Circe, Comic Con, Charity stream and Cthulhu (Patreon)

Hi folks, 

Wishing you the very best for the coming week from everyone at Rusty Towers! 

Today, we are very excited to announce this year’s Charity Stream! On Friday August 21st, between 4pm and 11pm BST, we will be streaming a wide variety of fun and games to raise money for akt! Also known as the Albert Kennedy Trust, akt is a fantastic UK-based charity who provides support LGBTQ+ youths facing or experiencing homelessness.  

Alex and Jonny will be joined by a whole host of guests during the stream, and we are excited to announce that this will include Push the Roll with Ross Bryant for a live, improvised game of Call of Cthulhu! We will also be joined by The Pandemonium Institute for a game of Blood on the Clocktower! These segments will have lots of opportunities for you to directly affect gameplay with your donations, and cause chaos for the players, so come along and contribute as we raise money for this fantastic cause! 

Make sure to follow us on twitch.tv/rusty_quill to be notified as soon as we go live on the 21st! 

Also, a final reminder that we will be attending MCM Birmingham this weekend! On Saturday 8th August, you can find the cast of The Magnus Protocol, Jonathan Sims, Anusia Battersby, Lowri Davies, Billie Hindle and Shahan Hamza, at their panel on the Side Quest stage at 3pm, followed by a signing at the Meet & Greet Zone from 4pm. We can’t wait to see you there!  Rumour has it if you are attending MCM Birmingham and find Tom in his Rusty Quill Hat and Whisper the secret Password “Statement of Hugh Franklin, regarding his employment by Jurgen Leitner." You may receive an early review copy of the upcoming Magnus novel From The Library of Jurgen Leitner—while supplies last. 

In other news Circe one of the great shows on the RQ Network has started releasing its second season with episodes dropping every Sunday. We asked Alex Telander the creator of the show to give us a bit more information about the show.  

1. Tell us who you are and a bit about Circe?  My name is Alex C. Telander and I’m a writer, and the creator and writer for the Ostium Podcast and the Circe Podcast. I’ve written for The Magnus Protocol, Tiny Terrors, and Nine to Midnight podcasts. I’ve had the following stories published: “My Dark Genesis” in These Vampires Still Don’t Sparkle, “Arenae” in Consumed, “Waterfall” in Strange Vibes Weird Fiction, and “The Crypt Under the House” in Strange Vibes Weird Fiction Volume 2. The Circe Podcast came about from a character on Ostium who, when I explored them a little further, realised they had their own story to tell. The result was Thyra, who after the events at the end of Ostium season four, wants to get her magical powers back, and to do that she records stories of her past. In this way we get to learn of the planet Albion and how Thyra came to be a sorceress of the Circe.  

2. Circe is now in its second season, how has it grown/changed/shifted since the first season? 

Season One of Circe was everyone’s introduction to Thyra, who she is, and how she became one of the Circe and learned to become a sorceress, through her mentor, Clystra. We also learn a bit about the complex world of Albion. Season Two opens the stage more, introducing us to many new characters, new towns and places, and gives everyone a sense of what parts of Albion are like, as well as learning more who Thyra is and how powerful she has now become. This season is a mystery that Thyra has to solve, with the help of some friends she makes along the way, as well as Indira, who becomes a lot more than just a friend. We get to see her growing as a sorceress, as well as the confidence she now has, as she recounts her tale to Clystra.  

3. What are you most proud of about with Season 2? 

I knew when I set out to write season two, I wanted things to be bigger . . . more complex, with lots more going on. This meant new places and more characters. I didn’t know it would mean ten new characters, but that’s what it became, and I tend to write what feels right for the story and worry about the logistics later. I also realised one rule I’m making for the show: I will never cast a voice actor who identifies as a heterosexual white male, basically me. That’s my promise for the entire run of this show. When it came to casting, I knew I wanted a varied and extremely diverse cast, to the point where I sought out casting sites and lists that specifically featured voice actors that identify as LGBTQ+. I went through lots of voice recordings to find the right person for the right part, and each time I did find that voice I had in my head when I was writing the scripts. Thankfully, they all accepted their roles and did truly amazing jobs with their recordings. But it was as I was editing the episodes together, and then getting the finished sound designed versions from my sound designer, Mike Nye, that I knew I’d made something special. That we all had made something special. These voices gave these characters a unique life that made the whole story feel that much more real. If I never make another season of Circe (although I really hope this isn’t the case), I will still be immensely proud of this season we made and the world and people that were brought to life in it.  

4. Where is Circe going in future seasons? 

I don’t tend to outline and plan a lot, unless I need to (looking at you Ostium, who makes me do it so I can have it all make sense). So I honestly don’t really know where Circe is going next, other than I feel like there are a good three or four more seasons to come, possibly more. What I do know is at some point Thyra will be going on some sort of epic quest, Lord of the Rings style. And yes, she will have a fellowship. I think Clystra might be going with her. And I know some characters from season two will now be joining her. What that quest entails, and where it will lead our merry band of characters, I have no clue, but I’m really excited to find out, and eventually share it with everyone. 

You can listen to the whole first season of Circe and or check out the new episodes releasing for the second season wherever you get your podcasts or you can find out more information about Circe and listen to the episodes here: https://rustyquill.com/show/circe-podcast/  

Have a good week all! 

The Rusty Quill team