Help us fund the development of Titans Rising as well as a print run of Titans Rising and Titanomachy to send to backers and stores!
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Rise, Titans!
We had a preview of the first part from Chapter 4 on Friday, and now we'll take a quick peek at the second part, offering up Antagonists to challenge your players. In a game like Scion, where characters may range from new Heroes to powerful Gods, there's something in this book to provide challenges to everyone.
So, look. Once upon a time a geriatric pig gave birth to a cat. And initially the little black fuzzball was adorable, but it grew up gigantic. It once killed nearly two hundred soldiers in a battle in the north of Wales. Despite its predatory nature and desire to treat humans like mice, the Plant Dôn are very fond of it. It’s the original kaiju as far as they’re concerned; heroes once broke swords and shields upon its fluffy body and it had a damn good try at killing King Arthur.
The Cath Palug, like most cats, is a law unto itself. It picks a hunting ground and stalks it, striking fear into everything that lives there. It’s found a certain kinship with the Titan Ysbaddaden, however. They’re both giant beings with hearty appetites who enjoy making smaller things fear for their lives. Saying the Cath Palug is a servant or emissary of Ysbaddaden would be overplaying its obedience and loyalty, but it’s a weapon he can turn loose when he needs to. Considering he’s dead and mostly out of circulation, that can be extremely helpful.
Arguably the worst thing about the Cath Palug is how much it gets around. The damn thing can swim, meaning it shows up anywhere connected to Ocean.
Wife to Vucub-Caquix, Chimalmat is a powerful Titan in her own right. She is a giant who makes mountains shudder with her step, and drinks rivers dry with a sip. Many of the K’uh have tried to kill her, but none have succeeded in doing anything other than driving her into hiding. She holds great animosity for Hunahpu and Xbalanque for attempting to kill her children Cabrakan and Zipacna. While Vucub-Caquix’s plots to retake his throne occupy a great deal of her time, Chimalmat has her own goals and schemes. She has it out for Awilix, who alone of the K’uh might be able to destroy her precious son, Cabrakan. She has engaged in a shadow war with the Goddess of the Night, employing Scions to seek out and disrupt Awilix’s spies. While she gives birth to enormous caimans and giants to fuel her husband’s war plans, she also produces quick-witted shadow warriors who seek to confuse Awilix’s agents and throw them off Cabrakan’s trail as he wages war against the K’uh.
Chimalmat Spawn
Chimalmat creates two distinct kinds of spawn that characters might encounter. The first are giants or giant caimans who are destructive forces built for war. The second are lithe warrior caiman who are masters of deception and stealth.
While their name refers to their goat based vampirism, these monsters are more than happy to devour the blood and vital energy of any living creature. Faintly reptilian canids with spines, clawed hands, and a long, lashing tongue, people believe that these creatures are from Latin America and the southwest America, but they, in fact, come from Boriken, present day Puerto Rico. Formerly wild dogs twisted by Guabancex into creatures of hunger and chaos who will hunt and kill endlessly until they’re put down.
Aghash of the malignant eye passes his gift for ruining lives with just a look on to the cult which bears his name. Cultists of the Eyes of Aghash weren’t good people to start with — you need to be somewhat of an asshole already to be interested in the deal — and they give up their health, wealth, and anything virtuous they enjoy for the ability to spread pain and suffering with just a look.
Despite lacking any real organization (cultists avoid each other due to the temptation to curse their fellow worshipers… and, on the flip side, the fear those fellow worshippers will curse them) the Eyes of Aghash have existed in various forms for thousands of years. Many cultures have discovered the use of nazar — charms and amulets painted with concentric blue and white circles — keep the curse of the Evil Eye away. Within the last fifty years, folks around the World began defending against the Evil Eye without even knowing it when a heavy metal singer popularized a hand signal known as “devil horns.” Most people who benefit from its protection do so without realizing.
Aghash’s Evil Eye
Helen of Troy’s least-known son, Nicostratus was chosen by Ares a long, long time ago. He stagnated in his quest for Apotheosis, possibly because he’s been sailing every sea outside of the World rather than returning to it in order to contend with the difficult choices and intensive challenges Apotheosis brings. He’s crossed and re-crossed Ocean, travelled every aquatic Terra Incognita, with his flags fluttering from the mainmast of his ship, Hermione, which he named after his long-dead sister. In her name he has conquered and battled peoples and civilizations from beyond the World.
Unacknowledged by his father after his failure to attain true divinity, Nicostratus schemes for ways to meet his divine father on the battlefield and finally somehow usurp his Mantle. To this end, he has aligned himself with the Titans to help bring about the ultimate battlefield. He and his fleet of scavenged and conquered soldiers, both human and Denizens, will bathe the World in war.
Nicostratus is both exceedingly handsome and excessively charming. It’s difficult to say no to him when he turns that smile on you — he ends up inadvertently reminding his targets that his mother was the most beautiful woman in the world.
Notsnitsa are the Bogovi’s night terrors, hags who climb aboard a sleeper’s chest and draw out their life energy while they dream, one sip at a time. They feed on fear and sadness as well as life force, and the more miserable and tormented a sleeper is, the more tempting it becomes as prey.
Bogovi on both sides of the Second Titanomachy have found a new respect for the notsnitsa. War drives heroes and villains alike to great deeds — and great misdeeds. And great misdeeds, in their turn, evoke great sadness and guilt; a feast for the notsnitsa. Bogovi Gods and Titans alike deploy them to make their enemies suffer (even Titanic Scions, especially early on in their lives, feel conflicted about some of the choices they make). The more prominently a Scion acts against Bogovi interests in the Second Titanomachy, the more chance one of them will dispatch a notsnitsa to prey on them. And once a notsnitsa’s found a satisfying source of food, she doesn’t abandon it until she’s sucked the life fully out of it and left a corpse behind.
A notsnitsa’s no match for a Scion in a knock-down, drag-out fight, but the real challenge is catching one.
While the effects of a notsnitsa’s feeding are subtle — a gradual loss of energy and joy, only to be expected in the grinding pressure of a cold war — she leaves a mark of her presence in the form of a thick smell of moss and dirt.
Born from the left arm of Atai Ulaan Tengri, Sherem Minaata Khan is a demon of great magical power. When his body took form he had three round red eyes and a single fang in his mouth, his tongue hanging down to his chest. Fueled by his father’s jealousy and mother’s hatred, he stalks the earth with his black iron whip in hand. During the day he kills a hundred people, at night he poisons a hundred more. Livestock are sickened by his mere presence.
This having happened the Titan Sherem Minaata rejoiced in the death and despair he wrought on the World, descending to Tamu to revisit pain on those who fell to his wrath. When he emerges, the sky rains blood when he approaches and fires burn everything to the ground in his wake. He revels in the destruction he causes. He treasures the unending stream of Scions who dare fight him, striking them down with his black iron whip or the poison emanating from his single fang.
Again, this is just a small taste. The chapter has a wide variety of challenging antagonists for you to throw at your players! And backers will be able to read the entire Chapter - and the entire manuscript, at that point - tomorrow when Chapter 4 becomes available!
So, in these final days, please continue to spread the word and let's see if we can't unlock one more Stretch Goal before we review our accomplishments on Wednesday!
Rise up, Titans!
A bit of a hectic day today, but happy to pause for a moment to share some fun news and get to today's preview! A few weeks ago, we set up the "mid-campaign" Stretch Goals, with three milestone markers to get us through the usual Kickstarter plateau until the final days of the campaign. Well, I'm happy to say we just unlocked the third of these celebration Stretch Goals.
ACHIEVED! - At $52,000 in Funding – MOBILE WALLPAPER- Dress up your lockscreen with this Titans Rising-inspired mobile wallpaper, automatically added as a reward for all backers.
And, with that settled, we can set up two final Stretch Goals for the project.
At $55,000 in Funding – GIFTS OF THE TIITANS SUPPLEMENT – A PDF supplement detailing additional and expanded Gifts for Titanic antagonists and characters. This PDF supplement will be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Titans Rising PDF as one of their rewards.
At $57,000 in Funding – VTT TOKEN PACK - Digital assets will be created to support online play for Titans Rising, including key characters and antagonists from the book. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers.
We'll be reviewing our Stretch Goal accomplishments on Wednesday - let's see if we can't knock one off the list by the time we get there!
As a reminder, we're in the final days countdown for this Kickstarter campaign! Titans Rising is finished on Kickstarter on Thursday September 28th at 2:00 PM EDT - there's still time to witness some visitations and recruit more Scions to our band, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I wanted to touch on some of the basics over these next 4 days to make sure that everyone has all of the information they need to support the project in the way that works best for them.
Whether you're a new Hero exploring this campaign or a seasoned Demigod with years of experience, these are all good items to review to make sure we all end up where we want to be. Either way, I also suggest checking out the Final Week Resource post which has links to the draft manuscript thus far, as well as interviews, podcasts and other information about this book.
Like it says right at the top of the campaign page, we've come together to help create a fully developed PDF and hardcover book for Titans Rising, as well as a print run for it's predecessor/campanion Titanomachy.
Titans Rising looks hard at Titans, their Scions, and their servants as one side in the war, fleshing out the conflict between these two divine factions and delving into the heart of what it means to be the Offspring of a Titan. It includes rules for playing Titanic Scions, profiles of characters and creatures to fight against or alongside, and an in-depth look at how to use the Second Titanomachy in your Scion game.
Titanomachy (previously been released as a PDF and Print-on-Demand versions) presents new threats from the Titans to their servants, plus their fell powers and Birthrights — ripe for use as antagonists or as new material for players’ characters. It also provides adventure hooks to springboard Storyguides into the action.
To borrow an analogy that I've used in past Kickstarter campaigns, this process we're a part of works similar to the "Viewers Like You" support campaign from your local Public Broadcasting Station (for those who get American television channels or watched Sesame Street in the pre-HBO era): There are various levels of support that you can pledge to, and these come with various levels of rewards offered as a thank you. Like getting a tote bag or t-shirt when you give money to public broadcasting to fund them doing their thing, you can get rewards for helping Onyx Path work on this project.
Let's review the Backer Reward Tiers to ensure that you've pledged to a Reward Tier that provides all the rewards you wish to receive.
The main rewards offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the Titans Rising and Titanomachy books. The first decision you need to make in figuring out your reward tier is whether you want to receive the PDF version or the hardcover edition of either (which comes with bonus PDF versions).
While Scion Second Edition may be epic in scope, we've tried to keep supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project, pick one of these pledge path tiers:
In addition to these primary reward pledge paths, we also offer the following options:
Availability of these premium tiers is limited and may be all claimed. If there's one you're really looking for, check carefully over these final days, as many backers will begin settling into their final pledges and you'll see them pop in and out of availability.
PLEDGE MANAGER ACCESS - After the campaign is over we'll launch BackerKit, our post-campaign pledge manager, and invite the backers to set up their rewards via survey. This allows you to confirm your pledge and add on anything that you might have missed, as well as possibly increasing your pledged reward tier, should you choose to expand your reward selection. This option will give international backers additional time to investigate shipping options, should they choose, knowing they can confirm a physical reward at a later date. Funding collected in BackerKit after the campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
An important reminder at this stage:
You'll note that two rewards - Access to the Manuscript Previews and Participation in Post-Campaign Pledge Manager - are included in ALL reward tiers. That's just one of the perks of participating in this kickstarter campaign!
ACCESS TO DRAFT MANUSCRIPT UPDATES – During the course of the campaign, we will be posting the current draft manuscript for Titans Rising. These previews have been shared via Backer-Only updates. You must be a backer of this project to view these updates.
OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Titans Rising campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a physical, printed copy of the PDF directly from their PoD partners at discounted cost (this cost is not included in your pledge, and you do not need to increase the cost of your pledge to use this option). When the PoD versions are available to order (which may be some time after the books have gone to print), you will receive links to purchase these versions of the books from DriveThruRPG.com. You DO NOT need to take advantage of this PoD offer as it does not affect in any way your pledge rewards.
TITANS RISING PDF VERSION - The digital version of Titans Rising, fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Backers will receive redemption links for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Advance Version" will be used to get feedback from the fans to make the final version the best that it can be. When it has been updated to the final version, it will automatically be added to your DriveThruRPG library and available for download at your convenience.
TITANS RISING HARDCOVER BOOK - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a hardcover edition of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the physical hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
TITANOMACHY HARDCOVER BOOK - The other main goal of this campaign is to fund the print run of a hardcover edition of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the physical hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
There has been some churn over this past week - a few Reward Tier adjustments and changes by backers, as budgets changed and people have seen the game in play and worked through the draft manuscript. In these final days it's best to ensure that you've selected the Reward Tier that offers you the options and rewards you want to receive and are ready to lock down. This timing - before the campaign ends - is the absolute most affordable and inclusive these rewards will be, and will save headaches and heartbreaks if fully considered now.
This is just the first step, however, in completing your pledge for this campaign. Additional optional extras can be added to your pledge, rounding our your rewards and increasing the overall funding and maybe getting us closer to a Stretch Goal.
To summarize the first part of this post, the absolute best way to ensure that you're getting the primary rewards you want from this kickstarter is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% of the options available to you. If you want a PDF only, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the hardcover version, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured. If you're going digital now but want the option of getting a discounted Print-on-Demand copy later, make sure you've got a reward tier that includes it.
Once you've completed that important step, you're going to want to look at the Add On rewards for any reward "bits" that don't automatically fall into your reward tier. That takes us to the Add On step.
Once you've chosen your pledge tier, you've likely already included the main rewards you want. In addition to the rewards offered as part of the Reward Tier configurations, there are a few other possible rewards you may wish to add. All Add-On rewards are described in our Add On menu below.
Each Add On includes an extra amount to add on to your total pledge amount.
The Add On option menu appears in the second part of your pledge confirmation. When you decided to back the Titans Rising campaign, you first choose a Pledge Reward Tier. Once you've selected that, you can configure your reward with additional options.
In addition to these digital rewards, we have limited stock of the hardcover versions of these Scion books available as Add Ons. Each of these hardcover add on options includes the PDF and a discounted print-on-demand option as well. All books will be sent in one shipment, when the Titans Rising book is fulfilling, and shipping will be calculated in the Pledge Manager and must be paid before any shipments are sent out.
You can add or update your Add On choices right up until the campaign ends on September 28th at 2:00 EDT. If you've already pledged, you just have to hit the Manage Your Pledge button on the top of the campaign main page.
Once you've decided to Pledge to the campaign, or to Manage your Pledge if you've already backed, you either Confirm or Change Your Pledge on the first menu.
Once I select my pledge, I'm given the opportunity to click a green "Pledge" confirmation button. Once confirmed, I am taken to the second part of the Pledge process, where I can further Configure my reward. There are many optional Add Ons, not just those visible at the top of the page. It pays to scroll down.
Once you've selected your Pledge, and then picked any Add On options, you press continue and review one final time before confirming your pledge.
Using myself as an example, I've pledged to the Primeval hardcover book tier, which includes Titans Rising as well as Titanomachy. During the Add On option review, I decided to add the 17 Scion Supplement bundle since that's an easy way to get a ton of titles in one click!
Once I click Confirm, my reward tier and add ons are set for my pledge. Note that I've included my shipping destination, but no international shipping charges have been calculated. Those will be handled and charged in BackerKit when the books are preparing to ship.
You should also be aware that any available Add On options will be made available in our BackerKit pledge manager, so if you're unsure about adding on something at this point, you will be able to adjust your pledge in the post-campaign phase.
Pledging to the campaign also opens up the Stretch Goal rewards as thanks for your participation. It's important to note that any Stretch Goal achievements are part of the Kickstarter backing experience, and backers who wait and Pre-Order at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list. The Stretch Goal rewards will only automatically be added to the rewards for those who participated in this Kickstarter campaign.
Don't fret if you had forgotten to select an Add On by the end of the campaign. These Add Ons will be available to select in our post-campaign Pledge Manager for those who participated in our campaign and have full access to the Pledge Manager. So, if you are undecided at this time, you will be able to hold off until we're closer to the final reward shipment goes out.
Again, your first step should involve your main reward selection, and your Add On Options will build upon that. If you selected the PDF-only tier, you will be presented with digital options. If you select a hardcover tier, you will be presented with the additional option to add an extra copy of the hardcover.
Note that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, although Kickstarter displays the approximate conversion rate.
That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Tier and Add On options and confirming your TOTAL PLEDGE AMOUNT. Since increasing your pledge amount increases the overall funding level of the project, add-ons can help us achieve our Stretch Goal funding targets, so it benefits us all to suggest that you double-check to make sure you're getting all of the rewards you want.
Additionally, please review your personal budget and ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. Kickstarter will begin charging your payment method once the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly.
As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Pledge Tier for the rewards you want (at least at this point). And beyond that - please make sure you've investigated and selected any add-ons you wish to receive. If you have any issues with the Pledge process, either selecting the reward tier or Adding On optional rewards, try a different browser or device. Kickstarter is always refining their processes, but sometimes things are a little sticky. Changing browsers often solves the issue.
On Thursday, just before the campaign ends, I will send an update detailing the steps that occur after the campaign concludes, including notes about our Pledge Manager and the communication plan going forward.
So, just like always: Spread the word! Share your excitement on social media! Tell your friends! We're about to finish this epic adventure, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!
And I'll be back Tuesday with the FINAL manuscript section for Titans Rising, making the current draft text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!
But before that, we'll have our final additional chapter preview coming tomorrow morning! See you then!
Birthrights are the gifts mythic progenitors give their Scions and the Relics and followers Demigods and Gods accumulate and imbue with their divine Legend. The following Birthrights are appropriate for Titanic or divine Scions at Origin, Hero, and Demigod Tiers, as well as Gods and Titans.
Progenitors bestow animals and Legendary creatures upon their Scions as protectors and companions. They act to further the Scion’s interests — keeping them safe or carrying our their plans — and are intimately linked to who the Scion is. Some of these creatures are considered Legendary creatures, which will be noted in their write-up. You can find out more about Legendary creatures in Scion: Demigod,p. 131.
Bakunawa’s Spawn (•••)
Bakunawa has spawned many children. Even the lowliest are powerful aquatic predators, and valuable allies in the right environment — which is anywhere with a body of water big enough and deep enough to hold them. While Bakunawa is an impossibly large sea serpent (all the better to swallow that last, tasty moon), their children adopt swifter, more mobile forms better adapted to the World. These offspring of the Moon Eater take the form of turtles, sharks, crocodiles, or other dangerous aquatic predators. Once a Scion bonds with them through copious offerings of food, they have a loyal and ferocious ally in combat and a capable guide in waterlogged or aquatic terrain.
Caiman (••)
Zipacna’s children make great creatures for his Scions to bond with. These ferocious predators are quick and agile in a fight. While they may be small, caimans are strong and nothing to scoff at in a fight. Many of Zipacna’s children are caimans that carry the Legendary creature trait.
Ship Cats (••)
The Ilhm stock their ships with cats for good luck and to kill rats. The cats in turn keep the waters calm and the weather perfect for sailing. Most ship cats are mundane cats who simply catch rats and entertain sailors, but the Ilhm’s creatures are magical beasts who control the weather.
The Followers listed below are devoted to Titans and Titanic Scions, ready to do their bidding when called.
Cewri
The original inhabitants of Britain, these giants are a proud people. They follow those who prove themselves worthy through cunning and strength. Once they were the kings of Britain, and that history taught them to be patient, intelligent, and strategic. Most follow Ysbaddaden as the most powerful and cunning of them, having proven his might and worth. Scions of Ysbaddaden may simply receive them as followers by virtue of their parentage — whether they want a giant following in their footsteps or not. Others have to prove themselves as a leader first.
Lesser Cewri (•••)
At Hero Tier, Titanic Scions are likely to have one of these giants as a follower. While not as strong and personable as the famous (or infamous) cewri who feature in legends and tales, they are still a force to be reckoned with.
Canthrig Bwt (••••)
As a Demigod, children of Ysbaddaden are likely to have a close relationship with a powerful cewri whose name carries its own Legends. Canthrig Bwt is a giantess witch with a taste for human flesh. As with most cewri, she is a powerhouse of strength, but she is also versed in magic and ruthlessly cunning.
Daevas (•••)
Sometimes Titans in their own right, these powerful beings only align themselves with other powerful beings. At Demigod Tier, a Scion may find one or two Daevas who are willing to lend them aid.
Guides are investitures of a God’s blessing upon their children in physical form. They may be Legendary creatures, mystical entities, lesser Gods, or even Heroes or Demigods themselves who have agreed to guide a God’s Offspring through their journey. Guides are powerful entities in their own rights and act of their own will, though they support and sympathize with their charge, as they are duty-bound to do.
Ankou (•••)
Many of these skeletal titanspawn roam Britain and France. Some have been subverted by Orgos, bound to bring him souls of the dead in hopes of breaking the bindings that hold him to the Wheel. These corrupted Ankou serve the Nemetondevos Titan and his Scions. As guides, the Ankou are mostly concerned with the dead and dying and are experts on the matter of death. They can advise in great capacity on this one limited subject. Beyond that, they excel at spotting newly dead souls, as they are charged with bringing them to their patron.
Storm Dogs (••)
These large hounds are literally made of storm-stuff. The only sign of their immaterial nature is a haziness at their edges as though they might drift apart at any moment. These creatures serve Imdugud and Titanic Scions of the Annuna. They carry Imdugud’s affinity for storms and can create lightning with a bark and electrocute with a bite. As guides, they tend to serve in a protective role, keeping Scions out of trouble and watching their backs.
Tikbalang (••)
These mischievous creatures are both tricksters and guardians of forests and mountains. They play pranks on travelers to confuse them and lead them astray in the wilderness.
Tikbalang have human torsos and arms, combined with the, head, lower body and legs of a horse. Their traits often draw comparisons to the centaurs who serve the Theoi, but tikbalang are much taller, and bipedal.
The only way to tame a tikbalang is to acquire the thickest of the spines that grow along their back and use it as a talisman to control the creature. Fortunately, the Balahala don’t always make their Scions work that hard to acquire a tikbalang as an ally. They sometimes simply assign them as guides through dangerous territory in the World or further Realms.
Demigod-Tier characters who spend a significant amount of time in a Terra Incognita can become Fatebound to it, gaining access to the following Birthrights (Scion: Demigod, p. 139).
The Court of Stars
The Bogovi talk about the World Tree as a spreading oak with many branches, leading to the various Realms and Terra Incognita that the various members of the Bogovi have carves out for themselves. Within the highest of branches lies the secret Strange Place wherein the Zorya reside, called The Court of Stars. Here, the Sister-Stars maintain the order of the cosmos, the rising and the setting of the sun, and also act as a refuge for any Scion, God, or Titan who have been placed among the stars in the sky (such as Attar, the Morning Star of the Wadi). To the Zorya, all the stars in the sky are welcome in their realm, which may as well be a deep pool that reflects the light of the Milky Way back up at it.
The only structures within the realm are three thrones, upon which the Zorya sit until it is their time to move the sky, meaning there is usually one throne empty at any given time. If one is lucky enough to be present when all three are seated, one can ask a favor of the Zorya which they are bound to oblige.
Knack
Realm Effects
An integral part of any Scion’s regalia, Relics are the items, weapons, and armor that are extensions of their divinity. Relics marked as Demigod, Legendary, or Mythic require the wielder to be at least Demigod Tier. When used by a lower Tier character, •-•••• Demigod Birthrights temporarily lose one of their abilities, and ••••• Demigod Birthrights lose two.
Golden Death Mask (••)
These masks, previously used in burial rites, have evolved with time to address the needs for the wearer to communicate with the spirits that surround them.
Made of thinly beaten sheets of yellow gold, these masks were used by Ancient Visayan peoples in their burial rites and to ward off evil spirits. It normally consists of two pieces: a golden cover for the eyes that resembles a modern sleep mask, and a nose plate. Both are intricately designed to resemble human features. The ghosts in the area recognize the wearer of a Golden Death Mask as someone who can be communicated with and their attitudes may vary depending on the nature of the spirit.
Although the mask’s eyes are completely covered by golden plates, the wearer’s vision is not obscured.
Fragment of the Third Moon (•••••)
Although Bakunawa is said to have swallowed the first six moons whole, when the great Moon Eater approached to swallow the third moon a slight miscalculation was made in its size. When Bakunawa unhinged their jaw, their fangs scraped slightly against the target of the serpent’s desire. The fragment fell to earth, unbeknownst to Bakunawa in their moment of ecstasy and distraction.
This fragment is the most potent remnant of the Third Moon, and though it is small enough to fit in the palm of a mortal’s hand, its light is still enough to grant incredible power to the one who possesses it.
Against Bakunawa and creatures like the great serpent, the Fragment remains one of the few weapons that pose a significant threat. The Moon Eater and their servants will surely want it for themselves should they ever become aware of its existence.
Windcutter (•••)
Karen Jamison, Scion of Juracán, carries with her a blade made of the silence of the eye of a hurricane. This blade is razor sharp and invisible to the eyes of mortals.
As a Scion grows in power from Origin all the way to God, their Birthrights take this journey with them. While they may start with a Relic gifted by their divine parent, when they ascend to Demigod they can forge their own Relics. When Scions craft new Relics, they need not take the same path or fill the same niche as the Relic of the same or similar name. The following Relics show common Birthrights at various stages of a Scion’s journey. These examples are snapshots at different Legend ratings, meant to show how a traditional mythological item could take various forms at Demigod, Legendary, and Mythic stages. They’re not items that evolve with the Scion’s changing Tier, just ideas for how to interpret the Relic’s concept to suit different Tiers of play.
The Dream Smith’s Tools
The Dream Smith crafts dreams, wild and weird, for all of humanity. The tools of his trade are many and varied, allowing him to craft with the utmost precision and grace.
Lathe of Dreams (••••)
This lathe is used to craft the physical components of dreams, building strange landscapes and homes to remind dreamers of a place both familiar and yet totally foreign. Smaller objects crafted with the lathe are so realistic that they can be used within the World.
Dream Spark (•)
The Dream Spark is a small amulet made of silver and gold which glows with an inner light of rainbow hues. The Scion can use it to access a person’s dreams and manipulate them to their whims.
Ephemeral Blade (•••)
This long, thin blade made of gossamer strands of dream itself was forged by the Dream Smith’s Scion, Lucius. Through his journey, he learned to cut through the World and into dreams. He forged this ability into the Ephemeral Blade, which cuts through ephemera as well as flesh.
We're in the final week! This is just a small taste of Chapter 4, which backers will see on Tuesday, September 26th. Before the end of the campaign (next Thursday!), backers will be able to read the entire draft manuscript of this book - and provide feedback to the development and writing teams to make it even better!
So join in, if you haven't! Time is running out!
I'll be back on Sunday with an overview of the Reward Tiers and Add On options for this campaign, and then again on Monday with a preview of some of the Antagonists that are included in Chapter 4.
Let's keep at it! We're close to unlocking another Stretch Goal! Maybe I'll have another one or two to announce on Sunday!
Rise up, Titans!
We're officially in the final week countdown for this Kickstarter campaign! Over this final week I'll be sharing a handful of instruction and review-type posts about Reward Tiers & Add Ons, Stretch Goal reviews, and What Comes Next, so if you've got any process questions or are wondering about how the Kickstarter steps work, I'm hoping to clarify any remaining questions before we finish. Of course, if you're still wondering about something, please ask and I'll help as best I can.
I know, this is something I've already said many times (and seem to say during every project!), but for this final week, you are officially a Titanic ambassador for this Kickstarter project. It's time to share your excitement for Titans Rising and Scion Second Edition! Basically, we want to recruit as many interested backers as possible to form our own Pantheon of Kickstarter Backers over this final week.
I know I end every update post with "Keep spreading the word! Invite others to join in!" - but what does that mean, and how do you do it?
Easy answer - don't stop talking about Titans Rising until 2:01 PM EDT next Thursday September 28th (when the campaign has ended). Yes, family and friends are tired of me talking about it. The end, that's all I can say. But what else have I got to talk about? And they've learned to tolerate me during a kickstarter campaign. But here's the thing - there are others around who haven't heard or don't know about the campaign.
There are many, many Scion fans who haven't yet heard about this campaign and would love to join in. We're right in the middle of a very busy season - tons of different things competing for our attention - so it's not surprising that new backers are just finding out about the campaign every day. If you have an opportunity to let someone know, please do and let's make sure they have a chance to join in before the end.
If you're inviting new backers, or if you are a new backer (hi new backers!), here are a few key resources to be aware of for this campaign.
Backers are able to review the (soon-to-be) complete manuscript for this book before the campaign closes and any pledges are processed. No need to wonder about which Titans or Pantheons are included, no need to guess at new rules for your Titanic characters or try to figure out epic campaigns all on your own! Know what you're getting into by checking out the draft manuscript!
And, if you join now, as I've noted, we'll be posting the final Antagonists and Birthrights-focused chapter of the book next week before we reach the finish line.
The writers and developers for this book have done an amazing job answering questions and participating in discussions around the 'net. Here are some places you can hear and read their words:
Get a sense of the World with a short story that will be included in the final version of the book. You can check them out now!
Currently running on Friday nights at 7:00 PM EDT, the Onyx Path TWITCH channel is hosting an Actual Play of Titans Rising.
You may also be able to get further insight and possibly some in-depth conversation at these Onyx Path discussion zones:
1) Don't forget to share a link to the Kickstarter in any discussion you have (where appropriate) - and feel free to pass any of the long list of links above to those who may need more info (or, just point them to this post!)
2) Don't forget to tell us about any post or review or discussion you write! Come to the comments section and let us know so we can all go and contribute! I know I keep saying it, but really - these last days are key. Keep the enthusiasm high (hitting stretch goals certainly makes that easier!) and keep on inviting others to join in, either directly ("Come see...") or just by setting an example of your enthusiasm and interest.
We've got one week to go, everyone! Thank you all so much for your support! We work together because it's the right thing to do, and because backers make it better! Let's finish strong! And let's continue exploring this new Titanic book together, sharing our feedback with the writers and delving into the draft manuscript, and let's see if we can't get another Stretch Goals before we review next Wednesday!