Saphira, Queen of the Skies, as imagined by Christopher Paolini himself!
Latest Updates from Our Project:
An Update to Production! And... An Upcoming Campaign!
21 days ago
– Mon, Mar 23, 2026 at 04:25:16 PM
Hi there folks!
We hope you're well, enjoying the start of the week, and hopefully having decent weather (we've been bounced back and forth between winter and spring)! We've got a handful of things for you folks today!
An Update to Production!
First off, Saphira!
We have a number of details to touch up on here, so apologies if this is a lot to digest! To start off, we're waiting on the final PPC (Pre Production Copy/Pre Production Check) of Saphira. Since we received her last model from the manufacturer, they fixed her snout (she was a little too pointy), her horns (a few of them were too sharp/long), and we requested they add some additional weight to her base. Everything else on her looked wonderful. The magnets were strong, her pieces attached seamlessly, and the model looked fierce!
Next up - the Coin!
As many of you lovingly (thankfully) pointed out, there was a slight error to the coin prototypes we showed off last time! Somewhere along the line in communication, the STL files were mirrored, making the gedwëy ignasia appear on a left hand instead of a right hand, as originally designed!
The Coin!
We have since corrected this with the manufacturer - a new mould is to be made! We're still thinking of making the coin a little thicker to give it extra heft, but as our modeler isn't available this week, we likely won't have a solid answer on that specific decision at this time.
Since our last box update, we've made a couple very small tweaks. We requested a heavier frosting on the scale pattern to make sure the texture POPS! There WILL still be a design underneath - don't worry! - but we wanted to make sure the sleeve really stood out on it's own, as well.
The Wardrobe Box!
As you can also see from the picture above, there's just a tiiiny bit of extra room at the top. We're looking to make this plastic sleeve fit the box as snug as possible, so the manufacturer is making a couple minor adjustments to measurements and have assured us they can get a closer fit! At this point in time, they're just waiting until the PPC of the Wardrobe Box is finished so they can measure the new plastic box sleeve exactly to the PPC.
In addition, the digital proof for the plastic sleeve as well as the Wardrobe Box have been approved! Production of the box PPC is underway and we'll be sent that after it's been measured for the new plastic sleeve.
Similar to our Wardrobe Box for Saphira, we've also approved the digital Bust Box proofs! We're super excited to get our proof and will absolutely show it off once it arrives!
Finally, to reiterate from a couple updates ago, we're still aiming to begin fulfillment summer of 2026! Even though we're expecting a handful of PPCs to show up on our doorstep in the coming weeks, it will still take several to account for production, approvals, shipping, etc.
There's only so much we can say to remedy the disappointment some of you may be feeling. We've said this once and we'll say it again: this campaign was a massive learning experience for us and we're sorry we didn't anticipate the production timeline more accurately! There's so much more that goes into a project like this behind the scenes and with a story as well-loved as Eragon/The Inheritance Cycle, we wanted to do all of you proud as well as Christopher and his team. We're just a small group of humans learning and trying to bring you the best possible representation of an incredible series.
As always, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We say it a lot, and will continue to do so!
THE ULTIMATE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY OMNIBUS
This one seemed like something a lot of you guys might like to be aware of!
On May 5th, Wraithmarked will be releasing what we believe could be considered the most ambitious omnibus edition of Douglas Adam's THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY series ever produced.
As in not only is it a full-color book, but it's going to include 42 full-color illustrations. And that's JUST the interior art. So add in the Smyth-sewn binding. And acid-free paper. And custom covers. And end sheets. And cloth wrapping. And... Well... You get the picture.
There's more detail and a LOT more art revealed on the pre-launch page, so take a look if it interests any of you guys! As always, this will be a single-print run with campaign exclusive discounts, so Kickstarter is the only place you can guarantee your copy and get it at a discount!
Addressing the new (potential) tariffs. No, we will not be charging anyone any additional fees.
about 2 months ago
– Tue, Feb 24, 2026 at 06:49:52 AM
IN REGARDS TO THE POTENTIAL TARIFFS
Hey all, Bryce here. This is a quick one.
As with the last time we went through this situation in 2025, I wanted to let our buyers and Kickstarter Backers who are still awaiting their products know that Wraithmarked Creative will not be instituting any additional fees to cover potential tariff costs.
At this time, it's unclear if there will be new global tariffs, much less what they'll be if they come into being. Regardless, in the event that they happen, please rest assured there will be no surprise fees put in place to cover those costs if you have already purchased a book from Wraithmarked Creative or are awaiting a product from one of our campaigns. We'll manage the additional cost one way or the other.
Here's to hoping these tariffs don't come to fruition, period.
All the best, and thank you, everyone, for your patience while we've navigated the complexities of publishing in 2025/26.
Bryce O'Connor, CEO
We've got COIN PICTURES (and MORE - BIG Update)! And... SO MANY DRAGONS FOR THE BOX SET!
about 2 months ago
– Thu, Feb 12, 2026 at 09:16:31 AM
Hey guys! Bryce here with a few updates for you!
FIRST AND FOREMOST... AN UPDATE TO FULFILLMENT!
Many of you have been super patient and are requesting an update regarding our fulfillment timeline. Currently, we're aiming to begin summer of 2026! We know this is likely disappointing news, and there's only so much we can say to remedy that besides that this campaign was a massive learning experience for us and we're sorry we didn't anticipate the production timeline more accurately (from conceptualizing, to communication with artists/teams/etc., to factory samples, to actual production, to tweaks, to more samples, etc. etc.). We're at the point where we are finalizing every detail and getting the last approvals from Wraithmarked as well as Christopher's team.
So again, thank you all for the support. I know we say it a lot but this is truly a massive undertaking and it wouldn't have been possible without you all. We want these in your hands, and we promise she is absolutely worth the wait.
FIRST... WE FINALLY HAVE COIN SAMPLES!
Biiiiig coins! The heads side shows Saphira and Eragon in flight!
We're very pleased with them. They are a little bit thinner than we wanted in body, but after discussing between us it's because they have a wider diameter than most coins. This gives them a good heft and texture, and the designs came out really well!
The tails side depicting Eragon receiving the gedwëy ignasia!
Let us know what you think!
Second... THE PLASTIC SLEEVE SAMPLE!
Ta-daaaa!
Aerial view!
Side by side with the open wardrobe box!
This is the plastic sleeve that will cover each and every Saphira statue box, adding an extra layer of protection (and pizazz). As you can hopefully see, we have a repeating scale pattern adorning the box; it's a subtle pattern that's still awaiting finalization. We're going to try and see if the frosting on the scales can pop more!
Please ALSO be aware that the box underneath the sleeve will not remain white! This is simply our prototype box and are awaiting final printing for the fully designed box.
Everyone loves a gif!
And one without the box underneath for good measure!
Prototypes of the fully designed box to come soon, as well!
LASTLY... NEW TIP-IN ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE BOX SET!
Once more, this won't come as a surprise to any of you how have been following our leaks, but a couple weeks ago we showed off the last of the 4 illustrations Divebound Studio has done for our upcoming, full-color, illustrated Special Edition Box Set of the THE INHERITANCE CYCLE!
The books will initially come with the Saphira illustration we had done for our Certificate of Authenticity (last image) as the illustration for all the tip-ins, but if we crack the necessary stretch goals, we'll be including these customs for ELDEST, BRISINGR, and INHERITANCE.
And yes, we ARE aware that Glaedr, Thorn, Shruikan, Firnen, AND Saphira make 5 illustrations for 4 books. We wanted all 5 in case we ever needed them! Plus there's no way we could skip on one of these bad boys!
Typically, we like to show you guys behind the scenes goings on when it comes to book production such as quote requests, a look at the interior art and merch goodies offered during the campaign, maybe even an author signing - that kind of stuff! However, when we can, we also like to let you folks know that we are still a small, independent company with a handful of dedicated employees wanting to make waves in the publishing world. We've come a long way from when we ran our very first campaign, which brings us to today...
We are officially moving into our first warehouse! No more garages or storage units! WOOHOO!
This may not be the most exciting news for some, but for us, it was a looong time coming. We are so excited to begin this new journey in a new location, and we've already started moving our things over! We now have a loading dock! (Like I said, very exciting for us)
That being said, during this process, our support and responses will be a little longer than normal as it's all-hands-on-deck for the move. We're anticipating things to return to normal later next week, but keep in mind, we may have a slight backlog to get through. If you have questions at any point in this process, check out the campaign FAQs and if you need additional help, please send an email to [email protected].
See you in the next one!
Update on the Armored Bust box and... LOOK AT THESE BOX SET COVERS!
3 months ago
– Wed, Jan 14, 2026 at 05:34:58 AM
So many of you saw and participated in our survey on Updated #45 in December, but just in case you didn't, here's a quick refresher:
After talking with our production partner, we learned that not only was the 3D window we had planned for for the Armored Saphira Bust going to increase the risk of damage to the bust in shipping and handling, but it would also have a significant environmental impact we did not foresee ahead of time (which is entirely on me).
With that survey, I asked for your feedback on changing the box to something more environmentally friendly, with the change happening only under the condition that at least 75% of respondents were voted "Yes" or "Didn't care".
With 2800+ respondents over 3 weeks, we got 76%. Screenshot of results below, and link to those results here.
Survey Results
So... The box is changing. HOWEVER... It was very fairly pointed out to me in December that I had, in my rush to ask you guys for feedback, done a terrible job of communicating to you what the issue was, as well as communicating what I had in mind as a fix.
On top of that, I also failed to express that we wanted to replace the 3D window with something that (while the model would be hidden) would feel more luxurious in your hands. So, let's correct that with a couple clearer lists and some mockups, starting with the original design with the 3D window.
WHAT THE ORIGINAL DESIGN INCLUDED:
A plain black tuck box (flap that opened on a hinge).
A molded plastic 3D window.
No detailing.
No glossing.
THE ISSUES:
Increased risk of damage in shipping and handling because of the protruding window (even with the foam I'll mention below).
Increased use of plastic.
Further increase in environmental impact because in order ship these, a large semi-custom block of foam would have to fill out the space around each window to create a shape that was safe to ship.
Not a huge thing, but this box also never had any plans to have anything more cool about it than the window, meaning it would have been pretty plain.
Diagram of Original Concept.
As you can see in the above diagram, A shows the two plastic sleeves that would have been needed to hold the model in place inside with a 3D window protruding out side the box (B and C). Worse, D shows a rough indication of how much foam would be needed to create a "safe" shape to ship.
To better illustrate that foam, here's a rough 3D view of it for you:
Rough diagram including solid foam.
WHAT THE NEW DESIGN INCLUDES:
A higher-quality telescoping box (seperate top and bottom that slide apart).
Reduced plastic waste.
Significantly reduced foam waste (space taken up my mostly air inside the box).
Clear-gloss custom scale design on the front and sides of the box.
Clear-gloss "BUST" in english and in runes on the top and bottom of the box respectively.
Diagram of New Concept.
As my absolutely horrible mockups will hopefully convey, G shows you where the clear-gloss scale and wording designs will go on a telescoping box top that slides over the bust and box proper itself (H).
THIS RESOLVES THE ISSUES BY:
Eliminating the increased the risk of damage caused by the 3D window
Reducing the use of plastic (amount depends on final interior packing design).
Hugely reduces the environmental impact (some extra cardboard instead of a lot of extra foam).
Cooler box design and custom elements.
In summary: I know that this shift comes as a disappointment to some of you who wanted the 3D window for display purposes, but because the bust was always an add-on, we hadn't designed its packaging with any trimming in mind like we did for the statue. With this shift in design, we are successful at not only massively reducing our environmental impact, but also hopefully providing a better box-opening and overall experience to all of you.
Thank you to all 2800+ of you who put your votes in. It was extremely helpful! If you have any questions, I will be in the comments below of the next couple of days answering anything I can!
This won't come as a surprise to any of you how have been following our leaks, but in December we showed of the last of the 4 covers the amazing Dominik Mayer has done for our upcoming, full-color, illustrated Special Edition Box Set of the THE INHERITANCE CYCLE! Check these out!
There is a LOT more art already revealed and coming from here until launch, so make sure to follow the campaign by hitting "Notify me on launch" on the pre-launch page!
This will be a collection of the books unlike anything ever seen so far!
(And just a reminder that this campaign will NOT launch until after Saphira is on her way to your doors!)
Cheers all!
Bryce
PS: Oh and... Did we tell you all these covers form a panorama to give you guys additional display options? ;) Check THIS out!
Quick survey needed from people getting the Saphira bust! We may be able to speed up production and reduce tariffs if we simplify the bust packaging. But we need your thoughts!
4 months ago
– Thu, Dec 18, 2025 at 07:01:30 AM
Hey all! Bryce here!
As we work towards getting Saphira out to you with the minimum delay, one of the things we're looking into is how to speed up production without sacrificing product quality. Stuff like bringing on extra hands to help coordinate some of the additional merch products, keeping in tighter communication with the producer, etc.
In that communciation, one thing suggested to us that would not only reduce production time, but also reduce costs, environmental impact, and potential damage in transit was getting rid of the 3D viewing port in the Saphira Bust packaging we unlocked as the $1.25mil Stretch Goal.
For those of you not in the know: As it currently stands, the left half of the bust would be firmly inside a protective box, while the right side would jut out of the box into a special plastic window custom molded to fit Saphira. It would look cool, but it turns out it's one of the more complicated elements of all the packaging. For that reason, removing it could absolutely result in some reduction in delay, as well as simplifying packaging, shipping, and costs.
Would you prefer we eliminate the 3D plastic window on the bust in an effort to speed up production and fulfillment of the Saphira Collectible Statue as a whole?
Let me be clear: We will NOT be removing the viewing port without a solid majority of of "YES" votes. Usually we call that majority at 67% for surveys like this, but since we foresee some non-bust backers participating in an effort to speed up delivery, we are raising that to 75% "YES" (or "I don't care") for this question. So less than 25% "NO".
An important question: If we end up going with "YES", will something replace the 3D port since it was a Stretch Goal reward. The answer is yes! We're not 100% on what that is, but we're thinking of doing some minimal design on the box, like adding metallic foil to make it stand out.
Again, you can answer the above questions here, and we ask that ONLY people who backed for a bust respond, thanks!
