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What Lies Before (Dwarfdom volume 1) is a solo gamebook with unique dice challenges. If you fail the challenges, the bad guys choose your adventure for you.

The Unsung Hero of a Desperate World: Dragons unleash judgment upon the dwarfs. As a lowly golem with rising powers, you must reunite the People, reclaim ancient magic, and forge a new era — or erode into history with all Dwarfdom.

Learn as you Play: Dive straight into the story without reading pages and pages of rules beforehand. The book introduces you to all the major mechanics as you encounter each for the first time.

Go Beyond Stat Checks: While we all love good old roll-X-or-higher, you’ll do so much more with your dice in this game. Like hammer them into each other. Or roll and manipulate them to solve unique puzzles.

Level up your Character: Boost your attributes, master new skills, and recover long-forgotten arcana. Develop an emerging soul across attempts -- what kills you makes your (next) golem stronger!

Shape a Civilization: Your decisions affect the development of non-player characters, influencing their behavior and the course of history.

Emerge Victorious Over and Over (or not): With 7 ways to win, and dozens to lose, you’ll play many times before you’ve fully explored the dwarfs’ world and their possible futures.

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The game, with art that I created by adapting AI output, is finished and incrementally releasing throughout early 2026. For the color hardcover, visit the Kickstarter campaign in January 2026.

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NO-AI

I have commissioned an artist for a NO-AI edition of the game, for those players who prefer such a version. If that's you, SIGN UP HERE for 1 single email alerting you to the availability of the Pureblood Edition, which will only contain art hand-crafted without the aid of AI (or golems).

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Note: In recent years, certain golems circulated a preview that purported to describe the dwarfen war against the dragons. The war did not, in fact, unfold as told. Those golems were hallucinating and have been thrown on the scrap heap.

The new document now available for download, written with the approval of all 5 dynasties, is the official canonical preview for the 2-volume history of the rise and fall of Dwarfdom.

Let this be a lesson to People everywhere: Trust no golem. All are but dust or clay – and know not what they do.