Soothwardens from Navaar Seik-Jackson—Now on BackerKit

There's still a few days left to back Soothwardens on Backerkit!

A Designer's Note from Navaar! Recently, some of my friends have been affectionately teasing me by calling me the “romance guy”. While I’d like to argue that this is largely unfounded, there are some things working against me. One, I keep bringing up Orpheus and Eurydice, and two, themes inspired from Soothwardens (there’s actually a secret third thing, but those APs are in post production). And while I accept that as a person who hasn’t seen Hadestown, my “obsession” with the Greek couple could be tempered, I have to defend the breadth of Soothwardens. It’s a game about playing magically Linked monster hunters. Gifted powers by monoliths called Omirim to fight reality piercing Breakers, you begin your journey, partner beside you. But it is so much more than romance! Walk with me, I promise to not look back.

As a Warden, you take on the calling of being a guardian of humanity, and in order to complete this task you need a partner. When two Wardens are ready to set off into the world, they establish their Link. Generally, this connection stays on perpetually, a reverberation of emotions and location that slowly normalizes over time. In a world where two Wardens find each other attractive, this can cause some… complications. A little yearning, as a treat. 

This aspect of connection is a great way to play! Finding yourself in a situation where the person who makes you nervous (in a good way) can read you like a book, and you can sense their amusement, or reciprocation, etc. is great for the story, and for roleplay. There are monsters afoot, ready to devour the souls of every farmer in the field, but when she looks at you it feels like sunshine in spring! The fight gets difficult, and you’re burning through Heart and Stamina, and so they heal you, spending their own resources. How do you deal with that? How do you compartmentalize? When do you address it? Or do you? 

Fighting monsters can be terrifying and dangerous. Occasionally, during those fights, you’ll take on conditions: powerful negative emotions that follow you even after a battle is over. The only way to clear those conditions is to Speak the Truth. What do you decide to confess? What do you keep buried in your heart?

And playing your Wardens platonically is just as intriguing. Hell, Soothwardens can be played with two characters being siblings. Having depth, complication, and affection in platonic relationships is a beautiful thing. It has been the crux of some of my favorite relationships in media (I’m begging you to activate my special interests in the K-Drama Bloodhounds, or my favorite relationship in The Walking Dead - Carol and Daryl). 

I want to hear the story about how you were disappointed in your partner leaving town without saying goodbye to the apothecary they spent the night with (temporarily turning off the Link as a courtesy). I want to know what the brothers do when they’ve been in a sibling spat for weeks, and now one is on the verge of death. Or when the “temporary” Link you made to go after the Breaker who killed your first partner isn’t going smoothly. The possibilities are endless. 

This isn’t just a game about romance. Soothwardens is a game about choice and community. Wardens aren’t chosen ones, destined for greatness written in an ancient prophecy. They take on the call because of an internal desire in them to do something heroic. This acceptance of responsibility awards them gifts by the petrified planetary guardians of millennia past, the Omirim. This calling connects them to others like them, and that connection can lead to a Link. Two like-minded people, doing their best to save the ones who can’t save themselves. I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty romantic to me… 

I mean... Dammit.

If you’d like to prove me wrong (or right), Soothwardens is crowdfunding now on Backerkit! Come check out what I’m cooking up alongside Plus One Exp, and thanks for reading!