There is the castle and there is outside. They are one and the same.
Welcome to Stone Horizons, where the castle is everywhere and the castle is everything!
Adventure in a world that is contained within the ubiquitous castle.
Rid the dusty corridors of lurking menaces, vermin, political rivals, or corruption.
Climb the social ladder.
Visit long forgotten wings that have not seen the tread of humans for millennia.
Sail seas that are hemmed in by the architecture of ages past.
Clamber over the roofs of a thousand, thousand buildings that stretch beyond the Stone Horizon, only to be met by another vista of the crumbling castle.
Stone Horizons
All you need to create characters and the area of the castle in which you start play is found within this book. Inside are 92 castle features including Hammock Clusters, Bridge Dens, Gatehouses, Libraries, Aviary Towers and many more. Utilise the Customs & Communities tables to create a unique and interesting area in which to play. There are more than 100 skills and special abilities, rules for creating Affiliations & Rivalries with other denizens, guidelines for assigning Goals & Ambitions to your character and using your Status to rise above the masses.
Creating your character also creates the area in which you start play!
Estimated at 256 pages – ETA October 2008
Veiled Horizons – GMs handbook
A companion book to Stone Horizons, this book contains all that the GM needs to create plots, problems and politics for the area in which the players find themselves. The heart of this book is the Problems & Politics master table. From this resource, the GM can create an almost infinite variety of problems to plague the castle. More than 250 entries are exhaustively examined, from Sulphur Frog swarms, to earthquakes, trade wars, Night Terrors and more.
Veiled Horizons also contains NPC generation information, so that the GM can populate the game area with interesting and unusual characters for the players to interact with. Watch out, they may have a secret!
Estimated at 128 pages – ETA October 2008
Stone Horizons – The Architects
This book takes a detailed look at the mythical builders of the castle – The Architects. Within this book you will find information on how to run this enigmatic race and ready to use profiles simulating mentors, despots or even Gods! Also to be found in this tome are 70 special features that the depths of the castle may hide, from Weeping Walls, to Stasis Chambers and Control Pillars. Lastly, you will find information on the artefacts that the Architects left behind. Items and machines that are far more technically advanced than anyone can build today.
The question on everyone’s lips is, ‘Are they still around, and if they are, do they want the castle back?’
Estimated at 128 pages – ETA December 2008
Future Publications
The Bones of the Earth
This details a whole political area ready to accept or damn your characters! More details to follow.
(Note: All estimates are subject to change. I’m a part-timer after all! This is currently the plan, however.)
To be published by Flying Mice Games.
Stone Horizons draws inspiration from the following sources:
The Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
The primary inspirations taken from these books are the feel and flavour of the game world and the naming conventions. It's a sprawling world of crumbling towers, cyclopean architecture and hidden grottos, populated by Doctors, Professors and Archivists.
The Riverworld Saga by Philip Jose Farmer
The Architects are similar in nature to the manipulative race found within this series of books. The Dark Design & The Magic Labyrinth in particular has informed my creation of the mysterious Architects.
The Darwath Trilogy by Barbara Hambly
The idea of hidden and ancient technology that is scattered through the Horizons comes from the Keep of Dare that serves as humanity's saviour in these books. Hidden depths, strange glowing orbs and vats that do goodness knows what.
Mordant’s Need by Stephen Donaldson
These books primarily informed my choices as to the sort of politics that can become important within an enclosed space (in the case of SH, a whole world of enclosed spaces). The first book takes place almost entirely within one castle and the plots and schemes that take up the book are a nice indicator of what a typical game of SH will contain.
Play tests
A full-scale alpha play test (with input from Flying Mice Games) will be announced in the next couple of months. Stay tuned to this thread to find out details!
Excellent!
I am touching myself in glee at this news!
I'm touching Danger in glee as well!
!i!
Just so you know, i'm not touching either of you...
Wow, it's actually happening! Well done mate, it's a great idea that looks exceptionally well implemented. Your imagination, enthusiasm and transparency throughout the design process sold me on the idea months ago.
So, will this be distributed via PDF, POD or a traditional print run? At least one inquiring mind wants to know.
Quote from: DrewWow, it's actually happening! Well done mate, it's a great idea that looks exceptionally well implemented. Your imagination, enthusiasm and transparency throughout the design process sold me on the idea months ago.
So, will this be distributed via PDF, POD or a traditional print run? At least one inquiring mind wants to know.
PDF and POD.
-clash
Quote from: flyingmicePDF and POD.
Excellent. :)
But...but...October is just so far away. I want this now.
Would stamping feet and holding my breath help speed things up, hmmmm?
Quote from: DangerBut...but...October is just so far away.
Seems bloody close to me mate!
Despite loads of shit happening recently, i'm confident that the first playtest of Stone Horizons can commence on the 1st July 2008.
This playtest will include a compressed version of the setting, a compressed equipment guide, but fully formed chargen. Full NPC creation rules will be included, along with a compressed Problems & Politics guide for GMs.
Please register interest in this thread if you want to be involved in the official playtest. Ideally, i want 3 or more groups involved. Full playtester credits will be printed in the books (and i'll see what i can sort out with clash regarding copies).
I am working on a questionairre and check-list for playtesters to fill out with feedback and any comments they may have.
Quote from: One Horse TownDespite loads of shit happening recently, i'm confident that the first playtest of Stone Horizons can commence on the 1st July 2008.
This playtest will include a compressed version of the setting, a compressed equipment guide, but fully formed chargen. Full NPC creation rules will be included, along with a compressed Problems & Politics guide for GMs.
Please register interest in this thread if you want to be involved in the official playtest. Ideally, i want 3 or more groups involved. Full playtester credits will be printed in the books (and i'll see what i can sort out with clash regarding copies).
I am working on a questionairre and check-list for playtesters to fill out with feedback and any comments they may have.
Well me, D'OH!
-clash
Quote from: flyingmiceWell me, D'OH!
-clash
I figured that was a given! :D
BTW, i sent you a PM a while ago regarding some artwork. Check your inbox!
1 week left for anyone wanting to register their interest. :)
Annoyance dogs the amateur, it seems. See my signature for the latest news.
However, i am interested in hearing from illustrators who might be up for some work on Stone Horizons.
You must be comfortable with drawing architecture, buildings, panaramas, and slightly quirky characters. Line drawings preferred, although chapter headings can be more ambitious. PM me if you are intrigued - or have been following along. :)
Quote from: One Horse Town;231638Annoyance dogs the amateur, it seems. See my signature for the latest news.
However, i am interested in hearing from illustrators who might be up for some work on Stone Horizons.
You must be comfortable with drawing architecture, buildings, panaramas, and slightly quirky characters. Line drawings preferred, although chapter headings can be more ambitious. PM me if you are intrigued - or have been following along. :)
Oh, the guy who did the Turris cover, Irish guy who was great to work with....
Looking... John McSweeney. A good guy.
Oh, also, I cannot RECOMMEND THE CARMONA BROTHERS ENOUGH! They rock on toast with grape jelly and then some. Jesus and Javier Carmona Esteban. They are rock solid reliable and do great monsters/character/awesome goodness.
Bill
I immediately thought of Stone Horizons whan I read Alan Campbell's Scar Night (http://www.scifi.com/sfw/books/sfw14349.html). I highly recommend it for further inspiration.
Simon W
Beyond Belief Games
Thanks Simon W. I'll check that out!
Bill. Any chance you can e-mail me? I've PMed you my details. Thanks. :)
Just an update. Playtesting will be taking place over the holiday period and adjustments made afterwards.
The street-date has fallen backwards again, but by way of compensation we received an offer from a highly regarded illustrator about doing the covers for the books. We are currently trying to make this happen. :)
Just to confirm that the playtest document has been compiled and sent out! :)
Although he's only just, this minute, confirmed that he is going to work on Stone Horizons, i'm so excited about the news that i had to post about it!
Hope you don't mind mate! :D
The covers of all 3 Stone Horizons books will be done by none other than Jon Hodgson. He will also be doing a few interior illustrations!
I'd like to thank Jon for his enthusiasm for this project and contacting me with his interest!
It's going to rock on toast. :emot-woop:
Just like the development of the game, you'll soon be able to follow along on the development of Jon's artwork for Stone Horizons.
When he has the time, Jon will be posting an artwork thread. He's a bit less active on here than me, so don't expect lots and very frequent updates, but it'll be tres cool to see the artwork taking shape before your eyes over the coming weeks.
Cheers!
It's up! http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=13130 (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=13130)
You can start following along with my beta playtest actual play thread here -
http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=13374
Sounds a lot like Gormenghast, which is no bad thing
Quote from: Lawbag;283205Sounds a lot like Gormenghast
Good! That was the primary inspiration. :)
Ive heard the books being referred to as "Castle Punk", which I quite like the sound of.
I'm working with Clash to set a deadline for the game so that we can reveal a release date. Look out for an announcement in the coming week.
Stone Horizons and Veiled Horizons will be released by Flying Mice games on the 12th July 2009.
The sci-fi/fantasy sourcebook The Architects will follow at a later date.
Although it is far too early to go into specifics, something might be afoot. I've decided that as everything about the game has been transparent and on the board for all to see, that i'd reveal what i can about possible developments.
The eagle-eyed amongst you might have noticed that i recently polled for a name for a publishing imprint. I have been aproached by an RPG publisher who expressed an interest in printing Stone Horizons under a 3rd party publishing agreement. Yes, an actual print run available in shops and stuff, marketing and distribution. I turned them down flat at first, but of all people, Clash persuaded me to look into it. If any of you have any doubt as to how cool Clash is, there's the proof.
So, i've been in contact with the interested party, who has sent me a sample contract to look over. We've passed the first hurdle - got to know each other a bit, they've got to know the game a bit better, i've got an insight into their business. The next step is to see if they like the game itself.
When i have any more news that i can safely reveal, i will do so.
So, does this means no easily accessible PDF purchase? And by "easily accessible" I mean economically priced. I refuse to spend $20 or more on a PDF (about the only RPG format I purchase these days).
Quote from: JohnnyWannabe;296403So, does this means no easily accessible PDF purchase? And by "easily accessible" I mean economically priced. I refuse to spend $20 or more on a PDF (about the only RPG format I purchase these days).
I'm 99% sure there will be a reasonably priced pdf, Rich. :D
-clash
Quote from: flyingmice;296408I'm 99% sure there will be a reasonably priced pdf, Rich. :D
-clash
Ah, good then.:)
Rather than muck up the other Stone Horizons thread, I ask this here:
Any updates for the unwashed masses?
Quote from: Danger;317149Rather than muck up the other Stone Horizons thread, I ask this here:
Any updates for the unwashed masses?
Hey, dude, thanks for the interest.
As it stands at the moment, things are a little up in the air regards a 3rd party printing arrangement.
Clash is still onboard to offer the pdf of the product.
The plan is to finish up shortly and hand over the documents to Clash. Shortly is shorthand for when life-issues get fully sorted, but hopefully shouldn't be more than 2 months. :)
Has there been any movement on this game lately?
It's been on my 'watch list' for a while but I've kind of fallen out of the loop...
I seem to have spent half this year putting people into the ground so i haven't progressed much in recent months. I'm still putting the finishing touches to it before i start the final editing pass.
The internal art has gone tits-up so that might hold things up further in the future.
Quote from: One Horse Town;376398I seem to have spent half this year putting people into the ground so i haven't progressed much in recent months. I'm still putting the finishing touches to it before i start the final editing pass.
The internal art has gone tits-up so that might hold things up further in the future.
Lord! That's terrible, Dan! I knew you had a horrible HD crash, but I didn't know about the rest! My profoundest sympathies, my friend!
-clash
Cheers dude. :)
Sorry to hear of the setbacks...
Still looking forward to it. I'm sure it will be worth the wait.
Quote from: Simlasa;377241Sorry to hear of the setbacks...
Still looking forward to it. I'm sure it will be worth the wait.
Motherfucking Word [/I], brother.
Im waiting for this one too,same name from rpg.net.
Sorry it took so long for me too get here but my life hit the fan too,lost job,extreme photosensitivity,and blood tests too go for....bugger! :)
Read all I can that you,ve posted and REALLY looking forward to it! :)
Hope its all going better for you,yrs J
Thank you for the kind words and welcome to the site!
It's been fucking ages and since the game has been mentioned a couple of times in recent threads i thought it was only fair to post an update.
I decided a while ago, but didn't advertise the fact here, that as it's been so long in coming, i might as well complete all 3 planned books before we go any further - that's Stone Horizons, Veiled Horizons - GMs Guide, and The Architects.
There's a flaw with that plan, however, as The Architects book has about 60 more feature entries in it - which might well end up being another year before being completed. Add to this problems with getting the books illustrated and we're at a bit of an impasse.
I fully admit that i've achieved very little for about a year now, but by crikey, i'll finish this if it kills me.
I wish i could say after 3 years that it's coming soon, but i can't say that.
All i can say for those who have followed along for those 3 years and know this isn't vapourware, as you've seen it take shape, is that i'll get it out there if it's the last fucking thing i do.
This is more than a labour of love for me - it's been obsessional, which i believe is the essence of any artistic endeavour, which anyone who has read my writing will understand - i choose my words carefully. I simply can't knock out x amount of words per day/week/month - i have to draft, leave, go back, tinker, re-write and polish. I've approached this project like i was writing a book for publication (which it is obviously, but i mean it in a sense that would get me a wallop from Pundit if he were reading). The source material demands that i use a certain style and that's what i'm doing.
That was longer and more heartfelt than i was expecting, but i owed you an explanation for the delays.
Quote from: One Horse Town;429131It's been fucking ages and since the game has been mentioned a couple of times in recent threads i thought it was only fair to post an update.
I decided a while ago, but didn't advertise the fact here, that as it's been so long in coming, i might as well complete all 3 planned books before we go any further - that's Stone Horizons, Veiled Horizons - GMs Guide, and The Architects.
There's a flaw with that plan, however, as The Architects book has about 60 more feature entries in it - which might well end up being another year before being completed. Add to this problems with getting the books illustrated and we're at a bit of an impasse.
I fully admit that i've achieved very little for about a year now, but by crikey, i'll finish this if it kills me.
I wish i could say after 3 years that it's coming soon, but i can't say that.
All i can say for those who have followed along for those 3 years and know this isn't vapourware, as you've seen it take shape, is that i'll get it out there if it's the last fucking thing i do.
This is more than a labour of love for me - it's been obsessional, which i believe is the essence of any artistic endeavour, which anyone who has read my writing will understand - i choose my words carefully. I simply can't knock out x amount of words per day/week/month - i have to draft, leave, go back, tinker, re-write and polish. I've approached this project like i was writing a book for publication (which it is obviously, but i mean it in a sense that would get me a wallop from Pundit if he were reading). The source material demands that i use a certain style and that's what i'm doing.
That was longer and more heartfelt than i was expecting, but i owed you an explanation for the delays.
Well, all I care is that you haven't abandoned it. The game I ran was great, the players loved it, and it ran smoothly. there were gaps where I had to improvise, but that always happens in alpha testing. I just wish I was an illustrator only and not a designer/writer as well, because I'd have time to illustrate the whole thing. As it is, my paintings take weeks each to complete, and my writing output exactly matches my illustrating output.
This is awesome, Dan! Just don't let it go!
-clash
Quote from: flyingmice;429154This is awesome, Dan! Just don't let it go!
-clash
I won't. I simply have a fraction of the time i had 18 months ago in which to write.
Ditto on the support vibe; I'll do without porn and alcohol for up to a week in order to buy this bad-boy once its ready to hit the digital world.
Heck, maybe even a week and a half.
Quote from: Danger;429215Ditto on the support vibe; I'll do without porn and alcohol for up to a week in order to buy this bad-boy once its ready to hit the digital world.
Heck, maybe even a week and a half.
Heck! I'd go without pants for a month!
-clash
Still watching,stiil want it....take your time chap.
and if i win the lottery everyone here gets too go somewhere fancy for the weekend and play..im thinking Savoy :)
I'm wondering what happened with this?
Quote from: Simon W;517739I'm wondering what happened with this?
I'm pretty much a full-time carer these days, so time is limited. However, i'm on the Architects book at the mo. So 2 out of 3!
Interior art is still a problem unfortunately.