Stretch goal 8 unlocked! Lore Spotlight: Ryude Maintenance!
9 months ago
– Sun, Sep 07, 2025 at 10:26:43 AM
Hello everyone,
Bradly here, back with your next Wares Blade update! Hope everyone's weekend is going well. Today's update is the first of several gameplay-focused posts, where we dive a little deeper into the mechanics and lore of Wares. Of course, we've also got some other business to discuss, so let's jump right into things!
Stretch Goal 8 Unlocked!
Since our last update, we've knocked out another stretch goal and are over halfway to the next! Let's take a look at the map to see where we're at.
Having surpassed the $160,000 mark, we'll be adding an afterword to the back of the book, to help bookend things, since we have already added a Foreword thanks to reaching the $100,000 mark! But let's be honest here, everyone's just waiting for that $170k goal, which will allow us to provide another scenario, Mountain Where the Devil Slumbers. We're so close to unlocking it too, so let's keep up the pace!
Lore Spotlight: Zen and the Art of Ryude Maintenance
Despite their mechanical appearance, Ryude are powered by a delicate synthesis of biological and arcane systems. Players who get their hands on one of these massive machines must therefore be ready to watch after its well-being: a neglected Ryude will quickly accumulate Ability Score penalties, compromising its performance and out of battle.
Two staples keep a Ryude running: water and blood. Water provides cooling to the machine’s systems and will be gradually boiled off with every movement and action. By default, a Ryude carries about three days’ worth of water, but fierce battles and hot weather will deplete those reserves much quicker. If the machine’s water tanks run dry in a critical moment, it’ll overheat and shut down, leaving its operator in a whole world of trouble.
Blood is equally essential, as it sustains the muscle tissue that allows the Ryude to move. It will usually take about a year for a machine’s blood supply to begin putrefying, at which point its movement starts getting slower and less reliable. However, the Ryude’s pseudo-circulatory system is also vulnerable to damage—one hit in the wrong place, and the machine could start bleeding out. Once this happens, the only thing a Ryude-Master can do is seal off the affected area and hope for the best. A Ryude’s blood supply also makes it vulnerable to a whole other type of weapon—but more on that next time!
Wrapping Up
And that'll do it for today's update! We'll be back on Tuesday with another, so keep an ear to the ground for that! If you have any questions or need to contact us, feel free to send us a message or comment here, or reach us through one of the platforms below.
As always, keep spreading the word about Wares Blade! Just telling a single person helps us, as that one person may tell another person, who then may tell another person, and so on. A big shoutout to everyone who's already done that and, of course, to everyone who's supported the campaign thus far! You all are awesome.
Until next time!
Bradly & the LionWing Team
