All of the artwork for our book has delivered, and the Onyx Path crew have moved the book to preliminary layout. It'll still take some time to put together, but hopefully we'll get some artwork sneak peeks while they work on it. Like this one...
Or this one...
While that's going on, Onyx Path is also crowdfunding their next entry in the Earthbane Cycle.
Jadestorm is an epic game of adventure, vengeance, and power. You are a Jadebearer — an inheritor of one or more Jade cinders, fragments of destroyed demonic demigods — and it is for you to decide whether you use your powers to play the role of the glorious hero or wield them to become the most notorious of villains.
Learn from your master until you can defeat him. Duel for Jade and best your rivals. Venture into the Wilds and claim unconquered fragments of the Infernal Sovereigns.
The isolated nine realms of Eos are awaiting epic heroes and wicked villains to lead them into a new era. Will you bind the world in hope or drive its people fleeing into the Wilds?
Jadestorm is a complete tabletop roleplaying game of epic tales of adventure, vengeance, and power. It includes:
A game of epic wuxia-inspired fantasy, where heroes make fantastic chained actions, command potent sorceries, and every plot feels dramatic.
A huge number of playable characters.
An alive setting encompassing nine realms and the dangerous Wilds.
The World Below Core Rulebook PDF (Nov 6 '25 Update)
At the Gates Backer PDF (July 29 '26 via BackerKit)
If you had an Add On for the At The Gates PDF pre-order, you should receive a redemption link later today to add the backer PDF to your DTRPG digital library.
How about one more sneak peek at artwork before we get to the bottom?
Pledge Manager
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://monster-kingdoms.backerkit.com/
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
Work continues on our book. The latest Monday Meeting blog notes that artwork is delivering, so hopefully we'll see Monster Kingdoms enter the layout phase within the next handful of updates. Exciting. I'll share any artwork that sneaks out before then.
Pending Projects
No big changes since last month, lots of dots to fill in, but I'll continue to monitor Onyx Path's weekly and monthly posts to keep on top of what's up.
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
The World Below Core Rulebook PDF (Nov 6 '25 Update)
At the Gates Backer PDF (July 29 '26 via BackerKit)
If you had an Add On for the At The Gates PDF pre-order, you should receive a redemption link later today to add the backer PDF to your DTRPG digital library.
Pledge Manager
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://monster-kingdoms.backerkit.com/
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
No big updates for this month. Artists are working on illustrations for our book. Rumor has it that artwork may be turning up by the end of summer, so hopefully we'll get some sneak peeks to share in the early autumn! Anything that slips out will make it into my monthly updates!
In the meantime, you can learn more about the current and future plans for Monster Kingdoms from Onyx Path's recent Online Gaming Convention!
OK, the jumpstart hasn't quite moved to art direction yet, but maybe once the artists are all underway the team can start the prep for that one. Bit by bit, dots will fill in.
Pledge Manager
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://monster-kingdoms.backerkit.com/
The June update should be posted later today, so the link may not work until this evening. I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
Artists are being assigned to our Monster Kingdoms corebook and things are slowly moving forward. As soon as there's any artwork to preview, I'll sneak it into my monthly update. I think they're also about to assign artwork duties for the stretch goal jumpstart, so not yet time to fill in a dot for that one, but soon!
But, if you wanna know what's really going on with Monster Kingdoms and the other Earthbane Cycle titles, I have a perfect source for you...
A great place to learn more about pending and future Earthbane Cycle projects is Onyx Path's annual Virtual Gaming Convention! In just over two weeks, Onyx Path will be running their online convention - FRIDAY JUNE 5 to SUNDAY JUNE 7.
If you want information on current and possible future Trinity Continuum projects, I'd suggest checking out:
What's Up with Onyx Path on Saturday June 6 at Noon EDT
Earthbane Cycle Panel on Saturday June 6 at 4:30 EDT
Ask Us Anything Panel on Sunday June 7 at 2:00 PM EDT
Hopefully we'll get some news about Monster Kingdoms and other related projects.
Pending Projects
Next month I expect the Art Direction dot to start for the jumpstart.
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
The World Below Core Rulebook PDF (Nov 6 '25 Update)
At the Gates Draft Manuscript (Nov 6 '25 Update)
Pledge Manager
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://monster-kingdoms.backerkit.com/
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
No massive changes from last month; our jumpstart stretch goal has moved forward and art notes are still being sorted for our main Monster Kingdoms corebook.
Pending Projects
Incremental progress. I'll fill in dots as things move forward.
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
The World Below Core Rulebook PDF (Nov 6 '25 Update)
At the Gates Draft Manuscript (Nov 6 '25 Update)
Pledge Manager
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://monster-kingdoms.backerkit.com/
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
Our main reward, the Monster Kingdoms core rules, are in final tweaks for the manuscript and starting in Art Notes in the art direction phase. Our Stretch Goal reward, the jumpstart, has advanced to the editing phase.
Pending Projects
With the main book mostly in the hands of the Art Director and Developer, the team have been able to focus on our stretch goal adventure and finished it up for turnover to the editing team. (I like calling them a team, but I think it's more about which Onyx Path person's name gets listed first in the e-mail chain.)
Anyway, incremental progress!
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
The World Below Core Rulebook PDF (Nov 6 '25 Update)
At the Gates Draft Manuscript (Nov 6 '25 Update)
Pledge Manager
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://monster-kingdoms.backerkit.com/
You can read Onyx Path's most recent monthly summary, covering all projects and their status up to that point here: <February 2026 Project Status Summary>
You can find the weekly Monday Meeting blog updates <here>, which note any projects with status changes since the previous Month End summary. The project statuses listed are current as of last Monday, so do check it out each Monday night to see if anything may have progressed!
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
ONYX PATH DISCUSSION CHANNELS
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
A pretty exciting day today! It's a big chapter, one I've been eager for since the beginning and even more so since our Paths chapter last week.
All beings within the world of Monster Kingdoms possess a unique combination of powers, abilities, and advantages called edges, sceptres, and crowns. This chapter will break down each of the talent categories, their requirements, and what each one does within the world. These benefits can be as simple as granting an Enhancement or as complicated as granting access to unique abilities, status effects, Complications, and Tricks with their use.
Before we get to our download for today, a few bits of business.
We've unlocked our third Stretch Goal of the campaign! An Onyx Path classic...
Achieved! - At $32,000 - BACKER SHIRT DESIGN
BACKER SHIRT DESIGN - A Monster Kingdoms-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path’s Redbubble store for a limited time. Backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available for purchase.
So, our next target...
At $35,000 - JUMPSTART PDF
MONSTER KINGDOMS JUMPSTART PDF - A basic rules overview and a starting scenario will be added to the Ready-Made Characters PDF, expanding it to a full Monster Kingdoms Jumpstart PDF supplement. Everything you need to kick off your own story in the Monster Kingdoms in one PDF that will be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Monster Kingdoms PDF as one of their rewards.
CHARACTER SHEET
Since we're in the character building portion of the game, it's not a bad idea to have a character sheet to start scribbling down your ideas and choices! One of the writers on the game, Chris Jones, has put together this awesome character sheet for you to use when you pick your paths!
Over the course of this campaign, backers will receive the entire current draft manuscript for Monster Kingdoms, but it's not going to come to you all in one go. The previews will come out in monster-sized sections throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over the next several weeks, 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 after editing and any additional development, but you can consider it about 95% 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: https://forms.gle/TpaaPsUqJ79zD1kE6
You can use this Feedback Form to share your thoughts directly with the Monster Kingdoms creative team to help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY
Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, 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 "Learn More" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the banner.
We're bouncing around the draft manuscript again today, jumping way into the end with Appendix II. This is a quick but stuffed section that covers Expansion and Consolidation regarding troops you may acquire in the game.
Legions of gauntlets flock to the banner of strong warriors. Once these despots have filled their ranks, stuffed their coffers, and left their names on the quivering lips of the terrified masses, it’s time to take stock of their victories from the relative safety of the underground. Dungeons act as fortresses for the aspiring warlord, balancing security for their conquests with an external sign of their ever-growing power.
Expansion places a regiment of (mostly) loyal mercs under the squad’s direct control. The army’s theirs to command in any way they see fit, and as the squad cuts through the terrain to ensure its infamy is well justified, the army picks up the scraps, keeps the locals in line, and maintains the legend. This rampaging regiment takes anything their masters desire, repurposing and reconfiguring whatever they find into something useful for an army. Akin to a swarm of locusts, the regiment leaves behind only that which they’ve no use for: blackmail material, valuable materials, fighters and skilled workers are all targeted equally, for the regiment is nothing if not resourceful.
Consolidation inevitably follows. Once the regiment’s taken everything and everyone they can carry, the dungeon provides a place of respite, a place to return to and count your coin, craft your wonders, and ensure no one can do to you what you’ve done to them. Machines of war are constructed, making way for expansion on an even grander scale.
Some quick things to note before we get into the manuscript.
Shipping Costs will be Collected in the Pledge Manager
First up, it's amazingly expensive to ship, especially from Onyx Path's home base in the US. And that's as of today - we're all in the dark about how things will look in 2 years. We get that, but there's not much we can do at this time. Onyx Path is in a difficult space where the company is big enough that they're not saving money by fulfilling out of Rich's garage, but small enough that they haven't been able to set up ongoing international partners to handle portions of the fulfillment. So we are where we are - for now.
The best we can do at this point is to plan carefully, advise everyone up front that shipping will likely be expensive (see our projections on the main page) and only charge what it costs us when the time comes. 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. If you aren't sure you want one of the hardcover editions, you can pledge to the PDF tier now and upgrade your pledge in the Pledge Manager once we know the final shipping costs.
Draft Manuscript Previews
Over the course of this campaign, backers will receive the entire current draft manuscript for Monster Kingdoms, but it's not going to come to you all in one go. The previews will come out in monster-sized sections throughout the campaign. This helps me seem interesting over the next several weeks, 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 after editing and any additional development, but you can consider it about 95% 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: https://forms.gle/TpaaPsUqJ79zD1kE6
You can use this Feedback Form to share your thoughts directly with the Monster Kingdoms creative team to help guide them through the next rounds of development and editing.
DRAFT MANUSCRIPT PREVIEWS - BACKERS ONLY
Remember, thanks to BackerKit magic, 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 "Learn More" link on the bottom and I'll see you below the banner.
All of the artwork for our book has delivered, and the Onyx Path crew have moved the book to preliminary layout. It'll still take some time to put together, but hopefully we'll get some artwork sneak peeks while they work on it. Like this one...
Or this one...
While that's going on, Onyx Path is also crowdfunding their next entry in the Earthbane Cycle.
Jadestorm is an epic game of adventure, vengeance, and power. You are a Jadebearer — an inheritor of one or more Jade cinders, fragments of destroyed demonic demigods — and it is for you to decide whether you use your powers to play the role of the glorious hero or wield them to become the most notorious of villains.
Learn from your master until you can defeat him. Duel for Jade and best your rivals. Venture into the Wilds and claim unconquered fragments of the Infernal Sovereigns.
The isolated nine realms of Eos are awaiting epic heroes and wicked villains to lead them into a new era. Will you bind the world in hope or drive its people fleeing into the Wilds?
Jadestorm is a complete tabletop roleplaying game of epic tales of adventure, vengeance, and power. It includes:
A game of epic wuxia-inspired fantasy, where heroes make fantastic chained actions, command potent sorceries, and every plot feels dramatic.
A huge number of playable characters.
An alive setting encompassing nine realms and the dangerous Wilds.
The World Below Core Rulebook PDF (Nov 6 '25 Update)
At the Gates Backer PDF (July 29 '26 via BackerKit)
If you had an Add On for the At The Gates PDF pre-order, you should receive a redemption link later today to add the backer PDF to your DTRPG digital library.
How about one more sneak peek at artwork before we get to the bottom?
Pledge Manager
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://monster-kingdoms.backerkit.com/
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
Work continues on our book. The latest Monday Meeting blog notes that artwork is delivering, so hopefully we'll see Monster Kingdoms enter the layout phase within the next handful of updates. Exciting. I'll share any artwork that sneaks out before then.
Pending Projects
No big changes since last month, lots of dots to fill in, but I'll continue to monitor Onyx Path's weekly and monthly posts to keep on top of what's up.
REWARDS DISTRIBUTED TO BACKERS
The World Below Core Rulebook PDF (Nov 6 '25 Update)
At the Gates Backer PDF (July 29 '26 via BackerKit)
If you had an Add On for the At The Gates PDF pre-order, you should receive a redemption link later today to add the backer PDF to your DTRPG digital library.
Pledge Manager
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://monster-kingdoms.backerkit.com/
I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
No big updates for this month. Artists are working on illustrations for our book. Rumor has it that artwork may be turning up by the end of summer, so hopefully we'll get some sneak peeks to share in the early autumn! Anything that slips out will make it into my monthly updates!
In the meantime, you can learn more about the current and future plans for Monster Kingdoms from Onyx Path's recent Online Gaming Convention!
OK, the jumpstart hasn't quite moved to art direction yet, but maybe once the artists are all underway the team can start the prep for that one. Bit by bit, dots will fill in.
Pledge Manager
If you need to review your information or pledge status, you can return to your survey by clicking the link in your survey email or requesting your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page at https://monster-kingdoms.backerkit.com/
The June update should be posted later today, so the link may not work until this evening. I will continue to post regular updates every month until the final reward has gone out.
Remember: You can use the links at the bottom of this e-mail to unsubscribe from updates or Manage your notification settings. These status updates are available on the campaign page for you to review at any time.
Onyx Path Discussion Channels
If you've got questions about the rules or setting, or just want to discuss this game with other fans (as well as the Onyx Path writers and developers!), you can check out these Onyx Path discussion zones:
