Latest from the Creator
PROJECT UPDATE
The World Anvil Publishing
CREATOR
1 day ago
Project Update: #22 - January Update + Final Tarots first look!
Hello Mercenaries,
TL;DR: We can finally show how the tarots will look!
The new tarots
In a previous update, I shared insights from Valraven’s author, Alberto Tronchi, on the changes we made to how Tarots work. You can read that update HERE, but in summary: Tarots are now better integrated into the game, allowing not only Players but also their Characters to use them in-game for exciting and impactful moments.
Today, I want to showcase the graphic design changes we’ve made. Valraven’s Tarots are divided into three distinct decks, which are never mixed: Major Arcana, Faction Cards, and Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana represent archetypes, characters, and powerful concepts that shape the divination process. The Faction Cards indicate which Factions are involved in the reading, while the Minor Arcana, structured around the four Seasons that define a game of Valraven, provide additional details about timing, circumstances, and more.
To make these distinctions clear, we’ve created unique card backs for each deck. A reference card will serve as a handy legend, explaining the meaning of the icons. Additionally, we’ve designed new symbols for the Minor Arcana, inspired by the seasonal icons used in the book. The original illustrations, reminiscent of medieval miniatures, were beautifully detailed but too intricate to work as suits, particularly for the higher-numbered cards.
We’ve put a lot of thought into making the Tarots a compelling tool—one that adds depth and a sense of discovery, making them a game within the game. We can’t wait to see how these beautifully crafted cards look once printed!
Below is a selection from the full 72-card deck.
Are we on track?
I’m making great progress on the Book of Eclipse, currently working through the translation of one of its largest chapters. However, I’m not as far along as I’d like to be with the translation of the Core Book. Over the next few weeks, my main focus will be making progress with Valraven’s translation, and I’ll provide a revised timeline once I have a clearer picture. That said, I may need a bit more time than anticipated to ensure the final product meets the high quality standard that defines our games.
On the bright side, several Scenarios and additional chapters are already in layout, and I hope to share some of them in an upcoming update—something to keep you engaged while I finalize the rest.
Reminder: Our next game
Our new game, Bitter Chalice, will launch on Kickstarter sometime in the next few weeks.
We've pushed this back a bit to allow for the full delivery of our previous Lost Stories campaign, which should be completed by next week. The release date for Bitter Chalice will be announced as soon as I feel comfortable finalizing it.
Bitter Chalice is an adventure role-playing game set in a desolate fantasy world. The story takes place in the Blighted Lands surrounding the once lush and now cursed city of Vathan, where the inhabitants are condemned to a life of thirst, hunger, and madness.
Bitter Chalice is structured to be a different experience to traditional TTRPGs: think of it as one huge, highly curated game campaign that comes with its own rules. The game aims to evoke the feel of a TTRPG Soulslike: an intoxicating and challenging journey into a dark, immersive world inspired by Hollow Knight, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Dark Souls—but without the relentless fight/die/repeat loop.
We've created a 42-page overview that you can download for free HERE.
If you like what you see, you can:
- Bookmark the Kickstarter page
- Get two Harry Conway (Magic the Gathering, D&D) art prints for FREE on top of any physical pledge you make during the campaign, just by signing up HERE (use the same email you use for your Kickstarter account)
Reminder
- You can always access your Pledge Manager survey from HERE. Orders are locked but get in touch if you need changes.
- The Late Pledge for Valraven is HERE.
- You can find us on our Discord server, visit our website and store, like our Facebook page (The World Anvil Publishing), follow our Bluesky account, get the key news from Telegram, check out our Instagram channel, or see Actual Plays and more from our YouTube channel.
–Tommaso
PROJECT UPDATE
The World Anvil Publishing
CREATOR
about 2 months ago
Project Update: December Update
Hello Mercenaries,
TL;DR: We made some changes to how Tarots will work in the game.
A word from the designer
For this update I asked Alberto Tronchi, the designer of Valraven: The Chronicles of Blood and Iron, to explain his work on the Tarot Deck, and here's what he had to say:
Working on the Valraven Tarot Deck was a fascinating design challenge, as I decided early on to make them an integral part of the setting, rather than just a game tool. I began by exploring their history within the setting, and, as with everything arcane in the world of Valraven, there are two versions of the story: the one passed down through legends and folklore to ordinary people, and the truth known only to those privy to the secrets of magic.
From a design perspective, I reworked how the cards are used because playtesting revealed overlaps in certain types of draws, particularly between those made by the Players and those made by the Master of Chronicles. Now, the Tarots are always divided into three decks: Major Arcana, Minor Arcana, and Faction Arcana, and their use is always tied to the context. The Major Arcana provide fundamental information tied to the archetypal meanings of the cards, the Minor Arcana expand with additional details, while the Faction Arcana situate the outcomes within the setting.
The Major Arcana are used by the Chronicler both before and during Sessions to determine the outcome of certain events, such as battles, NPC or Faction objectives. The creation of Supporting NPCs can also be enhanced by drawing cards from the Minor Arcana, which provide questions for the Players and define the NPC’s Traits, Flaws, and Unique Characteristics. Before the Session, the Chronicler can always rely on the Tarots to flesh out NPCs, locations, battles, and missions.
As mentioned, the Tarots are also a tangible element of Valraven’s setting, and the rules for Players include three new Dark Past Gifts directly tied to the Tarots. Through these Gifts, a Character can use the Tarot in-game to produce a variety of effects, manipulate fate, or allow themselves to be guided by the cards in fulfilling their destiny. The result is a duality where the Tarots weave the threads of fate behind the scenes when used by the Chronicler and openly manifests their power in play when used by the Players.
We’re still working on the final design of the Tarots, so that will be the focus of a future reveal.
Unboxing for Lost Stories
Those of you who added Broken Tales: Lost Stories to their pledge will be happy to see how it turned out in this unboxing video.
Our next game
Bitter Chalice is an adventure role-playing game set in a desolate fantasy world. The story takes place in the Blighted Lands surrounding the once lush and now cursed city of Vathan, where the inhabitants are condemned to a life of thirst, hunger, and madness.
Bitter Chalice is structured to be a different experience to traditional TTRPGs: think of it as one huge, highly curated game campaign that comes with its own rules. The game aims to evoke the feel of a TTRPG Soulslike: an intoxicating and challenging journey into a dark, immersive world inspired by Hollow Knight, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Dark Souls—but without the relentless fight/die/repeat loop.
We've created a 42-page overview that you can download for free HERE.
If you like what you see, you can:
- Bookmark the Kickstarter page (this actually helps us)
- Get two Harry Conway (Magic the Gathering, D&D) art prints for FREE on top of any physical pledge you make during the campaign, just by signing up HERE (use the same email you use for your Kickstarter account)
Reminders
- You can always access your Pledge Manager survey from HERE. Orders are locked but get in touch if you need changes.
- The Late Pledge for Valraven is HERE.
- You can find us on our Discord server, visit our website and store, like our Facebook page (The World Anvil Publishing), follow our Bluesky account, get the key news from Telegram, check out our Instagram channel, or see Actual Plays and more from our YouTube channel.
– Tommaso
PROJECT UPDATE
The World Anvil Publishing
CREATOR
3 months ago
Project Update: #20 - November Update
Hello Mercenaries,
TL;DR: Work is proceeding, we reached some important milestones.
Project Status
We've recently reached a milestone in the project, namely we've finished reorganizing the Core Book for a better reading flow that takes into account all the feedback we've received over the years since the original release. Alberto has also added some new sections where necessary. Last night we approved all the changes and the Core Book is now in the translation queue.
Speaking of translations, I've made some progress, with the extended version of Widmar's Destiny now 100% complete, but I have to say that real life has got a bit in the way, as I've simultaneously changed my day job, joining Sixmorevodka as Project Lead for the upcoming Orken campaign, moved into a new flat AND am about to have a second child. So yeah, there's a lot on my plate at the moment. However, I have managed to find a few hours a day to continue my work on Valraven, which I hope to accelerate during the December holidays.
All our activities with The World Anvil Publishing are going on as usual, so you can expect us to talk about a new game soon enough.
Having said that, below is a layout test made by Matteo Carioni, who will be joining the project to help out when all the material is ready. The images will probably change, but he has made some small changes to the original layout that I think make the text feel more compact than before (ignore the white lines breaking up images, this is an export with print settings).
Alberto is halfway through completing the rules for the Tarots, and we have made some changes to make them cooler to use at the table, but more on that in the next update when we can (hopefully) show you the first cards.
Reminders
- The second Broken Tales expansion, Lost Stories, is now available for preorder on our store. PDFs available immediately.
- You can always access your Pledge Manager survey from HERE.
- The Late Pledge for Valraven is HERE.
- You can find us on our Discord server, visit our website and store, like our Facebook page (The World Anvil Publishing), follow our Twitter (X) account, get the key news from Telegram, check out our Instagram channel, or see Actual Plays and more from our YouTube channel.
- Tommaso
PROJECT UPDATE
The World Anvil Publishing
CREATOR
4 months ago
Project Update: More Rewards PDFs now available!
Hello Mercenaries,
Just a quick update to let you know that all PDF copies of non-Valraven rewards (ie: other games) have been sent out via Backerkit. If you added Broken Tales, Dead Air: Seasons or anything else to your order, you can now download the PDF. Some of them have been available for weeks, but ahem, I forgot to hit the notification button. However, I've just added all the Lost Stories PDFs, so there's that.
If you haven't received a download that you think you should have, please get in touch, but check your spam folder first, or I'll spend the next week on customer support, probably just telling you to check your spam folder.
Reminder
- We’re looking for players for a Play by Discord Valraven game: read all about it here.
- You can always access your Pledge Manager survey from HERE.
- The Late Pledge for Valraven is HERE.
- You can find us on our Discord server, visit our website and store, like our Facebook page (The World Anvil Publishing), follow our Twitter (X) account, get the key news from Telegram, check out our Instagram channel, or see Actual Plays and more from our YouTube channel.
- Tommaso
PROJECT UPDATE
The World Anvil Publishing
CREATOR
4 months ago
Project Update: #18 - October Update
Hello Mercenaries,
TL;DR: Work is progressing as expected, translation is running in parallel and will be accelerated starting this month, we're testing a new collaborator for layout, and I'm planning to host a Play by Discord game of Valraven, read below for more info!
Status update
Time flies when you're having fun, and we're already in October, so it's time for another update. Alberto is finishing up the restructuring of the Core Book, which is more extensive than originally planned, making this pretty much a new edition of the game rather than a simple translation. He should be done next week, and will then move on to finishing the Tarot deck. I've continued translating the Scenarios: we have one new one finished and one in progress.
As we send our previous crowdfunding project, Broken Tales: Lost Stories, to the printer in the next ten days or so, I fully plan on accelerating my translation work once the files have left my hard drive and all we can do is wait for the books to be printed. If you added Lost Stories as an add-on to this campaign, you'll also receive the final digital files before the end of the month. If you missed that completely, you can still access the Late Pledge, but be fast! It closes on October 6th.
I've been talking to a new potential collaborator about helping with the layout: he's now got the files to try things out, and I'll hopefully get the first tests in the next few days. If all goes well, I expect this will speed up the workflow and allow me to delegate some of the work, as the current amount is enough for 2-3 people.
I've been talking to a new potential collaborator about helping with the layout: he's now got the files to try things out, and I'll hopefully get the first tests in the next few days. If all goes well, I expect this will speed up the workflow and allow me to delegate some of the work, as the current amount is enough for 2-3 people.
I want to play a game
(Imagine this in the Saw puppet voice)
We have had some success with Play by Discord games on our server, with both Broken Tales and Dead Air: Seasons, and I'm itching for a Valraven game as well.
We have had some success with Play by Discord games on our server, with both Broken Tales and Dead Air: Seasons, and I'm itching for a Valraven game as well.
Play by Discord works a bit like the old Play by Forum games: I write a move, players respond in the next day or so, and the game continues. The game system lends itself well to this, this style of play can ignore time zone differences, and it's also easy for others to follow along if they wish.
I'm now calling for up to four players, with priority given to those who haven't played with me before. If you are interested in trying Valraven out and want to know how this works in detail, join the #game-sessions-eng channel on our server, look for this specific announcement, and let me know.
Reminders
- You can always access your Pledge Manager survey from HERE.
- The Late Pledge for Valraven is HERE.
- You can find us on our Discord server, visit our website and store, like our Facebook page (The World Anvil Publishing), follow our Twitter (X) account, get the key news from Telegram, check out our Instagram channel, or see Actual Plays and more from our YouTube channel.
- Tommaso
