '24 Update)
Once a project finishes up on the progress chart and is distributed to backers, I'll move it down to this list and note which update talks about reward distribution for that item in case you want to go back and get more information.
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://the-world-below.backerkit.com/
In addition to redemption links for distibuted digital rewards, all backers have received a link to the compiled draft manuscript. This link can be found in your BackerKit digital rewards page (See the link above for Claiming Your Digital Rewards if you need a refresher). Again, this isn't a new manuscript, it's just all of the pieces we shared during the campaign put together in order.
ONYX PATH PROJECT TRACKING
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <July 2024 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
You may be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
