A fantasy TTRPG about insatiable hunger in a blighted land, inspired by Hollow Knight, Bloodborne, Dark Souls, and Elden Ring.
We aim to start shipping physical rewards by June 2026. Digital rewards for already-existing books will be sent when orders are locked down (July 2025). Once they're ready, all other digital rewards will be made accessible (estimated Q2 2026).
Pre-order sales are final. Shipping will be charged closer to fulfillment. You can check estimated shipping pricesHERE (Shipping and Fulfillment section)
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Four Preview Chapters
7 months ago
– Wed, Dec 17, 2025 at 09:00:48 AM
Hello Dowsers,
I know, I know—we skipped the November update. That was simply because we were heads-down working on the game, and I don’t always have exciting news to broadcast. Trust the process! Remember, if you have questions in the meantime, you can find me every day on our Discord server.
That said, today I do have news to share!
Four preview Chapters
As a holiday gift, we are sharing the first four chapters of the Core Book, fully laid out. These chapters cover the Introduction, Character Creation, Tests/Mechanics, and Combat. While they don’t touch upon the deeper setting mechanics, lore, campaign details, or specific Challenges (as those are covered in the remaining six chapters), they will give you a solid understanding of how the game plays at its core.
If you completed your survey you’ll get an email from Backerkit with a download link.
Please note: These chapters are previews, fresh from layout. We will conduct a full review of the Core Book once it is 100% in layout to ensure a final round of polish. You may encounter residual typos or slight inconsistencies in terminology or formatting. This is normal at this stage; it makes the most sense for us to perform the comprehensive review when the entire book is complete.
If you spot something that feels unclear, feel free to mention it on our Discord, and we will make a note for future improvements. However, please remember this is not yet the formal Beta review phase.
In other news
I am currently working on Chapter 9: Challenges, which effectively houses all the profiles for enemies and threats. It is a massive chapter requiring us to crosscheck a million different terms, so it is taking some time.
I have temporarily bypassed Chapter 8: Areas & Locations. As the other two books in the line are currently being written, I want to ensure consistency across the entire collection before finalizing that section. I will circle back to it shortly.
I also have one piece of good news (excellent for you, slightly heavier lifting for us): the Core Book is shaping up to be about 33% larger than anticipated. This is also due to the layout style—we opted for a look that is airy and readable rather than cramped and busy. This means you are likely receiving 300+ pages of content rather than the originally planned 200+.
I plan to keep working on the manuscript over the holidays, and I will be back with another update around mid-January.
Let us know how you enjoy the first four chapters!
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Instagram: See behind-the-scenes content and more.
October update & New Game LIVE
8 months ago
– Tue, Oct 21, 2025 at 11:03:44 AM
The Shacks
Hello Dowsers, I waited a little before sharing this update so we could gather a few pieces of news together.
Project Status
I’m deep into the translation of the Core Book, with the first 6 chapters (out of 10) already completed and the seventh underway. The rules chapters are essentially done—what’s left now is work on the campaign itself, including Threats, Areas, and Locations, which (I won’t lie) are long chapters.
English editing is also complete for the first 6 chapters, and 3 of them are already in layout. I believe we’ll have something to show before Christmas.
Meanwhile, Giacomo and Enrico are also working on Dirge of the Dust King: 4 out of 7 chapters are done, but the Strategic Guide, the chapter on customizing the game and the Solo Mode still require substantial work.
Other Digital Rewards Available
A few of you added the Valraven Tarot Deck to your pledge—you should be receiving the digital version now. It includes all the print-and-play cards and instructions on how to use the Tarots.
The printed version of the Tarot Deck is currently in production, and everything is progressing smoothly.
If you included it in your pledge, you’ll receive a notification from Backerkit when the file is ready to download.
It’s Tarantino meets Sin City, soaked in ’80s grit and neon. Built on the same system behind Broken Tales, Dead Air: Seasons, and Valraven: The Chronicles of Blood and Iron, Dirt City Blues puts you in the boots of the Badasses—ex-heroes who thought their glory days were over… until the city came calling for one last job.
We’ve got slipcases, bullet-shaped dice, and a stack of gritty extras waiting for you. If you like what we do, come take a look and support the project!
• Telegram: Get quick updates straight to your device.
• Instagram: See behind-the-scenes content and more.
September update and Valraven digital files available!
10 months ago
– Thu, Sep 04, 2025 at 10:23:14 AM
Are those... black marks in his hand?
Hello Dowsers, Time flies, and we’ve got good news to share.
Project Status
We’re on track to begin translations this month. Though the first release is in English, both our authors work primarily in Italian, so translation is a necessary step. I’ve just received the Core Book material and expect to start next week.
To support this, Enrico is building a detailed glossary of about 700 entries covering all game and lore terms. This isn’t something you need to memorize, it’s an internal tool to keep translations sharp and consistent. I’ll report back on progress in the next update.
Valraven PDFs Available Now!
If you added items from Valraven: The Chronicles of Blood and Iron to your pledge, today’s the day: the Core Book, the Book of the Eclipse, and the Playbooks are now live. You'll get an email with download links from Backerkit. The Tarot Deck is still in progress and will follow soon.
A New Game on the Horizon
Last week we also unveiled the Quickstart for a brand-new game we’ve been working on: Dirt City Blues. Built on the same system that powers Broken Tales, Valraven and Dead Air: Seasons, it offers a very different tone and atmosphere from Bitter Chalice—hardboiled, noir, and with a sharp focus on a specific flavor of play. It's Sin City meets Tarantino.
Dirt City Blues is a roleplaying game about people of action—hard-edged protagonists with haunted pasts, short fuses, and nothing left to prove except to themselves.
Set in a city stuck between the late ’80s and early ’90s, the game plays out in a world of neon grime, bad TV, flickering motel signs, VHS static, and cigarette burns. Think busted payphones, cheap cologne, ridiculous haircuts, leather jackets, and way too many enemies.
You can follow and interact with us on multiple platforms:
• Discord: Join our community and chat directly with us. • Facebook: Follow The World Anvil Publishing page. • Bluesky: Stay updated with our latest posts. • Telegram: Get quick updates straight to your device. • Instagram: See behind-the-scenes content and more.
Summer Update
11 months ago
– Thu, Jul 31, 2025 at 02:16:03 AM
Hello Dowsers,
Here’s a quick update to check in. Work is progressing steadily, and while there aren’t major announcements at this time, we have a few things to share—so read on if you’d like to know more.
Project Status
As things stand, we expect to complete the Core Book by mid-August. This aligns well with our plan to begin translation in September. The team is fully focused on wrapping this up before moving on to finalize the remaining two books.
We’ve experienced a slight slowdown in the art department due to real-life interruptions, but nothing that should significantly impact our overall timeline.
Have You Received Your Add-On PDFs?
If you backed any product from the Broken Tales or Dead Air: Seasons game lines during the campaign, you should have already received an email with download links. If not, simply log into your survey and check the Digital Downloads tab—you’ll find everything there.
If you supported anything from the Valraven line, good news: we’re finalizing those files, and we expect to deliver the final PDFs by early September at the latest.
Just to clarify: no PDFs related to Bitter Chalice are ready to share at this time.
That’s all for now—come say hi on Discord if you haven’t already!
You can follow and interact with us on multiple platforms:
• Discord: Join our community and chat directly with us. • Facebook: Follow The World Anvil Publishing page. • Bluesky: Stay updated with our latest posts. • Telegram: Get quick updates straight to your device. • Instagram: See behind-the-scenes content and more.
Surveys Locking Down Soon!
about 1 year ago
– Mon, Jun 23, 2025 at 08:56:13 AM
Hello Dowsers,
It’s time for a small update on how work is going, but first…
The Pledge Manager will lock orders on July 2nd
Most of you have already completed the Pledge Manager survey—thank you! However, around 12% of backers still haven’t. If you’re unsure whether you’ve filled it out, please check now. Automatic reminders are being sent, but you may have missed them if you’re not checking your email regularly.
For everyone else: orders will lock on July 2nd. What does this mean in practice?
After that date, you won’t be able to modify your order on your own. So if you want to add anything, do it now.
Any outstanding fees, such as for Add Ons you selected during the Pledge Manager process, will be charged at that time.
Digital files for our previous games (if you added any version of them to your order) will become available for download provided your outstanding balance, if any, is paid. Please note that all Valraven-related material is still in progress and will be available over the summer, once it is out of Beta.
Your shipping address will remain editable until much closer to fulfillment.
Just a reminder: shipping fees have not been charged yet, as we’ll only have accurate estimates closer to delivery.
Project Status
The team is currently working on all three books in parallel, as keeping cross-references consistent between them is essential.
Here are the latest milestones:
Core Book: The Campaign section has reached 80% completion. We’ve finalized and revised a massive list of over 150 weapons, armors, and trinkets. A detailed combat example has also been written to ensure all mechanics are explained as clearly as possible.
Dirge of the Dust King: The Extended Lore and Chronology are now 75% complete.
Illustrations: Harry Conway has finished his part of the work. Fabio Porfidia is working smoothly through a series of more than 30 additional pieces.
Up Next: We’ll be focusing on completing all Events for the game’s 33 Locations.
We expect to make substantial progress over the summer, when the whole team will have a bit more breathing room from day-to-day responsibilities.
That’s all for now—don’t forget the July 2nd deadline!
