When a traveller is adrift in the blue dunes of Vaarn’s desert, he dreams of a city. When the camel’s hump sways beneath him, he dreams of a cushioned alcove in a tavern, with learned conversation and hookah smoke coiling languidly in the air; when Vaarn’s red sun beats upon his head he dreams of cool avenues shaded by demure and welcoming lemon trees. Oppressed by his loneliness, the traveller dreams of a city where the crowds embrace him and strangers greet him as brother; when he swills the last dregs of water around blistered gums he dreams of a a fountain in a public courtyard, where the daughters of the neighbourhood arrive to draw water and eye a handsome stranger.
Gnomon, the city of shaded markets, at first appears to be this dream made solid. There are taverns with cushioned alcoves, as the traveller sought; also he will find learned conversation and hookah smoke, wide avenues flanked by lemon trees, public fountains and smiling maidens and strangers who greet him as brother. There are many sights in Gnomon, sights beyond the traveller’s dreams: glittering mezzanine gardens and parades of masked hierophants, guild halls where cone-hatted clerks ponder their ledgers of debt, babbling souks where the merchants mutter their bargains like mantras and even memories may be bought for the right price. Truly this was what he sought in a city.
So bewitched is our traveller, he scarcely notices that the merchants’ smiles do not reach their eyes, that the women who wave from passion-house windows have faces brittle as porcelain, that each stranger calling him brother has an accomplice reaching into his pocket. It is only as he leaves under cover of darkness, with a head ringing from cheap wine and a purse empty as his stomach, that the traveller begins to curse Gnomon, the undreamed-of city, the gilded trap.
***
Vaults of Vaarn is an ongoing series of zines for science-fantasy tabletop RPG gaming. The second 48-page issue is a city-based adventure supplement for the setting, expanding on the far-future world outlined in the first issue. The reader can visit the city of Gnomon, a decadent and dangerous trade hub.
Issue #2 Includes:
Fully illustrated with evocative black and white line art.
48 pages, saddle-stitched zine, color cover, b&w interior. Incudes PDF.
Orders typically ship within 24-48 hours after being placed, business days only Monday - Friday. If you place an order on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday then it will not ship until the following business week.
We use USPS, UPS and DHL. Rates are based on current service rates and are subject to change. For the majority of items we ship in deluxe padded bubble mailers with bags and boards for added protection or with cardboard book mailers. Larger orders will be finely packed as well. We care about the product getting to you safe and secure.
US DOMESTIC ORDERS:
MEDIA MAIL
USPS Priority, UPS, and DHL
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS:
Please note that ALL SALES ARE FINAL. Shipments are sent via DHL. Shipping does not include customs fees, which are subject to each countries' tax requirement. We want you to buy with confidence but please understand that once the items leave the USA we will not be responsible for lost or damaged items unless you contact us to get additional insurance if available.
If your shipment is returned to us due to insufficient address or marked as undeliverable for any reason, we will need to collect another shipping fee in order to resend your item.
If you request an item to be returned (excluding damaged or incorrect items) then you will be responsible for the return shipping fee.
Only orders that contain items that are in stock at the time of ordering will be combined, when possible.
Essentially it is the same as above. We adore all of you and strive to give you the best possible customer experience possible but inventory tracking not only for us but for our vendors and partners makes this almost impossible to do now.
Pre-order dates are subject to change. We get as frustrated as you do when things come up but this happens from time to time. Sometimes circumstances beyond our control will create delays. We try to communicate via social media and our weekly newsletter to keep everyone as up to date as possible.
All items in an order containing pre-orders will ship with the pre-order item once it is in stock. If you would like the other items earlier, please place a seperate order from the one containing the pre-order.
We cannot combine pre-orders with existing orders nor combine new orders with existing pre-orders.
Pre-orders will be exempt from any type of general sale.
Sign up for our mailing list to receive new product alerts, special offers, and coupon codes.
© 2023, Exalted Funeral Powered by Shopify