Hey everyone, good things are happening and I wanted to share a quick update.
Things are moving. The manuscript is in the hands of our editors, and we're expecting notes back within the next couple of weeks. It's a good feeling to have the words out of our hands and into someone else's sharp eyes.
On the art side, the story section "Becoming the Shatterlands" is fully illustrated and wrapped up.
Once the editorial notes come back and revisions are locked, the artists get the green light to finish out the remaining artwork. That's the next big push.
Here is a sneak peek at one of the images from the backstory section of the book. More soon!
When I launched this project, I honestly wasn't sure what to expect. I knew what Afterglow was — the game, the world, the stories — but knowing isn't the same as finding out others care too. You all answered that question loud and clear.
Seeing the support come in is a great feeling and something I won't forget. Every backer and every share meant more than I can properly articulate. You didn't just fund a game. You told me Afterglow deserves to exist, and that matters to me deeply.
Here's where I'm at: I'm heads-down right now, getting as much artwork finalized as I can and pushing hard to wrap things up and get rewards into your hands as fast as possible. I want to deliver something that lives up to what you deserve.
Thank you. Genuinely. Afterglow is real because you helped make it real.
Cyril Tenar took on four of Afterglow's classes — the Boomshade, Ranger, Coil-Bound, and Forged — and delivered exactly what was asked for, every time.
The Boomshade illustration is where Cyril really shines. The detailed line work is deliberate, and the silent, espionage-edged tone I was chasing for that class comes through without needing to be explained. You look at it and you just get the Boomshade.
The Ranger hits the same mark from a completely different direction — rugged, self-sufficient, built for the wild. It captures the kind of person who doesn't need the world to be intact to survive in it.
Cyril is a straightforward collaborator — clear communication, delivers on the brief, easy to work with. If you want to reach out directly, hit them up on Discord.
Afterglow: Adventures in the Shatterlands has only 9 days left, and if you've been on the fence, this is your sign.
We're currently 184% funded. I would like to thank all those people who have already committed to bringing this world to life — every one of them backed because they're passionate about TTRPGs, DCC/MCC, and wanted to be part of New Terra Studios' first major release, made for the community, by the community.
If Afterglow has been on your radar — now's the time.
Not every creature in Afterglow is trying to kill you — some are just wonderfully weird, and Ben Foster is one of the artists making that corner of the Shatterlands come alive.
Ben worked on two of my personal favorite entries in the guide: the Floose, a fire-breathing goose that is exactly as dangerous as it sounds, and the Buzzkits, a genetic mashup of honey bees and squirrels that adds a genuine sense of wonderment to the field guide. The design details make these creatures feel deliberately and intentionally made — because in the Shatterlands, they were.
The standout piece though is the full page flora illustration. The detail is staggering. You look at it and you don't just see dangerous plants — you feel what it would be like to stand at the edge of that garden as a player, knowing you have no choice but to walk through it. All teeth and spines and no good options.
