Shadows of Esteren: Dearg is Live on Kickstarter

We are very happy to announce the launch of our new Kickstarter campaign!

The main purpose is to finance the release in English and in a deluxe edition of the Book 3 Dearg, the campaign book for Shadows of Esteren.

Below you will find the complete press release with a lot of information about this new project.


SHADOWS OF ESTEREN: DEARG, A STORY OF LOVE, DESPAIR, BEAUTY AND DEATH, NOW ON KICKSTARTER
 
Dark Fantasy RPG Gets New Rulebook with Innovative New Game Mechanics and Concepts Designed to Put Players Face To Face With Their Inner Demons

PARIS, FRANCE (October 27, 2016) – Agate RPG, publisher of the award-winning Shadows of Esteren, announces today plans for Shadows of Esteren: Dearg, the third rulebook for the fan-favorite medieval horror roleplaying game and the launch of the Kickstarter to fund the publishing of this new must-have tome. The Dearg Kickstarter is now live and runs through November, 17th, 2016.

Shadows of Esteren: Dearg puts players at the heart of the game’s narrative in a 500-page, hardcover essential rulebook to be published in two volumes and introduces three new innovative concepts to the world of Shadows of Esteren; Narrative Arcs, Focuses and Modular Scenarios.


 Players will define a narrative arc for their character centered on the main themes of Love, Ethics, Guilt and Adoption. Through 21 scenarios, Player Characters are at the heart of the narrative, their own personal stories becoming critical components of the game’s dramatic tension. While the PCs are involved in the same quest, each member of the party has their own history and motivations. Among the campaign’s 21 scenarios, six are Focuses that will explore each PC’s intimate story, ultimately affecting the direction of the game. Modular Scenarios are comprised of several modules exploring various facets of a theme or character and offer the Game Leader several ways the scenario can evolve. Each module is symbolized by a tarot card drawn from Dearg’s tarot and by connecting the modules the Game Leader can create a story of their own.

“Dearg is the result of nearly 10 years of development,” says Agate RPG Creative Director Nelyhann. “Shadows of Esteren players will experience a story that will change their vision of the world of Esteren and bring them ever-closer to its dark secrets and to their own inner demons.”

The Shadows of Esteren: Dearg Kickstarter campaign offers several pledge levels, including one designed specifically for newcomers to Shadows of Esteren and one for veteran players of the game, as well as a slew of limited edition bonuses, stretch goals and add-ons. Dearg accessories include a complete soundtrack recorded by the Budapest Symphonic Orchestra, the Shadows Tarot Deck and game aids such as art prints, maps and scenario synopses.

Since first launching on Kickstarter in 2012, Shadows of Esteren has received more than a dozen awards for its art, production value and cartography, earned a silver ENnie Award for Product of the Year and has thousands of devoted players worldwide.

Shadows of Esteren is a medieval roleplaying game with horrific and gothic overtones in a dark, low fantasy setting. Drawing inspiration from Celtic myths, this universe has a subtle fantastic side hidden under a bleak, realistic surface. The Shadows of Esteren world is populated by men and women trudging through daily lives whiles also struggling with supernatural threats lurking in the dark. With the focus of its adventures being investigation and survival, Shadows of Esteren favors immersion and interaction among the players.

For more information, visit the Shadows of Eseren: Dearg Kickstarter.


Esteren Tour - Essen Spiel

We will be in Essen next week for THE the big game convention in Europe.

On this occasion, if you speak English or German, we invite you to accompany us on the tour. We can help to cover your travel cost and will pay for your accommodation. You will be with us on the stand to present Shadows of Esteren to the public.

Interested? A question ? Send us a message here.


Back from Gen Con... and a New Award for Esteren!

Intense, magical, thrilling... once more, Gen Con proved true to its reputation! This year, we were glad to receive another award for Esteren: a gold ENnie in the “Best Cartography” category. You can guess how ecstatic we were!

Our new award! This is Esteren's fourth ENnie, which makes it the French RPG with the most awards under its belt :D 

Chris, Nel, and Clovis, right after receiving the award! 

Every year, Annual Gen Con EN World RPG Awards (ENnies for short) are granted in many categories. In 2013, we had earned three awards, and it was with pride and emotion that we received this fourth reward! We would like to thank all the community members who took the time to vote and support us: many thanks to every one of you!

A sample from one of the 5 maps

The Cartography of Tri-Kazel project was initiated in 2013, in the course of a subscription campaign. Bringing it to completion took two years of hard work involving every member of the team at some point or another. Therefore, this award comes as a reward for the efforts of the whole team, particularly Akae's, who drew the initial layer in black and white by hand.


Gen Con overall was very successful for Esteren. Four hectic days we would not have survived without the staunch help of our tremendously generous volunteers: Michael, Travis, Skyler, Benjamin, Shawn, Robert, Raine, Cynthia, Daniel, Richard, Taylor, and James. An exemplary team, with whom we shared many memorable moments!

With one of the authors of Baby Bestiary! 




You can find more pictures on our Facebook and Instagram.

And that's it!

Until next year!

Meet us at Gencon Indy!

For the fifth year in a row, we will come to Gen Con Indy from France to show our creation, the role-playing game Shadows of Esteren. Three members of the team will be there to meet you and sign your books. See you all at booth 2029! 


We have also prepared more than thirty demo sessions spanning all four days of Gen Con; a great opportunity to discover the game's universe and system through short adventures (lasting 2 to 4 hours). You can register through the Gencon website. Check the Event titles starting with S at the bottom of the page, there are still some tickets available.

You can follow our journey at GenCon on facebook

See you there!


We Need Your Support! Vote for Esteren in the 2016 ENnie Awards


Cartography of Tri-Kazel is a 2016 ENnie Award Nominee! This achievement is within our grasp–us, the team, but also and most importantly you, the community supporting us! To win, we need your vote. You can help us by voting "1" in the Best Cartography category, through this link: http://ennie-awards.com/vote/

This project is a very special one: it was Kickstarted in 2013, and bringing it to you proved to be a challenging project. However, it was also a work of love from the whole team. The maps were drawn by hand, then colorized. The design of each coat of arms was the result of detailed research work



This Shadows of Esteren supplement includes detailed maps and coats of arms of the major cities of Tri-Kazel. It is intended for Leaders, but can also be used as an in-game aid, in particular for Varigal characters.

Contents include:
  • Giant maps of the Tri-Kazelian cities Large maps of the three capitals of Tri-Kazel: Osta-Baille (Taol-Kaer), Baldh-Ruoch (Reizh), and Ard-Amrach (Gwidre), in addition to the cities of Expiation and Tulg-Naomh. Each map is 33 x 24 in (84 x 60 cm), fully colored. 
  • Tri-Kazelian coats of arms Each city has its own coat of arms. This supplement includes an art print for each of the five cities: Osta-Baille, Baldh-Ruoch, Ard-Amrach, Expiation, and Tulg-Naomh. 
  • Map folder The maps and art prints are delivered in a geography-themed folder. The Leader can use it to organize related documents or give it to a Player whose character is a Varigal or an otherwise intrepid explorer of the Peninsula. 



If you are willing to help us even more, please forward this message to your friends, and post it on your blogs to spread the word. Each vote counts, and rising above the competition won't be easy... but with you behind us, we can do it!

Thank you so much for your support; without you, we would be nothing!

Cheers!

The team





Shadows of Esteren is a 2016 Ennie Award Nominee

We are happy to annouce that SoE is a 2016 Ennie Award Nominee in the Best Cartography category :D

You will be able to discover this release at GenCon. See you there!



Shadows of Esteren on Bundle of Holding!

Bundle of Holding is featuring a complete set for Shadows of Esteren at an incredible price !


Everything you need for a complete campaign on the Tri-Kazel Peninsula


This collection of spectacularly beautiful Shadows of Esteren .PDF ebooks and music is worth US$87, but you pay just $9.95 for our Starter Collection of four complete ebooks and albums, including the Prologue and Universe books, a fiction collection, and and atmospheric ambient soundtrack. And if you pay more than the current threshold price ($20.59), you'll rise in Discipline and also receive all the supplements in our Bonus Collection, including Travels, Monastery of Tuath, and the gorgeous Black Moon Handbook.

The good fight


The best part: We want to support the Environmental Defense Fund and ten percent of your Bundle of Holding purchase goes to this charity.

Learn more on the Bundle of Holding page : https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Esteren

Enjoy!