Good News & Bad News
over 6 years ago – Tue, Feb 06, 2018 at 05:32:01 PM

Let's start with the good news first.

The Good News

1) The Monarch prototypes are complete and they look great!

The inking was a bit heavier than I expected, so that will be reduced a bit for the production coin. 

I look forward to running some Take the Crown drafts with these.

2) Prototypes for Treasure, Brick, and Time have arrived.

Of all of them, the Time Counter / Hourglass really stands out.  We had to go a bit larger than the original design to allow for the punched out areas in the middle, but I'm glad as they look impressive in play.

I have to credit my designer Bonnie Bruenderman with how all of these Relics turned out.  She takes my raw, crazy ideas and turns them into masterpieces.

3) The Full Production Order has been sent in

Two weeks ago, after receiving notification of prototype completion (but having to wait until now for pictures), I sent in the full order for all of the Relics for the project.

Production is underway, but that gets us to the bad news.

The Bad News

1) Production will not be complete until Mid to Late March

Although we submitted the order in what we expected to be enough time to hit or at least come close to our shipping deadline, we were not informed until after sending it in that the plating factory will be closed for the entire month of February.

With production stalled, we're at a standstill until the factory opens and our order can be completed and shipped out.

The main impact will be a delay in shipping unitl late March or early April, entirely dependent on when production is completed. 

We already have the shipping supplies prepared and Backerkit locked in (only 7 unfinished surveys left, great job there), so once we have the Relics in hand, they will be packed up and shipped out ASAP.

There were a number of delays and revisions that went into missing our shipping deadline and I apologize profusely in not hitting that goal.  I've taken pride in fufilling my previous three projects ahead of schedule, but it appears that will not be the case here.

As I receive production updates, I will make sure to keep you informed.

I apologize again for the delay, all I can say is that the Relics are worth the wait.

Thanks for your patience and support,

Josh Krause, Original Magic Art LLC

The Monarch Revealed & Prototypes In
over 6 years ago – Mon, Jan 08, 2018 at 09:53:14 PM

Since the last update, things have been pretty busy here.

My wife went into labor and gave birth to our first child.  Christmas and the New Year whizzed by in a tornado of diapers and onesies. 

Relic Prototypes were sent and received. The design was finalized for The Monarch.  Bumps in the road have come and gone, but we continue to make significant forward progress.

The Monarch

Here is the final design for The Monarch coin.

We tried out making it just the crown, but everything we tried came out more like a bat-a-rang than recognizably a crown.

In the end we decided to take the two approaches, Art Deco and Art Nouveau, and use them both on a single coin. 

The coin is going to be a bit larger than a US fifty cent piece (31cm in diameter) and we're going to try out a gold and a silver finish to see which one looks best.

Prototypes are In!

With these designs all proofed and ready to go, we just have one more round of prototyping for The Monarch and then we are good to start production.

We are still on track to get everything shipped out by the end of January and I will keep you updated if that changes.

Let me know what you think of the prototypes and The Monarch!

Thanks,

Josh Krause, Original Magic Art LLC

Backer Surveys Sent Out!
over 6 years ago – Mon, Dec 11, 2017 at 08:06:16 PM

After working out some issues with Backerkit, I was able to send out the Backer Surveys last week.

So far, we stand at 344 completed and 75 to go.

The deadline for getting your Survey completed is December 28th.  After that date, I'll be reaching out to everyone with an outstanding survey to get it completed.

The main question I've received so far is regarding the Brick Token.  The listing in the survey shows the front and back of the token, along with the pyramid that they come together to form.  If you would like to make the pyramid, you will need to order three (3) of the Brick Relics.

If you have not received your Survey, please let me know ASAP.  I have had issues with Backerkit's mail server in the past and want to get you your survey just as much as you do.

In other news, the prototypes are currently in production and Ihope to have something exciting to share with all of you soon.

Thanks for your support,

Josh

Updates and Timeline for Relics of Wizardry
over 6 years ago – Fri, Nov 17, 2017 at 07:01:25 PM

Hello backers!

I wanted to get this out earlier, but I've been helping my very sick, very pregnant wife get over a cold for the last week, so this update had to go on the back burner for a bit.  My apologies.

Hopefully, the following news will make it worth the wait...

$15,000 Stretch Goal Reached

Thanks to the generosity of some late arriving and existing backers, we've been able to reach the $15,000 support level that we were so close to when time ran out.

Originally, I was going to send out a survey for you to vote between The Monarch and Time Counters.  Instead, we are going to make BOTH!

Everyone that backed for Full Sets will now be receiving 8 Relics, and Pick Your Relics will be able to pick out 3 additional coins instead of 2. 

We wanted to make as many as we could, and we're so happy that we got the last little bump to make this happen.

Time Counter Preview

Speaking of Time Counters, we have our final design ready to go and will be sending it off for proofing soon. 

Here is a sneak peak:

We hope to be able to punch out the metal between the supports and the hourglass, but the final design will depend on what the final molds will allow.  This design may change based on the feedback from the manufacturer.

This design will also work well as an Age, Delay, Eon, Fade, Hourglass, and/or Omen Counter. 

We're really happy with this design and look forward to being able to show off prototypes once they're ready.

Key Dates Going Forward

With the project funded and final design work underway, here is a quick rundown of what you should expect over the next few months:

Monday, 11/27 - Surveys Sent Out - You will be able to select your Add Ons, Add On additional Relics, or even upgrade to a higher level through the Survey.  If you have any problems or don't receive your Survey, please let me know ASAP.

Friday, 12/8 - Surveys Locked Down - This will allow us to ensure that we are ordering the correct amount of each Relic.

Monday, 1/11 - Address Changes Locked Down - We hope to begin shipping near this date.  If you require an address change after this date, please let me know ASAP.

Shipping will begin as soon as we receive the Relics from the mint.

If all goes well, all Rewards will be shipped out well before the end of January.  If any complications come up, I will communicate them promptly.

Thanks and Appreciation

Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank you for supporting the Relics of Wizardry project.  I know that you are going to love your Relics and enjoy them for years to come.

With the success of this project, I aim to create more designs in the future and I hope to have you along for the ride. 

I appreciate the faith you've put in me and the vision I have for Relics of Wizardry.

Josh Krause, Original Magic Art LLC

Stretch Goal Update & Durability Test Video
over 6 years ago – Sat, Nov 04, 2017 at 10:35:21 AM

Hello Backers!

24 hours into the project and we're already 2/3rds of the way to being fully funded!  Amazing!

I want to thank you for believing in the project and pledging your hard earned dollars towards making our dream a reality.

Several backers have asked about what effect the Stretch Goals have the Pick Yor Relics Reward.  The project page and reward listing was a bit vague on the details, so we have updated the Stretch Goals section to clear things up.

For each Stretch Goal we reach, every backer will be receiving a bonus.  Pick Your Relics backers will be able to pick out an additional Relic in their backer survey and everyone else will receive the new design that is added to the Full Set.

Hopefully that clears things up.  We want to ensure that everyone benefits when the project does well.

Each Relic is solid metal, which makes them very durable.

How durable?  Watch this video to get a good idea:

We're not saying they're indestructible, but they can take a solid beating and emerge unscathed.  Unless you're smuggling boulders in your dice boxes, I'm confident each Relic will remain unsullied even with intense use.

We've done sound and durability tests so far.  Can you think of any other tests we should make with the Relics?

We'll send another update once we're fully funded, hopefully very soon!

Josh