Volume V

Welcome to this first look at our next Volume in the HEXplore It series.

We are proud to bring you into the fractured region of Yanagi Tepeu, where two great empires work tirelessly to stave off the destruction of the Tapestry — the magical fabric of our world.

Jaethi, the great plumed serpent of the wind, has returned.

She is the source of the Wellspring - where all magic spills forth into existence. For reasons that are unclear to us, she seeks to destroy the fabric of our reality, disassembling the Patterns of all things.

Take a whirlwind journey with us into the inner workings of our newest title, the Mountains of Godai.

Welcome traveler!

Let this thematic music be your guide as you discover the Mountains of Godai.
"Flight of the Eagle" by Lost Harmonies

A Tale of Two Kingdoms

Game Overview

MoG: Tower Defense

Gallery

Game Reveals

Signup Credit

Disclaimer: Please note that we are currently building MoG and all mechanics shown on this website are subject to change.

A Tale of Two Kingdoms

Introduction Part 1: Jaethi's Return Part 2: Coming Soon!

Introduction

Welcome to our Mountain of Godai short story arc.

Click each of the tabs shown to open additional chapters in our unfolding story.

Part 1: Jaethi's Return

Part 1: Jaethi’s Return

Aro looked longingly toward a quiet horizon while his arms and legs strained to hold his position on the cliff face. From this vantage, he could see to the very ends of the earth – or at least that’s what he liked to believe.

It was somehow peaceful here, even despite the dangerous climb to Mount Manik’s summit, a ritual he repeated once every new moon. The ruby-colored rock of the near-vertical cliff was an especially fierce shade of red today and for a moment, the dark-skinned, black-haired youth held on and reveled in its beauty.

A sea of yellow-pink clouds moved swiftly, far above him as if they were late for an important engagement. Below him was an equally massive region of lush, gigantic, green ferns. Somewhere, obscured by the tall trees of the jungle, was his home – the village of Zyanya. His mother, sisters, and brothers were all attending the biennial ceremony of Remembrance, but they understood Aro’s need to be here instead. The stars were his calling, and they could only be read properly from high above the land.

In the light of this setting sun, coating the entire valley below him in rose-colored light, he found profound meaning in his life. One that connected him to everything else in this world.

Diligently, Aro turns his attention back toward his trek. The summer winds blow fiercely at this altitude, and just then, an uncommonly strong gust knocks into him with all the force of a gigantic unseen jaguar. The unexpected event threatens to unseat him from the cliff, and though a fall from this height could undoubtedly be fatal, the young man trusts his skill, and instead of struggling to hold on, he decides to give in to lady Fate.

His blistered hands let go of the rock and at the same time, he arcs his toes, propelling him off the rock in the wind’s direction. Trusting in the Pattern of this place, he closes his eyes and feels his body fall. He’s never gotten enough of this feeling of weightlessness. To fall, for Aro, was to commune with something deeper within. A primal force perhaps, Tlaloc – the forgotten god of the wind, or maybe it was just the idea of confronting his own mortality – it was euphoric. The adrenaline surging within him tells him to open his eyes and find the mountain once again.

A moment later, and some eighty paces below, his fingertips and toes once again find purchase on a new part of the cliff face. Aro knew that his position on the mountain was now a dangerous one. There was only one way up from this spot, and it would take him another eight hours to reach Mount Manik’s summit.

He thanked the gods and smiled, for his time here was just beginning. Tonight’s stars would reveal the world to him.

A great tremor shakes the land, interrupting Master Yinwei’s approach to the emperor’s quarters. The short-statured tanuki knew within his heart that this was a terrible sign. The trembling stops shortly after, and though these earthquakes were becoming more frequent, only he seemed to afford the event much attention. “The time is now at hand,” Master Yinwei thought, with sadness filling his heart.

He was in tune with these things and could readily see Patterns in the world as if he were looking directly at them with his hazel-colored eyes. For the last three years he had communed on the changes occurring in the Tapestry, seeking to understand them in an enlightened way. Balance is of utmost importance in this world, and yet for far too long, the world was without it.

His knowledge of the Wellspring and his deep connection to Patterns led him to an important discovery. The titan Jaethi – the great plumed serpent – was about to return to this world, seeking to correct the imbalance. She was the source of the Wellspring and the Keeper of all Patterns. And she would return to unravel it, one thread at a time until all Patterns had been deconstructed. Our reality would cease to exist, and yet it would once again find its balance this way.

For the last six months, he had advised Emperor Taisuke on these changes, seeking to alert him of the dangers that were about to befall this reality. And though his warnings were at first regarded as alarmist, the aged tanuki readily won over the emperor’s favor. Changes were implemented shortly after and now the City-State was preparing for the worst.

Several guards wearing ceremonial Karuta ignore Yinwei’s approach and allow him to pass unimpeded into the restricted quarters. This expansive place was sacred – a kingdom built over many hundreds of years and bolstered by the strength of its ancestors. All of that was in jeopardy, he thought. We cannot let it happen. Jaethi cannot undo this world, not without us fighting for it.

Finding Emperor Taisuke on the expansive balcony of the palace, the tanuki wordlessly takes position beside him. The two stand there, silent, for several moments looking out across the land. Far beyond, moonlight graces the top of Mount Manik. Generally, the great mountain is not visible from here, but tonight’s conditions are perfect and make it barely visible to the naked eye.

The tanuki whispers, “Emperor, the time is at hand. Jaethi has nearly arrived. We will see the changes soon.”

The emperor turns, looks down at his aged friend, and smiles. “Then the gods will it. Our preparations are in motion, but we will need help from all Nakaharans.”

“Yes, I’m afraid we all have a part to play. Our emissaries have returned from Xumucane lands. Our attempts were successful. They, too, realize change is coming. Perhaps we can work together now?”

The emperor’s smile sours and turns to a disgusted look. “They have much to atone for, they may be the reason we’re now facing the very dissolution of our reality! What can they possibly do to help us?”

The tanuki draws a breath and chooses his next words carefully, “We are all part of the Pattern of this world. We cannot fault the jaguar for its brutal nature. We must respect that it is part of the world, a beautiful part of the world. We respect it, and in time, they will learn... We must restore balance to our world. It is imperative, we must find pea..”

The tanuki’s words are interrupted then, by a massive crack in the land. The sound of it is so loud that everyone, as far as the eye can see, hears a great ringing in their ears. Some will experience deafness from this event for the rest of their lives.

It drowns out everything and when the land doesn’t stop heaving, the alarm bells sound all over the city – perhaps from the guards, or from the broken land itself. This time, the earth shakes so uncontrollably that it sends great rifts out across the land. Dust can be seen rising in points far away, the moonlight cascading down to reveal it.

Emperor Taisuke and Master Yinwei look on in horror as the entirety of Mount Manik – so very far from here – lifts, impossibly, away from the ground. The entire mountain rises from the earth, sending massive rocks that must be the size of this city, falling around it as it ascends!

The entire mountain heads upwards toward the stars above… Energy, unbounded, courses through everyone’s body. Goosebumps on the skin reveal the energy as a tangible thing moving through their Patterns as the entire world begins to realize – the land is tearing away from itself.

Change is coming. Jaethi is here.

Part 2: Coming Soon!

Godai Meaning

Godai (五大, lit. "five – great, large, physical, form") are the five elements in Japanese Buddhist thought of earth (chi), water (sui), fire (ka), wind (fu), and void (ku). See the Wikipedia page here and this great article for more info.

Game Overview

In the Mountains of Godai, balance takes center stage.

The balance of our universe has been shaken. For far too long, powerful beings have interfered with the fabric of our world, causing it to fray, erratically at the edges. This imbalance has drawn the attention of its keeper: Jaethi, the Titan of Magic, the Source of the Wellspring, and the Keeper of Patterns. She now returns to the world to restore balance - by unraveling all Patterns.

Interested in reading more about Patterns?

As the game progresses, the five elements spiral further out of control.

Players work together to restore balance in a deconstructing world. Great areas of land break away from the board and rise to the heavens while the heroes gather Resources, gain power, and confront unique and dangerous challenges.

Play consists of two Stages. The Harvest Stage and the Siege Stage.

Each of these Stages occurs one after the other, up to four times per game. The Harvest Stage spans many months of game time and introduces a new style of play centered on decision making and resource management.

Players gather Resources and strategically prepare for the next coming invasion. When the Xumucane Short Count calendar ends, the next Siege Stage begins. Sieges closely resemble classic HEXplore It play.

During the Siege stage, cataclysmic events, power-hungry demi-deities, and elemental spirits work to deconstruct this reality's Pattern. These Siege opponents are grand in their scope, comprising of powerful creatures and armies. Jaethi herself appears mid-game to wreak havoc on the land and its people.

Can your heroes restore the Balance?

Will you gather the armies necessary to oppose her? Can you raise enough Platinum to bolster your Defenders? Or will you bravely stand your ground alone against a terrifying Titan of our world?

MoG: A Tower Defense

The Mountains of Godai is our Tower Defense volume. It presents a multitude of unique ways for your heroes to build defenses and stand against Jaethi and the elemental denizens ushering forth into the world as its Pattern unravels.

Two Kingdoms - Two Maps A Balanced Map Defenders Elements Resources

Two Kingdoms - Two Maps

We are featuring two distinct Kingdoms in this game: one based on Japanese culture and the other on Mesoamerican culture. Each map tile is double-sided and features Xumucane lands on one side and Nakaharan lands on the other. During play, your map can feature one of the two cultures or a mixture of both.

New to MoG are Kingdom tiles. These tiles replace the four Quadrants we've used in past Volumes and are sized one hex larger on all sides than standard HEXtiles.

The Kingdom of Caprakan

The Kingdom of Caprakan is nestled within a dense jungle surrounded by tall craggy mountains. Two great City-States exist in Caprakan, they are Nimo Teptek and Manchu Pakra. Both exist on the Crown of the World, a line of mountains that cross the region from end to end. These great City-States and the region between them are home to hundreds of thousands of Xumucane, a proud and fierce people.

The Xumucane People
The Xumucane people refer to themselves as the "Sky People" and claim their gods descended from the heavens tens of thousands of years earlier. They have an intricate oral history that is memorized by each of its people in the form of an epic poem called the Tutu Nabaratu.

Their great cities are sculpted by Earthmasters and feature precision mortarless stone specially shaped to carry water, provide defense, and inspire awe.

Plagued by a terrible reputation for blood letting and ritual sacrifice, the other races of the world tend to leave the Xumucane to themselves. It is true that the Xumucane leaders practice Blood Magic and have sacrificed hundreds of thousands of Xumucane lives. So deeply is this practice entrenched in their culture, that their own people believe there is no greater honor than to give one's life in sacrifice to the gods.

A hundred-year war has just ended between the Xumucane and their Nakaharan neighbors, and though the peace is fragile, each race shares equal blame for the conflict and claims, at least publicly, to want that peace to continue.

Despite the tense relations with their neighbors, most Xumucane live simple lives dedicated to the harvesting of yearly crops, honoring the sky gods, and keeping clean and ordered life for their citizens in their megalithic cities of stone.

The Empire of Ishidan

Nestled between impossibly steep mountain peaks and picturesque flowered grasslands, Ishidan is described by most foreigners as a paradise, hidden apart from the rest of the world.

Two great City-States mark the boundaries of Ishidan, they are Takagura and Hirono. These great City-States and the region between them are home to hundreds of thousands of Nakaharans.

The Nakaharan People
The Empire of Ishidan is steeped in tradition and ruled by Emperor Taisuke, the ninth in his dynasty. This ancient culture is fraught with hardship and has developed a fierce pride in its heritage and ancestry.

It is said that the land and its people are so powerfully connected that their Patterns are inexorably woven together.

This attunement has allowed its people to live as one, at peace, with one another and all of nature's creatures. Though they have endured wars in the past, most Nakaharans would tell you all they want is to live a peace-filled life.

A Balanced Map

Balance begins with the Map.

To maintain this balance, each game requires the same map setup. This differs from previous HEXplore It volumes, but we'll show you why we're doing this in a moment.

The below image shows symmetry in our map. Unlike past volumes, you will build your map to take this shape each time you play. The final assembled board consists of 2 Kingdom tiles (shown in light gray), 8 HEXtiles (shown in dark gray), and 3 Siege Portals (shown in sage). These small 2-hex pieces are the portals where the Tapestry is weakest. Siege opponents will usher forth from these locations. Like our previous volumes, MoG also features 4 game bars (shown in purple) to help organize your cards and map.

At the start of the game, you will place the four bars, 2 Kingdom Tiles, 2 HEXtiles connecting them, and each of the 3 Siege Portals. As play continues, your heroes can unlock more of the map, revealing additional HEXtiles on the board.

Sky Tiles

As the game unfolds, sections of the land will separate from and lift off of the ground below it. The world's pattern is being consumed by Jaethi and along with it, the laws of nature are unraveling.

What is a SkyTile?
SkyTiles are seven-hex map tiles that represent landmasses breaking away from the kingdom. When a SkyTile is placed, everything below it becomes Uncrossable terrain. Heroes will need items or Flight to move onto these SkyTiles.

- - - The top side of a SkyTile contains normal Terrain, accessible to the heroes. The first time the tile is placed, you will place it top side up.
    - The bottom side of a SkyTile is the Cloud side. If this tile lifts away a second time, it has drifted too far from the earth and is no longer accessible to the heroes. The world is breaking apart while you play.

What triggers a SkyTile placement?
Certain game events will trigger a SkyTile being placed. When this occurs, randomly determine a HEXtile, then follow the placement rules below.

How to Place SkyTiles

1. SkyTiles may not overlap with one another.
2. Only 1 SkyTile may be placed on a HEXtile at any time.
3. Roll the Wander die, treating the center hex of the HEXtile as the origin point. Move 1 hex toward the Wander result. This hex is the center of the newly created SkyTile.
4. Remove any tokens that cover this area, place a spacer centered on the location, then place a SkyTile on top.
5. If a SkyTile is ever placed on the same tile again, that SkyTile has lifted so high that it breaks away from the world. Flip the tile to its Cloud side. This tile is now Uncrossable terrain.

Defenders

Defender Locations

Defenders are game locations that are targets for Siege opponents. There are four main Defender types in MoG. They are City-States, Temples, Towers, and Strongholds. Towers and Strongholds may be built by heroes anywhere on the map, while City-States and Temples are fixed locations that appear printed on the map.

Most Defenders are considered to be Magnetic locations, this means Siege opponents are drawn to them. Only Temples are non-Magnetic locations.

City-States

There will always be 2 City-States on the board when you play MoG. If both fall, the players lose the game. A number of actions are available to heroes in City-States. These locations may feel a little like the City-States that appeared in the Sands of Shurax.

Temples

Temples are holy places dedicated to the gods. Most games will see between 3 and 5 of these on the board.

Towers & Strongholds

Your heroes will be able to create Towers and Strongholds and scatter them across the map as you see fit. Each location can be bolstered with Elements and other Resources you find to increase their stats.

Defender Stats

Like heroes, Defenders have their own stats that affect and are affected by Siege opponents.

- Resistance: How much damage a Defender can sustain before it is destroyed. This functions exactly like Health for heroes.
- Potential: Combat potential. This number becomes the number of ten-sided dice that are rolled when this location attacks a Siege opponent.
- Strength: Capacity to deal damage. This number becomes the success target for Potential rolls.
- Range: The number of hexes of area around the hex that this location is protecting.
- Build Time: How many turns it takes to build a new structure or to rebuild a City-State.

Elements

The Five Elements

Air

Earth

Fire

Water

Void

- Air: A basic Elemental resource. Air defeats Earth. Associated keywords are Evasion and Reflect.
- Earth: A basic Elemental resource. Earth defeats Water. Associated keywords are Block and Defend.
- Fire: A basic Elemental resource. Fire defeats Air. Associated keywords are Burn and Counterattack.
- Water: A basic Elemental resource. Water defeats Fire. Associated keywords are Heal and Regen.
- Void: Advanced Elemental resource. Void defeats all other Elements. An associated keyword is Negate.

Augmenting Elements to Heroes
Elements may be used to Augment a hero. This is provided as a paid service in City-States and/or Temples. Elements are group items, so the group will need to be careful about how they are using them.

Augmenting a hero requires 1 Element. Elements are always bound to one of the four hero Abilities and always grant 1 Gear Upgrade.

In addition to the Gear Upgrade bonus, each Element interacts with each of the four Abilities differently.

- Augmenting to Attack: The hero gains a Passive Elemental effect. The hero now deals Elemental damage.
- Augmenting to Defend: The hero gains a Passive Elemental effect. The hero now suffers less damage from its opposite Element.
- Augmenting to a Mastery: The hero gains an active Elemental effect. Whenever the hero uses their Augmented Mastery, they gain a secondary Elemental effect.

We are planning on using punchboard tokens, so players can place them on their hero mat to show which Abilities they are Augmenting.

Bolstering Defenders
Elements may also be used to Bolster a Defender. This is done by the heroes while one hero is on the location they seek to Bolster. Elements are group items, so the group will need to be careful about how they are using them.

Bolstering a location requires 1 Element and grants unique effects.

Resources

Resources are special group items the heroes will obtain to enhance their Defenders. Eight Resources are available to the heroes and are grouped into 3 Tiers.

Tier 1

Tier 2

Tier 3

Lumber

Ore

Recruit

Essence

Sky Metal

Specialist

Aetherial Ore

Living Crystal

- Lumber: Represents the harvesting of forests. Lumber is used to increase a Defender's Potential - the number of ten-sided dice a Defender will roll to damage a Siege opponent.
- Ore: Represents the mining of precious minerals. Ore is used to increase a Defender's Resistance - the number of Siege damage a Defender may sustain until it is destroyed.
- Recruit: Represents gathering people to the cause. Recruits can be gathered to decrease your Build Times, sacrificed to Hold a Siege, or can be Promoted to Specialists.
- Essence: Represents magical forests and growth. Essence can be held to increase all Defender Resistance or used to increase Potential and Range.
- Sky Metal: Represents meteoric mineral. Sky Metal can be held to increase all Defender Potential or used to increase a Defender's Strength - the chance to deal Siege damage to a Siege opponent.
- Specialist: Represents highly trained Recruits. Specialists can be assigned to Defenders to increase their Resistance, Potential, Strength, or Range.
- Aetherial Ore: Represents otherworldly earth metals. Aetherial Ore can be used as an interrupt during any phase to increase a Defender's Resistance, Potential, Strength, or Range.
- Living Crystal: Represents sentient, living crystals. Living Crystal can be used with an Element of your choice in a Temple to create more Elements.

Currency in MoG
In addition to Gold, the heroes will be gathering Platinum. Platinum was first introduced in the Sands of Shurax.

Harvesting Resources
The heroes Harvest Resources during the Harvest Stage of the game. Four Harvesters (regardless of the number of heroes playing) will gain Resources based on locations they travel to or camp inside during this stage of the game.

Buying & Selling Resources
Resources may be purchased from City-States with Platinum after the first Siege ends. Each Resource has its own Purchase cost, shown on the Resources placard.

- Tier I: Available for purchase after the first Siege ends.
- Tier II: Available for purchase after the second Siege ends.
- Tier III: Available for purchase after the third Siege ends.

The group may only sell Lumber and Ore in City-States during the Harvest phase. The group may not sell other Resources unless otherwise specified.

The Resources Placard
This placard is used to keep track of each of your Resources and acts as the game's timer during Harvest and Siege Stages.

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The Xumucane Short Count

The Xumucane people have devised a system to count various cycles of time. The Short Count calendar is closely tuned to the Wellspring. Sages believe it can predict when the Tapestry tears wide enough to let Jaethi's forces breach our world.

The Short Count acts as this game's Timer. The group will play through up to 4 Harvest Stages, each followed by a Siege Stage. During the Harvest Stage, you fill in boxes on the tracker. Conversely, during the Siege Stage, you erase the boxes on the tracker. Game effects can speed up or slow down this process.

The Short Count tracker features the following markers:

- Stage 1 through 4 Boxes: Fill in to track the current Game Stage
- Harvest Card icons: Harvest cards are drawn at the beginning and end of each Harvest Stage. Additionally, they are drawn in the middle of Stages 2, 3, and 4.
- Game Turn Boxes: Fill in these boxes to track Game Turn progression in the Harvest Stage. Erase them to track Game Turn progression during the Siege Stage.
- Void Icon: The Void icon in Stage 2 represents Jaethi's entrance into our world. Place her mini on the board after the 5th game turn of the second Harvest Stage.

Play the video below to see how Short Count tracking works.

The Harvest Stage The Siege Stage Siege Opponents

The Harvest Stage

Mountains of Godai is broken into 4 Harvest Stages. Play begins in the first Harvest Stage. In this Volume, we feature a split-party system that allows the heroes to separate into smaller groups in order to gain Resources.

Four Harvesters (this number is unaffected by the number of heroes in the game) will make decisions during this Stage to gather Resources. Heroes will have the opportunity to Harvest Resources in one of two main ways.

Harvesting from a Game Location: The first is tied to game locations on the map. These include locations like City-States, Boss Lairs, Antiquity Sites, Settlements, and Temples. In this scenario, the Harvesting hero places their mini in the center of the game location (see #1). For instance, let's say this location is a Settlement. In this case, the hero might gain 1 Recruit.

Harvesting from Terrain: The second is tied to the terrain type of the map and is unaffected by the location. Terrain types include Forests, Highlands, Marshes, Grasslands, and Mountains. In this scenario, the harvesting hero places their mini on the edge of three terrain hexes (see #2). They will gain Resources from each of these locations. For instance, let's say the hero is placed on an edge that borders 2 Forests and 1 Highland terrain. In this case, the hero might gain 2 Lumber and 1 Ore.

Not all Resources are weighed the same in MoG. This means that sometimes it will be in the heroes' best interest to gather Resources from terrain and other times it will be in their best interest to gather Resources from game locations.

The Harvest Deck

The Harvest Deck contains a number of events that tell the story of how the world is spiraling into chaos. The players will be using the Xumucane Short Count to time this Stage. After a certain number of turns, a Harvest Card is drawn. This is always done before and after the Harvest phase.

Harvest cards feature unique world events and also determine the number and types of Siege opponents that will arrive during the next Siege Stage.

The Siege Stage

Siege Opponents

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Gallery

Game Reveals

We're keeping this section a secret for a while, yet all Patterns erode with time. Check back from time to time to see our latest revealed game content!

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD Roles Races Bosses

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

If you wish to keep our Roles, Races, and Boss reveals behind closed curtains, here is your chance! Don't click these tabs to preserve the Pattern!

Roles

Races

Bosses

Mountains of Godai Signup Credit

We love that you're excited about this next chapter of the HEXplore It series. To thank you for that excitement, we're providing you with a $5 credit toward our next Crowdfunding Campaign. When we launch MoG on Gamefound, you'll find the $5 credit waiting for you in your account.

Claim $5 Credit toward our next Campaign!


Sage


Xumucane	Nakaharan


Jaethi	Oni