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Solemn Valeโ„ข

Created by Mark Kelly - Dirty Vortex

A folk horror roleplaying game set within Solemn Vale, an isolated town in Southwest England. For more information on the game and the products on offer, check out the Kickstarter page linked below. Solemn Vale Kickstarter Sign up to our Newsletter below to be notified! https://content.dirtyvortex.net/hexlist

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Solemn Vale - Print Timelines Updated
about 1 year ago โ€“ Sun, Nov 05, 2023 at 10:16:48 PM

Hi Folks,

Quick update on the print run. Busy time of year with the printer apparently and last in means first to get shuffled. Current confirmed ex-printer date is mid/late-December-23. For now it's just a waiting game till the books are printed. Almost there but for now it's the limbo of waiting. I appreciate everyone's patience as we get over the finish line proper.

Once the books are inbound, I'll send out the final address reminders.

On a personal level there's been quite some ups and downs with the old mental health so it's been a while since the last update. Apologies for that.

Again, thanks for all the patience.

Thanks and regards,

Mark

Deco Dice Season 2 - Pre-Launch
about 1 year ago โ€“ Thu, Sep 14, 2023 at 02:17:57 PM

Hi Folks,

The pre-launch for Deco Dice Season 2 is now live. I'll be posting additional information about the colours we'll have on offer such as the below examples but just wanting to get the ball rolling.

The project will be going live in either December 2023 or January 2024. If all goes to plan we'll have replenishment of some Season 1 colours along with a range of new colours such as Carmen (Red Resin + White Ink), Royale (Blue Resin + Gold Ink) and Radium (Green Resin + White Ink).

Stay tuned for more details.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mk-dirtyvortex/deco-dice-season-2

Deco Dice Season 2 - Colour Examples - render for display purposes only

Thanks and regards,

Mark

Solemn Vale - Print Timelines
about 1 year ago โ€“ Fri, Sep 08, 2023 at 11:25:29 AM

Hi Folks,

I'm just finishing up placing the print buy and the current estimate from the printer is that the print run will be complete around mid November 2023. We are printing in the EU, so shipping to our fulfilment centre will be much quicker compared to shipping to the US, which will take around six weeks.

This means our UK and Rest of the World orders will ship out sometime in December 2023, and the US orders will start going out in early January 2024.

It's great to have some real dates to work with now so it's just a matter of time before the project is complete. As always, I'll keep folks updated on the progress.

Dirty Vortex General Update

I have quite a few projects waiting in the wings to move forward but after working on so much content for Solemn Vale, I'll be taking a break from the longer ttRPGs books for a while. Solemn Vale (352 pages), Tales from the Wyrd (102 pages), and Summer of Strange (208 pages) โ€“ that's a lot of content, and it was just a little too much to handle. With that in mind, I'll be focusing on a range of smaller projects for a while to help recharge my batteries. I'll get to the other books eventually but it'll be next year before I tackle a longer book.

The first project will be a couple of setting zines compatible with Mร–RK BORG that will launch early November 2023. Not necessarily everyone's cup of tea, for sure, but I enjoy the approach and have felt back on top of things while working on some new artwork. They won't be as erratic as most Mร–RK BORG content... been there, done that and got the t-shirt 10 years ago with I AM ZOMBIE :)

These zines will introduce 3 new settings and we'll only be launching once the zines are print ready.

If these might be something you are interested in you can follow the link below to get notified when we launch.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mk-dirtyvortex/the-dirty-vortex-volume-1

Zine # 1 - MORTEM: The Dead Wars

Book one for DOWN AMONG THE DEAD

Step into the year 1920, but not as you know it. The world has been torn apart by the Dead Wars, a cataclysmic conflict initiated by the resurrection of Rasputin and his undead legions. Rasputin's ungodly army has swallowed Europe whole, leaving only whispers and morbid curiosity about what remains across the ocean. As the war spills onto American soil, you find yourself in the thick of it โ€” either as a survivor or a soldier fighting in one of the last remaining bastions or in the field.

In MORTEM, players navigate this alternate, post-apocalyptic 1920s universe awash in an eerie blend of historical drama and gruesome horror.

+++

Zine # 2 - All Vampires Must Die

Book one for KILL ALL EVIL THINGS

In a world on the edge, you're the knife that cuts through the darkness. Vampires, once confined to nightmares, now lurk in broad daylight, their insidious presence driving global murder rates through the roof. You are a sworn member of the Ordo Interfectores, dedicated to stopping this unholy sprawl before it tips into full-blown apocalypse.

It's not just about staking a lone rogue; it's about dismantling entire broods that have infected cities and towns worldwide. Your battlegrounds are the hidden dens and lairs where these creatures multiply and plot. From the affluent skyscrapers to the grimy underground warrens of the blood fiends, you root out the evil that seeks to consume humanity.

Your life is a pledge to this cause, a ceaseless battle against a foe that grows more entrenched each day. The night may be their domain, but in the Ordo Interfectores, you're trained to turn the tables. Your weapons, your tactics, your unbreakable resolveโ€”these are humanity's last line of defense. And the hunt is only just beginning

+++

Zine # 3 - The Red Horned God

Book one for HELLGATE '88

Kicking off the Hellgate saga is "The Red Horned God" - The malevolent one ย has burrowed deep below the underground of what used to be New York City. Forget subways; this fiend resides in the very bowels of the Earth, tainting the city from its roots. From this subterranean lair, the Red Horned God's sinister influence corrupts everything and everyone above. Your mission? Dethrone this hellish sovereign or become another lost soul in its dark dominion. Will you rise up against this deep-rooted evil, or will the intoxicating power of Hell draw you in? The stage is set, the stakes sky-high, and the clock's ticking away. What's your move?

+++

Thanks and regards,

Mark

Tales from the Wyrd - PDF Complete
over 1 year ago โ€“ Mon, Aug 21, 2023 at 08:26:05 PM

Hi Folks,

The PDF for Tales from the Wyrd has been finished. This is a 100+ page PDF of story modules that all KS backers get access to for free. ย Physical copies can be added via the BackerKit.

DriveThruRPG: Waiting for the folks at DriveThru to approve the listing so I'll start sending out those complimentary copies once I get approval.ย 

Itch: The Solemn Vale Itch listing has been updated with the Tales from the Wyrd PDF directly. It should be available within your Itch library. If you don't see it, please let me know via message here or via email at > [email protected]

I'll be sending out the PDF Print & Play copies of the free Facets cards at some point soon but I'll post another update once they go out. The Solemn Vale core book will have them in the Appendix. Solemn Vale PDF updated also so re-download if you want access to them now.

If anyone does spot any errors, please let me know via message or email > [email protected]

A huge relief to get the Tales from the Wyrd PDF out to you folks and hope everyone likes it.

The Muse by Graeme Davis

Thanks and regards,

Mark

Solemn Vale Project Update - 2023 wk32
over 1 year ago โ€“ Sun, Aug 13, 2023 at 10:18:54 PM

Hi Folks,

Things are moving along well and we're ready to start sorting out the print run. We've got the Tales from the Wyrd print ready (we'll be sending the PDF after one final copy editing pass likely end of the week) plus Summer of Strange (going through its final editing passes).

We'll be charging the BackerKit cards next Sunday, 20-Aug-2023. This doesn't mean we'll be finialising shipping address just yet though. We still need to hear back on when the print run will be completed and ship, so hang on to those details. Once we are ready to collect addresses, I'll notify everyone.

I've just released a small PDF over on Itch called The Neon Dream. It's a live doc that introduces our default rule system for standard character sheet style ttRPG play, called The Operating System. The free sampler has our full default rules plus one Neon-Noir crime story with a vampiric twist, Blood Money.

We have lots of wheels in motion and wanted to get this doc out there in the wild as we lead up to launching some of our other content over the coming months.

https://dirty-vortex.itch.io/the-neon-dream

sample character card
sample character card

Thanks and regards,

Mark