Since Portent wrapped, a week ago, I have taken a short breather over the weekend and then gotten down to working on the survey and the preorder store. And I'm happy to say they are coming along nicely :D
The survey is also currently in review with the Backerkit team! I am aiming to send the survey out officially on Friday June 12, with a few people already receiving them earlier in a smoke test. The survey is a pretty complex undertaking on my part, so I'm happy to have the help of the team to make sure everyone gets the rewards they selected <3
After it opens, the survey will be open for a while (with a hard cutoff at November 31st) to allow backers with changing addresses over the year to still put in their new shipping details closer to the actual shipping date. I will not be adding anything new except the finalized designs for the pouches over the course of that time, so I'll definitely recommend not to wait unless you're still figuring out if you want those. Stay tuned for the polls, in that case ;)
After November 31st, everything is getting ready for production, with only the first print run of Portent's hardcover having all the fancy stretch goal upgrades. Completed surveys are counted for that first print run; incomplete ones are not. Backerkit will remind you regularly well before that, though, and otherwise I probably will <3
For backers of the Three of Cups tier: all shipping pricing is based somewhere between letterbox and parcel shipping, but I don't think that's fair if you supported the stickers-only tier. That's why everyone who backed the Three of Cups tier receives a €5 complimentary credit to offset that.
If at any time, you wonder how things are coming along, don't hesitate to send me a message by commenting here or on another update, poke me through the contact option in the survey, or send me a message on Instagram!
As of 22:07 local time, Portent wrapped and was successfully funded! We blew past 1000% funded... I'm trying to make a coherent update as we speak, but you know how it goes.
Portent started out on a whim this February. "Hey, I just finished Pintopia, what's next?" And then that thought connected to the idea I've been having for over a year now about doing a solo RPG. There was no concept yet. Long before February, people had asked me at conventions on several occasions if I had anything that could be played without a party and planted a seed, and a friend sent me a video of Koriko, and then that had already rabbit-holed. But kami? Not really.
This might sound extremely whimsical. If it helps, this is how I usually start <3
To be honest, I don't remember how Portent became exactly what it is today. I didn't keep my old notes; I just replaced them with better concepts, and then shaved and fit those into ones that better fit my vision. What I do remember is wanting to combine tarot, rococo, and kami. Somehow. That was the first seed.
Backerkit's deadline forced me to make decisions quick. And here we are today. No rococo. A cozier art style than I've done before. And a very proud, slightly chaotic, creator.
I have, as of yet, 75 pages of artwork ready for the concept art book. I have an entire Obsidian vault dedicated to the contents and the side products (like the game mat and the enamel pins). I started working with Obsidian bases, I ditched Notion, I went over the game mechanics and made flow charts on paper, then cut out unnecessarily complicated bits. The book is looking at 120 pages as we speak, give or take. Three months of work.
At this point, roughly 80% of the game itself is ready to go, and the kami gazetteer that chronicles 22 kami has all the kami fleshed out. I'm creating more random tables to customize the game as you see fit. Wrapping the v1 that can be playtested will be my focus throughout June and July. Then artwork. Because with the yokai expansion also unlocked, that will be another 22 illustrations. And honestly, I can't wait <3 (while probably, admittedly, being a bit more mindful than usual of my wrist during that time)
Portent wrapped, so let's get cracking! Here are all the stretch goals we managed to unlock:
Yes, that is all of them!
Plus, as a bonus on my end, the hardcover will have red sprayed edges!
I am going to take a breath this weekend. Then, I am going to make sure that your overwhelming support will be reflected into the game.
The Portent campaign has headed into its final day at Backerkit this morning, and you've really blown it out of the park ;^; We've unlocked so many stretch goals this month, and we might just be heading towards the last one. And that also means that yes, since my last update and today, the yokai expansion illustrations have become unlocked! I'll officially be doing some 22 additional illustrations in July, and I'm so looking forward to it! And to everyone who also pitched in with some cute yokai ideas, thank you <3
I've also finalized v1 of the front and back of the bookmark yesterday:
The design may still change a little, depending on the final artwork for Tsuki (The Moon) and Taiyo (The Sun) and maybe some technical limitations, but I don't expect anything drastic. And, if the printer lets me, I'll try and add in some gold detailing here or there. Fingers crossed <3
Since it's the last day today, I want to take a moment to celebrate how far Portent has come. Even the unillustrated yokai expansion itself had been a stretch goal I had hoped for but hadn't realistically expected to make, and now we're at illustrated. For someone who is running this project on her own, I feel very blessed with the support around me; from the playtesters, the muses, and my rubber duck friends, to everyone who has backed Portent or spread the word. You are all stars in the skies above Kaminari <3
So, as my thanks to you, I am adding a little something extra to the hardcover book! Let me know which you'd like best?
Portent has gone into the final week the other day, and that means the campaign is slowly drawing to a close! I am keeping a close eye on it, because we're very close to unlocking the Yokai Expansion becoming illustrated and that would honestly be perfect for my July project 💪
I'm creating this update from my phone from the middle of London, where MCM London is in full swing. Here is what my table looks like: (N-4, come say hi if you are in the area?)
It's an amazing convention to be and I've already done some shopping, myself, because there's so many other talented artists here!
When on Friday there was a short lull, I also got to sketching the tarot pouch I'm doing with The Speechless Bard:
We will be working more closely together to make sure the designs fit the pouch perfectly and are optimally placed after getting back from the convention, and then it'll be time for another poll to pick the final version! :D
Even though I'm on the road at the moment, I am keeping an eye on Portent every day and I'm really rooting for the yokai illustrations to be unlocked. But at the same time, I'm already so lucky and blessed to have everyone's support! Thank you for believing in this little artist ♥️
We're approaching the final week of the campaign, but as you might have noticed, that doesn't mean things slow down on the creative side.
On my trip to Fantasy Basel, I sketched some bookmarks at last. I haven't decided yet which bookmark I will be making. Maybe I will use two designs for the front and the back?
I put the bookmark sketches into the concept art book file this morning. It was an excellent excuse to export what I have so far and share it with you as well <3
Art book preview
I have also been drawing outfits for all the kami, and picked the ones that suited the concept best while also giving a nice silhouette. For 22 designs, that went surprisingly fast! It is more difficult to actually stick to my picks... (Fun fact: The Chariot pin wears the design initially intended for The Strength, but I confused the numbers, so now it's just canonically The Chariot and I'll have to just make new designs for The Strength.)
Note that I rarely keep the layout of my books this plain, and the layout of the art book is definitely still changing!
If the Yokai Expansion Illustrations stretch goal becomes unlocked, I'll be doing these kinds of sketches for the yokai in the expansion as well. Of course, they will also be included in the art book.
And here's a preview of the enamel pin designs as they are currently displayed in the art book. I have included all enamel pin designs in the concept art book, with rough sketches, detailed sketches, and the final design.
Art book size?
With the art book steadily documenting every design choice, I have started to think that maybe, the initial A5 size (which would make it the same size as Portent itself) might not be absolutely necessary. Most of the art books I have on my bookshelf are a bit bigger. So I think I need your help once again!
Help me decide on which size the final concept art book should be in the poll at the bottom?
Live on Kickstarter now: City of Sirens (5E+)
A lot of people might know me from my D&D adventures over on Kickstarter in the past. In true Kickstarter tradition, us creators like to give a shout-out to other projects we think are really cool. I've gotten to know the small and dedicated team behind Quill's Tiny Quests in the past and done some illustrations for them, and they have a new amazing project that I think some of you might like <3
City of Sirens is a 400+ page 5E campaign setting that throws Lovecraftian dread, BioShock-style retro-futurism, and Fallout-flavored dark humour into a blender. It's got 6+ fully realized districts, a city-builder toolkit, and a complete Level 1–7 adventure, all set in Angler's Den, a decaying post-apocalyptic port cursed by Change radiation and slowly consumed by the Pale, a radioactive fog bleeding upward from the ruins of an annihilated ancient civilization.
City of Sirens currently has 12 stretch goals (!!!) unlocked and is live on Kickstarter now.
