The Sword of Kaigen & Where Loyalties Lie - Special Editions

Where Loyalties Lie Freight Update!
13 days ago – Wed, Jul 15, 2026 at 08:49:35 AM

Hi there everyone! 

This will be a quick reprieve between the US and Non-US specific updates we've been posting, so we'll be speedy!

If you're a Non-US backer and missed our last update, please check it out HERE. We're just about ready to begin fulfilling with our new fulfillment partner after several weeks of hurdles with our old partner, and we're so dang excited. We'll also be posting that address lock update for y'all soon, so be on the lookout! Once we get the official go-ahead from our new partner, we can begin fulfillment for this and a handful of other campaigns that have been affected by the delay in fulfillment partner swapping!

We also have an update for Where Loyalties Lie!

We received confirmation that our new Non-US fulfillment partner has received their copies and has booked them into their system! We also received confirmation that US copies should be arriving to our warehouse this week! We'll of course inspect them and share pictures when we do!

Once both us and our new Non-US fulfillment partner are ready to begin, we'll be able to send out the FINAL 48-hour address lock update. Just in case, we'll provide the link here for folks to confirm their shipping addresses. PLEASE take the time to check the address you have on file! We received a ton of address change requests once we began fulfilling The Sword of Kaigen orders. This significantly delays the entire fulfillment process and we cannot guarantee your address can be changed once we've locked orders.

Non-US Backers: An Update to Fulfillment. And... an Update to Where Loyalties Lie!
about 1 month ago – Tue, Jun 16, 2026 at 11:59:22 AM

This Update applies to NON-US BACKERS ONLY. If you are a Backer in the US, feel free to read, but please keep in mind that this Update does not apply to you.

Hey everyone. Bryce here, coming to you with (finally) some good news.

To catch you up on the situation if you're only just learning about this for the first time: In the last week of April, 2026, we told our now ex-fulfillment partner (for non-US customers) that we were parting ways with them due to 1) a plethora of improperly packaged–and therefore often damaged–books being shipped out of their facility, and 2) a very problematic lack of communication on their part when contacted by us about various concerns and questions. That notification came with us telling them that we would need all our product (including 'The Sword of Kaigen' and merchandise related to this project) shipped to our new partner.

In a continuing example of that communication issue, said ex-partners failed to adequately respond to our requests and inquiries for over a month, resulting in the significant delay you, our non-US Backers, have suffered, all while watching the US Backers get their books.

SO WHAT'S NEW?

On to the good news I promised above: We now have confirmation in the form of a Packing List that the books are palletized and ready to be picked up by our new partner. This means that, barring further delays by said ex-partner, the books should be picked up this week and arriving at our new partner by early next. It will then take some time to get organized, but shipping for 'TSoK' should begin shortly after that, hopefully before the end of June!

Now... Would you like to know how we finally made this happen after 4+ weeks of lacking communication?

By speaking to our lawyers, who instructed us to send the ex-partner the following email:

And would you believe y'all... In a shocking twist no one could see coming, within a couple of hours we got this email from an Officer of the company:

And... voila. A little over one business week later, and things magically are palletized and listed. All it took was involving lawyers. Which is... WILD, in my opinion.

So yeah. I won't be sharing further exchanges unless necessary, but as of yesterday, ex-partner has provided a Packing List of all our product, including 'The Sword of Kaigen', and our new partner is working on scheduling a pickup by end of week.

I'm sorry this Update wasn't "They're shipping!", but I am very glad to be able to say "We're nearly there!" Despite this being something mostly out of our hands, I can't apologize enough for the delay, and I'm seriously hoping we have TSoK shipping to non-US Backers before July!

As usual, I'll be around to field what questions I can for a couple of days, so toss them in the comments below!

Oh and just for good measure, here is the original email we sent back in APRIL starting this request:

ALSO! WHERE LOYALTIES LIE IS ON ITS WAY TO OUR FULFILLMENT CENTERS SHORTLY!

Freight can take some time, so we don't have a hard timelines just yet on when they'll be at either center, but we approved samples of the final print run a couple weeks ago, meaning they are bound for us and our (new) non-US partner!

We're nearly there, folks. I completely agree that this has been a shitshow on so many fronts, and I'm so, so sorry about that. But we are so nearly there, and I can assure you these books are worth the wait, as the US Backers how have already received them can tell you!

AND NOW... A QUICK VIDEO ABOUT WHY WE ARE LEAVING OUR FORMER FULFILLMENT PARTNER.

I know we've talked about it before,but we continue to get comments and messages from people who wish we had "just let the former non-US partner fulfill the books before switching."

Hopefully this short video will offer some visual context on why we weren't willing to do that. Enjoy.

US Fulfillment Update! And a Quick Note for Non-US Backers.
about 2 months ago – Thu, Jun 11, 2026 at 08:37:47 AM

Hey there, folks!

US fulfillment has been going on for about a month, and we're just about done with our first and largest batch of orders!

It's been a hectic couple weeks, that's for sure! We're currently down to our last couple hundred packages or so of solo Kaigen books (no bookmarks or merchandise on these orders), so we really appreciate you folks hanging in there. 

Important note for those last couple hundred orders remaining! 

If you are one of the few still awaiting your package, you may have noticed your tracking link reading as invalid or refunded. While this is apparently completely normal for USPS to refund/cancel tracking numbers not used within 4 weeks, we had no idea! Big learning experience for us, as you can imagine!

What are we doing to resolve this? We've actually already resolved the issue! We simply reprinted/regenerated the last orders in need of a new label, so you folks likely received another newer tracking email. Your previous tracking number is invalid, so feel free to disregard it.

What does this mean going forward? We'll be breaking apart large batches of orders into more bite-sized pieces. For instance, an entire roll of shipping labels is approximately 250 sheets. We will be printing one full roll of labels at a time only. This is to ensure folks who have their tracking number aren't waiting around longer, seeing movement much quicker, easing any stress. This also means that folks in the same batch of orders will likely be waiting longer before receiving a tracking number. This is unavoidable, but adjusting our fulfillment process this way reduces stress overall (for our employees as well as backers)!

And now, for your regularly scheduled fulfillment FAQ!

Q: I received my tracking number, but I haven't seen movement in over a week. Should I be concerned?

A: Very fair question, especially on this campaign! Short answer: No, you should not be concerned!

Here at Wraithmarked, we print out shipping labels in “batches” of similar orders. Everyone who got just one book, then everyone who got just a book and a bookmark, then everyone who got two books, etc. This streamlines our packing and shipping process while also helping us stay organized. In many cases, some of these batches are smaller (maybe 100 orders or so) and get out the door quickly, while others are much larger (sometimes even 2000+ orders) and can take several weeks to physically pick, pack, and ship. As a result you may get your tracking number several weeks before your actual package gets packed and shipped. The tail end of a batch that's, say, 2500 orders, may even happen a month after the label is created!

Q: It's been a few weeks and I haven't received a tracking email. Why?

A: Another very fair question since a lot of people are seeing fulfillment happening and people getting their books, and this again has to do with us printing in batches of like orders. 

Currently, we're finishing up the largest batch, then moving on to the second largest. This next batch of labels we print will be for folks who ordered 1x The Sword of Kaigen book and 1x Deluxe Bookmark (a little under 1400 orders). We will continue to work on the next smallest batch, and then the next after that. Once we print your label, you will likely not see movement on your tracking number immediately. Feel free to take a peek at the question above for an explanation on why this is completely normal.

We will still be fulfilling orders without Where Loyalties Lie or its merchandise for at least a few more weeks. There are approximately 4,100+ orders to ship in this large group of Kaigen alone, so it will definitely take a bit of time to get through.

Q: That feels like a long turn around. Why does it take so long?

A: In short, Wraithmarked is a very a small team. In our last update, we mentioned we only had 1 dedicated warehouse employee, but would be looking into a second once we have a dedicated customer support specialist. Well... we're super pleased to say that we've actually hired for both positions! We will now have 2, count em, 2... warehouse employees! This will absolutely help speed along the fulfillment process going forward.

All this to say: Please do not reach out if your label has been created but not scanned in by the Post Office (your tracking number will be updated when the Post Office officially picks it up). Printing labels prior to shipping is largely industry standard, and we will reply linking you back to this Update.

THANK YOU!

We hope this clears up a bit of uncertainty for folks who have reached out. If, in the event you received your tracking number and find it has ended up where it shouldn't or was marked as delivered and not at your doorstep/in your mailbox, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we'll look into the issue! :)

Talk soon!

A Quick Note for Non-US Backers

Hey there folks. Unfortunately, this is a bittersweet update in regards to our inventory transfer to a new fulfillment partner. For some initial context, please check our much lengthier update to you folks HERE. 

We'll be addressing this in more detail in another update soon, but we wanted to let you all know that we had to... escalate the situation with our former fulfillment partner with what we'll call for now a 'vague assurance that we can and will make the issue very formal if they do not release our product within the next two weeks'. Read between the lines of that what you will. Said fulfillment partner has (surprise surprise) suddenly been very quick to respond to this escalation, and they've assured us they're moving as fast as possible. 

It has now been a month since our last update to you folks specifically informing you of our decision to end our business relationship with said fulfillment partner. Please be assured that we are, pardon our language, pretty f*%#ing pissed and doing all we can to actually get this moving. We were told ~2 weeks over 4 weeks ago. This is disappointing to say the least, and we're sorry this is taking much longer than it rightfully should have. 

Like we said, more soon, including some screenshots of communications by Bryce to this ex-partner.

US Backers: Answering Questions About Fulfillment!
2 months ago – Mon, May 18, 2026 at 07:44:27 AM

Hey there, folks!

We wanted to take a moment to update US folks with an update on fulfillment! Non-US backers, this update isn't meant for you, so nothing to check out here! However, if you're a non-US backer and you missed our last update addressing international fulfillment, you can check that out in length HERE!

US fulfillment has been trucking away for a few weeks now, and we wanted to take a moment to address some comments and tickets we've been receiving!

Q: I received my tracking number, but I haven't seen movement in over a week. Should I be concerned?

A: Very fair question, especially on this campaign! Short answer: No, you should not be concerned!

Here at Wraithmarked, we print out shipping labels in “batches” of similar orders. Everyone who got just one book, then everyone who got just a book and a bookmark, then everyone who got two books, etc. This streamlines our packing and shipping process while also helping us stay organized. In many cases, some of these batches are smaller (maybe 100 orders or so) and get out the door quickly, while others are much larger (sometimes even 2000+ orders) and can take several weeks to physically pick, pack, and ship. As a result you may get your tracking number several weeks before your actual package gets packed and shipped. The tail end of a batch that's, say, 2500 orders, may even happen a month after the label is created!

Q: It's been a few weeks and I haven't received a tracking email. Why?

A: Another very fair question since a lot of people are seeing fulfillment happening and people getting their books, and this again has to do with us printing in batches of like orders. 

Currently, we're working on the largest batch, that being orders with 1x copy of The Sword of Kaigen only (a bit under 2300 orders). The next batch of labels we print will be for folks who ordered 1x The Sword of Kaigen book and 1x Deluxe Bookmark (a little under 1400 orders). We will continue to work on the next smallest batch, and then the next after that. Once we print your label, you will likely not see movement on your tracking number immediately. Feel free to take a peak at the question above for an explanation on why this is completely normal.

We will still be fulfilling orders without Where Loyalties Lie or its merchandise for at least a few more weeks. There are approximately 4,100+ orders to ship in this large group of Kaigen alone, so it will definitely take a bit of time to get through.

Q: That feel like a long turn around. Why does it take so long?

A: In short, Wraithmarked is a very a small team, and at any point we currently only have 1 employee dedicated to packing and shipping orders. We can usually divert another 1 or 2 people a couple times a week to help move things along, but it's still just a matter of how many hands we have moving things.

(And yes, we are going to be expanding the fulfillment team as soon as possible! It's next on our list for hiring, right after pulling in a dedicated customer service specialist!)

All this to say: Please do not reach out if your label has been created but not scanned in by the Post Office (your tracking number will be updated when the Post Office officially picks it up). Printing labels prior to shipping is largely industry standard, and we will reply linking you back to this Update.

THANK YOU!

We hope this clears up a bit of uncertainty for folks who have reached out. If, in the event you received your tracking number and find it has ended up where it shouldn't or was marked as delivered and not at your doorstep/in your mailbox, please reach out to us at [email protected] and we'll look into the issue! :)

Talk soon!

An important notice for non-US Backers. We are changing fulfillment partners for non-US books. Here's why.
2 months ago – Fri, May 15, 2026 at 08:12:58 AM

Hey all. Bryce here. Going to do my best to keep this as brief as possible. This is relevant to the 20-30% of you who are not in the US. If you are a US Backer, this Update does not effect you. For our non-US Backers:

TLDR: Our current fulfillment partner has consistently been failing us, and therefore, you. So we're moving everything to a different partner.

The longer version:

I could make this an extensive list because it's a pretty long one. But I'm going to keep it to the general two points that affect you guys the most, so you understand why we are doing this.

First, we have been getting near-non-stop complaints about the subpar quality of packing and shipping of our non-US books. This has also come with a significantly higher (like... significantly higher) reports of damaged books requiring replacement. More than once the packing has been so poor that those replacement books then had to be replaced... again.

Second, repeated delays in fulfillment related to large gaps in communication and lost product.

Regarding the subpar quality of packing:

It's easier if we show you. Below is what a typical Wraithmarked book (with some exceptions) is SUPPOSED to look like when properly packed. A branded box designed for the task, book protected by tissue paper (sometimes honeycomb), layers of cardboard to keep it tightly in place and protect it from most impact issues.

While our non-US books used to all come similarly packed, that has not consistently been the case recently. A combination of the partner failing to communicate when they were running out of our materials and not properly training their staff has often resulted in things more like this:

So... yeah. Not happy with that. Reason 1 we're moving.

Regarding the delays in fulfillment:

No images for this, sadly, but it's pretty straightforward. We will sometimes go weeks between emails with this partner, with them failing to even touch base when we follow up with questions about "Did you receive a product?" or "When are those orders being fulfilled?"

If you were a non-US Shades of Magic Backer, you suffered the consequence of this. We were told that Shades would be out the door within a certain time period. Our Head of Fulfillment followed up several times to ask when shipping would start, with no response for too long a period. In fact, we didn't hear anything back until I followed up with my big bad CEO title, and they finally got moving.

Reason 2 we're moving.

What does this mean for this campaign?

If you're reading this, then the campaign involved will suffer a delay in fulfillment for non-US Backers because of this transition. We understand that's frustrating. We actually COULD have allowed fulfillment to happen for most of these, but our confidence in this partner is so low that we would rather tell you (in some place yet again) that there is a delay than risk having them deliver more damaged product. Even if the book isn't damaged, I'm no longer willing to let this former partner impact Wraithmarked's reputation in the eyes of the people who receive terrible packaging, thinking that's Wraithmarked's baseline. Because it isn't.

Depending on how soon we can get product moved from this former partner to the new partner, the delay could be as little as two weeks. However, that former partner is (shockingly, I know) not being communicative about facilitating the transfer of our products to the new partner, resulting in us yet again being delayed in something as basic as scheduling a truck pickup.

We will do everything we can to keep you in the loop in our upcoming Updates. For the time being, I'm sorry for the delay. I'm just not willing to risk sending you guys more damaged and mishandled product, especially given the increased number of complaints we've been getting over the last few months.

If you have any questions, please comment below and someone on the team will answer or pull me in to answer.

Cheers,

Bryce, CEO