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We gotta go.

Thus ends Book One of The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One. Here's to many more. In the meantime, we have wonders piled high to share with you, dear listener. Come, join us, and see. There are other worlds than these.

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We recommend listening to Worlds Beyond Number (and the Fireside Feed) on a "podcatching" app like Overcast or Pocket Casts. For more help getting the right audio in the right place, check out our friendly instruction guide.

We are

Brennan Lee Mulligan

Erika Ishii

Aabria Iyengar

Lou Wilson

Produced, designed, and scored by Taylor Moore  at Fortunate Horse with exquisite design and editing help from Jared Olson.

SPECIAL THANKS TO: Amanda Fredberg and of course, Shannon.

Album art by the great Corey Brickley.

Files

Comments

Alex

Someone needs to hold my hand

JB

Oh god oh god oh god oh god

Ryan

Here we go!!!

Liu

LFGGG

Octohotpot

AAAAA LOGGED IN AT THE EXACT RIGHT TIME

Hillary Patrick

When you open Patreon to check at the right moment yesssss!!!

JB

Steel: “You wanna know how I got these scars?”

rio

Y’ALL IDK IF THIS WILL BE RELEVANT, BUT I DON’T TRUST EULIA She’s Steel’s family and JUST SO HAPPENS to be an illusionist who’s adorably insecure? In the perfect place to keep an eye on Suvi? IT’S GIVING “KAHAR THE HERON SPIRIT.” I DON’T TRUST THAT SHIT A SINGLE INCH

Brandon Carbaugh

I have not listened yet, but congrats to the entire team for what must feel like an almost impossible huge milestone. The amount of time and work y'all have put in to get to this point is staggering, admirable, and has brought a great deal of joy into my life.

Josh

HERE WE GO FOLKS ITS BEEN A FUCKIN TRIP

Laur

🫡🫡🫡 soldiers

Will Moseley

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHGHHGGAAAAAGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH

Drew Faber

I never doubted. <3 can’t wait to get stoned and listen to this and scream

Katie

I’m not ready 😭😭😭

GC

Oh, it's happening

Sofia marcelli

Thank you so much for all your hard work!!!

ISAWziti

Wooooooo!!! And this path I shall take!!!

cubë

i was just about to go to sleep, now i can’t go to sleep edit: it’s now 1:15am and i’m not going to be sleeping for a week. ahhhhh. this was perfect and i hate you and i love you.

The Witch of the Well-Struck Flint

Nooooo how could you it's 11pm and I have work in the morning which means I need to WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW to listen. Devastated.

Aviva

I was dubious before, but I guess I’ll give it a listen.

Echo

Gonna listen after work today. May it go fast

Ky Butler

Right on time to listen to on my hour drive to my dog's training class whoo!!

Romit Comet

Perfect timing. Just home from work!

Yin

Before I listen, thank you all for spinning this amazing beautiful and amazing epic amongst your characters. I find the small and large moments of awe and wonder both inspiring and hopeful in a complex and deep world of real war and harsh systems. Excited for the next campaign!!! Thrilled to hear the next cast of beloved characters!!! And wishing us listeners the best of luck and so many tissues and hugs and all the comfort foods 🥲🫡🥰😭💞💐

Molly Gould

I’m already SCREAMINGGGGG

Krystine W.

I refuse to listen because that means it's the end and I can't emotionally handle that.

Shannon Brooks

Wanna know how I got these scarrrrrrrssss?

Chey

I audibly gasped when I got the notification

rio

Suvi’s Page

Luke

AHOOOHOO AND CRACKLE CRACKLE TO YOU ALL!

Susurrus

I have a meeting I need to get to in less than an hour 😩 do I listen now? Do I postpone?

Cody Zimmer

Fuck! I'm an little busy right now! How could you do this to me!

Jakamomo

< gasping in a public place >

j logthey

tell me the "there are other worlds than these" is a Dark Tower reference 🥺🥺

Tucker Wilson

My desire to not say goodbye for now to these characters and my desire to see what Aabria brings us in the next campaign are creating a lovely sort of hesitation/excitement ouroboros deep inside my chest

Jacob Leaf

Anyone else think there’s something up with the audio?

Jo Lee

Why am I weeping at the intro stinger?

Lojaan

I'm not ready

Sven the Scribe

Hot damn the music/audio sting for that counterspell (and shatter)

Nathan Neilson

There was a moment where it seemed like Brennen/Steel shuddered while speaking, and it did seem like an audio hitch, but I think it was just Brennen abruptly stuttering himself. Maybe that?

Jacob Leaf

There’s background noise whenever someone speaks. I think it’s appeared occasionally in earlier episodes but it seems a lot more noticeable this time. I’m only a couple minutes into the episode so idk if it’s less noticeable later

Sarah Sutton

Wait, for sure. Don't do that to yourself!

Shannon Brooks

Babes I’m already crying so it depends on how disheveled you want to show up to your meeting 😭😭

Katie

10 minutes in and I have cried the whole time UGH I LOVE YOU GUYS

Alyssa

Oh my god, the sound design on the cackle. CHILLS.

Hanna Dahl

I AM SHAKING listening to this

Joel Avery

Thanks for all the hard work team. Rest easy in what I'm sure is an outstanding, 'outdoing-yourselves yet again' kinda deal 🤝

Spontaneously Unique

I am feeling personally victimized because I have my own game in 20 minutes. I am so hyped to listen as soon as I wake up tomorrow.

Cecilia Ruigrok

“I spent my life turning you into the woman she should have been, not you, not anyone gets to throw that away” AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

danielle

See you all on the other side 🫣🫡

Smitsel

I vented in the comments a few episodes about how I'm not having a great time with life, and how much I appreciate you guys for everything you do for giving one of my favorite distractions. Things are going objectively worse now, but I'm still hanging in there. Thank you so much for everything that you guys do. Truly. This series is so special to me, and I greatly appreciate it existing at this point in my life. I expect to cry at this episode, and I thank you for the catharsis <3

Limberbutt McCubbins

About to listen live with a friend for the first time! We just had to be together for the book finale

Cody Tucker

Whyyyyyy.... am I holding my breath for EVERY DICE ROLL!!!??? Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!! Let's goooo

Amaya

I KNEW SHE DIDN'T HAVE A HEART!!! We skated past 'it's not gonna find it' in reference to the heart seeker spell way too quickly

Big_Beary_Syx

taylor you put some FREAK NASTY MUSTARD on this ep and i’m HERE FOR IT

MN-UL

aaaah can't wait

Sam Null

I'm going to shriek

Sven the Scribe

Post credit scene! Make sure not to flip off too early!

Alyssa

HOLY SHIT. HOLY SHIT. HOLY SHIT. The endings?!?! HOW LONG UNTIL BOOK 2?! The amount of tears, gasps, screams, and utterances of “what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck” I had during this episode FUCKING AMAZING WORK. I’m speechless, this work of fiction has been one of the most meaningful of my life. THANK YOU!!!

Amaya

This dialogue about Steel crashing out because, even though she herself wasn't, Suvi was changed by the love she was shown when there was no benefit to having shown it is making me spiral

Amaya

"May the light of the tower always shine *wreaths her in fox fire*" QUEEN SHIT QUEEN SHIT

Alyssa

Literally so many!

The Wizard Stream

Return of the fuck ass harpsichord AND witch parade theme?? Beautiful

David Stavis

"There are other worlds than these." flows so well off the tongue.

Manifesting Good Posture

I appreciate (what I think was) Aabria trying to weaponize her wicked wicked dice against Steel

Molly Gould

THE GREAT BEAR SPIRIT AHHHHHHHHHH IM CRYING

Brad K

My bet is we probably don’t get back to WWW for book 2 until at the end of CR4.

Kyle Granger

I don't know how but you've somehow outdone yourselves, I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to wait for book 2

cowabungholio

going through tissues as we SPEAK

V33cious

Was that lightning sound taken from a Scooby Doo soundpack??

gramps

One of the Greatest Stories I've ever known

The Wizard Stream

*spittake* in the last 20 minutes wtf is happening?! AAHHHHHHHHHHHH

Stephanie Godin

IT WAS SO AMAZING! That epilogue was so good I was screaming and my kids had to come check to see if I was ok! Omg what a masterpiece you all have created and I can't wait for Book 2!!!

Samantha Cross

Generations of D&D players have attempted to conquer doors. Eursolon hasn't seen a door that wasn't obliterated by him.

Shreyas Joshi

I like that he used a smite to really make sure that door was opened but only did regular attacks on the full wizards.

Ellis

This was so good. Like so good. LIKE. SO FUCKING GOOD

Edgar Rodriguez

How long was this adventure in game, because I kept thinking that they where going to miss a lot of their appointments and now that the book is done I'm scared to see how it will play out

Chey

that was a fantastic episode!!!! my jaw dropped so many times in the epilogue

Cumbia Zookeeper

I am, in no way, ready for this to be over, and I haven't felt this since I was a kid. You folks are a fucking unit.

Peter Borden

!!!!!! Probably true. Now I’m sad

Leila Pearlman

I’m so glad Aabria’s dice finally decided to cooperate this episode😂😂

byskyphy

Brennan, you dick... I was waiting for the apocalypse to start, only to find a delightful ending. Every damn episode, I thought, had maddeningly titillating cliffhangers, except for this one. And then you just gave me 5 fan service cliffhangers. How am I supposed to wait YEARS for book 2 now? P.S. : turn this into an actual book, please ❤️

Eve

Sobbing over most of it, but so hyped about the post credit cameos.

Deja Nell

An absolute JOY!!! I was sat at 6:01 and haven’t stopped smiling since

RuviGaPo

MORROW REDEMPTION ARC WAS NOT ON MY BINGO CARD !!!!!!!!!!!

Ellis

Taylor, you have outdone yourself. Thank you for this masterpiece

Luke

Everybody give it up for Mr. Moore and Mr. Olson! 54 episodes and not a single miss in the audio/music/editing department!

Ellis

I think they said something a few firesides ago about it being like 3 months or something since they left Wren's cottage in the first episode

Ryan Higgins

So beautiful. Fuck. Thank you Erika, Taylor, Lou, Brennan and Aabria. Thank you and those who help you, including us Patreons. As a guy with military PTSD, it's good to cry truly happy tears.

Beth

I'm so hype!!! Considering listening at work... but the risk of crying in an office full of people seems too high.

Kathleen Larsen

No words, just thank you for this story 🩷

Gareth Wassall

A pleasure and a privilege to listen to. Thank you to all involved. I hope one day a hard copy is released but will treasure my time listening to these podcasts more than anything

Jasmine A. Golphin

If there's one thing this crew is going to do it's make me cry 😭 esp Lou!

bluebluebutton

In Ep. 23, Ame glimpses the memory of Grandmother Wren and Mirara talking. Mirara asks Wren what salvation she hopes to find. Wren answers, "I am hoping to find two hands turned away from weapons of war, of conquest and control, reaching to hold, in and of themselves, the other." Ame reaching for Suvi's hand in this moment of destroying what would otherwise become a weapon of war feels like her gift to Grandmother Wren's memory. I'm weeping.

Michelle Phelps

Nothing has delighted me more than hearing the ending music, checking my phone, and seeing like an extra 15 minutes. Holy shit the post credits! This show and you all are incredible.

bluebluebutton

According to Steel this episode, 2 months.

On the Fence

You beautiful bastards made me cry! Thank you and how dare you

Launch

EYO??? *EYO?????*

Witch of the Weird

Sobbed almost the whole way through. Thank you for this incredible story!! This is the best $5 I spend every month, hands down. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A perfect trio of nat 20s to end this book on too!! The dice really did it to us.

Austin

The insane influx of joy to sadness I'm feeling is unbearable. Truly the most magnificent piece of storytelling I've ever had the privilege to listen to. Being only book 1 and probably having to wait 2+years for the next is devastating. But then the joy of getting more incredible stories to listen to in between. I'm literally on a rollercoaster right now.

DaddyDepresso

Truly just so happy to be able to listen to you guys cook!

Lavellan

What a beautiful ending to a first adventure. The post credit scenes hit so good. Thank you everyone for making my favorite story.

Bo0gie

Oh boy!!!! What an episode!!!!!

Kar_bear17

HOLY FUCK! What a way to end this book. It’s been a delight and a pleasure to go on this journey with you all and I patiently wait for the next book and eagerly anticipate the magic you all will bring to your next world

Emily C

holy fucking shit balls my dudes. suvi tried so hard with steel. and also we never found out where steel's heart is? could that have anything to do with the "you are not what you should be i must change you" cyberman ass assimilation attitude? crying!!! there was plenty of absolute terror horror and gore, but somehow more happiness than i thought??? joy can be resistance!!! THE FUCKING GREAT BEAR WITH THE GLAMOUR (taylor moore with the steel [no pun intended] chair of a soundtrack climax) me hearing the end credits and seeing like 20 minutes left: oh we're gettin MCU credit scene nasty up in here me hearing the after credit scenes: he was where? with WHO? i was just punching the air for most of this

Emily C

omg so much happened i forgot about coral morrow!! morrow made of coral?

Heartly

Many thanks for all that this world has been and will be.

Somewhat Danny

Truly incredible. What a nat 20 to finish the episode

embraceweird

What an incredible episode!!! No other story has moved me as much as twtwatwo has! I've loved evey minute of this journey through book one! I can not wait to see what adventures we go on next! See y'all in the stars 🌟

Jason Leigh

Did Ame ever repay the Witch of the Wind and Stars for the doorknobs? Has it been a month since the gift was required?

Leah

It’s so incredibly perfect This story Was soooooo Incredibly. perfect.

Keith Prescott

Nothing more could I have asked for This was perfect

Yasmin Burgos

😭 why is this story so fucking amazing. I LOVE this cast, I LOVE this story, I LOVE the SFX, I LOVE everything about it... EXCEPT. Now I have to wait longer for more 😭❤️‍🩹

Cecilia Rhein

Not me fully sobbing in the university of Kentucky gym as i listen to this

Queen Motoko

I couldn’t stop smiling throughout 🪸🪸

RuviGaPo

HOLY SHIT YOU PEOPLE ARE INSANE I CAN'T FCKN BREATHE IN HERE

Queen Motoko

She certainly helped Indry’s apprentice. Ame’s squad made her a little hero, that’s gotta be worth something

MaKayla O'Malley

I sobbed through the entire back half of this episode. What a satisfying conclusion. I truly don’t think I could have asked for anything more. Brb, going back to the children’s adventure immediately

Queen Motoko

The giraffe scene did make me laugh after the awfulness passed lol

Everest

I'm floored by how amazing this episode is. Like, I knew it would be great, but damn that was amazing.

Jazz

Taylor was right, I'm literally so happy right now.

Sam Null

Nvm i cried like a fucking baby

accordionsrule

This is one of the best stories I have ever engaged with, in any medium. Brennan, Lou, Aabira, Erika, thank you so much for Worlds Beyond Number. The world is better for having this story in it.

Elizabeth Marion

The terror I am feeling, the ending happened and there is so much time left!

MC

Oh wow you guys

Emily R

That ending gave me whiplash

Bizarre Little Star

Nope but there's 5 days before that deadline, it's one of the post credits scenes near the end

Rhiannon

hey guys, just finished this ep! just a quick statement: jesus fucking christ

Isabella Mazzone

Bravi brave bravissim*!!! And now I'll start the complete relistening with a notebook like when I was reading the Silmarillion in my youth! Bacioni dall' Italia!

Alesha S.

It’s just kept going and going till the end! I was losing it man! This is the best podcast ever. I can’t wait for more of this story and whatever else is next! ♥️

Shannon Small

Absolute adoration for this episode - I’m glad I was alone when listening because there were multiple ear splitting screams that escaped my lungs as events unfolded and rolls were made. I love the balance of legitimately tying the loose ends of the ongoing story together and the montage of knowing where things are headed whenever we do return

Elaise

"It would be an HONOR"??! SOBBING. The Wizard Freaking Sobbing. Congratulations all around, an incredible episode.

Emily Quinn

Scared my dog gasping out loud at that final roll!

Bizarre Little Star

I think that is in reference to when she leaves the citadel to go to the North Pole so overall 3 months

Dant

World-historical crit

Kenzie

Bless you all for all the epilogues 🙏🙏🙏

Katherine Martin

I was particularly thrilled with the Will Gallows cameo.

VeritaAmore87

Purely sobbing with joy. Absolutely incredible.

Maddie Moreland

Man, what a gorgeous bow you’ve wrapped this book up with. I don’t want to spoil anything in my comment just yet but the highlight of the resolution for me is definitely the surprise bodyguard. Magical pacts are not so easily broken.

Molly Hebert-Wilson

What an incredible end to a stunning book! Holy fuck, y’all!

Kat

I feel lighted headed anded amazed and oddly hopeful for the future?? Not Sworn's though.

Amaya

Actively biting at the bars of the Horner Corner enclosure to beg for the Great Bear character art

astrolotree

There is a moment. A VERY SPECIFIC MOMENT. Where rolls and sounds and words and stories and everything brought this sense of overwhelming hope that had me excitedly pacing my apartment. Bra fucking vo, gang.

Matty Z Naps

I have a FEELING we haven’t seen the LAST of Suvi, Eursulon, and Ame

Abhacado

"Would be an honor" OK LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO

Ali Brown

God, nobody loves us like Brennan does, to give us a glimpse of our keystone NPCs, thank every spirit of the world

Bad Brain Comics

I literally can’t find the words to describe just how perfect and satisfying this show is. Lord have mercy.

Jason Leigh

OH FUCK I GOT MY ANSWER RUH ROW

Wondering wonder

Holyyyy shiiiiit! ! What a huge helping of endings you've given us! Oof... Thank goodness this episode is so dense that I'm definitely going to both need to and enjoy relistening several times, because I am Not Ready for this story to be over At All! Oh my gawd... Where is my fainting couch? That was a wild ride.

Jo Lee

A collective 👏🏽 frickin' 👏🏽 masterpiece 👏🏽. If there is one thing I must commend: Love is so evident in this podcast. Love between everyone involved, for playing, for making stories, and for sheer audio-cinema. Thank you all for putting all your love into our favorite story, ever. Bravo a tutti. Can't wait to visit the next world!

The Wizard Song

Holy moly, just finished listening and I can’t believe we don’t have another one on two weeks! THANK YOU SO MUCH, Brennan, Aabria, Erika, and Lou for telling us such a magical, beautiful, heartfelt, and often times STRESSFUL AF story. Thank you Taylor for bringing that story to our ears. I cannot wait for book two, but in the mean time I am excited to see what this team has in store for us!

RuviGaPo

I COULD NEVER FORESEE THIS SHIT I COULD NEVER I AM ON A ROLLERCOASTER AND IT IS NOT STOPING !!!!!!!!!!

The Wizard Syntax

I believe that Steel had not come up in initiative yet. Until your turn, you do not have any reactions.

Sara Sorrell

My three friends and I sat together to listen to the finale and the scream we let out at Ersulon's nat 20 was heard around the neighborhood!

bexcx

Oh my heart... I just listened. It is 3 am here lol and I need to sleep. I have been forever changed by this Story. Thank you for the music, thank you for this adventure that made my heart falter and soar. My heart is sooooo full. Thank you for everything.

The Shame Wizard

Ho Lee Shitt! Holy Shit! Holy Fuckin Shit! This is so unbelievably fuckin good. I couldn't have (but really should've) anticipated just how fucking good this show would be when I first joined the patreon. I don't think I've ever cried to anything as much as this show has made me cry. Thank you for this electrifying show

Julian & Cecilia

This episode and whole arc/book has been a joy and a privilege to experience. To paraphrase from Calamity (spoilers ahead), “[your story] did happen, and it did matter.” Though I can’t name for why this story resonates (read: slaps) in countless ways, I know for one reason or another, it matters. Thank you so much to everyone at the WBN team for sharing your story with us ❤️

The Wizard Song

It was such an unexpected little delight!

nk

<3

RuviGaPo

Hey just so you know ive been cackling and crying on loop in the middle of the night an ocean away? Just.. giving some scope. Ur all mad lads for this i am So Deeply Thankful holy shit

Ann

Goddddd just banger after banger after banger. <33333

The Spirit of Vicious Inspiration

"son, come home and enjoy laziness and merriment forever" UNO REVERSE "fuck that, get off your butt and come throw some hands with me pop"

Masochismet

Holy fuck, the amount of times I was just staring at the screen with my jaw dropped and arms in that air is uncountable. The nat20 at the end?? When Lou asked that question I verbally said "Oh shit??" Cause I didn't realize that was even an option Each additional ending had me screaming as everything was wrapped up. Absolute insanity from beginning to end The line about Steel not living in a world with truth???? Brennan you're a madman. It's crazy that I really thought I had a grasp on who Steel was, but I don't think I really understood her until this moment. I truly experienced every emotion with this one I shouldn't have been surprised where the ink demons ended up but I sure fucking was. The traaaaiiiiin, oh you evil people making us wait untold months to see where this goes. I'm truly so happy for these characters, I love them all so much. Thank you all so much for such an insanely amazing story from beginning to end, it's been incredible.

Incite Astrology and Tarot

Question for Aabria: How does it feel to have your dice apologize to you in this finale episode in such a grand way?

Bria A.

I don't have enough prose in me to summarize how I felt (unusual), so I'll just leave it at this: thank you for letting us witness this world.

RuviGaPo

Hey so Injri is so Deeply Funny in this epilogue and i am So Afraid of her 😆

Manifesting Good Posture

More reactions later but JESUS that was gorgeous. 1:20:00 brought out something real raw out of me. REAL raw. Also want to say: as venomous as Steel could have been there, as manipulative and scarring as that moment could have been, I am really grateful for Brennan's restraint. For all Steel's truths-as-cages that she has used against Suvi, Brennan could have been a lot crueler in that moment by bringing those cages out. He could have been justified in doing that, and the damage it might have done to listeners could have been justified within the context of the story. The restraint Brennan demonstrated shows a capital-W Wisdom in storytelling. The amount of tenderness and care he showed there... I don't have any words of gratitude beyond 'I love that you did that, and thank you'

The Wizard Song

Love your witch title - I especially appreciate it after the scene in Carrow!

The Wizard Squelmnch

Incredible finale to Book I. I'm so incredibly sad my favorite D&D story is going away for a while, but an absolutely stellar tale job you've all done. I'm looking forward to everything you guys have on the horizon. Truly, sincerely, thank you.

Shreyas Joshi

Spoiler: Favourite moment of this episode is definitely that nat 20 persuasion with the great bear. That roll is just showing the trajectory that Eursulon is following, already making big moves to oppose the man in black.

Adri Void

Im only 45 minutes in. But Taylor my God man you cooked so hard. Release every sound, especially all your witch noises on a soundtrack. I feel so magical walking around the dark streets of town listening to this. The highs and lows of this episode, the compassion and strength of Suvi and the love all three of them share its everything

malsherlocktyrion

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! I'd have been happy if it ended with Ame's cackle. Everything after that was dessert after gift after delight!

Cocomoose

Only 34 minutes in and holy SHIIIIIIIIIIT this is out of this world. CINEMAAA! YALL are really just so talented and don’t want this to end. At the edge of my couch listening to this at full blast

L J

Brennan, Aabria, Erika, Lou, Taylor. You are world class story tellers and I'm so, so glad you shared this work of art and of heart with us. Thank you.

confusedtealseal

Absolutely incredible. I am SO excited to see where this story goes oh my GOD.

Virtual Spaceman

I can't even put into words the rollercoaster of emotions I had with this episode I'm sad to see my favorite story go but GODDAMN if I didn't love watching it leave I can't wait to see what's next from the WBN crew Also the excitement from the nat 20 on the great bear right after violently sobbing my eyes out nearly made me faint

Mac

mental image of a gigantic polar bear cowering in fear of Ice Mother is very good

Mac

9 feet, 108 inches, 274 centimeters full of cake

Ches

Man; I think I had some amount of tears in my eyes this whole episode. I haven’t posted on here much, but I’m a day one supporter, no doubt in my mind that this story would be one that is more than deserving of support. This story has been a steadfast companion over the past few years, and as a certified Ghibli kid, this one has gently captured my attention and adoration since episode 1. Thank you so much for this story. I’m going to miss them so much in anticipation of their next chapter (sidenote with mild spoilers: holy cow thank you for that generous epilogue!), but I am so excited to hear what Aabria has in store for us. Thank you, every one of you, who have worked to bring this story to us. You’ve given us something to look forward to in these trying (understatement) times.

AL2VAR .

He has like a million children, that means he is at least a little it hot to some people ;P

deirdre

god. what an ending to a phenomenal book. i’m sad to put it away for awhile but it’ll come back to us soon enough, and i’m excited for the new things that lie ahead. but thank you to brennan, aabria, erika, lou, taylor, and everyone else who makes this pod happen because the work done here is truly amazing. i can say without a doubt this is one of my favourite stories ever, if not the favourite, and quite literally could not be told without all of you together 💖

Grace Davis

Lou and Brennan’s play acting Kalaya’s steps into the next world had me shattered. The beauty in growing up, growing old, and dying amid celebration with the ones you love just tore me apart.

Kethry Tiggs

I'm losing my mind over the fact that, if Steel hadn't chosen to... (SPOILERS AHOY, though I'm not sure why anyone would be looking through these comments if they're not caught up) ...use Suvi to deliver the curse (WHY DID SHE WANNA CURSE THEM), Suvi might just have not gone to the cottage for Grandma Wren's passing, Suvi might never have re-connected with Ame and may never have overcome her citadel programming slash her own version of Steel's inner justification machinery, Ame would have come into her own as a witch of the world's heart but might have made different choices at the coven that led to her demise and unanimity amongst the council against the wizards, Eursulon may never have been given the courage to leave the circus and become a spirit of freedom resisting the empire and influencing The Great Bear (and potentially his other kids???) to join the conflict, the Kasov Collection would never have been 'sploded, allies powerfully knowledgeable in the ways of the Citadel (not just Suvi but also Gult, Hana, and our nasty lil ink demon brothers who apparently joined up with the MIB) would never have joined opposing sides in the conflict, this whole awe-inspiring story may never have occurred, and Steel may still have had the love and trust and loyalty of her daughter. At least. For a time. So whatever Steel's reason for moving against the Witches of the World's Heart, her willingness to manipulate her daughter into being the means of delivery proved to be of such wide-ranging consequences that the world will never be the same and it may very well be Steel's undoing. So yeah, I'm losing it over this brilliantly crafted story.

The Wizard Squeamish

love a good finale but ffs where was the animal torture content warning and a ~45 minute mark timestamp for it

Jack Jones

I could write a big shpeal but honestly gang this story has been, an HONOUR to listen to

The Wizard Squeamish

how am i supposed to enjoy the rest of this finale when im too busy disassociating

Ashley

PUT THEM ALL IN JAIL. That was a brutal emotional assault and I'm pressing charges.

Sara Kremer

I *JUST* relistened to this episode and you couldn't be more right!

Sara Kremer

Leave no door to chance.

ChasingWaterfalls

For some reason what got me was the moment of Kalaia's choice....the music, the words...so good <3

Kaye Daily

Just wanted to thank all of you for all the hard work and amazing storytelling you guys have accomplished 🥹 This has accompanied me in so many moments of grief and has become one of my favorite stories of all time! Much love and I await Umora’s return every day until then 💕

Trap Card

By the nine divines I love this podcast

Noah

I love all of these characters equally, but I have to shout out Aabria in particular because she chose HARD MODE creating Suvi. To play a character whose entire arc revolves around disentangling herself from propaganda (delivered so convincingly by Brennan) is an insane emotional payload that she acted and wrestled with MASTERFULLY. Each player character had moments that left me awestruck, but no one’s epic moments were more hard fought than Suvi’s. A-Hoo-Hoo, Crackle Crackle, that was fucking incredible.

Caywood Rider

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

The_One_From_Scarborough_Fair

🩷 thank you for all the loving care, hard work, and deep compassion you all brought to this creative masterpiece 🩷

Caywood Rider

Same - I’ve never gasped or reacted out loud so many times in one episode, and that moment hit me hardest of all

TPK_light

Holy post credits scenes, Batman!

Caywood Rider

I’m going to take the night to digest, and go to sleep tonight with this beautiful story still settling in my head…and when I wake up tomorrow, it’s time to start back over from the Children’s Prelude. LET’S BEGIN.

Alyssa

Nif and Ghost: newest members added to the Coven of Elders 🏃🏻‍♀️🫎 👻🗿 Nif: Witch of the Wandering Souls? Ghost: Witch of the Wicked fucked up Life? Need to balance out these witches with the MiB a bit in Book 2

Sam

I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I punched the air in triumph! Thank you, all of you, for letting me hear my favorite story. A-Hoo-Hoo, Crackle Crackle! Thank you for reminding me how much I love stories!

ChasingWaterfalls

This could be a new personality test: "What the moment that hit you the hardest from the WBN finale says about you and your past, present, and future!"

MillerGeek Art

That was a Beardsley-level Narrative Nat 20 to end the episode

Amber Sewell

It’s fine, I needed a cry and my glasses needed a layer of salt from my tears.

Joy

Screaming crying throwing up this finale was /everything/ fuckkkkk so good so good so good

Brian Pascal

Minute for minute I think this episode packed in more banger lines than any three other episodes. I had tears in my eyes and/or my mouth was open and/or I was lunging out of my seat about a dozen times. What were some of your favorites? I’ll start: “I introduce myself to them, sword-first.”

Ellis

believe it or not, straight to jail.

Queen Motoko

Witch of W’gettin’ them kids Home

Queen Motoko

For what the scene was, it made me laugh what happened to those ghouls

Jason Leonard

I also liked the unexpected door guard moment.

Queen Motoko

I’ll warn you to brace yourself for The Clearing

Razzy Razz

Don’t mind me, I’m just ugly crying over here.

Luis V

Please make the witch class official DND content 🥺🥺🥺

Alyssa

You know when something is so good you’re mad you can only experience it for the first time one time? How to I listen to the entirety of Book 1 again for the first time?

The Wizard Squeamish

yea i wish the clearing had timestamps too edit: it's so important to the lore, it has such a cool spirit in it that i would love to make art of, but i cant listen to it without taking psychic damage and fainting if i dont know what parts to skip

Queen Motoko

“Did you say bear” brought a lingering grin to my face

Kate Olive Art

I screamed aloud and frightened my pets 😂

Shreyas Joshi

God I love the ending of this episode, everybody in this world is moving and working to their own ends. The world feels so alive and vibrant, I cannot wait for what book 2 brings.

MillerGeek Art

Same! I was able to contain myself even less just now when I heard The Pilgrim say that door must stand for a year.

The Wizard Squeamish

that's great for you, but i cant help being squeamish enough to need content warning timestamps for things like this im sure you meant well but your reply did the opposite of making me feel better

YoYoFroYo

I’m broken. Fucking love this show. Can’t wait to return to this world in however long it takes to come back here 🫶

Jason Leonard

Truly expected a retelling of the oath, and his cause not being done. But would lead many to that rest.

Chloe Dean

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP

Emily C

you roll low? jail. roll high? jail. roll with disadvantage? believe it or not, jail.

The Wizard Squeamish

MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER WITH MY FAVOURITE MUSICAL THEME IS HERE!!!!!!!! (1:16:14)

Chris McMullen

Also she was already actively casting two spells at once, an unheard of feat, so I imagine casting a counterspell on top of both a 9th level and 5th level spell was too much even for Steel

Friday the Fierce

This whole book has been an outright masterpiece. I loved this episode but oh my god those post credit scenes! There’s part of this that reminds me of the Redwall series where you jump back and forth between different groups all coming together for the climax of the story. That would be so fun for side quests with guest players to take up the story from one of the post credit beats. Or it’s just a great starting point for fan-fics. I just want to know more about all of those side stories!

Queen Motoko

That scene hit me like a Tarantino revenge story. The darker a scene gets, the stronger the levity when the light comes. The laughing wasn’t joy, it was tension breaking like a wave

Wizard Syn

There is a path and we are on it--there is a Path and We. Are. On. It--and I never, EVER, plan on getting off of it! From the first day this podcast was announced, I knew I'd be in for a wonderous and wild ride, but never could I have imagined just how great an impact this story would have on me and the thousands of others. The amount of love and dedication that's gone into the creation of The Wizard, Witch, and the Wild One is awe-inspiring and truly sets it leagues above the rest. I've never felt such a deep connection to a story, and I'm so grateful to have been here by the fireside with all of you. As this final chapter concludes, I'm still scrubbing away my tears, but my heart is warmed by the joys of this episode too. The dice tell a story, and Gods what a story they tell. That final nat 20 from Lou, gaining the allegiance of the Great Bear (don't get me started on his glamour holy shit, he was hot enough as just a big ol' bear and now this!! Gods) made me scream! Truly, I cannot wait for the next book. But in the meantime, I'm also looking forward to this next space adventure! I know with Aabria at the helm, and Erika, Lou, and Brennan by her side--and Taylor working his soundscape magic--this is gonna be another story that will rock my world!! All my love and A-Hoo-Hoo, Crackle Crackle from this Wizard Syn. <3

Nicholas Mock

Wizards isn't worthy of such things.

Ewizabeth Herd

That epilogue was such a perfect pin to put in this grand tale of Umora!

Luis V

You’re 100000% correct.

KamasiFitzgerald

Unfortunately, “What kinda curse you gonna put on me for killing you??” goes *absurdly* hard

Manifesting Good Posture

Witch of the Wrought Skill for Ghost? Not sold on the noun but wrought is a lovely w word for one who does artifice. though I don't know if she's witch-aligned(? I don't know how class/narrative align here) Anyway, great emoji use

Joel Avery

"I knew that was going to happen" (1:16:24). Especially it's nonchalant delivery

MagnaniMel

This deserves an award. I don't know what it's eligible for but it deserves something.

Elizabeth Marion

I'm glad I whipped them out instead of airpods or listening in the car, I lied down on the floor in a dark room and vibed till it was over, then freaked out at the timestamp realizing there was more. I'm wrecked over the parent child dynamics here and wept into my partners shoulder when it was over. thanks so much

The Wizard Swag

We got the good rolls (and one INCREDIBLE roll), we got banger lines, and most importantly we have the return of the most fuckable character in WBN canon, Will Gallows

beans

Erika’s getting-stabbed noises were too good. I guffawed.

Lee Chirtel

Very, very great ending. I especially liked how this justified Eurosalon's decision to ask his dad to turn into the Original Bear God King (it is important that the Bear was King of the Beasts as well as The Lion). Eursolan has learned that there is no true isolation, since the King of Night (I think we saw his old mortal form's home) is both inherently of the mortal world and of the spirit world. And even beyond that, he's learned about terror of death from the King of Night's betrayal and mentor puppeting, but also what a kinder end can be thanks to his sister. So I think it makes sense to him why mortals would want a knife pointed at all that, even if the wielders have gone power mad. A knife can be used in self defense, or healing, or even crafting, after all. Also, the new nonaligned movement needed some firepower: the other hostile powers have a reason to be polite and respect defections now.

Ewizabeth Herd

The first roll Brennan asked Aabria to make legit startled me—I had forgotten for a hot second that it was even a dice-driven plot I got so lost in the storytelling! And then I was so nervous for every roll!!

Raquel Blacken

This was soo great! I was yelping in my living room. This is why I am a patreon. Dont get me wrong, the bonus perks are great, but I'd fund the magic of when these great artists of all disciplines collaborate to make awesome shit regardless!!!! Spoilers . . . . . I support women's wrongs. Steel is my favorite. She is diabolical. I love it. I dont think she is evil not in the traditional sense. I truly don't believe she is sadistic or power hungry. She is deeply traumatized. She is so deep in that she can justify anything. How could she not? Especially in her position and the things she has been ordered to do. When confronted with the truth and with love she can't piece it and does what she is trained to do. Destroy. She deemed Suvi's parents crazy and killed them. She deemed Suvi crazy. And went to all but kill her.( I think irrevicably changing someone's mind/personality is close to killing them. The world would lose that version of Suvi.) Each time she is projecting bc she is the one who has gone mad, driven to kill people she truly loves. Yes I believe she loves all of them. It is is an insane thing to kill people you hold dear to protect a delusion. Champion a cause. One that she herself could not even stomach as a child. Now she is here fighting for it. Baby girl is so broken. I just want to give her a hug.

The Wizard Shit

This is so much more than a podcast. It's a journey, a revelation, and a masterpiece. I am suffering so much pain and joy and love at the hands of these masters of storytelling. Thank you for taking my heart along with you for these last two years. I look forward to the next adventure, whenever it may come.

King Rob

What an incredible end to book 1! Thank you all for absolutely cooking with this story ❤️

Rei

I didn't know how it would feel to end book one but I am so so happy. What an exceptional amazing incredibly beautiful story. Truly Masters of their craft.

The Wizard Subjudice

I also ran crying into my partner multiple times. He was very gracious, albeit laughed at me. Brennan, I'm invoicing you for electrolytes.

monty_in_a_coop

“Well now I have seen everything.” YES RETURN OF THE HOTTEST MAN NOT TECHNICALLY ALIVE

Kenny Silver

A masterpiece…A MASTERPIECE

Devora

That was soooo gooooodddd!!!!!!!

Devora

I came looking for a comment about her, I couldn’t remember what the gift comment was in reference to???

Devora

Cry foreverrrrrr 😭😭😭

Seamstrix

The only thing I could think of better than getting to come across a story to cherish, much like the ones I grew up with, is getting to see the story unfold in real time, and be so generously given insight into how the story was made, week by week.

Alyssa

Lines that go TOO HARD: “I don’t have to kill you. I just have to make you different. I spent my life turning you into the woman she should have been. And not you, not anybody, gets to throw that away.” “Because if you were changed by the love that was shown to you, then why wasn’t she? And so she needs to rob you of it. Needs to take the people that loved you when they didn’t have a reason to. No flag to walk under. No service that you could provide for them. The reason they loved you was because of who you were and what you and you alone meant to them. She cannot let that stand.” And a million more but I’m too tired to do another listen through

Devora

Whoops kept reading comments and someone else answered it: Ame has to repay her for the doorknobs!

Devora

Beautiful, thank you 🤝💕

Devora

God this was SO funny and delightful!!!!!!!

Alyssa

Heyyyyyy, tell Steel to Steal my memory so I can experience Book 1 again! 🧠🧼 scrub mommy

spirit of sumthin sumthin

This was EPIC. Everyone at the table was in the zone. “To march under my son’s banner would be an honor” goes so f*cking hard! I’m shook

Tati

Popped the fuck OFF WITH THAT SOUND DESIGN TAYLOR 👏👏👏 Please, please, PLEASEEEEE give us a TWWWO album at some point, I would pay any price for one, all the BG audio is just SO GOOD 😭

VforVenlee

Screaming, crying, throwing up

Just_another_queer

The whiplash of going through all the different groups at the end was so intense!! Huge thank you to everyone who made this happen

Kat

hi all SPOILER below (^^) I CANNOT BELIEVE WE GOT THE TRAIN IN BOOK 1 THAT IS ALL *screams in happiness* thank u goodnight

Ammar Khalid

I have to gather my thoughts but hot damn. Well done folks on this wonderful finale. Props to you all

Ammar Khalid

Also you can tell Brennan loves LOTR with the never ending epilogues lol (I mean that in the best way)

Queen Motoko

The award of us just telling everyone in earshot to hear this, it’s so goooooood!

Queen Motoko

And the most fuckable character in spirit

Júlia Vincent Rubiolo

100%!!! Or the description of the MiB's tower? Or the armies preparing for war? Tolkien Lee Mulligan!!

Kurt Spears

What an absolute delight to listen to. The dice told one hell of a story this episode!

Lauren Hartz

The second a glamour was mentioned, I said out loud, to an empty room "And you KNOW he's gonna be hot!"

Rebecca Chapin

*10 minute standing ovation, with much cheering and calls of encore" This story has been incredible. Thank you all so much for telling it and sharing it with us. Here's to many more! 🥂

The Wizard Seeker

“To a brighter tomorrow.” “That’s my favorite one.” *vanishes in a puff of smoke*

RiverBae

Crying again about Suvi’s callback to Zero(‘s) casting of themselves as an act of falling in love with the person they cast themselves to protect, and her saying “worth it” about her parents magical hideout and all the things Task saved? Steel? The Citadel/her home? I don’t know exactly her intention but just casting counterspell as an act of love, to protect. Sobbing.

The Wizard Seeker

I maintain that Nif’s station should be the Witch of the Way Home.

The Wizard Seeker

I lost my grandma in the winter of 2023. The scene where Eursalon meets Kaliyah for the first time reminds me of visiting her in the hospital. So frail, but so excited to see me. Sometimes when I need a good cry I go back and listen to that scene.

VforVenlee

I need artYESTERDYAY IFTHAT CHARACTER WITH CHICKENS

mariocartdui

Heartfelt, Mindful, moving, invigorating- this was everything and more. It’s so special and amazing to be in this time as this is releasing and I’m so excited for the future of this story. I’m sure there will be plenty for yall to fill the fireside with but on the off chance you have time for patreon questions; Any honorable mention epilogues? NPCs that maybe won’t be relevant in book 2 and onward but it’s someone you want to know the current fate of as the storytellers of the narrative.

Heliks

What an outstanding journey, what an outstanding conclusion... *For now*

the wizard star

I’m sobbing at the heart break and the beauty. You’ve truly created something so beautiful and I can’t wait for more. Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your art. Aabria I can’t wait for your turn!!

Sean Britcher

Oh right he was the gargoyle in the collection? It's been a hot minute since that episode that i had honestly forgotten who he was

Alyssa

Yesss! I also really liked “and catches him on the way down…with his sword”

Sean Britcher

Steel is inflexible in her worldview and absolutely committed to her cause. She's a zealot.

Kaye Daily

Oh gosh I’m so sorry for your loss but what a wonderful reminder of the light her in eyes when she got to see you I hope. I lost my dad and childhood dog throughout the run of the series and some moments meant similarly to me. Especially the recent one where Suvi finally got to see her parents in memory. A bittersweet reminder of his warmth and absence ❤️

The Wizard Seeker

“Stellar” is great word choice considering we get SPACE OPERA NEXT! Don’t get me wrong WWW has made me feel things that no other story has, but God I love space. I’m so damn excited.

Sean Britcher

Yooooo i read SO MUCH Redwall as a kid. I read Marlfox so many times that the cover fell off.

Cha Cha Rae

HALF AN HOUR OF SOBBING OVER HERE I cannot believe its over, what a perfect ending to book 1. Y’all have made something truly beautiful here that now sits in my soul.

The Wizard Seeker

That’s what I thought too, but I’m so glad we got what we got. Like any good twist, it is more satisfying than what we expected.

Sean Britcher

Those chanting backing music to Eursolon just WRECKING HOUSE were absolute gold. Perfect for a Spirit in alignment with his Breath.

Alyssa

Nif: Witch of the Way Home 🏃🏻‍♀️🫎🧒👦🏻👧👶🏻🐸 Ghost: Witch of the WE NEVER LEAVING THE HOME AGAIN 👻🗿🏠

The Wizard Seeker

Thank you. Just… thank you. I hope your hearts are as full as ours with the story you’ve so lovingly crafted and cultivated.

Alex

spoilers for the third day.. Last time we met Kalaia I wanted her so badly to return to the land of spirits after her mortal life. But somehow this time I knew what she would chose and I was happy for it 😭

Bog Station: Remembrance

Ok, first 37 minutes let’s revisit the list: (It will spoil like milk before the Man in Black) 1. Suvi initiative—The Zero mention ❤️‍🩹 2. Atta FOX! 3. Cavalry always arrive a little messy- let’s break stuff 4. Sapphire still a secret 😐 5. That safe house is MORE than burnt, it’s a heart of broken glass 6. YES AME, CURSE THAT BITCH 6.5– “no truth exists!?!” legendary villains with their legendary resistances are just BRUTAL 7. Enzo is a stone cold Fox and I WOULD get familiar 8. My main man Acid Dragon with the clutch one liner {chef’s kiss} 9. Speaking of glass shattering: that disk ✅

Kemp Kornegay

Truly one of the finest pieces of art I have ever witnessed

Alex

Natural 20 or spicy time🔥? “Ohhhh!!!! Oh my god!” “Fuck me! Fuck me!” “Ohhhh!!!” “Oh my god! Oh my god!” “Ohhhh!!! Ahh!!!!”

Devon

What a fucking send off and wrapping up of all we still have to look forward to in book two, and all of the epic characters that have not been forgotten. I screamed, laughed, cried, clapped, and danced. Hats off to you Taylor and team for all the textures, atmospheres and call backs to every character with their musical cues!!! The work you put into editing this into an immersive experience is deeply appreciated. Hats off to you Aabria, Erika, and Lou for surviving book one and bringing so much complex and beautiful life to your characters! I love you all! Hats off to you Brennan for the orchestration and creation of the world of Umora, and its spirit realm. and for your absolutely top tier acting of all of these chilling, thrilling, and lovable npc’s!!! I wish I could pay more for this subscription, because it is worth so much. 👏🏼 🌹💐🌹👏🏼

Nikki W.

TAYLOR THE MUSIC AT THE END!!!!! Wow wow wow. What an incredible first book. I’m feeling all the feels. Bravo to the entire WBN team. I am so happy to be a patron!!!

Kemp Kornegay

I would pay ungodly amounts of money for a book 1 vinyl record

Nicole Burgin

Bravo! That was an amazing send off to book one! I am going to have the enormity of this episode ringing in my head for a few days at least!

ModernDruid

The way it ended I stared at my phone for a full minute just listing to the wind outside my room I thought it was Taylor’s wind

Spero

I started listening to this story when I was a very different person in a very different place, both physically and in my life. Life has changed, but this story has been a constant, and as much as it sucks knowing it’ll be put on pause, I don’t think I would want any other finale than this one. Thank you to all of you for this creation, I hope you know it does more good than just telling a good story

Sevynn

I am different now. Thank you

Adarsh Nednur

Steel is one of the best NPCs in any piece of media. My blood ran cold at the venom in her voice and her actions, but my heart also broke for her when she described not being able to stomach the literal mind-numbing drugs the Citadel gave her to essentially forget her parents, and how she just couldn't stop crying and thinking about them because of it. Also, "Because if you were changed by the love that was shown to you, then why wasn't she?" is going to stick with me forever. The layers and layers and layers of emotion and memory and thought packed into Steel could sustain an entire book of character study, and I would read it.

Adarsh Nednur

I'm too emotional to have coherent thoughts so I'll just say this is my favorite story and my heart is so full right now

Natalia Zorrilla

underrated scene from this chunkiest of ‘sodes: that cupboards story from Steel. what do you MEAN you were allergic to the thing they gave you to take away the heartbreak??? what do you mean that the first lesson you learned from Shundri was that magic would keep you *safe*? you can still see the scar tissue around that memory. the reason her justification machine is so strong—the pain she had to dull for herself, with her best friend gone. but also the way that she uses her magic as a weapon, as armor, as a steel box for the scraps of her heart. this is my favorite story 💜

Tyra

This story is literally everything to me. What an incredible send off. Thank you cast and crew for bringing so much joy into my life 🥹

Natalia Zorrilla

also IN CASE IT WASN’T HEARTBREAKING ENOUGH: the parallel with ame climbing into suvi’s bunk on her first night in Toma??? with ame’s first spell banishing suvi’s nightmares??? “because if you were changed by the love that was shown to you, then why wasn’t she???”

Warlock

Truly amazing, especially the amount of NPCs for Horner corner discussions. We got caked up coral 🪸 and a 9 ft tall golden toga wearing tree swinger

The Wizard Subjudice

I was relistening to that specific episode last night, but I've been fkn WAITING for this hot demon daddy-Jester to become plot relevant for at least a year. I wanted him assessed on Horner Corner, and I FEEL VINDICATED AF

MsAlleyCat

Sitting here, relistening with a Chardonnay in hand. Spoilers of course are coming. You were warned. I have too many thoughts and must scream. 





 ——— What an ending. What a BEGINNING. 


I have been cooking on the last few episodes because I wanted the whole picture. 
And I am happy I did. I am blown away by choices made, the things left unsaid, the groundwork that was laid, and the overall message that (I believe) is trying to be said with this story. 

I need to start off with the woman that I could not take eyes off of since the children story. I couldn’t get her out of my head. WIZARD STEEL, YOU BADASS. 
What a woman. She’s like a spicy onion - it brought tears to my eyes (and others! Steel fans, I SEE YOU) to peel back these layers -but I gotta say. Seeing her tired and unable to bring up her filters, seeing the full version of who she is that she hides *but still it seeps through her mannerisms in the day-to-day*. That raw love that is put through the machine and directed to evil ends. 

I loved it. YES GIRL, YOU ARE A DIEHARD FOR THE CITADEL AND YOU WILL DOUBLE, NO - QUADRUPLE DOWN FOR THIS IDEAL. You will squish any Witch or Wild One that gets in your way on the path to the perfect world that was meant to be for you and your dear friend that cared about you at 6-years of age. 

I love her. She was hurt so deeply, and she felt so fiercely (she had a good family, one that maybe fought to keep her, like Sworn. Maybe we’ll never know - I hope we do) that the magical drugs meant to disassociate kids out of feeling the sadness of being TAKEN FROM THEIR FAMILY could not work. And Stone, also probably six, also alone, and she made it so Steel could sleep at night. That kind of interaction HAS to be a core memory for a six year old if I ever heard it. 

Stone was Steel’s safe space - and perhaps that had a bit (a LOT) of codependency that came with that friendship. Two kids, both age six, alone in this big Citadel that is literally breathing down their necks to assess and compare and delineate who is smart and who is not - they must have relied on each other SO much in those formative years. 
 

Steele was never going to let the world shift so suddenly ever agai, or take anything from her again. 

And then Stone came into the picture. And that is where the heartbreak of Steel begins. 
 
The man that said “The sun wants to shine! You don’t have to ask the sun to shine!” Let the world and the things that exists with you AND BEFORE YOU, be how they want to be. 

And Stone got it.“Ask it to not be mad that we’re talking to it?” 

Yes. YES. Because we’re honestly CHILDREN in the scope of the lifetime of the universe, and even being able to find the language to talk to THE SUN ITSELF is a marvel. Let the sun shine. Just please let us watch. 

And it was music. 

I am still crying thinking about that first kiss. What a revelation - that Wizardry can see the language of magic and it gives humans, US, the ability to hear how the sun’s sprit perceives its work upon the world. Letting the world exists without putting it in a box, loving people for who they are, not what they could become or what use they could be, is good. 


“There is something out there that drives people crazy!” Love, without transaction. Being touched by the world itself, and allowing herself to be *changed* by the world. It changed Stone- and despite Steel, it saved Suvi. 
 The 
Beauty and horror of this world is that things can just happen. Good and Bad. There really is no sense for the Citadel removing children from their family beyond indoctrination, creating the perfect embodiment of a design that is devoid of other ties and bonds. In a similar vein - the beauty and horror of this world is that there are other ways of life, to live beyond the one you know; within your home - your community, your state, your country. There are other ways to live, and that, mixed in with the former, can create some heavy questions in a person who makes their job their life, or a place their entire being. 

‘The weight of what we’re doing here’? Girl you were six years old. You didn’t deserve this, but neither did the Grenoe children that were used to slay a spirit. 
 
The most formative change Steel ever went through was being taken from her family. That kind of loneliness at such a young age is damaging. What then took her from her family became the very thing she poured her heart and soul into -because it had to mean *something*. The pain and suffering had to mean something and that hardened into an idea that it was ‘the only way this could have gone’. 
 Stone (and Soft) believed in another way. That the differences between people, sprits, and the world are something to be explored and celebrated and have a right to impact you in ways you would never expect. 
 
Currently, that would not fit in Steele’s paradigm: if you are strong enough, only you get to dictate the ways in which the world will interact and touch you. The mindset she started to instill in Suvi. 

“We’re gonna trade away our home? Everything we had? Everything that we are?” Talks like a woman that has put her entire sense of self into her job and can’t conceive an idea of herself beyond it. Which is why Suvi is the one she is “leaving the new world” to. She can’t see a world where she is not a tool. 
 
BUT SUVI - hats off to Aabria and the tactician mindset, laying the ground work for the long game of trying to save her Mom. Steele can be better than this, and I now am on board with this idea too. Brennan saw the goal in Aabria’s mind too, and with that high initial persuasion check, we are now into the long con game of ‘Will Suvi prove not only that there is a place for wizards in the world of spirits and witches that exists alongside them, but that her mother deserves to have a place IN it?’ Can she remove the machine in her heart? Can Steel unclench and understand wizardry, that she herself, cannot control everything and everyone?
 
It certainly speaks to the open heart and boundless love within Suvi.

I am excited to see the long game of this one. 

And in the same vein: Steele has done serious harm to so many - and Ame has every right to be furious and enraged over what Steele has done to herself and to Grandma Wren. She has a valid rage towards someone that Suvi has a valid reason to attempt to reason with (that is her mother, haters hate). Depending on how the RP goes, this could be the next aspect of growth in Ame. 

We have seen the boundless levels of Ame’s kindness - but beyond Keen, who she was able to hold accountable, we have yet to see her truly mad or vengeful in a way that could put her in line with Wickedness. To me, it feels like Ame has had a world of practice of finding ways to stop her from getting mad/vengeful thanks to Wren, but when she is truly in chaos vengeful mode, when she crosses the line - I am curious if she has learned the tools to come down from that rage. The subject of Steele and forgiveness will not doubt be a sore subject. 

Ame has always been a source of support and love for her friends. I am excited to see Ame learning to be vulnerable enough to show her hurt/ the darker end of her emotions, over Steele, over the feelings of being different from a family that gave her up because she was ‘too much’ - and be given not only the comfort she will need, but the honest discussions that true friendship will bring up if the path of Wickedness is something that tries to tempt her down that path. 


And Eursulon - giving air to my wings and my previous asserted idea that the spirits of the dead within Umora are spirits true and proper of the World of Spirits. The worries of Kaliah’s daughters - that she belongs in the spirit world, ever living and unchanging, and that dying in the world of humans would deprive her of her place in her previous home, could be taken as folks who do not believe that they deserve to be apart of that world, similar to how some in the human world may thing they do not belong in this world - that really, there is a delineation between what they are and what a “Spirit True” may be. 

But that is not what these beautiful worlds do! IN choosing what is truly in her heart - be it endless play, or true love; the spirit returns, changed but true, to the Sprit World. Instead of returning to the rumpus of her family, Kaliah goes to walk it with the loved one she found. And that is okay, because the spirit of humans and the spirit of the things in this world are all spirits true, and we all return to the same place. There is a beauty in changing. In becoming new. 

The Crowned Panther would be so proud of this Great Spirit of Freedom. 

And Eursulon, who sees this tie between the worlds and has it reinforced in this final interaction with Kaliah; he finally, after all this time, has a conversation with his father, and invites him to come and see what he has seen, inviting the Great Bear to come to the table as his first ally to see how the world has impacted him and to BE impacted like him - what an honor indeed. 

I am hungry for Book 2.

Jasmine

What a blast and so so much to look forward to in Book 2!! Most caked up GOAT has to be papa bear right??

MsAlleyCat



ALSO - MORROW? THAT CAKED UP MAN BECAME A SPIRIT? Biggest form of growth I never saw coming.

Manifesting Soft and Stone as spirits. Manifesting Suvi’s “That part you put your magic into stays with you” - her parents put their magic into their daughter, and in some way or form, they are out there too, watching their girl crack her bottle and they’re RAVING. 

——
By the by, the epilogue was great for all the potential STORYLINES - but I gotta stop and scream for two things: 1. 

The Man in Black doing away with the Empire soldiers on the road to the Cottage - all due his word that he would wait a year to come to the Cottage door to pay his respects. 

ONCE AGAIN, I am asking where the sacred texts are on that old tree bark or at the bottom of the sea that detail the terms that Great Spirits must adhere to when entreating with or giving their word to Witches. 
 2. 
WILL GALLOWS! AHHHHHHH

The Wizard Subjudice

Rather than Gargoyle, they've referred to him as a fiend. I'm curious to see how much he will resemble a character like Graz'zt 🤔

Shreyas Joshi

Okay now the great work of analyzing book 1 to figure out if Morrow has the biggest ass anymore now that we have seen the 9 foot tall glamor of the great bear.

meow meow

I held my tears the whole episode until the great bear said "my son". Phenomenal episode, phenomenal campaign. Thank you all so much for becoming a part of my routine for so long. For helping me through all the doubles I worked, through DMing my first campaign, and for always being a light at the end of the tunnel. I loved every single minute and I can't wait to see what Aabria has in store for the future! ❤️

Jasmine

+ is ame the Batman of umora? She’s sure gathering them wayward orphans!

gavriellian

no one should ever make another podcast ever again. yall have done it all

Bog Station: Remembrance

“To a brighter Tomorrow” “That’s my favorite one” Our world is lucky for you, Brennan, and your Friends. ✨

Mícheál

I probably don’t need to ask this question, but the great bear in his glamour is the most caked up NPC right??

Erin

I was absolutely weeping on the cycle to work at 3am on a cool Scottish morning, forever grateful that this exists

Erik Koch

I AM SHAKING WITH SOBS RIGHT NOW. AN. HONOR.

Ana Jones

I finally had the chance to sit and listen to the rest of the episode and I… need a minute. Wow! I’m still trying to absorb it all. It’s been a hell of a ride! Thanks for bringing us along, team!

Erin R

I know we have many books to go, but man I’m going to miss them 😭 Those post credit scenes GOT ME SHAKING! The callbacks to certain characters and other intrigues and plots being placed are so so so good. I will miss these True Friends. This is the type of campaign I live for, but they will return just like the MiB 😉 To more tales and worlds to explore!

Bog Station: Remembrance

My cover of Mossflower is barely hanging on. I’ve carried it in my library for 30 years ❤️

Sean Boyce

She's an adult. She's had years to grow and get better. I get that it's fun to have affection for fictional characters, villainous or otherwise, but like... She's unrepentant. She's monstrous. I think it's great storytelling, but like. You can't hug it out with someone while they're stabbing you in the back.

Bog Station: Remembrance

And FAST! 5 days. Ame’s got some shit to fix and then get Home because that Road is Eating People while it’s Sprit waits… 🫣

Gwynn Kirk

Tour de force. The only thing saving me tonight is having recently started weekly listens from the beginning with a good friend of mine. We have just finished episode 11, which means nearly a year of hearing it all over again for the first time. To Ame (& Fox), to Suvi, to Eursolon. To Umora!

Bog Station: Remembrance

I feel like since she had mod memory in a quicken spell she couldn’t throw counter at the counter because I think you have to set your quicken spell first and then cast another spell… right?

The Witch of the Written Word

*Nat 20 persuasion "The Citadel is a knife in the heart of the world, but to destroy the knife is not my end. Only those who wield it." Great Bear glamor "To march under my son's banner...would be a... huh... an Honor."

Amber Miller

SHAKING AND CRYING you guys are truly incredible storytellers and i LOVE this world that you have created. i am so excited for the next WWW book i can hardly stand it.... but in the meantime i'm SO INCREDIBLY HYPED for everything that will come between now and then!!!!! i shall now return to my wailing screaming weeping etc etc thank you for doing the magical thing you do ♥

The Wizard Subjudice

The Wizard Scrub-Mummy (I'll relinquish my Southern Hemisphere spelling to no-one 😉)

Erik Koch

Not too shabby. Not too shabby.

Amber Miller

also: i love ame and eursalon with all my heart, Of Course, but the things aabria has done with the character of suvi blows me away (and, in case it wasn't clear, i also love her with all my heart LMAO). brennan and aabria working up the story of steel and suvi in the way that they have is some of the greatest storytelling i've ever seen in my life. oh my god. also pt 2: i saw a comment on a post a while back where someone mentioned the steel/steal homophone and let me just SAY. that resonated deep in my BONES at the top of the episode. was that in brennan's mind when he chose steel's name? it has to have been, right?? augh. incredible. what a world what a story

Blades Dragonic

Man the dice rolls in this podcast are the closest I’ve ever come to believing in the supernatural. I can’t put into words just how amazing this story and world is. Thank you for letting us all be passengers on this wonderful ride now and forevermore.

The Witch of the Written Word

I am absolutely blown away by this episode, this chapter, this book, and this show. This was the perfect ending. I feel like I was wrapped in the warm blanket that is this story, content and happy with its ending, while also knowing that as I sit by the fireside waiting, the tapestry still has threads that are weaving together, still has a story to be told. Thank you Erika, Aabria, Lou, Brennan, Taylor, Jared, Amanda, and Sharron, and anyone else who was fundamental in the creation of this show. You all have created something incredible and I am so blessed to get to witness and experience the beauty that is this story. I will also be forever grateful to be a part of this fireside. Don't know what I do if I wasn't able to rant alongside you all once a fortnight. Love you all, ahoo hoo crackle crackle 🔥

James O'Dwyer

I neeeeeed the music from the fight scene. It is bloody amazing.

Sophie Rivers

i can't believe book 1 is over, this has been a amazing ride. i could not begin the describe in words without weaping. Thank you all. for making this and Ahooo hooo to all the future adventures that await!!! SPACE ADVENTURE! LETS GOOOOOO IM SO F*CKINGGGGG HYPED YOU GUYS

Susannah B.

Thank you for this beautiful story. Here's to many more.

DaphneDawn

The only loose end! Unless we’re factoring in the double natural ones… yeah fucking snake eyes seems like a done deal 🎲 🎲

WizardSmile

I feel crazy when I think about the fact, that I have to wait possilbly multible Years before we get more of this beautiful story. These ending scenes man...I am so enthrolled by this world.

Joanna S.

I am not joking when I say I was so slack-jawed through that epilogue sequence I drooled a little. Can’t wait for whatever’s to come—in these worlds and the next.

Matthew Sanchez

It's very difficult to through so many emotions in such a small chunk of time. This was possibly the biggest emotional roller coaster for me so far and all I want is more.

Jo Michelle

Redwall! 😄 I was a Redwall kid as well.

Kevin Turner

The level of damage in this episode got me thinking a lot about health potions. The healing of spirit we see from Eursulon and Ame sits so comfortably on the world, I wonder if Brennan has thought at all about health potions which are so often just “drink, do math, that’s the new health total”?

Rebecca Gorman

Haven't listened to it yet - AHHHHHHHHHH

Elselynn Leighton

Absolutely incredible oh my goodness. This is my favourite story. Crying repeatedly in horror and sorrow and joy. The dice tell a freaking storyyyyyyyy! Cannot thank all of you brilliant creators enough for letting us share this with you. Ahoohoo crackle crackle 🔥🦊

Ellie Hail

You magnificent people. Wow.

The Witch of the Well-Struck Flint

This episode had me cheering, crying, moved, the full wheel of emotions... but the Will Gallows reveal?? THAT made me gasp out loud! So so stoked for book two!!

Crys.Arden

Smiles, snaps, tears and all. Thank you all for this amazing story! ❤️

Andrew Scott Verdeja

Knowing book 2 is going to push the envelope can't wait to see the other stores to do the same we're off to the stars with Aabria as captain in the next story 😀

Jasmijn Hoogteyling

Speechless, this was amazing. Thankyou thankyou thankyou ❤️

Echo

The number and range of endings made me feel like I was rolling down a mountain, hanging onto every cliff I could grab before Brennan Lee Mulligan smacked me in the face and sent me tumbling again

Catloaf

SPOILERS: Just realized Nif gave Gallows Eursalon's true name....fuck Also, Indri's delight in realizing she hates Ame (or maybe Suvi, couldn't tell) is deeply concerning.

Cha Cha Rae

Ok Im still thinking about it and I think it’s been mentioned before, but The Man in Black having that connection with the road being walked on has swung me right round to picturing The Walking Dude / Randall Flagg / several other monikers of across SKs work. I simply cannot help that my brain goes there 😂

RuviGaPo

Suvi going from "i'm going to kill her" to "she is one person i would save" and Steel saying she doesn't remember how she got her scars then going into a long retelling of how and why it happened.. They are both walking contradictions of themselves and i love them so much

RuviGaPo

Exactly what i was thinking!! We just got Return-of-the-King'ed harder than even return of the king did

KamasiFitzgerald

THIS!! So acrobatic, so deft, so thoughtfully done - Suvi is a masterpiece

RuviGaPo

Gods thats the coolest counterspell in the history of dnd... THAT'S THE COOLEST COUNTERSPELL IN THE HISTORY OF DND !!!!!!!!

Catloaf

I keep replaying that moment. My mind is blown.

One Punch Max

I have laughed, I have cried, I had goosebumps all over. This was truly the greatest story I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The finale was perfect in every way and I am so lucky to live in a world where this story continues. I can't wait and thank you all for this incredible gift. ❤️

Nye-Low

This episode was SO GOOD!!!!!!!! I can’t believe that’s it for now.

Nora Shapiro

I like Witch of the Wayward Child for Nif personally

Júlia Vincent Rubiolo

Hakea is LIVING! "No rest for you yet, my handsome friend" As she puts her hand on Eiorghirain's chest. 🙈

Isabella Theodoratou

Having heard this story from the very beginning till now has left me so emotional. This first book is everything you want in an epic story with characters that you love and care for where the stakes just keep feeling bigger. The entire supporting cast makes the world feel so real and it made me care, get excited, cringe and scared. The cast and Taylor with the whole sound design team gave it everything 🙌 thank you

Isabella Theodoratou

Also fuck you Brennan for making me cry with Ursulon and Kaliah

Louie

The scene when Ame returns to the cottage drew a lot of tears

Isabella Theodoratou

Now I can't wait to hear the sound design Taylor will cook up for spaaaace ... pew pew

TheWizardSloth

I've been scream-crying in a gas station cooler. SO GOOD! Uncle Sly! 😭 To the entire WBN crew *inhales* wtf ya'll?!

Titouan

The MCU wishes it could do post-credit scenes as cool

OffKeyGrunt

The only reason I'm not pissed we aren't getting more for now is the fact that Brennan will finally be a player in a long term campaign cause otherwise I'd riot

Max Arenstein

Oh cool. I’m like 8 months behind and discovered yesterday that I was saving them all for this part of my trip so it’ll be nice to have a good break point at the end of my catch up.

sleepysappie

I hope the comment I post isn't redundant, I'm trying to read through and see if I'm repeating what everyone else said, but I cried so, so much. Of course I am very excited to hear what Aabria will bring in the next space adventure, but I love TWTWATWO so, so much. The entire story as we've heard it so far, in the characters, story, music.. everyone and everything that has gone into its creation has felt so wildly magical. So often when I'm listening to this podcast I feel so filled completely with the spirit of wonder and excitement and the joy of it all that I feel like I could take a running start and start floating and flying through the air through sheer force of story!!!!!

Erin

THIS IS HOW YOU END A STORY!! DAMN! FUCK! GOD THAT WAS SO SATISFYING. Big fucking BRAVO to all of you. We all just experienced a masterclass in storytelling and it has been a privilege and an honor.

Jess A

I've never been able to listen to podcasts. The words slide off my brain like teflon. This is my first podcast, my first patreon support. It held my attention from the first line, and holy moly what an ending. Congratulations all of you. This is such an incredible achievement. WBN has made me excited about media, creativity, and storytelling again. And an extra special "how dare you exist" to Taylor, from someone who *did* go to music composition school and knows exactly what you've done here. My god. What a project. Thank you all so much!

August Scott

I spent the whole episode either crying or punching the air. Absolutely immaculate. Cannot wait for what comes next.

Catloaf

Exhausted, unfiltered Steel sounds like Eoigheen (sp?); what I mean is, the tone, cadence and some of her statements are exactly things Eoigheen said to Suvi in the cave

hermitbadger

I'm dead. Gone. Overcome with emotions so intensely I exploded.

K C

The way I squawked BRENNAN at Steel attacking in traffic

K C

Also shipping Steel/Stone forever

Warlock

Oh absolutely 💯 so many Horner Corner Cuties 😍

Claire

Truly magnificent. Thank you all so much.

Sofia marcelli

I’ve only listened to 20 minutes of it, I’m deliberately not looking at the comments as I’m typing this, but my hands are SHAKING from this story. My HEART. COUNTERSPELL.

Wrex Verdi

I did not come to this podcast to get repeatedly punched in the heart like this. (I did, in fact) Y'all are masterful storytellers, and this first (of many, I hope) book has been a wonder filled adventure. Looking forward to many, many more to come, then the tales are ready to be told.

1man2hands

Steel demonstrating such right wing parent energy but it's funny because usually it's going *to* college that they think corrupts you but in Suvi's case it's *leaving* college. (Also damn the sound fx are still so much louder than the speaking I think I'm losing hearing)

Josh Grey

What an incredible end to Book I. This is everything I aspire to as a DM, I am loving and learning so much. So beautiful. The post credits setting so much up. I did wonder about how the (spoilers obvs) Cottage was going to remain a safe place given that the citadel all know exactly where it is. And that was… well, that cool as shit.

AlterGerent

is that how toma got a lot of its people? Grandma Wren saving people

Hilary Willett

So epic. Omg. Ugh. Feelings. I bloody love this pod. With everything happening in the world, thanks for this beautiful story. It helps. 🙏

El Yami dios

I don't even know what to say. It was so peak

Connor

Magnificent

Bri

There are no words 😶 this was just truly the most incredible finale I’ve ever heard in my life. I am in shock and feel like I did drugs 😂 I…I need a minute

Susurrus

I did wait. It was worth it!

Jane W

Is there a connection between the fact that milk spoils in the presence of the Man in Black, and Steel being unable to tolerate the Slumber (honey milk mixture)?

Jane W

Also I'm absolutely weeping over here. This is absolutely my favorite story.

Alicia

So is The Great Bear going to be discussed in the Horner Corner or what?!

Queen Motoko

I think Indry’s rage about the gift is just the tip of the iceberg. I bet she’s mostly jealous that Ame has such a cool and fashionable Wizard friend at her side. She can pull any Wizard she wants up to the North Pole, but ain’t any in her retinue.

Cody Zimmer

The amount of heartbreak this could have ended on!

Izer

Still trying to process the first 40 minutes, but I'm SO glad Suvi didn't have to burn a Secret of Contingency on Steel this early on.

worldsbeyondnumber

Thank you! I wasn’t hearing it so I tested out different pairs of headphones and yep in one pair of Jabra earbuds I can totally hear it. Will fix today and reupload! Thank you so much, never would have caught this on my own. If you ever hear any other tech issues, DM us here or hit me up on bluesky. -Taylor

Clint Shook

I got chills so many times. Suvi Counterspell, Ame cackling as green fire burns behind her flying off into the night, Eursalon / great bear nat20, ALL OF THE POST CREDIT SCENES!! You guys are such wonderful storytellers and artists!

David Stavis

I just wanna say thank you for choosing to end the book this way. So many shows end on unsatisfying cliffhangers, and it really does a number on my mental health- I don't think it adds to the experience. Y'all gave this book a very satisfying ending that brought me to tears and made me excited (not anxious) for the day I get to see what happens next, AND satisfied with what I got. Thank you, thank you so much for choosing this way.

Eleventh Hour Panic Productions

"I have a vote, I have a name, and what I *now* have is a pan *cake*, hellooo [sounds of chaos gremlin eating food]" 😘🤌🏻 Also, this episode almost had me screaming actually physically out loud, and given that I have roommates, that was very disrespectfully awesome of you

David Stavis

Thanks to that, every time I think about where the story paused, I get a frisson of joy and excitement. That's gonna deepen my connection to the show even when it's not running and make me still feel connected to it once it comes back. That's the added business value of this approach that the short-sighted "hook 'em for profit" anxiety cliffhanger can't get.

Raquel Albert

I was surprised with myself that I didnt cry after listening to this ending. I was actually left with the feeling of warmth like went to bed after a long night by the fire

David Stavis

Yes, those are the moments 🥹 When Ame flew off cackling I was like "take your order of witch shit, fuckers." That's what you get!! Do bad, order yourself a helping of witch shit and Ame has deliveredddd

David Stavis

Yeah I was thinking about that too! Wondering if Steel would just show up and start slaughtering. What an incredible in-universe justification for giving the characters a safe place.

David Stavis

It is kinda ironic that the party is now officially raising an army to oppose TMIB and yet he's the only thing protecting them from their mutual enemy, without which they wouldn't have a base to operate from.

David Stavis

I wonder if Brennan knows that and did it intentionally?! He's so damn sneaky with some of this attention to detail shit

David Stavis

Ah, a comrade who understands that WBN's quality and significance transcends every category it's a part of. Well said!!

David Stavis

I loved the parts of this episode that established "wizard =/= citadel". The citadel may be the most powerful faction of wizards on Umora, but they do not own wizardry nor does their opinion on what wizardry is about make that true for all who practice. They're dominant, not exclusive. There are other wizards in this world who make their own declaration on what wizardry is about, and they can choose to make their definition of wizardry more true than the citadel's.

The Wizard Seek

The last 17 minutes felt like a Rollercoaster! I have so, so much to say about this episode and this story- but for now I am going to bask in how incredible it is that we are lucky enough to have this story at all. 💛

David Stavis

I can't believe Book 2 will be COWBOY WESTERN THEMED?! what a thematic curveball!!

The Wizard Seek

Brennan's mean girl voice is lethal dude

David Stavis

I was like "no! He's our uncle, your faction can't have him!" No matter how much old lady rizz you got

David Stavis

Help me fellow watchers: Indri's comment about a gift referred to Ame's promise to replace the doorknobs of common cause with an equal gift, is that right? So she's saying she hates Ame for not doing that? Was there a specific time by which Ame was supposed to do it that passed, or is Indri just deciding it's been too long and she's pissed?

David Stavis

When Lou Wilson said "thank god" at Erika's 14 on the die to stop Suvi's memory from being erased 😂 you could tell he knew the dice tell the story and their power was real to serve tragedy in that moment. Lou rarely sounds religious like that 🤣

The Witch of Words and Lore

I literally started tearing up when the music hit as Eursulon raised his shield against Steel

David Stavis

Can y'all imagine the plot we'd get if Steel's memory erasure went through? That's a completely different finale/next arc, and I trust that this cast would have played it if the dice demanded!

Sarah Sutton

I can't remember if there was a specific time, but I got the feeling this was hinting at a retributive curse.

David Stavis

*sloppy tentacle voice effect* "a y e a r a n d a d a y" till the pod returns lol

Ewizabeth Herd

I’m definitely going to have to do a full re-listen because there was at least one person mentioned in this episode who I just couldn’t place. *chagrin* WBN team, any plans to put out a compendium with maps, full character list, history of the realm, etc.?

Wondering wonder

Yes! This is so true for me too. Thank you for putting into words something I hadn't found words for yet myself.

Ewizabeth Herd

Yes to all these! And when the spirits were released from the Cassov Collection! The dragon sound design…!

Kat Hendrix

I believe she had 30 days to replace it, but I could be wrong. But there is a timeframe, which is why Indri says “5 days left.”

Sarah Sutton

I really was thinking "when was Steele attacking in traffic?"

Kat Hendrix

Also I think she hates Ame for a Lot of reasons haha

David Stavis

Brennan did a great job doing science communication for teaching lay people how Narcissistic Personality Disorder develops, how it functions, and what behaviors it produces. Steel is an incredibly useful and comprehensible example of the disorder in action. The word "Narcissist" gets thrown around a lot these days by people who don't understand what the disorder is, and Steel is one of the rare examples of someone who isn't just an asshole who gets called that word bc they're an asshole, she actually carries all the traits and behaviors of the highly specific but well-documented pattern of NPD.

Wondering wonder

Although... If Ame had been there when the soldiers were on their way, she could have drawn on the huge power within and beneath the cottage to defend herself and the place... There's been many hints that there is WAY more power in/under/around that cottage than Ame has yet had time to discover...

Alyssa

Most caked up NPC introduced in arc 4? Yes. Most caked up NPC from all of Book 1? The Wizard Morrow made of Coral! 🪸

David Stavis

People with NPD "no longer live in a world with truth in it". Their brains quite literally cannot perceive that their perceptions/behavioral justifications are contradictory and hypocritical. The disorder is partially neurogenic in that sense- sufferers partially hallucinate and to them their delusions are indistinguishable from things that actually happened. There's a brain region associated with post-facto justification of behavior and split brain experiments have shown that if you disconnect a person's memory of why they did something then ask them why they did it, they don't say "I don't know", they make up a story that seems plausible. I suspect that brain region may be involved in the inability of people with NPD to distinguish their delusions from real memories, but I know of no research proving such a connection. Nonetheless it's well-documented that they can't distinguish the two, and that they doggedly try to force others to believe their delusion as fact too. It's both ironic and deeply poetically correct that Steel is someone whose memories of reality do not work right, and that Steel is someone who uses magic to make her targets' memories of reality not work right. Narcissistic abuse irl does that to victims even without Geas or Modify Memory.

Alyssa

I think it’s gonna be great how much Indri hates Ame because she’s gonna have to work with her in Book 2, I bet! As the only other witch from the Coven of Elders not sworn to the MiB

The Wizard System

What an incredible end to the beginning! I cried, I laughed, I gasped, it was magical. I re-listened to the children's adventure to prepare for the final ep, and in the first episode Steel says Suvi should come with her parents during the attack. Had she already decided then what she needed to do to Suvis parents, and if Suvi had gone with them would Steel have killed her too?

Josie

I actually just relistened to the relevent episode earlier this week! Yes,she needs to replace the doorknobs with a new gift of equal value. And Yes, she has a month (the time it takes for the moon to be the same as when they were taken or something).

David Stavis

Holy shit. What an incredible detail. Given what we know from Firesides about Brennan's process of deciding who Steel really is by honoring Aabria's play decisions about Suvi (the same process by which UCB-style improvisers build a shared reality in an improv scene- "if this is true what else is true"), I'm guessing Brennan didn't know Steel would kill Stone when they played the children's adventure. That was SO EARLY and they knew so comparatively little about the world back then. Given how this way of building consensus reality in a scene works, however, what you said is technically now true retroactively. Steel did know and would have, even if Brennan didn't know that about her when he performed that scene, he does now so it's now true. However....I would not put it past that MFer to have known and for what you said to be exactly correct back then already.

Sarah Sutton

Agree, but Suvi's or the fox's? Because honestly I could go either way! Obviously killing a 9th level spell with curiosity (By reaching into a stream of wasted erath and snatching a trout!?!? Aabria is a goddess and a genius and a demon). However. The image of the fox biting Steele's hand just before Ame appears in an explosion of shattered glass, flying a broomstick through a window that only exists in the Spirit 😲🫢🙌🏼🎇🎆

Ashley

Just ten minutes in. IM NOT OKAY 😭😭😭😭😭

Sarah Sutton

I wasn't familiar with Randall Flagg, so I saw SK and thought "Suvirin Kedberiket" 😆

David Stavis

Real Narcissistic Parents ARE jealous whenever their children get loved for who they are from others. NPD-sufferers have a worldview that they can ONLY ever receive conditional love in exchange for being great or being of value to others. Jealousy that Suvi has healthy self-esteem and an uncontrollable, incomprehensible and unstoppable urge to destroy that for her is the exactly accurate motivation for a person with NPD to do what Steel does - force their child to suffer the way they do.

Ewizabeth Herd

The guy who was at Kalia’s tree whom they all got so excited to see? I think the name was Sly?

Noah

it was like a Prince concert

David Stavis

Oh sick, thank you!! Follow up question, do we know if it's been a month in-game since then? I feel like it hasn't? 🤔 So much happens in-game in so little time passing. But then again, we don't know if the post-credits scene with Indri happens the same day that the crew escaped Steel. Could've been N days later, where N is however many days needed to make it 1 months since Ame made the gift promise. Could also be that Indri, observing Ame's behavior, has correctly deduced that Ame forgot about that shit and can't spare a brain cell to even care 🤣

finley burns

Okaaaaay, I see that Dark Tower reference in the episode description. “Go then, there are other worlds than these” 😢

Ewizabeth Herd

Ooooooh right! The diviner with the all the emeralds!

Raquel Blacken

Unrepentant? Nah she totally regrets what she did. She is deeply saddened at having to kill her friends, but would do it again. Otherwise she wouldn't have been so hurt and so angry about Suvi changing. Why did She make Soft and Stone heroes? Why did she try to mold Suvi into a better version Stone? I think she did that bc of the guilt. Unfortunately that sadness can't overcome her dogged pursuit for the cause. Steel is a complex character that i won't flatten to just being a monster. That's why I started my whole statement with "I support women's wrongs." I fear that's the point of the joke. Steel is baby girl to me. I want to hug her bc I like the character so much. 😔. I wasn't offering it as a solution.

David Stavis

Do y'all think the Fox ACTUALLY has a new name, or when he finally answers will he just say it's "The Fox"?

Everett Whitaker

Not only is Book One of The Wizard, The Witch, and the Wild One one of the greatest actual play podcasts I've ever had the pleasure of listening to, I would go so far as to call it one of the best stories I've ever heard. Kudos to all the incredible cast and crew, and I can't wait to see where we go next!

TheBQ3

Fucking. Phenomenal.

finley burns

There’s a lil dark tower reference in the show description of this episode too! “Go then…”

Wondering wonder

To those of you who are having your minds blown by how the dice tell the story, to a level which feels like... "Surely there's gotta be some kind of consciousness at work in all this...??!" The animists of the world are over here waving at you! Come try some of our tasty tea 🌿🍵🫖🥧 💚 And hi to my fellow animists already on the patreon; I know there's a bunch of you 😊👋🏼

Wondering wonder

Ame was given a specific period of time by Hakea, in which to either return or replace the gift... A full moon cycle, I think, off the top of my head? (edit: I see now that others have confirmed this part!) She's got 5 days left, so she can still do it... *spoilers* - - - It sounded to me like Ame had some time between arriving back at the cottage from Carrow, before heading off to Kalaya's... Wouldn't it have made sense to hunt around in the attic for an appropriate gift, and/or to ask the spirits and the magic river below for help in finding one, during that precious time at home in that powerful place?

Mackenzie Hughes

They spent several weeks in the shroud mountains. Once they had all the soldiers but before reconvening with civilization.

Devon

😭😭😭😭😭

Alyssa

I think they took it from the Wizard Pane (or Keen? Whichever one kidnapped Ame in Twelve Brooks) after merking him in a basement

Bad Brain Comics

I think it was something that keen had on him and they gave it to suvi to examine when they meet back up before the battle of twelve brooks.

Devon

I think of this every time Suvi hits those nat 20’s. She gets the insight and hits the mark when it is exactly the right time - and the same goes for the fumbles, or the lack of clarity when the story was still young and she didn’t know enough about the world and the truths of the Citadel. Her characters growth being supported by the dice are just 🧑🏼‍🍳 💋

Katie

I should not be listening before work 😭

David Stavis

Steel knows that her NPD traits - her reliance on conditional love, and thus necessity (absolute, survival necessity) to be exceptional in order to earn it from her environment - are responsible for her level of power and accomplishment. She likes that Suvi inherited that Narcissistic trait and demonstrated it in her teenage years. She says she cares about Suvi in a way that she can't care about her biological kids, because Suvi has something to prove. Steel is talking about NPD and that she liked that Suvi had it, without knowing the term NPD. Suvi is healing from narcissism, though. The healthy love of her friends has given her healthy love and self-esteem, and the restoration of her connection to her parents, who themselves had healthy non-narcissistic love for themselves, for each other, for Suvi, and even for the world (Soft's attitude about wizardry and spirits is ALSO non-narcissistic, whereas Steel's love of magic is itself narcissistic {I love you for your value and my ability to control you}) has restored the kernel of Suvi's core self-worth proposition. She no longer believes that she must perform in order to deserve love. Her bio parents believed that they, their daughter, and the WORLD deserved to receive love from the start, simply for who they really are. If Suvi heals, she will no longer be able to be subsumed as a part of Steel's narcissistic relationship with her. To Steel, Suvi is an extension of her own identity. Suvi matters to Steel primarily to the extent that Suvi's behavior positively reflects on Steel's reputation. (Hence why she has to kill Silver and reform Suvi's reputation to match what would reflect well on Steel.) Steel can control Suvi and keep her in that dynamic with herself by pulling the levers of NPD. Steel can reward Suvi or withhold conditional love from Suvi to get Suvi to do what she wants, as long as Suvi is suffering from narcissistic traits too. If Suvi heals...Steel can't love her anymore, because she can't control her anymore. To an NPD-sufferer, the fulfillment of their needs ARE indistinguishable from what is most good and right: they can't tell that they're being selfish and putting their needs above others', or that they're being unfair. They see the fulfillment of their own needs in terms of what is "good and right". The most tragic thing about when Suvi says "you're above this" is that Steel's narcissistic traits make it so that she cannot in fact be above this, and Steel's failure to accept Suvi's invitation for her to heal and become a better self is true to life for someone with late-stage NPD. The dice partially told that story. There's a reason that once someone progresses from narcissistic traits to NPD the remission rate is SO LOW. NPD prevents sufferers from choosing what would make it possible for them to heal. When Steel says "it worked for Suvi so why didn't it work for me", she's lamenting the fact that the protective spell and hug from child Soft when she was 6 WAS Steel's chance to heal the way Suvi is right now. 6yo Soft gave Steel unconditional healthy love. So why didn't Steel heal the way Suvi is? It seems deeply unfair to her. What makes Steel so useful as a teaching tool is that SHE (often) SAYS THE QUIET PART OUT LOUD, (or at least, Brennan narrates the quiet part out loud for us) which NPD-sufferers often don't have the good graces to do for the people they affect.

Cocomoose

Same I had the biggest smile as a lay in bed listening to this!

Devon

The depletion of resources all happening in quick succession in this episode is so significant. Steel pulling from the aereth (I’m guessing big time on spelling here) moments before the Kasov collection goes up in flames, to be followed by the destruction of the glass coronet’s ‘magical extraction’ prison/torture chamber. The arch magi are gonna have a lot of questions for Steel.

Em Ryme

I'm so in love with this story. 🥲

Shelby Welby

So good. It’s impossible to explain how much this show means to me.

David Stavis

OHHH, I see. I was wondering how 25-ish days could've passed! Thanks for that.

David Stavis

I think in a fireside they implied that Aerith is a reference to mako energy in FF7 and they named it after the FF7 character on purpose. Or maybe I misunderstood an exchange between Brennan and Erika and just inferred that 😂

David Stavis

Oooohoohoohoo, you are so right. I'm rubbing my hands together just IMAGINING Steel getting yelled at during a dressing-down while she stands in the center of some kind of circular meeting chamber looked down upon by authority figures.

BexXZilla

It would be great if his name is something he doesn't like which is why he rejected the use of any name but also he could be bluffing? I'm not sure what to think. I just know I love him.

David Stavis

That makes sense! That's why it took them to Keen's place of business, that guild mage glass Coronet building where Ghost was kept.

Adam D.

Driving home shouting "FUCK YES!!" fist pumping going down the motor way when Lue rolled nat 20

BexXZilla

I love the Man in Black's reasoning here and it was very amusing to know the cottage of the Witch of the World's Heart is protected by both love and hate somehow it's very poetic.

Eric Meyer

I think this is also a reference to the fact that WBN is more than just Amora. Especially with BLM DMing for CR. Looking forward to seeing A,E & L DM more on WBN

David Stavis

Steel says that she's healthy and sane, and that something made Suvi and Soft and Stone sick in the head. Steel's worldview is that Narcissistic, conditional love is the correct, healthy order of things. But on Earth in 2025, we call that a disorder. And we call what Suvi, Soft, and Stone "suffer from" healthy love and attachment. The thing about experiencing the world that changed them was healing thanks to spending time in contact with the world outside of the toxic environment. I don't know if Brennan has studied NPD and is this doing this on purpose, or if he has just lived life in contact with people who exhibit these behaviors and paid close enough attention to nail all the patterns without needing a theoretical textbook perspective. But he nails it top to bottom. The only thing about Steel I DON'T understand from the perspective of seeing her as someone with NPD is why she and Sonder seem to have a healthy married relationship. Narcissists often are drawn to and choose to date people with extremely high empathy, but they ultimately never fail to treat them horribly and Sonder does not seem traumatized by their relationship. 🤔 Maybe he has emotional scars from what happens between them in private but is skilled at not showing them to others. I guess we do see that Steel is extremely proficient at masking her true self, and most of this "under the mask" exposé we're getting happens while she's too exhausted to hide it. Maybe she's so good at being covert most of the time that she doesn't even slip around Sonder. ....oh god, she memory modified Suvi frequently even before the events of the podcast......and Suvi was blissfully ignorant and appeared to have an unproblematic relationship with Steel until recently.....does she memory modify Sonder to keep him from showing signs of being abused? Oh god ._.

Dolphin

This story has been a part of my life since it started over 2 years ago - it was with me through a move across the world, a job change, relationships ending and beginning, and loved ones passing away. Through all that chaos and change, it has been an incredible joy and privilege knowing that in a short time I would get to hear more of The Wizard, The Witch, and The Wild One. These characters and this world feel like more than entertainment to me, they feel like a shining example of what matters most about life and how to live it. They have grounded and uplifted me week after week. This, I think, is what all storytelling should aspire to achieve, and I'm so grateful for all the incredibly talented people who have given this first book to us. I'm glad you told this story, and I'm glad you'll be telling more. Thank you.

Wondering wonder

Spoilers! - - - - I really hope that some of the other prisoners in the Carnissary manage to escape (... rather than dying in a fire 🫣)

Sofia marcelli

I finished it and I’m dead. I died and came back to life. I dunno. My brain is melted in awe. Send help maybe?

Noah Sam

What a finale. The amount of times I cheered is incredible

Thurston Whitlow

Now that this grand story is concluded (for now) is there any chance of a release of some of the OST? Found myself in tears listening to the music over Ame burning down the building or when the great bear accepts Ursalon’s offer.

Alecisbaking

What a finale! My life has been crazy (good and bad) the last two years and this podcast has been a constant source of comfort. I often needed the world of Umora and to visit my friends Ame, Suvi, Eursulon, and the Fox as they also make their way through crazy (good and bad) times. My tears and I look forward to someday visiting them again.

Julie

What a beautiful and wonderful way to end this book! Thank you for such a phenomenal story, I look forward to the next tale to be told!

Wondering wonder

I take my hat off to you! 🎩 This is a brilliant explanation of NPD

Josh Grey

“The enemy of my enemy owes me five dollars and I will fight you to the death over it.”

Josh Grey

Yep. Definitely looking forward to learning more about that. But this is neater, it lets the main characters just get on with things.

David Stavis

Oh fuck lol good point 😂 they rescued 2, but there were a bunch of other cells that they didn't look inside!!! 😱

CarpeBootium

Thank you all for a true masterclass in audio storytelling! Wonderful from start to finish.

Noah Sam

I got chills, teared up and cheered an unbelievable amount this episode. I love you all. Thank you for telling such a wonderful story and taking me on such an impactful and moving journey 💜.

Wondering wonder

Is there any chance that tMiB is considering that he might be able get Ame on his side before the year is up? Having clear evidence now of the depths of Steel's betrayals could have a cooling effect on how Ame feels about the Citadel 🤔

TARDISNuke

Manchurian Suvidate!!!! I missed the chance to suggest it for the title but man oh man was that a hot crispy ep!!! Oh boy was I eating good!!! Great work!

Jordana

You at least kiss that brick before throwing it at my fucking chest?

BexXZilla

I feel like based on Ursalon saying his goal is to simply end the war and Ame's commitment also being that there has to be a third way to handle the Citadel, especially with Suvi's new discoveries about what the citadel used to be and his previous harmful interactions with both Ursalon and hunting Suvi as a child means it's unlikely.

bannedcheese

I count myself infinitely lucky to have been here, along for the ride, since all the way back in early 2023, and infinitely grateful for all the time and energy put into this project born of the heart. None of this had to happen, yet it did, and it is all beautiful. Thank you all. I look forward to whatever’s coming next.

Cody Hasselbring

I LOVE STORIES. I LOVE FRIENDSHIP. MAGIC IS REAL. STEEL CAN GET FUCKED

Issy (the Wizard Scramble)

A chapter closed, friendships three Starlight, cottage, family tree Coal and steam guide the path A fathers son, amethyst glass - Cyril

The Wizard Smudge

Ngl when it got to Indri… I was waiting for the Citadel to rain down magic nukes on her in an attempt to destroy the coven of elder’s pact (and conveniently relieve Amé of her gift-giving duties)

Kat

Oddly, I'm hopeful perhaps one day Suvi could right the wrong, and at least tell his parents his name again. It wouldnt change anything, just seems like a kind thing to do.

Lance Carmack

AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!! Stop making me cry in the car! This episode was wonderful! I just finished it and my adrenaline is through the roof! I can't wait for more! I know we'll have good stories to hear in the meantime, but WW&W can't come back fast enough!

Witch of the Whispered Word

Brennan did such a good job explaining Steel without justifying her behavior. It’s possible to empathize with her while still condemning her actions. She’s such a fleshed out character it makes me want to giggle and kick my feet 🥰🥰 if she wasn’t exhausted Suvi would surely have become a puppet and Ame and Eursulon would be dead as heck… can’t wait for a full battle with this level 20 wizard in future years when the gang has reached full potential EEEEE

Rebekah

Me at 1:29:00 - OMG THAT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL WHAT A BEAUTIFUL ENDING 😭😭😭 ……wait there’s more?? Me at 1:30:00 - No. NO Brennan. Bad Brennan!!!!!! 😭

Lecby

What a beautiful and wonderful story! Words cannot fully describe how thankful I am for its existence. I’m grateful for the cast and the fireside for making all this possible❤️

Rebekah

Perfectly expressed. Full agreement. All the gratitude. 💜

thedragonllama

"We had a lifetime of play together; it was beautiful. This world has taught me one thing: there is also a beauty in grwoing up, in changing , and becoming new." Lou had me crying in the Target parking lot, geez.

flyingwriter

Wow, what a way to end book 1. And I am so glad there will eventually be a book 2. I cannot even begin to express how much this story has impacted my life. How Tuesday has become the most exciting day in my schedule, and people do not quite understand why. I am so glad the dice was on Aabria side: and may I say, I am sorry I ever questioned them! Thank you for telling such an impactful beautiful story. I cannot wait for the all the adventures the four of you put together, along with the team! Just wow! Truly magic!❤️

A Miyako M Illustrations

My god, every single moment of this episode gave me goosebumps (is it possible to BECOME a goosebump? is that what happens when you're just in a constant state of goosebumpery?). Roses, dahlias, marigolds, lilies, carnations, ALL the flowers to you, WBN team. Thank you so much for this gorgeous gift of an epic tale. I look forward to every story you may share with us.

YourAnimeDad

This is storytelling. This is ACTUAL PLAY. This is WORLDS BEYOND NUMBER BAYBEEE!!!

rayrayswimusic

This is how you end an arc of a tale and make me viscerally shake and freak out. GOD HOLY HELL I don’t have the words for what I’m feeling just all the love and support for the whole team holy shit

WreckBadger

It would be an HONOR?! An HONOR? Sobbing for the Great Bear and Eursulon and that nat 20, and every other fucking moment too.

firozah.com

hey quick question what the hell am i supposed to do now?

Quint James

People spend entire lifetimes, careers, and dreams aspiring to create a work of art a tenth of this. What you all (sound team included) have created is an inspiring, captivating, emotional masterpiece of Art. I hope you are proud. I am for you. Thank you for allowing us into your world. It has been, *chuckle*, an Honor.

Grant Gruber

So the great bear is daddy? Would.

OhHeyJDK

THE GREAT BEAR IS FOREVER 9 FT TALL GOLDEN DADDY LETS GOOOOOOO

Giovanni Hernandez

No spoilers here - what a finale! I was sat in my car laughing and tearing up with joy and excitement at the end of Book 1. (No ugly crying, I had to go back to work!) I can only wait to see what comes next from this incredible group of storytellers. Thank you to Brennan, Erika, Aabria, Lou, Taylor, and everyone else involved with WBN for creating such a masterpiece and inspiring us to tell our own fantastical and wonderful stories.

Arien Crossby

"A promise given to a witch is never lightly broken." I LOVE WHEN THINGS COME FULL CIRCLE

Sean Beard

Screaming, Crying, Dancing all at once

Rachel Kleine

"To march under my son's banner would be...an honor" 😭 💕

Rebekah

THIS GAVE SUCH CLOSETED LESBIAN VIBES. “She was the only person I loved, and then this MAN took her away from me and I wanted to murder him… for no reason…”

K C

🤝

Rebekah

I. Would. Die. For. Hakea. 💜

Brandon Rowand

I’ve cried a lot listening to the WWWO but I don’t think I’ve ever been hit as hard as I was listening to the back half of this episode. it’s truly an /honor/ to be able to listen to this story as you guys create it. I’m so excited for the next book, but honestly just sitting on this and relistening again and again will be enough while I anxiously wait for the new campaign

Rebekah

Omggggg I didn’t even catch this, brb crying again 😭

Rebekah

Brennan Lee Tolkiegan

Carmen Sterk

From the bottom of my heart: thank you, thank you, thank you

Rebekah

Yes!!! EULALIAAAAA!! ⚔️

Az Snarkrifice

I don’t know what the textual version of amazement and applause is, so I’ll add my voice to those of others in saying thank you. Thank you for sharing these wonderful stories - and as always, I can’t wait to see what magic y’all conjure next.

Rebekah

“I’ll be out there in the world, my friend. You’re never alone. There are many, beyond what we can see, working towards the will of good.”

Rebekah

THE SOUND DESIGN. All through the Kalaya scene. Absolutely magical. I was close to tears the whole episode, but this was when I lost it. 😭

Rebekah

😭😭😭

Rebekah

RIGHT??? I need to go to therapy after this episode 😅

Rachel Kleine

Every single epilogue had me SHOOK 🔥

Tom Saunders

Last year on my birthday was the witches vote and this year is the end of Book 1. It was perfect. Endlessly grateful for this podcast. 🙏

Rebekah

I read through every comment so I know it’s already been said. But just wanted to add my thanks to Brennan, Aabria, Erika, Lou, Taylor, and the whole crew of wonderful storytellers, for such a beautiful, real, magical, heart-wrenching, and joyful story. I feel like listening to this story has connected with something deep within my being that is still figuring out who I am in the world right along with Ame, Eursalon, Suvi, and the gang. This podcast has truly felt like a kitchen full of cake in the midst of troubling times. Thank you for being some of the many working towards the will of good. 💜

Hannah Walker

These stories hold an absolute vastness that I haven't gotten from media in a long time. Thank you. Brennan. Thank you Aabria. Thank you, Erika. Thank you, Lou. Thank you production and everyone who is able to lend a couple bucks a month to keep this thing alive and well. This is the stuff that makes me want to be a better storyteller. This ending made me feel the way that I did after finishing Les Miserables for the first time. It was so deeply cathartic and melancholic at the same time. We've been fed well this entire series, and I cannot believe that this is the very first story we've gotten from WBN?? Unreal.

Rebekah

But then there was some cool stuff too so it was okay. BUT STILL!!!

J. Griffin Hughes

"I introduce myself to them, sword first." I want to say this more in life.

Sean Manning

What an incredible tale you've woven

Alex

I heard Kippercotton Pennybottle when Indri giggled and said “I really hate her”

Conor Steinke

Looking forward to the next fireside and arc wrap chats, great googly moogly

Kellie O Edwards

Grant O Brian and the horner corner need to give us a revised opinion!

Haylee Hilton

Every part of this - just…. A masterclass of story telling. I am ahead of my husband so I listened this morning with headphones while he worked - the whole time I just giggled and screamed and cried just saying “YOU HAVE TO CATCH UP” every 5 minutes 😭😭

Cameron Barrett

I am BEGGING for the uncut audio from the table in the last 5 minutes of the story.

Rebekah

This name and its gleeful butchering will never not make me laugh 😆

Witch of the Willow's Glen

What you all do is so deeply meaningful and profound. Thank you all, so much. Sincerely.

SapphoDyl

I sincerely wish to have this entire series (season?), children's adventure and all, in my home. I would keep it like a book in my library, displayed in a place of honor so that I can see it, reference it, and share it with others when and however The Spirit & Opportunity move me. Thanks, gang. Your work is truly magnificent, and my only regret is that I cannot share this with loved ones who have passed 🧡💜

OhHeyJDK

ERIKA AND AABRIA DO YOU HEAR US?! WE. NEED. REVISION. 😂🤣☠️

Ajax

Spoilers... ... ... ... ... The contrast being Steel's "make you the person you should have been" and thr great bear's "what an honor to take up my son's cause as my own" was something I'm going to bring up in therapy this week.

Gill

This is the best story I've ever heard/read/loved. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I cannot WAIT for whatever you make next (and for book 2 of WWWO!) ❤❤❤❤❤❤

Pastel

I'm only about a little halfway through the episode right now but I just need to say this now, the burning of Caro (unsure if im even close with that spelling) with the my favorite musical motif in that back has filled me with joy, I already know im going re listen to this story many times over in my life, and everytime I am going to be excited to hear the witch parade that just makes me want to prance off into the woods never to be seen again, Taylor is the spirit of sound and that is the only way I can explain how much the music and sound of this story has taken control of me

Liuba M

What do we do now? - Same thing we do every night, Pinky… We relisten!

worldsbeyondnumber

Oh we’re not going ANYWHERE. Open wide your podcast receptacle because the avalanche of fun WILL continue.

Shannon Leimbach

Do you guys know that roller coaster someone designed that has so many upas and downs and twists it would kill anyone that actually rides it???

irisilmaril

Keen’s corpse. Suvi analyzed it after they regrouped and found it was a teleportation spell doo-dad. that is why it specifically went to the Glass Coronet’s building in Carrow. Also a clever way of giving the group an out of an incredibly dangerous situation and immediately getting them to where Ghost is all while making complete sense in-universe.

Stephen Panella

I love Ame lore scenes. I love Suvi’s lore scenes. EVERY TIME Eursulon’s lord scenes come up I am sobbing tears of joy. EVERY TIME. Idk it resonates with me so. Thank you all for this special story. (Lore scenes obviously denoted by each characters distinct leitmotif’s sculpted by resident musical genius Taylor Moore)

Brandon Carbaugh

I just watched the 2001 movie "Conspiracy" recently, and let me just say, Steel would fit right in. Plop her down at that big table right between Brannagh and Tucci.

Bria A.

[Stares directly at Suvirin Kedberiket post-...all of that...] Siri, play "Nobody's Soldier" by Hozier, and let me cry about it.

Brandon Carbaugh

The odds of a 5th-level PC successfully counterspelling a 9th-level spell from a campaign-level boss monster who's probably like CR15 *and is specifically built to be a spellcaster* is just fucking wild.

aesthetic-menace

The prospect that Steel is just going S6 Willow on her loved ones anytime she does something upsetting to them or there is an argument makes me so sad.

Kamuraki

Erika's cackle was stellar, and ending on a nat 20 was perfect

Rory Brown

This story arc has been truly the best piece of audio design, storytelling and art I have ever experienced. You should all be incredibly proud of what you’ve created. Can’t wait for what’s next.

Abbie Lankitus

I'm in the same boat! I finally got my husband to join in the magic and he's just finished Arc 2. I need him to hurry tf up so we can share the hot goss from the finale!!

icesquirrel

“I sign my fucking work” incredible

icesquirrel

the scoring for this episode was perfection. fucking love every part of this

Kate Olive Art

Thank you so much, team. Absolutely worth every second.

Matthew

What an amazing milestone for you lot and what a gift for us fans! Happy to have heard it all as it came out and looking forward not just to more Umora whenever that comes, but also to what Aabria has in mind for the next leg of this journey!

Matthew

And now for the most important fireside question of all time: Now that The Great Bear is on this side of the curtain, which mortal character (NPC I assume) is gonna "climb that mountain" first?

Anthony

I'm listening to this in the NICU the day before we get to take our boy (the wizard sweetie pie) home with us. This is what stories are all about, a power capable of transmitting wonder and inspiration to those who might need it. What an amazing conclusion to a beautiful story. Thank you ❤️

Rowan

waited to listen until my new headphones came

firozah.com

yes sir opening wide sir!

El Jefe

I’m so glad that Suvi got to join in on the Studio Ghibli side of things before Book One came to an end! That fight with Steel was nuts. The rescue of Ghost was such a great show of how far the team has come. And Eursulon’s resolution with his family had so much heart. Well done, everyone. So happy to be a passenger along for the ride.

Samuel Straus

It has truly been an honor to be able to listen your stories over the last few years. The last few episodes in particular had me weeping both in joy and sorrow and pumping my fist in celebration at our friends success. A wonderful piece of art in all of it's aspects. The storytelling, acting, music and Sounddesign. God the fucking sound design. (Taylor Moore you're a god damn treasure) Can't wait to see what's to come for this and all other stories you will tell. Thanks for everything and all the love, The wizard speechless (currently sobbing in the graveyard shift)

Dain Saint

Standing ovation, 12/10 dismount. Thank you all for such a stunning story, I hope you take a well-earned rest (LOOKING AT YOU TAYLOR)

Teeven322

This episode gave me the same feeling as graduation- like we’re all standing here throwing our caps up, hugging and crying with joy 🥹💓

Teeven322

Welcome to the world, Wizard Sweetie Pie ❤️🥧

Erok VanRocksalot (The Wizard Story)

I audibly cried out with glee and clapped my hands in celebration as Lou got the Nat 20 on that persuasion check… I was in the grocery store listening on my headphones at the time; the many looks and a few laughs at my expense were worth it. After that initial wave of jubilation subsided a tsunami of dread crested the horizon of book 2… for just as the activation of one’s queen on a chessboard can be lethal, such a move can be equally fatal. I see a father sacrificing himself to save his son. Yes marching under your son’s banner would be an honor, but no father would not give up his own ghost to keep his offspring’s in tact. Brennan knows this and has lots of time to poetically fuck us in our collective hearts. Thank you for an amazingly beautiful beginning to an awesome adventure.

Gloogun

What in the lord of the rings extended edition avengers endgame remix (but 100x better) is THIS??? I’m weeping and cheering. Those post credit scenes YEEEEEAAAAAHHHH that’s what IM TALKING ABOUT!! I leapt out of bed several times with joy. Nothing feels like this, thank you so much for making this, I’ve been here since day one and it’s an honor to be alive while this work of art has been growing with us HELL YEAH!

Gloogun

Also truly how is it possible that every single episode of this damn show has been a banger. HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE??? What sauce are you putting in this??? How is each episode better than the last??? I’m so happy to be here

Lauren Bacon

Truly. Lou is such an epic wordsmith!

Sean Britcher

That went so hard. Right up there with "I introduce myself sword first".

Rydog

That was FUCKING INCREDIBLE!! thank you so much for all your hard work, such a brilliant, beautiful story!

K C

MORROW MY BELOVED

thedragonllama

I actually am guessing we will get a Indri x Citadel alliance in the future. She could aim to be the ONLY witch around, and her whole deal is VERY wizard-like anyway, up in a tower above the world.

The Wizard Smudge

Ooh wait… I think you might be on to something. We’ve also seen how Indri has a very high opinion of herself, and would likely believe she could double cross Steel and the Citadel when she needs to.

Duncan

That was one of the most beautiful and harrowing and tearful and incredible pieces of fiction I’ve ever experienced. I am certainly looking forward to the space opera that comes next but oh my god I cannot wait to return to Umura and these three true friends and the absolute INSANITY that is in store for book 2. Thank you all so much for making this story and for sharing it with us all. I am awestruck.

August George

Amazing story, thank you. Excited for what’s next!

rocket-flash

That's such an interesting parallel! Also, I thought it was a nice parallel from the honey type magic that Eioghorain stirred into her tea when she was feeling sick back before 12 Brooks

rocket-flash

Love the shorthand TWTWATWO lol. I don't know if it'll catch on but I loved reading it in my head as "twuh twah twoah" 😂

rocket-flash

Truly, and also to see Aabria fully in her bag as a DM for a long-term campaign! Especially after season 2 of misfits and magic on dimension 20 was so wild and cool and emotional!

rocket-flash

Not me starting to cry right when Eursulon's relatives were coming out of the tree and crying too! I also didn't know if he was going to make it back, though of course I believed in our team! What an emotional wallop of an episode! I'm going to have to re-listen to it like five times because I thought the after credit scene was an old episode playing at first for way too long, and I think I was just shocked by all the cameos and want to take it all in!!

rocket-flash

I will say, the one conversation I really would want to hear was the reunion between Suvi and Hannah and Gult! They had such a complicated and strained relationship last time they met. I would love to see them become friends again, and hear Suvi explain all the crazy shit her mom's been up to in the Citadel!

rocket-flash

Maybe someday in the future they can do a one shot of some of the chill days in Tomah between Caro and visiting Kaliah cuz I just want more of the three of them in the cottage doing a wholesome family stuff! Even a session of them playing three of Eurslon's younger family members would be so cute and interesting expansion for the world.

Alex

He has a name. And he is “The Fox”. But afaik he’s never claimed that his name is “The Fox”

susan tiss

That was an epic conclusion to the epic adventures of book one. Listening to the final chapter, I felt the same waves of emotions that I felt when reading the final pages of The Return of the King almost 50 years ago (yes, I'm that old AND I was that young the first time I read LotR). Thank you all for crafting such exquisite stories and scrumptious characters. I look forward to everything else you all create!

Alex

For me it was Obalfynd

Alex

Also Suvi “stole” everything in her starlight observatory

Queen Motoko

She’d understand a selfish act :3

The Wizard Santorum

If Ame had cast Animate Hut in Soft/Stone’s secret study would it have sprouted legs in the real world or the Spirit world? And what kind of butt would it have?

Blaize Gordon

Simply incredible. What a wonderful story thank you so much, stupendous sound design as always!

Ayla Ludolf

This is my favorite story, period. I love it with all my heart. Thank you so much for sharing this story with us!

Bernhard Einsiedler

This story means so much to me! I feel hopeful, I feel the love and care and wonder and pain and I can't believe it exists. There are pieces of fiction that inspire the real world to be better. Thank you! All of you!

Bog Station: Remembrance

This had me a little worried too. I suppose we can hope any spirits etc trapped inside would be freed by their mortal forms ending?

The Wizard Subjudice

If I have kids, I'm going to write it out in a way that I can read it to them in a child friendly way at bed time. It won't be professionally bound or anywhere else, but on our shelf, and when they're old enough for the gorier and more vulgar bits (there's so much "FUCK!" 😂), I'll tell them it can be told so much better if you listen to it.

Parker Mitchell

Literally got choked up listening to the last line knowing we will have to take a break from this world. Thank you so much for all y’all have done in creating this story. Thank you

Lowlife2199

Hooooooly moly that ending was insaaaaaane

Jay

To the whole team, thank you so very much. The story, the characters and music and absolute masterpiece. I will await the continuation with baited breath and in the meantime I will be drag all my friends into this fantastical world.

Ashlee B

Witches of the Granoh?!?! Yoooooooo!!!! Neif, babygirl take your flowers!! Also, Mr gallows!!

Elsa

I have laughed and cried and leapt for joy and alarmed my neighbors with my enthusiasm. I am so honored to be here experiencing this story. I am grateful beyond expression to all the cast and crew and creators, and to all of the fabulous Fireside listeners. Stories like this are precious and rare, what an extraordinary delight to hear this one!

The King of House Cabraescuro

Can you imagine having to face the Pilgrim Under The Stars because your vendetta clashes with his???

TisWhatSheSaid

“Passage for three.” “To where?” “…Anywhere.”

Rose Sengenberger

Aabria named her! In the first episode of the children’s adventure, the very first scene actually, where we meet Suvi - Brennan asked Aabria for the words that described her mom, dad and their friend. Aabria’s word choices in that episode are the reason citadel wizards have S names. Then Brennan did his amazing Brennan shit and built the world to justify the players’ choices.

August D.

I wish my tiny kids were old enough to enjoy this, but we’re still working on when to use “damn”. 😅 Gotta work up that vocab.

Vice Versailles

That freaking counter spell. Incredible.

HexMix

This episode was PHENOMENAL! A spoonful of Absolute Cinema to help the hiatus go down 🤣❤️

Ooloi Jackal

Took all day to listen to this. I was in tears most of it. This story is so beautiful!!

bluebluebutton

Erika's description of Ame walking into her cottage with "the light and delight of flight on my face" was the most underrated lyricism of the episode.

Daniel Stevens

I screamed more rhan once in thos episode. But that nat 20 from Lou told a story, it was a truth told by dice. For our bear to reach back and call to his cause, a cause of freedon, a spirit of joy. Perfection.

Cackle Cackle

This hit sooooo hard. Steele and Suvi’s conversation resonated with me on a deep level — what happened to you when you went out in the world and it changed you… and why didn’t it change me? So incredibly skillfully wrought. I was excited to see this final episode, but didn’t expect ALLL THIS. I could gush forever. I’m gonna embarrass myself. The musical kicks and punches from Taylor, the depth of narration from every one at the table, the seeds planted for later! So excited for this episode, future adventures in Umora, and to go to space with Aabria! ❤️❤️❤️

The Wizard Subjudice

57:36... Lou, fk. I didn't realise why I was weeping, I thought it was just the scene itself.

Brother Jac

This is the greatest story ever told.. ever!

Rygulas

He was the reclined demon in the painting at the bottom of the Kasov collection, he called to Eursulon to take his painting off the wall. And now we can see just how bad of an idea that would have been.

Sandro Abate

You had me crying. This is a very powerful ending to book one. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Bo0gie

I have a question. Did Suvi give Steel her name?

Anouk

you have no idea how this story has changed my life. true brilliance, tenderness and joy. there has never been anything finer. thank you for everything, brennan, aabria, erika, lou and taylor.

Joy Toyin

Kitchen full of cake indeed

Xanian Jamfalcon

I really loved the post credit narrations. That's what I call story time cleanup. Can't wait for more!

Michelle Aigner

I had chills, I had tears, I laughed out loud and gasped a few times. So good. Thank you.

The Wizard Sparrow

Beauty…Joy…Amazing… is how I feel right now after listening to the last 16 minutes of this episode. So many creative thoughts will go through my head for the next next number years before we get booked 2. But let’s take a few steps back and recap the emotional roller coaster in the beginning of this episode. Whispering loudly… within anticipation on the first dice roll for Suvi… then only three minutes later I am repeating the words..F-U Steel, over and over until I realize I cannot listen to this podcast during work lol. This episode was amazing. I’m gonna have to listen to at least three times. But what made me sob and then scream with joy and then sob even more was the departing of Kalaya and the Great Bear in his glamour.

The Wizard Sparrow

I could talk for ever on the little itty-bitty caveats of story lines. We got at the end of the last 16 minutes of this show. I will post those later this week :-)

The Wizard Sparrow

Oooo… definitely gonna have to go back and listen to that section. I completely missed that.

ANEO

Aabria I love you and your DMing and I am confident your story will be amazing, but im begging you please delay, and also Brennon please please keep running this. It is truly magical.

Alyssa

So the fireside will be a minimum of 6 hours long, right? 🔥 ⏰1 hour of Lou specifically from Trauma Dump with Lou Wilson helping Suvi the character with her mommy issues ⏱️1.5 hours of Horner Corner: the Cake Off 🎂🍑🪸👀 ⏲️1 hour of just Arc 4 ⌚️1 hour of us collectively screaming into the void ⏳1.5 hours of all of the folks over at WBN answering for their crimes and accepting their flowers for the most stunning piece of media ever created 💐💐💐💐💐

The Wizard Sparrow

My mind just went off the deep end…Father saving his son.. from one great spirit to the next great spirit. CHILLS🦊🔥🤗

Alyssa

I was relistening to the name cloak episode, and Steel was the one that said her full name while a bell rang to get the name cloak, which idk if that means she has the full name? She definitely has part of it Also though, the Citadel probably keeps all the true names somewhere like the imperialistic controlling assholes that they are. Maybe locked up in Lucient court with some dream keys or some wizard shit

The Wizard Sparrow

I have no clue at this point… but I do love all of the responses so far

The Wizard Sparrow

The first thing that came to my mind…Suvi was here 😂

Bo0gie

I also was listening again, and that part stuck out to me. Maybe Steel has every wizards true name.

The Wizard Sparrow

Most definitely… and of course I couldn’t help but cackle right along with her

Konner with a K

Would you all ever consider adapting a novelization of The Wizard The Witch and The Wild One? I want to be able to read this to my daughter as a bedtime story forever.

K80

My friend asked me if I was okay, told them I was listening to this finale and to ignore me. You're telling me I'm gonna have to go through this with multiple stories from different parts of this world? I need a Cram cleanser before we start the next book.

Matt Kilsby

Have they expanded on how long we’ll have to wait until Book 2? I’m sure Aabria’s sci-fi romp will slap in the meantime, but the thought of waiting until, say, 2027 for Book 2 is nauseating 😂

nk

Highly recommenf listening to this pacing back and forth around the house at midnight.

The Wizard Seek

I am currently on the 5th relisten and doing laps around my block, because I cannot help but move when graced with such a thrilling story.

Andres Yuhnke

I was driving home from a long day of helping my father clean up his yard tonight listening to this episode. We haven't had rain in Phoenix in far too long, summer monsoons have been all but absent. As I got in my vehicle and started the episode I noticed lighting in the distance. About half way home the lightning was above me and the drizzle turned to a downpour. As I exited the freeway and pulled into my neighborhood Suvi was casting counter spell and lightning and thunder engulfed me. I can say with no hyperbole that Worlds Beyond Number is the greatest media object I have consumed in my 49 trips around the sun. Keep up the great work! <3

The Wizard Subjudice

I'm just relatively sure he is also crying, and it cut me to the quick

Chris

I literally had pins and needles at so many points throughout this episode. NARRATIVE PERFECTION AAAAA

Phi

YEARS?? I HAVE TO WAIT YEARS FOR THE FANTASY REBEL WIZARD TRAIN??? no but fr this story is completely incredible. it is a gleaming monument to everything the four (no, five, thank you taylor) of you are capable of, to the art of storytelling, to human relationship, and to magic - which is real. i cannot wait to be where you take us next. 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕🪐✨🚀

Michael McNamara

If this was a novel it would be one of the classics! Thank you for an incredible story and companions I will revisit again and again!

Obsequious Diphthong

I remember thinking after the previous episode that Steel has gone through a lot of trouble to keep Suvi alive, so it wasn't her physical health I was worried about. That Steel needed to keep her alive to make her into a "better" copy of her best friend that she'd murdered "to save her", to justify her world view... Well I can see why she reached the heights to be called favorite villain of all time (by Aabria, right?)! The big pragmatist actually has the most personal reason behind her actions.

Michelle Spurgeon

Incredible ending to this book!!!! I know it will be a while before we come back but knowing that there is so much already in motion has me excited for the next several years!

Puricodraws

BRB, gonna cry for a couple of hours.

Sarah Lou

I’m in awe. I still cannot get over the final few notes of that episode. The vignettes showing what all the various npcs were doing. I’m speechless.

Sarah Lou

And by final few notes I specifically mean the 2001 Space Odyssey rising cacophony and drums in the background. So amazing.

The Wizard Syncopate

It's insane to start the podcast again after watching this episode. Going from the finale back to Fireside Chat #000 is just such fun whiplash

HoneySickle

Lou Wilson, man that you are, with the most important of natural 20s that ever could have happened.

Lindsay Blake

I had goosebumps THIS ENTIRE EPISODE. Well done and thank you gang 💕✨

Patrick

Absolutely stood up and nearly shouted LFG while on a crowded bus after Lou’s roll.

Braden Pendlebury

Fully bawling on the drive to work. A great look for a plumber. I can't believe Book 1 is finished. This is the best storytelling out there and it's not even close. Great job to all involved.

Alyssa

It has the same isolation of finishing a good novel too (outside of a book club scenario) because I HAVE NO ONE TO TALK TO ABOUT THIS

Alyssa

You are 150% correct! The fact that this is the best storytelling ever and it is IMPROVED and COLLABORATIVE is wild! To riff on Brennan’s lucrative American Girl doll shoes quote: they are better at friendship, imagination, and trust than I am at anything

Nathan Gold

My partner finished the episode first and then came to watch tears stream down my face for the last half hour. This was so earned, and I cannot imagine a better way to close out this book. That last roll from Eursulon has really and truly changed everything - this is a different game and a different story than it was before that roll. Chills upon chills the whole time! And the music in this episode...Oscar-worthy. WBN is unquestionably breaking new ground and going beyond what podcasting and live play have ever been.

Jake Rundle

I loved the post credits scenes. I could listen to a 10 hour mini series of Will Gallows and Níf just going on adventures.

DiScribe

I'm completely and gratefully destroyed. Y'all. This was so needed in these dark days. Three friends can enact incredible change on the world ❤️ To brighter days!

ModernDruid

Wait…. Aaaaaaa….aaaaa we’re so I go now

The Wizard Snoop

What a great portrait of a fascist in the first half of the ep

RuviGaPo

Trying to get to get ppl into this story and one person essentially said: "Look what you did! You took a perfectly good wizard and gave her blue hair and anxiety" They have No Idea how accurate that description is.

RuviGaPo

Well i did say it twise so if they can share ? XDDD (no but fr that immage of a spell being a trout in a river will live rent free in my head forever)

Marcus

"you are going to see what I do one day and you're going to be sorry for all the times you made fun of me" Steel episode 1

Evelina Meiklejohn

This story has been, and continues to be, truly OUT OF THIS WORLD. 😭💖😭

Ellis

I'm really looking forward to "screaming into the void"

Cocomoose

Just finishing a relisten to this truly out of this world award winning episode. One thing I kept thinking about when Steele was talking about how the Slumber wouldn’t work for her and missing her parents at 6 years old due to being taken to become a wizard made me think of the Jedi and how if they found a force sensitive child they had to be taken from their family. Which I also jumped to another Star Wars comparison with Steel as Anikin coded In a way that she wouldn’t have stopped at nothing to make sure Suvi would be what she wanted no matter the cost. Also the sheer power and will she has. Which really stuck out to me on a re listen. Also those fucking dice rolls and nat20s!!!!! The dice tell the story and when the great bear was like I’m joining my son’s Banner and the description of his glamor I just couldn’t stop screaming. Y’all truly have created the most special and spectacular listen these past years and truly can’t wait for book two. Now time to do a fully relisten for the very beginning!!!!

Mack Whaley

Brennan, thank you so much for Umora. You have created a world that has impacted my life in massive ways, bringing me a wide and deep joy. Erika, Ame means the world to me. Ame is so beautiful, insanely kind, and wonderfully cunning. I’ve maybe never loved a character more. Aabria, Suvi is a true work of art and I believe you are a genius. Lou, Eursulon is one of the greatest characters and the way you embody him is art and unmatched. Thank you all, you’ve changed my life.

Ellis

Steel was her mom, she absolutely would have given her her real name, she didn't know she was the bad guy when she got her name cloak

Ellis

was it worth it?

Cocomoose

I believe they mention January of 2026!

Ben Rugg

Words can't express how wonderful this storytelling has been. Every aspect of it from the improv to the sound design. You've all made one of my favorite things in the world 💜

Carrie Mook Bridgman

This was even better than I had hoped. The character work! The way Suvi mirrors Steel, the way Eursulon mirrors Sir Curran, the way Ame is combining Be Kind with Be Cunning. Fantastic. My one teeny complaint is that Lou needed to give them more than three days in the Burrow.

Leo Burn'd

Standing Ovation! God, I really feel we got some closure, and everything is nice and cleaned up as we close the lid on book one. Truly, deeply, thank you everyone! Excited for what's next, and also I'm probably gonna relisten to the whole thing before book 2 starts.

else

Will Gallows stepping out of the darkness to chat with Nif had me hooting and hollering on my porch, god i love these characters

else

imagine, if you will: you’re a villager in Toma. you’ve known the young apprentice witch up the road all your life, she’s odd but kind and always helpful. a battalion comes marching through town, declaring that this harmless gem of a human being is a traitor to the empire and they’re gonna go burn her hut to the ground. night comes early. when morning comes, the battalion is gone. they didn’t come marching back through town, they’re just… gone. but the hut is still standing.

Ro Lara

My only wish is that this was 8hours long 😭 What a beautiful story

K80

How much money do we need to give to Dropout to make this an animated series?

Joshua Cooper

Just a small town girl Witching in a lonely world. She took a midnight train going anywhere

Beanz

I'm sorry I ever doubted Brennan's fox. I feel like a right ass.

Noah

The greatest story I’ve ever heard, read or watched. Inspiring to my core. 10/10 Would show my kids. Revolutionary, generational. I am grateful for u making this. I will hibernate until book 2 now.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

I put on the last 5 minutes of Ep 53 to go into ep 54 and it ...just went. No intro, no nothing. I was thinking, "Did I miss something at the end of 53? No? Oh, we're going!"

Kat

No, but my silly heart hopes for some dumb record keeping thing that might be able to reveal it. T_T

Kit

The coven music always makes me go absolutely feral (compliment)

Kit

Yep I keep having this thought during the firesides!

Kit

SCRUB MOMMY

Audrey

All I can feel is gratitude for these amazing storytellers & the gift of this beautiful world and its characters. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart! To a brighter tomorrow!! ☀️

Invisible Wonders

Loved this break down!! Super well written. re: Sonder - After reading all this, I almost feel like Steel is so self-important that she thinks of Sonder like a pet (a la Omni-Man if you've seen Invincible). He's somewhat valuable as a companion, but not important enough to even fuss over so long as he stays in line. Same thing with her kids. They're FINE, just not worth her attention really. Suvi probably didn't even need modify memory because her whole life was dedicated to becoming the person Steel wanted her to be and stepping outside of that, she'd probably admonish herself for failing. Steel probably didn't need to do too much heavy lifting. (At least speaking from my own experience growing up under intense pressure)

Michael Redd

I don't think I've every had a actual play make me feel this invested. U guys absolutely killed it

Invisible Wonders

SPOILERS . . . . . From the the last fireside chat, Brennan said inviting the Fox was a huge decision for Suvi. Is it because him being there gave Ame the chance to counter? Maybe if he wasn't in there Steel would have killed him right away?

Neil Reynolds

Such deeply satisfying, aspirational storytelling. 💛

worldsbeyondnumber

We are not affiliated with the lovely institution of Dropout.tv but you can send donations directly to Taylor and he'll learn how to draw really fast.

K80

Done, I think we can do that haha

David Giannetti

I think because Aabria didn’t role a high enough persuasion to keep Steel from casting (if even possible). While the confrontation between Steel and Suivi was so intense there would have been some sort of loss/repercussions (magical items broken or memories destroyed.) The plot would have unfolded way differently if either spell landed. Also drastically changing how the story plays out, especially in Book Two.

Camille Alexander

omgggggg those after credit sceeeennnnnnessssss also, question for the Horner Corner. We ship our growly boys and growly girls, right? right??? Gramore and Eioghorain??? I ship it. Heinrul too! ship name, grabbin'eioghor-heinie?

Witch of the widening horizons

Wow! 😮 there do not exist enough superlatives with which to praise this incredible story even adequately. Thank you. I could barely breathe for the first encounter. And those Nat 20s!!!!! (So overwhelmed I’ve started a sentence with a preposition) simply astounding. I’m crying. Thank you 🥰

Seamstrix

Came back to say that after listening to the radio today I am shocked that Taylor Moore did not put “The Reason” by Hoobastank as the finale closer.

worldsbeyondnumber

I have a whole playlist of songs I wanted to put at the end. If I had infinite money and no one could stop me. -t

worldsbeyondnumber

The only problem with a podcast is that I can’t cut to black right when the guitars kick in on Money for Nothing.

Alyssa

I can’t pick a favorite! But C’Mon N’ Ride It (The Train) and Funkytown have me fucking DECEASED 😂 Probably because either of them could also be used as Horner Corner/Bag It or Tag It

Daveyzones

Taylor out here making the hair on my arms stand straight up! Bravo to everyone! A timeless classic!

Daveyzones

Ugh I know that feeling (about money for nothing) sooo well! That playlist is straight gas my dude!

Manifesting Good Posture

The time has come for THE FANS to influence Umora by writing GREAT FAN FICTION that CENTERS some UNDERDISCUSSED DETAILS or making SHIPS that are SO CORRECT that the WBN team would be CRUEL to stand in their WAY

Adarsh Nednur

@Sean I think it's possible to simultaneously recognize that: 1) It's a tragedy that someone's life has brought them to a place where they believe cruelty is morally just. 2) At the end of the day, we all have less control than we think we do over the person we become. 3) In an ideal world, we would have the time and space to give a twisted person the kindness and connection they need to heal. 4) In the current moment, we don't have that luxury, which is its own tragedy.

Rae Millard

Not about the podcast itself but I’m listening to “oh the places you’ll go” by i fight dragons and… i’m SOBBINGGGGG thinking about the trio watching each other grow. Thinking of suvie watching the greatness in ame and ursulon. Thinking of suvie mourning thinking what kind of a mother she could have had if it wasn’t for steel’s cruel justice. I just wanted to show the song to aabria tbh 😭❤️

Adarsh Nednur

This is it, it's time for my fic about the Wizard Sly and that one woman who committed treason to sleep with her boyfriend on the warfront /j

Moosemade

I scared the crap out of my cats by clapping too loud at the last (non-post credits) scene. I'm so happy our boy didn't get ate.

Jonathan Rose

Ahhhhhhhhhhh. And also whaaaaaaaaaaa. What a ride this has been. Truly some of the best story telling I've seen in a long time.

Katie Lemelin

Wow! What a chapter! It also included one of the biggest risks to mutiple character's as a whole. I'm still processing everything, but really loved it. The little scenes checking up on characters we haven't seen in a while were great. Some questions I still have: 1)Can people really do heinous things to witches, but roll well and have no consequences?! I thought that was one of the main pillars of the class. 2)Can we get a breakdown of all the stuff Steel was up to? The curse and motivations aren't totally clear to me. Working from cult mentality, the people who actually buy in aren't usually at the top for that exact reason. Does she actually believe she did the right thing or is she trying to believe she did the right thing to be the monster she is? Just initial thoughts

Genevra Brown

Dear gods I am *WRECKED* and absolutely rabid for the next chapter!! Can't wait to hear the Fireside Chat for this one!! WELL DONE EVERYBODY. <3

Dominic Corbin

I have loved this story, and felt many emotions, but I don't often cry over fiction. Kalliah's choice to return to spirit hit hard, and I cried for her, Eursuelon, and her husband. Truly, wonderful storytelling from all of you.

Ryan

Thank you all so much for this story. You share with us!!!

The Wizard Seraphim

HOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCKHOLYFUCK. I'm restarting the series immediately, thank you for giving me the most emotionally invested experience of many years of my life 💜💜💜💜💜💜

The Wizard Seraphim

That last nat 20 from Ursulon had me CONVULSING at a public bar. I am not ok.

Arsymective

Horner Corner check that Nif gets her immediate first crush

Arsymective

We gotta redo the Horner Corner segment to take his glamor into account!!

Arsymective

Yeah I was not thrilled to see our little ink boys hanging with him

Arsymective

To give us such detail about the Cupboards and Steel being unable to drink the Slumber... and then follow it with how she became best friends with Stone, and why she has to save her by killing her... it broke my heart. Her question to Suvi: "why didn't it change me?" sounded so scared and bitter. I've loved and worried for Steel from the moment she was introduced. Brennan, choosing the outwardly monstrous guy as the bad guy??? Nah. Too obvious. Too surface. And then he worked so hard to lull those certainties back to sleep, only to gleefully dump a bucket of cold water on me when it all came crashing down. She thinks Soft and Stone went mad? How did she hide this level of mania while working at such a high level for so long? Did having a Suvi to turn into a "better" version of her friend really quiet it that much? I'm so interested to see what the ramifications are for Steel, without Suvi around to let her pretend that everything is proceeding according to plan. Does she unravel? Does she double down? Did Suvi just doom one of Steel's own children? (God think of Steel having children and remembering every moment of the trauma of her childhood bc she couldn't be soothed) Anyway, I could write a dissertation on this character. How dare you all. And thank you.

Rebekah

👀👀👀

Rebekah

I think Jan 2026 is when Space Story begins…

Matt Kilsby

That’s the impression I got, which then leaves a mysterious 4-5 month gap with no main campaign. Excited for them to share a schedule 😁

Jan Michael Meller

I didn't understand the gift part :( I need to rehear the whole thing

Jan Michael Meller

This is the first podcast I've listened to. It was an amazing story. And while there are other amazing creators out there I am sure. I doubt any that come after will be able to compare. I've really started with the best of the best.

Andy Smith

Genre defining storytelling 🩵❤️💚 A novelisation I beg! 🙏🏼 Do I need to start a Kickstarter? cos I will

Sea Moose

I believe it was Ame not hitting the DC on her arrival to the apartment, she HAD to use her turn through the Fox and was able to hit Steel with a counterspell. Also the Fox being in Suvi’s arms meant Steel couldn’t “deal with” the Fox without alerting Ame or Suvi to her presence and totally changing how the first part of their interaction goes.

nandrusin

Steel is lactose intolerant confirmed??

Whims Wandering Worlds Words

She stole the doorknobs, keys and apprentice. Heccea came by in the garden and said icie was pissed and needed the knobs back or a gift equal or greater in return

Ellis

Isn't it beautifully devastating?

Seamstrix

if I catch a whiff of “The Chain” when we meet Tefmet again I won’t say anything I promise.

Laura White

Im only 30 minutes in but the music has popped OFF in this one id be in tears if i was crier

Michael Landes

Don't think I can eclipse any of the excellent accurate comments here, but - the hint of pipes at the arrival of The Great Bear in his glamour... I sense there's a bit of Irish folklore in that character, and I suspect Brennan loves him quite a lot. Can't wait to see him show Grimmore (sp?) what a real predator looks like.

Witch of the Well Stocked Snack Cabinet

I have never once before now felt the urge to read fanfiction for anything. I might actually be tempted to do so for this world. It's just so hard to leave it!

Witch of the Well Stocked Snack Cabinet

I screamed so loud and so high pitched and so *involuntarily* that I scared MYSELF. I was so startled by my own unexpected mouth sounds that I thought someone was jumping out at me in my empty house 🫠💀

Witch of the Well Stocked Snack Cabinet

I also just did a relisten and holy shit - the way the music starts to swell just a tiny beat before the Nat 20 is announced? I died. So perfection

Muadwho

Does the train station have a gift shop?!?

Agnatha2

I mean so many things to talk about but TAYLOR!!! The music when the door opens for Ghost and Flicker go into the cottage stopped my heart.

Brandon Carbaugh

Big if true. Huge vulnerability. The party literally already has a cottage with milk-producing livestock; the Citadel is fucked.

Brandon Carbaugh

I'd even just buy a print-on-demand book of show transcripts, just to have it on a shelf.

Brandon Carbaugh

You should definitely check out The Adventure Zone: Balance at some point. It's cited as a classic by most celeb-GM's for a reason. It starts a lot sillier and less immersive than WBN (because actual play was newer then, and everyone involved was playing D&D for the first time). But that also gives it a lot of joy of discovery. And by the end the production value goes crazy and it'll rip your guts out.

Tajavri

(Shakes money) You have my cash!

Tajavri

Fists up on celebration, tears in my eyes, parked in my car at home. <3

nk

In case Aabriya sees this, I'd like to say that the description of Steel's spell, as a narrow channel rushing with so much water pushing along a single trout carrying its intention, is so poetic and meaningful for me, for more reasons maybe than you'd want to read. (Plus, the next counterspell consists of a fox familiar biting the spellcaster's hand!) For some reason, being affected by your storytelling also makes me feel less alone and more determined in my own life. Like "Oh, other people are thinking about this stuff too." I don't often get that feeling. I think it's part of what it means to feel "seen". I am also looking forward to reading about everyone else's thoughts, especially how they've changed after looking at book 1 as a whole!

Thezoz

it took me like 2 months but i’m fiinally caught up as the first book has ended! WHAT A RIDE!!! everythiing here has been a feat of colossal engineering and spellwork. i am proud to bear witness. the only question i’ve had this whole time: what does self-care and grounding look like after deadlifting the entire universe? bc i have been drawing and colouring THE WHOLE TIME and i’ve only been screaming at a screen in my room!

Sarah Ruiz

or a graphic novel! to see it all in full color!

Alyssa Green

What an incredible finale!! I had to rewind so many moments just to replay them so I could hear it again because this ep was SO GOOD.

Nicknack

Holy shit that was incredible! Cannot wait to see what the future brings

Chris Kagamine

Can someone remind me who Obelfind is?

Mac

Send Me On My Way lmao especially after Bear and Bear Sr. team up

Matt Varney

What an epilogue!!! Looking forward to our new stories but I truly cannot wait to return to this one!

Matt Varney

He was the spirit in Pomeroy’s basement that Suvi and Urselon nearly fought over in Chapter 2

D Livingston McPherson

For the next fireside: in the Episode 46 fireside at the 46:22 mark Aabria connects the phrase "I have to trust someone" to a clean buttoning up in this episode. Now that we've seen the fallout with Steel please share more!

Joseph O'Toole

sob-worthy, grin-worthy, jaw-drop-worthy. my life is better for this story being in it. thank you all! excited for the shorter-duration stuff in autumn and winter too 🥰🥰🥰 oh, and deeply delighted by Brennan's solo epilogue scenes! O the breath and breadth of umora, and the joy of loose ends untied and yet laid neatly, unforgotten!

Joseph O'Toole

I think some details might be in the witch class writeup, but i think when ame did e.g. leaden shoes on that flesh monster there was no save - so maybe there is no save for temporary effects and a save for permanent, life-changing ones like that "you can't lie" nuke?

Joseph O'Toole

I believe it's during the children's adventure when suvi asks steel how she got her scars... 😭

Emma41420

I'm very interested to know (and apologies if this has already been asked), was the Spirits' jailbreak "We gotta Go"-scene a reference by both/either Brennan and Taylor&company through editing a reference to Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"? As in, 🐬 "So long, and thanks for all the fish." 🎶 (I'll include the full transcript in the replies! and maybe submit to the Q&A!)

Emma41420

Here is a short transcript of the narration excerpt as depicted in the 2005 film adaptation of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" 🌍👍📘🌌 : ' It's an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem. For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was the most intelligent species occupying the planet, instead of the third most intelligent. The second most intelligent creatures were of course, dolphins, who curiously enough had long known of the impending destruction of the planet Earth. They'd made many attempts to alert mankind to the danger but most of their communications were misinterpreted as amusing attempts to punch footballs or whistle for tidbits. So they eventually decided they would leave Earth by their own means. The last ever dolphin message was misinterpreted as a sophisticated attempt to do a backward somersault through a hoop, whistling The Star-Spangled Banner. In fact, the message was this: *ding* "So long, and thanks for all the fish." ' I also highly recommend viewing the accompanying musical number with dolphin choreography via YouTube 🤣🫶🐬🌈✨️.

Joe

I feel that. I made the decision to listen in my room this time, I’ve learnt my lesson….

Katie Lemelin

Fully understand the no lying having a reasonable save, but it just seems like there should be SOME kind of effect no matter what. I would settle for anything that leaves a permanent mark.

Kam

I stood in my shower gleefully laughing at that last nat 20. The joy I felt was unmatched by any other piece of media. It was stellar

Phoenix Vizva’i

lol kinda exactly what you did to composing though 😂

Auroracorealis

I CRIED MANY TIMES THANK YOU FOR THIS STORY IT'S BEAUTIFUL 💜😭💜😭💜😭💜

Nova Fox

This was amazing. I had SO many goosebumps, tears, breath catching, whooping aloud! Lou though, this time, I am just floored by your whole exchange with the Great Bear. I adore this podcast. And am so sad to retire these characters for a time. I am, however, SO excited for what is to come! 🤩

Sask L

Thank you 🙏🧡🌊☀️ by the way, Suvi means summer in Estonian 😉

Ted Hewett

Thank you for telling the first part of this story so eloquently and beautifully. It’s been a privilege to listen to and has inspired me in more than just my d&d game. Thank you

The Witch of the Wandering Ways

So... Making fanart for suvi at the moment and trying to remember... Do we know what her arcane focus is by the end of the story?

Queen Motoko

I wonder if we’re all gonna fight over his human glamour. You heard that voice lol

Queen Motoko

I was working and screamed at a bin of potatoes lol

Queen Motoko

I’m tempted, never wrote fantiction. I had a Pathfinder based on frogs that could slot so easily in this campaign setting. Exploring the oddness of Twelvebrooks as it falls, finding meaning after the greatest of frogs falls. Finding your breath again~ It tickles me

Queen Motoko

Night comes early, I think Merara said the same thing

Queen Motoko

Unless Archmage Serenity chilled him out, he’s likely as cold as a stone slate

Queen Motoko

I don’t know that she has one. She assumed she needed it because of what her dad said- gesturing to his hand. I think she’s straight up composing spells with her fingers

Manifesting Good Posture

I think littered throughout the replies here is a similar sentiment to the one you're conveying: this campaign is introducing concepts that are so new and interesting that folks want to explore them beyond the bounds of what the story offers. And in my opinion that IS what fan fiction always has been. "New and interesting concepts" is a bar that often changes with age - not higher, not lower, but different - but this story introduces such a breadth of concepts that it's easy for anyone to latch onto it. And to be honest, I think this story DOES have some parallels to fan fiction, in the best possible sense - because this campaign is stretching over such long periods of time, the interesting minute unintentional details of the story - that would often just not get returned-to, and which are usually left to fan fiction writers to pick up and run with - the storytellers here have the time and space to examine them in the way a fan fiction writer might. And so the Center for Strategic and International Great Bear Studies think tank can influence new interpretations in the next few years with their fan fictions. We just need to post with all our hearts and believe!!!

Beanz

I've been focused on horror and sci fi for the past 5+ years as a coping mechanism for the horrors around and inside. I'm 38, and while playing d&d and Pathfinder give me a creative outlet in a fantasy setting, it's been 23 years since a fantasy plot gave me these messy feelings. Thank you, for bringing all the wonder and adventure invoked by "The Hobbit" back to me in a time when it is sorely needed. Thank you so much. 🖤

nk

BUT CONSIDER: Sponges, Corals and Co. Just stick to a rock and stick your arms out and let the currents bring food to you! Flawless predator.

nk

Name: Steel Intelligence: Big Strength: Yes Abilities: Unlimited Archetype: Villain Origin story: Lactose intolerance induced trauma

nk

That's literally what fan edits are for!

nk

Bone Cone idea #103: the team scrambles to make an animatic of some WBN scene with a time constraint. Maybe the result is played side by side with one of the many incredible painstakingly made fan animatics of that scene.

nk

Wait a sec, I think I saw a knights of the old republic animation about this! An apprentice realizes that she was taken away from her brother to be trained as a jedi, even though they both had the potential to be jedi, and in fact everyone does or something. And the big question is how do the jedi choose which children to take, and what all kinds of harm do they do in the name of their institution. or something.

nk

I feel like I understand Steel a little bit better. It's the path of less resistance to respond to hard, complicated things by letting go of them, ignoring footholds like *some* notion of truth or values to stand on. But I don't get what actually guides you when you abandon that. I guess whatever frameworks are placed around you, like the Citadel's training. If you're talented in a certain way, they can train you to be skilled in a certain way, and then tell you what to do with those skills, reward you for doing things they like, and punishing you for doing something else. But Steel is so far above that training now, what's giving them this single-minded goal to help the 25th Court with whatever it is they're doing? They hint that they do have a particular vision for what "comes after" this world. I wonder if this is something that makes Steel different from the archmagi. It can't be that every person making big decisions has no stable framework for what they're trying to make happen. Then again, the Citadel is quite young.

PriscillaG

I am buzzing with the dopamine and oxytocin thrumming through my body. Suvi's echolocation The Fox's bite Ame's grudge Eursalon calling the Great Bear to his banner Eursalon's smite "I introduce myself sword first" "I don't use the null clef. I sign my fucking work" Chilling with Kalaya and RoRo Coral Mage Morrow This is one of the few times this year I have felt so settled by a story. Finding comfort in your world and words has been so healing for me. There is magic in sharing joy and so I thank you all for sharing your talent with the world. I chilled in sub space for 12 hours after being narratively edged for 3 years. So worth it. Please excuse me while I continue my aftercare of savoring how delicious this story is.

Jenny

I’ve started listening to the whole book again. Episode 3 The Charter “I have to have a Task, I’m better with a Task” Suvi you don’t even know yet how much better you are with Task!!!

Erika Jones

I was listening on my headphones quietly painting and jumped up freaking out at that nat 20, scaring my husband and cats. What a satisfying conclusion.

Kam

Your elation was necessary

#KittyLearnsToCook

Oooh like a permanently forked tongue for being a snake in the grass 😂

Justken

I was sobbing!

#KittyLearnsToCook

I'll put my oar in for listening to NADDPOD! The first season has a lot of goofs but there are some truly beautiful and heartbreaking moments too

#KittyLearnsToCook

The Great Bear sounds like the Dagda with that big ol' club

De B

Is anyone else wondering if Nif will find her way back to the cottage and meet up with the gang by the time book 2 starts

rosa bronks

I did a full crunch knees up to shoulders lying on my couch. Just pull bugging with a whoop of joy.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

Ame needs to stay put for awhile, for Nief and for Ghost. Brennan mentioned at the very beginning that there's a reason witches are usually NPCs rather than adventurers, which is that a witch is based in community. I know our story has really only taken a few months in-game, but Ame needs time to be the witch of Toma and to be present and nurturing for her two strays. For that matter, our three PCs are still around 20, and the past few months have been plenty traumatic for them as well. They all need a home and some stable, loving adults. I wish Kalaya could have filled that need for longer than three days.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

Has she memory modified Suvi frequently? It's possible, but we haven't seen that. She hasn't needed to.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

Brennan had to know where those scars came from already, because Steel has never, ever given Suvi a real explanation for them.

Kate Fisher

It's interesting to think about Steel's choice of husband. When he was first introduced I thought she was just with him because she didn't want someone to challenge her and get in her way. Now I think he is probably the only personality type that can challenge her - mellow, kind and without agenda. Maybe at some points in her life she has tryed to be more human?

Carrie Mook Bridgman

He's famous for that. He often reacts to high rolls as if they were low, and occasionally vice versa.

David Stavis

From a few different occasions of it being discussed in-game, I got the impression that Aabria believes Suvi has been memory modified many many times before the instances of Geas + modify that we saw in-game. I recall Aabria narrating that Suvi found tracks while examining herself that implied evidence of an indeterminate (but high) number of modifications. Steel's dialogue in recent episodes seems to have supported that conclusion. If anyone has clear evidence of the same or different conclusion (like episode numbers, timestamps, transcript excerpts) would love to see 'em!

Carrie Mook Bridgman

They said something about other doors being ajar. I really doubt Brennan would let the Spirit of Freedom leave the Carnissary without letting him know if there were other spirits that needed freeing.

David Stavis

I think the part that confuses me a bit is why Steel, who is evidently obsessed with her reputation and glory enough to murder Soft and all the other shit she did, would be married to a nobody like Sonder. It seems like she would see a husband like Sonder as an intolerable hit to her image within the citadel. He may not be "guild mage trash", but he's certainly no trophy husband.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

What a welcome to the world for your little wizard. May he know the beauty of growing up and changing. May he know the magic that is free.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

This. I am not the only one to have said, "How is each episode the best yet?!?" EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

Several wrapup firesides (I hope) and an Erika murder mystery. And other surprises.

Carrie Mook Bridgman

I was walking circles in my house, living room to kitchen to hall and back, because it was too hot to walk outside but I *could not* sit still. Talk about getting my steps in!

RachelCrane

Wrote that starting Suvi/Steel scene out to learn so I could play Steel - just for practice - started rehearsing, immediately started weeping. That woman is fierce and the things she reveals in that scene is so twisted and painful. Idk how these kids say it in the moment, on the fly, but holy moly are they skilled and talented. Brilliant as always, thank you WBN, ttfn. X

Queen Motoko

From the Scepter’s Chorus, to the Choral Coral

Beanz

What do you do when you finish a story? Restart it. Taylor, your voice is so obviously not Brennan's and I don't understand how I made that mistake. 🤦‍♀️

Kaylub Clark

For Brennan: Can you confirm if the Starstruck Universe from the comic your mom made is one of the World's Beyond Number...such as; could a high enough level Wizard Sky travel magically to another world to become the chief magical officer of a flying hotdog?

Wizard Shenanigans

This has been the most amazing storytelling I have ever had the joy of experiencing! My deepest heartfelt thanks to Brennan, Aabria, Erika, Lou and Taylor! ❤️

Beanz

Thank you for not ending Book 1 on some surprise tragedy for our adventurers. No one needs a tragic cliffhanger to bring an audience back when resolving your plot is compelling enough.

Adam

Love Sword Mommy Steel!!

Hema

The score for this episode was phenomenal!!! I wish we could nominate y’all for more awards because the attention to detail for every single moment was beautiful!!!

mguin

No spoilers but this is Return of the King-esque, I need to sit & process for a few hours/days/months

annemjw

Thank you so much for telling this Book’s story, it’s been incredible and I look forward to the day we can return to WWW after adventures in space and maybe elsewhere! You are just amazing, I don’t even have words right now ❤️

Rebecca Barker

The profound truth of what you wrote here is really hitting me. Feeling some feels for the 20 year olds <3

Kaylub Clark

Could be. I also like the idea of Ame meeting the Junk mother and dubbing her the Witch of Waste and Wrought.

Castermane

When I tell you I SCREAMED in my car at the final Nat 20 oh my god. As always, Brennan, Lou, Aabria, Erica and Taylor. Your commitment to telling a phenomenal story cannot be thanked enough and so excited for the next campaign but also for the next chapter of WW&W whenever that my be. To a brighter tomorrow 💫

Tony C

Just finished a re-listen of the children’s adventure and I want Steel dead.

Devon

Listening to the first episode again when Steel gives Suvi the book, and saying all these sweet things about Soft and Stone not being here to witness Suvi’s growth is making me absolutely CRAZY after all we have come to learn. Like that early on Brennan was cooking up a sinister story with the sweet and unassuming music in the background, carrying us along. The narcissism of it all!!!

Abacus

Now that Book 1 is over can we PLEASE get a semi-formal world map?? I’m going crazy trying to figure out where everything is in Brennan’s brain when he’s had a world map since Day 1

Ellis

THIS

Alyssa

I have been channeling my love for this story in a similar way to Erika’s love for Middle Earth…but instead of learning a language, I’m relearning how to sew to make cosplay for the Wizard, the witch, and the wild one! 🧵🪡

Alyssa

My first cosplay outside of Halloween costumes!

Sean Britcher

Now I'm wondering how Constructs/Bots would interact with Spirit. Like the spells that animate Constructs like Flicker are related to Spirit, but how would a crystal consciousness interface/interact wirh Spirit.

Beanz

Can we get a separate post where we react to things now that we've finished the series? Like how it's *Aabria's* fault that Eursalon didn't make it home because she gave the final vote that they don't take floor dice and that Nat 20 just got left. 🤔

Larkin

wow, what a pleasure this has been to experience. thank you for all that you put into it. really looking forward to the next book. ursulon-- it might be good to think about getting rid of that knife at some point tho. knives don't belong in hearts.

John Liang

GREAT cliffhanger. I know y'all will be in space for the next campaign (GM'd by the INCOMPARABLE Aabria) but CANNOT WAIT for y'all to come back to this particular world. :-)

Mitchellatron

That cliffhanger!! Joined this Fireside (insert Brennan fireside plug here) at the perfect time and was able to hit the finale premiere week after blasting through this for the past 1.5 months and making it my entire life!! Can’t wait for what’s next!!!

Catloaf

Relistening to EP 001, I think one of the secrets Grandmother Wren wanted Ame to tell Suvi was about Steel killing her parents. But now I'm wondering what the other secrets were she wanted Suvi to know. Also wondering why it was important to Grandmother Wren that Suvi witness her naming Ame her granddaughter and giving her the cottage.

Lorsnax

Repotting plants, wiping my eyes with soily forearms.

Lorsnax

Popping in to say Yes! Same!

Felix

iirc, sonder is not steel's first husband?

Lucas

Thank you for everything! And the after scene was wonderful! Incredible work and audio mixing. This is part of my personality and the greatest media I’ve ever witness, never been happier to be alive in 2025

Dukinator

so thankful for y'all. Incredible work

Jo Goforth

Anyone else out here like Steel was Completely, and Totally, and Unrequitedly in love with Stone?

Jeremy Bales

Okay but where does Taylor find the sounds and music for everything????? The chanting while Eursulon is killing the guild mages is giving me CHILLS

Beau R.

my friend just got to episode 21 and i cant wait for her to get here so i can gush with an irl friend about this show

Urte

That’s my favorite one.

Abigail Beers

Loved loved this ep.!!!!! Also wanted to say that I listened to it on PocketCasts and it's missing about a minute at the end 😩 I was able to finish the ep elsewhere but just thought I'd mention it in case there's any way to fix it or if it's just an issue with the app. Thanks!

The Wizard Subjudice

Please never ruin the peak, one may say "S-level" villain that you've created in Steele with a redemption arc. Please run her into the fkn shards of the Tower when it is shattered. Take ALL her kids from her and make them safe. Antitheses to what she is. To quote Eioghorain "I want them dead. I want them all dead," and inspired by that speech, I want the Archmagi and the Guildmages. I want the "middle management" who are blissfully ignorant of what's actually happening dead. I want the nobles in the Capital who never had to attend, but proudly display those pathetic little trophies that people better than them clean, dead.

worldsbeyondnumber

Taylor writes the music, and as for sound effects he and Jared have a huge library of sound effects and sometimes they record new ones themselves.

Jo Goforth

Irredeemable and gay, she can do both lol

The Pompous Peasant

wait! What was teh sea glas teleporir doing n that place y was it their?

Samantha Goose

THANK YOU I was wondering about this, but figured he had something to do with the Collection given that whole interaction. Fascinating that he’s sitting in for the Man in Black… I wonder what their connection is 👀

Samantha Goose

RIGHT. OH I wanted fanfic of the two of them as soon as I heard that. The possibilities.

oToastTv

Whoa calm down Man in Black.

Queen Motoko

Ersulon/Ame nicked it off of Keen. They gave it to Suvi. Slate couldn’t confiscate it because Enzo tagged it with nondetection. It’s remarkable that she still had it

Queen Motoko

I read this in his voice lol

Queen Motoko

You should relisten to “Prisoner’s Dilemma” because it’s so much darker now that we all know what’s up

Queen Motoko

I’m fairly sure she had kids with someone else beforehand

Devon

this is when they are arrested after returning from beyond the wall in port talon yea? Steel used the telemet for the first time? Holy shit I wonder what else she saw that we did not know about

Queen Motoko

Steel reminds me so much of a Solar construct, but not a good aligned one. Like a lawful neutral, arcane Solar. She certainly glows like one now

Val

does anyone know what episode we learn about oblfind? i completely missed that plot point 😭

PriscillaG

Feeling full of snakes.... Steel pulled from the aerith (erith?) to do that first dispel and shortly after that the Kasov Collection explodes; it would be so funny to me if Steel is blamed for that and shunned from the Citadel and the Empire already having a tense relationship with her let's it happen. Ooh. She'd be so angy.

The Wizard Subjudice

Will I use work resources to print said map as an A1? You better believe it

Sean Britcher

I think that Oblfind was the demon/gargoyle that Eursolon spoke to in the basement of the Kassov Collection.

Adarsh Nednur

I believe it's "Kith and Kin" or thereabouts

Queen Motoko

So many lies in that episode, it all hits so different

Aussie Griffin

Now THAT'S how you wrap up a book! >_< A.G.

blue

i want to show my appreciation but i'm also speechless!!

blue

death is too good for her

blue

also when Silver dies Suvi walked out of the tower "with her effects" so whatever isn't tiny is definitely in a bag or on her person in some way

Astral_doe

Look I know part of this is on my but you guys gotta stop making me cry at work I don't know how to explain this to my coworkers

Fxd Gear Queer

I read it that way that the sand in her hands substitutes for a focus

Andrea Rane

At 8:18 - *cries in ex-mormon* But also. I LOVE THIS STORY SO MUCH!!!

Sean Britcher

Makes me think of the Inevitables from 3e(?).

Bimble

I joined the fireside 2 months ago and have binged the entirety of WWW and all the Fireside chats since then and just finished it a few days ago. Just wanted to add my voice to the chorus to say what an incredible, incredible work of art this is. This podcast is something so so special. I mean this as a compliment when I say it doesn't feel like a years-long campaign I was listening to, but rather something entirely coherent and whole and intentional, like a complete work rather than something told and improvised along the way. And that is down to the storytelling expertise on show from everyone involved: Brennan, Erika, Lou, Aabria, Taylor, Jared and everyone else helping in the background! This has also been a very inspiring game for my own games and storytelling and made me want to get back in the saddle of GMing and writing very much. Thank you for telling this story and playing this game and sharing it with the world, it was such a joy to experience. I fully intended to subscribe, listen to the whole thing, then unsubscribe when I was done, but I have to stick around now for whatever is coming next!

Doug

😲❤️ Just absolutely fucking epic guys. Very few things get an emotional response from me…this most certainly does 🙌