Quartz Strata that is: a lower level in The World Below. The Quartz Strata contains the ruined Crystal City, as well as the Cavern of Storms! Still deeper underground, below that strata, is the Ruby Strata, which contains the settlement of Hurreth’s Bones! Which I bring up as we are soon to enter our final week of exploring deep within the earth with The World Below crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit!

We’re mere dollars away from achieving our seventh stretch goal, and have over seven hundred backers, so do feel free to jump in and join the fun! Base funding gets you the text as it currently stands, almost complete and ready to play, and the PDF level will get you the text and then the Backer PDF in all it’s glory and that’ll have the art and layout – and any updates/tweaks to the text that we make up until we go live with the PoD physical version and then the beautiful traditionally printed versions!

Plus we have Deluxe editions, The World Below Provides branded messenger bags, pins, and a pendant, and glow-in-the-dark dice for added fun!

Glow-in-the-dark dice? Why? Because in The World Below, the lighting is very different than our world. Not only do we have the light of fires, but also various glowing items, phosphorescent fungi, odd glowing streaks through the rocks walls, even odder glowing mists that may lead to gates within the world, or even outside of it.

Like in the header art above, where you can see quartz crystals giving off strange lighting throughout the remains of the crashed Crystal City! That has been part of our art direction for the book since the beginning: show ways in the art (and layout) to directly illustrate the unusual lighting that is so emblematic of The World Below.

So some of our art is B&W, some is muted with hints of color, and some is vividly colored to indicate that variety of effects. And then, in order to really illustrate that UV spectrum of iridescent light, we went with more neon colors like below:

Which brings us into the wacky world of blacklight posters which were so popular when I was a kid – even Marvel had them!

So that was the art direction for The World Below‘s illustrations, but we don’t just want the art to reflect the world, we want our readers to be completely immersed. A little bit immersed, or in TWB terms: only a little bit below the surface, just isn’t good enough for our audience, sez we at Onyx Path!

So Mirthful Mike and I at down and spec’d out how the book’s layout would also go from dark areas to light, find ways of demonstrating that spectrum from UV to iridescent, etc. Here’s the examples from the crowdfunding page that give an indication of how we’re planning on bring the reader even deeper into The World Below:

And these are really just the beginning (and not necessarily the finished look) of how we’ll be utilizing every chance to envelop the reader – you! – in evocative visuals as you descend deeper and deeper into…

The World Below!

And once again, please do check out the links Matthew shares in the Onyx Path Media section below for two incredibly fun and creative groups playing The World Below, and also last Friday’s Onyx Pathcast interviews, and also also our continuing TWB Twitch programming that should be popping up on our YouTube channel now-ish!

Next up, Abyssals!

Yep, the next crowdfunder with be for Exalted: Abyssals on IndieGoGo, and if we can get the OK s from Paradox in time, we could start that as early as Thursday the 16th of this very month! That’s 10 days from now!

Cue the screaming of tormented Abyssal souls (or of happy Exalted fans, it’s sometimes hard to tell which)!

WHAT IF YOU HELD A MEETING…

And everybody came but everything we talked about was secret.

Seriously.

That’s pretty much what 90% of our meeting today contained. Sorry about that.

Here’s what I can talk about:

Eddy and I advanced the theory to the group that Tales From the Tardis is an amazing way to re-energize fans of a long-running project, and our team should check them out.

This is mostly because Russell T. Davies is a genius – particularly in bringing back beloved properties for old and new fans alike. (Not saying other people aren’t, but…it ain’t easy).

I’m going to be at the Save Against Fear Convention in York, PA. hosted by and for our friends at the Bodhana Group this Thursday through Saturday, along with Dixie Cochran (we’re on a Branch Riders panel together) and, I’m told, the ineffable Rose Bailey!

I haven’t seen Rose face to face for years, so this’ll be a real treat! If you love her work, both on Chronicles of Darkness and Vampire: The Requiem 2e, and/or her own awesome indie games – track us down to say hi!

(Hint, if there’s a bar in the convention complex…we might be hanging out there. Maybe.)

So, it’s a short week to do at-the-desk kinds of work, but a good one for meeting and greeting. I’m out of practice – even smiling makes my face ache…

With those random snippets from a not-random-at-all meeting, here’s hoping to see some of you in York, PA, and otherwise I’ll be back here next week using phosphorescent crystals to light our way to our:

Many Worlds, One Path!

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Blurbs!

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Crowdfunding!

Funded in 48 HOURS! We’re crowdfunding The World Below on BackerKit! We’ve already excavated six Stretch Goals including the Beginning Adventure, Ed Greenwood’s Monster Ecology book, and Monster Cards to aid in your gameplay – and are mere dollars aware from funding our 7th as I write this! You can dig it here!

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Onyx Path Media!

This week: Dixie, Matthew, and Eddy talk about M20 Lore of the Traditions, as well as some other recent releases. Eventually.

As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue!

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Please check out our attached media schedule for the videos on our Twitch channel this week! In particular, keep those eyes open for our Storypath Showcase, where we give an excellent profile of our various Storypath games and how to play them!

MEDIA HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK:

Queen’s Court Games have released the first two episodes of their World Below actual play right here: 

Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgvHeIMDDl0

Episode 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuXzyL_-1XM

Dork Tales have done the same with theirs! And they can be found here:

Episode 0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cZogRBqSdU

Episode 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibLk55BPha4

The Onyx Path News discusses recent and upcoming releases! You can find it on our YouTube channel (click the bell to be informed when we go live!) but if you missed the last episode, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ettWdX2fmo

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Virtual Tabletop!

New on the Roll20 Marketplace, it’s the Scarred Lands Creature Collection and Camp Murder Lake Tokens for Roll20 VTT play!

NEW!
They Came From Beneath the Sea! on Roll20 VTT!
https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/bundle/22308/they-came-from-beneath-the-sea

Here are some more shots from the They Came From Beneath the Sea! Compendium!

And there’s also the Scion Jumpstart, all ready for Roll20 VTT fun!

https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/bundle/21165/a-light-extinguished-a-jumpstart-for-scion-second-edition

More news and links when we have them!

The Scion: Origin and Scion Hero Compendiums are now available on Roll20!

https://marketplace.roll20.net/browse/publisher/1716/onyx-path-publishing

Scion is just the start! They Came From Beneath the Sea! and other
Onyx Path RPGs are in development for Roll20 virtual tabletop!

The first of our official Scion sheets designed for Foundry VTT are
now available!

Direct Link: https://foundryvtt.co

Looking for more virtual tabletop resources? We have a selection of
Tokens, Encounters, and more available now at DriveThruRPG!

Get ’em here: https://bit.ly/3SnrNJ7

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Our Sales Partners!

We’re working with Studio2 to provide our traditionally printed books out into your local game stores. Game stores can order via their usual distributors, and can also contact Studio2 directly. And individuals can check out our projects via the links below!

Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books, dice, and screens? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/

As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles in PDF and PoD versions at DriveThruRPG.com!

DriveThruFiction NaNoWriMo sale includes Buried Bones for Pugmire!:

https://www.drivethrufiction.com/sale.php?manufacturers_id=4261

Amazon and Barnes & Noble!

You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).

Check out Melody Through the Mirrorshade Lens and Facets of Truth, as well as Trinity Continuum: Terat and The Hollow Courts on Kindle in the Kindle store!

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On Sale This Week!

Exalted‘s Storytellers’ Guide, the Crucible of Legend, explodes onto the scene for sale on DTRPG this Weds, in both PDF and PoD forms!

Also this week at DTRPG are Crucible of Legend VTT Assets! On RedBubble we present the elegant Exalted Journals!

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Conventions!

As we are slowly returning to attending conventions in person after avoiding them during the COVID-19 outbreak, keep an eye out here for more physical and virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with!

We’ll be part of the Studio 2 booth at PAX Unplugged (December 1st – 3rd):
https://unplugged.paxsite.com/

Game Night With Onyx Path Publishing at StartPlaying is the last Friday of every month! Come play some of our games, especially The World Below – you can use the Ashcan! (But any of our game lines are welcome all day long!)

Please spread the word about GMing games as much as
possible. Details on how list a game are at the bottom of the page in
the FAQ:

https://startplaying.games/event/game-night-onyx-path

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Project Status Updates!

Our full list of projects will be available monthly on our blog! Check out October’s full list report here:

Release Roundup: October 2023

DEVELOPMENT STATUS FROM EDDY

Here are the projects that moved to the next stage of production:

Post-Approval Development

Realms of Pugmire – Threats and Curs (was Pugmire Monster Book)

• Eddy: A couple of minor notes, but otherwise this is approved! I want to mull over a couple of things (organizational, maybe), but otherwise we’re already deep in talking about ways we can make this book cool and different.

Scion – Scion: God Player’s Guide

• Matthew: Hi ho hi ho, it’s back to Hiromi and Michele we go! After some time spent on Rich’s desk, the developers are now reviewing their Player’s Guide material ahead of edits!

Editing

Tasty Bit – CLASSIFIED Operation: Fabric Spy

• Matthew: We start our Tasty Bits for 2024 with a Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy inspired playable story, in which one of the agents Silk, Satin, Cotton, or Rags is a traitor to the Agency!

Post-Editing Development

Scion – Scion: Divine Inspiration

• Matthew: Back to Steffie we go for applying edits ahead of getting art notes together!

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ART DIRECTION FROM MIKE CHANEY!

In Art Direction

• Ex Essence Pillars of Creation – Art buy configured, artnotes in progress.
• Ex3 Sidereals – In progress with Maria.
• Ex Essence Deeds Yet Undone (Dirt Cheap) – Art buy configured, artnotes in progress.
• Ex3 Abyssals(KS) – All the KS art is in. Sending it off to Paradox today.
• The World Below(KS) – Ticking along…

In Layout

• Ex3 Exigents – I’m about two thirds the way done… should be in proofing by Wednesday afternoon.
• M20 Victorian Jumpstart – Rolling along, should be in proofing end of the week.

Proofing

• HtV Jumpstart – Eddy, I will get this over to you today….
• They Came From CLASSIFIED! – Going over 2nd proof.
• Ex3 Across the 8 Directions (sans Maps)

Indexing

At Press

• TC Adventure – Was that Hawaii we passed?…
• TC Adventure Screen and Booklet
• W20 Apocalyptic Record – Printing, expecting publisher copies soon.
• W20 Apocalyptic Record Screen & Booklet
• Exalted Essence – Prepping Trad Print files.
• Ex Essence Screen
• M20 Lore of the Traditions – Prepping Trad Print Files.
• Ex3 Crucible of Legends VTT Tokens 
• Scion CC Guide
• Ex Essence Novella 1 – PoD files uploaded.
• Ex Essence Novella 3 – PoD files uploaded.
• They Came From the Cyclops Cave! – Out to KS backers.
• TC Anima – Prepping PoD files.
• Ex 3 Crucible of Legends – PDF and PoD versions on sale WEDS on DTRPG!

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Today’s Reason to Celebrate!

As an inspiration for the Trinity Continuum, the Marvel Multiverse, etc: on this date in 1981, “Time Bandits” was released in the United States. Terry Gilliam wrote the screenplay combining the concept of committing crimes while time traveling, making it possible to get away with the thievery because it had not happened yet, with a movie shot from a kid’s POV. In the original script, King Agamemnon was introduced as: “The warrior took off his helmet, revealing someone that looks exactly like Sean Connery, or an actor of equal but cheaper stature.” To writer, producer, and director Gilliam’s surprise, the script ended up in Connery’s hands. Some have said the Time Bandits represented the Monty Python troupe. The nice one, Fidgit, is said to represent Palin; the self-appointed leader, Randall, Cleese; the acerbic one, Strutter, Eric Idle; the quiet one, Og, Graham Chapman; the noisy rebel, Wally, Terry Jones; and the nasty, filth-loving one, Vermin, Gilliam himself.