Leo
CREATOR
about 2 months ago

Project Update: January 2026 Preview Draft [ONYX LOTUS]

Hello wanderers,

wishing everyone a happy new year! I hope the festive season treated you well. This missive comes a little later in the month than I wanted,

Anyway, production continues! We have ONYX LOTUS, a new preview draft of the core rules, to download if you so desire.

Currently ONYX LOTUS is the most recent draft. If you have comments/questions/typos/suggestions on content, please try to identify which draft you're reading from. 

What's new in ONYX LOTUS?

I'm still focusing on getting new content laid out and drafted rather than updating existing pages.

  • Major Factions. This is a large piece of missing content, which is now less missing than before. We have details on the faction reputation system (p.81), and some ideas of how to gain, lose or spend reputation. 
  • Major Faction: The New Hegemony. A proud, expanding true-kin empire. Find details on the Hegemony's goals, allies, enemies, how to join the faction, what Vaarn would look like if they won, and ideas on gaining Hegemony Reputation. The stat blocks for Hegemony Legionaries and Centurions are now found here too, on p.83-84.
  • Major Faction: Faa Nomads. Blue-skinned nomads, who have long travelled the wastes of Vaarn. Find details on the Faa's goals, allies, enemies, how to join the faction, what Vaarn would look like if they won, and ideas on gaining Faa Reputation. A new creature is detailed here: the Faa Sniper. Find this on p.85-86.
  • Major Faction: Seekers of Eyeless Wisdom. The Seekers are a remnant of the synchronistic religious/scientific programs that attempted to expand human consciousness in the lost ages of Urth. Find details on the Seekers' goals, allies, enemies, how to join the faction, what Vaarn would look like if they won, and ideas on gaining Seeker Reputation. A brand new creature is detailed here: the Master of Eyeless Wisdom. Find on p.87-88.
  • Major Faction: Cacklemaw Clans. Raucous, deranged hyena-women. Find details on the Cacklemaw's goals, allies, enemies, how to join the faction, what Vaarn would look like if they won, and ideas on gaining Cacklemaw Reputation. You'll now find stats for the Cacklemaw warriors, berserkers and viragoes here on p.89-90.
  • Major Faction: Court of the Jigsaw Autarch. The courtiers of an arrogant Autarch, who
    sought to cheat death by dividing himself into 999 hypergeometric figments. Find details on the Court's goals, allies, enemies, how to join the faction, what Vaarn would look like if they won, and ideas on gaining Court Reputation. p.91-92.
  • Major Faction: Titan Cults. The worshippers of the Titan AIs, seven god-like machine consciousnesses that once ruled Vaarn. Find details on the Titan Cults' goals, allies, enemies, how to join the faction, what Vaarn would look like if they won, and ideas on gaining Cult Reputation. Two new creatures are statted here: the Chromepriest and Titan Acolyte. p.93-94.
  • Major Faction: Children of the Darkling Sun. An ancient cult that is proscribed everywhere in civilisation, but thrives in dark corners of Vaarn. Find details on the Children's goals, allies, enemies, how to join the faction, what Vaarn would look like if they won, and ideas on gaining Darkling Sun Reputation. p.95-96.
  • Desert Foraging - Foraging is now a d100 table, found on page 135-136. The idea here is basically that dying because you ran out of food and water is unsatisfying to most groups, but I think the threat of it is still compelling. Foraging now requires a d100 roll, and can either trigger a desert encounter (10% chance), give you nothing (20% chance), or present you with a variety of mini encounters and dilemmas that allow the PCs to grab some water or food. 
  • Echopraxist - a new mimic-monster, found on p.172.

Still to Come

  • Expanded list of Hypergeometric Equations
  • Sample Elixirs
  • Story Seeds (for emergent narrative creation)
  • The Lithic Lyceum (major faction)
  • Fortress Location
  • d100 Landmarks
  • Oracle's Sanctum location
  • The Head of Briareus (an adventure site)
  • d100 Set Dressing Objects
  • Innumerable tweaks and edits. 

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