THE SOVEREIGN’S BACK DOOR: THE THISTLETHICKET: HEART OF THE HOLLOW OAK - Softcover

Drill, Akerace

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798989307043

Publisher: Akerace Books, 2026

Synopsis

The Sovereign’s Back Door
The Core Premise

While the Pioneer’s Guide teaches players how to hide and survive within the Thistle-Thicket, The Sovereign’s Back Door reveals that the sanctuary has a leak. This supplement introduces a localized breach where the Sovereign’s cold, mechanical logic begins to overwrite the natural (or supernatural) defenses of the Thicket.

Key Narrative Pillars

• The Incursion: The Sovereign isn’t just attacking; it is "installing" itself. This content details how mechanical protocols manifest in organic spaces.

• The Protocol Gap: Identifies a specific vulnerability—the "Back Door"—left behind by the original architects, now being exploited by the Sovereign’s reach.

• The Clocktower Nexus: Serves as the physical and metaphorical anchor for this content, acting as a bridge between the Pioneer's reality and the Sovereign's domain.

Mechanical Additions

• Infection Mechanics: New rules for how "The Sovereignty" attempts to map and claim biological entities.

• The "Pipe" Logic: Fast-travel or data-transfer hazards that players must navigate, turning traditional movement into a high-stakes digital/physical gauntlet.

• Threat Profiles: Stat blocks for the Sovereign’s "Maintenance" units—creatures designed not to kill, but to "reformat" the environment.

Functional Role in the Series

As Related Content, this serves as the primary "Inciting Incident" module. It takes a party from passive survival (Pioneer) to active resistance (Sovereign). It provides DMs with the necessary "connective tissue" to escalate the stakes of a campaign from local exploration to a systemic struggle.

Edition details

• Publisher: Akerace Books
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798989307043
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Drill Akerace
• Number of pages: 34
• Editor: Drill Akerace