Dear Adventurer
When last we wrote, Ebstone was on our minds. Now we leave behind the shacks and sodden hills and march upriver for an audience with Darion, Lord Quince, in Sarnath’s Black Keep.
Besides turning our heads to Sarnath, this month we are celebrating an exciting milestone for the team: our prototype UI. As we design and implement the immersive experience that will keep you and your party engaged in Tidefall, we need your feedback. Hop in to our discord and chat with the devs to help us build something awesome.
Inside this newsletter you can learn more about Sarnath, the major city in Tidefall’s south, and the lore around its cold, hard lord, Darion. There are also links to submit to our ongoing creature competition, with the winning creatures (among the many already received!) being developed and added to the Screaming Wastes.
The Tidefall UI
Meet Tidefall; here are a couple of sneak peeks of what the game will look like. We have more coming soon (very soon), so watch this space for combat, dice rolling, character sheets, multiplayer… We’ve got it all.
Cutscenes? We have cutscenes. Our engine knows when our writers have put something special in store for you.
Every playable region in Tidefall has a beautifully drawn map alongside a dynamic wiki for every location and character you meet in our world.
Sarnath: Black Stone, Iron Justice
Sarnath was built to dominate. Her towers rear up like shadows off the river haze, haunted by cawing crows. From Marshal Square to the Black Keep, her banners stain the grey stone like blood from a statue.
You should feel safe as you leave your barge behind on the Sarn River. There is little crime in Sarnath: law is enforced. Trade marches along here with brutal efficiency, on a scale unseen this side of Tidefall.
Instead, you know that one foot in the wrong place or one misspoken word to the wrong person might demand sentence be passed on your neck.
The Storm rarely creeps this far inland, yet Storm Worshippers have wreaked havoc in the surrounding valleys for decades. The Crimson Brotherhood purges banditry with ruthless efficiency, yet they run rackets with the citizenry, and goblin incursions demand much from Sarnath’s expensive armies, even as the city’s yoke falls into disrepair.
Darion Quince
There is one god Darion cares about, and its name is Justice. Darion’s Justice reigns in Sarnath for all to see, including the corpses decaying on the statue in Marshal Square. He felt Justice in his veins when he smoked out the thieves’ guild just as he does when he crushes rebellious worshippers.
When you enter Sarnath, tensions have the city thrown into high alert. Darion will summon you and compel you to find the fool responsible for conjuring his ire. He may seem trusting; he may test your loyalties. Under his aegis, you may restore order across southern Tidefall through the decrepit blackstone forts; vanquish the Storm Worshippers; and cross the Screaming Wastes.
And if it comes to challenging the Storm’s fury, will you want him at your side?
Community Competition: The Screaming Wastes
Much of the Southern Province is rocky and inhospitable, separated by the Dothspire Mountains from the dense woodland and verdant fields which cover the rest of the island. But no area is more hostile and unyielding than the tortured expanse called the Screaming Wastes.
Stalking the shattered landscape, twisted beasts prowl among canyons and colossal, humming crystals. Their roars are drowned out by the howling winds that tear through the jagged formations, creating the unearthly resonance for which the region is named.
Do you want to see your homebrew, unique monster during your adventures in Tidefall?
We are asking the community to design a monster that will stalk the Screaming Wastes. Read on or visit our website to find out more. As ever, drop questions and discussion on discord, we’d love to chat about your ideas and get involved in your creative process!
Enter the competition here
Deadline is 23:59:59 (BST) on 30 June 2025.
Accompanying art or sketches are encouraged but not necessary, submissions should be no more than 150 words.
Shortlisted entries will be reviewed in detail by our creative team and will reach out to work with entrants to publicise and bring your creature naturally into the final game.
