Hey everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic February! 🙌

Ash has been typing away absolutely smashing through the rewrites, and we’re now 75% of the way there! 🎉

To celebrate, we wanted to share something extra special - a brand-new look at some of the latest art from Akeroth. Feast your eyes 👀

It’s all coming together, and we can’t wait for you to see more. 

As always, if you’ve got questions, hit us up in the comments or over on socials. Can’t wait to share more soon! 🙌

- Ruby ⚔️

Hey folks,

Ash here - I wanted to share something that’s been weighing heavily on a lot of indie creators right now, including us. As of April 5th, the U.S. has brought in a 54% import tariff on goods manufactured in China - and unfortunately, that includes most of the board games and TTRPGs you know and love.

It’s a huge shift. One that came in overnight, with very little warning, and we’re still trying to understand what it’ll actually mean for us - and for you.

To be completely transparent, we don’t yet know the full impact this will have. The situation is changing every day, and new information is still coming out. For example, some reports suggest that books might be exempt, which would be great news for our rulebooks, but the language around that exemption is vague and unclear, especially when it comes to mixed products like ours. Right now, we just don’t have a solid answer.

What we do know is that these tariffs are applied when goods physically enter the U.S., not at checkout. So if nothing changes before we ship, there’s a chance that some backers might see additional customs fees at the time of delivery.

We're doing everything we can to understand what our options are and to make the best decisions. Our goal is always to minimise any additional costs for those of you in the USA. If we do need to pass on any part of these new tariffs, it will be done inside the pledge manager and we will make it as clear as possible.

We’ve built flexibility into our business structure so we have no plans to increase the price of our products. We’re also exploring alternative fulfillment options for backers in Canada and Australia, since our current delivery routes go through U.S. warehouses.

We are also looking at alternative printing options within Europe and other countries that aren’t as severely affected by these new tariffs.

We’re not ready to make any official changes or decisions just yet. It’s simply too soon, and there’s too much still up in the air. But we didn’t want to wait until we had all the answers to start the conversation. You’ve trusted us with your support, and you deserve honesty, even when things are uncertain.

We’ll keep sharing updates as we learn more, and you’ll be the first to know once we have a clear path forward.

Thank you, truly, for your continued support, patience, and kindness. This is an uncertain time for a lot of game creators, and your encouragement means more than you know. We’ll always be honest with you, we’ll keep you informed as things evolve, and we’ll do everything in our power to keep things running smoothly.

Will this increase the cost of my pledge?
For anyone who has already pledged during the live campaign, the cost of your chosen items will remain as originally listed. However, if the tariffs remain in place by the time we ship, some backers may be charged additional import/customs fees at delivery.

How much more could I be charged?
We can’t give a solid number yet. The exact amount depends on how the new rules are applied, how our product is classified, and what exemptions might exist for books. As soon as we have clear details, we’ll share them.

Couldn’t you just print the games in the U.S. to avoid this?
We’ve looked into it. Unfortunately, printing in the U.S. isn’t viable for us. There are very few printers equipped to handle TTRPG production, and the cost is significantly higher, often far beyond what’s sustainable for indie creators like us. For non-book components, the infrastructure simply isn’t there. We are looking at alternative printing options within Europe and other countries that aren’t as severely affected by these new tariffs, but right now, printing in China remains the most realistic option.

Will this affect delivery timelines?
Not at the moment. Our production and delivery timelines are currently on track. If anything changes, we’ll let you know right away.

What happens next?
We’re monitoring the situation, speaking with fulfillment partners, and exploring options. We’ll make the most informed decision we can when we’re closer to shipping. You’ll be the first to know once we have concrete updates.

Hey everyone! Hope you all had an amazing March! 🪻

We’re making great progress - the book is now 85% complete! 🥳

We’re also working on final edits to the cover to make sure everything’s correct and formatted perfectly for print. Sample prints are currently in the works so we can make sure it looks as good as possible.

Now that we’re getting close to that final draft, here’s a quick look at what’s coming next:

✨ Once draft edits are complete, we’ll move into proofreading.
🎙️ After that, our audiobook narrator will begin recording.
📥 Then, you’ll receive your digital copy!

As always, if you’ve got questions, hit us up in the comments or over on socials. Thank you for your patience and support - the finish line is in sight!

- Ruby ⚔️

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic January! ❄️

Starting this month, we’re going to start our Monthly Backer Updates on the first Tuesday of every month to keep you in the loop with all things Throne of Luster 👑

Ash is making incredible progress on the story, and we’re so excited to see it all coming together!

Our Pledge Manager is in the works, and we’re adjusting for the new tax rules and tariff changes under the new U.S. administration to keep everything smooth for you!

If you’ve got any questions, drop a comment below or hit us up on our socials! 🙌

-- Ruby

Happy New Year, everyone! I’m Ruby, the new Marketing Lead here at Crossed Paths. I’m super excited to be joining the team and keeping you in the loop with all the updates for all things Throne of Luster!

Let’s jump right in:

📦 Production: We’ve locked in our printing partners, and sampling for pins, cards, and all the extra goodies begins next month. With that underway, our main focus now is completing the book!

✍️ Edits Progress: Ash and our editor are making fantastic progress—rewrites are now 60% complete! We will be getting the pledge manager up and running to deliver the first draft of the books. They’ll be sent out as a PDF and epub file. Limited edition backers will get early access, and then it will be rolled out to all backers!

🎧 Original Soundtrack: While we polish the story, we’ve got something special for you: “Kingdom of Light” - an epic original track to immerse you in the world of Akeroth. Grab your headphones, hit play, and let us know what you think!

💼 Welcome to the Team:  Crossed Paths has also spent some time on the hiring train and is finally growing with two new team members!

2025 is already shaping up to be an amazing year for Throne of Luster and we’ll have more updates soon - so stay tuned!