The Clay that Woke: Minotaurs and...well, more minotaurs!

Well? Shouldn't you?

Hey all! Just wanted to give a heads-up for an awesome Kickstarter campaign going on right now. It's for a game called The Clay that Woke, designed by Paul Czege of My Life with Master fame, and it's all about...Minotaurs! (if you hadn't figured that out already...)

Here's the introductory blurb:

Generations ago four infant minotaurs, a lost species, were pulled from the mud of the eternal river. Over centuries they develop a cultural philosophy to help them live among men: be contemplative, do not want, do not express your emotions, for breaking Silence in such a way is an expression of need. Be courageous. Act with wisdom. Work for justice. Do not use the names of women.

We employ them for menial and dangerous work. Pulling plows. Guarding wealthy estates. And for brutal entertainments.

I was lucky enough to be part of the playtesting for this game, and it's completely unique. The mechanics are "indie" in that they're focused on helping drive whatever narrative the players want to create, but it's also focused on long-term, campaign-style play in a completely intriguing setting: Minotaurs as the working-class in a gigantic, decaying, once-great city; the surrounding jungle, filled with strange powers, a secret war, and more. Silence to be broken; boundaries trespassed; desperate battles, betrayals, pain, joy, and scores of instantly memorable NPC with goals of their own. Just enough detail to set your mind on fire and make you want to fill in the rest through play.

The art is fantastic and prolific, custom-drawn by Nate Marcel in order to project the mood and surroundings; the picture at the top of this post is only the most recent example.

There's fiction, too, and while I know that many of us developed an acute allergy to game fiction in the 90s, trust me, this stuff is good, and truly contributes to the actual play of the game.

Check it out, ask Paul questions, and I'm happy to answer what questions I can as well.



Oh, and I'm quoted in the video...