Skyraiders of Abarax: A 5E world from Tracy & Laura Hickman
Created by Skyraiders of Abarax
A sky-high fantasy world discovered through magical books brought to life with our unique ‘Living Tome System.’
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Ship-Shape Update!
almost 2 years ago
– Sat, Jul 02, 2022 at 01:13:10 AM
Hi everyone, we hope all is well and you’re doing something fun this weekend! We appreciate your patience with the surveys and are happy to report that 86% of surveys have been completed, however, that does mean that we still have 603 surveys yet to be completed. If you have yet to fill out your survey, you can access it here (please use your Kickstarter email address to access): https://skyraiders.backerkit.com/
If you have an issue with your survey, please send an email to [email protected] and we'll look into it (please be sure to include your backer number or your backer email address).
Update on STLS:
Kim here, oh man, modeling the ship was a TON -- OF -- WORK! Everything has been print-tested, but there’s still some work left to do - I am a bit behind but I thought I’d send you some images to show you what’s coming your way! (Comes complete with cannons, helm, barrels and crates.)
Comes apart, deck by deck!
A mix of magnets and pegs to keep it together, man!
App Update
We’re hard at work on the Living Tome app, and we will have some really fun stuff to show soon. So far, we have been focused on getting a solid foundation built and we are now starting to move into the fun part: gameplay! We hope to give a sneak-peek into one aspect of the app as early as next update. See you there! :)
CULTURES & FAITHS OF THE ERINYES COAST
(Note: The following is a glimpse at the cultures being developed for Skyraiders of Abarax. I hope it gives you some insight into the world we are building.)
Centuries ago, when the Aeroships inexplicably stopped coming from the distant Imperium, order on the exile island of Abarax began to crumble. For the prisoners of the Erinyes Coast, freedom left them with half-remembered, distant memories of any life before they were brought here in chains.
Over the centuries since, the descendants of those prisoners in exile had only oral traditions of their ancestor’s cultures, religious beliefs and ethics on which to model their lives and sort out their emerging social groups and societies. The cultures that have emerged on the island have been shaped by those distant tales, the intervening wars and the necessity of survival on the forgotten island.
This has been particularly manifest in the religions and beliefs that frame the perspectives and lives of its various cultures. The most prominent are:
TEMPLE OF THE SKY: This is the largest and most predominant religion on the island. Its deities are largely adopted from those of the Imperium that ruled their lives during their exile. They have evolved somewhat from the original gods into a more local understanding. There are four disciplines (seasons) of the Sky to which worshippers may channel their faith: Season of the Winds, Season of the Dawn, Season of the Storm and Season of the Dusk. Its followers can be from any ancestry although the largest portion are of human descent. This faith is largely centered in Defiance.
PILGRIM’S PATH: Based on remembered traditions from before their ancdestor’s internment, this faith springs directly from the traditions of the Tiefling creation narrative. It is a pilgrim’s faith largely found in Bastion although there are important pilgrimage sites elsewhere on the coast – most notably in Khran and in Defiance.
AKRATH: The Dragonborn have long strived to keep their heritage intact with their own repeated origins narrative. Theirs is a harsh faith indeed! Almost exclusively found in Akhran.
THE VORGANI CES: Originally a dwarven cultural faith, it has also been adopted by the gnomes as well. Despite the common ground, however, the different locations often are in disagreement over the exact interpretation of the text. It is found in Underlund, Trove, Salvage although smaller congregations may be found in most human settlements as well.
TEMAN DUNIA: The ancient faith of the Barong centered around the figure of Bijaksana and the tales of her walk through the cosmos. It is largely found in P’tar but is gaining a large following in Defiance of late.
THE HIDDEN LIGHT: The Fae belief system that is unique to their kind. Few outside their faith follow its precepts although it has gained considerable following by non-faerie ancestries in Meridan.
There are other systems of ethics that are found on the Erinyes Coast. The tales of Magda Gansa from the halflings or the Will of Selah among the Ogres. These are more along the lines of traditions, teachings and instructive stories without necessarily involving a deity. Halflings and Ogres have been known to become followers and even clerics of some of these faiths while still maintaining their cultural traditions.
What will happen when they leave the island? Will they find the faith they thought they were maintaining to be different elsewhere? Or will they stand by their beliefs and trust in their gods? That is a story yet to be written … by you and your players. – TRACY
Lighting the path through Abarax
Looking at the map of the Erinyes Coast I see many places I have recently visited. I am a sojourner, scribe and travel journalist in this new land.
It has been my pleasure recently to write introductory descriptions for the towns, cities and places of Abarax. Tracy and I have spent many hours story weaving to illuminate a narrative for the maps and peoples here. Tracy has made amazing maps of each place and detailing game data.
I lift my flickering lantern beside the maps and explore, hoping that my writings may bring it to life for each of you. The history of both prisons and war is deep here.
If I were to give you a small taste of some of our travels on the Erinyes Coast it would be as follows:
In Baston there is a sumptuous tent city of the Tieflings.
In P’tar there is a place of sorrow that the Barong endeavor to cleanse with beauty and knowledge.
Krhan is the fortified stronghold of the Dragonborn.
The Fae dwell in Edoneh and send some of their number to serve the rest of the island and bring news home.
These are just a few of the places that are being detailed and brought to light. There are also ruins, mines, dangerous jungles, mountain paths and a volcano waiting for the explorer’s footsteps.
Looking forward to further journeys! -LAURA
We done messed up!
almost 2 years ago
– Tue, Jun 07, 2022 at 08:31:46 PM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
BEHOLD! SURVEYS!
almost 2 years ago
– Tue, Jun 07, 2022 at 02:38:18 PM
We are so sorry for the delays in getting you the surveys, but you should be getting an email very soon with the link to your survey.
>>>>>>>>>>>>IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ: <<<<<<<<<<
Backerkit will be rolling the surveys out in random increments, so please be patient as the surveys are released. You should have yours by the end of day today. The surveys are being sent to the email you used to back Skyraiders.
Bakers Choice Note: Because of the unique variable question regarding your choice between hardcovers, this does not allow us to set up an upgrade question for you. Those who want to upgrade will need to do so through add-ons. If you have any more questions about this let us know ([email protected]) and we can help you!
STL Backers: We will lock the first set of surveys on Tuesday. Those who purchased STL files will be able to access them then. You will be able to log in (https://skyraiders.backerkit.com/) with your Backer email address and click on the Digital Downloads button after we lock surveys.
Our hope is to lock surveys as we go so STL backers have access to their files. If you ever need to modify your pledge, please contact us at: [email protected] and we will unlock your survey.
*We will need to finalize all pledges before August.
We’ll be working on the STL files for the Haven GM Screen and the Prospera Airship next, but they’re still a few weeks out, so please be patient while we finish them up!
Photos of printed STLs:
More lore... is in store! Stay tuned!
Handbook Cover Premiere & Latest Minis
about 2 years ago
– Mon, Apr 25, 2022 at 01:44:02 AM
Skyraider’s Handbook Cover by Matt Stawicki
We are delighted to present exclusively to you the reveal of our cover art for our Skyraider’s Handbook!
We think this cover art by Matt Stawicki perfectly captures the wide-open fantasy tone of Skyraiders. We’ll leave the details of this painting’s story to your imagination … but we do want to point out our Captain Genevieve Diean being boldly in charge of the action.
I’m speaking with Larry Elmore later today about his cover piece to be featured on our GM’s Almanac. We look forward to sharing his work with you as well in the near future.
But for now … enjoy this window into our coming voyages!
Portraits in Miniature: Introducing our Captain
The development of our 3D printable miniatures continues and we are proud to present our latest figure…
Captain Genevieve Diean: Born into the Trade House of Diean in Cynder, ‘Vieve’ as her adoring father called her, grew up more interested in climbing rigging than the social ladder – much to the dismay of her step-mother and four younger step-brothers. The success of their river shipping business seemed boundless. But when their family is unjustly framed for a terrible crime, their wealth confiscated and lives threatened, Genevieve was forced to flee into the mountains with her crew … and there discover the fantastic means of exacting her revenge and redeeming her family’s honor.
Some of you also asked about the background of our last figure...
Mistral Callorum: As a child she was nearly impossible. As an adult … she was worse. Born in the halfling town of Euwyn in the eastern Middle Territories, the only time Mistral held still was when she stopped to sit at the feet of her grandmother and listen to the tales of Magda Gansa – the greatest trickster of all halfling legends. Her father was appointed Ambassador to the Court when she was a teenager and the family moved to the human city of Defiance just on the other side of the hills east of their town. Once there, Mistral was determined to meet or exceed every prank and mischief ever performed in the ancient folktales of the halflings. It didn’t help matters that Mistral was gifted in the art of Aether magic – far more than was common in those of halfling ancestry. To keep the peace, her ambassador father took increasingly to sending her on ‘errands’. The duration of these ‘errands’ got longer and longer over time.
Backerkit Status Update
We’ll be starting the process of setting up the Pledge Manager and Late Pledge Store next week! There’s a lot to organize and figure out, but our hope is to have it all ready by the middle of May.
Maps & a sneak peak at our first Mini STL!
about 2 years ago
– Tue, Apr 05, 2022 at 06:23:10 PM
Detailing Maps; a Voyage of Discovery
Tracy and I are taking great pleasure in detailing maps of the Skyraiders world for both players and GMs alike. Placing the cities, peoples, creatures, ruins, wilderness, treasures, and the hidden places of Abarax and the Sulurian Isles is both fulfilling and exciting.
The basic maps of the world were created and refined sometime ago by Tracy who, as you know, is a master world builder. It is my great pleasure to once again be his partner in discovering the story of the history, landscape, and inhabitants of a new world.
As the land unfolds beneath our eyes and hands more of the story of this place is revealed. We often feel like explorers and archeologists in one. I sometimes see the two of us in my mind’s eye, blank journal in hand, jotting down notes and drawings about the flora, fauna and secrets we discover about the world.
Tracy and I story weave as the maps come to life. It is thrilling to find a world that will bear up our original story intent and be rich enough to share with others.
Looking at the map of Khran, you get a peek at some of the adventure that awaits players as they explore their home island of Abarax. We’ve gone to some lengths to make certain that play is open ended.
The maps as they are revealed in play will offer many and varied options for the players and GM without being linear. Each player and group will find their own way in this world and create their own story as they play and explore within it. GMs will have the opportunity to expand play with their own stories and themes as well.
A big thank you to our Kickstarter patrons for the opportunity to create this new world to explore with all of you. --Laura
We've been working hard on Backer Surveys and our Pre-order store! Expect to see both in MAY!
Update on 3D printable STL files:
We've begun modeling our minis! Say hello to Mistral Callorum!
Once the Backer Surveys and Pre-order store are out, STL backers will have access to the minis and the Dice Tower! The GM Screen and the Skyship files are scheduled to be released in June.
