Grim tales inspired by Balkan & Slavic folklore, for D&D 5e, D&D 2024, and the Legend in the Mist RPG.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Lore of Zamanora: Worlds Upon Worlds 🌍
about 1 year ago
– Mon, Mar 24, 2025 at 11:16:29 AM
Greetings, wayfarers!
Today, we are going to delve into an important part of the Zamanoran lore, one that acts as a cornerstone for its entire setting. The concept of overlapping worlds, co-existing with one another, separated only by the folkloric beliefs of the local folk, as well as superstition and understanding of them. Let’s get to it then…
WORLDS UPON WORLDS
Beautiful as the mist-tipped mountains and the playful creeks of Zamanora are, there is almost always more there than meets the eye. Secrets in the soil, spirits in the winds, a city in a tree hollow, an entire world hidden within an acorn await those with the occult knowledge, and skill, to discover them. The Zamanori use the terms that follow to represent and separate these disparate aspects of the world that surrounds them, insofar as they can agree in their shared perception of it.
THE REAL
The Real is a term commonly used to refer to the material world and its native creatures. This merely encompasses only what the Zamanori can understand and know to be real; that which can be experienced by the perception of their senses, whether seen, heard, felt, smelled, or tasted. In other words, it is all those things they interact with, in their daily lives.
For example, the Real includes the annual cycle, natural phenomena such as a rockslide or the weather changing with the seasons, the wilderness, the wind rustling the leaves, the beasts and monsters that hunt or scavenge for their food, the humanoid societies that dot the realm, one’s self, friends, neighbors and family.
THE HIDDEN WORLD
Intersecting with the Real, yet obfuscated from the untrained eye by a thin veil of secrecy, lies another world. This Hidden World encapsulates everything the Zamanori believe in, yet do not fully comprehend. It is the world of spirits and magic, of all things deemed supernatural and otherworldly by the common folk. Its many wonders constantly challenge rational thought and, at the same time, pose opportunity and danger beyond imagination. The Hidden World is not another plane of existence in itself, but rather an aspect of reality that lies just beyond the horizon of one’s own mettle and acumen.
Zamanoran folklore revolves greatly around the Hidden World and its primal denizens, the spirits, which the people traditionally implore for guidance and aid at times of need, or worship and adulate to appease their anger. Though the actions of spiritual entities can usually be felt but rarely determined with certainty, it is the core belief the Zamanori hold in the spirit world and its ways that breathes life into it, rather than proof or verified knowledge. Therefore, the very existence of the Hidden World hangs upon a sole condition: mortals must believe in it, without ever truly knowing about it.
For example, the Hidden world includes spirits of the woods, itinerant souls, living manifestations of the natural forces, passages through the roots of trees or the clouds in the sky, the voices coming from the brook, a hexer’s curse, a spouse’s warding prayer, a god’s blessing, or fortune’s favor.
THE OLD WORLD
Due to the oral tradition the Zamanori have in perpetuating their lore, the ancestral origins and history of their kind have been lost to the eons, preserved only in vague retellings and obscure rhymes. Whoever came before them, no form of record, text, or codex that sheds light on these past ages has managed to survive the ordeal of time. Because of this, the folk have taken to including all that which has been forgotten, or is thought to be extinct from the Real, into a broad term: the Old World.
The Old World comprises everything the Zamanori folk widely believe might have once been real, but no longer exists at present, as well as those stories whose veracity can hardly be verified or believed, but claim to be true of a world much different from the past. Some studied folk claim that the Old World hearkens to a time when Real and Hidden were one, before the veil was drawn between them, and that is why the tales surrounding it sound so fantastical to contemporary ears. From world-altering events to legendary monsters, great civilizations, and impossible deeds, whether a piece of a bygone era or a figment of imagination in the first place; all that has served and embodied the Old Ways has slowly succumbed to lethe and passed into oblivion. There are those few, however, who seek to discover what lies in the labyrinthine corridors of the unknown past, despite the risk of stumbling upon things that should best remain forlorn.
For example, the Old World includes the mythical dragons, dead or forsaken deities of ancient times, tales of grand heroes and mages, rumors of cursed ruins, as well as the origins of the Zamanori people and their true history.
TALKING WITH WORLD ANVIL
A few days ago, we were invited to discuss worldbuilding with the wonderful people of World Anvil on their stream!
Especially worldbuilding inspired by Balkan & Slavic folklore.
What's the difference between Epic and Rustic fantasy? How do you write stories based on Slavic folklore for a contemporary audience? Are there Kings, Queens and Emperors in such a world?
You can find answers for the above and even more by watching this broadcast!
🤝 FOLLOW US
If you like our projects, you may as well like us! While we try to keep our Kickstarter updated as soon as we have news to share, we are even more active on our social media.
You can follow us on the links below to stay tuned about everything regarding Zamanora, and gain access to the numerous gifts we offer to all our Newsletter subscribers!
Secret Stretch Goal Unlocked! | Koschei, the Deathless Miniature
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Mar 20, 2025 at 11:14:08 AM
Hear ye, hear ye!
ZAMANORA: Ballad of the Witch has officially reached over 2000 Backers! We are humbled and excited beyond words for your immense support, and promise to deliver a project that will surpass your expectations. On the other hand, why wait for the campaign’s end to start doing that?
To celebrate the 2000th Backer joining our campaign, we have collaborated with the brilliant Alex Toti to design another miniature model to accompany that of Baba Yaga’s!
The STL version of Koschei, the Deathless’ miniature is added for free in every pledge tier that already includes the STL version of Baba Yaga’s miniature. Those pledge tiers are namely the All Digital, Deluxe Box and Collector’s Box.
The physicalmasterprint version of Koschei, the Deathless’ miniature is included for free with every purchase of the Collector’s Box.
For those of you who haven’t pledged in those tiers, Koschei’s STL version is available as a standalone add-on!
You can review this information by browsing the Backer Rewards section of the campaign page.
This is merely a token of our gratitude towards all of you! We are looking forward to employing the funds provided to us through this campaign in order to make ZAMANORA: Ballad of the Witch the best it can be.
🔒 SHOWCASING THE MINIATURE STANDEES
Speaking of miniatures, we’d like to take this opportunity and shine the spotlight on our 2D Miniature Standees, while addressing some of your questions regarding those!
The Miniature Standees come in sheets of punch cardboard, stored in a premium box. The set contains at least one miniature for each of the 75+ Monsters featured in ZAMANORA: Ballad of the Witch, with its corresponding artwork printed on both sides. Some of them are provided for additional times, so that you may create encounters with multiple Monsters of the same type.
The box also contains a set of plastic, interchangeable bases!
All relevant unlocked stretch goals are applied.
The above image is a reference subject to change, based on manufacturing contingencies.
If you are not familiar with this type of miniature models, feel free to check out the amazing work of Wanderers Emporium as an additional reference to the result we are aiming for!
🤝 FOLLOW US
If you like our projects, you may as well like us! While we try to keep our Kickstarter updated as soon as we have news to share, we are even more active on our social media.
You can follow us on the links below to stay tuned about everything regarding Zamanora, and gain access to the numerous gifts we offer to all our Newsletter subscribers!
Another Stretch Goal Reached! 🥳
about 1 year ago
– Wed, Mar 19, 2025 at 03:37:43 PM
Greetings, monster hunters!
Yet another Stretch Goal has been attained, as the immense support gathering around this project continues to surpass our wildest expectations! As for its contents...
A weapon is measured by the reason it is drawn; an analogy well known to those who would stand willingly against such legendary foes.
200,000€ - 10 Additional Monsters: New perils rise beyond the mists of Zamanora, as 10 Monsters are being added to the Monsters & Fables book - including the Sirin, the Alkonost and Svyatogor, the Sacred Mountain!
These additions bring our Bestiary’s contents to a total of over 75 Monsters.
🔒 NEXT STRETCH GOAL: MORE SUBCLASSES
Onwards to our next Stretch Goal! More tales yearn to be told, as we delve into legendary heroes of yore and their fateful journeys.
225,000€ - 3 Additional Subclasses: Fresh faces gather around the hearth. The Veilscarred Barbarian, Journey Domain Cleric and Paladin, Oath of the Firebird are unlocked for the Core book!
✨ DELUXE EDITION - PROOF OF QUALITY
Since the founding of our small indie team, passion has been our sole lodestar. We are committed to dedicating every inch of ourselves into all of our creations, polishing every edge to the point of ensuring a level of quality that exceeds even our initial vision.
This is what happened with the Deluxe Edition of EXORDIUM: Origins of Mythos, our previous Kickstarter project. Being equipped with the community’s backing and through a wonderful collaboration with the talented Tale Archivist, we managed to deliver a result that we are truly proud of for the VIP backers of that campaign.
Currently, the funding for ZAMANORA: Ballad of the Witch is almost 5 times the amount of EXORDIUM: Origins of Mythos. We really cannot wait to funnel it into the wonderful things we are going to design for you this time, and the wholesome collaborations we will experience in the process.
While we have you beside us, we pledge to do better in every new step we take in this creative journey!
🤝 FOLLOW US
If you like our projects, you may as well like us! While we try to keep our Kickstarter updated as soon as we have news to share, we are even more active on our social media.
You can follow us on the links below to stay tuned about everything regarding Zamanora, and gain access to the numerous gifts we offer to all our Newsletter subscribers!
Unleash your imagination with Heroes & Hardships, the ultimate d10 dice pool roleplaying system for any setting, any character, any adventure. From fantasy realms to deep space, this robust system offers deep customization, tactical combat, and flexible magic to bring your world to life.
The Core Rulebook is packed with everything you need—rules for vehicles, adversaries, and a bestiary spanning multiple genres. Plus, enhance your gameplay with the GM Screen for quick reference and Foundry VTT integration for seamless online play. Create, explore, conquer—your next great adventure starts now!
Follow along to get notified when it goes live through this link!
Our Art and Artists! 🎨
about 1 year ago
– Sun, Mar 16, 2025 at 07:44:02 AM
Greetings, friends!
As we are fast approaching our next Stretch Goal, we thought we should use this moment of respite to introduce to you the artistic hands behind this project’s beautiful artworks.
So many talented artists have worked with us to turn this project into a reality, and we encourage you to browse their portfolios by visiting the About the Team section of the Kickstarter page, where they are all listed. We would like to sincerely thank each and every one of them for working with us, but alas, you’d have to scroll down for hours and hours to go through this update! Therefore, we decided to dedicate it to the two most prominent illustrators featured in ZAMANORA: Ballad of the Witch…
🍃 SERGEY TSVELYKH
Sergey is a freelance illustrator from Kyiv, Ukraine, whose set of skills entails concept art, illustration, character design and prop design. As soon as we stumbled upon his work, we immediately fell in love with Sergey’s art style, and knew that there is none more appropriate to bring the world of Zamanora to life.
Our first impressions were only matched by the impeccable level of communication and bountiful inspiration that he offered us, as soon as we began our collaboration. Oftentimes, we found ourselves reiterating our content around Sergey’s proposed designs, as he proved to be a trove of knowledge on the subject of Slavic folklore.
He has ultimately painted various artworks of monsters and subclasses for us, as well as full-page and double-spread illustrations; including the cover designs for the Core Book and Monsters & Fables. If you are a developer or game designer, we are certain that working with Sergey Tsvelykh will be an absolutely joyful and inspiring experience that will most certainly elevate your projects!
Tony is a seasoned concept and senior artist from Moscow, Russia, with numerous successful projects under his belt and a spectacular career in the gaming industry of over 10 years. Despite his evident accomplishments and how much in demand his work is, Tony made his creative skills accessible to a small team of indie developers such as ourselves. For trusting us in this way, we are grateful beyond words.
Tony Sart has illustrated the vast majority of our Bestiary’s artworks, providing precious counseling on how to do right by the tales we spin around the creatures they depict. In addition, a number of our subclasses are being fleshed out by his designs.
The solidarity shown to us by Tony Sart stands as proof that our community grows as one, and that we are in this line of work to bring our passion projects, and those of our fellow peers, to life. If you are looking for a senior expert in the field of concept art and design, do not hesitate to contact him; as he is always looking for new opportunities!
We’d like to conclude this update with a message to all our fellow creators out there.
Today, AI technology can achieve a pretty passable outlook, such as high rendering levels in illustration and intricate vocabulary in writing. But, in its fundamental core, it is, and will always remain hollow and void.
Because the machine will never grow to rival the human experience, the suffering that stirs the artistic hand into motion. It designs and composes because it has been prompted to, not because of an irrefutable need that compels it, burning its insides and begging to be let out into the world. It may please the eye, but it can never hope to bewilder the soul; for it lacks sense of purpose. It fails to deliver a result that communicates emotion, because it is not part of any community.
It was made to be a servant, not to question authority.
Art is the means we humans have attained to express the incomprehensible, the softness of a kiss and the agony of loss. The joy of adventure and the thrill of the unknown. It is a howl we let out, in hopes of understanding ourselves and being understood by others; a desperate expression of who we think we are or who we aspire to become, rather than a vainglorious arrangement of words that merely try to imitate the sense of life. It is what we're left with to express ourselves, when all other means have failed.
Art manifests by needs the machine does not have, answering to questions that do not torment it. The machine is not entitled to art. It has not earned it.
Inspired by the poems of Samuel Hurdley and looking back to the childhood stories that would eventually set us on the path of becoming writers, we recognize the roots of these thoughts. In the fantastical worlds of our youth, we gave a name to the species capable of creating art and society: Eren. Our stories follow the strives, passions, heroic deeds and mortal flaws of these creatures to this day with utmost devotion, as a sacred responsibility towards the children that breathed life into these notions. For it was these stories that allowed them to escape the harshness of this world, even momentarily, and imagine larger realities.
Though figments of our imagination, these entities feel more real than the machine itself. For they breathe life through us, and they will live for as long as we do. For they are flawed in the same ways that we are and, therefore, akin to us. Their very existence has connected us with you; and that is a thing of absolute and wholehearted reality
Write against the machine. Your creations will bewilder the soul in ways the machine never will.
🤝 FOLLOW US
If you like our projects, you may as well like us! While we try to keep our Kickstarter updated as soon as we have news to share, we are even more active on our social media.
You can follow us on the links below to stay tuned about everything regarding Zamanora, and gain access to the numerous gifts we offer to all our Newsletter subscribers!
