The City of Crescent

***Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent*** is the name of the first project published by the Metis Media team on Kickstarter. The project was fully funded within 8 hours, exceeding its goal by the time of its completion.

*Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent* is a 5th Edition sourcebook. It includes various modules that can be incorporated into your tabletop roleplaying sessions. The book features the Profession System, the Alternate History Toolbox, a Cookbook, and most importantly, it presents the detailed World Setting of Historica Arcanum, along with the Adventure called The City of Crescent.

**Historica Arcanum** is a unique setting that merges the magical elements of the **5th Edition** with real-world history. It portrays a gritty world where magic remains concealed from the majority, but possesses a corrupting influence on those who become entangled with it. The book offers narrative tools within its chapters, enabling players to delve into The City of Crescent adventure and create their own exciting quests within the world of Historica Arcanum.

## Plot

The book centers around Istanbul during the 19th century, which is a time period that serves as a focal point of the narrative. This vibrant city represents a blending of tradition and modernization, being the capital of a declining empire while also being a renowned melting pot of various cultures and peoples throughout history. The story and its characters are carefully selected from the intriguing themes of this distinct period, which has not been explored in fantasy literature before.

**The Profession system** provides player characters with extensive customization options, enabling them to tailor their playstyle according to their preferences. By selecting specific professions, players can add an extra layer of narrative depth to their characters. Furthermore, the system empowers Dungeon Masters (DMs) by offering them the ability to effortlessly generate side quests, enhancing the overall gameplay experience.

## **Kickstarter**

The project was launched on **Kickstarter** in August 23, 2021. Among the **available rewards** were the following tiers:

* **Access to Pledge Manager** ($3)
* **Janissary - PDF** ($19) which included the PDF version of *Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent*, the supporter's name in the book, and access to pledge manager
* **Pasha - Hardcover Book** ($45) which included the hardcover version of *Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent*, the supporter's name in the book, exclusive access to Alchemy RPG, and access to pledge manager
* **Grand Sultan - Collector's Edition** ($150) which included the hardcover version of *Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent*, the PDF version of Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent, mini set including Vlad Tepes, Shadowactor and Djinnmaster, Kickstarter Exclusive GM Screen, A2 print of the city map, Collector's Edition Box, the supporter's name in the book, exclusive access to Alchemy RPG, all unlocked minis as digital .stl files, dice set ladened with Istanbulite turqoise and gold, and access to pledge manager

The Grand Sultan tier was also offered as an **Early Bird Offer** for $100.

Although the initial goal of the book was set at $8,000, it ultimately raised a total of $86,676 in funding. *Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent*, which was entirely crowdfunded, received support from 1,716 backers. Out of 11 stretch goals, 8 was unlocked.

## **The Soundtrack Album**

The soundtrack album for *Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent* was released on various streaming services in 2022. The album consists of a total of 29 songs and has a duration of 1 hour and 33 minutes.

### Character Tracks

* Atlassian Efforts: Padishah Abd-ul Mejid
* The Lilac Sultan: Haseki Sultan Bergüzar Hatun
* The Wolf At The Door: Ahra of the Janissary Remnants
* A Wise Man and His Tortoise : Osman Hamdi Bey, the Royal Polymath
* Lament of March: Alemdar Pasha, The Ghost of March
* Unwanted, Undesired, Unsafe: Theme Song for All Crime Lords

### Story Beat & Battle Tracks

* The Blooming: Act 1, Kore’s Song aboard the Ejder-i Derya
* The City Of World's Desire: Act 1, First Steps Into the City
* Heavy is the Crown: Act 1, The Parade of Swords
* Ruptured Voivode: Act 1, A Legend Lie Among the Ruins
* The Eye Witness: Act 3, Eyes of Suleiman, Final Battle
* Medcezir (High Tide): Act 3, For All Negotiation Tables
* Long Live Padishah: Act 4, Lunar Eclipse , The Final Fight

### Location Specific Ambients

* Safehaven: Ambient Track for Osman Hamdi Bey’s Manor
* Cackling Bones: Ambient Track for A Legend Lie Among the Ruins
* Choose Wisely: Ambient Track for In the Defense of State
* The Wolf’s Lair: Ambient Track for the Janissary Hideout
* Grand Bazaar: Ambient Track for the Grand Bazaar
* The Palace Where It Happens: Ambient Track for the Palace
* The World Below: Ambient Track for the Undercity
* The World Beneath Their Feet: Ambient Track for the High Society

### Situational Tracks

* Istanbul by Day: General Exploration of Istanbul, through the day
* Istanbul by Night: General Exploration of Istanbul, through the night
* Voices From Al- Gaib: Encounters with the Djinnkind
* The Last Resort: Melee Fights
* Arcane Clash : Magical Fights
* The Plot Thickens: Mystery Ambient

## **Contents**

*Historica Arcanum: The City of Crescent* is made up of 6 chapters in total.

* **Chapter I: Historica Arcanum**
	+ Origin Of Magic
	+ Mythologia Arcanum
	+ Running A Story In Istanbul

* **Chapter II: Character Creation**
	+ Character Creation
	+ Spells & Items
	+ Spell Rebound Table
	+ Subclass Options
	+ Feats
	+ Profession System

* **Chapter III: The City Of Crescent**
	+ Locations
	+ Timeline
	+ Synopsis Of The Whole Story
	+ Characters
	+ The Dreams
	+ Act One-The First Crescent
	+ Act Two-The Second Crescent
	+ Act Three-The Third Crescent
	+ Act Four-The Lunar Eclipse
	+ Side Quests
	+ The Wonders Of Creatures And The Marvels Of The Universe

* **Chapter IV: Alternate History Toolbox**
	+ Alternate History Toolbox

* **Chapter V: Cookbook**
	+ Cookbook

* **Chapter VI: Appendix**
	+ The Lies We Told
	+ Historical Reading
	+ Open Game License
	+ Thanks

## **References**

1. ↑ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/metismediarpg/historica-arcanum-seekers-handbook-to-orient
2. ↑ https://www.metismedia.net/product-page/soundtrack-album-for-historica-arcanum-the-city-of-crescent