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The Cave of Amber Tears Awaits You!

Created by Heart of Arcana

An adventure for the new fantasy RPG from MCDM, Draw Steel! Designed for a group of five 1st-level heroes, this adventure, inspired by Norse myth and folklore, earns the heroes up to 17 victories over the course of 4-6 sessions. *Within the burial mound of a village on the edge of the frigid northern frontier, a decades-long spell of undead transformation reaches its conclusion on the day of Sun Return. Nightmares of the honored dead, risen and bloodthirsty, torment the villagers. Meanwhile, the village chief fitfully recovers from a grievous wound. The heroes, summoned for a feast to commemorate the solar holiday, are secretly tasked with uncovering the source of the nightmares and putting an end to the horrors that stir within the burial mound. But mysteries await the party, as a deeper plot and plan wait to be discovered…* The Cave of Amber Tears is an independent product published under the DRAW STEEL Creator License and is not affiliated with MCDM Productions, LLC. DRAW STEEL © 2024 MCDM Productions, LLC.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Project update and the Stewards of the Sleeping Lands
17 days ago – Thu, May 21, 2026 at 05:58:01 PM

Hello all!

Checking in with exciting news. The Cave of Amber Tears is so incredibly close to the finish line. I'm putting the finishing touches on encounters and miscellaneous bits. Plus, despite some delays with cartography, all the maps and internal art are done!

I'm really looking forward to sharing this adventure with you. Thanks for your patience as we near completion of the adventure.

In the meantime, I just finished the ancestry document for "The Stewards of the Sleeping Lands," which everyone should have access to via their Backerkit downloads.

If you want to share the ancestry with any of your friends who didn't back the project, here's the link: https://heart-of-arcana.itch.io/the-stewards-of-the-sleeping-lands

You may notice that there is a weird file type in the folder; that's so you can play an argillum in Forge Steel!

The Reliquaries of Orvab the Handless!
about 2 months ago – Mon, Apr 13, 2026 at 10:55:04 AM

Hi all,

Quick update to let you know that the "early-bird" reward, "The Reliquaries of Orvab the Handless," is complete! You can grab it from your digital downloads page.

If you're having issues, let me know.

If you didn't back the campaign in the first 48 hours, but want to check out this new product for Draw Steel, you can do so here: https://heart-of-arcana.itch.io/the-reliquaries-of-orvab-the-handless

(Belated) March Check In
2 months ago – Wed, Apr 01, 2026 at 07:36:45 PM

Greetings travelers,

My apologies for missing March (by one day).

Things are going smoothly with editing, revisions, and art. There was a bit of a delay with cartography, so it's unclear if the PDF of the final product will be done in April. If there's a significant delay, you'll know soon!

The Reliquaries of Orvab the Handless are SO close to being finished - literally waiting on one more piece of art. I can't wait to share it with you. Orvab has been kicking around in my head for a long time, and it's awesome to finally have a place where all the weird details are written down.

That's all - I look forward to sharing the PDF of the final adventure with you soon, and then on to getting the physical product into your hands!

- Paul

February Check In
4 months ago – Tue, Feb 17, 2026 at 07:50:39 PM

Greetings backers!

Quick update for you. I'm done with the text for "The Reliquaries of Orvab the Handless," art is in process, and I'm finalizing the argillum ancestry (these are the weird little psionic dwarves that dwell in the Sleeping Lands)!

If you are interested, you can access the argillum ancestry playtest materials here. If you use the ancestry in your games, please let me know by emailing me at [email protected].

The Cave of Amber Tears writing, design, and editing are chugging along, and more art is coming in. Plus, cartography is just about to commence. We are well underway.

In other news, the ancestry I designed for the Jams of the Timescape is selectable over at Forge Steel! Now you can play as a tiny oakling or a misshapen gall guardian. They are kinda like two ancestries in one.

See you in March,
- Paul

January Check In
5 months ago – Thu, Jan 22, 2026 at 05:53:03 PM

Happy New Year backers,

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoyed the winter holidays. Going forward, I'll be providing brief monthly check-ins to share progress.

Right now, I'm happy to report that progress on the Cave of Amber Tears is moving along smoothly. I'm in the midst of playtesting encounters, writing, designing, and commissioning art.

If you're one of the folks who signed up for the "Great Skald of the North" tier, I'll reach out soon to schedule our session!

Writing, design, and copyediting are nearly finished for the Reliquaries of Orvab the Handless. Art is underway! I'm really excited about this short product.

Unrelated, I submitted an ancestry to the Jams of the Timescape project currently underway for Draw Steel creators. You can check out the ancestry for free here: https://heart-of-arcana.itch.io/oaklings

That's all for now!

See you in February,
- Paul