All Dwarves are welcome at Deephaven! From the proud Mountain Clans and industrious Hill Clans, to the mysterious Clans of the Deep. Yes, even Gully Dwarves are allowed, as odd as they may be! But take heart, we have abolished the caste systems of old! You are not stuck to one role. Only you can craft your destiny!
Come to Deephaven! A narrative megagame about overly-ambitious dwarves building a new city fortress. Players will delve deep into the mountain to discover unique resources, forge legendary weapons, develop thriving trade and culture, and fight back against the many dangers they uncover!
Players delve deep into the mountain to discover unique resources, forge legendary weapons, develop thriving trade and culture, and fight back against the many dangers they uncover! MINERS delve deep to find arcane metals! SHAPERS forge legendary weapons, armor, and new inventions. ARCHITECTS build awe-inspiring structures and massive fortifications. MERCHANTS handle foreign trade, FARMERS feed us, and BREWERS keep us, uh, well-hydrated! The CARTOGRAPHERS maintain the Grand Map and the INKBEARDS chronicle discoveries, announce oaths, grudges, and important events. The GUARDIANS keep the peace, and the LEGION leads us to war! Come to Deephaven! Build a new home for all Dwarves!
The World
GEOGRAPHY
The geography surrounding Deephaven is purposely left vague. Dwarves are fairly new to this continent after all. Part of the fun is discovering it together! However, there are a few facts you can rely upon: Mountain: Deephaven is built into a large mountain that juts up high into the sky and overlooks the relatively flat land nearby. It was likely formed from an extinct volcano. It is high enough to keep snow for much of the year.
Lake: A moderately large body of water sits adjacent to the mountain, on its east side. It is kept filled by rain and runoff from melting snow atop the peak. The humans had a name for this lake, but our dwarven explorers did not bother to write it down. Farther east remains uncharted.
River: Overflow from the lake outputs into a river that twists downhill and north to the sea. It is large enough to float the ships of the Salt clans year-round. It takes about four days to sail from the sea, but going down river is faster, especially during the rainy months when the current is strongest.
Forest: To the south lies a sparse forest that thickens rapidly the farther you go. It is largely unexplored.
Hills: To the west are plains and grasslands, broken up by riparian woods. They are called the “Rolling Hills” by the unimaginative humans. Rumors claim farther west lies a great arid desert, but that seems unlikely.
INHABITANTS
We know there are humans here (they breed like cave rats). If the old world is any indicator, it is likely we will discover many other species. Recent scout reports mention signs of several nearby civilizations. Not all will be friendly. As well, we can expect monstrous beasts of all sizes.
FANTASY
Magic exists, but it is rare, mysterious, and dangerous. When it’s used overtly, a terrible cost is always paid. For this reason dwarves tend to keep away from it, even shun it. Instead, we rely on our knack for problem solving and engineering. Deep below the crust of the world lies arcane materials with strange properties. Some might call them “magical” but so far their properties have been consistent and observable!
TECHNOLOGY
Arcane materials have allowed for amazing inventions, but they tend to be difficult to replicate. Water wheels are commonly used to drive sawmills or crush grains. We know all about farming, and can even do it underground with the right crop! Lilona Bonechew became famous for making an oven that rotated a spit of meat on its own. Clever dwarves have even used natural steam vents to make rudimentary elevators, or used redirected lava flows to fuel their forges. Blasting powder (aka dark salt, flame dust, deathgrit, sapper’s sand) exists but can be difficult to gather large quantities. A “firearm” is when you’ve been drinking and you fall into a campfire.
Players are assigned 3 roles: A character, a clan (think family) and a guild (think job). Each of these roles have their own selection of objectives and nuances and it’s up to individual players to achieve these objectives as they see fit. Or not! These are really just example objectives - players can do whatever they want in the scope of the game.
A selection of the Guilds
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Artists
Ardently and affectionately admires authors, adorners, actors, assemblers, aquarellists, and any assorted artistry abstract and authentic alike! (They mostly paint things and complain.)
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Brewers
Ensures the quality (and quantity!) of tasty beverages in Deephaven. Grants the illustrious and much sought-after title of “Brewmaster”.
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Cartographers
Has the essential privilege of maintaining the Map of Deephaven.
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Delvers
Delves deep into the mountain to bring back ancient treasures and discover valuable new materials and arcane metals. Truly the lifeblood of progress here in Deephaven!
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Engineers
Daringly pursues rapid and audacious technological progress in Deephaven!
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Farmers
Ensures Deephaven is well fed and stockpiles are full. Also oversees livestock conditions and supplies of animal byproducts.
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Guardians
Keeps the peace within Deephaven! Protects citizens from criminals, vermin, and epidemics.
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Inkbeards
Ensures a steady flow of truth and knowledge. Chronicles important events and tracks clan honor/prosperity.
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Inspectors
Ideally the inspectors will keep Deephaven from imploding, exploding, disploding, or any other type of -ploding that has yet to be discovered.
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Masons
Constructs and maintains vital infrastructure and city defenses. Now that’s a guild!
As a teaser, there are 2 elements that help make this game awesome and unique
Firstly, there’s a massive block tower (definitely not Jenga) that stands in the middle of the room which represents where you mine resources deep in the mountain. With the permission of the Delvers (one of the guilds), anyone can have a go at digging for a resource, but there’s always the threat of the mine collapsing and unleashing something hilariously terrible upon the entire game.
Secondly, there a huge whiteboard where the world that you are collectively building will be created. The Cartographers (another guild) will be mapping out cave systems, buildings, farms, etc. onto the board and that’ll in turn create other stories. By the end of the game you’ll have a beautiful shared world that you helped form.