An exciting new RPG of adventure, language, and liturgy from the mind of Richard Rohlin and the people of Strange Owl Games.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
The Amboria Print Proofs Have Arrived!
7 days ago
– Mon, Sep 28, 2026 at 09:08:50 AM
Makevia, friends!
The print proofs for Amboria are here, and they look fantastic.
Richard and I opened the box on camera so you could see them with us. In the video below, we go through the books page by page, talk about the print quality, and show you how everything came together.
(Apologies for the audio quality, apparently the mic on my phone is going out.)
We've submitted a couple of page changes and updates to text before final prints. We will keep you informed on if those go through or not.
Covers
Amboria Proofs
Thunder in the North Proofs
What's next We also talk in the video about what's coming for Amboria. Here's the short version:
Akboritha and Book of Odes are going out to backers and up on Drivethru this week!
Updates to the Patreon, with a crafting supplement coming soon!
Tentative delivery schedule Our printer has given us a tentative timeline:
Ok to print: Oct 01
Factory is closed from Oct 01-07 due to China National holiday
F&Gs: Oct 23
Ok to bind: Oct 30
Advances: Nov 17
Ok to ship: Nov 20
RTS date: Nov 24
ETD HK: Nov 30
ETA warehouse: approx. Jan 18, 2027
These dates are tentative and can shift with printing and shipping, but we'll keep you posted as we get confirmations.
Thank you for your patience and support. Seeing these books in hand makes all the waiting worth it, and we can't wait for you to hold your own copies.
Also, check out our Dragon Kings Pre-Launch Page!
Best, J-M / Richard / Strange Owl
A Message From Rinsos - Files are at the Printers!
about 2 months ago
– Mon, Aug 17, 2026 at 01:34:27 PM
My dear friend,
It is at long last that I write to tell you news of the project which we undertook some months – or is it years, now? – ago. The texts have been long in preparing and I think you will find that they are quite exhaustive. All that remains now is for my manuscripts to be placed into the hands of our chief copyists and illuminators, and then the copies will be distributed to all of those who have subscribed to this project, which tells the great story of our people, as well as the remarkable story of the events which have occurred in the North of Amboria during these last several years – events in which I, your humble servant, have played a small part.
In addition to these undertakings, I have news for you concerning certain other projects which you might desire to grace with your patronage. The first is the first two of the Books of Odes, the prayer and liturgy of our people, which includes both the First Thirty Odes as well as the whole scheme of hymns and liturgy for the first turning of the Lotus, that is, the first quarter of the year. Although it is usually forbidden for men to commit such sacred writings to mere pen and paper, I have been granted a special dispensation by the Priestess Feiala to do so. You may find this project of great interest, for there is within their pages much lore which might otherwise be lost to our people.
Regarding the strange events recorded in the three manuscripts, The Bell of Time, The Isle of Madness, and the Bridge of Jade, I have – at great personal cost – nearly completed my translation and transcription of these events, and they will be dispatched to you with the greatest of haste upon their completion. Please be careful with these, my friend, for in their pages lie certain truths which may lead only to madness. The veil of time is one we should draw back with only great trepidation and fear.
Finally, I am pleased to mention to you my current undertaking, which is a new illuminated edition of the The Immaculate Lotus, Being an Exact Account of the Holy Shrines, Palaces, and Tombs of the City of Sencan by Ijar of the Holy City. This is a work of great reverence and devotion, one which I think will be of great interest to my patrons, containing as it does the whole history, lore, and account of the Queen of all Cities, Sencankarr the Great. Although I dearly love the Red Isle and its people, it was in Sencankarr where my current earthly sojourn began, and it is my deepest desire to look upon it again ere I pass from this world. Although many troubles have beset her, and the line of kings is failing, yet I have some hope (you will understand why when you read the contents of Thunder in the North, my account of the events passing in the north of the kingdom, which events I trust you will treat with the utmost secrecy) that ere long I may look again upon her walls and see the Heir of Sencan sitting again upon the throne. In any case, when this new addition of Ijar’s work becomes available, I trust it will be of great interest to you.
Expressing my unending gratitude for your patience and patronage, I remain your humble servant,
Rinsos, Chief Scribe of the Red Scriptorium
Hello, friends!
As Rinsos’ update above indicates, we are very happy to announce the following progress on the Amboria: Roleplaying in the World Under Starlight kickstarter project:
The final files for the core rules and the Thunder in the North campaign book are at the printer. We will send out another update when we have timelines for printing and shipping!
All backers at the appropriate level will be receiving their final PDFs. PDFs will also go up for sale on DriveThruRPG shortly! You should have emails in your inbox at the time of this post!
The stretch goal adventures, The Bell of Time, The Isle of Madness, and The Bridge of Jade have been in playtesting with my main playgroup over the course of the last few months and are nearly completed. As soon as my play group is done with them, I will finalize the adventures and we will get the PDFs send out to you. These are some of the coolest, craziest adventures I’ve ever run, and they really take the Gene Wolfe-esque elements in Thunder in the North and turn them up to 11!
As part of this release, we will be making a print version of the first two books of odes available. This is a must-have for the real lore nerds, who want to delve deeper in to the richness of the World Under Starlight. If you haven’t put in an order for one of these, you can do so at the BackerKit storefront, here: https://amboria-world-under-starlight-last-chance.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders
Finally, I am preparing the next big Amboria release, which as teased previously on the Strange Owl Patreon, will be a full setting book for Sencankarr: The City of a Thousand Springs. This book will include everything you need to run a campaign delving into the history, lore, and factions of the Holy City, including a full gazetteer, a mega-dungeon in the catacombs beneath the city, and three adventures meant to kick of a Sencankarr-centric campaign. The book will also include several “quality of life” upgrades to the game in the form of new subsystems your Adventurers can take advantage of, including detailed rules for herbalism, craft guilds, forging wondrous items, weapons, and armor, and a new CLASH subsystem for more detailed social interactions, perfect for the high-stakes political and religious conflicts in Sencankarr, where violence may not always be the answer. Currently, the plan is to finish the final draft of the book by December of 2026 with an aim to publish it sometime in 2027.
I know it’s been a long wait, but in the background I’ve been working on The World Under Starlight constantly, and each day brings a new bit of lore, a new mechanic, or a new poem. Right now, I mainly get to share these things with my players. Next year, I’m hoping to find a better way to share all of this with the rest of your as well.
With deep gratitude for all of your support, patience, and prayers these last couple of years,
Richard
April/May Update - Printing on the Horizon
6 months ago
– Tue, Apr 21, 2026 at 01:29:36 PM
Makevia, friends!
We have an important update to share on the progress of Amboria: Roleplaying in the World Under Starlight, and we want to make sure you have the full picture.
First, the good news: we have selected our printer, and we are excited about the quality they will bring to this book. We are also sharing the draft of Thunder in the North: A Grand Campaign in the World Under Starlight with backers — we hope you enjoy getting your first look at what's become a labor of love.
As for timeline: our artist recently had to relocate, which has introduced a short delay to our production schedule. We have 4 to 6 remaining pieces of art outstanding, and once those are in hand, the book goes straight to print. We do not anticipate any further delays beyond this, and we are in close contact with our artist as they get settled.
SHIPPING CHARGES COMING SOON
With print approaching, we will be collecting shipping costs through BackerKit in the near future. Please make sure your address is up to date. Shipping rates are as follows: 1 Book • US: $12.04 • EU / UK: $44.04 • Canada: $34.04 • Rest of World: $54.04
2 Books • US: $14.33 • EU / UK: $49.33 • Canada: $39.33 • Rest of World: $59.04
We know international shipping costs are significant, and we appreciate your understanding — these rates reflect the current realities of international freight. If you have any questions about your order or shipping region, please reach out to us directly.
We know your patience has meant a great deal, and we don't take it for granted. The World Under Starlight is nearly ready to be in your hands — and we believe the final product will be worth the wait. Thank you for being part of this journey with us.
Strange Owl Games
Add On Options
9 months ago
– Thu, Jan 08, 2026 at 01:43:43 PM
It was brought to our attention that some of you have tried get the add ons on the last chance campaign, but could not figure out how to do that. We have had out team fix that! There is now an “Add On” tier for $1 where you can purchase things ala cart.
We have 24 hours left, so if you want to snag anything – like the Akboritha, Art prints, or the Book of Odes, now is the chance!
Strange Owl Games
Strange Owl Games State of the Union 2026
9 months ago
– Wed, Jan 07, 2026 at 06:36:47 AM
2026 Hail Adventurers,
Happy New Year, and welcome to 2026. A lot is in motion right now, so consider this our Strange Owl State of the Union update.
First up is an Amboria update. Later today via BackerKit, you will receive the pre-art Thunder in the North file. This version includes the full layout by Thomas Shook, who also laid out the core book, with all text in place and art placeholders throughout. Bob is finishing the remaining art, with help from Molly, our new Art Director, and we are very close to the finish line.
Once the art is complete, we will do a final editing pass and then send the book to print. With the upcoming Chinese New Year, the exact print schedule is still a bit uncertain, but we expect to have a clearer timeline by mid-February and will share it as soon as we do.
We are also running a last-chance crowdfunding campaign for Amboria on BackerKit. This is just to make sure that anyone who wants a print copy still has the chance to get one. We are also offering art prints, along with print copies of Akboritha and Book of Odes Volumes 1 and 2, which have been requested by quite a few of you.
If you have not checked it out yet, you can find it here. Richard and I, J-M, will be streaming this Thursday at 10 AM CST to talk about what is coming next for Amboria and to answer questions about the current campaign. These streams are pretty informal, and we are happy to dig into details or just talk shop. You can watch from the BackerKit page at 10 AM CST, or follow me here to get notified when we go live.
Looking ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy year for Strange Owl Games. We have more Amboria planned, more Space 1889, and several new projects underway. These include Tim Brown’s new edition of Dragon Kings, as well as a new OSR version of Jackals using Shadowdark mechanics. We are also planning to attend North Texas RPG Con this year, with Tim, J-M, and Richard in attendance.
That is it for this status update! More soon, more books, and hopefully more time at the table.
