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Into the Godsgrave

Created by Lucky Duck Games

A Digital Hybrid Board Game of fate and divine resurrection

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Goliath Acquires Lucky Duck Games & Crowdfunding Continues as Normal
18 days ago – Mon, Apr 22, 2024 at 12:31:14 AM

Hey everyone,

 
This is a quick extra update as we wanted to share a follow-up communication to all backers after the announcement today that Goliath has acquired Lucky Duck Games.
 
In short, the headline news is that while Goliath has acquired Lucky Duck, we will continue to run Lucky Duck Games autonomously as an independent studio within the Goliath group of companies, maintaining our commitment to designing and publishing innovative board games.
 
For those who haven’t seen it, the entire press release can be read here.
 

What does the acquisition mean for Lucky Duck crowdfunding campaigns?

We want to reassure you that there is no change at all. All of the teams working on our crowdfunding titles that are still to be delivered will remain unchanged and will continue to work with the colleagues and resources we have.
 
If we do encounter any changes this will likely be unseen to backers as we look to take advantage of the large support network Goliath has for back-end activities such as logistics, but this will take place over time and only where improvements can be made.
 
We are also happy to say that bringing games to crowdfunding platforms will continue to be part of our approach to board game publishing alongside our retail releases. This means our recently announced The Flames of Fafnir campaign will continue as planned and we are excited to say that you’ll find more campaigns from us in the future.
 
We’re really thrilled with the announcement and happy that the Lucky Duck Games team will continue to design and produce board games as we have done for the last eight years.
 
 
Many thanks,
 
Vincent Vergonjeanne,
CEO of Lucky Duck Games

The Executor Explained
about 1 month ago – Wed, Apr 03, 2024 at 03:32:50 AM

Mortals!

This week's update is about to shed some light on the most mysterious and purposely not described in detail aspect of the lore - the Triarchy and their emissaries, known as Executors. 

Who Are They?

One of the most terrifying symbols of the Triarchan Invasion are the fearsome Executors. These servants of the Triarchy are ruthless, brutal, and devoted to their masters. Always hiding behind masks, they claim to be strictly following the will of the new gods - the Triad. All their actions are sanctified by the higher powers, not just their own decisions. At least that's what they say, since no one else is allowed to communicate with the Triarchan gods.

Additional Dice Type

The Executor is a fierce and brave warrior who relies on his faith. To capture this theme, we have added some new layers to the hero mechanics. While in the Base Game the dice represent your abilities and depend mostly on your lineage, the Executor gains additional favor dice that reflect his connection to the Triad. While powerful, they are also risky - it's not wise for mortals to toy recklessly with the gods! Whenever the Executor uses Favor dice, he risks summoning the divine wrath.

The 4th Type of the Card in Game

But that's not the only new tool at their disposal. The Executor class brings another, 4th type of card to player decks - Glyphs. These powerful, carved incantations can be attached to various other cards to strengthen them. Some Executor cards also depend on the number of Glyphs played. This allows players to build their own set of power-ups and unlock new gameplay options.

The Executor's storyline is tied to the story of The Forgotten Song expansion, but you can also use this character as one of the Heroes of Into the Godsgrave Base Game campaign. At first glance, all Executors are loyal to the Triarchy, but in reality there are many internal conflicts, and not all of them are absolutely subservient. If you choose to play the Executor in the Base Game campaign, you'll take on the role of a Renegade Executor, the individual who is not particularly disloyal, but is on the verge of schism and has a different view of the current political situation. 

Put a Face With a Name

Take a glance at the artwork dedicated to the Triarchy and the Executors. They are representing different region and culture, you can clearly tell they from the land beyond Great Sea.

As the symptoms of the impending apocalypse are more frequent, the Triarchians launched a crusade to save mortals - by bringing new gods to the world.
Executors make sure nothing stands between them and their sacred mission.
They are both skilled warriors and wielders of powers granted by the Triad.
The Executor’s masks come in many shapes and forms, but they always strike fear in hearts of non-believers.
The Triarchians claim they have found their new gods deep in the deserts, in places forgotten since the time of the Great Revolt.
The symbol of Triad represents the three gods of Triarchy - the Father, the Mother and the Unborn.

That's it for this month's update, fellow disbelievers. 

If you have any questions, please add a comment below or if you need specific help with your pledge, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected].

Take care,

Michał @ Lucky Duck Games

The Lyrician Way
2 months ago – Fri, Mar 01, 2024 at 07:43:36 AM

Mortals!

Last time we delved into the recent history and the Triarchian invasion of the Kingdom of Barkis. Today we'll turn our eyes to the neighboring Lyricia, the land where you, the Heroes, start the adventure and take first steps on the path that leads Into the Godsgrave.
The Lyrician Way

A common saying about Lyricians is that they’ll let you bleed to death, before deciding if it's even worth helping. And while that might be a gross exaggeration, it's true that they are first and foremost the people of business. Lyricia is in fact a confederacy of numerous republican states and principalities, ruled by guilds and merchant lords. They live in relative peace and unity, held together by the common goal - making profit.

When the Triarchian forces landed on the Barksian shores, most of the countries on the continent became openly hostile. To oppose the further advance of the Triarchy, the alliance of the Old Provinces was formed. In the meantime, Lyricia declared its neutrality. The plagues and disasters that brought the neighboring kingdom to its knees, never crossed the mountain range that marks the border between the two countries. When the Triarchians reached the border, the Lyricians welcomed the newcomers, and offered their goods and services at a discounted price.

Lyricia is open to the servants of Triarchy as well as the representatives of the Old Provinces. Both sides of the conflict use the neutral state as an arena for the struggles of their spy networks. The Lyrician lords are pleased by this situation as long as they can profit from the rising tensions in the region. All they would like is for both sides to behave in a civilized manner, which of course is not the case. The covert operations are often brutal and the common people are affected by the collateral damage.

The Triarchy is said to be particularly interested in one place in Lyricia - the Godsgrave where the rotting corpse of Maalbog still poisons the land and twists the reality around it. The Old Provinces would love to know what sinister plans the Triarchans have in mind and won't spare resources to find it out. Thankfully, there are many bold adventurers for hire in Lyricia, who are more than eager to take on a well-paid job without asking too many questions.
 

It’s no coincidence that most of the Lyrician merchant lords are halflings - the most cunning of all the lineages.
Each covert operation has to be planned carefully.
In some parts of Lyricia the law and order doesn’t apply, despite the efforts of local militia.
‘There is always a price’ - old Lyrician motto
Some still believe that the conflict with Triarchy could be resolved diplomatically.
In the meantime the Old Provinces are getting ready for the next move of the Triarchy.

That's it for this month's update, we keep grinding and creating artwork, as "Into the Godsgrave" is a Card Game first and foremost.

If you have any questions, please add a comment below or if you need specific help with your pledge, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected].

Take care,

Michał @ Lucky Duck Games

P.S. I hoped to have an Executor intelligence for you for today, but I had to move it for next update. 

The Story Behind the Map Tiles
3 months ago – Thu, Feb 01, 2024 at 12:07:00 AM

Mortals!

In today's Into the Godsgrave update, we'd like to elaborate a little bit about the lore of the world and tell the story of the fallen Kingdom of Barkis and how the Triarchy appeared on the continent where the Base Game campaign story takes place.

War with the Triarchy and the Fall of Barkis

The Kingdom of Barkis was once a land of wealth and prosperity. Located on the coast of the Great Sea with its vast merchant fleet and naval ships to protect it, the Barkisian had all they needed to become one of the major political powers on the continent. The young and ambitious king was able to consolidate power and tighten his grip on unruly lords. It made the treasury full of coin, that was generously used to invest in changing the kingdom into a modern nation. It seemed like the future of Barkisians, for the first time in history, was looking bright.

In just a couple of decades however all of those achievements have been lost. It all started with plague outbreaks in large coastal cities that quickly spread across the land. Then a few years of extremely bad harvest brought hunger to every doorstep of the kingdom. Finally, a massive typhoon destroyed the royal fleet, cracking the spine of the nation's defenses. Soon afterward, black sails appeared on the horizon, the Triarchy Invasion had started.

The war with the Triarchy was quick and brutal. The followers of New Gods quickly conquered most of the kingdom with little resistance from the weakened opponent. Soon the prosperous Kingdom of Barkis was no more, and the Triarchan forces were stationed dangerously close to the borders of other nations of the continent. But the invaders stopped their victorious march, as if they were waiting for the right moment to make another move. The war is not over, everyone knows that. It's just a matter of time.

Artwork That Tells the Story

Plenty of cards will feature artwork that illustrates the events in the game, frequently depicting the story of the game. And the Kingdom of Barkis is no exception here. Take a sneak peek at cards’ artwork related to the rise and fall of Barkis.

Experienced infiltrators are sought on both sides of the conflict.
Barkisians have fought well, but the defeat was inevitable.
The Kingdom of Barkis is now a land scarred by many battlefields.
Triarchian troops gather in fortified camps. The intelligence reports say their numbers are growing every day.

That's it for this month's update, fellow Infiltrators. 

If you have any questions, please add a comment below or if you need specific help with your pledge, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected].

Take care,

Michał @ Lucky Duck Games

Closer Look at the Noble Class
5 months ago – Thu, Dec 21, 2023 at 06:18:14 AM

Mortals!

Be welcomed to our second update focused on the additional classes. In this update we focus on the proud Noble. You can play as one if you have the “Noble” add-on in your pledge.

Who is the Noble?

Relics, the remains of the war between mortals and gods, are an extremely valuable and desirable commodity. Relictors study them and learn how to manipulate the Essence, but they are not the only ones interested in relics. For nobles, possessing an unusual artifact is an important sign of status, determining the position in the social hierarchy. Family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation, help to build prestige and have often become the foundation on which both wealth and the noble family's position were built.

Nobles do not often join mercenary companies, and when they do, it is for very different reasons. In these cases, most often, they serve as the team's leader or spokesman. They are charismatic and self-confident, but also trained in combat. Mechanically, the Noble class is based on Nobility Tokens, the number of which determines the level of Renown - the higher the Renown, the more powerful cards effects may be activated. Many Noble cards are also focused on helping other nearby heroes - this is why this character works great in larger teams.

World Building through artwork

I got new art pieces ready to share with you, straight from our game writer Grzegorz Nowak and Mateusz Komada, our Art Director. Most of the stories about our world are told thought the cards’ artwork. Take a look.

Take a look at the sight outside the window - what you see are the corpse of Maalbog, one of the gods defeated in the battle. Without his "guidance" (or slavery as other say) - how will the civilization prevail?
Did you notice the glowing shield on the wall? At this stage - this is a Relic now. a remnant of a dead god, that provides every Noble a large influence power over others.
Being a Noble is something that runs through the family. You have an origin story, you have ancestors.

Testing in Real Life

Of course, under the hood, plenty of work is being done as well. We are continuing our internal playtesting sessions to iron out not only extra classes but also additional rules and events. The story is being written with each session.

This is every board game before it gets shiny and colorful.
No worries, our testers know exactly what they are doing there!

That's it for today's update, we'll see soon in 2024 with some not-yet-seen previews of the Executor!

If you have any questions, please add a comment below or if you need specific help with your pledge, please let us know by sending an email to [email protected].

Take care,

Michał @ Lucky Duck Games