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!
6 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!
(if you know this anime, I hope this GIF is as funny to you as it is to me hahaha)
A Special THANK YOU! And... Campaign Check In!
6 months ago
– Fri, Dec 12, 2025 at 08:36:11 AM
Hi there folks!
Firstly, apologies for the copy/paste nature to this part of the update as we have lots of campaigns to touch on! We just wanted to update everyone and say...
THANK YOU FOR COMING BY OUR BOOTH AND SAYING HELLO. <3
Dragonsteel Nexus was a wonderful experience for all of us - this was our first time vending at this convention and we had no idea what to expect. I think I speak for the whole Wraithmarked crew when I say we were all blown away by the support and love y'all shared with us. We had so many of you come by, tell us where you heard of us from, what campaigns you backed, what you were looking forward to, and lots of folks who had no idea we were gonna be there! We saw some new faces (hello if you late pledged to this campaign!) and chatted with any and everyone. The whole trip was a blast!
Thank you again for making our first Dragonsteel Nexus the best convention we've ever been to!
The Wraithmarked booth! Still setting up, but lookin good!
Christopher meeting and greeting fans, and checking out Saphira!
Bryce signing 'Iron Prince' for a fan and me, dissociating.
Eira signing a copy of her book 'Run Like Hell' for a fan, me chatting (dissociating), and the true hero of the convention: the white sugar-free can in the bottom of the picture. The true savior of Dragonsteel!
Another shot of Christopher being awesome and chatting with fans. He was such a nice burst of energy and truly kind to everyone who came up - thanks for stopping by!
Now for a campaign check-in...
Today, we wanted to take a moment to remind everyone how you can access your pledge. Even though we're still a ways off from fulfillment, it's never a bad idea to hop in to make sure your shipping information is up-to-date! Using the following link, enter the email address that's attached to your Kickstarter account and you should be able to pull your pledge right up!
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]. Even though it is rare, it may take us up to 3-5 business days to respond and we do not work on holidays or weekends. Please also be aware that as we enter into the holiday season, many of us will be out of the office. We will address tickets in the order they were received, so please have some extra patience with us during this time! Thank you! <3
ALSO A QUICK UPDATE ON THE PROTOTYPE:
As some of you are aware, there was a a small issue with the prototype the printers sent us, with the beak. They are sending us new ones for final approval!
This is going to cause a little bit further delay, but unfortunately it's unavoidable, we're sorry! Given how much this statue means to you guys and Christopher, we really need to see an accurate representation of the finished model before we can sign off on it!
Look forward to that update and images soon!
Coming in 2026: A Special Edition Box Set of Books 1-4 of The Inheritance Cycle! Full-color printing! Fully-customized covers *and* interior! Up to 40+ new illustrations!
7 months ago
– Fri, Nov 14, 2025 at 08:39:01 AM
Hey everyone! Bryce here, and we’ve got STUFF to talk about.
Like all Wraithmarked special editions, these books will be Smyth-sewn and printed on acid-free paper with gilded page edges, but we’re doing something extra special, too… We are printing the books in full color*,* including 5 full-color illustrations inside each book (and that's just the interior illustrations).
We’ve got some pretty insane artists working on this. The main image to this post is the dust jacket of ERAGON, done by none other than the one-and-only Dominik Mayer! Dominik is also doing some incredible custom end sheets (with a twist) for the books, and the amazing Axel Sauerwald (of Magic: the Gathering fame) is handling the interior illustrations and case covers! Finally, Joshua Raphael’s *Divebound Studio (*the team responsible for that awesome illustration of Saphira we had done for the collectable statue campaign we did last year) will be taking on the challenge of the custom tip-in illustrations we'll hopefully be adding in via Stretch Goals.
THE SPECS
So doubling as a TLDR, here are some specs for you for this Book 1-4 box set:
Smyth-sewn
acid-free paper
gilded page edges
custom 4-book slip case
4 custom full-color jacket covers by Dominik Mayer
Jacket front will feature foiling and embossing, and possibly additional gloss elements depending on final design!
Jackets back will have the full-wrap art, making it reversible if you want to display just the illustrations (this will be useful for reasons those of you who watch the whole video I've linked above will understand 😉)
4 custom full-color case covers for the naked hardcovers by Axel Sauerwald
3+ custom greyscale end sheets accented with gold foil by Dominik Mayer
3 more to be unlocked via Stretch Goals
full-color printing (not just the art, though additional color will mostly be on the chapter headers)
for those curious paper stock will be a healthy 90gsm if we unlock all Stretch Goals (these will be early, so we hope to!)
20 full-color illustrations by Axel Sauerwald
4 single-page per book
1 double-page per book
1 full-color map with custom foil gilding per book
we are going to be reusing the Book of Remembrance map here, but there will be a fun special element to each book's map (hint: gold foiling) that will make them unique and special.
3 new custom dragon illustrations by Divebound for the tip-ins if we unlock the Stretch Goal
the tip-ins will initially only feature the Saphira illustration we did as a bonus for the Saphira collectable figurine, but each book will have a different dragon if we unlock the Stretch Goals!
STEADY REVEALS OVER THE COMING MONTHS
We’re going to be sharing as much of the 40+ pieces of art we can over the next several months while we prep for the Kickstarter for this project, so please sign up for a launch reminder to follow along. These books have taken a huge amount of time and resources for Wraithmarked, and we couldn’t be more proud of how they’re turning out, so supporting the campaign will be incredibly helpful when the time comes.
PRICING AND A HEADS UP!
Oh, and speaking of, repeating it all here: While you can sign up for a launch reminder today, please know that this campaign will not launch until the Saphira collectible statues are all out the door and on the way to those of you who backed. So we’re talking months from now. We know it’s a little weird to be announcing a project like this so early, but there are two reasons:
First, this box set is going to be expensive at between $300 and $350 +s/h. We know that is a lot, but we regrettably don’t have the option to charge less, which is why we are stuffing this books with full color art and other goodies. Because of that, we wanted to give those who wanted it as much time as possible to save up for the campaign, IF they want to. To additionally help with this, we are:
Going to make sure Kickstarter's "Pledge Over Time" feature is enabled (allows you to split the cost of your pledge across 3 months)
Going to try to keep shipping as low as possible despite the 4 books, and will be charging shipping 2+ months after the campaign ends as another way to help split the bill. Shipping will be transparent and locked in during the campaign, too, so you will know exactly what it is you'll be charged.
Second, like I just mentioned, because of the price point of the product, Wraithmarked has doubled down on the production of these books, meaning we really need your help to make this a success. The longer a runway we can get before launching this, the more likely we manage to pull that off.
THANK YOU EVERYONE!
That’s it for now, I hope you like the first look at this special edition box set of THE INHERITANCE. Stay tuned for a new reveal every week from now until launch, and I'll see you all in the comments to answer any questions you might have!
PS: We know that $300+ USD is beyond the means of some people, and we completely understand that, so two things.First*, this comes with the request from both Wraithmarked and Christopher to please back responsibly! We love your support, but we would rather have one less sale and you not put yourself at risk for a product of ours!* Second*, if you'd like an incredible set of the books at a bit lower price, our friends over at The Broken Binding have* a wonderful setwith custom covers and end sheets by the amazing Jeff Brown still available for purchase for about $165+s/h at current USD conversion rates!
Quick clarification on the models from last update, and an important pre-announcement!
7 months ago
– Fri, Nov 07, 2025 at 07:25:55 AM
Hey yall! Bryce here! Two important things:
A QUICK CLARIFICATION ABOUT THE LAST UPDATE
We had a few people reach out confused about the pictures we posted in the update a few days ago, asking us why we were reposting the same images from the campaign! I wanted to clarify that the Saphira, Eragon, and Armored Saphira Bust that we were showing off in the Update are prototypes from the producer! They were not the models we used on the campaign!
In fact, here are some quick snaps of the the campaign prototype and production prototype we took side by side to let the producer know we needed to fix how sharp the beak is. You can see not only that they are different models, but also that the production prototype is that slight 10% bigger we promised she would be!
SECOND, A BIG HEADS UP
Late next week, Wraithmarked is going to be announcing the Kickstarter for our next ERAGON project, which will launch in Q1 or Q2 of next year.
Please know, before anything else, that this newest Kickstarterwill not be launching until after the Saphira statues are well into fulfillment.
I know this might seem like a silly thing to shout from the mountaintops, especially before the actual campaign announcement, but it’s very important that you guys know that there will be no more TIC Kickstarter projects launching until Saphira is on the way to those of you who backed her.
Immediately, however, some of you will ask yourself a very good question: “But Bryce, why bother announcing the new project this early at all?”
Great question, and more will be revealed next week along with the pre-launch page. In short, however:
FIRST, it is going to be an expensive project (there was a minimum cost-per-unit we had to meet to license the rights from the rights holder), so we want those of you who will want to back it to have as much time as possible to save up for it if you want to. (As always, this comes with the request from both Wraithmarked and Christopher to please back responsibly! We love your support, but we would rather have one less sale and you not put yourself at risk for a product of ours!)
SECOND, because the project is expensive, we’ve dumped alotof time and resources into it to make it more valuable to you guys, so we need it to be as successful as possible to balance out that overhead. The longer a runway we have on a project like this, the more interest we can get and the better it’s going to do!
Like I said, a lot more will become clear starting next week, and since we’ll have new reveals every week after that for a while, hopefully everyone will understand why we’re announcing the project so early.
One more time for those in the back, though: While we are announcing the Kickstarter campaign next week,it will not be launching until after the Saphira statues are well into fulfillment.
Here's a suuuuper sneak peek for you! Feel free to guess what we have coming next!
Blurred Crop of Art by Dominik Mayer
Happy to answer any non-spoiler questions in the comments! Questions about the product and the like will need to wait until next week, though!
