Explore exciting realms where hundreds of new dragons guard ancient secrets, hoard powerful treasures, and command elemental forces.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Layout and Artwork Galore! 🐉 July Elemental Dragons Update!
about 1 month ago
– Fri, Jul 10, 2026 at 01:43:38 PM
Howdy, adventurers! It's Meg again! 💕
I hope y'all have been staying well air conditioned as the summer heat arrives 🫠 We writers have been doing our best not to melt onto the book drafts, but no promises.
This'll be a bit of a shorter update today, as art direction starters to wind down and editing/layout continue to take center stage. But we hope you still enjoy the sneak peaks we've prepared for you!
Book Progress! 📝
As they've been the last few months, things are chugging along on the production side!
Quests and Lairsis through its most recent round of editing, and is now in the process of getting maps created for all of the adventures! We hope you love all the unique and devious things planned for your players in this book, including the haunting tale of Choponil the ancient Despair Dragon (featured in the upper-right artwork above!)
Treasure Hoard is also moving swiftly along, with only about 40 items left needing artwork before we hit our goal for the book! The twenty relics have been taking the longest, but rest assured that each has been treated with love and care to give them unique backstories, strange qualities, and lore that you could build entire quest lines out of! (Also, a few sneak peaks above for three new items: dreg boots, the rod of transposition, and the whirlpool seed!)
The Campaign Settingis finally back in full swing now that I'm getting my feet under me again! This is also thanks in large part to my close friend, avid writer/gamer (and now creative partner) Jameson Green! Though the world of Ouros and everything in it are largely created, Jameson will be assisting with fleshing out and "prettying" the draft to help me minimize delays. Rest assured that this will only increase the quality of the final product; his writing style, wild ideas, and cheeky sense of humor have already added so much while remaining symbiotic with what's there. So if you like what you've seen of the Campaign Setting so far, then you'll love everything else we have cooking!
Lastly, the Bestiary and Crafting Guideis furthest along in layout thus far. As the last few pieces of artwork come in (such as the Synaptic Dragon in the upper-left above!), we're playing around with formatting and flavor artwork, then working on the Dragon Generator and other content for the appendices. All told, we're guessing this behemoth of a book will be about 460 pages (the hype is real!!)
Layout Sneak Peaks! 📖
Above are glimpses at the Blossom Dragon and Onyx Dragon as they're currently laid out in the bestiary! Aren't they looking so good?? 😊
As you've all seen, we treated this book a bit differently than our previous bestiaries by trading stand-alone monster artwork for full-page color artwork of each dragon instead. We love how this change allows for more worldbuilding and tone to come across for each dragon by seeing them in their intended environments, interacting with the world and each other.
We hope you feel the same as you flip through and think about all the many ways you can utilize these dragons in your games! ❤️
Hang Out with the Nords!
Excitable ideation and copious shenanigans continue on Nord's YouTube and Twitch channels! Join Chris, Bear and I for these casual hangouts every week!
Since you made it this far into the update, a question for you: do you prefer videos like these (which you can watch in your own time), or more traditional livestreams (with set times that allow for chat participation/interaction)? We're going back and forth on which format would be most interesting, so we'll likely do a bit of both until we find what works best for both us and you.
Let us know in the comments if you like one more than the other, or if there's any video/stream content you'd love to see from the team!
More Danger to Come... 💀
Don't forget to follow the campaign page for Treacherous Traps 2 as we prepare for launch! Y'all are gonna love this one, I just know it 😏
And that's all for July! Thank you as always for sticking with us during this wild but wonderful journey, getting to create things that matter to us and bring joy to your gaming tables. We are so grateful for you! ☺️
Happy Adventuring,
Megan & the Nord Games Team
Editing, Artwork, and Music! 🐉🎨🎶 June Elemental Dragons Update!
2 months ago
– Sun, Jun 14, 2026 at 09:35:37 AM
Howdy, adventurers! It's Meg here again! ☺️
Thank you all for your patience as I've gotten this update to you! Unfortunately, it was my turn on the Nord Games team to experience a very difficult life event that's taken me away from work for the last month or so. We've had all hands on deck to help compensate for my absence, but in truth, there's a good chance this could lead to another small delay in book delivery. I won't say anything certain just in case we're able to make do, but I'd rather let y'all know of possible delays sooner than later.
In the meantime, please hug your friends, family, partners, pets, and other loved ones extra tightly in my honor today, if you don't mind 💕
But alas, onto the good stuff: updates galore!
Treasure Hoard Progress!
All items in the Treasure Hoard remain complete and in review! In the interim, feast your eyes upon seven brand-new pieces of beautiful artwork, created by the ever-incredible Fabian Parente! Above we have:
Attitude Meter (Wand, uncommon) While holding this arcane sliver of a coral dragon's horn, you can use an action to sense the prevailing attitude (friendly, indifferent, or hostile) of the majority of creatures within 30 feet of you.
Barrel of Fun (Wondrous Item, uncommon) This miniature wooden barrel curiously varnished with Falls Dragon blood can be transformed into a 5-foot-high wooden barrel that, when in contact with water, slows the occupant's descent to 60 feet per round, protecting the occupant from fall damage upon hitting the water or ground below.
Funerary Oil (Potion, common) This aromatic oil made from Dusk Dragon essence can cover a Medium or smaller dead creature in order to protect the target from decay for 7 days.
Wool Overcoat (Wondrous Item, common) Flecks of ash from a Flame Dragon are sprinkled over the layers of this lightweight wool coat. While wearing the coat, you can withstand extremes at both ends of the temperature spectrum, cold and hot weather, though it offers no protection against cold damage or fire damage.
Potion of Warmth (Potion, uncommon) When you drink this paint-like potion imbued with Blizzard Dragon blood, it reduces your exhaustion level by one if you gained the level of exhaustion from exposure to extreme cold within the last 24 hours.
Phono Stylus (Wondrous Item, common) This seemingly ordinary stylus has a miniscule diamond chip embedded into its tip, harvested from a Diamond Dragon. When you use this stylus to write anything onto a suitable medium, such as paper, parchment, or papyrus, the stylus speaks every word in a voice audible up to a distance of 30 feet.
Helm of Annihilation (Wondrous Item, very rare) This helmet suffused with an Antimatter Dragon's power is unable to be removed once donned, as it bears a catastrophic and powerful lightning bomb that activates when the wearer is reduced to 0 hit points. When this occurs, the helm explodes, destroying it in the process while damaging all creatures within 10 feet of the wearer.
Quests and Lairs Progress!
The mighty writing machine Tom Knauss has officially completed initial review of all adventures in Quests and Lairs! That means the next step is to go through them with a fine-tooth comb to ensure numbers align and all the technical dragon-y stuff is in place. Above we have some completed and in-progress artwork to tease two of the ten adventures in the book:
Night Terrors: A dark, psychological horror adventure for four to five 12th through 14th level characters. Premise: Orys, a troubled man with a checkered past, falls asleep at the base of a strange kapok tree. In his dreams, a hideous draconic figure compels him to return home and kill his family. Orys initially resists the urge, but he succumbs and then takes his own life. The tragic act frees Terrorra, the Nightmare Dragon who implanted the suggestion into Orys’ mind while wallowing in the man's nightmare. Now liberated from his nightmare himself, Terrorra disguises himself as an elf counselor and inserts himself into the fabric of Orys’ village. The dragon drives the residents to anger, despair, and hopelessness, which turns the settlement into a ghost town. Only the village's residents (both living and undead) know the secrets that could save other communities from following in their tragic footsteps.
Smoking Hot Potato:A comical adventure of problem solving and dungeon delving for four to five 3rd through 5th level characters. Premise: A goblin tribal chieftain who learned how to harness electricity from an ordinary potato took his obsession with these tubers to the next level when he mistook an Amethyst Dragon geode for a magical potato (yes, the first cultivated potatoes were purple.) Fueled by this belief, he dispatched his minions to search along the same leyline that runs through the goblins’ newly established lair for what he refers to as “Mother Potato”: the greatest of all potatoes that gave birth to the geode (which is actually destined to become a new dragon.)
BestiaryProgress!
The Bestiary & Crafting Guide is now in layout, and it's looking gorgeous, albeit a bit longer than expected... as is often the case before finagling the details, initial layout resulted in a book that's over 500 pages 😂 Even once it's trimmed down, however, we're expecting this book to be quite the behemoth!
As for the new artwork above, we have...
Faith Dragon: This stalwart true dragon is formed when enough people join forces and believe in a cause, creating the tangible embodiment of their beliefs in the form of a living, breathing dragon. Faith Dragons devoutly serve the cause or religion that created them rather than the worshippers who petitioned for aid.
Smug Dragon: This dragonborn-turned-true-dragon is the embodiment of entitlement. It struts with an arrogance befitting a monarch and speaks in a snobbish tone of voice while lamenting how the world can be so unkind to the dragon. It is difficult to determine whether becoming one of these dragons is a twisted reward or the punchline of a cruel joke. Smug Dragons can live for up to 1,000 years if their monumental ego doesn’t get them killed first.
Stage Dragon: When a performance is so sublime that it transcends the illusion of the stage, occasionally the curtain closes amidst a thunderous standing ovation, and that energetic catharsis moves an omnipotent draconic being to bestow its greatest gift upon the company: a Stage Dragon. Stage Dragons immerse themselves in their chosen crafts, and are often a jack-of-all-trades with a flair for the dramatic.
Campaign Setting Progress!
The Campaign Setting has taken the largest delay in progress due to my recent hiatus from work. However, writing has now resumed, and artwork continues on its way, as evidenced by the subclass sketches above for the Scalecarver Rogue, Profane Domain Cleric, and Path of the Dragonhand Barbarian!
In addition, if you'll excuse the roughness in appearance and voice, I've got another song from the book for you all! 🎶
"The Knights Go Marching" 🎶 A Bard's Song from the World of Ouros 🐉
The Story Behind the Song:
Karif Hi'ra is a region known for descent in many forms (as evidenced by its moniker "The Veilward Descent".) Geographically, the majority of the region is a grassland that slopes progressively downward to the southwest until it fades & disintegrates into the Astral Plane. Though the majority of folks live "uphill" to the northeast in larger cities, these folks too are often known for their mental "descent" into magical study, warfare, and religion/worship.
Of all Ouros' regions, Karif Hi'ra has by far the most regimented government and the most outfitted army. Because of the land's natural descent into the Astral, Karif Hi'rans believe that they are the realm's first defense against inevitable extraplanar interference. Thus, every few years, a group of special forces are selected to journey downhill into the deepest reaches to proactively investigate the shifting border between the realms, taking action against any invading forces. This group is marched downhill on what is known as The Path of Valor: the long road from which few ever return.
Lyrics:
The knights go marching down the hill (Hurrah! Hurrah!) We watch 'em walking down until (Hurrah! Hurrah!) So far away, they turn to specks And drop beyond the firmament And we all go back to marching up the hill
I see a dragon down the hill (Hurrah! Hurrah!) The grass, it blackens on until (Hurrah! Hurrah!) A stranger here, a danger there We are the gate of everywhere As we all turn back from what is down the hill
I think I'm going down the hill (Hurrah! Hurrah!) I want to go and go until (Hurrah! Hurrah!) I greet the dark and great beyond And see where all the knights have gone And we'll all look on and watch from down the hill
And still the knights go down the hill (Hurrah! Hurrah!) And still you'll watch us walk until (Hurrah! Hurrah!) So far away, we'll turn to specks And drop beyond the firmament And you'll all go back to marching up the hill
Karif Hi'ra Region Artwork by Alexa Grishina
All-New Weekly Videos!
Lastly, if you're in the mood for some weekly TTRPG content, keep an eye on the Nord Games YouTube channel! As we prepare for the future launch of our Treacherous Traps 2 Kickstarter (a sequel 7 years in the making!) we're doing weekly videos showcasing the random trap generator and creating content for the book!
Join Chris, Bear and I as we devise all sorts of devilish (and occasionally stupid) traps!
And of course, if you're interested in the Kickstarter to come, you can follow the campaign at the link below (it helps us a ton if you do!)
Well, that's all for this month! As always, thank you all SO much for you continued support, and I'll see you next month for more! ☺️
Happy Adventuring,
Megan & the Nord Games Team
First Proofs, Loads of Artwork, and Music?! 🐉🎶 April Elemental Dragons Update!
4 months ago
– Mon, Apr 20, 2026 at 08:08:04 PM
Howdy, adventurers! Meg here ☺️
Thank you all for your patience as I've been later than usual in getting this update released! We've been VERY busy on our end, so there's a lot of exciting things to update you on: completed book drafts, new artwork, content sneak peaks, even a video of me playing one of the songs from the Campaign Setting..?! 😱
Let's get into it!
Live Now! Oracle RPG: Monster Mania 😈
Before we hop in, I wanted to let y'all know about the other Kickstarter we're currently running! Oracle RPG: Monster Maniais bringing ten popular third-party titles like Heliana's Guide to Monster Hunting, Void Sea, Floral Dragons, and more to our Oracle RPG app. Combine the monsters, spells, classes, and more from these great products in one place, all seamlessly merged with your own homebrew and Oracle-generated content!
Try It Out!
Want to try Oracle RPG for yourself? Now's the perfect time with our Kickstarter-exclusive extended free trial!
But Wait! Will This Kickstarter Affect Elemental Dragons?
Nope! 😎👍 The products coming to Oracle RPG are already-complete titles from partner publishers. They're being implemented by our app team, so fear not: Elemental Dragons won't be affected at all.
Elemental Dragons Book Progress!
Feast your eyes upon just a taste of the amazing artwork that's come through since last update! We have:
From the Bestiary and Crafting Guide, we have a trio of Lightning Dragons. Turbulence Dragons are "abrasive, aggressive, unpredictable, and unreliable", and love instigating drama and causing destruction. Atomic Dragons are the disfigured results of dragon eggs affected by radioactivity, allowing them to harness the tiniest sparks of energy found in the electrons that hold atoms together. Conductor Dragons are massive metallic dragons that form symbiotic relationships with humanoids, protecting them from dangerous storms in exchange for protection and assistance raising their young!
From the Treasure Hoard, we have three beautiful (and dangerous) magic items! The Ring of Betrayal can force even friendly creatures to briefly turn against each other, compelling them to attack the other if they fail a Wisdom saving throw. The Staff of Colors is a Legendary item that protects the attuned user from radiant damage and blindness while providing a host of other color-based abilities. The Iodine Bandage is a strip of patchy and morphed dragon scales designed to reattach and/or regrow severed body parts.
From the Campaign Setting, we have three new glimpses at the types of elemental folk that can be found in Ouros! Now that these Spiritfolk, Shadowfolk, and Waterfolk are complete, our lovely artist Takashi Tan is focusing on creating a few dragonborn to accompany those character options in the book...
And from the Treasure Hoard again, we have a glimpse at the first of the book's 20 relics! Relics are powerful fabled items with far more lore and more varied abilities and mechanics. This one, the Sphere of the Martyr, which typically resides in the core of a Martyr Dragon, is bequeathed unto those who make a pact with the creature, granting incredible powers in exchange for sacrificing your soul upon death.
Aside from artwork, the books themselves are coming along fabulously!
The Bestiary and Crafting Guide is officially COMPLETE and is now in editing!
Nine out of ten adventures forQuests and Lairsare in review before being submitted for editing!
Though the relics are still in progress, Treasure Hordeis largely complete as well, with all 400 ITEMS now in team review to be sure they're as weird and wonderful as can be!
Lastly, the Campaign Setting(my baby) needs the most work of the four, though all realms and regions have been outlined and are in progress!
And, speaking of the Campaign Setting...
Hello from Megara and Boop! 🎶
When Nord CEO Chris first bequeathed the Campaign Setting unto my shaky lil hands, he said, "Wouldn't it be fun if you were a character, and also the narrator? You're basically a bard in real life." I said, "Hah! Yeah, sure. But isn't a self insert a little arrogant? Or weird? Or... something?"
Then Boop came into the picture. And he had merch. And he had one itty bitty wing, and, well... I'm a weak woman.
So: here is Megara Starsong (AKA "Meg the Bard") (AKA me, kinda?) who is your humble narrator and "author" for the Campaign Setting, alongside her adorable little sidekick, Boop the Gem Dragon! 💞
Not only will Meg and Boop be your guides through the world of Ouros, but I've tried to make the setting as immersive as possible by also providing songs that they've gathered from their adventures. Each of the twelve main regions has at least one, with the Nexus having a few, and Boop himself bringing a song that his mother sang him as a baby 🥹 All together, that'll be 18-20 songs throughout the book, 14 of which are already written!
Though most were written with unique melodies in mind, a few were made with real Earth songs as inspiration ("The Ants Go Marching", "The Rattling Bog", etc.) so that even non-musically-inclined folk can implement in-world songs with familiar tunes.
But, for those songs that are unique, my hope is to one day be able to record them all for you to use in your games... like THIS ONE! 😱
"The Fool's Gambit" 🎶 A Bard's Song from the World of Ouros 🐉
The Story Behind the Song:
In the region of Vossai'a, Land of a Thousand Thrones, legends tell of Hubbub: a mythical man, once a former court jester turned the world’s most notorious fool. As the story goes, he “tricked” an entire royal court out of their fortunes by solving all riddles presented to him in the most ridiculous ways possible. Some say he must have actually been a mastermind, while other first-hand accounts claim he truly was SO dumb that he found a backdoor into brilliance.
Furious at his dastardly game, the Queen hired the brightest wizards in the region to make a gauntlet of horrific and deadly tests built specifically to thwart Hubbub... and thus was born The Fool’s Gambit.
Nowadays, many adventurers and treasure hunters who hear the tale search far and wide for the gambit, hoping to prove themselves and unearth its many treasures and secrets. But the Gambit continues to claim the lives of both the clever and the stupid. Only a true idiot would go and attempt the trials themselves, right?
Lyrics:
Never was a sharper foe than the Fool Never was a greater toll than the rules all follow Every word absurd, not a lesson learned Are we speaking to the Fool or you?
Never was a richer man than the Fool Never was a poorer plan than to choose their ruses Every room a dance, not a second chance Are we speaking to a fool anew?
But stupid is as stupid does And lunacy there ever was Not every fool moves on So many fools are gone...
Never was a crueler tale than the Fool's Gilding what the route entails, just a lure for hopefuls Will you turn away? Or stay and play the game? Tell me, dear, what do you have to lose? Tell me, dear, what type of fool are you?
"The Fool's Gambit" - Artwork by Jonathan Vera
NOTE: I am far more accustomed to writing songs than performing them, and am only 3 months into teaching myself the bouzouki, so please be kind! 😅❤️ I'll keep practicing so that all the book's songs can sound even lovelier someday! 💪
Friday Live Streams!
Lastly, if you're in the mood for some weekly TTRPG & live drawing shenanigans, join me and my fellow Nords for Friday streams on Twitch! Last Friday, Bear and I rolled up some monsters using Oracle RPG, one of whom became the above: a very depressing deep drake named Kyle. He really messed up his foraging excursion in the sewers, and now he's very lost with nothing to show for his efforts but some screaming sewer fruit. A story old as time 😔
Come join us from 12-1pm PST / 3-4pm EST every Friday to make some creatures & tell some stories with us! 💖
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Well, that's all for this month! As always, thank you all SO much for you continued support, and I'll see you in May! ☺️
Happy Adventuring,
Megan & the Nord Games Team
February Progress Update! 👋🥸 Artwork, Writing, and More!
6 months ago
– Sat, Feb 28, 2026 at 02:53:15 PM
Howdy, Adventurers!
Writer & Art Director Meg, here! I hope you all have had a glorious month since our last update, full of gaming and good vibes and far less snow shoveling than me and a few of Nord's other employees have done... cries in Massachusetts
As usual, the team and I have been hard at work on all four of these books as they progress at various stages! Let's get right into it ❤️
🐉 CONTENT PREVIEWS 🐉
Items, locations, and dragons galore! 😱
Things are trudging along in the art department, with 16 artists currently at work between all four books! For your viewing pleasure this fine February, we have above:
The Coat of Shadows, which allows the wearer to go invisible in the dark, or remain visible and simply look way cooler (I may have added the last part myself, oops)
Dyo Nostra, a point of interest in the Campaign Setting within the strange underground realm of The Nexus. Legends say this sprawling maze was created by the ancient dragon Dyonia, who stored all of her magical essence in a crystal at the maze's center. Apparently anyone brave and clever enough to reach that crystal without the help of magic would be deemed worthy enough by Dyonia to inherit her long-dormant powers... 🤔
Patchwork Dragon Leather Armor, a legendary armor piece that grants the user four random draconic traits in accordance to the elements of the dragons it was pieced together from!
The Seafoam Dragon, a playful and mischievous water dragon that is as bubbly and unpredictable as the seafoam they produce! Unlike normal seafoam, the foam of this dragon has incredible healing and de-aging qualities. As a sort of joke or taunt for the aged humanoids that fascinate them so, Seafoam Dragons like to don unique foamy brows and facial hair that makes them appear "old".
The Soul Dragon, a spirit dragon that can be born when a soul is not successfully restored or is beyond the normal bounds of revivification magic. Though almost all Soul Dragons are have True Dragon morphology (four limbs and two wings), their appearances vary greatly depending on what the creature originally looked like in life. Knowing this, do any eagle-eyed readers (and/or folks with good zoom on their phones!) have a guess as to the story behind the Soul Dragon key art? ✨
And lastly, the Whisper Dragon, a sinuous five-headed air dragon that is drawn to secrets: confessions never spoken, letters never sent, or memories carried quietly by those afraid to revisit them. Whisper Dragons almost never mingle among mortals, preferring to quietly listen from the lairs they make in echoing spaces like abandoned bell towers, drifting cloud-wrapped spires, forgotten libraries, or cavern hollows.
We've also been working on a little surprise that both GMs and players should find particularly interesting...
CHARACTER OPTIONS! 🥳
The Elemental Dragons: Campaign Setting will feature loads of new character ancestries for players adventuring in Ouros (or whatever other fantasy worlds you want to carry them into!) Above are sneak previews of the Crystalkin, Icekin, and Earthkin, though other folk of the ten elements (including Ouros' unique take on dragonborn, and a few other surprises...) are in the works as well! We can't wait to see the characters you make with them!
🐉 GENERAL UPDATES 🐉
Hello from having just returned from TotalCon 2026! 🎲
Lead Writer Tom Knauss & I had an absolute blast getting to game with the folks in attendance! We met some very kind Nord fans, played loads of TTRPGs, and I set a personal record for the fastest character death I've ever had 🤣 I'd say "rest in peace", but seeing as she died by dire wasp poison while drowning in a cursed swamp... maybe we should just be glad she's resting at all. Poor Bartalia, we hardly knew ye.
Most notably, Tom got the chance to GM a few tables of Four Adventurers and a Baby (Dragon), which is the intro one-shot that will be featured in Elemental Dragons: Quests & Lairs! Though our party had a few close calls, you can rest assured that Puff the baby dragon (also pictured above) was protected, sufficiently burped, and safely delivered where she needed to go ❤️
Nord Games will be at a few other cons throughout the year, so come say "hi" and snag a seat at one of our tables, if you get the chance!
We're also just weeks away from the launch of our next Kickstarter, featuring our BIGGEST COLLAB EVER: Oracle RPG: Monster Mania!!!
Access all of your favorite third party TTRPG content from Nord Games, Hit Point Press, Loot Tavern, Grim Moon Studio, and more via our flagship app! Click below to get notified on launch:
Since I have a bit of less fortunate news to share at the end here, my hope is that the photo above can help provide a bit of levity as I shout out our CEO & Professional Doofus, Chris Haskins. He owes me many thank you's for including a picture where he looked delightful, instead of one of the dozens of nightmare-fuel convention photos I'm saving for future blackmail 😏
Unfortunately, Chris and his family experienced two sudden deaths over the holidays that have led to a lot of difficulty and heartache over the last few months. This is part of the reason that I've jumped into a few new roles, and is also part of the reason why progress is going a bit slower for the Elemental Dragons books than initially planned.
Though we were originally looking to get the final files to the printers by late April for on-time Kickstarter delivery, we're now looking at end of July for an estimated file delivery date. This would push book delivery to December 2026. We'll work our dragon-y patooties off to keep trudging and mitigate delays as much as possible, but we'll also be transparent the whole way in case other complications arise.
In the meantime, however: if you're reading this and have a moment to spare, please consider helping to brighten Chris's Nordic spirit by leaving some love and well wishes in the comments below. Chris has been Nord Games' founder and fearless leader for almost 15 years now (!!!), and as his coworker and friend (and current thief of his Kickstarter updates), it'd be great if we could use this opportunity to send a bit of support his way ❤️ Thank you in advance to those who do!
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That's all for now! As usual, thanks a million for your support in both this project and for Nord Games as a company. Stay safe out there, be kind to one another, and we'll see you in March with another update! 🐉
Happy adventuring!
- Megan & the Nord Games Team
Happy New Year! 🐉 Content Sneak Peeks, Art Reveals & More!
7 months ago
– Mon, Jan 12, 2026 at 04:31:24 PM
Howdy, Adventurers!
Megan here, for a change – nice to meet you all! 👋🥸
Though I’m Nord Games’ Community Manager by day, I’m also the Art Director for this Elemental Dragons book series, as well as Lead Writer for the Campaign Setting and Contributing Writer for the Bestiary & Crafting Guide, Quests & Lairs, and Treasure Hoard books 🐉✨
The team and I have been hard at work chugging away on this project over the holidays and into the new year! Every week something new and beautiful takes shape that has me positively buzzing to share with you all (which is why Nord CEO Chris very kindly let me commandeer this Kickstarter update 😆)
So, grab a snack and buckle your seatbelts as I take you on a (long-winded) tour of the Elemental Dragons series as it currently stands – only possible thanks to your incredible support! ❤️
🐉 BESTIARY & CRAFTING GUIDE 🐉
DRAGONS!!! Aren’t they looking gorgeous?! 🥰
Our main dragon artists Mitch Mueller, Leonardo Giordano, and Lucas Melo are hard at work bringing the creatures from this bestiary to life. Above is a sneak preview of four new dragons, each from a different element. From the crystal element, we have the wise and illusory geode-born Amethyst Dragon. From the water element, we have the angler-fish-inspired Depth Dragon with a siren for a lure (terrifying). From the light element, we have the ceremonial Dawn Dragon that symbolizes beautiful beginnings. And from the air element, we have the brilliantly-plumed preyer-upon-birds-of-prey, the Sky Dragon!
For those wondering at specifics for content, we have great news! The Bestiary & Crafting Guide will feature 8 dragons of each element for 80 dragons total. Each dragon will then feature four stat blocks for the Wyrmling, Young, Adult, and Ancient variants of that dragon (or equivalent, since not all dragons age the same or are categorized as such). Lastly, the “Other Dragons” chapter will feature 20 miscellaneous dragons, which will have one or more stat blocks each.
That means, in total, the Elemental Dragons: Bestiary and Crafting Guide will feature 100 unique dragons, and a minimum of 340 stat blocks! Not to mention the Elemental Dragons you might create using the Dragon Generator included in the back… 😍
Writers Tom Knauss and Matthew Lastimosa are swift approaching a level-up as Draconic Sorcerers with all the writing and stat-blocking going on for these dragons, so rest assured that they remain in skilled (and increasingly scaly) hands 🙌
🐉 CAMPAIGN SETTING 🐉
Welcome to the world of Ouros! 🔮
Since the Campaign Setting is ✨my writing baby ✨, please know that it took concerted effort to keep this segment (relatively) brief… However, though I am wildly biased, this book is looking fabulous so far! Over 100 pieces of brand-new artwork will be featured in this book to depict its fantastical locations, strange inhabitants, and even some new ancestries/subclasses… 😏
For those who didn’t get the chance, you can find a preview of Zyrkan, the Shifting Expanse (one of the regions of Ouros) in our fourth Kickstarter update!
As for the layout & content of this book: the world of Ouros is divided into four main realms (Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western), which are separated by stark magical barriers that arose at the end of an ancient war. To cross between these realms, one must bypass those barriers by braving the dangerous underrealm called The Nexus (which was unlocked via our $100,000 Stretch goal – thank you! 🥳)
Each cardinal realm contains three regions, which all feature different biomes, creatures, lore, and occasionally even optional game mechanics. Each region will also feature eight points of interest – settlements, landmarks, dangerous destinations, characters/creatures, organizations, etc. – and each of those will come with their own unique artwork, descriptions, and a few adventure hooks for GMs & players who find themselves there. The Nexus works a bit differently, but will still be chalk-full of its own mysteries and dangers… 😈
So, for those counting at home: this book will feature 12 main regions, 96 points of interest, and almost 200 adventure hooks full of elemental and draconic goodness – and that’s not even including the Nexus! This world is shaping up to be a truly magical one, so I hope you all enjoy adventuring in it as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it ☺️
🐉 QUESTS & LAIRS 🐉
Who’s ready for some adventures?! ⚔️
Quests & Lairs is well underway, spearheaded by the incredible Tom Knauss! For those who don’t know Tom by name, you may still know his work, which has been featured in dozens of TTRPG publications over the last 25 years. He is both an incredible wealth of knowledge, and a fountain of surprising and hilarious ideas, both of which are present in his bestiary entries and adventures. Someday, when you all meet Slonk the potato-obsessed goblin, you will swiftly understand… 🥔
This book will feature 10 adventures for parties of various levels and gaming interests (roleplay-centric vs. combat-centric, darker themes vs. lighter themes, etc.) Because pre-written adventures can sometimes be difficult to learn (especially for new GMs, or for people like me who don’t possess functioning attention spans), we’re doing our best to make these adventures skimmable, intuitively organized, visually interesting, and full of advice for GMing each adventure to the fullest. Each adventure will also feature recommended starter hooks to lead players into the quest’s inciting events, as well as recommended ending hooks, for tables who aren’t ready for their journey to end just yet 💪 Though there will be options provided for those who want to play in the Elemental Dragons: Campaign Setting, all adventures function as stand-alone experiences, and will feature all the maps, stat blocks, and info you need to run the games!
For sneak peeks, please kindly ogle the incredible key artwork above for One Final Violent Waltz, the adventure I’m writing for this book! In this three-act adventure, a series of disappearances are linked to a traveling cellist called "The Maestro", whose music lures desperate souls deep into the jungle toward an eternal freeing dance. But something sinister lurks beneath nature’s stage: an onyx dragon who hoards contradiction, feasting on her victims’ ecstasy and agony as they agree to dance until death… (insert evil laugh here)
Also, for those of you attending TotalCon in Marlborough, Massachusetts from February 19-22, feel free to snag tickets or come say hi as Tom runs this book’s introductory adventure, Four Adventurers and a Baby (Dragon), on Friday and Saturday! You can find more info about TotalCon below:
As mentioned in the Kickstarter, Elemental Dragons: Treasure Hoard will feature over 400 new items inspired by elemental dragons. These items will be split into 50 Common, 100 Uncommon, 100 Rare, 100 Very Rare, and 50 Legendary items, all of which we’re hoping will range from totally badass to downright strange (balance in all things, of course… 😎) The book will also feature 20 relics with more in-depth lore, abilities, and possibilities (and beautiful half page artwork!)
For a peek behind the curtain: this book is the least complete of the four thus far, since (a) that’s a lotta items, and (b) item creation, we’ve found for us, is best done in bright bursts of strange inspiration. As Chris, Tom, Matt & I work on the other three books, we all have “Eureka!” moments that lead to frantic note-taking and Discord messages. These ideas then receive feedback such as “I love this!” or “... what?”, which then informs whether or not that item gets developed further 🤷 A normal process, I’m sure. But it did also result in the upper right item: a Siren’s Singing Bowl, made from the resonant “skull” of the siren lure from that Depth Dragon shown above… 🎶
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And so ends a VERY long update! 😮💨 Thank you to everyone who made it to the end! For now, we’ll get back to the grind, and will be back in February with another update! ❤️
