My whole life I've written poetry. I'd escape from my very loud and sometimes violent house with my backpack, a peanut and jelly sandwich, a thermos of lemonade, my notebook and pen.
I'd hike into the hills near my neighborhood in South Dakota and write. Writing for me has always been a way of putting my insides on my outsides. Then, when the words are in front of me...the problems don't seem so small, the world has hope and love again.
My work is new. I've never shared it before. And that is really, really scary. It's not like I took poetry classes. I don't really know what makes a poet. For me, I guess it's a love of words.
Words give us a chance to connect. Hope. Think. Feel. Words can provoke and inspire. And maybe my hope is that words can ultimately join us together seeing that we are more similar than different.
My hope is to self-publish 300 paperbacks and 120 hard covers with 100 pages. When they're done, I hope to share my words with the world...adding my voice to the narrative.
Is it scary? Hell yes. But worth it? Absolutely.
Risks and challenges
Well let's see - I guess a risk is that you may not like my poetry. I try and put my work out there via my website, social media and my newsletter fairly regularly if you'd like to get a taste.
Art is subjective. My hope is that you'll like it, but there are no guarantees. You are supporting an unknown artist. I've never put myself out there in this way before.
Know that I will meet the publishing deadline and that every poem I choose will be the best I can create and offer.
A house frozen in time. A psychological drama where fantasy collides with destruction and everything is not as it seems.
About
A time not so long ago there lived a family torn by chaos and violence. From my mothers mind we step through memories and fragments of time. Present day "This is where it all began" she said as we walk up to the house together. "I was in fourth grade, I think...it was 1968" we step through the front door and enter a bright white light like the Twilight zone. We are transported to the house in 1968 my mother runs by camera as a little girl laughing a large bang happens and we are transported to me being seven years old around her age in fourth grade and watching a gruesome fight between my mother, uncle, aunt Angela and Grandfather. The kind of fights where they would slam each other through tables, punch walls, and threaten each others lives. There is my mothers voice in present day talking to me while we watch this fight happen in my mind and then fade out of my eyes onto her speaking in present day. It has been three years since Grandpa and Angela passed away. Angela was a paranoid schitzophrenic and would sometimes come into my room at night and burn me with cigarettes. She once tried to burn herself alive. I grew up creating elaborate stories in fantasy worlds to escape this world, only to realize that these are the stories on family, love and loss that I need to be telling. I love these people with all of my heart and soul for always and forever. No matter what was done these are the individuals who shaped my existence and gave me the skills necessary to help heal myself and others.
Risks and challenges
The house we will be filming in does not have running water or electricity. I will need to also bring in a porto potty for cast and crew.
Majority of funds will be spent on Anamorphic lenses, lighting, sound, generators and post production.
Discover an ancient planet shaken by bizarre forces, where anomalies bend the laws of physics and new life has evolved in strange ways thanks to the power of mysterious crystals. You are tasked with exploring uncharted lands in this competitive area control and hand-management eurogame.
In Mysthea, become a Champion of Ilvash hired by the Kingdom's guilds to explore and gain control of uncharted islands floating around the gravitational force of the enormous crystal embedded in the planet. On these unknown islands, face unimaginable beasts, choose your path and find a way to survive the mysteries and perils of Icaion.
Humans will be on average 32mm
Go to BoardGameGeek to become a fan and subscribe. The unlocked images are available here and the unlocked 3D models on here.
In Mysthea, you control a Champion with unique skills. Your goal is to explore five islandsfloating around the gravitational force of a mysterious crystal.
The game is a carefully crafted fusion of hand-management and area control, with hefty player customization, asymmetric gameplay and a variable scoring system.
The area control aspect of the game is based on a dynamic map that is constantly transforming thanks to player action and choice.
The shifting game map means that player strategy has to take into consideration the possibility of change just around the corner, creating a new layer of strategic depth to time tested area-control mechanics.
For example, a player could suddenly move his entire army by shifting the land beneath them. He could split a rival Champion from his troops, or endanger him by driving him closer to a monster. In Mysthea monsters move and attack abruptly, and are almost invincible when challenging a single Champion. Players must cooperate for a chance to defeat them. These are just a few of the possible strategic outcomes that these mechanics enable.
Players start the game with a small set of cards and they can acquire new ones from a common display during their turn, increasing possibilities and strategies. Each card is unique, making the hand management mechanism the other core aspect of the game. Deciding when and how to use a card is a huge part of Mysthea, since players will collect them back at the start of each new Era. This means that every card can be used multiple times in different ways. This creates a deep and tense tactic and strategic planning, always very different and highly customizable to your favorite play-style.
During gameplay, players will face encounters with two possible paths on a card and will have to choose the one that seems to bring the best outcome for their Champion’s journey. In this image, for example, you could choose to make a surprise attack on a camp, probably influencing other players. Or you could ignore that option to explore the curious crystal structure in the distance, hoping to find something that could empower your Champion. What would you choose?
Players will combat monsters and other players, strategize and perform many other actions during gameplay that can grant endless strategic possibilities. Read our in-depth articles on our website, download the rulebook or watch a video preview to have a complete overview of all the game mechanics and the gameplay experience you can expect from Mysthea.
Millenia ago, a planet called Icaionwas hit by a giant crystal of unknown origins from the depths of space. With staggering force, the crystal pierced through the celestial body. The impact was so strong that the planet, and the forces governing it, changed forever.
Fast forward thousands of years. A region made of the chunks of land that broke off from Icaion due to the force of impact is now inhabited by a prosperous society. The lands floating above the clouds were named Mysthea by their inhabitants.
The shards of the crystals that were scattered across Mysthea have been found to possess great powers, which the people have harnessed to perform incredible feats. The crystals are called Qoam and the inhabitants attune themselves to their unique magnetic field to move them telekinetically. The lands of Mysthea are ruled by a Kingdom, but the King has long since ducked into the shadows of his empire, delegating the management of the state to sovereign Guilds. Each Guild is tasked with representing the interests of a particular part of the population.
Recently, for the first time ever, humans have managed to create an artefact that is able to amplify the power humans have over the crystals. One artefact for every Guild was created. They were considered tools of immense power and for a while, they were used rarely, mostly in ceremonious circumstances, until one Guild realized that with the aid of the artefact, they could send an explorer to the uncharted islands floating around the Crystal. For the first time in history, they would be able to explore those terrifying, sacred places. They could touch those lands considered holy by some and damned by others.
The kingdom buzzed with excitement when each Guild announced that they would fund expeditions, entrusting the artefact to a Champion who would travel to these harsh new lands in hopes of finding great rewards.
Humans are naturally able to interact telekinetically with Qoam crystals. But, some are more predisposed than others and are able to perform amazing feats. True masters can use Qoam as weapons, weightless to the user and deadly to their enemies, or to create armor stronger than any other worldly material that doesn’t compromise their mobility. Each master has developed a unique and personal use of the crystals, sensing and seeking out shards that vibrate with a frequency that is easiest for them to attune to.
The Champions of Ilvash come from different backgrounds, and manifest different abilities when interacting with Qoam. They are highly revered and are able to live off their talent. They sell their services to Guilds or to private citizens. Some think they join the expeditions to the unexplored islands for monetary compensation alone, but each of them have ulterior motives for facing such great dangers.
During the long years since the collision, new life spawned alongside humans. This peaceful, and sometimes advantageous, coexistence between monsters and people is taken for granted by the citizens of Ilvash. But those who have experience in the less inhabited regions outside the city walls know that creatures that are common and cooperative in the city can become aggressive in certain areas of the world. When hit by the energy of the Crystal they transform into mighty and terrifying beasts.
Want to find out all the details of the game’s lore? Want to learn why Onygauros are called the collectors and why Boulron are called Reapers? Curious about the story behind your favourite Champion? What's the inhabitant from below and why it's called this way? Download the free Book of Lore!
Risks and challenges
This is our third Kickstarter campaign and the second board game with highly detailed miniatures and complex components. During these years we’ve gained the expertise and know-how to confidently produce high quality games the way we envision them.
Nonetheless we’ve also learned production, quality control and shipping are delicate phases that can bring unexpected issues that may take some time to solve. For this reason the delivery date, December 2018, is an estimate. While we will do everything in our power to meet this date or even anticipate it, we are aware that slight delays are possible for reasons outside of our control. Also, exact delivery dates could vary depending on where you live. For example, your game may arrive earlier if you live in a region close to the factory.
By pledging for this project you accept the following terms:
General Terms: -This is not a pre-order and the final product may be subject to changes and improvements from what is presented here.
-After 30 days from the delivery date to your door, we will not accept complaints related to the game box contents of this campaign (missing components, damaged components, etc.).
-After 6 months from the shipment date, we will not accept complaints related to the shipment of items of this campaign (damaged package, lost or missing contents, etc.).
-After 12 months from the shipment date, we will not accept any complaints related to this campaign.
Refunds: -An order can be canceled and fully refunded before the end of the campaign by clicking on the applicable button on Kickstarter. After the end of the campaign, the order can still be canceled within 15 days by sending us an email with your cancellation request. Please note that in this case the refund will not include the processing costs and Kickstarter fees, which will be deducted from your total. Apart from the cases specified here, the order is considered valid and is not refundable.
Shipping: -It’s ultimately your responsibility to respond to our post-campaign survey to claim your rewards and to give us information about your shipping address and add-on choices. If you ignore our last call email for more than 4 weeks we will consider your pledge a donation and we won’t be able to ship you a reward.
-If the game fails to arrive because of your mistake (wrong address, recipient absent, failure to pick up at courier/postal warehouse, etc.), any additional shipping/warehousing cost for us to re-send/re-deliver your game will be your responsibility. This also includes the costs associated with returning the game. If after investigation it becomes clear that the error was on our part, we will resend your package at our expense.
-If the package is lost, destroyed or damaged, the carrier will be held solely responsible. Any customer claim to the carrier needs to be made at the time of delivery, not later. If the package seems damaged, please ask the postal carrier to make you a receipt "accepted with reserve".
-Please note that we will not reship any game without first investigating what happened to the first shipment.
-If your game arrives with missing or damaged components, provide us with proof and we will substitute them once we have verified the damage.
-If you live outside of the USA, EU, CA, AU, and JP customs taxes may be added. Please check your country's rules and regulations as this aspect will not be our responsibility.
If you are not comfortable with these terms, please do not participate in this Kickstarter Campaign.
