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Jadestorm

Created by Onyx Path

A roleplaying game of epic tales of adventure, vengeance, and power!

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Final Days Review: Pledge Tiers and Add On Options
about 1 month ago – Mon, Sep 14, 2026 at 10:50:12 AM

Hello Jadebearers,

I've got a lot to go over today, so let's settle in and prepare for a big review post.

Before we dig in to it, one more reminder of our current Stretch Goal targets:



At $34,000 in Funding - JADESTORM DIGITAL WALLPAPER

JADESTORM DIGITAL WALLPAPER - The fantastic Jadestorm artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project.



At $36,000 in Funding - JADESTORM NOVELLA II

JADESTORM NOVELLA II - In a world of epic tales, a second short story written to explore the world of Eos and the play experience will be will be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Jadestorm PDF as one of their rewards.

We're *this close* to unlocking that digital wallpaper, which is really just a stepping stone to get another novella for Jadestorm. If you've been lucky enough to read any of the recent fiction that Onyx Path has put out for the Exalted and Curseborne games, you know they've been killing it lately, and I really look forward to what those writers can do with the cool bits from the Jadestorm game.

Of course, there could be additional stretch goals set up if we clear that $36,000 target, but we'll get to that on Wednesday when we do the Stretch Goal review.


Jadestorm finishes the crowdfunding campaign on September 17th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. 


We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. There's still time to add a few more links in our chain, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I want to remind everyone about our final days Update Schedule to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.

Final Week Program

  • Sept 11 - Manuscript Preview - Chapter 7 
  • Sept 14 - Reward Tier & Add On Review (That's today!)
  • Sept 15 - Manuscript Preview - Chapter 8 
  • Sept 16 - Stretch Goal Review
  • Sept 17 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next


Whether you've just received your first jade fragment or an duellist battling mountains, these are some good topics to review in the upcoming days to make sure we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews,  youtube videos, and other helpful information.)

Since that post, we've also seen the first Jadestorm Actual Play session posted on youtube. Listen to this when you get a chance: <Actual Play: Across Dark Waters - Four heroes encounter great danger and grief in this standalone session of Jadestorm>



PLEDGE 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 as well as standard and deluxe hardcover versions of Jadestorm, a book full of epic action, incredible powers, and amazing sorcery for this stage of the Earthbane Cycle. 

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 (while they still exist): 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.

Jadestorm

The main reward offered in this campaign is, of course, the main goal of the entire proposition: the finished PDF, hardcover and deluxe edition for Jadestorm. The step in your decision chain is simple - do you save some shelf space and go digital-only with the PDF version or go all in with the hardcover version?

While the world of the Jadetouched is full of epic characters and larger-than-life adventures, we've kept supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project and receive the book in one (or more) of the formats offered, pick one of these reward tiers:

  • BEASTFATHER GAHL: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the ever-increasing shipping charges - this is the reward tier option 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 for you to download at your leisure.

  • STORMCLOAKED KORRAN: This reward tier includes the standard hardcover version of this book. 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.

If you're really excited to become one of the Jadetouched and  want to really impress your gaming friends, we're also offering a special edition Deluxe Edition Jadestorm hardcover book.

  • SHADOWED ARA: This reward tier includes the limited edition deluxe version of Jadestorm hardcover book, with a leatherette cover, special cover design, and bound-in silk bookmark. 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.



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

  • SUNLIT ELION: 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 participate in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of Jadestorm that we post throughout this campaign.

  • DANCING VETH-RAH / JUDGING SUHAL / DEATHLY MIR'YA / MYSTERIOUS WID-ROS: A few Reward Tiers offer special limited premium rewards in addition to the basics, including participation in an online game session run by Matthew Dawkins, an option to supply a name to be used by an NPC which will be incorporated into the game, and the ability to name and describe a settlement or dungeon which will be added to setting's lore, or even the option to pitch a Jadetouched monster to add to the game. Check each of the Reward Tier descriptions for more details.



After the campaign is over we'll launch our 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 path, should you choose to expand your reward selection. Funding collected after the Crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
After the Crowdfunding campaign, in the Pledge Manager, you 'll be able to:

  • Review and update your Pledge Level selection - for example, you can pledge to the Beastfather Gahl tier during the campaign and then switch to the Shadowed Ara once we know shipping costs and are preapring to fulfill the hardcover rewards.
  • Confirm and Update your Shipping information - you'll be able to update your final delivery address up until we're shipping out the hardcover rewards.
  • Pay for Shipping and additional Add On Options - we'll process payments for shipping costs and additional add-ons selected in your Pledge Manager survey when we get closer to reward fulfillment.
  • Download Digital Reward Redemption Links - the Pledge Manager will have links to access all of your digital rewards as they are fulfilled


An important reminder at this stage:

  • 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 (see our current guesses on the front page).


You'll note that two features - 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 Jadestorm campaign, some pledge tiers have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a 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.


JADESTORM BACKER PDF  - Crowdfunding backers will receive a redemption link for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Backer 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.



JADESTORM HARDCOVER BOOKS - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a standard and limited edition deluxe hardcover editions of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include the physical hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager prior to hardcover reward fulfillment.


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 extras can be added to your pledge by selecting Add On options 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 crowdfunding campaign is to ensure you've selected the appropriate Backer Reward Tier. Selecting the right Reward Tier covers about 95% of the options available to you. If you want the standard hardcover, make sure you've selected the correct reward. If you want the deluxe edition, double-check your reward tier to ensure the proper option is featured. 

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 Options

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 PDFs you may wish to add. All Add-On rewards are described in our Add On menu below.

You can select an Add On option, which will increase the amount of your pledge by the listed amount. Add on options will be selected and confirmed again in the Pledge Manager when that's up and running.


As well as additional copies of the Jadestorm game in various formats - and the Storyguide Screen, which we unlocked via Stretch Goal achievement -  you can add on the other games in the Earthbane Cycle line, as well as the Storypath Ultra Core Manual, which breaks down the system that powers all of these games.

  • THE WORLD BELOW (Corebook PDF) is a game of adversity, heroism, terror, and awe. Your characters will overcome or be defeated by terrible beasts, environmental calamities, and Kaos storms ravaging their surroundings and the souls around them. They will chart their journeys, chronicle their tales, and pass their stories down to their descendants, who will in turn become your characters when your old ones perish or retire.

  • AT THE GATES (Corebook PDF) is a high fantasy tabletop roleplaying game about burgeoning heroes struggling to survive, fighting for what’s right, exploring dangerous places, and saving the world. You play as heroes who have chosen to buck the status quo and try to change the course of things. Your characters may attempt to change the course of the war, delve into the secrets of daemons and the Void, fight against tyranny to protect what they love in the world, fight to restore balance to Gaia, or all the above.

  • MONSTER KINGDOMS (Corebook PDF Pre-Order) in this game, you play as a creature of darkness. You may be vampiric magus, or feyborn harlequin. You might be a warrior gauntlet, an orc cultist, a druidic elf, or a flame-spitting dragonkin. You can play a wildly creative goblinoid, a chaotic dwarf, a fierce ice elementor, or a shame-filled fiend.  Your characters can be anything from hulking dreadnauts to disturbing mentalists, and many Mantles in between. Receive the draft manuscript while you wait for the Backer PDF to be distributed.

  • The STORYPATH ULTRA CORE MANUAL PDF presents a way for you to use Storypath Ultra to power whatever world you have in mind. We’ve created this book so anyone can use Onyx Path’s system for their own private tabletop game sessions. Many people over the years have talked about how they hacked one of our games into different shapes to play in their favorite worlds, so this book is here to allow us to give you advice on how to build your game using Storypath Ultra from the ground up.


Pick a Pledge Tier, then Add On Options


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.

Once you click BACK IT, you'll see pledge level options. If you want to know a bit more about each level, click Learn More, or click Back It.



For example, clicking Learn More on the STORMCLOAKED KORRAN pledge gives you...



Once you're ready, you can click that BACK IT button and go right to Add On options.


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. It's important to note that backers who wait and Pre-Order the Jadestorm book at a later date will not have any Stretch Goal rewards automatically added to their rewards list if applicable.



REWARD DELIVERY

About 4-6 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 that 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 existing Earthbane Cycle titles and the SPU Core Manual PDF. 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 Jadestorm 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 8-10 weeks or so, just enough time for us to set up the reward infrastructure.)

Physical Books

If you're waiting to see the shipping costs before upgrading your PDF pledge to any of the hardcover reward tiers, you'll have lots of time for that. We won't close the Pledge Manager until the books are being manufactured 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 Jadestorm and even longer for the eventual print run for the hardcover books. 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 select additional rewards 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 a hardcover tier, you will be able to add additional copies of the hardcover and the Storyguide Screen. 

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 options 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 at midnight the day 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.

There are no refunds for regret, and the funds raised start being spent immediately on paying for the work done thus far and the additional work ahead plus the projects unlocked via Stretch Goal. So please be financially responsible.

Did I stress that enough? I hope so.




Conclusion

As we move through these final days of the campaign, please ensure you've chosen the correct Pledge 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 options, 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! I'll be back tomorrow with our final chapter, covering the Jadestorm antagonists, so let's make sure that none of our friends miss out! Anyone supporting this project will be able to read the entire draft manuscript before any pledges are processed or payments collected, so you'll know exactly what you're getting! And you'll be able to submit your feedback directly to the developers who will use your notes to take the manuscript through the final stages of editing and development to make it the best it can be.

So, review your pledge, make sure it works for you in this moment, and let's carry on to our big finale on Thursday!


#Jadestorm

Storyguide Mastery [Draft Manuscript Preview 7]
about 1 month ago – Fri, Sep 11, 2026 at 07:52:04 AM

Hello Jadebearers,

We're in our final days, and it's time for our second-last of the draft manuscript! With next Tuesday's update, backers have access to the entire approved draft and can read the book before any pledges are processed or payments collected. If you're with us beyond that point, you know exactly what this project is you're backing and a key member of the supporters bringing this project to life!

Before we get to the manusript download link, I just wanted to quickly go over a few key pieces of info. We're in the Final Days countdown for this Crowdfunding campaign. Jadestorm finishes the crowdfunding campaign on September 17th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time. There's still time to add a few more backers to our team, but we're definitely getting closer to the finish line. With that in mind, I want to remind everyone about our final days Update Schedule to make sure everyone has the information they need to support this project in the way that works best for them.

Final Week Program

  • Sept 11 - Manuscript Preview - Chapter 7 (That's today!)
  • Sept 14 - Reward Tier & Add On Review
  • Sept 15 - Manuscript Preview - Chapter 8 
  • Sept 16 - Stretch Goal Review
  • Sept 17 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next


Whether you've just received your first jade fragment or an duellist battling mountains, these are some good topics to review in the upcoming days to make sure we all end up where we want to be.

(An aside, if you're a new backer, make sure you check out our Final Week Countdown / Resource Update. It has links to the manuscript previews,  youtube videos, and other helpful information.)




Draft Manuscript Previews

Over the course of these 4 weeks, backers will receive the entire current draft manuscript for Jadestorm, but it's not going to come to you all in one go. The previews will come out in jade-sized installments throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over the 28 days, but it's more about guiding the conversation and helping steer feedback for the developers.

Because they want your feedback! These manuscript previews are of the current draft manuscript – the document in its latest, approved form. This may not be the final form - it hasn't been edited yet, and there will be further rounds of development -  but you can consider it about 75% finished, so keep that in mind.

In fact, you can help guide the team through the next stages of development by providing feedback on these manuscript previews! The Onyx Path team has set up a special Feedback Form just for campaign backers for this very purpose: <Jadestorm Feedback Form>


You can use this FEEDBACK FORM to share your thoughts directly with the Jadestorm creative team to help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.


DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY

Remember, thanks to BackerKit sorcery, these download links are visible to Backers only - you must be logged in and reading this on the website to have access to the manuscript preview links. So, if you're reading this via e-mail, click that "Reply to this Update" or "Learn More" button on the bottom and I'll see you below the Jadestorm title logo.

FINAL WEEK COUNTDOWN
about 1 month ago – Thu, Sep 10, 2026 at 09:16:11 AM

Hello Jadebearers,

There's been so much going on while this campaign has been running that it feels like it's just started and it's been running forever, but the truth is that it's been three weeks since the Jadestorm first hit and we've got one more week to go before the storm is finished! 

We're now officially in our FINAL WEEK COUNTDOWN!

Next week I'll be sharing a handful of instruction and review-type posts about Reward Tiers & Add Ons, Stretch Goal reviews, and What Comes Next, so if you've got any process questions or are wondering about how the Crowdfunding steps work, I'm hoping to clarify any remaining questions before we finish. Of course, if you're still wondering about something, please ask and I'll help as best I can.

Final Week Program

  • Sept 11 - Manuscript Preview - Chapter 7
  • Sept 14 - Reward Tier & Add On Review
  • Sept 15 - Manuscript Preview - Chapter 8 
  • Sept 16 - Stretch Goal Review
  • Sept 17 - Final Day Checklist & What Comes Next


Ha, I really need to update my avatar image with a lot more gray in my beard.


The Campaign ends on September 17th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time... sort of.

You gain jade splinters - or, let's call them backers, in this case - and use it to power your abilities (this campaign).. . You know, I'm not sure how I'm building this analogy, but there's something about jade gambling and creating Chains and in this case, that's called "OVERTIME MODE" and it allows us to keep the campaign rolling as long as backers are pledging.

Overtime Mode

Overtime Mode extends the campaign past its original end time to give backers a final chance to make their pledge and adds an interesting twist to the end of the campaign. How long will it extend? That’s entirely up to backers: The campaign will keep going for an additional 10 minutes as long as pledges keep coming in – a chain of back-to-back pledges is called the Backer Train. The campaign will end only when the Backer Train stops after a period of 10 minutes passing without any pledges.

You’ll know we’re in Overtime Mode when the campaign’s Backer Train counter displays a bright rainbow border and a new countdown that resets to 10 minutes after each new backer joins that final Backer Train ride.

So, we've scheduled the campaign to conclude on September 17th at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, but it'll be extended in 10 minute chunks as long as backers keep pledging. Will we add an extra 10 minutes? An extra 20? Or will it all finish up as planned? Who knows, but we'll gamble our jade together!



Gathering more Jade fragments

I know, this is something I've already said many times (and seem to say during every project!), but for this final week, you are officially a Jadestorm recruiter. It's time to share your excitement for Jadestorm! Basically, we want to recruit as many curious backers as possible to see how long we can keep our Backer Train running over this final week.

I know I've ended many update posts with "Keep spreading the word! Invite others to join in!" - but what does that mean, and how do you do it?

Easy answer - don't stop talking about Jadestorm until 2:01 PM Eastern next Thursday September 17th  (and then as long as we continue running in Overtime Mode). Yes, family and friends are tired of me talking about it. But what else have I got to talk about? The state of the world? That gets a little depressing fairly quickly. I've also had a cold over the past week, so they don't want to be near me anyway. But here's the thing - there are others around who haven't heard or don't know about the campaign.

We all know the Earthbane games are a little quirky and niche - it's a different take on fantasy adventures with different directions and possiblities - with lots of amazing setting bits and strange ties to the other Earthbane Cycle games thrown in as well. This book covers a lot of different ideas and topics, and surely something in there will be interesting to potential players! Yet those backers haven't yet heard about this campaign and would love to join in. We're right in the middle of relentless news and events so it's not surprising that new backers are just finding out about the campaign every day. If you have an opportunity to let someone know, please do and let's make sure they have a chance to join in before the end.

For me, one of my main ways of coping with these exhausting times is to dive into a game world with my friends. Reading the Jadestorm manuscript has been a much-needed escape over the past weeks, and my friends and I will absolutely be figuring out our sorceries and chains as part of our self-care in the future.

So, let's help out our awesome TTRPG fans and make sure that we've spread the word as best we can and everyone has an opportunity to participate in this campaign!




Resources to Share

If you're inviting new backers, or if you are a new backer (hi new backers!), here are a few key resources to be aware of for this campaign.


Backers are able to review the (soon-to-be) complete manuscript for this book before the campaign closes and any pledges are processed. With the exception of the Storyguide and Antagonists chapters which will be posted on Friday and next Tuesday, the entirety of the rules and options from this book are available for download and review by backers, including all of the information needed to build your own character. 

Anyone who pledges to this campaign before the end can read the entire book now AND provide feedback directly to the developers to help guide the manuscript through the final phases of development and editing!

And, if you join now, as I've noted, we'll be posting the final chapters of the book over the next five days before we reach the finish line. These final chapters have advice for Guides, along with new adversaries and possible allies.



Gentleman Gamer Videos

Matthew Dawkins, the developer of Jadestorm, is creating a series of videos that explains the game and setting better than my fuzzy words ever could. If you've been on the fence or need some more info to convince your friends to join in, here are some of his videos:




and these:


Matthew has also sent along this rough political map of Eos to use as reference when reading the manuscript:



Interview with Emma Summers

GM Corbin talked with one of the writers of the book, Emma Summers, in his latest Game Designer Interview:



I think the best way to learn about the game is to read the manuscript, but if you want some ideas of what you're getting into, these videos will really help. The other great idea is to talk to backers of the campaign!


Talk to the Backers!

The Discord is particularly lively and fun, but you might be able to gain further insight and some in-depth conversation at any of these Onyx Path discussion zones:


The Discord has been particularly lively on this one, especially when new manuscript sections drop. And Matthew and Emma and others have been providing a lot of insight and answers.




Share the Links!

1) Don't forget to share a link to the Crowdfunding page in any discussion you have (where appropriate) - and feel free to pass any of the long list of links above to those who may need more info (or, just point them to this post!)

2) Don't forget to tell us about any post or review or discussion you write! Come to the comments section and let us know so we can all go and contribute! I know I keep saying it, but really - these last days are key. Keep the enthusiasm high and keep on inviting others to join in, either directly ("Come see...") or just by setting an example of your enthusiasm and interest.

Final Week
We've got one week to go, everyone! Thank you all so much for your support! We work together because it's the right thing to do, and because backers make it better! Let's finish strong! And let's continue exploring this amazingly interesting setting together, sharing our feedback with the writers and delving into the draft manuscript, and let's see if we can't get another Stretch Goal or two before we review next Wednesday!



At $34,000 in Funding - JADESTORM DIGITAL WALLPAPER

JADESTORM DIGITAL WALLPAPER - The fantastic Jadestorm artwork will be used to create a wallpaper for your computer desktop. This digital wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project.



At $36,000 in Funding - JADESTORM NOVELLA II

JADESTORM NOVELLA II - In a world of epic tales, a second short story written to explore the world of Eos and the play experience will be will be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Jadestorm PDF as one of their rewards.

The World of Eos [Draft Manuscript Preview 6]
about 1 month ago – Tue, Sep 08, 2026 at 06:10:20 AM

Hello Jadebearers,

As always, the weekend was long but never long enough. And yet I was excited to get past it because we've got another big section of the manuscript today.

Chapter Six is all about the World of Eos, so let me share Matthew's rough draft map once again. I'll remind you that this is a rough draft for purposes of understanding some of the political geography and isn't yet finalized...



Much like our map, this is the latest, approved draft manuscript for Jadestorm, but not the final version. It still needs a few rounds of editing and development, and we're sharing it with you early because you can help make it the game you want!


Draft Manuscript Previews

Over the course of these 4 weeks, backers will receive the entire current draft manuscript for Jadestorm, but it's not going to come to you all in one go. The previews will come out in jade-sized installments throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over the next 28 days, but it's more about guiding the conversation and helping steer feedback for the developers.

Because they want your feedback! These manuscript previews are of the current draft manuscript – the document in its latest, approved form. This may not be the final form - it hasn't been edited yet, and there will be further rounds of development -  but you can consider it about 75% finished, so keep that in mind.

In fact, you can help guide the team through the next stages of development by providing feedback on these manuscript previews! The Onyx Path team has set up a special Feedback Form just for campaign backers for this very purpose: <Jadestorm Feedback Form>

DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY

Remember, thanks to BackerKit sorcery, these download links are visible to Backers only - you must be logged in and reading this on the website to have access to the manuscript preview links. So, if you're reading this via e-mail, click that "Reply to this Update" or "Learn More" button on the bottom and I'll see you below the Jadestorm title logo.



Peek Ahead: Smiths and Foes
about 2 months ago – Fri, Sep 04, 2026 at 09:49:47 AM

Hello Jadebearers,

Another super quick sneak peek update as we head into a long weekend for many of us. First up, a bit from the manuscript chapter we'll see on Tuesday!

Smiths of the Shining Future

The philosophy that Jade could be used to do more than power spells and fuel unimaginable combat abilities didn’t take quickly. As has been the case since Sorcery first entered the hands and minds of mortals, the instinct is to grasp and wield without consideration. It was the Smiths of the Shining Future who first philosophized that Jade would be better put to use as a fuel for tools and muse for inventions. Following Zy’s demise, much of the machinery around Eos (especially in Ferralim) fell quiet, unpowered. It was this that birthed the Smiths: those who believe Jade is required to separate mortals from their basest, raw abilities, and open doorways to new technologies and advancements.

The first generation of Jade smiths emerged from Ferralim, as stunningly brilliant artificers, architects, engineers, and visionaries who looked upon the Infernal War’s devastation and saw possibility in the smoke of destruction. They first went to work in the Iron Expanse recovering much of the ruin they found there and putting the mines, factories, and foundries back to work, before rolling their inventions out into the Wilds where they’d be free to pursue their aims without a tightly controlled realm looking over their shoulders and controlling what they were permitted to produce.

These Smiths of the Shining Future discovered that a Jade-powered forge burned hotter, that a bridge reinforced with infernal alloys lasted longer, and a city designed around recovered and enlivened Sovereign principles functioned more efficiently. They combined the reverent with the utilitarian. The Smiths of the Shining Future proposed that for centuries mortals had served the Malefic, but now, in their discorporate states, the Malefic would be put to work for the mortals.

Within decades the Smiths were building wonders and nightmares (the distinction between them remains controversial) across the Wilds, selling them to most of the nine realms. Anyone who walks through a major city now cannot avoid their influence in the form of aqueducts, defensive walls, and the Jade-powered transit systems in Soleos, Ferralim, and Kir Sento. Storm barriers, automated mills, medical instruments, and siege weapons are all the product of the Smiths’ ingenuity, and their dogged refusal to leave infernal power buried. 

Smith critics point out that many of these engineers’ innovations have exploded or collapsed under their own weight, and to their credit, the Smiths of the Shining Future freely acknowledge this. They respond that failure is merely successful experimentation viewed from an unfortunate angle.

The Smiths believe strongly in the ultimate benevolence of machinery, and that industry will serve to improve all lives in Eos. They recognize that sacrifice requires strength, but according to the Smiths, it takes strength to be gentle and kind.

No faction of Jadebearers has done more to shape the physical world in the Infernal War’s wake, and no philosophy has produced more disasters. Most Smiths are confident enough in their work and beliefs to admit their weapons can and should be deadly, no matter whose hands they’re in. The Stalwarts of the Righteous Blade make for frequent allies of the Smiths of the Shining Future, where the Cultivators of the Living Sublime castigate them loudly for their reliance on technology and manipulation of the sacral elements.

The Anvil

Built around a sprawling forge in the Iron Expanse of Ferralim, the Anvil is as much workshop as martial academy. Its students learn to fight with weapons they have forged themselves, believing that a warrior and their blade must be tempered together; the clang of hammers and roar of bellows continue from dawn until midnight. The academy’s master, Lady Mei, is a legendary Sword Saint who claims that she was given the role of master in a dream from Zy. Her fanatical approach to forging, tempering, hammering, folding, heating, and repeating the process — for tools as well as students — marks her as one the more eccentric and severe masters in Eos. The Anvil has recently begun producing strange red ore that seems to whisper to anyone who works it, all while rival disciples sabotage each other while competing for Lady Mei’s attention.

Story Hook: Engine Reignited
Zy’s Kaos Engine spanned an entire mountain range, a great machine of iron and bronze pumping smoke and siphoning chemicals, refining ores and converting lives into weapons. It ate its creator, ultimately, at which point the Kaos Engine just stopped functioning. It didn’t explode in a shower of molten metal or spew foul gases; it just… stopped.
And so, in the years that followed, bits and pieces were peeled and pried from its frame, until it became a husk. Only the most immovable, unwieldy glaciers of metal remained in place as testament to Zy’s ambition.
That is, until the Jadebearer known as Tyro Glass Hand found a crack in the husk and climbed within, trying to locate Zy’s heart. Tyron didn’t emerge, but suddenly, without warning, defunct materials and machine parts in the Round Tooth Mountains came alive for the first time in decades, turning on their owners and the inhabitants of nearby villages.


And then a sneak peek for the following Tuesday, from the draft manuscript Chapter 8:

The Myriad Foes of Eos

Ever since the Jadestorms exploded across Eos, the creatures of the world have changed drastically. Once-docile spirits now seek to actively harm and disrupt, and wildlife has evolved and warped into something wholly unlike what it once was. Jadebearers and their traveling companions will encounter a wide array of creatures, some less benevolent than others. 


Beasts

Ashwalkers

No one who sees an ashwalker for the first time mistakes them for something natural, though they were, once — huge-shouldered herd animals that wandered the plains of Ash-Daun and the bases of the mountains in Ferralim. When the Jadestorm passed through their migration routes, the Jade settled into their bones, forcing their bodies to grow and evolve in unnatural ways. Mineral-encrusted skeletons push through their hides in jagged formations, erupting along the spine and framing the skull. The ashwalkers still move in herds, following the same migration paths they always did — through cities, over bridges, and over or through the same paths people are already walking.

Template: Nascent
Drive: Keep moving.
Primary Pool: 6 (Stampeding, breaking through obstacles)
Secondary Pool: 4 (Detecting threats, warning cries)
Desperation Pool: 3
Defense: 1
Integrity: 1
Injuries: 1
Initiative: 3
Qualities: Ground Affliction, Mineral Entity, Natural Weapons (Horns: Piercing), Stable
Moves: Elemental Strike (Arcane) x1, Trample x2

Constructs

Marygal, the Lone Aegis

Somewhere in Ferralim, founded long before the mountain ranges there had names, a city was forged in the mantle of the mountains. Anyone who manages to make the journey there will find pages of history and numerous relics. It’s believed that this city was full of historians and sages who either traveled further into the mountain after the Jadestorm, or were wiped out during it.

Marygal is another of the things left behind, but there’s only one of her. She had several siblings, once, carved from the mountainside itself, towering nearly as tall as the peaks, but they crumbled long ago. Now that she’s the only one left, Marygal hopes that guarding the abandoned city will encourage her creators to return to it. She wanders the mountains of the Expanse, vigilantly watching for any threat.

Template: Worthy
Drive: Protect the city.
Primary Pool: 10 (Crushing blows, leaping across distances)
Secondary Pool: 8 (Noticing trespassers, powerful throws)
Desperation Pool: 5
Enhancements: +2 to actions intended to keep trespassers away from the city.
Defense: 3
Integrity: 2
Injuries: 7
Armor: 1 (Barbed)
Initiative: 5
Qualities: Colossal, Feral, Ground Affliction, Invulnerability (fire), Mineral Entity, Natural Weapons (Stone fists: Crushing), Stable, Vulnerability (mining tools)
Moves: Barrier x2, Devastating Blow x2, Repair Self x1, Spawn (stone guardians) x2
Special: +1 Durability Advantage whenever Marygal is within eyesight of the caves leading to her masters’ old city.



Elemental Lords

Cinder Storm

Temple Diabolik once used red-lacquered burial talismans to consecrate sites of sacrifice. When the Malefic died and their cinders spread across Eos, not all of them made it into a person. Some of them were absorbed by things like the burial talismans. It wasn’t enough energy to give them a sense of self, exactly, but it was enough to fill them with hunger and the instinct to seek out Jadebearers to consume their cinders. These talismans travel in flocks, red figures on the horizon; people who see them coming for the first time fear that the sky has finally started to rain blood.

Template: Tide
Drive: Prove superiority in any and every arena.
Primary Pool: 8 (Seeking out Jadebearers, riding the wind)
Secondary Pool: 6 (Bringing a sense of dread)
Desperation Pool: 4
Size: Small
Enhancements: +1 to attacks within close range.
Defense: 2
Integrity: 1
Injuries: 4
Initiative: 4
Qualities: Deadly Aura (sharp edges), Encircling, Endless Tide, Pressing Bodies
Moves: Converging Strike x2, Discorporate x1

Spirits

Lantern Bearers

Legends say that these creatures were once tall and fair, but time and dedication to their purpose has shriveled them into something unrecognizable as human. Little more than solid shadows themselves, lantern bearers are found where light refuses to shine — bogs and marshes, in the shadow of volcanoes, cemeteries where the mist hangs thick and heavy. Those who get close enough to the lantern bearers find that they aren’t carrying the light at all, but that it’s settled within their chests, where a heart might have once been. Unfortunately, those who get close enough to realize that are met with hostility.

Template: Nascent
Drive: Remain an undisturbed light in the darkness.
Primary Pool: 6 (Elemental attacks, maintaining distance)
Secondary Pool: 4 (Guiding the lost)
Desperation Pool: 3
Defense: 1
Integrity: 1
Injuries: 1
Initiative: 3
Qualities: Baleful Touch, Luring, Unusual Anatomy
Moves: Elemental Strike (Flaming) x2, Leap x1



What are those templates? What are those moves?

We'll find out in 11 days when the entire draft manuscript is available for backers to read - before any pledges are processed or payments collected. If you know someone who's been on the fence, let them know they can jump on before the end and test the water, reading the entire book before the campaign concludes.

So, have a great weekend and I'll be back on Monday with the first of TWO draft manuscript sections coming to backers next week!