Leave your sword at home, Chronicler! A sharp mind and a curious spirit are the only weapons you'll need!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Update 7 - The Journey Begins. Welcome to the Wilds!
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Mar 04, 2025 at 12:10:51 PM
Thank you, Chroniclers. In 28 days (and a few hours), 1838 of you have helped us to raise £75,943 -- that's a total of 607% funded!
This is an incredible achievement, and we are grateful to each and every one of you. You have made the dreams of three people come true and from this foundation we can build our studio, bring Mappa Mundi - An Exploration + Ecology RPG out into the world, and continue to bring the game's world to life.
I'll keep this update short and sweet, as I've got a few more files to get ready to send to our printers. We deliver all our files tomorrow and printing will begin as soon as possible thereafter. But expect another update from me later on this week/early next as I walk you through what comes next!
And don't forget: if you haven't backed already, you can take advantage of Kickstarter's Late Pledge system. Late Pledges are available RIGHT NOW on the Digital, Physical, and Cartographer's tiers :)
From myself, Jeremy, and Joel:
Thank you!
In solidarity,
George, Mappa Mundi creator and designer
Update 6 - Last few days - Art update, pledge levels, and add ons!
over 1 year ago
– Sun, Mar 02, 2025 at 03:35:42 AM
Hello Chroniclers, and welcome to update number six!
Mappa Mundi - An Exploration + Ecology RPG is entering its last few days. At time of publishing this update, we have 56 hours left to go on the campaign. So far, 1,493 of you have backed the game, raising a total of £63,733!
This is a magnificent total so far, and we're so very grateful to you all! But in these last few days, we'd like to see how much more we can improve the total and secure the future of Mappa Mundi and Three Sails Studios.
So, today, I'm here to talk to you about considering upgrading your pledge if you are able and/or adding some art prints to your pledge level. Every new pledge or improved pledge gets our small team that one step closer to full-time work and helps us make the foundations of our passionate indie company that much firmer.
I'd also like to let you know that ALL of the artwork for the book is now complete! Joel delivered the last pieces of Monster and Creature artwork on Friday and is now spending the weekend and the remaining few days before the campaign finishes completing the final few Monster cards for the Journey Deck!
Without futher ado, let's get into it!
Upgrading Your Pledge
Right from the outset, when we began planning Mappa Mundi back in late 2023, I was fixated on the price point of the game.
Price is a huge point of accessibility for me, both personally (as a passionate TTRPG player and reader) and as a publisher. We have striven to ensure that Mappa Mundi is priced at a point that is fair to our customers and community members, even if it means tightening our own belts.
At £50 for a 220-page book, 70-card Journey Deck, and a beautifully illustrated and well-made box to contain both components, I think we have definitely achieved this. And we sought to deepen our commitment to price accessibility by providing the Low Income Pledge Level, which allows any backer to receive the digital version of Mappa Mundi at a discount, no questions asked.
So, in these last few days, I would ask you to consider, if you can, increasing your pledge level!
The Kickstarter price is also the lowest Mappa Mundi will ever be on sale for, so the time to upgrade is now!
If you're a Digital Pledge backer, give some thought to upgrading to the Physical Pledge. The final version of Mappa Mundi is not only an excellent and thoughtful game but a beautiful product that will take pride of place on your shelf and your table for years to come.
As always, we would rather you back at whatever level you're comfortable with rather than feeling unable to support the project and receive a game we have worked incredibly hard on. What is most important to us is people playing and enjoyingMappa Mundi, but if you feel able to increase your pledge, we would certainly appreciate it.
So what if you're already backing at the level your most comfortable with, or perhaps you'd like a couple of extras? Well, I have the answer for you. Why not consider...
Mappa Mundi Art Print Add Ons
One of our greatest strengths at Three Sails Studios is the quality of our art and illustrations. We are incredibly lucky to have Joel Kilpatrick as not only our lead artist, but also one of our co-owners (alongside myself and Jeremy).
I cannot adequately describe to you the level of work that Joel has committed to Mappa Mundi. At our count, when you combine all Monster and Creature illustrations with the Journey Deck and the interstitial illustrations throughout the book, Joel has produced around 160 individual illustrations. That is a lot of work by anyone's count!
To celebrate Joel's work, we've made 8 by 10 inch prints of his work available for backers to add on to their pledge. Some of you might not have seen these in detail, or might not know the names of the ones you want to add to your pledge, so I'm going to share the complete artwork with you below and name them.
If you want to add art prints to your pledge, a single print is £15, but we also provide bundles for those looking for more. A bundle of two random prints is £25, a bundle of five prints is £60, and a bundle of all ten prints is £100.
Believe me when I say that these are even more beautiful when printed out, and even Jeremy and myself keep discovering hidden elements we've never noticed before.
Barbecia Art Print Illustration
Domolov Art Print Illustration
Lechnitsa Art Print Illustration
Tiahakim Art Print Illustration
Aishamet Art Print Illustration
The Kikal Rift Art Print Illustration
The Muten Steppe Art Print Illustration
Zoumung Art Print Illustration
Garugoma Art Print Illustration
Phuondi Art Print Illustration
Last Few Days - Help us spread the word!
Thank you all so much for reading this far down, and I hope you enjoyed this display of Mappa Mundi's artwork!
As we approach the last 48 hours of our campaign, we're relying on you -- to help us spread the word about Mappa Mundi to everyone you know, to consider upgrading your pledge or adding some art prints to your basket, and to help us make the future of Three Sails Studios and Mappa Mundi even more secure.
Thank you, everyone, for supporting us. We cannot wait to get these books into your hands. Printing starts next week!
In solidarity,
George, Mappa Mundi creator and designer
Update Five - One Week to Go + Tiahakim Monsters!
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Feb 25, 2025 at 05:07:54 AM
Greetings, Chroniclers! As of 8pm GMT this evening, Mappa Mundi - An Exploration + Ecology RPG will have only one week left on Kickstarter!
The campaign has exceeded our wildest expectations so far. At the time of writing, the campaign has raised £58,738 from 1331 backers, for a total of 469% funded! With a week still left to go, the sky is truly the limit!
Thank you, everyone, for your support. As we enter the last week, anything you can do to spread the word about Mappa Mundi to your friends, communities, and gaming groups would be very appreciated.
Tiahakim - The Crossroads of Evasu
After just how much everyone enjoyed our deep dive into Garugoma in Update 3, I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you the Monsters from one of my very favourite regions in Evasu: Tiahakim.
Tiahakim is Mappa Mundi's equivalent to the Middle East, stretching from Turkey and the Black Sea in the north down to the bottom of the Arabian Peninsula in the south. Tiahakim's environments are varied, ranging from lush fertile zones around the region's two major rivers -- the Buranun and the Pras Ziwa -- and the inland Sea of Zalpha in the north down to scorching Golden Desert in the south.
In this update, I'm going to introduce you to our three Garugoman Monsters and also share some cards from the Journey Deck that you're likely to see associated with them. Let's begin!
Tiamat - The Mother of Salt
Tiamat is one of the most ancient beings in Ecumene. Tiahakimi scholars believe her to be one half of a pair, sharing responsibility for the Song of Creation that brought the world into being.
Old beyond measure, Tiamat patrols the depths of the great Southern Sea. Most of the few reports from those who have witnessed her talk only of a vast shadow beneath the waves and the air drying around them.
Known as the Mother of Salt, Tiamat embodies the briny waters of the world's oceans. Her counterpart, Balhut, the Lord of Waters, was her opposite, born from and master of the fresh life-giving waters of the land. In a time beyond time, Tiamat and Balhut sang together, their music weaving together in the formless waters and creating images of a perfect world.
Over countless aeons, these visuals gave rise to a third being who hovered above the ocean, spinning a tapestry on a loom. This was Fate, and her contribution was to transcribe the Song of Creation, weaving its images into physical form.
Now, though, only Tiamat remains, her presence a direct link to the Song of Creation and the formation of all things, living and dead. Her shadow has been seen once again, coming closer than ever before to the cliffs and coasts of southern Tiahakim. Is her coming a portent, a warning of things to come? Or does she simply check on her beloved creation, seeking yet another glimpse to add to her endless memories?
Tiamat, the Mother of Salt. Credit: Joel Kilpatrick / Three Sails Studios
The coasts of Tiahakim's southern peninsula are dangerous and sun-scorched. The few access points down to the roiling Southern Sea are closely guarded secrets.
The cliffs that separate the Golden Desert from the Southern Sea are a marvel to behold. Glowing a deep red in the setting sun and a vibrant silver-white in the sunrise, these cliffs are comprised mostly of a salt that can be found nowhere else in Ecumene.
Shadhavar - Music Given Form
The herds of Shadhavar that gallop along the southern shores of the Sea of Zalpha are a contradiction in terms. Peaceful and curious Monsters, they -- unlike other equine cousins -- are carnivorous. But their singular horns are one of the wonders of the world.
The Tiahakimi hold the Shadhavar in a special kind of reverence. Living, feeding, and playing in the coastal plains along the inland Sea of Zalpha in the north of the region, the people of the region see their equine neighbours as the closest living embodiments of the Sacred Form.
It is perhaps surprising that it is not their size -- standing 20 feet tall at the shoulder -- not their skin -- covered in shifting, irridescent geometric patterns -- that are the most striking features of the Shadhavar. Instead, it is their horns, a single growth prodtruding forth from their heads, that these giant horses are most known and loved for.
Filled with a variety of small holes and taking a range of shapes, when the wind blows, these horns produce a beautiful, solemn music. Shedding their horns once every five years, the Tiahakimi prize these gifts from the Shadhavar as instruments. Each majmae, a Tiahakimi choir that can be found in every settlement, regardless of size, possess one Shadhavar horn, and the music played on it is used to accompany the nightly songs performed all across the region that seek to reclaim the Song of Creation from the depths of memory.
The Shadhavar. Credit: Joel Kilpatrick / Three Sails Studios
The grasslands that define the northern reaches of Tiahakim are an extension of the vast swathes of the Muten Steppe, its neighbour to the east. The grasses provide ample room for the Shadhavar herds.
The beaches of the Sea of Zalpha are the preferred habitat for the Shadhavar herds. Here they can hunt their prey, gallop with tremendous speed, and take advantage of the cooling breezes that blow south across the inland body of water.
Afrit - Devilish Prisoner
Deep in the scorching sands of the Golden Desert, beyond the areas that even the Tiahakimi will dare to dwell for long, stands an ancient stone citadel, long ruined by time and erosion. And from within rises a dark plume of smoke, seeming to reach out for anything around it.
None are sure of the origins of the Monster known as Afrit. The scholars of Sulhawa's House of Knowledge have only one reference to this most mysterious of Monsters, and none have had the courage or ability to confirm or deny its presence.
Deep in the Dune Sea, as this record tells, there once lived a civilisation whose name has been lost to time. These people had an ancient enemy, a being made of living smoke and fire. For centuries the Monster tormented them, lied to them, played with their lives for its own amusement.
But one day, a hero emerged. A young woman learned the true name of the Monster: Afrit. Taking up a spear made of light, she named the beast to its face, temporarily breaking its power, and she cast it down into the depths of the nation's most secure fortress. There she chained it, and there -- the record states -- Afrit remains.
None have ever verified this account. Most scholars believe it to be an exaggeration or a metaphor, a retelling of some cataclysmic event. But some believe, and they seek to send out an expedition to verify the facts.
Afrit, the Chained. Credit: Joel Kilpatrick / Three Sails Studios
Afrit's prison is said to reside in the very deepest, hardest to access part of the Dune Sea. To say this landscape is formless and featureless is to misunderstand it, however.
The End Is In Sight
Well, Chroniclers, we have only one week left in our campaign! I'll be publishing updates a little more frequently as we come to the end of our Journey, sharing some more amazing artwork with you and highlighting our art prints, which are available as add ons.
I also want to share with you some other projects -- two currently ongoing and two launching soon -- that you might be interested in.
Beside the Lesser Travelled Road - Hive Mind Games
Beside the Lesser Travelled Road is an incredible project run by two friends of mine, Josh and Josh, that provides system-agnostic scenarios to develop your rest periods during TTRPGs.
Featuring a whole host of amazing indie talent from the UK and beyond, BtLTR is well worth backing if you want to deepen the experience of rest in your games. You can find it here, and it ends tonight, so don't hesitate!
No Mercy for Monsters - Unplaytested Presents / Jess Pendley
No Mercy for Monsters is a currently crowdfunding zine project by Jess Pendely. I've been following this project really closely for a while now and I was very happy to be Backer number 1!
NMfM is likely looking at Mappa Mundi through a mirror darkly. It tells a story of obsession and revenge and I recommend it to anyone!
Tales from the Spectral Sea - Sam Armstrong
Tales from the Spectral Sea launches later today and looks to be a deep, emotional, and rich take on one of my favourite genres: pirates!
While I haven't played the game myself, yet, I've been keeping up with designer Sam Armstrong's updates on it and will be backing it when it goes live later today!
Launching next week, on March 4th, Zamanora is a really exciting new project from Eren Chronicles drawn from Balkan and Slavic folklore. While folklore is normally a reason for me to back any game, I am especially interested in the Eren Chronicle's teams' take on these regions of Europe as we are playing in similar spaces when it comes to two of Mappa Mundi's regions: Domolov and Lechnitsa.
While we're not D&D people (and Zamanora is compatible with both D&D 5e and D&D 2024), our whole team are very curious about the Legend in the Mist RPG, which I backed last year. With Zamanora being compatible with it, this might well be my first entry into the game!
Update 4 - Half way point + Stretch Goal reached + a week of content!
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Feb 18, 2025 at 05:37:23 AM
Well, its official! We have reached the halfway point in our Kickstarter campaign for Mappa Mundi - An Exploration + Ecology RPG! To this point, as of time of writing, we have raised £52,061 from 1,160 backers, bringing us to a total of 416% funded!
This feels like a colossal achievement. In the run up to the campaign, I speculated with the team that we maybe had an outside chance of hitting £50,000. But here we are, and you -- our amazing community and backers -- have broken us through that barrier and we stand poised to go even further. So, to everyone reading and everyone who has supported us, thank you!
Social Impact Stretch Goals - Donation Value Increase
Thanks to your support, we have unlocked a new level on our Social Impact Stretch Goals. For those who don't know, we at Three Sails Studios have chosen to support the Save Elephant Foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in their amazing work rescuing, rehabilitating, and caring for Asian Elephants and a whole host of other animals in need.
Now that we have surpassed £50,000 in total funding, we will be increasing our donation to a fixed £2,500! This amount of money is going to do incredible work supporting the foundation, so thank you for helping us achieve it.
Note: the funds for this donation are being taken from our own company funds, and not from any Kickstarter funds raised.
A Week of Content
As we push through the middle of the campaign, I am very happy to share a whole bunch of new content with you, including two reviews, two Actual Plays, two livestreams, and more to follow.
Let's start with what we already have available!
Renegade Rolls review
Rich from Renegade Rolls discovered Mappa Mundi quite by chance, just before we launched on Kickstarter. After playing three games with his Discord community, he put together an amazing review of the game. Give it a watch to find out why Mappa Mundi is already his choice for Game of the Year!
No Place Like Home - A Mappa Mundi One Shot by Science and Sorcery
The team at Science and Sorcery put on an absolute masterclass in running and playing Mappa Mundi just last night. Written and narrated by Dr Khalil Thirlaway, with S&S members Nicola and Sam, and RPGeeks member Emily, playing as our Chroniclers, No Place Like Home is a beautiful example of the stories that can be told with Mappa Mundi.
MORE Actual Plays! Off Balance: A Mappa Mundi Adventure by The RPGeeks
Emily, it seems, can't get enough of Mappa Mundi. Starting tonight, February 18th, at 7pm GMT (8pm CET / 2pm Eastern / 11am Pacific), The RPGeeks will be running an original adventure set in the region of Lechnitsa. Narrated by Emily, and with a whole bunch of new Monster and Creature reveals, Off Balance promises to be an excellent example of Mappa Mundi gameplay!
Part two follows at the same time next week!
Livestreams - The RPGeeks and The Rookery
I am a busy man this week! On Wednesday 19th (that's tomorrow) at 1pm GMT (2pm CET / 8am Eastern / 5am Pacific), I'll be joining the RPGeeks for a live streamed interview over on YouTube. You can submit questions in advance or ask them live and I'll do my best to get them answered!
Finally, on Saturday 22nd at 7pm GMT (8pm CET / 2pm Eastern / 11am Pacific), I'll be live with the Rookery Publications team on Inside the Rookery, talking all things social action in gaming, and -- of course -- Mappa Mundi!
Signing Off - and an artwork reveal!
Thank you all, again, for your support so far. This campaign has exceed all our expectations and we're so excited to see where we can take it. The foundation you have provided will not only ensure the delivery and future of Mappa Mundi, but also a firm basis on which Three Sails Studios can grow. Not to mention, of course, the increased support we can provide to the Save Elephant Foundation!
Before I leave you for this update, I wanted to share the artwork and book entry for my favourite Creature in Mappa Mundi: the Tyvini.
Until next time,
George - Mappa Mundi creator and designer
Update 3 - End of Week 1 + Garugoma Monsters
over 1 year ago
– Tue, Feb 11, 2025 at 05:46:02 AM
Greetings, Chroniclers! Mappa Mundi - An Exploration + Ecology RPG is now at the end of its first week on Kickstarter, and what a week!
At time of writing, the campaign has raised £44,330 from 946 backers, meaning that we're 354% funded and well on our way to £50,000!
Thank you all so much for your support so far. We are so grateful that you've decided to join us out in the Wilds and we look forward to seeing the campaign go from strength to strength over the next three weeks!
Garugoma - the Land of Myriad Spirits
We want to use these updates to share deeper dives into some of our regions and their Monsters, which also gives us the opportunity to show of more of Joel's incredible artwork. To that end, we're starting off with a very popular region among our community: Garugoma, the Land of Myriad Spirits.
Garugoma is Mappa Mundi's equivalent of South Asia, particularly India and Bangladesh, from which our inspirations were heavily drawn. Garugoma is a vast region, encompassing environments ranging from coastal plains, golden beaches, and swampy marshes through to magnificent rivers, stark cliff faces, dense mangroves and rainforests, and -- of course -- the majesty of the Svarga Mountains.
In this update, I'm going to introduce you to our three Garugoman Monsters and also share some cards from the Journey Deck that you're likely to see associated with them. Let's begin!
Mande Barung - The Living Seed
The Mande Barung are an ancient Monster species who have dwelt in their heavily forested homes in the Karotia Hills for time immemorial.
Made from the very trees around them, and bearing the likenesses of both birds and primates, the Mande Barung have been a vital part of not just the forest ecosystem in the Karotia Hills, but also an integral cultural and historical element of the Karo society.
Despite being incredibly long-lived, only one Mande Barung now remains: The Living Seed. The final repository of thousands of years of cultural memory, the Living Seed is revered and treasured by the Karo people and is emblematic of their own connection to their homeland and their ancestry.
But the Living Seed is old, older than anyone can remember. And the effects of the Flux appear to weigh heavily on his wooded shoulders. None can fathom the consequences of his death, and yet whispers increasingly resonate around the forest that this most terrible of realities may soon come to pass...
The Living Seed, the last of the Mande Barung, Credit: Joel Kilpatrick / Three Sails Studios
The Mande Barung have made the Lynang Rainforests, deep in the Karotia Hills, their home for time immemorial. Born from seeds and bearing the same bark-like physicality as the trees around them, the Mande Barung are living incarnations of the rainforest.
The Karotia Hills stretch along the north-east of Garugoma, separating the central plains from the low-lying mangroves in the far north-east.
Waghoba - Itinerant Insurrectionary
Garugoma is a land of many people, many cultures, and many perspectives. But despite this diversity, it is ruled by a single person: Suraksha Vritrahan, Rani of the Garus Empire.
The streets of Gomantara, the capital city of the Garus Empire, are maintained by the benevolence of the Rani, but not all are happy with her rule, or indeed the presence of any rulers.
Out in the Wilds and in the small towns and villages on their borders, insurrection brews. Stories have reached the capital of a charismatic force gathering people and Creatures alike to his side. He speaks with a silver tongue, they say, his words dripping honey into the ears of those willing to listen.
This insurrection began in the mangrove forests that separate Garugoma from Phuondi. For centuries, those who live on the borders of the mangroves have spoken about a presence they call the Dream Tiger, a force that appears in flashes of colour in otherwise greyscale dreams.
Now, the leader of this rebellion has made himself known. Dwelling in the plains in the region's centre, Waghoba, a tiger of huge size and presence, gathers tigers around him. He preaches revolution, his sonorous voice convincing any and all who hear him. And foremost among his concerns? The tyranny of the Rani.
Waghoba, the Dream Tiger, stalks the lands preaching liberation. Credit: Joel Kilpatrick / Three Sails Studios
The mangrove forests of Garugoma are are a storied and lush ecosystem. Protecting the low-lying lands from the effects of the Southern Sea, those who dwell near it tell wondrous stories of the Monsters and Creatures who live hidden in the depths.
The lush central and coastal plains of Garugoma are sparsely populated. The perfect place for a revolution to begin...
Airavata - Guardian of Garugoma
The Rani of Garugoma have sat at the head of the head of the Garus Empire -- a confederation of twenty of the region's northern tribes -- for centuries. Yet they derive their power and legitimacy from a single source: Airavata, the great elephant guardian of Garugoma.
Believed by some to be as old as Fate itself, Airavata is a Monster of titanic proportions. Blessed with multiple trunks, the great elephant has been seen manifesting from and disappearing back into the shadows of the Svarga Mountains, leading many to believe that their protector can move beyond the bounds of this world and into another.
Appearing whenever the region is in peril, Airavata is bound to the line of the Rani by a mysterious pact, known only to the elephant and the Rani herself. Despite this connection, Airavata protects all with equal force and fervour, suggesting that it is the region -- rather than the Rani's power -- that Airavata is primarily concerned with.
The subject of deep speculation by scholars and citizens alike, the Mappa Mundi Institute in Garugoma have dedicated themselves to learning more about this enigmatic Monster.
Garugoma Regional Guide full-page illustration. Credit: Joel Kilpatrick / Three Sails Studios
Onward to Week 2!
Thank you again, everyone, for your support so far. I hope you enjoyed reading some more information about Garugoma and its three Monsters, and I can't wait to share more with you from others regions.
Make sure to vote in the comments below as to which of our nine remaining regions you want to see:
Barbecia, Domolov, Lechnitsa, Tiahakim, Aishamet, The Kikal Rift, The Muten Steppe, Zoumung, or Phuondi.
Social Impact Stretch Goals Update
We're getting closer and closer to our next Social Impact Stretch Goal donation increase! When we hit £50,000 raised, we'll be increasing our contribution from £1,000 to £2,500. This money will go to the Save Elephant Foundation (I'm sure Airavata would be happy) to support their work to rescue, rehabilitate, support, and protect Asian Elephants and a range of other species in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
With your help, we can all embody the values of the Mappa Mundi Institute!
