24 HOURS TO GO! Final Gemstone Spotlight, Post-campaign/BackerKit Refresher, and Additional Photos
over 3 years ago – Thu, May 27, 2021 at 12:06:42 AM

Hello, backers!

With only 24 hours left, we'll keep this one short. We've got a closer look at the last of the gemstone selections here, and we're also including a brief summary of the BackerKit details we posted in an earlier update, just to keep it fresh in your minds. Let's dive right in.

Campaign Close & BackerKit

Once the campaign ends tomorrow afternoon, a few things happen. First, no new pledges can be accepted, and no pledge adjustments can be made. Pledges are final at that moment. Kickstarter will then begin collecting pledges and charging your payment methods. This will take a while, and Kickstarter will attempt to resolve any issues that occur during the process - cards being declined for one reason or another.

This process will conclude in two weeks time, at which point Kickstarter will transfer all collected funds to us. At that point, we can open up BackerKit, our pledge management system.

This system will allow you to confirm the details of our pledge and address, choose your desired items, and even add to your order if you decide you'd like more than you initially pledged for. Pretty handy. On our side, it will keep all of your pledge and order data organized, making our production and fulfillment run much more smoothly than it would otherwise.

You'll be emailed an invitation once the survey is ready. You won't need to find it yourself. This is worth mentioning, because BackerKit also allows us to offer pre-orders, for those that miss the campaign but are still interested in ordering. Backers, it's important that you do not place a pre-order! You can add anything you like to your pledge when you get the invitation, and if you place a pre-order, not only will you be charged shipping twice, your pre-order will ship out after all the Kickstarter pledges have been fulfilled, so you'll have longer to wait. So just hang tight and wait for our update announcing that BackerKit is open. You should find an invitation in your email inbox shortly after that update goes out.

Materials & Colorways: A Deeper Look

There are a lot of materials and colorways to choose from in this campaign. We wanted to take some time in each update to focus more closely on what makes them all special. This time, we'll be looking at some gemstone sets from our collection.

Algal Stone (Shadow Jade)

This natural stone, not widely known outside of China, is a variety of Jade with many impurities that create its mysteriously dark and speckled appearance. The balance of the natural with the sinister calls to mind a malevolent swamp, or a dark copse of looming trees choking out the sunlight. Trees with branches like withered arms, reaching out for whatever - or whomever - they might grasp.

Bloodstone

Opaque green jasper with inclusions of hematite, Bloodstone is among the most sinister in appearance of our lineup. Legends and superstitions abound, and while your dice are unlikely to possess the various powers that have been ascribed to the stone, it may just help you nail that sneak attack damage roll...

Hematite

Hematite is an iron oxide with a glossy, metallic shine that is also exceptionally dense, making it one of the heaviest materials in our lineup. It has been discovered on Mars, but has a long history on earth, as well: ancient humans were using a variation of hematite to write with as far back as 164,000 years ago.

Ruby in Zoisite

The first thing to note about this material is that the name is literal: it contains ruby inclusions suspended within green zoisite. It represents an interesting, brighter and perhaps friendlier contrast with the more sinister Bloodstone. Ruby in Zoisite offers colorful mystique and lends a touch of extravagance to your gaming session - or, perhaps, simply reminds you that there's no place like home.

It's the Final Countdown

No, it's not a trick (excuse me, I mean it's not an illusion). The campaign is almost over. But there's still time! So share the page, if you haven't already, and make any last-minute adjustments to your pledge before the timer ticks down to 0. We'll be back with more soon. In the post-campaign days, we'll be posting more photos and other content, and detailing what fulfillment will look like. But for now, we'll just be on hand to help with anything we can, while we watch that timer tick down.

~ Ed Maranville, VP Crowdfunding Fulfillment for Wyrmwood

~ Karen Wang, CEO/Founder, Dispel

48 HOURS LEFT! Dice Digital Wallpaper, Pure Starlight Photos, and More!
over 3 years ago – Wed, May 26, 2021 at 09:48:13 PM

Hello, everyone!

With only 48 hours to go, the end of the campaign is nearly here. In the coming days, after the campaign ends, we'll be rolling out BackerKit for pre-orders and working on getting everything ready for you when it launches. As we said in our update yesterday, if you just got here, welcome! Be sure to check out the previous updates to get the lowdown on how the campaign works, what to expect when it ends, and more.

Even though the campaign itself will be over soon, we'll still be publishing updates and continuing to provide content in the coming days.

Photography and Additional Production Samples

Due to the nature of this collaboration, we don't have a great deal of product on hand - after all, it's being funded and produced through the campaign itself. But additional sample sets are being created and we will show more of these over the course of the campaign through updates as we move from preproduction to production. 

We have worked hard to create fun, appealing and representative photos of all of the dice available in this campaign, and we think the images on the page and in updates give you a great idea of what to expect your set to look like. 

However, more photos will come as we enter production and production samples are finished: you can expect to see the dice on a white background, both with professional studio lighting and lit by natural sunlight, additional "lifestyle" type photos (photos of the dice on a table, in a Dice Vault, etc), and later in the campaign, once production has commenced, production samples on a white and black background, and a video showcasing production samples.

We'll provide the photos of dice against a white background mentioned above as soon as possible, ideally during the window in which BackerKit is open, while you are making your final decisions on which designs to choose. Thank you for your patience!

 Animated Wallpapers

Between the ink plumes and the array of lovely dice to appreciate, we thought the backers you might enjoy some wallpapers to admire on your phone. You'll find a care package of beautiful phone wallpapers that are free to download right HERE. 

The Home Stretch

Now that we've entered the final 48 hours of the project, we'd like to thank you all, whether you just pledged or backed the project on day 1. We couldn't do this without you, and we're grateful for your support.

~ Ed Maranville, VP Crowdfunding Fulfillment for Kickstarter

~ Karen Wang, CEO/Founder Dispel

72 HOURS LEFT! Campaign News, More Materials/Colorways, and More
over 3 years ago – Wed, May 26, 2021 at 06:12:55 AM

Hello, everyone!

Wow, time flies - it seems like we just launched, and now, here we are, over two million dollars in pledges with just three days left to go in the campaign! What a ride. We're working to get some fun content and extras for you as we approach the finish line.

And if you're just joining us here - welcome! Thank you for your support of the project, and we strongly recommend checking out the previous updates to get the lowdown on how the campaign works, what to expect when it ends, and more.

News and Developments

On the main page, you may have noticed that we opened up another pledge tier - without a backer limit. While we typically limit all tiers to make sure we can manage the production numbers, we don't expect the amount of new pledges to exceed a typical month's wave at this point, so we left this final tier wide open to make things simple. Of course, if it does really take off, we can always add a limit and make a new one; we'll be keeping a close eye on things as the final hours tick down.

In addition, the giveaways we posted about in Update #6 will have their respective winners chosen today! Good luck to all who entered.

Also, on an unfortunately less positive note, it's come to our attention that there are fake accounts impersonating both Wyrmwood and Dispel. Please take care when receiving messages and following links that you are actually dealing with who you think you are - not just with us, but with any interaction on these platforms. As a reminder, Wyrmwood does not require any payment information to process giveaway winnings, nor will we send you to anywhere but our official site. When in doubt as to the legitimacy of a message appearing to come from us, you can always reach out via direct message here, or [email protected], and we'll be happy to let you know.

Here are our official social media pages and accounts for reference:

Wyrmwood: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Dispel Dice: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Next, let's take a closer look at some of our gemstone offerings in this campaign.

Materials & Colorways: A Deeper Look

There are a lot of materials and colorways to choose from in this campaign. We wanted to take some time in each update to focus more closely on what makes them all special. This time, we'll be looking at some gemstone sets from our collection.

Raised Egyptian Marble

This material is among the most evocative and character-rich options in our lineup. The raised numerals on the tan and brown facets of each die call to mind the ancient pyramids rising mysteriously out of the desert. The raised, uninked numerals present a readable, yet ghostly appearance, like swirling clouds of sand.

Grass & Flower Stone

A sedimentary rock, these dendritic siltstones have formed from the silt of ancient riverbeds in China for over thousands or even millions of years. Also known as Chinese Picture Jasper, as the stone evokes a strong sense of the natural world which has inspired Chinese artists for generations. What will you see within it?

Aventurine

The shimmering quality of this stone is known as "aventurescence," appropriately enough. This translucent form of quartz derives its name from the Italian "a ventura" which means, "by chance," having apparently been discovered by luck. A stone of dreamlike, shimmering green, discovered by luck, and with a name a stone's throw (pardon the pun) from "adventure" - could there be a better material for dice?

Rose Quartz

A soft pink hue is the calling card of this stone, which is among the most desirable varieties of quartz. Titanium, manganese and iron combine to produce the color within, which can be nearly transparent to opaque. Most obviously a good gift choice to evoke romance, this set can also work very well for those seeking a fey-like tone: lighthearted, playful and mischievous.

Labradorite

This breathtaking stone can display an iridescent optical effect known as "labradorescence," visible upon shifting one's viewing angle to the stone. This effect is not a simple reflection off of the surface of the stone, but rather the result of light penetrating the stone and reflecting from a surface within it. Beautiful and delicate, Labradorite is a striking new addition to our lineup.

The Calm Before the Storm

We wanted to send an update today, as in addition to being the Monday after the final weekend in the campaign, it is the last chance to issue one before the campaign hits the final 48 hours tomorrow afternoon. Why is that significant?

Well, at the 48 hour point, anyone who stopped by the Kickstarter page and clicked "remind me" gets notified that the campaign is almost over, and it's officially their last chance to jump on board. Typically, the last two days of the campaign see a lot of traffic and an increased amount of pledge and comment activity. We'll be available as much as possible to keep things running smoothly, but we may lag a bit behind at times due to the very high number of backers. If so, please bear with us.

As always, we thank you for your support of our work, and we're thrilled to be headed into the end of this campaign with you. The feeling is a bit like a roller coaster - there are ups and downs, and we're approaching that last, final bend... what's around the corner? We're all about to find out - hold on!

~ Ed Maranville, VP of Crowdfunding Fulfillment for Wyrmwood

~ Karen Wang, CEO/Founder Dispel

Post-Campaign: What to Expect? Plus, Karen's Designer Diary!
over 3 years ago – Sat, May 22, 2021 at 11:13:42 PM

Hello backers!

With only days remaining in the campaign, we wanted to check in and talk about what to expect when it ends... and after! What does the survey and fulfillment process look like? How do we gather the information on what you're pledging for? For answers to all of that and more - read on.

In addition, don't miss the Dispel Designer Diary - a look at Karen's inspiration and thoughts on some of the sets she crafted for the campaign.

BackerKit

With only a week left in the campaign, we wanted to take time to circle back to talk more about BackerKit, our pledge management solution. If you've backed a Wyrmwood or Dispel project before, you'll already be familiar with the platform. For those of you that have not - welcome! We'll do our best to get you all the info you need.

What is BackerKit? BackerKit is a pledge management system that integrates with your Kickstarter pledge information. It has a ton of features and tools to enhance your experience as a backer, and assist us with organization of data to manage fulfillment effectively.

Let's walk through what the process will look like. But first, let's take another look at our timeline.

Project Timeline

• April 27th, 2021: Project Launch!
• May 27th, 2021: Kickstarter Campaign Closes
• May 27th, 2021: BackerKit Pre-orders Available
• June 10th, 2021: Kickstarter Funds Received
• June 11th, 2021: BackerKit Surveys Sent to All Backers 
• June 25th, 2021: BackerKit Surveys Locked
• June 28th, 2021: BackerKit Balances Charged
• June 30th, 2021: Total Production Numbers Finalized and Submitted for Production

The bolded entries are the ones we're going to focus on today. 

Post-Campaign Process: BackerKit 

First, the obvious - on the 27th, the Kickstarter campaign draws to a close. At that point, no new pledges can be made, and Kickstarter pledges can no longer be adjusted. At that point, Kickstarter begins processing your payment methods and collecting the funds, which it will transmit to us approximately two weeks later - as indicated by the next bold spot on the timeline. In the meantime, Kickstarter will be sending reminders to backers who had an issue with their payment, waiting for backers to update their info, and working out other possible problems.

Once the funds are transferred, the pledge data is final, and we're ready to open up all the BackerKit surveys to you all. You'll receive an email with an invitation to your survey. Clicking through, you'll find a welcome screen with your pledge tier, where you'll provide your location, and answer a few brief questions.

After that, you'll reach the "add-ons" section, which is the most important part of the process. In this section, you'll find all the available items from the campaign listed in a familiar, e-commerce type format. In addition, your pledge amount will have been recorded, and you'll have a corresponding amount of credit waiting for you in BackerKit. You can select the items you decided on using our pledge calculator, or you can choose something different. You can even add more, beyond your pledge amount!

Once you've added everything you'd like, you proceed to confirm your order. Shipping will be determined, and you'll be prompted to enter payment information into BackerKit. After you do so, you'll receive an order confirmation, and you're done!

But what if you change your mind? Or want to add one more set of dice?

Good news! You can return to your survey and update your order at any time, up until the lockdown date: June 25th. On that day, the surveys will be locked from further editing and all orders will be final. Three days later, on June 28th, BackerKit orders with outstanding balances will be charged. This represents the last payment step, and at this point all orders are 100% finalized.

And at that point, we will have complete data on what you've all ordered. With that, we can begin to place orders, line up production, and begin the work of fulfillment! That was quite a bit of ground to cover, but we hope this information helps prepare you for the rest of the campaign process.

The Dispel Designer Diary

"My designs are all personal to me in some way shape or form, so I just wanted to take a little bit of time to share some of the thought and history behind some of the designs in this Kickstarter." ~ Karen

Knifedancer

The Little Mermaid was one of my favorite movies as a child, and it wasn't until much later in my life that I discovered how deeply sad the original tale really is. 

Inspired by the tragic Hans Christian Andersen tale, The Little Mermaid, written in 1837, Knifedancer is an ode to a young mermaid's attempt at love. In the original tale, mermaids are tragic creatures without souls, doomed to dissolve into seafoam once they die. However, if she can find a man who loves her more than anything, she'll be able to grow a soul. She strikes a bargain with a sea witch and trades her fins for legs, but each step she takes feels as if a blade is passing through her. She dances on knives for the man she loves, but he ends up marrying another woman. Her last option to save herself is to stab the man she loves to death, but she cannot bring herself to harm him, and chooses death. At dawn, she throws herself into the ocean, and dissolves into sea foam upon the waves. But instead of nothingness she expects to feel, she becomes an ethereal spirit, and is awarded the chance to earn a soul by doing good deeds for mankind because of her selflessness and desire for an immortal soul. 

The slight cloudy iridescence in this design represents the seafoam, while the soft pastels remind me of how gentle and innocent this tragic figure is. 

Pastel Dreamscape

There are endless stories that live in my mind, but this design reminds me most of the ones that come alive while I dream. A sunset on an alien planet, with a pink backscatter, or memory of a place and time that's a little out of focus. Warm and idyllic, but just ever out of my grasp.

Sunken Treasure 

If history has taught us one thing about the seven seas, it is that the ocean is both beautiful and terrifying. It gives and it takes. Sunken Treasure is a design inspired by the color of the water of the tropical seas. I imagine what it is like to stand there, ankle deep in that crystalline water, clear as glass, with shifting sand under your toes, and the glint of gold catching your eye from underneath the waves. As you pull away the wet sand with your fingers, you find the unnamed gold cargo of a vessel long forgotten, and that the glittering sea gives to you what it so cruelly took from a crew another day, in another time. 

Voidwalker

Space is a celestial sea of stars, brimming with beauty and life (I hope). But even in our own oceans, there are stretches of bleak darkness, inhabited by life we've not yet seen and do not know. I wonder, if we can even imagine what lurks, what thrives in the darkest corners of space? I like to think about what lives in the emptiness and the voids where the light of stars cannot reach. 

She Loves Me (Not?)

This was the very first dice set I wanted to make, but I couldn't offer it as a design widely until now. It's incredibly special and dear to me, because pursuing the ability to craft this set led me on this incredible dicemaking journey where I've been able to learn and grow so much. It means a ton to me that I'm able to offer it during Dispel's first collaboration ever with the amazing people at Wyrmwood, as well as commemorate it with a special collaborative vault.

It's Not Over Yet!

Thank you all for your support of this project, both for backing and for spreading the word. This project is a landmark for us all, and we're glad you're joining us as we work together to design, develop and introduce these dice to the world... and shatter a Guinness World Record, too. But we'll return to that subject a little bit later. Rest assured, though, it's going to be a blast.

~ Ed Maranville, VP Crowdfunding Fulfillment for Wyrmwood

~ Karen Wang, CEO/Founder Dispel

ONE WEEK LEFT! Dice Photo & Video, and TWO Social Media Giveaways!
over 3 years ago – Thu, May 20, 2021 at 11:25:42 PM

Hello everyone!

Well, the big news is right there: we have only ONE WEEK left in the campaign! We're going to be working on getting the word out that there is only one week left to back the project and claim a spot. One week to contribute to, and be a part of, a Guinness World Record attempt. One week to be a part of the campaign that brought this landmark collaboration between Wyrmwood and Dispel to life.

Thank you, backers, for doing all of those things and being a part of this project!

Photos & Video

We've gotten a lot of requests for different photos of the dice, especially the Dispel sets. While the limited availability and small number of prototypes limits us a bit, we've got some assets to share that showcase the dice in our Dice Vaults, to give more context to their appearance. We hope you enjoy these photos. We'll share more in the run up to the end of the campaign.

The "floral" colorways by Dispel, which feature real flowers cast into the resin, are truly something special, and a beautiful merging of the Dispel design of sharp edged precision with enchanting inclusions, and the Wyrmwood aesthetic of nature and simplicity. Here's a look at how light plays across, and through, one of these remarkable dice:

Social Media Giveaways

Our very own Chris Bennett took another run at the exotic Dice Vaults in this campaign - the inlay designs of which were supplied by Dispel - and crafted a special set of two Dice Vaults in Purpleheart. These two one-of-a-kind items are not available for order, but can be won. Giveaways are being launched by us both, with Wyrmwood on Instagram giving away the Rose Vault with dice, and Dispel Dice on Twitter offering the Lunar Vault with dice. Check both platforms out for the relevant post with all the details of how to win - the giveaways will be posted later today at 2pm Pacific, 5pm Eastern Time. But we wanted to tell our backers about it first. So keep it just between us for now, okay? ;)

Wyrmwood Instagram Giveaway: Rose Vault in Purpleheart with Blue Sandstone gemstone dice

Dispel Twitter Giveaway: Lunar Vault in Purpleheart with Ruby in Zoisite gemstone dice

 Materials & Colorways: A Deeper Look (Volume II)

There are a lot of materials and colorways to choose from in this campaign. We wanted to take some time in each update to focus more closely on what makes them all special. This time, we'll be looking at some more gemstone sets from our collection. The next entry will feature some of Karen's notes on Dispel sets!

1) Black Obsidian

Formed by cooling lava, obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass. These dice have a more “traditional” approach to the material than our raised obsidian version; the glass is polished to a glossy finish, and engraved with gold numbering. The end result is simple, extremely readable, yet captivating nonetheless, like looking into a solid black pool. This campaign marks the debut of this material to our lineup, but we have a suspicion that it may just be a fan-favorite.

2) Howlite

Discovered in Canada in 1868, Howlite features thin rivulets of black running through its white surface in a weblike pattern. Sometimes referred to as "white turquoise" or "white buffalo stone," the crystal is often linked to turquoise, as the two share a similar “web” pattern. Still, the white and black, high-contrast look of Howlite has an allure all its own, as demonstrated by its place among the most popular materials we’ve ever offered.

3) Saturn Glass

This fascinating material is a synthetic glass, crafted by adding colored minerals to liquid glass. We chose to name it “Saturn” after noticing that the colored layers within the glass looked strikingly similar to the rings encircling the massive sixth planet of our solar system. A new and unique addition to our lineup, Saturn Glass makes an excellent choice for astronomy aficionados, lovers of intricate glasswork, or anyone looking for something distinctly different.

4) Blue Turquoise

Turquoise has a long, rich history, befitting of its striking color. Prized by various cultures over thousands of years, it is one of a few materials so alluring that its name is used interchangeably with the color of the material itself! Ancient Egypt, Persia, the Aztecs and more have all coveted and used turquoise for various purposes. And now you can discover first hand what they saw in the stone at your game table.

5) Amethyst

The traditional birthstone for February, this beautiful form of quartz, turned violet through various changes in its composition and structure. However, the material remains as hard as quartz, making it suitable for use in jewelry - and dice! In the Middle Ages, the purple gem was considered a symbol of royalty, and the ancient Greeks believed it could shield the bearer from intoxication, owing perhaps to a story of the goddess Rhea presenting it to Dionysus to preserve his sanity. Amethyst was considered one of the Cardinal gems - the five most rare and valuable gems in the world - until large stores were discovered in Brazil, making it much more accessible and attainable for people the world over. We’re excited to introduce it to our lineup here.

One More Week

That about does it - we hope you enjoyed this update. We'll be in touch more in the coming days as we continue down into the home stretch. Thank you for your support of this project, and helping us to make it everything it can be!

~ Ed Maranville, VP of Crowdfunding Fulfillment for Wyrmwood

~ Karen Wang, CEO/Founder Dispel