Magnum Galaxy Gazette #4: Buried Gods and Blossoming Horrors
It’s been a bustling and creative few months here at MGG HQ and I wanted to drop in to tell you a little about what’s going on behind the scenes. Between wrapping up the manuscript for Awaiting the Burning Gods, cracking on with the Hardlight Anthology, and resisting the urge to chase a dozen new project rabbit holes… I figured it was time for a sitrep, as it were. Let’s dig in.
Burning Gods is Almost Ready
All Codex Noirmatic’s art is in and between his killer vision and Dai Shugars’ layouts the zine has been knocked out of the park— it’s sleek and sharp, and the “xeno-archeotech” vibe is humming. The book looks like some kid of psychedelic Hardy Boys meets Heavy Metal fantasy straight out of 1977 and I am here for it.
Pre-orders are still open for about 6 more weeks, so if you’ve been meaning to jump in, now’s the time.
Smuggler’s Guide to Sector 1365
What started as a digital bonus for Burning Gods is now a whole second book included with every copy. With this one we’re going for a high-contrast, early-90s BBS zine look—and Dai absolutely read my mind with it. It's slick, high signal, and weird in the best way.
Inside you’ll find all kinds of cool adventure fuel including NPC factions like The Queen and her loyal Emissaries, overseeing trade in the reactor-lit haze of the Barge Bazaar. Weird contraband contributed by Joel Hines. And a ton of tables, plot hooks for smuggling campaigns set in sector 1365.
Hardlight Anthology Update: September Bound
It’s getting big—100 pages and counting, with almost all adventures submitted in and through Jarret’s dev edits.
A couple new adventures ready since last time:
"Oneiros" by Josh Domanski (Liminal Horror, Outer Rim: Uprising):
A hyperspace horror nightmare where the crew is trapped inside a cult's psychic experiment—testing the mind’s limits within the void.
For my part, I’m working on “Escape from Somerset”—a push-dungeon set in a lush, living garden-world run by a single, all-consuming consciousness. Expect beautiful daylight horror, whispering flowers, and vines that whisper your name as they suck the blood from your veins.
Follow on the Kickstarter preview page to be notified when the campaign goes live.
Other Dreams: A Glimpse of Possible Futures
Okay, I can’t stop thinking about this. Imagine:
A Mothership sandbox campaign set on a just-barely-habitable alien world. Your crew are survivors, scavengers, settlers—trying to carve out a home as the planet itself pushes back.
A few key inspirations:
Scavenger’s Reign
Raised by Wolves
Stonetop, but in space
Base-building, exploration, discovery, and lots of weird fauna. I’m playing with pointcrawls, pathcrawls, and the structure of hex-based West Marches campaigns… but in Mothership’s brutal, uncertain tone.
This is likely the next big thing I’ll work on after the Anthology. More to come on this I’m sure.
Cloud Empress meets Post Apocalytic Faerie Mecha
I was chatting with Watt the other day about Cloud Empress and wishing I had time to write something for it. And then I read Evlyn Moreau’s skeet about faerie mecha and… picture this:
A dreamy, overgrown landscape. Giant biomechanical suits bound to ancient lineages. Escaflowne meets Nausicaa. Mechs that hum with myth, rust, and verdure.
If someone writes this I’ll be first in line.
What’s Next
Burning Gods + Smuggler’s Guide → Final pre-order push. Printing soon.
Hardlight Anthology → September launch.
New sandbox ideas → on the backburner but bubbling up.
That’s it for number 4. Thanks for reading, sharing, being here. And if you like these updates, tell a friend. Every boost to the signal helps.
Until next time—
Dave