Tabula Games are currently on Kickstarter for Icaion, their latest game set in the world of Mysthea.

With the campaign already well and truly funded, they have come on board to introduce us a bit more to this world and how it came to be the way it is.

It Came From Outer Space

Millennia ago, the planet Icaion suffered a cataclysmic event. An enormous crystal, its origins unknown, came out of the depths of space and crashed into the world. Life on the planet was wiped out, and the crystal shattered into countless shards called Qoam. These shards have mysterious properties all of their own and changed the very forces of nature which shaped the planet. Most notably, a blanket of mists and clouds now covers the surface of the planet, and above this mass of clouds float great islands, chunks of what had once been part of Icaion's crust.

Life and society eventually grew once again on the planet and it is now home to two distinct societies: the society of Icaion who made their home on the planet's surface, and the society of Mysthea.

Mysthea is made up of the lands floating above the clouds. They rotate around the Henakor, the largest shard of crystal on the planet. The people who live there have been influenced by the constant presence of the crystals that keep their lands airborne, attuning themselves to Qoam and developing the ability to manipulate it telepathically. This allows them to do incredible things with the material, ranging from using it as a weapon, weightless in their own hands, to forming entire golems out of it, powered by their will!

For those on the planet's surface, life is cold and dangerous. Sunlight falls in only a very few places, providing limited land to cultivate. This has led to landowners becoming the elite, with farming considered a practice only for those among the upper echelons of society. Most of them have no telekinetic ability with Qoam. Instead, they use it to power incredible machines, mining the stuff from beneath the Henakor and further afield, forming their pre-industrial society.

These two societies have never met, never interacted, never even known the other existed. That is until now.

Icaion

Tabula Games' current Kickstarter is looking to fund Icaion, a game which focuses upon the resource management and engine territory building of the world beneath the clouds.

As part of the Kickstarter, a reprint of the first game Mysthea, which focused upon the society of the floating islands, can be included in the pledge.

Both of these games are complete stand-alone board games. However, by combining them you are left with an entirely new third game: Mysthea: The Fall.

This game is a third stand-alone cooperative title, exploring what happens once the islands of Mysthea fall from the sky and the two civilizations of the world meet at last.

This creation of a third title by combining elements of two previous games is something I really like. Not only does it allow you to experience these disparate aspects of the world separately, but you're also then given the chance to explore how they fare when drawn together by literally bringing the familiar aspects of each title together.

On top of this, the dragon Volfyirion can be brought in as an expansion. This creature started as the protagonist for their card game (which Kickstarted last October) and came out as a 120mm scale miniature. It came out as an optional extra for the card game, but doubles as an expansion for Mysthea: The Fall.

The world of Icaion is one that I find absolutely fascinating, combining the developing world of a pre-industrial society with the mystery of Laputa-like floating islands, something I have always had a great love for in settings.

If you want to find out more about the lore of Icaion, or Mysthea just follow the links or check out the Kickstarter page.

Is this a world that catches your imagination?