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Fireside Chat for WWW ep43 “Speak With Animals” (Patreon)

Published:
2025-03-04 12:30:02
Edited:
2025-11-13 06:40:33
Imported:
2026-06
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Giddy up, pony players, it's FIRESIDE TIME. You gotta sprint brilliant before you catch me on tape guessing what "yiffing"* is, how bou da?

Giddy up, pony players, it's FIRESIDE TIME. You gotta sprint brilliant before you catch me on tape guessing what "yiffing"* is, how bou da?

*Producer's note: I know what yiffing is. I extremely know. But who amongst the cast does not? Reader, look in your heart and you will see that you have always known.

**Producer's Second Note: Attached to this Patreon post you will find a violent and terrifying "hot mic" moment from the taping of Episode 43. Don't worry, I'm fine...for now.

***Producer's third note: Rule of threes!

 

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Comments

Kalunyx

Ahoohoo and crackle crackle yall💜

WWMSudoku

Ahoo hoo, if this episode doesn't have a horner corner about eioghorain I'm gonna fucking lose it

The Wizard Seek

Good morning, ahoo hoo, and crackle crackle!

Luke

Ahoohoo!

Mike B

Yessss

Rafi

Not yiffing…🫡 Godspeed to Brennan and today’s special guest

ScoutHooligan

Ahoo hoo, crackle crackle y'all!💜

Nolf!

Ahoo hoo crackle crackle! Love you guys.

Genna

YessssAHHH

Kalunyx

Hah Taylor thank you for this li'l sprankle of bts recording. Aabria you say what my heart is thinking

Just a Fox

Aabrias reaction (in the Hot-Mic moment) was entirely appropriate

Mac

oh god... not the yiffing... i haven't gotten past 30 seconds of the fireside and the description already as me appalled and horrified

Just a Fox

For the first few sentences Brennan truly sounds like Taylor doing a Brennan impression - what a switcheroo!

Erika Abbas Hanna

“I feel sick!” Followed by giggles. Thanks for letting us into the room for that moment.

playbyheart

expert use of the pic from wild hearts can’t be broken 🖤

Sven the Scribe

Love Aabria doubling down and making sure Brennan knew the *fox* context of yiffing.

AMischiefOfPikachus

As the Wizard Slick, I must submit a clarification to the horner corner, Yiffing is more broadly used to refer to spicy images/acts of furrys, and the act of people in animal costumes having sex is known within the community as Murrsuiting. This was an absolute delight to listen to!

Luke

That hotmic moment in the attachments is insanely funny, that’s exactly how I felt too Aabria!!

Bex

"That bullfrog was a big fat chicken and I think that that is absolutely true" is a top 10 of all time out of context quote

solidork

It's always really fun when you get to interact with an antagonist that you can be pretty sure has no reason to be trying to manipulate you; all the people in my life have reasons why they might not be telling me what they really think, but you - person who could kill me at any moment - have no reason not to give it to me straight.

Max

“This world is a nightmare, and you are a monster, so what do you want to do?” Aabria, this whole part made me cry, it was incredible, you’re incredible.

Jack Jones

Great recap guys, by the way I was curious to know if we could get Taylor as part of these fireside I'd love to hear his thoughts on how he puts together the music for these scenes. I'm not sure if it's just a logistics thing that he can't but yeah would love some insight on the sound of the show as such a big part of how it all comes together with your wonderful performances!

Rachael

"In real life, I'm a chicken snatcher." 😂 These are the moments I live for on these fireside chats. ❤️

Amaya

So glad to know my love for the music reached Taylor!! The Wizard Score drops ALL bangers NO skips 🤍

kat martin

I do actually need Ame's playlist to be renamed Petulant Whimsy. Actually.

Just a Fox

Brennan PLEASE may we have a photo of Curran? 🥹🥹🥹

Emily C

Look the Ame and the Fox animatic is amazing, and, there are so many crazy lines in this Fireside that I want to draw, including "In real life, I'm a chicken snatcher."

Bob Chapman

Ostertag mention! Last chapter of SFP WHEN Brennnan?!

Felix

"Have you heard of 'yiffing'?" PAUSING HERE TO SCREAM. SCREAMING.

THEY Agenda Productions

Shout out to Taylor for that scoring on the end. I SCREAMED so loud in my house. Truly incredible!

Melissa Whitehurst

a wild hearts can't be broken image?!?!?! I swear I was the only one who watched this movie growing up!!!! Taylor your references as always are top tier!!

SaltySweetMerm

YOU BROUGHT UP YIFFING TO BRENNAN AND LOU?! ERIKA, YOU MAD LAD

Lynn O'Reilly

I am so glad a family member was kind enough to buy me a subscription, because fuck meeee I'm already going insane at the episodes and it would escalate to rabid and feral if I wasn't getting these talkbacks too on the in-between weeks. Jesus christ, yiz are fantastic, I'm so locked in even Houdini couldn't get me out (until my subscription runs out lmao).

Zander Jenkins

Another episode without dime pimento this is bullshit

Julia Whitmore

Hold on I gotta google Toshiro Mifune ... Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn

Joel Hicks

Yes!! I've been so excited for this episode that I'm vibrating my way into the Near Spirit

xatlern

If anyone loves Brennan's high stakes travel montage rolls and hasn't been watching EXU Divergence over on Critical Role, I highly recommend. He does it in a very intense way at the end of episode 1.

Bob Chapman

Next step: go watch every Kurosawa film starring Mifune... there are a LOT, so probably start with Yojimbo (though I have a real soft spot for Stray Dog)

Bob Chapman

I had to rewind to 1:04 to give Aabria's "best and worst day" speech another listen. GotDAMN!

Bob Chapman

Ok, I just Googled it and there are sixteen Kurosawa/Mifune collaborations... including five that I've never seen, so I just gave myself an assignment by accident

Julia Whitmore

God bless lmao yeah I'd definitely watch a film just to see that face in action

Jayfeather

god, that hot mic moment attached is incredible

Romit Comet

Aabria made me woop and ballyhoo with her proclamation that she finally has an ally in her movie. Her description of it - hellll yes

Ciaran C

Goddamnit Aabria, don’t make me go from yiffing to crying in the fireside

mguin

EVERYONE is in a Ghibli movie. Remember them past the cozy parts - they are ALL tied to, if not explicitly about, war & death.

Meagan Mostrom

I wasn’t on the Ioren train until they said “Toshiro Mifune” and now ALL ABOARD!

Christina Eichorn

My heart rate was at 91 while sitting just hearing about running 8 straight hours

Lance Hayes

Because he's not a wizard of the citadel.

Pat & Heather

A new Fireside AND Brennan on Wired on the same day is maybe the best day I've had in weeks.

Mack Whaley

Goddamn it Aabria Iyengar- there isn’t a day that’s passed in the last year where I didn’t mutter to myself “Aabria is a genius” the work of art that you’ve created in Suvi is beyond exceptional, it brings tears to my eyes. Wow wow wow.

TētēKura

Brennan Lee Mulligan, the KING of making DnD travel the most tense experience known to humanity.

C.J. Trentacosta

Aabria NEEDS to watch epic the musical! The monster motif in that is so Suvi!

RuviGaPo

Im fckn Obsessed suvi and yoren are in the saME MOVIE ?!! Y A S ! !

Andrew Guthy

Having my silly wizard name read out loud and my dumb ass question skipped was honestly ideal for me.

TheBardBullseye

damn i'm constantly amazed at how y'all can simultaneously tell a beautiful and complex story AND analyze it (plot, characters, sound design, music, themes, etc.) with the same amount of depth!!! love this podcast 💗

RuviGaPo

* straping in * !!!!!!!!!!!

Matthew

"Do you want to be right or do you want to get shit done?" If you always choose "be right" you are a useless pedant. If you always choose "get shit done" you are a heartless mercenary. You gotta know when to stand on principle and when to be pragmatic.

mguin

Also: all hail Taylor "Rule of Threes" Moore & Jared "Nickname TBD" Olson, the SOUNDS of this one, especially the horses plunging into the river, just wow

Fishes

Im pretty sure it's because he's just a guild mage

🐧lost penguin familiar

Okay, i do remember him saying guild mage. Is there a bunch of guilds or just one (capital G) Guild? And they work along side the citadel? Because we don't know who sent out a directive but we know someone did to find the 3 travelers.

Matthew

IIRC Guild Mages work directly for the Empire. I think anyone outside of those two orgs would be a hedge mage.

Dream Wizard Kyle Arca

"Are you familiar with....?" Brennan, eyes closed, slight smile on his face, exasperation in his voice. "No. No, I'm not."

Lace Elystra

I love Ame but her impulsivity this particular episode stressed me right out! If anything happens to that sweet little Fox I will personally hunt down Brennan Lee Mulligan and MAKE him bring him back!

B

really funny to me that this ep came out so close to exu divergence in which Brennan also had them roll so so many times while travelling 🤣

Jace Morgul

“That bullfrog was a big fat chicken, and I think that that is absolutely true.” 👌

sylvie

yiffing at the fireside AND a car seat headrest single on the same day??? damn.

TheodoreKnob

I almost never post on here, but you guys are on a super hot streak and I'm enjoying the show so much! I hope we can hear more from Taylor on the Fireside soon, he adds so much to the story, and I love when he talks about how the music and the sound effects are made. Assuming he wants to of course!

xelamorph

Syzygy mentioned 🤩

Lauren

immediately thought of this those survival checks on level 0 characters were INSANE

xelamorph

Petulant whimsy!! Revolutionary concept

Amphiby

Ramadan Mubarak guys ❤️

K

Well Suvi may have been the golden child but it’s unclear when she moved to that track. She still went to the same school as the other kids, thus receiving the same indoctrination. She didn’t find out about what her parents were doing and how they had challenged or been in opposition to the citadel until earlier this campaign, so when she’s like 21. In school they were taught that what they’d do when they graduated is go to war, which is why Suvi wants to be part of it and prove herself so badly in the begging of the campaign. And war is monstrous, even when for righteous reasons, so in some ways Suvi has been made into a “monster”. Also she is deeply traumatized. She lost her parents when she was like 7 and the last time she saw them she was already being traumatized by being in a dangerous, war-like situation. That marks a person and may have driven her to work hard and become this golden child. Plus, just because you benefit from a system doesn’t mean it doesn’t negatively impact you (i.e. the patriarchy). While no one needed to save her, which is not the vibe Aabria has given at all, she does have opportunities to gain perspective and shift her beliefs as she is exposed to the broader world and given more information about her parents What in the way that this character has been played has given you the vibe that she needs to be saved? I’ve always gotten the vibe that she is fiercely independent and determined to save herself and those she cares about whenever she can. The most danger Suvi has been in from the empire is the role her parents played in the past, which may have in fact encouraged them to indoctrinate her more than others so that she does not follow the same path as them. Not to mention, who would an empire put in power, those who believe in the system they aim to perpetuate or those who may change their beliefs and cause trouble with the power they have?

Robert Kvalheim

This is assuming that the leadership is not being perceived as just as, if not more, monstrous than the pawns. Also, Suvi received the same training and brainwashing that informs the monstrous decisions made by other Citadel members. Throughout the story she demonstrates that a part of her is empathetic to some of those actions, or at the very least empathetic in that she understands how those decisions were reached. A part of her is excited at the prospect of exploiting the power of great spirits like Naram. When she reverts to unfeeling/unthinking training in certain situations, like coldly killing the captain in the first chapter. At both levels she has been molded to become a monster.

Emma41420

Please hear me out: "Por qué no los dos?" Sometimes seemingly contradictory truths exist simultaneously, creating complex and unique character narratives. And that is even more often the case in real life for survivors of inter/trans-generational trauma. Survival can create circumstances that victimize you while giving access to positions of affluence and power. That's how lateral violence gets enacted so seamlessly. These are divisions created purposefully by empire (in-game and in our own) to prevent collective resistance. It is very possible for Suvi, and anyone in similar positions of intersecting identity under imperial control, to become both victim and perpetrator. That's the whole point. I think in many ways The Wizard, The Witch, and the The Wild One are each representative of "cycle-breakers." Their perspectives present a complexity that is true to life, in that there isn't really one right way of resisting the perpetuating of generational curses. Because, as you referenced, privilege and access can wildly transform those relationships-- for better or worse. One narrative doesn't necessarily negate the other, even if they aren't harmonious. That conflict is by design!

Jeff Rakes

I don't see it the same way. I'm seeing Suvi waking up to her complicity in a system where the horrible things (like kidnapping kids) were not necessarily spoken aloud, but makes perfect sense with the lessons she's been taught. Yes, Suvi is being groomed for leadership because of her (innate/hereditary?) magical prowess. But the Citadel that has privileged her also took her parents away from her in the same way that military kids can lose their parents. Steel came back and basically offered the Citadel as a way for her to create a meaningful life after the death of her parents at 8(?) years old. The Citadel is built on child soldiers. She was taught the 'justification machine' by wizards to slowly begin accepting worse and worse practices and quiet her conscience. The difference between her and Eza is that she has a connection to the outside world through Eursalon and Ame, which has eventually broken through the programming. No, she didn't get abused as cannon fodder, but she was indoctrinated at a young age in a moment of complete vulnerability.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

If you need help to continue your subscription, go to the Discord and ask about The Aerith. It's a group fund to pay subscriptions for those who can't.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

I did a search for martial arts stars and chose three as possible head-canon for Eioghorain. My top pick was Toshiro Mifune. When I went back and found the description of Eioghorain from the Library of Stars and heard Brennan compare him to Toshiro Mifune, I felt so vindicated!

CaptLizianthus

“ Suvi was never the terrified child left to be consumed by the Citadel’s system.” …Have we been listening to the same story?????

Tank

Seconding this. Please give us more BTS about the amazing production.

Rue Diaz

He’s a guild mage instead of citadel wizard

CaptLizianthus

Glad to know Lou and I had the same line of thought, that Heroism on the horses was REALLY working.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

I see your point. I think what's happening now is that Suvi is discovering that the machine she has been groomed to "lead" 1)is not and never will be under her control; 2) is making her a monster by giving her the benefits of others' oppression; and 3) is making her a monster by teaching her to kill and/or die without question. And now she has also had it confirmed that the whole thing is rotten to the core. She may have benefitted from the machine, but she was fed to it and formed by it and fundamentally lied to by it nevertheless.

Micah Ballard

Hey, uh, somebody find a picture of Brennan riding a horse asap?

Blake Draut

DO IT FOR THE PLOT THE ONLY WAY TO PLAY

jonathan holland

God i can petition hard enough for a horner corner lecture series

Michael Landes

Lou over here casually dropping "syzygy" in conversation

Kyle

Thank you so much, Erika, for picking my question. The answer was everything I'd hoped for and more. Stay carnivorous!

Jaxson Denton

When the Boa Constrictor came up I really thought it was Hakaea or Grimore yoinking Suvi and I was like “oh this is either the end of Suvi or really good”

Jennifer Ford

I’ve been feeling some parallels between Suvi’s childhood and mine as I was raised in a fairly Christian fundamentalist environment. No “blanket training” in my home but definitely some of the families were like that. I was also a golden child—always knew the verse, followed the strict rules, spent extended time on missions, got engaged to a youth pastor, planned to raise a “quiverfull” (🤮)… it wasn’t until I got out of that community that I could see the harm it had done to me. The unlearning process has been long and hard, and there is a parallel between that lived experience and suvis situation. Also it’s way hard to be the golden child then leave because your whole life all the praise and cookies came from how well you exemplified the platonic ideal of that community. She was definitely harmed.

Jennifer Ford

Yeah but BLM is the same guy who said “I’m gonna kill that dog” with his whole chest. Fox (and any of the pcs) do not have plot armor.

Jazz

Fun facts about the pic it's a form of entertainment called "horse diving" which looks very dangerous but is weirdly safe as far as horse sports go with very few to no injuries reported and seemingly little to no force driving the horses off the dive platform. The most injuries are actually to riders most famously (cw for blindness and injury) Sonora Webster Carver who landed with her eyes open and suffered retinal detachment leading to lifelong blindness. I'm not really defending the activity I just care about animal welfare and though it looks dramatic the horse is almost for sure fine. :) yay horse 🐴

Queerly Victorian

Y’all everybody listen to that audio clip it’s SO FUNNY

Devon

I love you all. Aabriya can do no wrong and I love you so much during this episode. Brennan is the perfect glue that holds this group together in this story. Erika is the right kind of chaotic alignment to keep things interesting. Rex / Lou reserving and embodying the honorable knightly energy we need and must see more of. Taylor and crew keeping every episode beautiful, horrifying, and dynamic. Thank you all. 🙏🏻

rachel schwartz

Same! I was like wow what great timing for Indri to call in a favor for Hakaea to catch the spy who stole her stars.

Lexx Powell

Oh the Curin reveal at the end of this chat made me cry😭 that’s so lovely

irisilmaril

Witches can resurrect their familiars by burning a spell with their reaction. They also can do it as a ritual if they have a certain amount of herbs. The fox will never be permanently gone unless Ame dies.

Ren Challacombe

this is such a silly little thing but i really love how in these firesides when someone starts to talk at the same time as someone else they both stop and give the other the chance to speak first. idk that’s just something that really makes me feel like im sitting by the fireside with friends bc they both dunk on each other and have such deep respect for each other that feels really good to be privy to.

Fiona Chamness

Does anyone have a link to the Kevin Stiller video referenced in the final question?

Wrex Verdi

The way my ears perked up every time one of the players addressed the guest this week... Great fireside! I was _very_ curious how the episode was going to end, and now seeing that the players were just as stressed out as me was oddly reassuring.

Catloaf

I've been rewinding that speech for hours.

Lace Elystra

Yes I know! Hence why I said I didn’t want the fox to die! But I *didn’t* know witches could resurrect their familiars so that’s reassuring to hear!

Brandon Carbaugh

Aabria is so in command of her character. It's like watching the D&D version of a concert pianist shredding some Rachmaninoff. I find it very inspiring as both GM and player.

Krusty Bo Busty

So quick correction from the town pervert, what Brennan defined is actually called murrsuiting (Man-purr-fursuiting). Yiffing is more of an outdated term for watching furry porn. Thank you for your time.

Kiera Faye

I think I rented it from the library twice a month for years. 😍

thequeercat

A fun fact of the day that everyone definitely wanted: The particular act which Brennan described as yiffing is known as murrsuiting! Etymology of the word is also onomatopoeic.🫣 Murrsuits are like normal fursuits, but with,,, , some modifications

Adarsh Nednur

I fundamentally disagree with your interpretation of what Aabria said, but instead of debating point by point, I will share what I strongly believe she is saying: Suvi was born into a system that materially privileged her but morally corrupted her. It instilled in her a worldview that valued hierarchy, comfort with violence, and Imperial lives above all else—even at the expense of spirits, children, and basic morality. Because she believed in this system at the time, she followed and upheld it. Seeing her friends again forced her to confront how others viewed her actions. She felt trapped between the justification machine ("I'm not a monster; the system is good; this is all necessary to keep people in warless villages safe and in blissful ignorance") and how she understood her friends' views ("Suvi is still the girl we met that summer, pure of heart and conscience; she’ll do the right thing"). Eioghorain's words matter because he tells her: "Yes, you’re a monster. The system made you one because that's what it was built to do, and resisting it wouldn’t have changed that. Just look at me; I spent my whole life fighting the system, and I've had to become a monster to do so. Even those outside the system get pulled into its violence—like the Grenau children. Your friends are wrong to think you're pure; you haven't had that luxury. You were a 10-year-old child. But being a monster doesn’t mean you have to be on the wrong side. Sometimes, monsters are necessary to win the war for the good guys. And now, you have a cave full of monsters here to help." To put it in Avatar: The Last Airbender terms, Eioghorain is the Uncle Iroh to Suvi's Zuko. But maybe Suvi isn’t Zuko—maybe she’s Azula. She was never exiled; she thrived within the system. But obviously, Azula was also a victim of the Fire Nation. The difference is that, in this version, Azula joins the rebellion. That’s triumphant—and Suvi is allowed to grieve who she was forced to become to fit into the system while she chooses to break free and save others from it.

Adarsh Nednur

I guess I really could have summarized my whole post in a few short sentences: Privilege does not equal agency. Suvi was born into the Citadel's power structure and began ascending it as a young child who had seen next to nothing outside of it. The idea that Suvi truly had the option of not following it is an illusion, as evidenced by the fact that the first time she tried to move against it in a meaningful way she was arrested to be brought before the Imperial Prince. Still, it's fair to say that Suvi is complicit—which Suvi would very clearly agree with since Aabria explicitly says that Suvi is scared that she is a monster and Eioghorain tells her that she's correct. Nothing about that contradicts how Aabria describes Suvi's headspace.

Alex

Brennan called Ser Curran (sp?) the “Knight of Knights” but could he also have been saying “Knight of Nights” ?

Boston

More player reactions please! So good

The Wizard Seek

I think perhaps you've taken Aabria's description of Suvi's emotional landscape at this time to be an accurate take on her circumstances, instead of the perspective of an extremely privileged twenty year old juuuust now realizing the depth of the lies she's been told. I personally didn't take it as describing what Suvi has *been through* but rather what she *feels like* she has been through, and when it comes to those in positions of power, we often know that they will fail to see that their woes aren't comparable to those beneath them. That said, I don't think she needs to be personally committing the crimes of war to feel like a monster for having (more than once) fully endorsed the actions of the Empire at large or acted exactly as they trained her to. It is scary to realize how close you came to following that path and potentially enacting great cruelty from her Princess throne at the Citadel, lol. (EG: Interest in harnessing the power of Naram, the "justification machine" etc) I think you are 100% on the money that Suvi's story is about someone in a position power realizing the system they've worked to support and turning against it. But also, there is nuance to the fact that Suvi still has a lot of legitimate reasons to feel betrayed and used by the Citadel, though those reasons are largely personal (her parents, the *potential* that Steel has lied) and not indicative of being used up by the system- I just don't think if Suvi knows the difference that makes yet, or why it's so important. However, I cannot think of a story or character similar to her that doesn't also share in similar personal grief and trauma in being raised in such a society and, we are led to believe for a long time Suvi figured she was just as on the chopping block as everyone else (incorrectly so) I think a lot of privileged new adults in her position have a perhaps selfish sense of being wronged when they find they have supported a system that by virtue of how it functions has lied to and indoctrinated them. I think someone else's comment about two opposite truths existing at once is a good point here, too- that Suvi can be wronged, feel used, and feel a sickening sense of vertigo as she begins to pump the brakes on flying down a track she only just realized was specifically built for her. Not sure if any of this made sense, I just got off work, but your comment has been circling my mind all day and I wanted to throw in my two cents! I tried to address it without changing the topic/misunderstanding you, but I ain't got the energy at this time to sift through and find moments to quote. 😅

The Wizard Squeamish

Welp! We're still waiting on the payoff for that post credit scene of the Man In Black visiting Starling's Ford. I'm so excited to finally find out what twist Brennan's "juicy little brain" has cooked up re: Man In Black x Sir Curran

Lynn O'Reilly

Oooo there's a Discord?? How did I miss that? Awwww that's such a lovely initiative with such a clever name! Thankfully I have my subscription to the end of the year, so I am H-O-TT-O-G-O ahahaha, but it's just wonderful to know it exists, thanks for letting me know, you're so kind!

Alyssabeth Sandberg

“This is just a continuing streak of my incredible ability to osmose from context clues, which I consider to be a form of b-s-ing, but many people tell me is smartness”. Why did the quote Brennen gave that sums up my life come directly in correlation to the “yiffing” convo…..

Lojaan

You only need to look at the Kardashians to see how the people on top of, or the face of a system are usually it's first victims. Their privilege is entirely conditional. Similarly, Suvi's privilege did not make her exempt from the monster machine. If anything, it made the machine harder to see.

jawnster

This episode should be public based on relevance of vague description of character decisions being so well related to... everything... there could be dissertations on this episode

João Padinha

this is exactly why i read the comments

Devon

Listening to the series again from the beginning and I’m on Episode 20 and Suvi just asked the Wizard Sly for a bad news / prediction for her and he says “you’re not ready for it.” Is this what Suvi wasn’t ready for at the time??

Liv Tealeaf

Googles yiffing so I can figure it out before Brennan and Lou. First definition; yelling and sneezing. Nope that can’t be it. Scrolls down to furry sex. Yep. That *has* to be it.

Fearne Pérez

I’d argue that that grooming IS what was so traumatic. She was told she was so special that she was perfect to operate a war machine as the leader of the oppressing class. She was told something about her made her perfect to be a monster, and she *flourished*, now that she is growing up and seeing the truth, she has to ask - why was I the perfect monster? And the fact is because she was a groomable child with no one else. She was utterly dependent, and anything they chose to give her was all she had.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

I just realized something that might have been an improvising blip or might mean something interesting. Eioghorain tells Suvi, "You killed a lot of good people of mine at Abyssin." How would he connect a Citadel wizard riding under imperial guard (in a war zone with lots of Citadel wizards) to what happened at Abyssin two weeks ago? Have the birds been following the group from Abyssin and reporting back, and was he specifically after that wizard? Brennan said it was a random attack. Also, if the shapechangers at Abyssin were Eioghorain's people, how is he involved with the bigger war between Gauthmai and the Kemsarazan Empire? It sounds like he's still working against the government of Gauthmai, but it's pretty clear that the troops at Abyssin were part of Gauthmai's forces. I wonder if some of the shapeshifters in the armies of Gauthmai are secret revolutionaries. Or maybe Eioghorain thinks of all shapeshifters as his people even if they aren't working with him directly. More mysteries.

Bog Station: Remembrance

Also: you Never count your money when your sitting at the table. There’ll be time enough for counting when the dealin’s done.

Maya B

Let’s be honest we already knew Steel killed Suvi’s parents, now we Know Steel killed Suvi’s parents, soon we will KNOW that Steel killed Suvi’s parents!!!! And she calls her MOM. Aabria knows what’s she’s doing to herself and all of us w that. I say this but steel literally DISARMS me every time, she’s so charismatic and her interactions w Suvi are so perfect, til at the last second she hits u w a little sting.

Eleventh Hour Panic Productions

I'm thankful y'all talked about Erika's Big Red Plot Button choice. My knee-jerk reaction was... critical, but I'm working on cultivating a greater appreciation for story over game strategy, and moments like this show me I have more work to do on that score. 😅 Point of interest (language nerd edition): the "g" part of the "-gli" in Italian-based words (i.e., "consigliere") is more like the "-lli" part of "million" in English, making "consigliere" more like [kon-see-Lyeh-reh] rather than [kon-sig-lee-Eh-ree]. #TheMoreYouKnow

Lojaan

You seem to not understand that it is extremely common to thrive in a system that you are also the victim of. See above comment about Kardashians. These two things are not exclusive. Abria's narrative make perfect sense to me.

The Wizard Sexy

This is a fictional story set in a fantasy world of which we only get to see a small sliver, interpretation is the intended way to engage with the story. Offering to share a few select moments from dozens of hours of audio and viewing the story through that lens is, almost by definition, offering to share your interpretation. Demanding that some commenter bring to you hard evidence which unimpeachably proves that your interpretation of the story is wrong *without themselves using interpretation* is ridiculous.

Esther

thank you for this bonus hot mic audio! XDD

rocket-flash

Maybe I won't answer your question satisfactorily here, but I have seen a lot of in-game context showing Suvi's disconnect (and feelings of victimization) between the little she knows about her parents and the world and the years of teaching she's had at the citadel. I don't believe Suvi felt like or thought of herself as a victim of the citadel while she was growing up there, as she's consistently interacted with Steel as a mother and mentor figure (and as a savior who provided some certainty and instruction after the tragedy of her parents death), but the events of the campaign have consistently caused her to question how much the citadel acted as a savior for her (with all the privileges it wrought) and how much it contributed to the situation of her parents death and the current violence against the spirits. Aabria as Suvi has discussed feelings of betrayal from both sides but especially from Steel in this last arc, as the actions of the citadel challenge her own values/independence for the first time (this being the first time she is truly been away since that summer), in both the Geas (sp?) scene and then in her recognition of the predatory comments from some of the soldiers towards Ame and Ursulon in this current arc. It makes perfect narrative sense for Suvi to feel victimized as she reconstructs her narrative of the citadel because she feels lied to. Whether or not you believe she has been lied to is different than the emotional reality for the character, which has been consistent in her multiple anxiety/panic attacks both in Indry's Palace and afterwards when fully considering the weight of the citadel's research in potential conflict with spirits and witches. It is realistic to look back over a relationship that's crumbling currently and search for signs that support how you feel now. So even if Suvi had a overwhelmingly positive childhood in the citadel, it makes sense that she would look back on it now and feel victimized because that is where her current relationship is trending, and she's not sure how much of what she believed is true. I don't agree that no one needed to save Suvi, because as a child there's no way to contextualize that her pain was maybe less than other peoples, and the children's adventure certainly paints her to be a heavily traumatized child looking for stability and familiarity, which Steel (and the citadel) provided. I think the story clearly paints the citadel as saving her from a life as an orphan, even if we know that Grandma Wren would have taken her in. Now that her relationship with the citadel and Steel is faltering, that savior dynamic also feels like a lie. Partly because in addition to the immense privileges of her upbringing, the citadel instilled a lot of the prejudices and distrust of spirits that she's currently and actively trying to break free of. The way Aabria explains Suvi's emotional arc and the choices she's made in game feel completely congruous to me and are all set up by the fear of being alone that has guided her choices since the children's campaign. Watching her relationship with Steel breakdown is a huge trigger for that established fear, and would lead most people to go over that entire relationship with a lens of distrust. Even if Suvi eventually comes to a more nuanced opinion of the Citadel, that would be a lot to expect from a young person/character in an emotionally volatile moment like she's currently in.

Virtual Spaceman

I love conflict ame is fucking killing it I love a character that causes problems (so long as everyone is having fun above the table obviously)

Virtual Spaceman

I would not be surprised if it is revealed Sir Curran either is the King of Night or at some point came under the influence of him it feels like it could pay off a few story beats it also would be extremely interesting for lou to have a chance to properly interact with Curran in some regard

Virtual Spaceman

How do you even pronounce that? I'm genuinely asking

Virtual Spaceman

Oop I'll get the torches and the pitchforks and start passing em out

Brandon Brewer

Brennan, as a forever GM, I understand. Especially since my wife is one of my players. It KILLS ME sometimes how I can't tell any of the people closest to me the cool stuff I have planned!

Katie

Ahhhhh thank you so much for taking my question!! I’ve listened to this three times LOL. Y’all are incredible ✨

LCB Meyneth

That Horner corner was so out of pocket, absolutely insane

Ro Lara

I may be remembering wrong but i believe that he says that after hearing Suvis namecloak, so I interpreted that as rumors and tales got back about a group led by the Wizard Sky, and he is now finding out that thats her

Witch of moss and mind

Absolutely stunning as always yall!!! I can’t wait to see where this goes next ʕ•̫͡•ʔ

Bee Barton-Biegelsen

Eurselon's "quest fever" early on was a sudden grasping for a fleeting glimpse of a quest that he had not felt yet. Now that he has a grounded feeling of his quest, he is not so hot headed, and therefore so much more efficient. He has a pure and stable flow of purpose in his blood that does not spur him on, but pushes him steadily forward. (almost with the same nature to another spirit, who walks forward on a long road at his own pace...)

PriscillaG

I also wonder if Steel believes Eioghorain killed Suvi's parents because he abandoned them when they went after Nahani because I can imagine a world where his leaving could also be seen as abandoning the mission hence leading to a death sentence essentially. But also, I might have misunderstood the timing of everything. I love this podcast!

Kate Fisher

Regarding your second point, remember when The Fox had that exchange with that guard bird at Abyssin? The bird was really resentful of the Gauthmai noble houses. I think we can assume that was one of Eioghorain's shapeshifters. If the bird was so open with its opinions then it makes sense that that whole siege was Eioghorain's crew. Gauthmai is definitely out of touch with some of the shifters, either they thought the Abyssin siege was was carried out by allied shifters or the siege had nothing to do with the Gauthmai military and the empire just can't tell the difference

Classic TTRPG Content (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-08 21:00 Oh the Ame pushing the big red button is an interesting ordeal because it's a conundrum. An actual play is mostly improv, yet is roughly follows other media tendencies of an overarching narrative, continuity, and the expectation of character growth. As such, we're seeing the character growth in Suvi and Big E, yet Ame pushing the big red button gave the impression her character had remain stagnant. It's that push-pull lever of making seemingly erronous decision for the story, and a character growing from those decisions to show they have progressed as a character. It wasn't until the discussion of Ame's previous attempts where it occured to me that she hasn't had any horredous consequences to her character based upon her choices yet. There have been horrible consequences overall, but not one that directly affected her character. So it makes much more sense for her to retain the same level of whimsiness. So now that this has happened to her, that will determine if she's bound to follow the same trajectory as her friends, or if she will be relegated to the Spike from Buffy Archetype (the character that always takes one step forward and then 3 steps back.)
2025-03-07 05:49

Boots

Ah! Thank you for answering my question and warming my heart with some Wizard Sunny/Brennan/Curran lore 🥰

Daniel Richardson

The bridge scene was such a big, wild moment. I was so confused for quite a while, and I really thought it was not the shapeshifters, but Hakea of the Woodland Green. Ame had just had a moment earlier of threatening the wizard Keen with her status as a member of the Coven of Elders, so it was on my mind. And then especially when Brennan mentioned a big snake I thought it was her familiar! I thought the horses and riders were all being dragged off of the bridge by water creatures controlled by the Woodland Green. ... I mean, that woulda been dope too, right? =P

irisilmaril

it seems like she thinks that he literally and directly killed them. or thats what she tells Suvi. I think she is def hiding something but she maybe genuinely believes it because she needs someone to blame. Eioghorain working directly against the Empire and is useful pressure point to get Suvi to work in her interests. Because Suvi- maybe not in comparison to her friends, but for a Citadel soldier- is a loose canon and hard to control.

Hannah Walker

"People can and do turn themselves into monoliths for pleasure and profit." BLeeM, I blame you for the real-estate that's going to be taking up in my head.

Alex

Do you mean Rex Silverburgh?

Alexandra Young

Or just Brennan's way of getting out of making a prediction that may not come true in a game dictated by the roll of the dice!

Urte

I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen his name written out and while it took my German based brain a couple of seconds to translate what in my head was written „Yorin“ since the dawn of time, I absolutely love the spelling and I tip my hat to you Priscilla, for knowing it. 🙂‍↕️

Urte

I‘m sorry Maya but you can’t be right on this, if Steel killed Suvi‘s parents I will travel to the US and punch Brennan in the face while crying. I have NEVER suspected her of anything, she did nothing wrong. Please don’t let her be evil. She’s my mom too 😭

Emcortez

Guild mage can catch ALL this smoke!!!! I love to hate Brennan villains 😂

The Wizard Seek

I've been wondering if they disappeared into the Near Spirit, due to Soft's involvement with it and the signs of colonization that Tephmet presented at the coven 🤔

Shades Run

How much Heroism did I give these horses?! 😂

Kr115

It's always incredible to me how well our players handle their emotions, but I understand now that so much processing is happening during breaks and in moments that get cut.

The Wizard Sparrow

The interpretation of Grandma REN’s message is so intriguing…my mind likes this path🔥🦊

The Wizard Sparrow

On the same thought path…I’m waiting for Eursolon to call on his spirit friend Heinruel and also use the hangman’s twine to help save Ame from the sleezy Wizard Keen.

The Wizard Sparrow

After listening to this episode almost the day it aired. I had to go back to the beginning and listen with a mindset..has Steele been playing Suvi? Does she know the King of Night? Or maybe the she has trusted the wrong side of the citadel. Needless to say I have listened to arc’s 1-3 about 4 times now and I always catch something new from the story. Now I wait a little more than 24 hours until next episode drops. AAAAAHHHHHH🦊🔥🤗❤️

Jordan T. Maxwell

The notion of Eioghorain as Mifune has me picturing an alternate timeline where he DID go back for Suvi and raised her Lone Wolf and Cub style. And I'm sad we'll never get that story... sigh...

Katie Lemelin

Felt a lot of those same feelings.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

I figured some word would be getting around, but it's not like Sky was introducing herself during the battle.

Danielle

breaking down exactly why Suvi growled her ‘yes’ at the end. So sick, good god, Aabria.

MegatonSunder

My The Fox arrived he's so perfect!💚💚💚💚

K

The best example is in the children’s story right when she is leaving traumatized to enter the citadel. The last time she saw her parents was in the middle of a war zone. And though she had a fun summer, that doesn’t mean she didn’t spend many a night worried about or crying about her parents, even if it’s not mentioned because we saw vignettes rather than a day by day account. She learns to numb her emotions at the age of 7 then enters a place where she is told she’s special at some point in her time at school. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with adoption trauma but even if you grow up in a loving family it doesn’t get rid of the trauma of losing your birth parents, especially losing them at an age where you remember them and having seen the danger they were in at that age. Also what you’re saying implies that people with power can’t be groomed. By that logic, what about young celebrities (and not just kids but like 18 to early 20s) who grow to fame but do get groomed (i.e Kesha and too many others). Just because Suvi’s grooming isn’t of a sexual nature doesn’t mean that it wasn’t still grooming. Any child, regardless of privilege, if they’re told that they’re special and different from the other kids can be groomed to believe a particular thing. Aabria wouldn’t be able to play Suvi to the story you believe is different from what she’s stated if she didn’t understand Suvi’s state of mind. You say you can point to the transcripts and episodes, but you say “the idea that Suvi was totally dependent with no one else” and I’d love to see where Aabria said that versus you extrapolating that from her saying Suvi is a victim of the citadel. She never claims Suvi was alone or that she was turned into a monster “against her will” the exact quote starting at 1:04:41 of this fireside chat is: “The monster that has been lying under her bed since she was a child and the nightmares began finally shows up and says ‘you’re right to see the world as grimly as you do. You’re right, they are also making you into a monster. And you’re right to see terror in the face of like all the lies under your feet starting to coming undone. And you’re right to feel like righteous fury on behalf of those Grineou (idk how it’s spelled) children because you were a child and no one saved you from being fed into the machine, but you’re not dead yet, you can still save them from it, and you may be scared that you are a monster because your friends look at you different because you are not the little girl that they like left in that cottage 14 years ago, but so am I and the monsters are going to help, like they’re going to help you now. This world is a nightmare and you are a monster, so what do you want to do?” So another thing to note is that Aabria is speaking from her interpretation of what Eioghorain says to Suvi, and being fed into a machine, being indoctrinated to be a tool of war, control, or manipulation is what happened to her, and everyone, at the citadel. Hell, that’s what happens to most people who attend schools. Regardless of where you live, but I’ll speak directly to the American public education system that I was a part of, schools indoctrinate people to support the systems in play in a given country. That’s why we are seeing Trump and many other republicans working to take away education about black history, queer history, and women’s history; why they are banning books. Education is directly related to indoctrination in the US at least and also in the citadel. Just because you don’t know you’re being groomed or indoctrinated doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. Suvi’s privilege has nothing to do with that. In fact, having her adoptive mother be The Sword of the Citadel only perpetuates her belief in the system. While she says “no one saved her from being fed into the machine” would it have felt more in line with your views if Aabria had said “no one stopped her from being fed into the machine”? The word “saved” is again Aabria’s interpretation of The best example is in the children’s story right when she is leaving traumatized to enter the citadel. The last time she saw her parents was in the middle of a war zone. And though she had a fun summer, that doesn’t mean she didn’t spend many a night worried about or crying about her parents, even if it’s not mentioned because we saw vignettes rather than a day by day account. She learns to numb her emotions at the age of 7 then enters a place where she is told she’s special at some point in her time at school. I’m not sure if you’re familiar with adoption trauma but even if you grow up in a loving family it doesn’t get rid of the trauma of losing your birth parents, especially losing them at an age where you remember them and having seen the danger they were in at that age. Also what you’re saying implies that people with power can’t be groomed. By that logic, what about young celebrities (and not just kids but like 18 to early 20s) who grow to fame but do get groomed (i.e Kesha and too many others). Just because Suvi’s grooming isn’t of a sexual nature doesn’t mean that it wasn’t still grooming. Any child, regardless of privilege, if they’re told that they’re special and different from the other kids can be groomed to believe a particular thing. Aabria wouldn’t be able to play Suvi to the story you believe is different from what she’s stated if she didn’t understand Suvi’s state of mind. You say you can point to the transcripts and episodes, but you say “the idea that Suvi was totally dependent with no one else” and I’d love to see where Aabria said that versus you extrapolating that from her saying Suvi is a victim of the citadel. She never claims Suvi was alone or that she was turned into a monster “against her will” the exact quote starting at 1:04:41 of this fireside chat is: “The monster that has been lying under her bed since she was a child and the nightmares began finally shows up and says ‘you’re right to see the world as grimly as you do. You’re right, they are also making you into a monster. And you’re right to see terror in the face of like all the lies under your feet starting to coming undone. And you’re right to feel like righteous fury on behalf of those Grineou (idk how it’s spelled) children because you were a child and no one saved you from being fed into the machine, but you’re not dead yet, you can still save them from it, and you may be scared that you are a monster because your friends look at you different because you are not the little girl that they like left in that cottage 14 years ago, but so am I and the monsters are going to help, like they’re going to help you now. This world is a nightmare and you are a monster, so what do you want to do?” So another thing to note is that she is speaking from her interpretation of what Eioghorain says to Suvi, indicating that he thinks the citadel is something one needs to be saved from (which makes more sense given the most recent episode). So, if you still disagree please show me your receipts because I have provided mine.

Devon

Mm, yes. Verrrrry astute 🤓

K

Why can two things not be true at once? I do believe you are misinterpreting what Aabria said, but it doesn’t change the fact that I agree with Eioghorain’s belief that Suvi is traumatized and was a child who got taken advantage of by the citadel, which if I’m understanding correctly is something you disagree with. As I asked before, do you really believe Aabria could play Suvi with the tone that she does if she didn’t understand Suvi’s point of mind? You know, I’m curious as to your thoughts on my framing because you haven’t responded to that, just asked what I’m arguing. You seem to be avoiding addressing my framing, and if you are is that so that you don’t have to consider the full complexity Suvi might have as a character?

OrangeHills

So when do we find out that Steele is responsible for the deaths of Suvi's parents and it's a play on "Steal" because she stole Suvi's childhood

Mamasaurus

Toshiro Mifune?! As a classic Japanese cinema lover, this is the best. Eioghorain now is my number one!

Aysha

MY EXACT THOUGHTS

K

Suvi has been slowly losing faith in the citadel and it has only fully fallen apart since she talked to Eioghorain in a river. If Suvi still fully trusted Steel and the citadel why would she have created a back door via humming the rain road to be able to access her memories of the secret mission when it could fully ruin the mission if she remembered it. Also the last time she spoke to Steel Suvi directly lied to her. Steel told her to wait because she was coming and Suvi agreed then immediately left with Eursulon and Ame to go save those kids. Plus you keep using words I’m not using. I didn’t say she felt betrayed by the citadel, I’m saying she no longer trusts (specifically “lost faith in”) the citadel. If you are in a military camp, surrounded by people from the side you no longer trust would you tell one of the leaders of that place that you’re not sure you trust them anymore and intend to directly go against them? Also losing trust in the citadel doesn’t necessarily mean she lost trust in Steel, who has raised her for most of her life. If the story goes the way I suspect then she might feel betrayed by Steel soon, but I’m not sure she’s quite there yet with her mom. Finally, her trust in the citadel only just fully collapsed while talking to Eioghorain. Please tell me when between her falling in the river and this most recent episode she has had the chance to talk to Steel. If you’re going to go back and forth with me please don’t insert words that no one has said such as “betrayed”. If I or Aabria said that in anything related to this please give me a direct quote. You know, you’re not even seeming to acknowledge some of my arguments because I already addressed how indoctrination works (via education) and how all children, regardless of privilege, can be groomed and you never responded to those. And that is the shaping Aabria is referencing. You know actually, if you think all this you’re hilarious and I’m sorry for how this understanding might impact your enjoyment of this beautiful story. I’m sure you must have excelled in reading comprehension in school

Jason Rivest

Can I be the wizard Source? Is that name cloak taken?

yimyams

i havent heard this fireside yet the moment brennan brought out Joran(idk how its spelled) i fuckin lost it cuz gotdammit is there always a fuckin twist with this man! im gonna get whiplash over here, fuck! amazing

Ingeborg

TAYLOR, DROP THE WBN SOUNDTRACK AND MY LIFE IS YOURS

Freyja Haegele

Not suprised Brennan guessed it right, I very clearly remember a line of his from the Tumbler Ceo, "So you're telling me if I got to 'Yiff Party' *(Vomits)*"

The Pompous Peasant

This pod is starting to depress me, is the world really this bad? We need more of these four and definitely more Fox, much more Fox. I don't know who I'm rooting for here and I love it.

The Pompous Peasant

Hot mic is so funny! I can't quite make it all out. Someone post the transcript here PLEASE?

Stephanie P

I just listened to this ep and had this EXACT thought.

ScoutHooligan

"I've been thinking about pony play for a while now"

Lexie Jones

Suvi: 🎶"THEN I'LL BECOME THE MONSTER!"🎶

Fraud_Monet

I cried so many tears at this ending. SO good. Classic fucking twist & shout. I called this frame one of Suvi's intro (evil werewolf man good, pretty badass knight lady bad) and we're halfway there! Dont get me wrong, idk that i wanna be right, but... STEEL GOTTA BE BAD. I love her, and I know she loves Suvi. She's probably not completely evil... But she's a co-BBEG.

Fraud_Monet

Also, side note, I always thought it was EGBB (Endgame Big Bad). right vibe, but I was off lol.

Fraud_Monet

I kind of think one of them has to be alive. Idk if we get both, drama and story tells me it's gotta be one of each, cause then we can get the intro of a living parent, and a re-gut punch of the news the other really is dead. And I think it's gotta be that Soft is the living one, because 1. I think Stone would've sought her out by now 2. She's seems like maybe TOO strong of an ally if she were to end up still around, whereas Soft has pacifist energy 3. Soft has the potential of a possible gentle let-down for any number of reasons, like Benny Bee suggested living in the Near Spirit, and maybe being too used to living there now, losing his way or giving up on the human world after losing Stone.. or something. Idk, lol, obviously I have a strong hypothetical headcanon. But I'm exciting for the results regardless of my own theory!

teepannu

I’m just catching up to the game and now the firesides and this is the BEST thing ever. Literally the whole gang behind this podcast is brilliant! I love the soundclip of Aabria going nuts! Love it!

Wizard Syn

Facts. 1000% the hottest man alive. God I love Horner Corner <3 I'm partically rabid over Toshiro Mifune's look in 'Snow Trail' (1947).

Witch of the Warren of Words

Always cool to find an Epic fan in the wild. Brennan saying "Get them in the water" on this fireside made my brain go "GET IN THE WATER, GET IN THE WATER!"

Ian Roberts

STRONG FEMALE PROTAGONIST MENTIONED 🗣️🗣️🗣️

Nym

Wasn’t Ame / Erika NOT a fan of Silver two arcs ago? What happened to “you can do better?” 🤣

Eric Osborne

“Moving perpendicular to empire” is the most beautiful encapsulation of my political beliefs.

Kassie K Wilson

This episode is wild and I love that the whole deal with Joren has been turned on its head and now Steele’s whole deal is up…

Kassie K Wilson

YES WE WANT HELP! We need adultier adults on this! 😅

Margarida Baptista

Omg that clip 😂😂😂 PLEASE share more outakes, whenever you have them!!!