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It’s an exceptionally busy month here at Autarch. We’re on the tail end of fulfilling the ACKS II Kickstarter, nearing completion of Ascendant: Star-Spangled Squadron Volume II, mid-way through development of ACKS II Treasure Tome, and beginning to assemble the crowdfunding assets for Before All Others, our highly-anticipated Cyclopedia of Elven Civilization.

Meanwhile, I have several other projects in the works after that, including an update to Domains at War: Battles, revisions to the AX series of ACKS adventures, the Ascendant: Power Overwhelming sourcebook, and the Under the Dread Flag pirate sourcebook

So, of course, with everything going on, my computer decided to have a nervous breakdown - or at least a motherboard meltdown. Last Sunday, I woke up to a dead CPU, GPU, and hard drive! It took a week to get a new PC fully functional. I’m now back in action but the loss of productivity couldn’t have come at a worse time.

Given the various setbacks of 2025, I’ve been fielding a lot of questions about the timeline of Autarch projects. Here is what I expect to happen over the next 3 months:

Mid May 2025: Fulfillment of ACKS II poplar slipcase rewards begins
Mid June 2025: ACKS II goes on sale at Autarch Emporium for fans who missed the crowdfunding campaign, available in both print and PDF
Late June 2025: Ascendant Star-Spangled Squadron Volume II PDF delivered to project backers
Early July 2025: Before All Others: Cyclopedia of Elven Civilization crowdfunding campaign begins
Late August 2025: ACKS II Treasure Tome PDF delivered to project backers

, but the calendar for these efforts remains to be determined.

The Art of the Treasure Tome

Below I’ve shared some sneak previews of the art for the upcoming ACKS II Treasure Tome. First up is this legendary Cosmarch-tier illustration of the Paseplitem:

Next up we have an illustration of the Shard of the Logos, the Tokay Flute, and the Golden Thread:

And finally an illustration of the Astrolabe of the Vasty Deep, Alchemist's Tube, Battle Axe +1 of Gratitude, Chalk of the Grand Seal, Circlet of Seeing, Dagger +1 of Disarming, Dagger +1 of Moontear, and Deck of Laughter and Misery:

We have five different artists currently at work on the project (Michael Syrigos, Old School Jelly, Cezar Razek, Jesse White, and Slamet Mujiono) with another coming online this month, so there will be more art coming fast.

Star-Spangled Spectacular

Mel Joy San Juan has finished work on the pencils and inks for Ascendant: Star-Spangled Squadron Volume II. It turned out to be an exceptionally complex project to draw that stretcher her skills - some scenes were so complex that we had to model them with 3D avatars to make sure we kept continuity of action. But it has come together gloriously.

Meanwhile, Pradeep Sherawat has finished 50 of the 64 pages of color. The remaining pages will get done over the next two weeks. The book will then be handed over to Kathryn Renta for layout and lettering, and then it'll be sent to you in PDF and sent to the printers for glorious full-color production.

Here's some sneak previews of the latest colors:

Slipcases En Route

I am pleased to announce that the long-awaited ACKS II poplar slipcases are now en route to fulfillment houses worldwide.

I will spare you the saga of the struggle involved. Know that the vast poplar groves of the Syrnasos Islands were tragically clear cut by dwarven automatons in order to secure the requisite material; that over seven thousand craftsmen were crucified along the Palatine Path for their failure to deliver sufficient slipcases on schedule; that many Bothans died to bring us these slipcases.

But now they are ready. The slipcases are expected to arrive at the fulfillment houses (Studio 2, Compose Dream, and Zatu) around May 7th. Based on prior experience, I expect it will take them a week to ingest, process, pack, and ship the product. It will then likely take a week for delivery to backers in their home regions and two to four weeks for backers outside their territory. Slipcase backers should therefore expect to receive their books and cases starting around May 21st and extending into June if they are princes of distant and exotic lands such as New Zealand or Taiwan.

Those of you among the Poplar Elite were the biggest evangelists and supporters of the ACKS II project and I remain mortified that your books were the last to be delivered. Please know that you have my gratitude both for your support and for your patience as we worked through the manufacturing debacle that occurred.

Are You a Patron of the ACKS Patreon?

If you're interested in "what's next" for ACKS II, members of the Patreon are getting monthly updates and sneak previews from Before All Others: The Cyclopedia of Elven Civilization. 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. The recurring revenue from the Patreon is what sustains the business during the long spells between Kickstarters, especially in 2023-2024 when sales of ACKS I have dried up during the transition to ACKS II. In today's economy, with inflation making every dollar count, I am exceptionally grateful to everyone who chooses to allocate some of it each month to helping keep Autarch in action.

Support the Community

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

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There's So Much Going On, My Computer Had a Nervous Breakdown