by Eric Weiss
We just passed a major milestone with the release of the Lore Master's Deck open beta. Our third core deck is finally out in the world, and you can now pre-order Lore Master's Deck to get immediate access to the beta PDF!
In the meantime, we thought it'd be fun to catch you up on our launch day livestream. We're hosting weekly streams leading up to the final digital release on March 14, and dropping betas for our new expansions along the way. Check our YouTube channel for the full schedule, and add the expansion PDFs to your pre-order to get early access to all things Lore Master's Deck!
Without further ado, let’s take a journey to the Archive of Endlings!
The lore web for the Archive of Endlings
If you tuned in, you already know exactly how we ended up with the lore web above. (In fact, you probably influenced some of our decisions.) For the rest of you, we thought we’d give you a quick recap to run you through some of the highlights.
Keep in mind that this is only a loose summary – and as with any worldbuilding exercise, the facts are mutable and open to interpretation. Tag us on social media to let us know what you’d do with this prompt, or check out the replay of the livestream if you want to get the full story!
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Our story begins with a conclave of cryptozoologists – which is closer to regular zoology in this particular world. This Conclave has an affinity for extinct and endangered creatures, many of which have mythic properties in this setting. Members are expected to be comfortable with dangerous monsters, which is why initiates need to pluck a feather from a griffin in order to become a member.
The Conclave itself was created to find the fabled Archive of Endlings (yes, “archive” won the great “archive” vs “museum” debate).
There have long been rumors about the Archive of Endlings – a mythical zoo that only houses creatures that no longer exist. According to the legend, the magical Owl that built the Archive is itself the last member of its species. Whenever another creature is about to go extinct, the Owl calls the endling – the last of its kind – to the Archive for protection. The endlings cannot leave (the Owl is a prisoner of its own design), but they are safe from further harm. The Archive only exists in the space between worlds, and is further guarded by an array of powerful enchantments.
Those enchantments can only be broken with the help of a Rod. No one knows where that Rod is today. The stories suggest that it was originally found buried beneath the Archive (though no one can explain how it got out if that was indeed the case). However, everyone agrees that the Rod provides a direct line to the Archive. Those one of a kind properties also make the Rod extremely valuable, which is why the market is flooded with knockoffs from people trying to make a quick buck off the gullible. The Conclave’s decision to use the Rod as its symbol could be viewed as an attempt to manifest the goal of their search.
Of course, ambiguous legends have been known to cause intense disagreement. The Conclave first learned of the Archive through ancient, rudimentary carvings. Most members of the Conclave saw a griffin. Others saw a dragon – and insisted on it so aggressively that they were eventually expelled. The fan club eventually came to worship the dragon, though its loyalty is in doubt. Everyone knows that the club’s leaders can be bought, and their constantly shifting allegiance has created considerable mistrust with the public.
However, the fan club is still bitter about its exile, and its most devout members are still bent on revenge. One day, they just might unleash the Armadillo god upon the world.
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We hope you enjoyed this journey to the Archive of Endlings! Pre-order Lore Master's Deck and catch the rest of our livestreams for more exercises in lore!