This update announces a revision to the delivery estimate of The Vault of Mini Things from late summer/early fall to fall/winter. It goes into the reasons behind the revision and in particular gives a look into the iterative engineering that’s gone into the vertical terrain elements of the Vault. No action is required.

When we launched this project we anticipated delivery in late summer/early fall of 2024. This estimate was based on our extensive experience making terrain and Marshall’s deep, existing catalog of minis. Today, we’re announcing that the delivery estimate is changing to late fall/winter 2024. To put an exact deadline on it: we’re targeting orders to be in the mail and on the way to customers by December 6–the first day of PAX Unplugged 2024. 

Three factors contributed to us not being able to hit the original delivery estimate:

Even with hundreds of minis art already “in the can” thanks to the Printable Heroes catalog, the Vault demanded the creation of hundreds more original works of art. Marshall has been making minis art for years and is quite fast considering each mini actually requires two pieces of art at minimum: the front, and the back. And Marshall being the creative illustrator that he is, his pen will often lead him into making variants of a mini. Say, different weapons, hair or armor styles, or a variety of fantasy races. Looking at what we already had and what we needed, we felt that we could hit the original estimate if Marshall’s output was augmented by an already-lined-up contractor artist. Unfortunately that contractor went through a major life event and was unable to contribute. It took several months to find and onboard a new artist. Fortunately this new artist, Jordan Kotzebue, is up and running and we are moving much faster now. Moving the delivery estimate gives us the time we need to complete the art lift.

The minis in the Vault (and Pouches of Mini Things) are packaged on sheets of die-cut cardstock. At first glance this seems simple enough: just print all the minis onto a sheet, make a die to cut (or rather, score-for-punching) that sheet, and off we go. However: each mini in the Vault has a unique silhouette / shape. And some minis will come in multiple quantities–enough so that you can field a raid of orcs, or a rattle of skeletons. Figuring out how to efficiently arrange as many minis as possible onto a sheet, and taking into consideration multiple quantities, for a product containing a thousand minis… that’s a task for a computer. Fortunately, the Tinkerhouse team includes a member who writes software tools for a living. Unfortunately, writing such a tool takes significant time, and can’t be fully tested until all art and design is finalized. 

Some of that art is the miniature art mentioned above. But some is art and design elements we’re developing to improve quality-of-life and user experience for you, the backer. For example, colored and numbered tabs to make both initial setup and daily play quicker and easier. Some of these quality of life elements were discovered as we iterated on production and amounted to time-consuming feature creep. But we strongly believe that they’ll result in a more positive user experience.  

Tinkerhouse has been making full-color chipboard wargaming terrain for many years, and we anticipated that the seemingly-simpler terrain for the Vault would be fairly quick & easy. This was not the case. The terrain in the Vault is meant to compliment the inherently 2-d nature of the Vault’s standee minis. This is conceptually and practically very different from the 3-d terrain we’d been building. Whereas Tinkerturf Terrain can feature robust, thick columns and supports Vault terrain must attempt to represent the maps found within RPG adventure modules–and those maps often don’t account for wall thickness or buttressing. We also had a product design goal/constraint of quick-and-easy setup, with no glue or “hobbying” required, while still being sturdy and strong. 

So we went through several rounds of engineering iteration, covered in the Terrain Engineering Overview section below.

The method Printable Heroes had been recommending for print-and-play walls, with thin printed walls permanently taped onto elongated hexagon bases, just wouldn’t work for the thicker cardstock we’re using in the Vault.
 


They’re too tippy, and the thickness of the bases would unpleasantly tilt any mini placed alongside a wall. We tried many different shapes and thicknesses for supporting walls from a flat base, and each had a flaw that negatively impacted setup and gameplay. So while small elements such as torches and treasure chests will be supported from the bottom, using the same base that the minis use, we had to come up with a different solution for larger elements like walls and big obstacles.

The traditional method for standing up a simple vertical terrain element is to use one or two notched cross-pieces. This is simple, intuitive, and quick to set up and take down. It’s what we settled on for supporting outdoor vertical terrain elements like rocks, trees, and fences–elements that will be placed with plenty of space between them, and lots of room for minis to maneuver around.
 

But cross-pieces don’t work in tight interior spaces, such as a dungeon environment. If a cross-piece extends even just one inch from a wall, this effectively creates a barrier all the way across a 10-foot wide (two 1-inch squares) corridor–and completely prevents setting up a narrow 5-foot wide (one 1 inch square) corridor. That limitation just isn’t feasible.

In the end we selected the same system of support used in home construction: we support a wall by attaching it to another wall. Two perpendicular linear elements joined together forms a sturdy structure. Since the actual use-case of our collection of walls and door frames is forming rooms and corridors, we figure we can safely assume that any wall or door frame will be joined to at least one other vertical element. Once we settled on that concept it took weeks to design, engineer, test, and select our solution for the method of connection: plastic compression-fit columns in a brick texture suitable for both dungeon and tudor village environments. They’re quick & easy to set up and take down, store compactly, don’t meaningfully protrude into the playspace, and look good. 

—

While a delivery delay is not what any backer wants to hear, we hope that the quality (and quality of life) improvements will make the Vault much more enjoyable and user-friendly when it reaches your table. Thank you for your continued support of The Vault of Mini Things.

We'll conclude this update with two short gifs from Marshall showing a turnaround of a complete Vault mini with front-and-back art, insertable terrain pog, and custom base.

 

Hello from drizzly Seattle, where a recent Facebook post that got shared ‘round stated “We leave tomorrow for Seattle, our first time there, and it looks like it will be raining all week. I really wanted to visit the parks. Can we still go? Will they close?” 

While the parks don't close for rain in Seattle, the Vault Late Pledge will be closing in two weeks. What does this mean? BackerKit’s Late Pledge option has been working well for us, with lots of new backers continuing to pledge, but it also comes with some behind the scenes complications. How do you know if you're a late pledge backer? If you've been receiving a “complete your survey” email over and over, even after completing the survey, you're a late pledge backer (that's a Backerkit bug and we've alerted them to it). Our plan is to close the Late Pledge and move to a Pre-Order-style storefront that you may have seen before on BackerKit. We also plan to update the pricing on Pre-Order to be an "on sale" price of our final retail pricing. If all goes well you should still have access to the pledge manager for late pledge orders. 

This update does not require any action if you've already completed your Survey. If you haven't: now's the time to do so!

The Vault of Mini Things is more than “just” hundreds of gorgeous full-color minis. It also contains starter terrain for Dungeon, Wilderness, and Town environments. And as demonstrated by this projects Add-ons, we're expanding on this sampling of terrain with more extensive and diverse environments in the Vault product line. Every square inch of that terrain is hand-drawn by the Vault's illustrious illustrator Marshall Short. Below, Marshall showcases his recent explorations for the Graveyard environment. 

In his own words:

Hey Everyone!

Marshall Short here. You can learn all about me in Update #7. My apologies for the lack of art updates lately, I’ve been working deep in the art mines, growling at anyone who tries to interrupt me. However the team managed to haul me back to the surface to show off and walk through the art process on some of the larger Map Tiles available in the Vault and the Terrain sets.

Quick note before we get started, these images are of my prototypes that I’m working with to visually and tactilely review colors, readability, general vibe (does it feel good) and to playtest general usability. These prototypes don’t have all the bells and whistles of the final product; for instance the large tiles shown below are only 8”x10” while our final versions will be 10”x10”, and I’m just using simple paper bases instead of the fancy clips and pog bases we’ll be using in the final product, some colors may change, etc.

Okay! Let’s dive right in.

We talked a little bit about the smaller map tiles in Update #6, but I’m going to be using the Graveyard set to walk through the art side of the larger map tiles. 

Here’s a quick shot of a few bare tiles,

So right off the bat one of the big things that was important to us when we designed our map tiles was modularity - it was important to us that Game Masters are able to rotate, flip, mix-and-match, and rearrange tiles together to create a myriad of different layouts. 
 
For the Graveyard this meant we wanted to provide path segments, grassy fields, transition from path to field, and then a larger structure for narratives to be built around.

Another thing we knew going into making these map tiles is we’d be providing lots of props and terrain pieces for folks to place on top, so it was important that we provide enough space for Game Masters to flesh out their encounters. That also means not painting things like gravestones, coffins, etc. directly into the map tiles because that would limit the use cases (maybe you want to use these graveyard tiles for overgrown forgotten ruins and not a graveyard at all!) and conflict with the gravestone and coffin props the Game Master will be placing themselves..

Here’s a look at the same tiles from above combined with a bunch of the Graveyard props and terrain,

Here things really start to get fun! I always know we’re on the right track when I’m playtesting stuff and my Game Master creativity starts firing,

“Ooo, what if I place an orb here on the dais, and when the character’s enter the graveyard  it starts glowing and undead rise up from the ground until the character’s disable the orb?”

And you can already see how even just a few wall segments can really redefine the space - suddenly the lower half of the map is cut off from the top half and only accessible via a choke point at the gate, which can dictate the flow of the characters through the encounter and setup challenges for them to over come - perhaps there’s ranged enemies on the other side of the wall firing arrows through the fence?

Of course, just because we know we need empty space for folks to place props and terrain over the map tiles we still want the map tiles to have enough visual interest to stand on their own, to that end I try to place fun little details here or there that hopefully don’t interfere with any Game Master’s narratives,

Speaking of fun little details, as the sole artist on this project I can’t possibly draw every unique brick or patch of grass (as much as I might want to) in a reasonable amount of time so I have to get tactical. For each map tile set I have to plan ahead for what kind of textures and materials will be present and then draw/paint specific tiling textures I can use to flesh out the space.

Let’s take this map tile as an example, 

I knew I’d need multiple brick tiles, something for the main dais, then rough flagstone for the roads. Since we were using more traditional green grass in the Wilderness set I wanted to go with a yellowish-orange dead grass for the Graveyard set, in addition to the rocky dirt ground texture. 

Here’s the tiling textures that I ultimately created for this tile,

These textures were created with the same process I use for the miniatures (line art and three tone shading) to keep the art style consistent. The grass is an exception however as I found from lots of experimentation that line work on the grass blades just gets too noisy and distracting, so I drop the black line work and use a highlight color to help define the grass blades.

Once all of the textures are created (with lots of little test collages to make sure they work together) I start blending them together to flesh out the map tile. 

Here’s a quick and dirty breakdown of those textures being applied, much like painting except instead of painting with a singular color I’m painting with “mud texture” or “grass texture” and trying to blend them all together so they feel natural.

After the main body of the map tile has been fleshed out with the blended tiling textures I go back through zooming into each section to clean them up - making sure grass blades correctly over grow rubble, and placing little bones or other debris neat little details.


Here’s a close up of that tile that shows how those elements all come together, 

Okay, now let's place some miniatures on there and see how it all feels,

Fun right?

As much time as I spend thinking and designing these miniatures, props, and map tiles, it’s really all about how they feel when you place them on the table top and start playing with them. If as I’m picking up and moving miniatures around I suddenly feel the same excitement I did as a kid just discovering D&D then I know I’ve done something right.

Alright, I should probably get back to the art mines, but before I go here’s one last shot of the party encountering a Werewolf featuring the Graveyard assets that I thought was neat.

 

Thanks everyone!
-Marshall (and Mike, Chris, and Lane!)

Hello Vaulters! As winter's grasp begins to loosen we bring you an update on the Vault of Mini Things. Action only required if you have yet to fill out your Backer Survey; if you have not done so, please complete this crucial step today. If you can't find the survey link in your email, go to this page (https://the-vault-of-mini-things.backerkit.com/) and we'll send the survey again. Be sure to check your spam & junk folders if, after this step, you still can't find the survey link. If you're unsure what the survey is: Backerkit calls it a "survey", which makes it sound like an optional marketing-information grab. It's not. It's an essential order-confirmation and option-choosing step, and unless it is completed, we can't send you your Vault. 

Marshall Art

The electric pen of Marshall "Printable Heroes" Short has been busy! Let's ooo and aaa together over some of his new creations:

 

Here's a handsome fella fit to judge the most imperious of subterranean interlopers.



Look, not every mini on the table has to be an appropriately-CR'd monster. The savvy DM will populate the scene with mundane MOBs to bump up the verisimilitude, and therefore enjoyment, of those gathered around the table. And if one of these cow-shaped minis is actually a wildshaped enemy druid, a werecow, or The Thing, well who doesn't like a fun surprise?



Speaking of animal forms: is this the infamous Count Strahd von Zarovich galivanting about the countryside? Or a swarm druid gettin' feathery wit' it? Or maybe it's a representation of a custom-flavored Cloud of Daggers spell! The redrum's the limit!



One of the big advantages of the Vault of Mini Things format is that we can include a whole bunch of BIG creatures and easily store them in our patent-soon-to-be-pending Creature Catalog filing system. Imagine wanting to include a Hill Giant in an encounter, and wondering to yourself "hmm, yes, but WHICH of my Hill Giants will I choose to present to my lucky players?" For this particular classification of giants (Hill), the Vault will include three to choose from.

Production Update
The back-and-forth with manufacturers continues and we are still on a path to hit our delivery target. The Tinker team is enthused to play some one-shot games using Vault figures and terrain the next time we're all able to physically gather in one place. If and when we do, we'll take some shots of the action and include them in the next update.

Also, I'm happy to share that the Vault community of backers continues to grow! We've been delighted to see that pledges continue to accrue well after the close of the campaign via Backerkit's Late Pledge functionality. Thank you, Vaulters, for your continued advocacy talking up the Vault and linking in your own online and in-person social circles. And if you've heard some folks complain about the time, expense, and transport & storage headaches of plastic minis send them to https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/tinkerhouse-games/The-Vault-of-Mini-Things !         

Until next time, Vaulters! 

With much appreciation,
Mike, Lane, Chris, and Marshall

Happy New Year, Vaulters! This update brings another dose of new art as well as a special behind-the-scenes update from founder and president Tinker Lane. No action required.

Marshall Art

One of the inherent benefits of the Vault is that we can include minis that might be rarely needed, but when you need them it really boosts the fidelity of the game to have them on-hand. For example: a cow, or a murder of crows. Or some of those freaky multi-armed snake demons from the Abyss.   

Tinker Tool Time with Lane

Hey all, this is Lane -- I write the tools that help us try and punch above our weight content-production-wise.  In my day job I'm a technical artist in video games, and what that means is I make tools to make production of digital content more efficient and less error prone.  If a given piece of content takes say, 30 steps to create by hand manually, generally we want to make a tool to handle at least 20 if not 25+ of those steps.  Specifically the tedious, non-creative steps.  This lets the content creators focus on the creativity and polish aspects, and not have to worry about the rote technical aspects.  As it turns out, that is very helpful in tabletop production as well, because really most of this content creation is done digitally using similar approaches.  

How does that work with the Vault?   Strap in, it's time for a tools deep dive! 

Let's look at a particular type of content we need to make a LOT of:  minis.  We have to make hundreds of minis, in a way that keeps our die tools (the big sheets of shaped blades that the factory makes by hand to punch out the minis) as inexpensive as possible.  Doing that manually involves the following steps:

That's a lot to do, and some of those steps (specifically the arranging things steps) are very labor intensive and tedious to do manually.  Which inherently means they are a prime candidate for human error to creep in.  And human sadness.  Because it really sucks to do all that work by hand even once, let alone multiple times (as would be necessary to correct errors and the inevitable last-minute adjustments).  So those types of labor intensive things are usually the first steps you want to look at for automation.

For Vault support tools that means the following:

The name of the game here is automation, so that content creators and designers can focus on what matters most.  Iterating the artwork to polish it as much as possible, and tuning the final result to be as efficient and quick to produce as possible.  If you can let your content creators have those efficiencies, you can give them the best chance of getting the best product to the customer.

I hope that was interesting and informative, I tried not to be too verbose but I can go on and on about tools. 

- Tinker Lane

Happy holidays, whichever they are that most appeal to you and yours!

We here at TinkerHouse come into the home stretch of the holiday season with a feeling of immense gratitude and appreciation for everyone who’ve supported our creative endeavors over the years. It’s a real honor to be able to make something you think people will enjoy, and have the people you make it for gather together to support and enable the making. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Though the House of Tinker is winding down for a holiday break with our families we do have some notable updates, in the form of a report on our presence at PAX Unplugged, a production update, some new Marshall art, and the conclusion of our iconic adventurers' journey to the Abattoir of Avarice. This update requires no action on your part.

First: PAX Unplugged.


We brought to the show our largest booth ever, measuring twenty feet by twenty feet. We set up a dining-room-table-size battlefield of our TinkerTurf sci-fi wargaming terrain, a fully-functional retail shop, and a dedicated build area where attendees could get their hands on assembling TinkerTurf for donation to the PAX communal terrain library. But the highlight, for those who Vault, was the front-and-center display of early-prototype pieces from the Vault of Mini Things. We figured PAX Unplugged attendees would be the most receptive audience for what we’re offering in the Vault and that turned out to be true.

I tried jotting down the superlatives but it got to be too many. Here’s a sampling:

“Wow! This is the exact thing I’ve been looking for. I’m a DM and I came here looking for an all-in-one platform. I’d left the show and was in my car and ready to go, and then thought I’d go back for one more lap. I’m so glad I found you!”

This was a real comment!

“Really love the way the colors pop!”

“This is so smart. This solves my storage problem.”

“I wish I’d found this two years ago, before I accumulated my Unpainted Minis Box of Shame.”

 

We had to caution folks that what they saw on the table were visual prototypes intended to give a sense of art style and scale, rather than production prototypes of retail-quality materials. But even when picking up the minis and mockups that we’d printed at home, on consumer-grade printers, folks were blown away. It was especially encouraging to see so many women turning their heads and making a point to tell us that they enjoyed the vivid art style and female representation among the minis. 

There was a sizable sales bump for the Vault post-show, a wave we’re still riding. Which is wonderful, and welcome. But in addition to those late pledges it was wonderful just to hear directly from the intended audience that they were looking forward to what we’re building. Those well-wishes will send us into 2024 with a burst of momentum.

Second: a Production update. Chris wrote a thorough production update as a response to a community comment, and I’ve included it below this paragraph. I just wanted to add that engineering work–though intense and interesting–is not something that’s suitable for sharing until it’s finalized for production. The reason is that unlike in-progress art, some engineering paths will result in nonviable dead-ends. And we’d be doing a disservice to the community if we got folks excited for a particular engineering solution that might not actually make it into the box. It’s better for all if you know that when we show you something, that’s what you’ll see when you open the box.

Here’s that production update In Chris’s own words:
As far as production goes here is where we are. While the majority of the artwork is completed, there are still around 50 of the standees that need artwork. As the art progresses we’ve been busy developing our own tools to handle the processing of the artwork into their final layouts for manufacturing. Handling all of the layout production by hand of over 1000 standees and then again segmented into multiple products can be a logistical pain. We have some standees that we issue multiple colors or art styles of that use the same cut tooling. By building these tools to automate the layout process we can eliminate the need for multiple tools and streamline our production process by simply changing out printed sheets. There is quite a bit of complication to this that can be minimized by an automated process.

Two wild updates from Marshall for your viewing pleasure:

 

This section is a narrative of the community-chosen adventuring band, as detailed in Update 18. Its purpose is to show the Vault used for actual play, and entertain backers over the course of product development and production. 

When last we saw our heroes, they’d managed to survive an onslaught of undead by accidentally summoning a terrible spirit: the mighty Krampus. Krampus dispersed the undead horde and, after a titanic struggle, destroyed the personification of the Abattoir of Avarice: a towering grave golem. When the dust settled Krampus regarded our heroes with unknown intention. Given the choice of Attempt to Exert Control, Parly, or Fight, the community chose Parley. Let’s see how that works out for them!

Amidst the shattered remains of the once-menacing cemetery, the party faced the looming form of the mighty Krampus. The full moon cast his shadow toward them, and Elora could swear it capered and taunted even as the actual form of the malevolent spirit stood dead still except for its labored breathing. The ragged breath was the only sound amidst the ruins of the cemetery, and after the crash and tumult of the fight with the grave golem the still silence made the adventurers feel exposed and oppressed. 

Krampus shifted his weight, the cloven hooves sending a cascade of broken masonry tumbling down the pile he stood upon. At the sudden sound and motion Votun strode two paces forward, shield set, sword held high and ready. “Stay behind me. Your spells are spent. You should flee. I can impede his pursuit long enough for you to get away.”

Elora gasped and shook her head no, but Grecken was already halfway toward the exit. Remme closed his weary eyes for a moment, then placed his hand on the Warforged’s steel shoulder. “Hold, my friend. It might not come to blows.” The old druid raised his voice, and called out “Parley, Krampus! Parley! What is your purpose here, and can we find common ground that would prevent violence between us?”   

Krampus smiled, revealing far too many teeth. “You know my purpose, Remme.” Elora heard the druid flinch to hear the devil speak his name. “You dictated the dusty rites that drive my dark deeds. You spoke them yourself. You called; and I came.” The being’s voice was deeper than a human’s natural range, guttural yet somehow seductive.

Remme shook his head. “Nay, fiend! I called for nature’s salvation for the poor souls interred herein! Rest, for restless spirits too long upon this land!”

Krampus threw back his head and laughed. If it was meant to scare them, it worked, but his harsh guffaws also contained genuine amusement. “Poor souls? The beings buried beneath us had many qualities, but “poor” was certainly not one of them! This is the Abattoir of Avarice, after all! Their craven covetousness conspired to curtail them in the ground here, though the ground groaned and disgorged them!” The beast laughed again, horns sawing through the air as he cavorted in glee. “They languished and lingered here long, harrowed and hungry, and you should remember that for the wicked there is no rest.” At this he shook a large wicker basket tied at his waist, and the group could see glimmering, sickly green light flashing from within. 

“Souls…” Elora whispered, unconsciously reaching a hand toward them. Remme shot her a look in alarm, and she snatched her hand back. Krampus jangled the basket in her direction and laughed again.

“Yes, I heard your hearkening and hither I came. I’ll whisk these wicked wisps away to where they’re welcome.” Krampus chuckled, hefting the basket in his gnarled fist. But he didn’t make a move to depart. Instead he let his chuckle die out. Then he said, “Oh yes, I’ll whisk away… but not just yet. For my work is not finished.”

He took a step toward the group. Votun did not move an inch, being already in a perfect defensive posture. But Remme and Elora took an involuntary step back. Krampus paused, considering the armored form before him. He seemed to then notice the absence of Grecken, and shifted his gaze back and forth, searching the toppled tombstones and rubble for the little rogue. “You see…” he mused, seeming to be buying time for himself to spot her. “My pure purpose is punishment. I deliver damnation to darkness. And I spy…” Krampus’s gaze settled on a shadowed form, just barely leaning out from behind a tree stump, bow trained at his heart. He grinned, and prepared to leap. “...a spoiled spot of soot within each of you!”

Just then the air shimmered with magic, and with a burst of festive bells, Santa Claus himself appeared, crashing between Krampus and the party on a sleigh drawn by enchanted reindeer. Dressed in his iconic red suit, Santa surveyed the scene, his eyes twinkling with both mirth and concern.

"Now, now, Krampus," Santa chided, "only I know who's on the naughty list."

Jingle Bells

The flabbergasted party could hardly believe their eyes. Grecken, hidden behind the stump, was so shocked that her numb fingers released her arrow. It flew straight toward the back of Santa’s head. Before Elora’s scream of warning could escape her throat Santa whipped his hand around his head, snatching the missile out of the air. With a flourish the arrow became a long ribbon of striped red and green, and he busily used it to tie a bow around a huge present he pulled from his sack. As he worked he glanced up at Grecken, who stumbled forward, dumbfounded, to stand with her party. 

“Careful, Grecken.” Santa said, with a twinkle in his eye. “You’ll shoot someone’s eye out!”

Krampus stalked back and forth, clearly unsure how to respond to this interruption. Santa, for his part, ignored Krampus as he nimbly leapt from his sleigh and carried past Krampus the large, brightly-wrapped present to a spot in the heart of the cemetery. He placed it upon a plinth there, then stepped back, dusting off his hands with a self-satisfied grunt. 

Krampus, who had kept careful watch on Santa’s sojourn, tore his eyes away from the seemingly-concluded spectacle and returned his attention to the party. “Where were we, my weary wanderers? Ah yes…” his bony hands wrung his staff in a tight grip, sending splinters to the ground. His eyes narrowed as he began to say, “My ghastly gaze glimpses a growing gloom–”

“Good evening!” Santa merrily shouted out, politely tipping his hat as he brushed past Krampus on his way back to his sleigh. The reindeer snorted. 

Krampus stomped his cloven feet in frustration. “Would you kindly stop perforating my performance?!” he snarled. 

Santa clamored atop his sleigh and settled in. He crossed his arms and regarded Krampus, eyebrows raised in a patient and innocent expression. When nothing happened, he gestured with his gloved hand for Krampus to continue.

Krampus warily eyed Santa, then shook his head and regarded the party again. “And this growing gloom that glowers in your heart-”

“Please, continue.” Santa called out, politely.

Krampus rounded on Santa and shouted “Isn’t there someplace you need to be?”

Santa pursed his lips in thought, then spread his hands in a shrug. He then pulled out a watch on a golden chain, looked at it, then replaced it in a pocket of his red suit.

“Waiting for something?” Krampus asked dryly.

“For someone!” Santa replied, helpfully.

Krampus rolled his lantern-yellow eyes and turned away in exasperation. His eyes settled on the gigantic present, sitting alone on the plinth. “And what of this gift? Who did you prepare this perfect present for?” he asked aloud, in annoyance.

Santa leaned forward. "Only he who is worthy of such an enormous surprise," Santa declared cryptically.

Krampus turned his back on the present in disgust. He focused his attention on the party, who by now had all, except for Votun, settled into a relaxed posture. Krampus clenched his eyes tight. Then, unable to further resist, he leaped backward, landing directly behind the present. He licked his lips with a several-foot long tongue and rubbed his hands together in obvious anticipation. Then he eagerly reached forward with clawed hands to tear apart the wrapping.

To his dismay, the present's top opened up to reveal monstrous teeth which clamped down fast onto Krampus's wrists. He yelped in shock and surprise, then the Mimic lurched backward, tossing Krampus into the air. With a shriek, Krampus cartwheeled into the Mimic's mouth and just like that, he was swallowed in one gulp. Santa clapped his hands and openly guffawed, calling out “Oh, you should have known better, old boy! No rest for the wicked, yes, but also no gifts for the greedy, Krampus! Ho! Ho! Ho!” The Mimic/present shook back and forth in response. Then it emitted a large belch, and was still. 

After the chaotic spectacle, Elora, couldn't help but ask Santa if what Krampus said was true about the darkness in their hearts. Santa's smile faded slightly as he admitted, "Yes, my dear Elora, there is darkness in each of you. But it's the denial of that darkness, and the goodness you strive for in helping strangers and watching out for each other, that earns you a place on the nice list!"

With a wave of Santa’s hand, a wrapped present appeared at the feet of each adventurer. Grecken eyed hers with open suspicion but Elora picked up her present with a squeal of delight. Her black-taloned fingers shred the wrapping to reveal a small box. She looked at Santa, who gave a nod of permission, murmuring softly, “good things come…” Inside was an amulet of golden links, with a dark shard mounted in the middle of the chain. As she touched it, a glow formed deep within the crystal. 

The other party members unwrapped their own presents, and as they did so a light snow began to fall and obscure the horror and ruin around them. Weary faces became cheery smiles as the party rejoiced in their gifts. For Remme, a willow branch adorned with silver bells. For Votun, a high-collared wool mantle adorned with sigils of warding. For Grecken…

“Really?” the gnome called out, glaring at Santa, as she held up a pair of fur-cuffed red boots with up-curled toes. Despite her words, her lips couldn’t repress a grin forming on her face as she felt the boots visibly vibrate with energy.

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” Santa called from atop his sleigh, and gathered the reins for departure. The party paused the admiration of their treasures to bid him farewell.

"Remember," Santa called out as his sleigh lifted into the night sky, "it's the kindness and goodwill you share that truly make the season bright. Happy holidays, my friends! And Merry Christmas!"

And so, our iconic adventurers, having faced the Abattoir of Avarice and learned valuable lessons along the way, made their way from the dis-enchanted cemetery. Their hearts filled with newfound camaraderie, the joy of the holiday season, and the warmth of magical gifts that would doubtless serve them well in future adventures.

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Thank you, dear backers, for joining this journey with The Vault of Mini Things. May your holidays be filled with laughter, love–and the magic of adventure!

Sincerely, 

Mike, Lane, Chris, and Marshall