Friday, October 5, 2018

Kickstart Your Weekend: Calidar "On Wings of Darkness"

I have been a fan of Bruce Heard's work for sometime now.  Ever since I picked up a copy of the Glantri Gazzeteer for BECMI D&D I have been following what he does. 
His new project has been his world of Calidar and it has been a lot of fun. 
Now we come full circle to Calidar's magical kingdom.

Calidar "On Wings of Darkness"


https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ambreville/calidar-on-wings-of-darkness

The book includes:

  •  History of Caldwen:  This chapter covers the origins of the magiocracy, from its ancient time on Munaan, a moon of Calidar, to present-day Caldwen. Includes a summary and a huge timeline of events.
  •  Lay of the Land: Geography, climate, local culture, main cults and races, economy, regional peculiarities, and local dynamics combine to depict each province separately.
  •  Intrigues of the Magi: Internal politics, government by academia, and the military overlaid upon rivalries among the wizardly aristocracy and the sorcerous hoi-polloi give the magiocracy a unique character. 
  •  Behind the curtains: Discover the odd brotherhoods and secret sects working from the shadows, scheming to make an already-challenging setting even more perilous.
  •  A Cast of Many: A host of political figures, academic personalities, and curious individuals populate these pages. They are presented here, with game stats, motivations, secrets, and connections galore.
  •  Master & Servant: A nation where demons serve the spellcasting class, local laws, and tools of lordship are presented alongside a who's who of Caldwen's most notorious demons.
  •  Beasties in the Dark: Some of the more curious creatures dwelling in Caldwen populate this section, complete with stats and illustrations, beckoning game referees to summon them during their adventures.
  •  At the Heart of Magic:  Discover Caldwen's schools of magic and how their benefits, tuition, philosophies, diplomas, and campus rivalries influence the fabric of the entire magiocracy.
  •  Secrets of the Cabals: Private guilds provide alternate career paths in the fields of Alchemy, Demonology, Dracology, Elementalism, Necromancy, and Skymastery, with deadly trials and fabulous powers.
  •  Blood of the World Soul: An order of mage-knights concerns itself with a mystical source of raw magical power forbidden to all but Caldwen's aristocracy. Though potent, it is deadly if abused.
  •  Sky City of Arcanial: The capital city is a wondrous place flying above a sprawling shanty town on the ground. Packed with encounter ideas, each district requires flying gondolas and teleporters to reach.

So really a must buy for anyone that was a fan of Glantri.

The Calidar books so far have been great and top notch in quality, so I expect nothing less here.

1 comment:

Bruce Heard said...

Thanks for posting this introduction to "On Wings of Darkness." So far the project is doing quite well. It's funded at 140% with about 3 weeks still to go. We're looking at the 4th stretch goal. Stretch goals keep adding pages to the adventure booklet associated with the core gazetteer reward, so everyone benefits. Cheers!