The Eye of the Cyclops is a system agnostic RPG sourcebook for tabletop games, and these miniatures are for use with it - as well as an assortment of other figures from the game setting, a Lost World called Azor.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
48 hours left! Second Spearman unlocked! ... and some background info.
almost 6 years ago
– Sun, Jul 08, 2018 at 05:53:06 PM
Alright! We're down to the last two days - less than 48 hours left in the campaign.
We've blown right past $9000, so we're going to have a second spearman pose sculpted, and it looks like it's pretty possible that we'll get a second bowman, too. Fingers crossed!
Today I wanted to post something about the background and inspiration for this campaign.
When I was a little kid, most of my favorite miniatures were made by Grenadier Miniatures. I loved their dragons and giants - I got my favorite Grenadier Dragon sculptor, John Dennett, to sculpt the Sirrush for me!
I also loved their encounter sets.
"Encounter at the Darkwood Keep", from Grenadier Miniatures in 1987
I thought these boxed sets were just the coolest things ever. You'd get a few monsters, a couple of terrain items, a couple of bad guys, maybe a hero or two, every box was different. You'd also get a little flyer with the box, one page, folded in half, front and back, detailing everything you'd need to know about the creatures and people in the set, some generic but D&D-ish rules for them, and a little bit of story info that connected them all together.
Darkwood Keep. Blood Valley. The Crimson Citadel.
I loved the names, I loved the stories, I loved the hints of a larger world to be explored.
It was a complete encounter in a box.
Over the years, there have been a few other sets like that on the market - Games Workshop made some legendary campaign boxed sets ("Bloodbath at Orc's Drift" and "McDeath" are two of the classics), and fairly recently Paizo released some similar map packs - "Throne of the Gorilla King", "Vault of the Whispering Tyrant", and more. But none of them enthralled me quite like those old Grenadier sets did.
I know it's a little like trying to catch lightning in a bottle, chasing nostalgia, but my hope with this Eye of the Cyclops set is that it can serve the same sort of purpose as those old Grenadier kits: a complete encounter that you can drop into any game in lots of different settings. Conan, D&D, Pathfinder, pulp fantasy (or just straight up pulp - Azor is very much the sort of lost city that Tarzan or Doc Savage would find on an uncharted island or in a hidden valley), and more!
The second bit of inspiration may be a bit more obvious.
The cover of "Savage Sword of Conan #20" by the brilliant Earl Norem.
To me, the covers of the old Savage Sword of Conan magazine, magazines like it, and classic pulp fantasy novel covers of the 1970's defined the look of heroic fantasy to me. Sword and Sorcery, Thud and Blunder, call it what you want, but I loved it then and I still do to this day. Frank Frazetta, Earl Norem, Joe Kubert, Sanjulian, Jeffrey Catherine Jones - they were the best!
I spent a long time looking for a cover artist who was working in a similar sort of style today, and I'm incredibly pleased with the art that Didier Normand painted for this book. I'm almost as excited to get the painting framed and hung on my wall as I am to get the book out!
So, now you know a little bit about where the origins of this project come from.
I make no claim that this set will be as awesome or memorable as those inspirations from my childhood, but I am trying to carry on that same sort of creative spirit & style.
I think I'll have two or three more updates today and tomorrow before the end of the campaign - thank you all again for supporting my little project!
-Alex in Alaska
Guard captain finished, plus more add-ons!
almost 6 years ago
– Sun, Jul 08, 2018 at 04:45:35 AM
She’s finished!
Patrick Keith of Bombshell Miniatures (https://bombshellminis.com) has finished sculpting the Guard Captain! She is a potent addition to the Cult of the Eye’s forces. A fanatical and skilled warrior-captain.
She is available to purchase as an add-on for $7 (USD).
In other good news, we have unlocked a cult guard with a spear - David Soderquist will begin work on him shortly.
I’ve also added some additional add-on figures - it just so happened that the timing worked out, and Des Hanley is almost finished with three new Pterro-Man sculpts. They were going to be the focus of a release this fall, but since they’ll be done in time for fulfillment of this KS I thought I’d add them here at a slight discount.
Work in progress - sculpt isn’t quite finished yet.
These ancient beings have hypnotic powers and once ruled Azor. They diminished over time, indolence allowing influence to slip through their leathern fingers. They remember those ancient days with avarice, and sometimes still meddle in the affairs of humankind...
I’ve also added a dire otter, a swamp scorpion (a prehistoric eurypterid, a multipart metal model), and two Okroi with removable baggage.
Dire Otter sculpted by Dave Cauley, Swamp Scorpion by Jason Wiebe, Okroi by Drew Williams.
Swamp Scorpions are a delicious but dangerous inhabitants of the swamps and waterways in Azor. The largest ones (like this one) grow longer than an adult human is tall. They’ve been known to take the hand off of the occasional unwary fisherman - and they can sometimes be found in the maze of sewers and water drains where the cult’s lair is hidden.
The Okroi are deer-like dinosaur descendants, commonly used as mules and food animals. The baggage pieces they carry are separate and can be removed.
Thank you all again for your support!
-Alex in Alaska
$8000! Bowman unlocked!
almost 6 years ago
– Sat, Jul 07, 2018 at 06:40:31 AM
Bowman unlocked!!
David Soderquist of Bronze Age Miniatures ( http://bronzeagemin.com ) will be sculpting this figure - I spoke with him a few days ago regarding the design of the figure, he should be able to begin sculpting shortly. This figure is now available as a purchasable add-on for $7 (USD).
I will be using Backer Kit for add-on sales and fulfillment after the campaign ends, so you don’t have to worry about buying a figure sight unseen - I will have pictures posted & will keep the pledge manager open for awhile after the campaign ends.
It’s about 5AM here in Alaska as I write this, so I don’t have much more to say at the moment, but later today I expect to have a few new things to share!
-Alex
A note on international (and US) shipping.
almost 6 years ago
– Sat, Jul 07, 2018 at 06:40:21 AM
I've had some questions about international shipping rates.
I am located in Fairbanks, Alaska - Ian at Fenris Games in the UK will be handling fulfillment of all international orders (other than Canada, which is cheaper to ship from here). We've done some checking, and even for places as far away as South Africa and Australia, it's cheaper for Ian to ship from the UK than it is for me to ship from Alaska.
As things stand at this moment, our current estimate is that maximum postage costs will be £10 UK, £15 EU and the rest of the world. Please remember that as your pledges are being fuilfilled from within the EU, you won't be eligible for any import duties so the postage cost *should* be all you pay. Forge of Ice and Fenris Games cannot be held responsible for any customs or handling fees you may be charged by your country on import of your reward(s).
This estimate is for the full set only - if you purchase a large number of add-ons, that could potentially affect the weight and size of your shipment, and that could potentially affect the shipping cost.
I should also mention that this estimate is current as of July 2018, so any changes in the world (tariffs, import restrictions, alien invasion, etc...) that take place after today could theoretically affect the shipping cost as well.
US based orders should ship via priority flat-rate mail, unless you just order the booklet, in which case that will ship in a flat mailer via media mail rates. Just like with the European orders, if you purchase a significant number of add-ons, that could potentially require larger packaging & higher shipping costs, but most US orders should ship for around $10 USD.
I hope this information helps!
-Alex
Free treasure pile unlocked!
almost 6 years ago
– Fri, Jul 06, 2018 at 08:15:18 PM
Treasure!!
Treasure! Sketch by me!
Wow! $7500 has arrived!
This means that all the pledge levels that include miniatures ($25, $43, and $50) get a free treasure pile with their pledge!
The treasure pile will be about 40mm long at the longest point, and consists of an amphora and several stacks of axe-head ingots on a pile of coins. Additional treasure piles will be available as purchasable add-ones for $6 each if you want more than one.
Axe head ingots.
Ingots are the most common way that metals are stored in Azor, often produced to a standard weight and shape. Copper, tin, bronze, lead, even gold - the ‘axe head’ shape allows for easy transport & accounting.
Philip Hynes of Bear’s Head Miniatures ( https://www.bearsheadminis.com ) is handling the sculpting duties on this piece, he’s already begun work on it.
