The Dark Carnival Pre-Order Store

D&Tea: "The first glass is a shot glass, so very thin and you can see the nice redness of the Hibiscus adds, and the right is an 8oz cup, half full, and you can see how dark and red this brew gets. The sweet-tart flavor mellows the sharpness of the bergamot."

Rick: "Those are indeed words. I speak coffee. I shall however, spread the word."

Update Time everyone!

#1: Missed your chance to back the Dark Carnival? Want your final shot at Loot Boxes or to pick up some extra Tea as a stand alone tier?



We are announced as part of the Gamefound Feast Spring Event. This campaign is for all the followers who messaged us saying they missed the window and because we want to unlock the full soundtrack for the campaign.

Any Stretch Goals we unlock there - benefit everyone here! So don't fret!

If you want to follow along or you want some extra or new goodies, you can pick them up in isolated tiers over here: https://gamefound.com/en/projects/storytellers-forge/the-dark-carnival?ref=explore

We go Live May 13!

#2: Book Production is underway! I have Work-In Progress Art to share for everyone!

Memory Bottle W.I.P. Art by C.D. Corrigan! During playtest, one of the changes made was adding a BUNCH more carnival prizes and artwork. C.D. Corrigan is the author of Memory Thief (which comes in the Loot Box, and arrives on it's own this summer), and since it tied into the Jackdaws... it made 100% sense for C.D. to write up many more items.

Apparently, he can also draw those items as well :) (Kidding, we already knew that). BUT! I wanted to share at least one new piece of artwork for everyone!

#3: The Tea & Incense...wait...oils?

Okay, but for real, we are actually doubling down on the Ringmasters Brew.


^ Mock up! Everyone in the last poll voted for Tin, so this is what we are thinking. But the Tea itself? A custom blend the alchemists are working on now. They did take a quick photo of the very first brew:



BUT! When we were thinking of what to add / do to keep in theme with "Immersive TTRPGs", I realized I forgot about smell...



See this Astarion!? We found a group of eager and local TTRPG enthusiasts who are going to help us craft the perfect Autumn "Dark Carnival" and just...slip that bad boy into all the loot boxes or separately. When we nail down our specific smell - we will let you know.

#4: An ST Forge Switch - The Tarriff Talk.

I'm putting this one down here. Our goal is to make immersive TTRPG's and experiences, and that has been evident the further we got into the Dark Carnival. That also means, building community and looking for those who like to READ novels, LISTEN to music, PLAY the game and more.

There is a ton of doom and gloom out there about printing, tariffs, and more (rightfully so) and yes: it does impact us. But we are early enough on that we can make pivotal design choices if we need to.

Here's my thought and there is a poll attached:

Math Rocks. Everyone who has ordered dice so far - you are a-okay!

That said, as we go forward, getting dice made is now about to skyrocket to unfeasible levels. Small creators often can't handle the wholesale prices needed or the quantity for crowdfunding - and now getting them manufactured and made to spec is a giant hurricane of navigation.

So what if we make "Forgotten" Dice? Aka, in our journey over the year from convention to convention, I find local dice manufactures and get Dark Carnival dice made or picked from their selection of equal value - and when people order dice for the Dark Carnival -> They are getting something from a local / small creator out here.

The upside is that this avoids the catastrophe and I get to focus on the part I personally love as Rick (working with different groups). The downside is: All of you will get different dice.

(Although maybe that's a win!)

I'm not saying that will happen or not ergo: We have a Poll Attached!

Leave a comment! Let us know how you want us to approach the next year! Cast thy vote!

And if you missed out on backing -> Go check out the Gamefound campaign!

https://gamefound.com/en/projects/storytellers-forge/the-dark-carnival?ref=explore

It's officially time for the slower updates, because production hath begun!

Well, the last one is important because I have had some questions about how tariffs will impact production when apparently everything is going to literally blow up underneath us. Luckily, we are in production mode, and so we don't need to send out surveys or worry about printing and shipping yet.

Because of this we will not send out pledge surveys until the book is finished. It will probably come around October or November and we are ready to start releasing the digital PDF's. By then, HOPEFULLY some of the madness has died down. If things look really grim, then I'll probably shift one type of item in the loot box to a different type of item.

There is a ton of news from other TTRPG creators and the impact of manufacturing this has. Since we get a few months of leeway, we are just going to wait. This will give us time to calibrate our Add-On's that are part of the Pledge Survey accurately, and in case anyone moves, means less fiddling on the dashboard. So until then, just enjoy the production updates!

Preorders Are Still Open! If you missed the Dark Carnival campaign, you can still pre-order the campaign book by clicking on the link! Yes, some of the bundles are gone from the choices (gotta find us during the crowdfunding window), but nothing is stopping you from grabbing a book!

Crit Awards: A Big Favor To Ask. If you find yourself having time this weekend and really want to help out the studio, the Crit Awards nomination window is now live. It takes a while to go through the form, so we made a handy voting sheet for everyone:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pa0GxBGU1p3DvSIAUP2dPd4JmY4A5zlev0JXY_d-owE/edit?usp=sharing

It has all the categories ST Forge, Severed Threads, and some of our closer peers are eligible for. It will take about 15 minutes, but it shines a spotlight on our studio. So, if you would be so kind, click the link and have at it!

Official Call For Novelists:

We have the Chronicles of the Chronicles Novels! Now we are looking for Dark Carnival Authors!

Take a look at these gorgeous covers coming for July Release tied to the Black Ballad! This could be you! We know it takes a long time to write a novel based in the setting, so this isn't something we are aiming to release even early next year, but rather, start accepting pitches now to select our authors. 

BUT! If you are an author who enjoys fantasy and the Dark Carnival, and have a sample of your work in: Times New Roman, Font Size 12, Double Spaced, With Headers and 2 Chapters Only:  You hereby invited to submit to [email protected]

Please title the subject line: Dark Carnival Novel Submission.

 Just because you submit, does not mean you will be chosen. We will however, actually read every submission, and judge based on the quality of the prose and see if you are a good fit for the project.

But if you think you have the drive to write a full-length fantasy novel and go through the publication and editorial process: Well, then check out what we did with the Black Ballad Novels! They are all released to the public this July!

I may need more than the usual amount of coffee after last night....

*MUPPET FLAIL*

Okay, I've seen some end of crowdfunding pushes, but last night was a bit special. We crossed several stretch goals yesterday and had a huge spike. Which...is amazing for everyone involved, since that actually means more stuff for everyone.

Thank you to everyone who helped support us finishing this project. Your pledge and support allows us to bring this insane dream to reality, into print, and eventually into your hands.

What Comes Next?

Step #1 for us is getting the manuscript compiled with the last bits we added during this crowdfunding window (yes, we've been working and adding content), and then we turn it over to copy editing.

While this is happening, our Art group is getting started this month. Everyone who backed this project will get to see the pretty art as it rolls in (sharing text is vastly less exciting). This whole process to finish production should be roughly 4-5 months.

Step 1.A Open up the preorder store here on Backerkit for those who missed the campaign mode (you'll be able to grab a copy of the hardcover and some select add-ons while we are in production).

Step #1.B In the next 30 days, anyone who backed the Villain of the Realms tier will get contacted by the team and thrust into a call with Hughe, Myself, The Eldritch Editor, and our Art Director (and we play the scheduling tarrasque battle). We need to get your art orders, bounties, and download character lore!

Step #2: Gamefound? So....we really want to make the soundtrack. Like...really really. So in May, we are going to break out the soundtrack, mini's and remaining stretch goals into a separate micro campaign and launch on Gamefound. You can follow along:

RIGHT HERE! <- Click this text.

THIS IS IMPORTANT! ANY GOALS WE UNLOCK THERE BENEFIT ALL OF YOU HERE! You do not need to go pledge support again. You already helped! We might have a unique pledge tier like the Ringmasters Brew, but it's okay. We are sharing this so you can follow along. That campaign will be much quieter on the email front and notifications on this side...because the true goal there is to unlock the soundtrack and bake it into the book like the Black Ballad.

Step #3: Layout! Once all the art, production, and final text is done, layout should take about 2 months. Which means... everyone should be getting a draft pdf in 6-7 months from now. We lit that simmer for a bit, and then...

Step #4: Print Run. The print run and press proof process takes about another 2 months. By this point however, all digital assets will be delivered.

Step #5: Shipping. We can't ship books if they aren't completed, but once the pallet of books arrives, we start shipping! It takes about a month to get everything all sorted at the distribution center and shipped.

Ultimately we are looking at 10-12 months from now for delivery after the full production cycle. Which is pretty damn good for TTRPG crowdfunding, and you guys will get plenty of other content as it's made and finished along the way, so...stay tuned because now all of you are part of the process.

There will be polls, chances for feedback, and you get to be a part of this process with us. That's the fun of being an early backer!

Okay...but...how about something in the meantime?

Some of you, may have snagged the last special editions of the Black Ballad or even some novels. Well...those are already done. We can actually ship those out next month if you wanted...but there is a catch: split shipping is kind of annoying.

If you want some of your add-ons early, just email us at [email protected] and we will check your address and look into media mailing you a package. We may hit you up for a few bucks on shipping, and we'll update the back end here to mark that portion as filled. This is on a case-by-case basis, but it's certainly doable. Just let us know if you want your copy of the finished stuff all bundled and shipped out early!

Again, thank you so much everyone! We are about to zoom around like the caffeinated (and now apparently tea-infused) creators that we are!

The Storytellers Forge Team. 

Hey everyone!

We are counting down on the final push, ergo, I'm putting some incentives right up front on why you should jump in on crowdfunding rather than wait:

Our primary goal is to unlock the soundtrack for everyone, it's a marquee point for Storytellers Forge and a bit of our Modus Operandi. Even if we get close to that, I'll probably find a way to make it possible. We can only do that if we even start kissing the next few goals, and that means, we need your help. 



Currently, we are gearing up for more BOOK content with our current stretch goal, because Hughe has a bajillion monsters floating around in his brain.

So in these final days, if you are a backer - spread the word! The more we unlock, the more stuff you get for free.

Want to see a great example of stretch goals in actions? Here's some of our friends over at Eren Chronicles:


I'll give props due where they are due: Eren Chronicles team nailed their cross promotion and outreach efforts and really put a lot of elbow grease into their campaign. They should! Because frankly witchy occult D&D never goes out of style. Their stretch goals have been burning on a pyre and you can explore their campaign book here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/erenchronicles/zamanora-ballad-of-the-witch

This is a solid example of when hardwork crosses with the perfect market timing and the right spells being cast behind the scenes, and I'm super proud that they were able to make this project hit in the way they did (and yes, I'm a backer of it).

We can still do the same thing! There are over 1300 followers on this campaign that are waiting for the final days! So let's get us some music!

I don't have an easy way to share the soundtrack that Mr. Agitator is working on in a backerkit update, so I'm just going to share a song that will make everyone bop instead.

You spin me...right...round...

Rick shambles in.
Rick holds up cup of coffee.

Rick holds up a sign that reads: "As the dirty bean drinker, I was outvoted."

-----

Alright, I'm back to work. Which means updates and conventions. This week, we will be at Garycon!

We are working with our partners (whose logo you see on this project) over at TPK Gaming, so if you see us behind the TPK booth selling the Black Ballad and dice...well...that's why! Don't worry, you'll know it's us by the fact I'll probably be handing out fliers or eagerly flailing my arms like a penguin lost on land. Don't ask.

Today I want to talk about one of the more exciting partnerships that was brought about entirely because of a fictional entity.

Hughe, the Dark Ringmaster, canonically drinks Earl Grey Tea, like a proper mustache twirling villain. Sure, we get this. I of course, made an attempt and manufacturing a bag of proper bean juice with a very frustrated image of Hughe wondering "What the F@!# is this shite?" and the Editorial Staff promptly exiled me off the island.

Enter me blind reaching out to D&Tea.



To quote the illustrious Mr. Gideon:

D&Tea is a passion project co-managed by a small but spirited team of TTRPG enthusiasts, dedicated to bringing together two of the best things in life: tea and games. The idea was born around a tabletop, sparked by the question: "What if the tea we drank while we played gave us in-game bonuses?" This led to countless hours of discussion about which tea ingredients could enhance different aspects of gameplay. Today, D&Tea thrives as a growing collection of high-quality blends, crafted to enrich both gaming sessions and everyday moments with adventurous flavors.

But get this: One of our artists, Olivia Hintz is also their social media manager. (We did not know that when we reached out)



So, what's the deal with collaboration?

Simple... in our loot box tier we are going to uh...engage in "Playtesting" of the Tea and explore some custom blends to find the one that best fits the theme, and how to bundle and package this. We aren't there yet (that's a stage a little later in production) but we have officially decided to team up.

When you are storytelling games, physical sensations add a lot to the table experience (sight, smell, sound, touch...and taste is a powerful memory invoker). Ergo, as our goal is to provide immersive tabletop experiences and we have sight (art), sound (soundtrack and narration), touch (book), taste and smell get covered by the tea!

Every loot box tier will come with the tea we end up choosing but fret not, once the book is ready or even in the middle of this year - we will unlock some extra add on's of different flavors and accessories once they are finalized based on backer's vote.

If you are a backer on this project, there is exclusive voting options below!

That's all for today's update everyone! You can follow D&Tea everywhere @dandteaco or their website, and if you want to see some more options we are exploring and have a say in the tea / add-ons - hop on in! 

I'm out until Garycon is over, so everyone have a fantastic weekend!

-Rick