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Scion: God

Created by Onyx Path - Scion: God Crowdfunding Campaign

Founded in 2012, Onyx Path Publishing is a Pennsylvania-based company dedicated to the development of exemplary, immersive worlds. Working with a group of amazingly talented creators, we explore print, electronic and other forms of media distribution to make our products available to our fans. With over 20 years of publishing experience from which to draw, we are industry professionals who love the art of the game and plan to continue making meaningful, innovative contributions in the years to come.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Final Days Review - Stretch Goals
about 2 years ago – Wed, Nov 16, 2022 at 06:50:14 AM

Hello Scions,

We're in the final HOURS of this campaign now, with fewer than 30 hours to go. The Scion: God crowdfunding campaign ends on Thursday, November 17th at 2:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM PST - there's still a tiny bit of time to help other Demigods work through their apotheosis, but we're definitely getting close to the finish line. With that in mind, I've been touching on some of the basics to make sure that everyone has all of the information they need to support the project in the way that works best for them.

Key Updates from this Final Week

Whether you've just discovered your divine spark or you're working your way through apotheosis, these are good items to review to make sure that we all end up where we want to be.



Refresher Course

Note for New Backers: Please check out the updates listed above. There's a lot of information there that will be important to know about before the end, like how we're not including international shipping charges in our pledges for this campaign and instead will be charging them in our pledge manager before we ship out the books, and you can also read the entire draft manuscript before the end of the campaign and any pledges are processed.

Note for Since-the-Start Backers: It's probably a good idea to review that stuff as well. Never hurts to make sure you haven't missed anything! And remember to add any feedback on the draft manuscript to the Feedback Form before the campaign ends so the developers and writers can be guided through the next stages of development and editing!

We've had, and will have, a bunch of new backers join in during these last days. I want to take a moment to highlight some key Update posts that new backers may want to check out (and existing backers may want to read as a refresher!).

MANUSCRIPT PREVIEW - As noted, the complete Preview Manuscript for the book is available for you to review prior to the conclusion of the campaign. If you're a backer, you'll have access to this preview manuscript after the campaign. Remember, though, there are still some minor edits, development and proofing that need to be done. But, you can consider it about 98.7% finished. Making the manuscript available for review before the campaign ends ensures that everyone knows exactly what our goal is - making this book - and are on board with our aims for this project. Thanks for your support, we're all in this together!


Nov 13 Update -  PLEDGE TIERS - your best starting point for figuring out which Backer Reward Level to choose to help support this project.

Your key decision: Go Digital with the PDF only or go Hardcover + PDF?

  •  ASPIRANT - This is the PDF-only reward tiers. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - these are the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDFs will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when they are ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.
  •  RELIC- This reward tier includes the PDF as well as the hardcover version of the book. It'll look amazing on your shelf, especially if they're placed next to your other Scion Second Edition books, but may incur shipping costs depending on your location. As noted, international shipping charges will be calculated later and charged in the Pledge Manager. We'll have exact shipping costs once the book is in production and we know the specifications, but we do expect it to be expensive. See our estimates on the front pate. If you're an international backer, you can pledge at the Aspirant tier and upgrade to the Relic tier once the shipping costs are known before we lockdown orders. 
  •  Petitioner - If you want access to the manuscript previews but don't yet know if you want the PDFs or hardcover rewards, this tier also grants you access to the Pledge Manager after the campaign so you can upgrade your pledge in the future.


ADD ON REWARDS- the other half of the Reward Tiers update, including information on the second step of pledging. There are several Add On options that you can pre-pay for as part of your pledge process. including the other Scion Second Edition books (Origin, Hero, Demigod, as well as Dragon and Masks of the Mythos) and related supplements, as well as the the Storyguide Reference Screen that we unlocked via Stretch Goal and beginner bundles for two of Onyx Path's other Storypath system games - Trinity Continuum and They Came From.

ADD ON selections will be confirmed in the post-campaign Pledge Manager. 

Choose Wisely

Choosing the correct Pledge Level for your desired rewards, and then filling in any "gaps" with add-ons, ensures that you'll be claiming all of your desired rewards as a thank you for supporting this project and bringing this world to life.

Remember, your PLEDGE AMOUNT is equal to your REWARD TIER + optional ADD ON FUNDING only - Any International Shipping costs will be collected at a later date. You will also be able to select Add On options in the Pledge Manager after the campaign, but remember that only funds added during the campaign count towards Stretch Goal funding targets.

Also to note, only those who participate during the campaign are able to have Stretch Goal rewards added automatically to their rewards lists. If you're waiting to pre-order at a later time, it's better to pledge to the Petitioner tier now and then simply upgrade your pledge later to include these bonus rewards.

On Thursday, I'll be posting one further "Final Day" update, covering What Happens Next and outlining what to expect once the campaign ends.

But until then, we're going to hopefully hunt down one or two final Stretch Goal achievements as we race through our final day of the campaign!


In an earlier update I noted that I like BackerKit's term "Achievement" more than our usual "Stretch Goal" terminology because I like the celebratory tone and how "Achievement" can cover a few different aspects of these bonus rewards. But we may have to really stretch to reach these last goals, so Stretch Goals are pretty appropriate for this update!

Before we talk about targets on the horizon, let's look at our journey thus far. Over the past (almost) 4 weeks, we've been working solidly through our Stretch Goal targets, to the point that we've already achieved NINE Stretch Goal targets - including two that we achieved within the past day!

Within these Stretch Goals are some milestone markers that allow us to celebrate how the campaign grew as well as opening up an additional Add On option, and three really cool new supplements, two of which we expanded and grew by working together. Let's review and see what we've accomplished so far...


ACHIEVED! - New Add On: Scion: God Storyguide Reference Screen! – We’ll create a Scion: God Reference Screen with new charts and tables, and updated artwork to reflect the ongoing journey of the characters introduced on the Origin/Hero screen. This can be added to any reward tier containing a hardcover book for only +$25 (plus additional international shipping charges based on your location).


ACHIEVED! – Scion: God Companion Supplement – Scion: God is a complex game, covering running religions, killing Gods, managing Realms, and possibly even running games where players play multiple Incarnation of the same God. This has huge potential for confusion. Onyx Path will create a Companion supplement for Scion: God that will explain some concepts in more detail, as well as provide evocative and fun examples. All backers receiving the Scion: God PDF as one of their rewards will automatically receive the Scion: God Companion PDF as a bonus reward.


ACHIEVED! – Scion: God Companion Supplement II – The Companion supplement will be expanded to include additional information on Incarnations and Mantles, possibly including rules for rebellious incarnations that seek to sever their connection to their God, Incarnation troupe play, or forging or fighting for new Mantles.
 

ACHIEVED! - Scion: God Jumpstart - An introductory scenario to launch your Scion: God story, complete with Ready-made Characters and basic rules will be created and released as a supplemental PDF. All backers receiving the Scion: God PDF will automatically have this added as a bonus reward.


ACHIEVED! – Divine Inspiration Supplement – Scion: God contains so many options for play and story paths to explore it can be a challenge to narrow your focus. Onyx Path will create a supplement to provide some direction and ideas for Storyguides to build upon, including creative Plot Seeds to explore in your game. All backers receiving the Scion: God PDF as one of their rewards will automatically receive the Divine Inspiration PDF as a bonus reward.


ACHIEVED! - Backer T-Shirt – A Scion: God-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. Only backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.


ACHIEVED! – Scion: God Companion Supplement III – More on Realms! The Companion supplement will expand and clarify rules around Terra Incognita, Realms, and Sancta. Rules and guidance may include information on ruling over Realms, creating or destroying Realms, Realm Conditions, and Realm challenges.


ACHIEVED! - Digital Wallpaper – Dress up your monitor with an epic scene from Scion: God, automatically added to the rewards list for all backers.


ACHIEVED – Divine Inspiration Supplement II – Plot Seed Packs, sets of thematically-connected plot seeds that can be threaded together for a larger story will be added to the Divine Inspiration supplement.



Looking at these, I'm always happy with our regular milestone markers, the Backer T-Shirt and desktop wallpaper. I just changed my computer monitors yesterday, and I like to update my screens every month or two. I'm doing my best to enjoy the simple things in life.

But I'm really excited about our new content rewards. I'm always up for a Companion supplement, with further exploration of themes and rules and possible expanded rules options, and the Divine Inspiration book is almost a necessity for me. Scion: God is so ... epic ... that it can be hard to even find a direction to point in, and a book of plot hooks and story seeds is exactly what I want to illuminate some potential paths ahead. 

And I'm always a fan of the jumpstart, especially when it includes ready-made characters and the rules basics and is ready to go at a moment's notice. While we've mostly been playing online for the past few years, the new games we've jumped into over the past decade are usually spur-of-the-moment ideas and these jumpstarts make it easy to pick up and play.

 
But why stop there? Nine Stretch Goals is great... but what about Ten? Or Eleven? Let's line up some additional targets in case to keep things really exciting over this final day. First up, our next milestone marker to help us mark our pace, and then one more expansion to the Companion supplement that sounds *really* exciting.


At $115,000 in Funding - Mobile Wallpaper - Dress up your lockscreen with this Scion: God-inspired mobile wallpaper, automatically added as a reward for all backers.


At $120,000 in Funding – Scion: God Companion Supplement IV – Titans, Dragons, and Mythos Scions, oh my! The Scion: God Companion supplement will examine Titanic Apotheosis, Full Dragons, and upgrading Mythos Scions. Additional exploration of how Dragons can steal mantles, and understanding Dragon Lairs as Realms may be included.



YOUR REWARDS!

That's right! You backed this project to help make and publish Scion: God! Our primary reward - the big thank you that we'll send out in appreciation for your support - are PDFs and/or hardcover copies of this book! BUT AS A BONUS, you may also have the Scion: God Companion PDF supplement, the Scion: God jumpstart PDF, the Divine Inspiration PDF supplement, a digital wallpaper an opportunity to add to your wardrobe and maybe you've opted to include the Storyguide's Screen on your list of rewards!

Not Much More Time

If only we had unlimited Divine power and could manipulate time!

Unfortunately, we seem to continue to move forward at a regular pace, and our campaign will some come to the inescapable end. We've achieved our primary goal of funding the book, but there are these two possible Stretch Goal rewards that are still almost within grasp! I know this last funding target may seem daunting, but it wouldn't be a STRETCH goals if we didn't have to really STRETCH to reach it! I'm confident that at least one is within striking distance, though it won't be easy. I'm sure we'll be watching right up until the end of the campaign, but it is completely within our ability! 

So, as every update concludes: let's keep the enthusiasm rolling! Keep spreading the word and letting others know about this project. They've got this final day to jump in and share the Stretch Goals we've achieved!

And every backer who joins in as we approach the end is not only able to enjoy the additional rewards already added by the early fans and backers, but also help reward those early backers by maybe unlocking that Companion expansion!

Remember, only the funds generated during the crowdfunding campaign go toward achieving these Stretch Goal targets, so the time to act is now! Together, we can bring this game to life and make great things happen!

THIS CAMPAIGN ENDS AT 2:00 PM EST / 11:00 AM PST on THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17th, 2022!

#FinalDay

#ScionGod



Manuscript Preview #5 - Final Chapters!
about 2 years ago – Tue, Nov 15, 2022 at 04:19:11 AM

Hello Scions,

Here we are, on our final Tuesday of the campaign, with our final section of the draft manuscript ready for backers to review. Anyone who's pledged to this campaign is able to read the entire draft manuscript of this book before any pledges are processed or payments collected this Thursday at 2:00 PM EST (11:00 AM PST).

As we've done with the past three sections, these links will be visible only to Backers who are logged in to the campaign page, so click  "Read that Update" if you're looking at this in your inbox and I'll see you below the title treatment...

Sneak Peek: Antagonists
about 2 years ago – Mon, Nov 14, 2022 at 08:55:06 AM

Hello Scions,

Our final Monday of the campaign, our last little peek at the manuscript before the entire draft will be available for backers to review tomorrow, our final few steps before achieving our next Stretch Goal and hitting the $105,000 funding milestone. Lots going on here.

As a reminder in the midst of all of this, our schedule for this final week:


Final Days Schedule


Whether you've just discovered your divine spark or you're working your way through apotheosis, these are good items to review to make sure that we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out the Final Week countdown post and the Reward Tiers and Add On Funding updates. They set up our final week updates and notes some important points to remember before you pledge. But even more importantly, check out last week's Draft Manuscript Preview post, which contains the manuscript links for backers to download and review before any pledges are collected or payments processed.)


Antagonists

Demigods face an entirely different class of opponents than Scions at the Hero or Origin level, but Gods fight still different battles with a still more dangerous class of antagonist: other Gods, Titans, and the odd unknown entity from outside the conception of divinity altogether. The following updates to the Antagonist system model how you might choose to represent those foes, with new Flairs and Archetypes. Following that, you’ll find example Antagonists to use in your Scion game. 

New Antagonist Archetypes

While Heroes and Demigods fight Titanspawn and the minions of rival Gods, Gods fight other Gods, their children and allies. These Archetypes reflect that eternal scaling-up; a new God can’t just fight the same old enemies while he learns to stand astride the world!

Top Tier
Scion: Origin and Scion: Hero focus on Tier 1 characters, who roll dice with target number 8. Scion: Demigod ups the ante, introducing Tier 3 characters, rolling with target number 7. However, when it comes to change, Gods place their thumbs on the scale, and so do their opponents.
Scion: God introduces Tier 4 characters, who roll with target number 6. That small change causes cascading differences with regards to probability, and the opponents which Gods face often exceed 5 successes on a given roll as a result. This permits Primordials and Godheads to hit player’s characters without tipping over an entire barrel of dice onto the table. Tier 4 Antagonists just do not need to play like that unless they want to.

Primordial

The Primordials exist within yet outside of every Pantheon. They came before the Pantheons; they rose  from the deep ocean, spun themselves out of air and earth, or embody the night sky, the sun, the World itself. Many Primordials eschew the struggles of God against God, existing in a sort of divine quasi-retirement. When they deign to rise from their resting places to fight, even Gods pay attention.

Primary: 15
Secondary: 12
Desperation: 7
Health: 8
Defense: 7
Initiative: 7

Extras: When comparing Tiers for any mechanical purpose, Primordials always count as one Tier higher than their opponents in all circumstances; powers which lower the Primordial’s Tier cannot decrease it beyond “one Tier above the highest-Tier opponent.” If this means the power cannot lower the Primordial’s Tier at all, it isn’t lowered, regardless of the effect chosen. Primordials outrank everybody, except when facing other Primordials, whose Tier they may match. 

Godhead

Sometimes Gods send their Avatars to walk the earth and carry out their bidding. When encountered in their Realms, or if something has truly gone haywire elsewhere, however, one may encounter the God in their true, irreplaceable state. The Godhead’s existence means Gods can die, though infrequently permanently, depending on how one defines ‘die’ and ‘permanently.’ Mantles make the whole thing a rather Ship of Theseus situation, after all: if you kill Loki and take on his Mantles, has Loki really died?

A question for the philosophers, to be certain. You can certainly try to kill him, in any case.

Primary: 14
Secondary: 12
Desperation: 8
Health: 10
Defense: 8
Initiative: 8

Extras: A Godhead in his native Realm rules absolutely: he always counts as a Tier higher than his opponents unless that opponent is a Primordial. Powers which lower the Godhead’s Tier cannot decrease it beyond “one Tier above the highest-Tier opponent.” If this means the power cannot lower the Godhead’s Tier at all, it isn’t lowered, regardless of the effect in play. 

This rule does not apply outside of the Godhead’s Realm; if he utilizes a power to designate a different Realm as his Realm, this rule begins to apply at the beginning of the next turn. Unlike Primordials, this sort of absolute investment of power only works within their home base.



Flairs

Attack Flairs

The Hydra’s Hundred Heads

Cost: None, or 1 Tension
Duration: Instant
Subject: Self
Range: Close
Action: Reflexive
Cooldown: One scene or the Antagonist is killed

For every 2 Health boxes lost, the Antagonist gains another attack per round, as it sprouts another limb or head, venom sprays from its wounds, or another manifestation of its nature appropriate to the Antagonist. For 1 Tension, the Antagonist gains another attack per Health box lost. 

Defense Flairs

Hall Of Mirrors

Cost: None
Duration: Instant
Subject: An attacking character
Range: Varies
Action: Reflexive
Cooldown: The Antagonist evades an attack normally.

When an Antagonist uses this Flair, the attack resolves as usual, using the Antagonist’s Defense rating. After determining the final effects of the attack, the Antagonist chooses one Stunt applied to her with a cost equal to her Desperation pool or less. She applies this effect against another target within the scene using the original successes rolled against her. 

The Resurrection of Ba’al

Cost: 2 Tension
Duration: One Scene
Subject: Self
Range: Self
Action: Reflexive
Cooldown: End of Scene.

By spending Tension before its death, the Antagonist may ensure the death’s impermanence. As Mot spread the ashes of Ba’al’s body across the desert but the Bull God rose again, the Antagonist may resurrect after a mythologically appropriate amount of time. For most Antagonists, this takes longer than a single scene. As with all such decisions, the Storyguide determines what constitutes a mythologically appropriate time but should permit the characters a means of discovering the most likely interval. This never takes longer than the duration of a story. 

Utility Flairs

Enter Stage Left

Cost: 2 Tension
Duration: Instant
Subject: Varies
Range: Medium
Action: Reflexive
Cooldown: Two turns

A favorite of trickster entities, this Flair allows the Antagonist to instantly teleport to a location where someone has just invoked their name. This should be a deliberate invocation of the entity’s name: simply saying the name “Thor” wouldn’t be enough to invoke the God of Thunder, but swearing “by Thor’s hammer, you shall be avenged!” counts, as would a professor giving a long lecture about the entity, or any action or speech which clearly indicates that specific entity. The professor in question giving a general lecture about the Aesir which doesn’t directly mention Thor, for example, wouldn’t allow the hammer-toting Thunder God to pop into reality next to him on the podium.



Áo Guāng

The Azure Dragon of the Eastern Sea is tired.
Year after year, second after second, a new Scion arrives at his doorstep. Usually ones that haven’t even made names for themselves! Lowly heroes and demigods all. Pah! This is all disrespectful to Áo Guāng. Just because Nezha defeated him does not mean that all Scions can!

So, The Azure Dragon readies his weapons, his sorceries, and his command over the water. In modern times, he is not averse to using newer weapons to stronghold his household. Whenever Scions that have not made names for themselves (or have not scheduled meetings with him) arrive, he meets them with excessive belligerence. That is, of course, what these filthy upstarts deserve, especially for thinking that they are in any way equal to Sun Wukong or Nezha.

Áo Guāng longer holds back. He will fight as he has fought in the ancient of days, when the world was old and new at the same time. When that Nezha fought against the natural order of things. He will shake his house and cause tsunamis and earthquakes. He will rise from his undersea palace and encroach upon The World, should the Scions over extend themselves, and the Gods think of him as too pliant.

However, Áo Guāng is paradoxically generous, perhaps against his will. If a Scion defeats him in combat, in any form of struggle, he will reward the Scions with gifts from his house. Do not expect Áo Guāng to hold a good heart over this, however.

This is the truth: Áo Guāng has always been impressed and captivated by his own power. He will break the heavens with his ability to bring droughts and tsunamis. He has abused his strength, his own servants. The Jade Emperor looks upon him in fear of his strength, and never admits or reports his vile actions. Thus, Áo Guāng thrives and prospers. This is a good reason for Scions to try and attack him, but still. Áo Guāng is tired.

Archetype: Primordial
Qualities: Apocalyptic Presence, Armor Piercing, Astride The World, Collateral Damage, Dominion (Water), Flight, Interference, Perfected Soldier, Unstoppable, Willful
Flairs: A Thousand Hungry Hands, Apocalyptic Rain, Calling the Mob, Clearing Space, Lead Astray, Penetrator, The Natural Order is Value-Neutral
Drive: To keep his power.
Callings: Destroyer, Monster, Tyrant
Purviews: Beasts (Aquatic Animals, Dragons), Sky (Storms), Water

Primary Pool (15): Bringing violence with weapons from his house, Protecting his house, Ordering others around
Secondary Pool (12): Controlling the seas, Conniving, Deception
Desperation Pool: 7
Health: 8
Defense: 7
Initiative: 7


Áo Guāng’s House Warriors

Áo Guāng’s warriors are trained to defend his house: a house packed to the brim with servants and princesses. These guardian spirits fight with the style and skill of kung fu martial artist masters, but they fight unencumbered by tradition. They have incorporated guns and harpoons and other modern weaponry into their arsenal. All to better defend Áo Guāng’s house.

Archetype: Titanic Minions
Qualities: Apocalyptic Presence, Armor Piercing, Martial Artist (Heroic), Perfected Soldier
Flairs: Shadow Step, Shadow-Strike
Drive: To protect Áo Guāng’s house… or else he will bring drought and pain upon those that I love.

Primary Pool (11): Martial Arts Tricking, Moving Through Áo Guāng’s House, Striking With Finesse
Secondary Pool (9): Communicating, Escaping, Travelling, Speaking With Áo Guāng’s Mantles
Desperation Pool: 6
Health: 5
Defense: 2
Initiative: 7

Tiamat, Genesis of Genesis

Tiamat is the primordial salt ocean. Living in that twilight state of both alive and dead, she is eternal, and she is The World. She lives in compounded reality with the rest of the World-Bodies, but her rage and strength simmers and bursts. She is all at once indestructible but vulnerable to murder. 

A common depiction of her is as a dragon, but her true form is a massive ocean, incomprehensible in its size. All of her children take the form of dragons, which bolstered the ranks of Kingu. 

Tiamat is powerful, but Marduk slew her. She cannot approach Marduk personally, without being dead. She is thus forced to act through intermediaries. Her ancient knowledge, far before even the Gods themselves, puts her in a time so long ago that it is incomprehensible to humans. In fact, it is not clear if she is aware of humanity existing upon The World.

To Tiamat, her authority is absolute. All Gods are below her, especially those new upstart ones that arise from The World. She does not wait, now, although she is patient. Her wisdom is primeval, after all. She works through her dragons, hampering the movements of so-called heroes. Soon she shall unite once again with her beloved Abzu, and finish the First Titanomachy that Abzu started.

Tiamat is chaos incarnate. When her husband was killed, she enacted revenge. Hers was one of the first Titanomachies, fighting against the Gods that were their children.

Her first regret was not killing her children. 

And thus her fury will not be quelled until all Gods have been murdered.

Archetype: Primordial
Qualities: Apocalyptic Presence, Armor Piercing, Dominion (Sea), Destructive Force, Flight, Indestructible (Weapons blessed by the Sun), Omni-oracular, Physiological Void, Unstoppable
Flairs: Apocalyptic Rain, Clearing Space, Create Spawn, Death Curse, Divine Command, Transformation, World Shaking
Drive: To be reunited with her lover Abzu.

Primary Pool (15): Controlling the saltwater, Swimming through saltwater, bringing destruction upon her foes
Secondary Pool (12): Speaking, Coercing, Protecting her brood
Desperation Pool: 7
Health: 8
Defense: 7
Initiative: 7
Extras: Tiamat summons the monsters of the Annuna whenever she Creates Spawn. Tiamat can only be killed by a divine arrow, blessed by Gods. 


New adversary archetypes! New flairs! New antagonists! Check it all out in tomorrow's final manuscript download! We're in our final days, so please review your pledge and Add On funding as we draw closer to the conclusion, and let's see if we can't hit our next milestone marker and then move on to what could be our final Stretch Goal, doubling the size of the Divine Inspiration supplement! Let's go, Scions!

#ScionGod
#FinalDays 

Final Week Review - Reward Tiers & Add Ons
about 2 years ago – Sun, Nov 13, 2022 at 07:08:29 AM

Salutations, Scions!

We're in the final days countdown for this Kickstarter campaign! Scion: God is finished crowdfunding on BackerKit on Thursday November 17th at 2:00 PM EST - there's still time to find additional heroes and demigods and invite them into our growing pantheon, 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.

Final Days Schedule

  • November 11 - For Emanuel fiction from Scion: God
  • November 12 - Sneak Peek: Overworlds
  • November 13 - Reward Tiers + Add On options (That's today!)
  • November 14 - Sneak Peek: Antagonists
  • November 15 - Draft Manuscript #5 for Backers
  • November 16 - Stretch Goal Review
  • November 17 - Final Day Checklist & Next Steps

Whether you've just discovered your divine spark or you're working your way through apotheosis, these are good items to review to make sure that we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out the Final Week countdown post. It sets up our final week updates and notes some important points to remember before you pledge. But even more importantly, check out last week's Draft Manuscript Preview post, which contains the manuscript links for backers to download and review before any pledges are collected or payments processed.)



 

BACKER REWARD TIERS

Like it says right at the top of the campaign story page, we've come together to help create a fully developed PDF and hardcover version for the epic culmination of the tabletop roleplaying game, Scion Second Edition. For many, this will be the epic conclusion (or, at least an epic step) in their Scion's story, which began back in Scion: Origins and Scion: Hero and continued through Scion: Demigod. Or perhaps you came from a slightly different angle, dealing with the unknowable or unthinkable in Scion: Masks of the Mythos, or even fought for your own secret history in Scion: Dragon. Regardless of how you may have arrived at this point, Scion: God presents the ultimate expression of a Scion's story, and we're happy to have you with us. 

PLEDGING YOUR SUPPORT

To borrow an analogy that I've used in past 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.

Physical Incarnation or Divinely Digital

The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished book for Scion: God. The first decision you need to make is what form your rewards will take. Do you want your main rewards in digital form and are going for the PDF rulebook? Or are you do you want your book to fully incarnate as a hardcover version (which includes the PDF as a bonus!).

With that decision in mind, we've got two key reward tiers to choose from:



  • Aspirant: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.
  • Relic: This reward tier includes the hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.  In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.

Two important reminders at this stage:

  •  International Shipping Costs: We’ll be charging for shipping in the Pledge Manager once the books are being printed and we can deal with the actual shipping charges rather than using our best-guesses this far out. We’re still anticipating pretty hefty costs to ship the book internationally (see our current guesses on the story page) so be forewarned, but we’ll cross that enormous bridge when we get to it.
  •  Scion: God is Book 4 in the Scion Second Edition cycle. To better understand what God is, we need to be good folklorists and consider the steps that led us to this point.
  • Scion: Origin introduced players to The World and the basic mechanics of Scion, Second Edition. Origin gave the tools needed to play divinely-inspired characters skirting the edges of the supernatural elements and discovering the abilities and knowledge that separated them from ordinary mortals. Pre-Visitation Scions understand a fraction of The World.
  • Scion: Hero expanded options, casting open the doors to the divine. At the Heroic tier, Scions gain a fraction of the power of the Gods, giving them the opportunity to take their adventures further. This creates new choices for players, allowing their Scions to shape The World: protecting their neighborhood from Titanspawn, investigating dangers, and helping prevent catastrophes.
  • In Scion: Demigod, Scions stride further from humanity, becoming too powerful to be mistaken for mortals any longer. While most Scions of this tier continue working to better The World, the quest for power becomes its own irresistible journey. Apotheosis — the process of becoming a God — defines Demigod Scions as much as anything else. Demigods no longer wrestle with the question of whether or not to become a God, but rather what kind of God they wish to become, forging their own Legend.



In addition to these primary reward pledge paths, we also offer the following options:

  • Petitioner: Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This pledge tier is for you. This does not include our primary reward, but allows you to select some digital optional Add Ons, as well as participating in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of Scion: God that we post throughout this campaign.
  • Name an NPC, Art Model: A few Reward Tiers offer special limited premium rewards in addition to the basics, including an option to act as a Art Model or a chance to supply a name to be used by an NPC included in a supplement. Check each of the Pledge Tier descriptions for more details.

Need the first three Scion Second Edition core rulebooks as well? They form the basic system upon which your Scion: God character (and all Scion Second Edition games) are built. We've set up these one-click pledge paths to get you started! If you don't already have a copy of the Scion books, you soon will by choosing either of these reward tiers.

  • Seeker: A digital entry into Scion, this pledge path contains PDF versions of Scion: Origin, Scion: Hero, and Scion: Demigod, as well as our primary reward for this project, Scion: God.
  • Legendary Relic Set: This pledge path will get you both the PDF and hardcover books for all four of the Scion Second Edition core books (Scion: Origin, Scion: Hero, Scion: Demigod, and our primary reward for this project, Scion: God.)

After the campaign is over we'll launch our BackerKit 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. We will also use BackerKit's Pledge Manager to charge actual shipping costs for international orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.



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 crowdfunding campaign!

OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Scion: God 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.

SCION: GOD PDF VERSION - The digital version of Scion: God, 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.

SCION: GOD 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.



Choosing Your Reward Tier

There has been some churn over this past week - a few Reward Tier adjustments and changes by backers, as budgets changed and people have read the manuscript previews. 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. Funds for additional optional extras can be added to your pledge in preparation for rounding our your rewards and increasing the overall funding and maybe getting us closer to a Stretch Goal.

First Step: Reward Tier

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 90% 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.

Step Two: Add-On Funds

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.

You can increase the amount of your pledge by the amount of the add-ons you wish to add in the pledge confirmation screen if you want to account for the funds now, or you can wait to add them and be charged later in the pledge manager after the campaign is over.



Scion is a game about Gods and humanity, and everything in between. It's a game about mythic deeds and the reasons people talk about those mythic deeds.
  • Scion: Origin (Second Edition Book 1) introduced players to The World and the basic mechanics of Scion, Second Edition. Origin gave the tools needed to play divinely-inspired characters skirting the edges of the supernatural elements and discovering the abilities and knowledge that separated them from ordinary mortals. Pre-Visitation Scions understand a fraction of The World.
  • Scion: Hero (Second Edition Book 2) expanded options, casting open the doors to the divine. At the Heroic tier, Scions gain a fraction of the power of the Gods, giving them the opportunity to take their adventures further. This creates new choices for players, allowing their Scions to shape The World: protecting their neighborhood from Titanspawn, investigating dangers, and helping prevent catastrophes. 
  • In Scion: Demigod (Second Edition Book 3), Scions stride further from humanity, becoming too powerful to be mistaken for mortals any longer. While most Scions of this tier continue working to better The World, the quest for power becomes its own irresistible journey. Apotheosis — the process of becoming a God — defines Demigod Scions as much as anything else. Demigods no longer wrestle with the question of whether or not to become a God, but rather what kind of God they wish to become, forging their own Legend.
  • Scion: Dragon details the stories of Heirs, those chosen by Dragons to act within The World as their agents. It is the story of discovering history, subverting enemies, and espionage. Your Draconic patron seeks to embroil you in millennia old plots and ancient grudges as shadowy manipulators. All the while, you must learn their secrets, and either embrace the Dragon’s goals for you or make your own. Scion: Dragon is a standalone game in the World of Scion, and is meant for use with Scion: Origin.
  • Scion: Masks of the Mythos introduces powers older than humanity, Gods, and Titans, with an unknowable otherness that can shatter them all. Those that touch the Mythos are forever altered. The World explodes into full view for them, leaving some shattered, others power-mad, and still others knowing only secrecy protects humanity. Mythos Scions fair little better, empowered by these alien beings that alter their very essence, the ability to break Fate and leave the walls of reality weaker in their wake. These human embodiments of the Mythos are not good or evil; such easily definable morality is for lesser beings. What does one do when their power comes with a cost? Scion: Origin and Scion: Hero are required to use this book.

The Scion Second Edition Supplement Bundle comes with 12 PDF titles to enhance and expand your Scion game. A quick way to build your Scion library, this bundle includes the Storyguide Screen PDF, Titanomachy (new threats from the Titans' eternal cold war against the Gods), the Scion Player's Guide, Heroes of the World (Ready-Made Characters), Mysteries of the World (A companion with optional rules and new pantheons), Mythical Denizens (Ready-Made Antagonists), Car Competition (a new and unique avenue of competition for Scions), Tales of Heroes (a fiction anthology), So Now You're a Hero (advice to bring characters through Origin to Hero level), Making History Modern (advice on adapting elements of myth to the setting), Annie X (a new Ready-Made Character ), and Zeus We Just Wanna Talk (a lighthearted scenario providing an inciting event to bring Hero-level Scions together into a Band).

That's a lot of new and interesting Scion ideas and expansions all in one easy package.

And finally, the Scion: God Storyguide Reference Screen is a new Add On option that we unlocked via Funding Achievement earlier in the campaign. The reference screen is a three-panel shield with new charts and tables, and updated artwork to reflect the ongoing journey of the characters introduced on the Origin/Hero screen  


The system that powers Scion Second Edition also provides a foundation for some other Onyx Path game lines. You can take your knowledge and experience of the Storypath system from Scion to explore these new genres and games right away in these special beginner bundles.

The Trinity Continuum - The world is fraught with dangers, from the products of mad science and corporate greed to the perils of lost civilizations. Fortunately, as many of the Talented will tell you, danger is their middle name, and the Æon Society is here to help them put things to right. The only constant in the world is change, and that’s where you come in. With this beginner bundle, you can explore three eras within the Trinity Continuum, including a modern action/adventure setting (the Core Rules and In Media Res), a near-future superhero setting (Aberrant and You Are Not Alone), and a sci-fi setting of powerful psions (Aeon and the Æon Æxpansion). There are other eras and many more supplements for expanding Trinity Continuum setting, but this beginner bundle will provide you with a ton of gaming material to explore and find your footing.

They Came From - Cinema-inspired exploration of subgenres, the They Came From games can be used as a serious or tongue-in-cheek exploration of the many facets of horror. From the Atomic-fueled monster movies of the 1950s and 60s (They Came from Beneath the Sea! and Monsters from the Deep) to the dark gothic films of the 1970s and 80s (They Came from Beyond the Grave, Dracula's Tomb), these games take the tropes and themes of our favorite movies and make them part of the game itself. Other genres are explored in other They Came From games, and each of these is further expanded in different supplements, but this beginner bundle is perfect to get you started in the sometimes satirical and often hilarious send-ups in the They Came From line.



You can modify your pledges to add funds to cover Add Ons right up until the campaign ends on Thursday, September 17th at 2:00 PDF EST.

Once you've decided to Pledge to the campaign, or to Manage your Pledge if you've already backed, you either Confirm or Edit Your Pledge until Thursday, November 17th at 2:00 PM EST.

Pick a Pledge Tier, then Add On Funds


Ready to join in? If you're backing for the first time, you can click BACK IT and select your Pledge Tier and finalize funding amount in the next menu.

Using myself as an example, I've got the three previous Scion Second Edition books, and I know for sure that I want the hardcover version of Scion: God to continue my story and sit proudly on my gaming shelf. Once I click BACK IT, I see my pledge level options. If I want to know a bit more about each level, I can click Learn More, or if I know what I'm looking for, I can click Back It.



Clicking Learn More expands the Pledge Level info. Once I'm ready, I can click Pledge.


As mentioned, I've decided to back at the hardcover reward level, the Relic tier. I also want to pre-fund some Add ons, including the Storyguide Screen (+$25) and the Scion Second Edition Supplement Bundle (+$35). That brings my total to $115 USD.  


When everything is correct, I can click Confirm Your Pledge, and I'll get an e-mail confirmation sent to me.




If you're already a backer but want to update to maybe pick a new pledge tier or add extra funds to include some Add On options in the Pledge Manager, you can select Manage Your Pledge at the top of the campaign page, and then Edit Your Pledge from the review menu.

This allows me to review my current pledge, changing either the pledge level with a pull down menu or pledge amount as needed.

Once I've pledged or updated my pledge, I will confirm and receive an e-mail confirmation of my choices.


And with that, my pledge level and Add On funds are set for my pledge. At this time, I don't need to worry about setting my shipping information. Even though I'm an "international backer" (that's anyone outside the US), shipping information will be handled and international charges handled in our Pledge Manager 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. We'll review our Stretch Goal accomplishments on Wednesday, but it's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order Scion: God 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 crowdfunding campaign.

OPTIONAL HARDCOVER ADD ON REWARDS

All Add On and additional hardcovers can only be added to a reward tier that already includes a hardcover version of this book (and has therefore established shipping parameters). The Reference Screen must also be added to a hardcover reward tier, since it is a physical item that requires shipping. As with your pledge, international shipping charges will be calculated in the Pledge Manager with all physical rewards  sent in a single shipment once the Scion: God books are printed and ready to fulfill.



REWARD DELIVERY

About 2-3 weeks after the campaign has ended, I'll launch our post-campaign Pledge Manager to collect information from all backers and confirm which rewards you'll be receiving. At this point, you'll be able to review your rewards and also also adjust any Add On Options that you may have missed. Once we have everything confirmed, I'll be able to deliver any rewards that are currently available - like the PDF versions of the other Scion Second Edition Core Rulebooks, as well as the Scion Supplement PDF Bundle and the Storypath Beginner Bundles. Backers who have pledged for these options will be sent special redemption links to claim these digital rewards from our partners at DriveThruRPG.com. Clicking these redemption links will allow you to add these PDF titles to your digital library to download anytime. I'll send an update when all of that is happening, though, so you are aware every step of the way.

So, while it will take some time for Scion: God to move from manuscript form to a final product, you won't be waiting a year for PDFs that already exist. (You'll be waiting about 4-5 weeks or so, just enough time for us to set up the reward infrastructure.)

Physical Books

If you're waiting to see the International shipping costs before upgrading your PDF pledge to the hardcover reward tier, you'll have lots of time for that. We won't close the Pledge Manager until the books are ready to print and we know what shipping costs will be, so you'll be able to go back and adjust your pledge tier at that time.

It's going to take some time to create the final PDF for Scion: God and even longer for the eventual print run for the hardcover book. When the books are at the printer, I will be in touch with all backers to outline timeline for pledge adjustments, as well as lockdown procedures and when we'll be confirming addresses and processing BackerKit Add Ons and Shipping payments. That's a long time away, and we'll cover that as we get closer to that part of the process.



Don't fret if you had forgotten to add additional funds 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.

 Step 1: Pledge Tier

Step 2: Add On Options

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 can investigate PDF and digital options. If you select the hardcover tier, you will be able to add physical reward options. You cannot add on additional physical rewards if the Scion: God hardcover book is not included in your pledge tier reward list, but these Add Ons will appear in BackerKit if you later adjust your pledge choice.

Note that all funds are expressed in US Dollars, so take into account your conversion as needed.

It Adds Up!

That should explain the process of Selecting your Reward Level and adding Add On funding 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, this may go without saying, please review your personal budget and ensure you've selected the appropriate reward tier and add ons for your current financial situation. BackerKit will begin charging your payment method once the campaign ends, so ensure you've budgeted correctly. Choose what works best for you now and is affordable at this time, knowing that you can upgrade your pledge level or choose Add Ons in the Pledge Manager at a late date.




Conclusion

As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Reward Level 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 figuring out the Add On funding, you can reach out to me or to the support team at BackerKit. I've found them to respond quickly and offer great support.

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 work on our final great deeds, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out!

And I'll be back Tuesday with the FINAL manuscript section for Scion: God, making the complete text available for all backers to review before the campaign ends!

#ScionGod



Sneak Peek: Overworlds
about 2 years ago – Sat, Nov 12, 2022 at 08:26:02 AM

Hello Scions,

I've got a sneak peek from Chapter 6 for you today. We'll have the entire chapter on Overworlds available for backers to download and review on Tuesday, but I wanted to share a small taste to get us ready.

If you haven't backed yet and are just swinging by to check it out, you should know that backers will be able to download the complete draft manuscript before the campaign concludes and any pledges are processed or funds collected. Most of the manuscript is available for backers now, in weekly updates, and we'll have our final two chapters posted on Tuesday, so there's no risk in joining now to check it out.

But you've got to move fast! The campaign ends next Thursday at 2:00 PM EST. So join in, check out the manuscript, dream about exploring some epic Overworlds, and help us reach another Stretch Goal!



God Realms

God Realms are the Overworlds shaped and defined by the presence of a Pantheon’s Gods, even if they did not create them themselves. They may act as afterlives for devotees of the Pantheon as well, but their primary role is to be a home and sanctuary. In size, they appear to vary from cities to islands to worlds, and in fact they have no fixed dimensions at all: if a new God arises to join the Pantheon, there is never the risk that it will crowd any of the others, since all of the existing structures will shift to remain exactly as far apart as they were before the addition. Those that seem to have boundaries, like island realms, are surrounded by endless waters whose far shores no God has ever considered trying to reach.

While most Pantheons recognize that The World has changed over the centuries, the architecture in God Realms reflects whatever period its inhabitants are most comfortable in, the age when they believe they were at the height of their power. They may not shun modern amenities, especially if the population includes human souls unprepared for a Bronze Age afterlife, but they usually keep them hidden behind traditional facades. As well as everything else, God Realms are stories that the Gods tell themselves about who they are, and appearances are important.

Ásgarð

The Æsir realized long ago that they get along best when they have some distance between them. Fortunately, Ásgarð — a realm that they settled as much as shaped — is large enough for all of the Gods to have lands and homes of their own. As well as reducing the number of quarrels and giving Gods places to let their tempers cool when arguments run the risk of becoming feuds, their private houses also let them do two vital things: first, show off their wealth (even if it is meaningless in a realm without any real economy), and second, offer proper hospitality by throwing lavish feasts for their guests.

Valhalla, with its roof of golden shields supported by rafters made from enormous spears, is both an afterlife for half the dead who fall in battle and an occasional home to Odin in a part of Ásgarð called Gladsheim. The All-Father roams The World too often to have any permanent presence there, but if a visitor sees a pair of ravens perched atop the hall, they know he is somewhere within. The hall itself is enormous and never empty. When the warrior souls there, the Einherjar, are not eating and drinking at the end of a day of training for Ragnarok, many of them remain within to clean the floors and wash the dishes from the previous night’s festivities. There are no servants in Odin’s hall; everyone, whether king, hero, or lowly footsoldier, must do their part to maintain it. (For more on Valhalla, see Scion: Demigod and Realms of Magic & Mystery.)

The other half of the battle-dead go to Freyja’s hall, Séssrumnir, built in the shape of a half-sunken ship in the field called Fólkvangr. While the hall is as large as Valhalla and its tables appear to stretch on forever through its length, it does not have the same overwhelmingly martial aesthetic. Where Valhalla’s benches are covered with coats of mail, Séssrumnir’s have furs. Where one is lit by shining swords, the other is filled with the soft glow of jewels. Enormous cats roam freely throughout, leaping onto tables at meal times and dozing in beams of perpetually late-afternoon sunlight at others. The luxuriousness of the interior should not make visitors forget that its occupants are Einherjar as well and fully capable of a fight when the Lady of the hall calls upon them. (For more on Séssrumnir, see Scion: Demigod and Realms of Magic & Mystery.)

Thor and Sif live together with their children in Bilskirnir, part of the thunder God’s own land of Þru­ðheimr. Þru­ðheimr, unlike many of the other Æsir’s domains, resembles a vast working farm more than anything else, and visitors can always see some of the favored dead laboring there. When he is not away fighting jotunn or on a fishing trip, Thor himself often works alongside them, so that the entire region resembles a self-sustaining agricultural commune more than anything else. Bilskirnir itself is gigantic, as befits a God of Thor’s status, but more rustic in its décor than other halls: every table, every bench, and every tapestry has the small imperfections that are the sign of hand-crafted work and while food and drink are as abundant as they are elsewhere, they are the products of ordinary labor instead of magic.

The other Æsir have similar homes and halls, all according to their preferences. Baldr’s home, shining Breiðablik, is a place of peace and beauty where he hosts his mother when she does not have the patience for one of Odin’s latest schemes. Skadi and Njörðr keep separate homes — her in her dead father’s mountaintop hall, Þrymheimr, and him in Nóatún on the shores of Asgard’s encircling ocean — rarely visiting each other after their amicable divorce. All of these halls have a splendor of their own that matches the nature of their owners.

Axes Mundi
Bifröst, the rainbow bridge, is the chief way in and out of Asgard. It is flanked by impassable mountains, atop one of which is Heimdall’s hall and watchpost, Himinbjörg, from which he guards the entrance to the realm and decides who may and may not enter. It has no fixed location in The World, but is open to any Scion of the Æsir within sight of a rainbow.

A second way to reach the realm is one used only by Thor, whose habit of bringing stormclouds with him wherever he goes makes crossing a rainbow difficult. Instead of Bifröst, he wades through a series of rivers that run through Þru­ðheimr to enter The World, and can return by crossing any river there. If the other Gods know this route, they do not use it.




Kan

Kan’s origins lay in the hazy mists of time, but most K’uh simply acknowledge the God Realm’s existence and weave plots to conquer it. 

Four mighty deities, known as “Bacabs,” stretch their arms skyward from the corners of creation to hold Kan high above The World. Each of Kan’s 13 levels is governed by a potent God, collectively known as the “Oxlahuntiku.” The Oxlahuntiku stand aloof from K’uh politics, but intervene ferociously if their level is threatened. Itzamna’s throne rests within Kan’s highest level, where he routinely ascends skyward as a two-headed serpent to form the vault of the sky.

Kan boasts shaded gardens, pleasant lakes, bountiful orchards, and idealized replicas of K’uh environs from The World. The Yaxche, a massive ceiba tree with roots extending to Xibalba, grows upward from The World’s center, shading all of Kan under its branches. These branches form an intricate web affording the K’uh ease of travel between Kan, The World, and Xibalba.

A portion of Kan is reserved for the honored dead, including fallen warriors, women who die in childbirth, sacrificial victims, and those who commit suicide by hanging. Here, the dead feast lavishly and enjoy luxuries rivaling those of distant Tlālōcān. 

Most K’uh, except for the denizens of Xibalba, maintain holdings in Kan themed to their unique tastes. These include fantastical palaces, temples, and gardens that also incorporate unique elements like Buhuc-Chabtan’s fortress temples, or the warehouses and cacao farms of Ek Chuaj. The K’uh of Kan continually jockey for position, ascending or descending levels as their status waxes and wanes. They attempt to expand their holdings at every opportunity through carefully plotted schemes, lavish gifts, games on the ball court, or outright conflict. The K’uh also compete with their Teotl neighbors via cunning intrigues, espionage, and duels of honor designed to expand their territory without breaching the Treaty of Xol. 

Axes Mundi
Kan is easily traversed by full-blooded K’uh and their guests via an instinctual ability to navigate the K’uh’s metaphysical roads or the tortuous roots and branches of the Yaxche. Access for Scions and mortals is slightly more complex. A good death is the fastest (if least appealing) option for entering Kan, but enterprising travelers can simulate death by entering Xibalba through cenotes or ball courts like the ones located in Chichen Itza, then advance heavenward via the Yaxche.

Another option is the road network crisscrossing K’uh territory. Obscure rituals allow mortals to summon Xibalban owls to guide them to these otherwise invisible thoroughfares. The roads are color-coded by direction, and understanding these colors can lead prospective travelers straight to Kan. This journey is not without peril, however. Xibalba’s owls are lethal and apt to lead unwary travelers down the black road to Xibalba for Cizin’s amusement. The roads are also prone to speak and provide inaccurate directions that lead travelers astray. For additional confusion, the K’uh network intersects with its Teotl counterpart that uses a different system of color-coding, making it easy to get lost or worse.

Road Colors of the K’uh & Teotl

Direction           K’uh    Teotl
North                White  Black
East                   Red      Red
South                Yellow Blue
West                  Black   White
Center                    Green

Primordial Realms

The distinction between God and Primordial can be as blurred as that between God and Titan. A Primordial can, like Viracocha, hold an active role in a Pantheon while turning its leadership over to a younger generation of Gods, but most of them are more distant and have grander concerns. They may have created the universe and The World within it, and now exist solely to ensure its continued existence on a scale that no God can match. A few are The World itself, always present but unapproachable by the tiny creatures that crawl across their face. Many of them lack bodies in any comprehensible sense, manifesting as light, truth, or simply Being.

If a Primordial has a realm — and many are so far beyond the cosmos that they cannot be said to — then they may be able to focus their being enough to manifest within it in order to communicate with those who approach them. They do not do this for anything less than a God or a Titan of comparable power. The stars do not halt because an ant wants their attention. Should they take form within their own realm, it will often be in a size that matches their power, the kind whose height is measured in how many thousands of years it would take to measure. More often, though, they communicate indirectly through the realm itself, delivering cryptic messages that are to the Gods as their own omens are to the uncomprehending mortals who receive them. It is a humbling experience.

Most Primordial Realms lack an Axis Mundi: either the Primordial is present somewhere or they are not, and there is no way to cross the gap without them wishing it to happen.

Anu

There was a time when Anu, the heavens that contain all that is, took a more active hand in the rulership of the universe, but that time is long past now. All that remains is the memory that he once did, and having passed a measure of his authority on to the Anunna who succeeded him, he can no longer return to that earlier state for more than brief moments. He is always, and will always be, a figure of ages gone by.

Anu’s Primordial Realm is also a God Realm, the seat of power in which the Anunna meet in their councils and issue their decrees for The World. It takes the form of a walled city in which stands an orderly collection of temples, palaces, canals, libraries, treasuries, and storehouses that rise up from a level landscape of uniformly red stone. The waterways surrounding these structures are all lined with lush vegetation, giving the entire complex the air of an oasis amid a vast wasteland. While the Anunna are not incapable of bringing more life to the realm, they see little point to it: they conduct all of their business within the walls or in The World.

In the throneroom of the largest and most central palace stand the thrones of the God-kings of the Anunna, Enlil, Marduk, and Anu. Most of the time, Anu’s throne is empty, but he is still present: he is the authority that gives the other Gods their power, and while they rarely speak of it, they know that he can bestow or remove it as he chooses. Should he decide to make an appearance, an outsider in the throneroom will immediately notice the change in atmosphere as the usually-commanding Anunna fall into respectful silence to listen to what he has to say. Such visits are always as brief as his words are direct, after which the Gods move immediately to act on his dictates.

The nature of Anu is such that visitors who are not already connected to the Anunna will quickly feel themselves obeying their instructions without question as soon as they arrive. Other Gods know this from past experience, so they pay visits to Anu’s realm only when they can send members of their Pantheons whose status will ensure that they are treated as honored dignitaries, not servants.

Axes Mundi
While there is no Axis Mundi that connects Anu directly to The World, it is possible to descend from it to the lower realm of the Annunaki, the lesser Gods who serve the Annuna as they serve Anu, and from there, to descend once more through the dome of the sky to reach the realm of humanity. The reverse is also possible, if one can find the proper entry point. At the right times of the year, after performing rites to show submission to and respect for the Anunna, a Scion of the Pantheon who stands on top of the White Temple in Uruk, Iraq, may be rewarded by having the stairs to the heavens revealed.


The Body of Nut

For some Pantheons, the idea that a Primordial Realm is the body of a God is mostly metaphorical, a way of expressing that the God is present in every part of it. For the Netjer, it is quite literal. Nut, the night sky, stretches high above The World in both a physical form — a woman who arches from horizon to horizon, supported by her father Shu — and an expanse of starry darkness through which Ra passes every night in his solar barque. The Duat Underworld lies within her body, while a group of celestial Gods, the Decans, guard her from the outside against attacks by Titans.

Unless traveling with Ra on his nightly journey, joining in the battle against Apep to ensure that the Sun rises again the next morning, there is little reason for most Gods to try to reach Nut. She is not very communicative herself unless a visitor comes with news of her husband, Geb, or any of her children among the Netjer. Even if one does manage to draw her into conversation, there is very little she can do; her father makes certain that she does not descend to The World, knowing that the last time she did, her lovemaking with Geb left no room between Earth and the stars for anything else to exist. The twelve Decans are more likely to be of assistance, but even they are better dealt with as sources of information. Collectively, they are aware of all disturbances in the heavens, each of them having knowledge of one-twelfth of the night sky, and they will share what they know with Scions of the Netjer if entreated with the proper rites. Some Sorcerers know how to call on them as well for the same purpose, and the Decans are only too willing to respond.

Fortunately for Scions who do not wish to make a journey into the sky, those who are familiar with the sciences of astromony and astrology can study Nut and the Decans through a telescope to glean information. It cannot reveal the future, but such study can be very rewarding when trying to perceive anything happening in The World where Nut and her attendant Gods can see it, which is everywhere. For this reason, many of The World’s larger observatories maintain a shrine to the Primordial, and several also keep an astrologer-priest of the Netjer on hand to interpret unusual cosmic events. From supernovas, black holes, and the pulses of distant stars, these priests calculate portents and pass that information on to the Netjer’s Scions. (For more on the body of Nut, see Realms of Magic & Mystery.)

Axes Mundi
Ra’s barque is the only way to enter the body of Nut. A traveler must board is at the moment of sunset when it prepares to depart in the west, then be willing to fight alongside the Netjer as they face Apep over the course of the night. While someone could decide to leap from the barque at any point in its journey and thereby enter one of the regions of Duat, abandoning the Gods when they are under attack is a sure way never to be permitted to set foot in Ra’s presence again.

Other Overworlds

There are places that were once the Gods’ that they have abandoned. In some cases, it is because the God or Primordial who gave it its form died; in others, because the Gods were driven out through their own actions. Other realms stand empty because it is not their time yet, so they wait silently for their future occupants.

Scions may try to seek out one of these realms and claim it as their own. In the case of an Overworld of a dead God, especially one of the prehistoric ones whose name and deeds are now lost to memory, the most difficult challenge is finding a way to enter. Explorers should keep in mind, however, that not every dead God is completely dead. Some of them are only sleeping, and take great offense to being woken.

Crossing into an abandoned Overworld is more dangerous. There is always a reason why the Gods left it, and unless a Scion is able to right whatever wrong drove them out (a quest that could be the culmination of a Demigod’s Apotheosis), there will always be repercussions to trespassing. Even if the way into such a realm is relatively easy, whatever lurks there is sure to be a threat.

Niðvellir

Niðvellir, which lies far below The World near where the dragon Niðhöggr feasts on corpses and sharpens its teeth on the roots of Yggdrasil, is best described as a work in progress. Hidden away from the other realms of the Æsir in an enormous cavern, it is Fated to become an afterlife for the race of humans who populate The World after Ragnarok. At the moment, it is a sprawling construction project overseen by the dwarves, a city made from gold and cunning artifice that glows with its own light to such an extent that one could be forgiven for forgetting how far away it is from the Sun.

Under the leadership of Sindri, the dwarves bustle about the city to add new buildings, forge decorations, and lay out its complex infrastructure. Most of them have very little time to speak with visitors: they know they have a deadline to complete it, but none of them know when it is, so they always work as if Ragnarok could come at any moment. The only thing that slows them down is if they near Niðhöggr crawling around beyond the cavern walls. When that happens, everyone stops, holds their breath, and waits for the dragon to fall silent again.




Final Week Schedule

  • November 13 - Reward Tiers + Add On options
  • November 14 - Sneak Peek: Antagonists
  • November 15 - Draft Manuscript #5 for Backers
  • November 16 - Stretch Goal Review
  • November 17 - Final Day Checklist & Next Steps

I'll be back tomorrow to review our Reward Tiers and discuss some of the Add On options for this project, and then we'll get a sneak peek at some of the Antagonists ahead of Tuesday's manuscript preview. We're in the homestretch now, so it's time to start firming up pledges and joining in if you haven't already! We're also really close to achieving another milestone marker, so let's keep working together to recruit new backers and build our pantheon!

#ScionGod