Exactly one year has passed since the New World Kickstarter: during July-August 2021 you gave us US$ 65,132. In return, you expected us to record the album "New World", film 5 music videos and deliver your perks.

The 9-month production and release plan from October 2021 to August 2022 was:

18 Mar - The Way is the Aim (Digital + CD + video)

22 Apr - Legend of the Free (Digital + CD + video)

27 May - Shackles of Gold (Digital + CD + video)

01 Jul - The Wheel (Digital + CD + video)

05 Jul - All Bundles Shipped (Physical) and Emailed (Digital)

05 Aug - NEW WORLD RELEASED (Digital, CD, Vinyl, Earbook + “Windborn” video)

This plan was working pretty well, and everything was unfolding nicely. But on 24th February the Russian agression against Ukraine started - and all plans went to hell.

We protested publicly against the war and the Russian government on day one (24th Feb), then spent several days in shock - and ultimately left the country on 03 March, without any plans to return.

We took only the most needed items with us - the entire life packed into 5 suitcases + the cat. Most equipment and all instruments had to be left behind.

But aside from the moral and political issues, emigrating was also the only way to deliver you the album, videos & perks - and also to save the band:

- it is impossible to send any money into or out of Russia except via illegal cryptocurrency transfers, Russian bank accounts are useless - we wouldn't even be able to pay for our website or music distribution services

- flights are extremely expensive and only via Turkey and UAE

- most countries stopped issuing visas inside Russia (Russian citizens abroad are ok)

- postage to and from Western countries does not work

- Facebook and Instagram are banned altogether, Google/YouTube work but ads are banned (we heavily rely on ads for promotion because we have no label)

- borders can be closed and mobilisation can be announced at any moment, conscripting all males under 60 years old to go and kill innocent Ukrainians

This technically amounts to personal danger and almost total isolation from the outside world, or at least from the West. 99% of our fans are located in Western countries, we do not use any services in Russia - all Imperial Age websites, ad accounts, payment proccessors, music distribution - the entire infratructure that makes it possible for the band to live and grow - is based in the West (mostly in USA and UK).

However, urgent unplanned evacuation to another country results in heavy expences: we do not have any other income outside Imperial Age, and so we had to tap into the Crowdfunding money: it was absolutely necessary to deliver you what we promised (and to continue existing as a band). And once again, you saved the day - because without your money, emigrating would not be possible, we would be stuck and that would be the end of it.

- Airplane tickets for Aor, Jane and cat: $1300 ($900 cheapest one-way night flight from Moscow to Istanbul + $200 overweight + $100 urgent cat papers + $100 flight to Antalya)

- Air b'n'b in Istanbul & Antalya: $1000 (03 - 28 March)

- Renting flat in Antalya for 1 year: $3700 ($270 per month but they only accept here if you pay 1 year in advance)

- Legalisation: $300 (insurance, residence permits etc)

- Music equipment brought in later by Anna: $300 (overweight)

- Evacuating 174 T-Shirts that were declined by Russian customs: $700

- Additional shipping, handling and pressing of these T-Shirts in Italy (some were never returned by customs): $2000

- Flying Anna over to shoot the videos: $900 (Moscow-Antalya return tickets + transfers)

- Hard drives: $350 (uploading 1 music video worth of raw files takes a month with local Internet, so Anna flew back with the drives)

- "New World" album: fully recorded, now in post production, master disk delivery date is 04th August

- "Live New World" online show Blu-Ray/DVD/2CD: now in post production, masters delivery date is 04 August

- The Way is the Aim, Legend of the Free, The Wheel, Shackles of Gold, Windborn music videos: fully filmed

- The Way is the Aim single + video: released on time

- Legend of the Free single + video: released 1 month behind schedule

- The Wheel single: released 2 weeks behind schedule, video: in post-production

- Shackles of Gold, Windborn videos: in post-production

- New World album: release date moved by 3 weeks, will be released on 27th August instead of 05 August.

- Perks fulfillment: moved by 1 month, should begin as soon as we have the masters, i.e. on 05 August.

We are not on schedule, but despite unprecedented circumstances we still managed to level out our ship, prevent it from sinking - and deliver what we promised:

WHERE YOUR HELP IS NEEDED

This is a real force major, and it seems we have done everything we could - but still ended up with a cash gap.

We are missing around US$ 6,000 to finish the post production for The Wheel, Shackles of Gold and Windborn music videos, and to finish the urgent mixing and mastering, which was delayed significantly.

We are asking for your help again - by re-opening the New World crowdfunding campaign one last time.

We know there are guys who learned about the Crowdfunding when it was already closed, so its your chance to take part now and to greatly help us out. Or maybe you want to get more perks, or just donate something - anything would help us get the job done asap.

Please know that the album release date is set and will not change regardless. We are only talking about the music videos here, and the additional money for mastering can be borrowed.

You don't have to do this, this was not planned, and we can release the album without the videos and finish them later, but we have to inform you since you are the money. We would be nonetheless ultra greatful if you could participate in the Kickstarter a bit more so that we can do this now.

Thank you very much for supporting us,

and hopefully see you on tour in the upcoming months!