November Update
about 1 month ago – Wed, Nov 01, 2023 at 09:26:46 PM

October Monthly Update

Hello Adventurers! Spooky Season is complete, and the Winter Holidays are just around the corner. The Quest Chest team has been hard at work finalizing the plotting and stitching together for box 2 and beginning on box 3. The Bazaar is looking pretty brilliant and seabound shenanigans abound. We're just about to delve into intrigue and devious doings working out details for Masques and Murders.  Read on!

As a reminder, if you would like to join the Quest Chest Discord to chat with each other, as well as ask any questions you might have, you can find it here - https://discord.gg/KUYaNQaPcJ

Project Update

Backerkit Survey!

Thank you to everyone who has filled out the survey so far! Since it went out at the beginning of October, 74 percent of our backer community have completed their addresses and added items to their pledges. We'd love to get that up to 100 percent so that we can finalize shipping information and get our fulfilment set. Please make sure to check your emails for the survey link; if you don't see it there definitely check your spam folder. If you still can't find it please send us a message and we'll re-send the link!

Reminder - this survey is a good opportunity for anyone who wants to add items to their pledge, or upgrade to a different pledge level.

•  Writing - With Quest 2 fully plotted we're well on the way to getting pages out for it! This years Campaign Chest is full of Cults and occult business, and as such we're having a great time writing out our villains. The mysterious Cult of the Turn is full of enigmatic and learned individuals with more secrets and skeletons in their closet than you may expect when first you meet them. What are their aims? How far will they go to achieve their ends? Will you oppose them, or join their cause? Can't wait to find out....
•  Art - We’ve been hard at work pushing through the artwork for the first few quests, and since some of the artwork ties the quests together, we’ve been working out the structure of a very ambitious piece that we’re sure is going to blow your players away! We have a taste of some of it below.
•  Distribution - BackerKit surveys have gone out! Please make sure you complete these ASAP so that we can finalize distribution :)
•  Manufacturing - Our manufacturers are excited to get started!

Words words words from Austin and Michael

Michael - Editing is an important, but grindy part of the writing process. Before moving on to getting pages done for Box 2 I've been working to edit down the guide book for Box 1. Before sitting down to start writing the first Chest I'd expected the guide book to be around 18 pages. During writing it ballooned to 24, then 30, aaaand then more. I'm working to cut down the page count without losing any of the story or the richness of what we're going to be presenting to you. That being said, I'm itching to get into the second Chest, and out onto the high seas....

Austin - The artwork has been a massive hurdle that I’ve undertaken. It’s not just character art and maps, but also landscape paintings, concepting world elements, tarot cards, and much more. Every new location we visit adds more richness to our diverse world, and I'm excited to show off all of the locales as we finalize them. Speaking of which, say hello to the villain of the first quest, Without the Walls:

Allow us to introduce you to the Guardians -

Wall Guards are divided into two discrete disciplines: Guardians and Custodians. Each perform an important function in the protection of Empyrean, in their own way. 

Guardians are the absolute front line. Well armed and well armoured shock troops, an individual Guardian is capable of taking on far more than a single opponent, holding their own against whole groups of enemies alone and against the odds. Their rune scribed armour is capable of being imbued with spells, both defensive and offensive, and their specialized training allows them to fight using their entire body as a weapon. 

That's all for this update folks! 

Surveys are Live!
about 2 months ago – Fri, Oct 13, 2023 at 03:49:12 PM

Surveys are Hitting Inboxes!

Hey everyone! We've completed the Smoke Test and surveys have now been sent to you all!

Please give it 24 hours for the surveys to arrive, and make sure to check your spam folders and filters, as sometimes Backerkit emails can hit those and get lost. 

If possible please complete the survey as quickly as possible so that we can get shipping information set with our fulfilment partners. You can also use this as an opportunity to add on any additional items you'd like, and to upgrade your pledge if you were waiting to see how the campaign did :) 

Thanks so much everyone!

Michael and Austin

October Update!
2 months ago – Sun, Oct 01, 2023 at 05:09:17 PM

October Monthly Update

Hello Adventurers! It's been a wild month of creative sprints, and convention travel. In the past 3 weeks we've been to PAX West, Edmonton Fan Expo, Regina Entertainment Expo, and weve just finished Big Bad Con in San Francisco. Despite the long (LONG) driving hours and time at conventions, we have some fun creative updates and information about the Backerkit Survey coming in the next couple of days. Read on! 

As a reminder, if you would like to join the Quest Chest Discord to chat with each other, as well as ask any questions you might have, you can find it here - https://discord.gg/KUYaNQaPcJ

Project Update

Address Survey!

Later today we will be starting to send out surveys for Backerkit! This is primarily to begin confirming addresses so that we can get some solid shipping numbers and begin laying down tracks for fulfilment. We're still targeting the same delivery dates so we want to make sure we can hit our committments. The sooner you can complete your surveys the sooner we can lock down shipping quotes! Please do note, you will be able to change your address no problem if you move or need to ship elsewhere :) We'll let you know before we lock you in!

In addition - for those who backed Early Bird we'll be looking to identify you so you get your coin, and for those who participated in our puzzles we'll be asking which of the coins you'd like to receive. As a reminder if you have pledged more than $100 and you completed the puzzles during the campaign, you will be able to receive EVERY puzzle coin you achieved! If you are under the $100 threshold and would like all the coins, you can increase your pledge and you will get all of the ones you unlocked!

First, we'll be sending out a smoke test. This is where a small percentage of you folks will receive your surveys, just to make sure everything is working properly. If that goes well, the surveys will go out en-masse! 

Reminder - this survey is a good opportunity for anyone who wants to add items to their pledge, or upgrade to a different pledge level.

•  Writing - Quest Guide 1 is officially written! In hotel rooms at 11pm and dictating while driving from con to con, we have around 20 percent of the words on the page down for the Campaign Chest. Since this is the very first introduction to the world of the Frontier and some of the very special people and beings who inhabit it, we wanted to make sure this was a very exciting and colorful adventure with a lot of spirit.
•  Art - At the bottom of this update you'll get the chance to see the very first map from the world of the Frontier! As we've been writing the story we've had to make some adjustments to our map, since we now have a better idea of how things will progress geographically. We're really thrilled to be able to share this first look at the world you'll be playing in! You'll also find some artwork of a character that will be very important to the first quest :)
•  Distribution - BackerKit surveys are going out! As soon as we can get that information back from everyone we'll be able to finalize quotes from distribution, and get all of that set and settled. 
•  Manufacturing - Our manufacturers are excited to get started!

Words words words from Austin and Michael

Michael - During the Kickstarter launch Austin and I were awake for solidly 36 hours or so making finishing touches and running the launch party. The past few weeks have felt a little bit like that as I've been traveling from city to city without any time back at home. It's been wonderful getting out there and speaking to people about the Quest Chests, the response has been great, and also I'll be very happy to get back home in a week to get some sleep! Despite being on the road, I've really enjoyed being able to come back to my hotel room each night to write and refine the guidebook for our first adventure in the Campaign Chest. I'm really happy with how it feels, and I'll be really excited to get some playtests in! For such a major milestone it feels like there isn't a lot to update everyone on, but this is a huge step forward in getting Quests into your hands, and I'm thrilled.

Austin - As we've finalized the writing on the first quest, my focus has been squarely on artwork. The first quest is one of spirits, fae, wilderness, and adventure. I want the world to reflect that feeling of stepping out of your door and finding an dense, active wild ahead. Behind every corner is a new landscape to explore. To that aim, please enjoy these pieces of art from the first Quest in the Campaign Chest: Without the Walls.

Say "Hello!" to the Frontier:

The Frontier is where all of the quests within the Campaign Chest will take place. A variety of locales and dangers abound as your party sets foot into the wilds beyond the walls of the Empyrean. This version of the map is from an earlier version, missing some detail that we will be diving into in a future update, as we discuss the world at large.

Setting off on adventure:
   The Campaign begins behind the safety of the walls of the Empyrean. This empire has erected massive walls and defensive structures to keep the spirits at bay, though your players will be drawn beyond them in pursuit of a particular artifact...

Your Guide:
Traveling beyond the walls is a dangerous business. You shouldn't go alone. This friendly spirit will accompany your party, helping guide them through the myriad pathways and labyrinths that lie ahead.

That's it for this update!

September Update
3 months ago – Fri, Sep 01, 2023 at 10:35:13 PM

September Monthly Update

Hello everyone! As we head into the beginning of fall we're watching the fires in Maui and Kelowna, and all over North America, and hoping everyone is keeping safe and well. Our Quest Chest team has friends in both those areas, and we want to wish them, and everyone else the very best.

As a reminder, if you would like to join the Quest Chest Discord to chat with each other, as well as ask any questions you might have, you can find it here - https://discord.gg/KUYaNQaPcJ

Project Update

Upcoming Survey

In the next update in October we will be launching a survey through BackerKit to ask for some information we need to prepare for fulfillment next year. We'll be looking for shipping addresses (you'll still be able to change this if you move/need to ship elsewhere, this is just going to help us estimate shipping costs etc), for those who backed Early Bird we'll be looking to identify you so you get your coin, and for those who participated in our puzzles we'll be asking which of the coins you'd like to receive. As a reminder if you have pledged more than $100 and you completed the puzzles during the campaign, you will be able to receive EVERY puzzle coin you achieved! If you are under the $100 threshold and would like all the coins, you can increase your pledge and you will get all of the ones you unlocked!

This survey is a good opportunity for anyone who wants to add items to their pledge, or upgrade to a different pledge level.

•  Writing - The writing continues apace! We've gotten each individual chest in the Campaign fully integrated, snipping all the dangling plot threads and weaving the larger narrative through each box without compromising the individual stories we want to tell. This is a little more challenging than it might seem; each box needs to have its own voice and its own unique setting while contributing to the whole. We're very excited about what we've managed to create, and the world you'll be stepping into :)
•  Art - Regional maps are great, and we love them, but this month we've been working on the full map of the continent! We came into this story with a pretty good idea of the geography of our world, but it's always very cool watching the specifics take shape. We now know the coastline, the rise and fall of the mountains, and every little river and delta, and how these features will help inform the stories you'll be telling within the world. We will be sharing the finalized map at a later time, once we've had the opportunity to add every final bit of polish to it.
•  Distribution - We'll be launching a survey with the October update to collect addresses and other shipping information so that we can finalize our fulfillment costs and give you an idea of what to expect for shipping. 
•  Manufacturing - Very little to update on this front, except that our manufacturers are ready to go! 

Words words words from Austin and Michael

Michael - Boats and bandits and ghosts and gods! I've spent most of this past month with my brain full of combat, dialogue, and characters and I honestly couldn't be happier. It's been a really fun challenge to mentally walk through each of the stories we'd created and see how they all stitch together. Every one of the Chests needs to be able to stand on its own without needing the lead-in or outro from another box, but also to fit into the storyline in a way that feels natural and narratively coherent. We're at a place now where I feel really good about anyone being able to pick up a box and play out of order, but also really enjoy playing them sequentially, so I'm onto the actual writing portion now! The mechanical portions of the Guidebooks are up next, which is going to take quite a while (most likely the next couple of updates).

Austin - Spirits and cultists and tattoos, oh my! The landscape of The Frontier is diverse and eye-catching. One of my absolute pleasures has been working with Michael to create a setting that has so many unique flavors all stirring together like a delicious meal. Creating the imagery for this world has been my foremost task, and I think you're going to love the concepts we've managed to pack into every corner. The characters, magic, and creatures are grounded in a rich landscape. A tapestry of concepts that come to life together in a truly fantastical way. I can't wait to hear the stories you weave in this world, and the props are going to truly elevate your experience! Next update, I'll be showcasing some more of this imagery with you, and I'm excited to hear your thoughts!

That's it for this update, lots more to come next month!

Post Campaign Update 1!
4 months ago – Tue, Aug 01, 2023 at 01:37:20 PM

August Monthly Update

Hey folks! We're one month out from the Kickstarter finishing, and wanted to provide some expectations as to how we will be updating on the project progress throughout development, and some company news! This first update is a bit of a long one, so bear with us :D

We'd like to keep everyone up to date with where we are as we create and fulfill the Quest Chest Year of Quests, so we'll be sending out official updates once per month here on Kickstarter, on the first of each month. If we have any other really exciting news that we just can't wait to share we'll be announcing it in our Discord, which you can access here - https://discord.gg/KUYaNQaPcJ

If you have any questions for us, or just want to chat and let us know what you're excited about, you can post comments on Kickstarter, hit us up in the Discord (where we will most likely be already, in our team voice chat getting writing done!), or shoot us an email at - [email protected]

Company News

We are very excited to announce that our articles of incorporation have come through! Quest Chest is officially the first product of the brand new gaming company FoxWing Games! 

When we first began creating the Quest Chest it was a pure collaboration between Austin as The Dungeon Artist, and Michael as Bookwyrm Games, but the more we wrote, and the more wonderful people we worked with to bring this to life, the more we realized we wanted to represent the project as a true collaboration rather than just a partnership between the two of us. FoxWing games will be a place we can create and imagine along with an amazing community of artists, writers and storytellers for many years to come, and Quest Chest will be our first opportunity to share our worlds with you.

Project Update

• Writing - Before the campaign launched we had a very good idea of what story we wanted to tell with each box in the Campaign Chest, and how they would all fit together, so we had a real running start when the Kickstarter ended and we got to work writing. That being said, making sure everything fits together into a cohesive and well plotted story isn't a simple matter! This past month we've aligned each of the individual stories in the Chest, and begun writing on Box 1.
• Art - Art is such a vital part of storytelling for us, and for Quest Chest, and we tend to work on it as an extension of our writing process. We can't know where characters are going, or how long it'll take them to get there until we can see it on a map! Preliminary character design, geographic points of interest, and of course the all important regional maps have been our focus this month.
• Distribution - While we're just at the beginning of our creative process for bringing you the Quest Chest, we want to be thinking as far ahead as possible to ensure the smoothest process during fulfillment. We've started conversations with several distributors with a view to locking down a timeline and shipping cost expectation sooner rather than later.
•  Manufacturing - We've had discussions with several manufacturers and have gotten preliminary quotes! We've a good idea of where we're going to land with the physical creation of the Chests, and the timeline for production. Finalizing this part obviously has to wait until we've completed the creative on what needs manufacturing, and then there's the sample process etc, but we're very confident with where we are right now.

Words words words from Austin and Michael

Michael - It's been a real joy to be able to truly kick into the creative process over the past month! Our focus has very much been on cleaning up the plotting for each box, and making sure that nothing in each of the individual stories we are telling compromises or contradicts the whole. One of the major challenges of a storytelling project this ambitious is that we need to tell cohesive and contained stories in each of the boxes. Since we want to make sure that someone playing just one box still has a satisfying experience we are taking a lot of time tinkering with the beginnings and endings of each box and how they interact with each other and with the overarching story as a whole. I've had a ton of fun reworking the nuts and bolts of how the stories stitch together, and I'm really excited about some of the new ideas and surprises which have come out of that. 

Austin - I’ve been hard at work on the map along with the other art assets. As Michael and I have been writing these stories, one challenge has been fitting all of our ideas into this world. We quickly realized that this world is far greater than we previously imagined.  Future stories will be told in the lands beyond the Frontier, and we have left ample space for those stories as well. This world that we’ve created is rich and full to bursting, and we can’t wait to show you the map when it’s completed!

That's it for this update, lots more to come next month!