During Mausritter Month, the forest is all secrets and whiskers. Tales from Behind the Ferns is a collection of TTRPG adventures for Mausritter, where the mice explorers immerse themselves in worlds of deep folklore and cozy mysteries. This campaign funds two zines and one trifold mouse settlement, plus extra resources to bring your adventures to life.
Something is poisoning the forest. The stream has run dry, and the spirits of the wood are at odds. In this Japanese folklore-inspired adventure, PCs must rely on wits over claws and negotiate with mythical beings to save Gingko Leaf Village. Will they restore balance before the woods are consumed by toxic fumes and scalding geysers?
16 pages 24 pages packed with color illustrations.
Pointcrawl map witrh 8 locations.
A cast of mythical beings that inhabit the forest.
Zine 2: Indigo Malady
This zine is still under development! But I can reveal it will feature a sect of unruly rats and a mysterious curse that leaves its victims with a chilling, blue-tinged zombification.
16 pages 24 pages packed with color illustrations.
Pointcrawl map.
(Sample illustrations)
Pamphlet: The Tipsy Root
Deep in the forest, at the base of a centuries-old tree, lies a cozy inn that welcomes all travelers—mice, squirrels, and any creature seeking rest or a hearty meal. This trifold pamphlet introduces a settlement inhabited by unique NPCs, each offering their own adventure seeds to kickstart some epic little quests.
Detailed exterior and interior map of the inn.
5 NPCs with their backgrounds and intertweened motivations.
One of the resources I find most fun to create and use at the table is paper minis, so you can expect a myriad of characters, each with front and back art, for extra depth. The base set will consist of 12 adventurers and 8 enemies, expandable through stretch goals.
After spending more than two years in Japan and over a decade in Asia, I fell in love with the region's wonderful and diverse folklore. With great affection and respect, I want to pay homage through creativity, by placing our adventurous mice in a forest inhabited by its magical creatures. That's how Brimstone Ikebana came to life.
And for Indigo Malady? This zine is still in development. It will have a sect of naugthy rats and a strange curse that paints its victims a deathly, blue tone... Updates soon!
The Tipsy Root is back. Previously digital-only, this pamphlet is now getting its first print run, with refreshed artwork and new additional resources.
I'm Francisco Lemos, an illustrator and graphic designer with over two decades of professional experience in the visual arts, and a passion for games and stories. After a long hiatus, I returned to the TTRPG hobby and realized it was an amazing medium for creative expression, which led me to start creating and publishing adventures for several systems—Mausritter among them. Because of my background in arts, my ideas emerge from the visual side: I begin by drawing characters or scenes that inspire me, which then may evolve into stories, settings, and adventures.
Beyond this project, I'm also contributing my artwork to Juck City and Mausolimpicsfor the Mausritter Month initiative.
Zines, Print version: Check the Discounted Group Shipping section below.
Custom Art add-ons: Between January and June of 2026. The pieces will be produced in pledge order. All backers must complete the commissioning process within the 2026 calendar year.
THIS PROJECT IS PART OF THE DISCOUNTED GROUP SHIPPING. 13 out of the 16 projects in the Mausritter Month event are part of the group shipping, which means all rewards from these projects will be grouped and shipped together so that you potentially save upwards of $125 on shipping. For instance, if you're in the US and back Junk City + 10 other projects, you are paying only $46 and not $142. Find out more here.
Mausritter Month is a month-long celebration of the award-winning tabletop RPG Mausritter, running from November 4 – December 4, 2025. It unites dozens of talented creators releasing new adventures, settings, and zines — all set in the whimsical and sword-wielding small world of mice. Fans can explore new adventures, new settings, genre-bending campaigns, creative supplements, and support a thriving indie community. Back seven or more participating projects to earn a free pack of wooden mouse meeples — one for each featured creator — and join in a cozy, creative event where tiny heroes take on epic quests together.
