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I’ve just received mock-ups of the covers for Before All Others: The Cyclopedia of Elven Civilization and they are delightful. There will be two options, a standard edition and collector’s edition. The standard edition is patterned after the ACKS II rulebook style, featuring black leatherette covers with gold foil. The classical styling we used for the core rules is, of course, replaced with elf-appropriate art nouveau.

The collector’s edition features a verdant green leatherette cover with silver foil, silver-gilt page edging, and satin ribbon mark. It is patterned after the collector’s edition of By This Axe, so it is only decorated with a weapon and detailing.

The PDF and print-on-demand editions will feature the full-color Michael Syrigos cover that serves as the basis for our Kickstarter art. Please be sure to sign up at the campaign preview page to be notified when we launch! Like most crowdfunders, I rely on the volume of prelaunch sign-ups to gauge of how much to invest in the crowdfunding campaign, so even if you’ve already told me on Discord that you intend to back it, it still helps if you sign up for the notification!

There’s Still Time to Enter the Bitter War of Memes!

If you’ve been paying attention to #BitterWar on X, you know that the Bitter War of Memes has entered a bizarre new phase, as the dwarves have begun to deploy memetic automatons (short-form video) deployed with AI to carry the day…

There’s still time to fight back, elves! Entering the Bitter War of Memes is as easy as slaying beastmen with a vorpal sword.

Post a meme on X (formerly Twitter) anytime before 11:59PM EDT July 31 2025.
Include both:
- The hashtag #BitterWar
- The tag @_autarch_ or @archon (so I see it)
In the same thread, reply with a link to the Kickstarter preview page for Before All Others .
Hit “Send.” You’re now on the battlefield.

The full contest rules can be found in this Arbiter of Worlds post.

What’s Grinding on ACKS to Grind?

Tonight at 9PM ET July 28th, I’ll be joined by game designer Josh Peters of Stellagama Publishing. Josh is the creator of The Sword of Cepheus, FTL: Nomad, and a number of related products. He and I will talk about the business of indie publishing outside the D20/5E market segment and the creative challenges of designing science-fiction RPGs in an era when we live in a science-fiction RPG.

In August, I’ll be joined on ACKS To Grind by writer, director, and gamer Pat Kilbane, creator of the documentary The Dreams in Gary’s Basement. This remarkable documentary tells the story of the creation of D&D from Gary Gygax’s point of view. It’s available https://rpghistory.net. (Disclaimer: I was interviewed as a contributor to the documentary and my contribution got cut on the cutting-room floor. *shakes fist*)

The Force Structure of the Dwarven Army

Today I’ve released an article on Patreon for Adventurer-tier backers ($3/month) that explores the forces structure of the dwarven army in detail, with a robust spreadsheet for calculating troops at each domain tier.

If you're interested in staying up to date on all things related to ACKS II, members of the Patreon are getting monthly updates and sneak previews. One of the best perks of being part of the Patreon is the opportunity to help shape the design process by seeing the earliest drafts. Those who've been with us for the long-term know that Autarch (me, really) listens intently to the community's playtest feedback. If you've never checked out the ACKS Patreon, you can find it here.

Support the Community

Once you’ve signed up for the crowdfunding campaign, head on over to these community links:

Thanks for reading Arbiter of Worlds! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Before All Others Covers Revealed!

There’s Still Time to Enter the Bitter War of Memes!

What’s Grinding on ACKS to Grind?

The Force Structure of the Dwarven Army

Support the Community

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