Atlas of the Horizons: Last Three Days!

It probably is kind of weird to start a blog with an advertisement for someone else's crowdfunding, since I probably don't have a readership yet to advertise to. Anyway, if you read this: Go and back An Atlas of the Horions by Benjamin Williams, because well, I desperately want it to meet its funding goal. You have three days!

So why am I so into this? First of all, its kickstarter page doesn't loke like a pinball machine. Honestly, who really cares about dozens of stretch goals, presented in gaudy colors? This one just tells you what the author wants to do in plain text: publish an RPG in a non-EDO fantasy setting that highlights exploration and optimism.

But oh, the little things about the setting the creator lets on! First of all, there's technology; but this is not another RPG grafting some steampunk trappings on a fantasy world. In the world of An Atlas of the Horizon, all technology is individual - creating a rifle or even a car is more of an arts & crafts thing, while industrialization and mass production don't exist. As a premise for technology in a fantasy world, this seems to make a lot of sense, and it is also something I haven't seen yet.

Then there's the Gods, who have locked themselves into their temples a hundred years ago and have left behind temple gardens with their strange and dangerous servitor creatures ... there's also talk of a big city that had lots of temples and has no become a very  dangerous place inhabited by criminals, adventurers and true believers ... quite enticing! And there's a fallen moon in the desert from which a strange ecology spreads ... all this hints at a rich fantasy cosmology with lots of room for the weird.

Then there's the rules, which sound like a very thematic rules-light to medium system with some original touches. I think I see some inspiration from The One Ring, which is certainly a good thing in my book.

Basically, I think this might turn out as something along the lines of Miyazaki meets Blue Rose, maybe with a hint of Numenera and a strong thematic focus in terms of setting and rules.