Tie-In Publications From Sundara (Novels, Table Games, and More!)

My fantasy TTRPG setting Sundara: Dawn of a New Age had its first release going on three years ago, and I've been steadily expanding the map a little bit at a time. The original splat books for Cities of Sundara were pretty popular, as were the Species of Sundara books where I talked about the fantastical creatures you could play as, and for the past year or so I've been working my way through what is (more or less) the Factions of Sundara series, with installments like Sellswords of Sundara (for Pathfinder and DND 5E) as well as Cults of Sundara (for Pathfinder and DND 5E).

However, it was with the recently released Merchants of Sundara that I had an idea for a new project for the setting... making some tie-in projects for this setting!

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Building on The Foundation We've Already Laid

For folks who've been keeping an eye on Sundara as a setting, you know we've already had our share of tie-in media. The above video, for instance, is a dramatization of the introductory story from the supplement 100 Effects of a Primquake, which came out a little while ago. In addition to all of the audio dramas you can find on the Azukail Games YouTube channel, there's also projects like the story Legacy of Flames by Isaiah Burt.

However, Merchants of Sundara presents interesting opportunities for something we haven't tried yet... meta tie-in projects.

You ever play a game of Regicide before?

In particular, this supplement discusses two merchants of note; Black Feather Books, and Alabast Games. The former is a publisher of unique treatises on history, ghost stories, and tales of adventure, while the latter is a little niche store run by a clever halfling who enjoys making unique card games, board games, and even dice games using little toy soldiers deployed on sand tables to fight their tiny wars.

Most of the time when creators make tie-in projects for their settings, these projects are meant to tell stories that take place in the setting itself. For example, Tales From The Moot is a collection of short stories of the deeds of werewolves in the World of Darkness, and The Irregulars is a story of an Andoran strike force set in the world of Golarion. These stories happen in the setting, and they could even cross paths with the campaign you're running. You could have characters influenced by the events of these stories, or who have some relationship to the characters or events in them, working them into your game as it unfolds.

This is a little different, though. For this project I'd be writing short stories or books that one could find in the setting itself, allowing players to read the same stories their characters would be reading if they picked up a book at a trading post to keep them entertained on their upcoming journey. This is not too dissimilar from what I proposed a while back in Would You Like To See Books From Golarion? In addition to books that might appear in the setting, though, I've considered the idea of putting together games that people might play in Sundara which are produced by Alabast Games. Games like Regicide or Gravedigger, which are played using a set of Crown Dice, for example, along with a chart explaining what die type Crown Dice are, and how to translate the dice from your personal dice bag so you can play the game with your fellows around the table... either just for fun, or to add to the immersion of your RP.

The question, of course, is whether this is something you would like to see as one of my readers? So if you're a fan of the setting (whether or not you picked up a copy of Merchants of Sundara for yourself yet), tell me the sort of thing you'd like to see in the comments below! The more folks who speak out, and let both myself and the publisher know what they'd like to see, the greater the chance that it's something I can make room for in the near future!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the Azukail Games YouTube channel, or my Rumble channel The Literary Mercenary! Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my dystopian sci-fi thriller Old Soldiers, my hardboiled gangland noir series starring a bruiser of a Maine Coon with Marked Territory and Painted Cats, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!

"The Complete Windrow-Ravenswood Deck" is an Adventure in Tarot Storytelling

It's been a while since I've boosted a signal for some fellow creators here in a Monday slot, but since it's the Halloween season I wanted to shine a spotlight on a recent release from Dee Arbacauskas. If that name sounds familiar, she's the mind (and hands) behind Tormented Artifacts, and I talked about some of her leather work a while back in Get Your Hands on Some Tormented Artifacts! (Especially if You're a LARPer). However, while you should definitely take a look at her practical, wearable art, this week I want to talk about a different, unique piece of work... namely, the Windrow-Ravenswood deck.

Because it's more than just a deck of cards.

Before we get into that, though, wanted to remind folks that I have a newsletter now! So if you don't want to miss any of my weekly releases, make sure you sign up today!

All right, now, let's get into this lovely little bundle, shall we?

The Dual Story of The Windrow-Ravenswood Deck

First, let's start off with the really real story of the deck as it's told by the creator. We'll move into the juicy framing device later.

The origin of the Windrow-Ravenswood poker deck came to the creator as part of an art challenge that went more than a little out-of-control. To paraphrase her introduction, the ideas were coming to her almost faster than he could get them down on the page. While the flurry of activity resulted in some beautiful rough work, getting them cleaned up, organized, and available for purchase took time. The first run of the deck caught a lot of attention (and for good reason), and that drove further work to expand on it, and to fill in the gaps.

For example, expanding the deck by creating the Lost Arcana allowed the poker deck to transition into a full and proper tarot card deck. You can get all of this as a bundle on Drive Thru RPG, by the by. At just under $20 it is a hell of a steal!

But what's the second story?

The second story is in the Complete Windrow-Ravenswood Guidebook (not to be confused with the 2-page guide currently available for using the deck). Because in addition to being a guide to this unique tarot, offering both interpretations and translations for those familiar with more traditional decks, the book also presents us a framing for the deck's so-called founding. It paints a picture of a shadowy institute, a bizarre family lineage, and it chronicles the journey of the deck down the years. There are even several winks to the Cthulhu mythos, for those who enjoy the occasional Easter egg. Told primarily through the communiques and letters sent by "The Archivist," the book intermingles the practical aspects of using the deck with a surprisingly captivating story about the deeper, darker world from whence it hails.

 

While the full and complete guidebook is not currently available, it should be out in early November. Prices, according to the author, will be $11.99 for a digital copy, and $29.99 for the standard color hardback edition.

EDIT: The book is out! Take a look at The Windrow-Ravenswood Deck Guidebook!

So How Can You Use This Deck?

As everyone here knows, this is a gaming blog where I talk about RPGs. Interesting as this deck is, what does it have to do with a roleplaying games? Well, the answer is going to depend entirely on you, the games you play, and your imagination.

There are so damn many possibilities...

The first use for the deck is as a practical game piece. If you're a Chronicles of Darkness LARPer, for example, then these decks would make an ideal stack to draw from while players determine success or failure for their actions. Particularly for a Mage game, though they'd fit well enough in Vampire, Changeling, or others as well. For those who enjoy games like Savage Worlds Deluxe, this deck would be a handsome addition to the initiative pull. Especially if you're playing a game like Rippers, and you want a little extra ambiance.

Even if you're not using the deck itself as a game piece, it makes a lovely prop. Whether you're a Malkavian who believes the cards talk to them, or you want to use the cards as something left behind by a serial killer, they're something that can be interacted with. They can add an extra layer of fun to the game... especially if the players can pass them around and admire them for their beauty, and creeping dread.

The last use, and one I would suggest for any burgeoning storytellers out there who are looking for a solid world to base a Chronicles of Darkness: Mortals game or a Call of Cthulhu game in, is to adapt the cards, the setting, and the story as part of your campaign's bible going forward. While the setup could be a cousin to the SCP Foundation and other, similar creepy pastas, it's much narrower in scope, and allows you to keep things a little bit more grounded. And there are just enough references to the timeline, as well as to the sights that the Archivist witnessed, that you could attempt to ascertain what dire deeds Ravenswood committed in his pact to make this deck.

At the end of the day, it's a fun, handsome creation with unique art. Whether you use it as the basis for an entire campaign, or you just pull it out for Halloween poker nights, I seriously suggest giving the full Windrow-Ravenswood deck bundle a look, and staying tuned for when the final guidebook drops here in a few weeks!

Like, Follow, and Stay in Touch!

That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

Again, for more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, and stop by the YouTube channel Dungeon Keeper Radio. Or if you'd prefer to read some of my books, like my cat noir thriller Marked Territory, my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife or my latest short story collection The Rejects, then head over to My Amazon Author Page!

To stay on top of all my latest releases, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now Pinterest as well! To support my work, consider Buying Me a Ko-Fi, or heading to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to become a regular, monthly patron. That one helps ensure you get more Improved Initiative, and it means you'll get my regular, monthly giveaways as a bonus!