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Tradwife Sonder is giving airport. She's giving La Valise. She's giving being reset to factory settings. She's shouting. She's chanting. They are all chanting: hooks HOOKS H O O K S

For those keeping score all the stuff coming up includes (but is not limited to):

Erika Ishii's HINT!

First time GM, Lou Wilson's Flight of the Icarion,

Aabria's first long form magnum opus: Title TBD, working codename SOLARI

Multiple interludes set in new locations within Umora,

a GIANT sized Arc4/Book1 talkback,

Sound Design and Music talkback with Taylor (me, hello!)

New Character Playlists (the Steel one is FANTASTIC)

AAAAAAAND Taylor (again, me, hello!) has begun work on our first album: The Wizard The Witch and the Wild One Original Sound Track! Which we're trying to release before the holidays. We'll have more info on that soon because we have a crazy ambitious idea for the album launch, and we will need all your help to make it happen. Standby. And in the meantime, GET YOUR EAR HOLES READY, cracklers. Get. Em. Ready ;)

Oh and attached to this post you'll find a giant HD Wav file of the finale, for you audio heads and nice-stero-owners out there. Why? Just cause we love ya, and haven't you earned nice things by now? The bass really sings in the HD version.

Art by @bigolebiscuits on X, the everything app. I hate throwing to twitter, but I have a moral duty to credit those bear buns. Also that account is super nsfw, as you might have guessed.

Comments

Old Meme

By jove what is that picture

TWSanto

Crackle, crackle. Why y'all do the great bear like that? That's 7 whole festishes in one pic.

The Wizard Seeker

I wake up hella early for work (I teach a zero period at a high school) and I’ve never been happier to check my phone in the morning!

Thimo The Fool

I am so excited to hear your thoughts on the finale!

Chanelle-Lize

Oh, hell yeah! On the other hand, why.

Bethany Zaiatz

Oh, this dropped JUST in time*! (*after I have been listening to a song that gives me post book 1 Suvi feels on repeat for the last half hour.)

footerh

This bear is Gramore's side piece isn't it

JUST anxious

That picture is nothing less than cursed and I love it.

Jack Jones

I'm in public on the train and I scrolled down and the guy next to me on the train saw the image at the same time and looked at me.. Oh my god hahahahah

Hannah Harris

I've been waiting for this one yessss

WWMSudoku

Ahoo hoo Put the album out on a bandcamp Friday so I can send you 5-8 more dollars

THEY Agenda Productions

Best thing is when Aabria said "I'm glad I made her white" 😂😂😂😂😂😂☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ The most relatable content

Cody Zimmer

My excitement, followed by horror at... images, and followed by the thrill of the upcoming content.

Rebecca Chapin

Oh, I was hoping it would be Clue!!!!

CoolioAsh

Wait "new" character playlists???? Are there others?????

Aiden Abett

Brennan describing Steel as his villainous Anima makes me nostalgic for Strong Female Protagonist 💗

The Wizard Subjudice

WHY DOES THIS HAVE TO COME OUT WHEN I HAVE TO BE AWAKE IN 7HRS 😭 so keen for my Wed morning listen. I couldn't be more excited for the soundtrack, holy shit.

Cody Zimmer

When Aabria laid down the law "No, today is for the finale" THANK YOU, I am seen. I want to hear all about the future, but I've been dying to hear about the end of this book for the last week and 11 minutes 😆

Aubrey

thinking about Hozier’s I Carrion (Icarian) for Lou’s campaign name!

Jason

I want a novelization of the first book - utilize the dialogue and descriptions and translate it to page

Molly Hebert-Wilson

As someone who hadn’t heard the word Icarian said out loud until fairly recently, may I suggest the pronunciation used in the Hozier song I, Carrion (Icarian)…But also Just the Moon also is awesome! Can’t wait for all of it! P.S. the pronunciation in the song took so long for me to understand because no one says the name as “Ike-arus” but it sounds cool so why not?

ChosenOfAeterna

If Steel gets a playlist, she needs to have “This is the Thanks I Get” from the movie Wish 😂

Zack Simcoe

Listening on my walk to work, & the man in front of me is wearing a Sedona, Arizona shirt. I will take this as a sign!

RuviGaPo

Steel is So Good actually, to the point i have a hard time saying out loud that she's evil myself bc i still like her, but i'm Glad brennan said it bc otherwise it'd be Such a disservice to her and the story i think. I'll work my way up to it dw.

Joseph O'Toole

Listening to Brennan's first description of what Steel means to him, I can't stress enough how deeply the "spell" worked on me. I've never felt so deeply, cathartically wounded by a character, what they do, and how they do it. Not in the "owie, how dare you Mr DM way" - I've never been compelled to feel so deeply about a story and my world together before. Everything Steel expresses to make sense of what she does feels truer to life than so of life. She is the reality of so much of what is wrong with our world, concentrated. She is a distillation of Earth fascism. She is its internal logic, its illusions of nuance, its haunting clarity, its humanity. Because fascism is a creation of people - people who abandon the truth, love, and humility that Steel has abandoned, and continue to be people. People fall for fascism, with incomplete information, all the time. Here, the incompleteness was a narrative device and therefore MANY of us liked Steel - believed or hoped that she was a covert kind of hero, if a flawed one. "A great villain" doesn't even begin to cover it. Villains are often thought of as existing to have a downfall but - to my mind - Steel doesn't have to lose to be a hugely valuable, illuminating work of art. May the dice tell us if we're witnessing a cautionary tale or an epic catharsis. Thank you to all the cast and Taylor, but (in this case) to Brennan most of all. 💞

daemoninwhite

As someone currently four years into a SW5E campaign, I'm very excited to see how these guys mess W the system!

daemoninwhite

I believe there are canon playlists for the main three? Defs Suvi at the very least. They're on Spotify

RuviGaPo

I'm already crying listening to suvi's playlist on repeat i will Absolutely cry listening to soft and stone's playlists actually im about to be in Absolute shambles

Shey

I need a shirt that says “Moral nuance means that there are some freaks”

Udoka

A lot of people in the imperial core (UK, US, the Eurozone etc) imagine evil as something done by institutions going rogue (i.e. a particularly racist CIA director, bad billionaire, orange man) as opposed to an entire logic of imperialism and exploitation that undergirds even the most banal pleasures in empire. The effortless efficiency of caffeinated treats, same day delivery, 20p bananas and electric cars couldn't exist without the violence done to people and biosphere in the Global South. Steel embodies this perfectly. The Candle Street bakery is no less reliant on her work than the Emperor.

Charisma Teeth

Thank you, thank you, thank you for this epic story! I can't even tell you how precious this story has been to me. We all SENSED something about Steel, the way Ame and Eursalon just HAD to defy her. The way Grandmother Ren hesitated before allowing Suvi to leave. We knew, but we hoped we were wrong.😧

Lazarus0024

I can't wait for the prelude for this campaign to be: "Suvi's mom didn't die, she actually found a spaceship and Took Off"

Quinn Press

This story made me stim the fuck out, laugh out loud, and cry on my cat. Thank you very much❤️

Cody Zimmer

I HAVE to know the answer to this. Brennan, what if the Counterspell to keep Suvi from having her memory/mind destroyed hadn't worked??? How would your heart have handled that??? I was SO scared during that moment.

Sean Case

Wait, wait, wait - we’re “cracklers”?? That’s the biggest reveal of all haha. Dang it feels good to be by the fireside

Abacus

Just incredible. Cried again listening to Lou talk about this episode

danielle

Knowing we get caked up human glamour Great Bear in Book 2… everybody say THANK YOU, LOU’S DICE!!!! Top 3 greatest crits in WBN thus far imo

Jayfeather

How. H—what? How. what? i feel like that one bdg skit. who’s idea was that picture. Taylor was it you? i’m gonna find you taylor.

Rachel Ann Weiss

As a white woman… I wholeheartedly agree. Literally guffawed in the line at the coffee shop when I heard Aabria drop that comment ❤️‍🔥

Emily C

to the great bear i say great googly moogly

RuviGaPo

OH MY GOSH YES !!! BOOK ONE SOUND TRACK !!! Y A S !!!!!

Cody Zimmer

Wait. Wait. I have to say this: You can hold individuals accountable for their decisions inside of a system while also holding the system accountable for the conditions that create the negative outcomes of people more often. In fact, if you don't, you'll miss out on holding the architects of such systems accountable.

C. A. Whyse

Thanks for stopping by, Lou! We'll see you on the next first. For real, though, I'm sad we couldn't talk about the end scenes. As far as favorites, I'm torn between Indri's pouting and the deus ex machina that save Yoren (I don't know how to spell his name and I'm not gonna look it up rn) What was everyone's favorite after credits scene?

tre blessing

In high school my friend invented Killer Clue. You use the board and the character pieces, and paper and pencil. No stats but everyone has 20hp and an inventory. It's a battle royale, one player GM'ing, and you narrate yourself going around the house collecting items with which to attack each other/heal yourself and also building booby traps. Some stuff is free, like finding a knife in the kitchen, other stuff you might have to roll for, like finding a loaded gun in a desk drawer. If you want to build a bomb, you'd better actually as the player know the recipe. Aaaand GO you're welcome.

VforVenlee

I hope we get a full album of Taylor music

Archon of Commoragh

For sure. I Would love to have the song playing when the children of the great bear dance around him.

RuviGaPo

I'm having So many feelings about Eursulon ??? !!!!!!!! Change is so important it's !!! So Hopeful!!!!! And AAAA !!! !!!!!!!! (also that image is cursed and i will not thank you for That part, Thank you for everything Else tho).

James

Thinking about how the players decided both Eursulon's and Suvi's inspirational figures (Curran, Steel) look like Brennan. Obviously, there's the read of it being a tribute to the DM, a commentary on how that role impacts the player's choices. But also stepping back to look at it from an overall story perspective, I think there's a fascinating analysis to be had about the two red-headed knights who -thought they were serving a good and honorable cause, -only to find out that Thing they were serving was corrupt -how they each chose to view that Thing ("My father was wrong," "the Citadel IS correct, actually") -the way they are forced (or in Steel's case, "forced") to turn on the child they inspired -the way that Eursulon and Suvi carry the legacies of these characters -and how red in general has been a recurring motif of childhood, nostalgia, and legacy There's so much to chew on!!!

Pyrohydriscence

Man I keep meaning to ask about your guys experience with the Last Unicorn (if you haven't seen it, it's an absolute work of art) because I keep hearing lines from it when talking about the spirits.

Devon

Question / another story time clean up possibly? When did the curse get put on Wren and Ame? In episode 1 there is a call back to seeing a similar curse on Wren in the children’s adventure where smoke comes off of her when she returns from a trip/mission, that I think is her returning from the grove of the well. But in the second to last episode it was revealed that the curse was put on her by Steel via the book that Suvi delivers to them. Or did Steel put a different curse on them and the smoke was something else entirely?

Brian Schoner

Loved hearing that Erika and Aabria hang out in the parking lot after camp and debrief the day's events. This is a time-honored phenomenon among my gaming group (and, I think, most/all other gaming groups) - we've even given it its own name, "Porch Lag."

Erin

HOOOOKS

Queen Motoko

I feel like if Ersulon died, that feast at the end would be happening with Naraam in the spirit. He’d have a different hard choice to make, but I feel like he’d still be on that automobile at the end

Alicia

Not to be overly dramatic, but this finale changed the way I think about storytelling. I am so incredibly excited to bring some of the new idea this has ignited for me to my own table.

Evil Anagram

Just a phenomenal piece of work by phenomenal artists. The trust that had to go into this, letting story moments like Soft and Stone's first kiss pass by in the Library of Stars because you knew your partners were going to bring the story where it needed to go in their own way, it's incredible. I'm in awe of all four of you, and I'm so happy to have found this podcast.

Shreyas Joshi

The smoke was just a sign of A curse not the same curse I think

Ben Updegraft

“Smell the sweet honey of the purpose you are called to” holy SHIT that makes me want to fight.

Erin Morse

When Aabria talks about wanting to earn getting to the soft/stone philosophy it reminded me of the saying “earn your turn” often used in skiing - but I’m seeing how it applies to rpg’s too!

Shreyas Joshi

This was a beautiful wrap up of the episode, the thematic and the characterizations of all the characters were off the charts. And that picture truly jumpscared me when I opened Patreon.

Ryan

Thank You!!!

Tristan Louet

I am beyond excited to get a soundtrack album!! What a masterpiece WWW is, well done to all of you, and thank you! 😌

Erik Hanson

I honestly could see Lou Wilson running a one-shot called "The Flight of the Ick Carry-On," in which members of the Rebellion had to navigate traveling through an Imperial commercial flight.

One Punch Max

World's beyond Number and Dropout are keeping me sane and hopeful for the future.

Josiah Latimer

I think Brennan’s brought it up at least once in another talkback

Witch of the Warren of Words

So my husband Sworn has *a* chance of survival? Thank you Aabria and Brennan, for giving me hope

Tara

A hoo hoo! 🔥

worldsbeyondnumber

We’ll be discussing the epilogue in the Arc4/Book1 talkback! Do not be sad!

worldsbeyondnumber

Please do not reveal to the world what an unsophisticated hack I am. -t

Josh Grey

I don’t know what you need to make the soundtrack launch happen, but I promise you that I will do ANYTHING for it. A N Y T H I N G.

Bizarre Little Star

I'll be honest it bothers me whenever Aabria calls Steele cool especially when Brennen is describing how Steele is exactly like the far right talking heads today who ignore truths because they are in service to a goal and truths and falsehoods mean nothing to them. That's not cool that's evil. Edit for clarity: I bristle at a fascist being called cool regardless of context. It is not wrong of Aabria or anyone to find Steele cool as a character, that is just not the word I would choose to describe a dimensional villain like Steele and it makes me uncomfortable to hear it.

Yaseen abdul-malik

Good story telling is rare and precious. I look forward to being a part of the culture that will be built around these three and their worlds beyond number

Marshall Brown

I'm not clear why everyone was making such a big deal about this week's rotating guest, Lew Wylsun.

Kaiden O'Dell

I am, in fact, dying for Nacho Sins

Matty Z Naps

I will take on the music theory video essay challenge 🫡 it will be done… sometime before Book 2, probably

Avaria

Fox, too!

Lynn Nette

The great bear saw the mushroom Ersulon found and sezied for himself, smelled the delicious smell and though: "Ima gonna get me some of that..."

C. A. Whyse

I know, but I'm an impatient junkie with too few ways to escape this world. I'll get over it! I have way more things to be excited about in the future, so I reluctantly accept your delayed gratification 😬

Just a Fox

What does Aabria say about the disjunction "would it have hit my ??? Kids???" I can't make it out

Tommy Deibel

I'm so happy to hear The Great Bear's got them callipygian assests.

Just a Fox

It's obviously in a "oh that's a cool character" kind of way. But also, yeah, it's meant to be uncomfortable that there are cool things/concepts related to Steel and that she's a horrible person and villain. It's also uncomfortable that every uniform Hugo Boss made for the Nazi's is hard to not agree is stylish af. The Citadel is objectively bad and also very cool as a concept. Both can be true.

Bizarre Little Star

Gotcha, idk I would say she's interesting as a character for sure and complex and relatable but I personally wouldn't use the world cool. Just a personal hangup and I know Aabria and Brennan are obviously staunchly against what Steele is about.

Joshua Allinson

I need Brennan to run blades in the dark more than I need to live

oToastTv

I need a soundtrack album stat. 😭🙌❤️

One Punch Max

The one thing I hope for Book 2 is that a little more time is passing. The fact that the entire story of book 1 happened over the course of a couple months does take me out of it ever so slightly. It's still basically perfect.

Justin

I couldn't afford the Patreon for a few months and I just got it back this morning. I legit cried a tiny bit hearing the fireside intro. Feels like home

Ben

opened this notification at work and have deep regret, but can’t wait to listen to this fireside!

Julia Whitmore

It's truly insane how this wasn't just written by one person with a vision but instead was told through collective storytelling. Lou and Aabria helping to build Curran/Steel respectively as two sides of the same coin... you would think it was all meticulously crafted. But it just works, and is so profound, and that's what I love about this medium.

Michelle Thye

Wanted to know WHY the citadel cursed Grandma Wren and Ame :( but they both were doing their own powerful witch thing so that’s not sitting well with the Citadel & Steel knew they had access to finally get Wren through Suvi … #nolooseends ;) I hope there’s a question fireside for book one but I also understand we can’t know all for book 2.💞 (Editing to add that I just saw that a “giant book one talkback” is coming in the notes under the 🎂🎂great bear- yay!)

Julia Whitmore

The entire time they were talking about this I was just nodding like yeah, the Citadel is basically any "first world" country. Lots of very cool convenient technology and people living full lives removed from the natural world. But uh oh, don't peek behind the curtain!

Julia Whitmore

If there is a Sworn playlist you all will not see me again I will simply pass away

Alyssa

Brennan!!!! How DARE you make me cry my own tears listening to the heartbreaking description of what Steal the kidnapper and parent murderer fucking did!!! 😭😭😭 Driving with my 4 year old in the car, immediately tearing up at “4 year olds is the age they start forming long term memories” 🥺😭 And I know it’s spelled Steel not Steal but she DOESN’T FUCKING DESERVE IT

confusedtealseal

This was such an incredible journey. As soon as I watched the first episode of the children's adventure I knew that they had captured lightning in a bottle and this story NEVER failed to impress and amaze me. So excited for whatever is next but I also cannot wait to return to this story

Carrie Mook Bridgman

Removed from the natural world and from the people who provide all that good stuff.

flyingwriter

Delighted as usual by all the talent in the room there. I am always so excited to listen. And I now must re listen so that I can take everything in again and add more context to that Sly conversation when he warns them of what is needed!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh thank you all so very much. My life is better for your podcast!

VforVenlee

*screaming with joy and also confusion how did I manage to skim over that part*

Muadwho

NO! I HEARD "NACHO SINS"!!!!! LFG!

Carrie Mook Bridgman

As Brennan said in this Fireside, you can enjoy Steel as a cool villain while salivating for her destruction. Our current IRL villains aren't even cool. They're boring, stupid evil that is even more frustrating. We don't have nuanced villains like Steel; we have mwah-ha-ha villains who shouldn't be a challenge--but they are because apparently a lot of folks are just fine with that.

Kroowik

Guys please let me buy a cassette or vinyl of the WWW soundtrack please 🫣

Bizarre Little Star

I think they are exactly like Steele, they are people who think highly of themselves and their goals, who are charming and people like and find funny and believe they have good intentions, they have strong networks and funding, there are even accomplished women in this regime who we could look at as just like Steele like Kristy Noem the head of homeland security. I don't think it's good to see these real life villains as a characature, they are nuanced because they are human. Just like Steele. The only reason we don't think they are cool is because we know the reality of their decisions and actions are abhorrent and evil. Which is how I see Steele. She is abhorrent and evil and it just raises my hackles to hear her called cool. I dont care that she wears sick armor and is a powerful wizard, that is not what makes someone cool to me. It's nothing against Aabria cause she's brilliant and her portrayal as someone raised by a person like this is very realistic and of course there is going to be some bias from her especially since she was a major part in creating Steele. I love Steele as a character for this reason, she shows how people can fall for fascism and banal evil and that the villains are justifying their actions constantly. But she isn't cool.

John Stein

That feeling when the seeds planted by years of therapy germinate and blossom from fertile conversation. Thanks ya'll, so much

John Stein

...Elliot Smith *and* System of a Down? Damn Sworn, where you get your eye liner mang.

Sofia marcelli

Just wanted to make sure that the WBN team knows that this has been an amazing ride, I’m insane about this podcast, you have genuinely healed me in certain ways

Carson Holcomb

I need Brennan as colonel mustard so so bad. I can hear the southern twang now.

Bizarre Little Star

** to me to me to me she is not cool, obviously coolness is extremely subjective and that's sort of my point, lots of people find our current leaders 'cool'

Ben McCardell

Idk what the Steel playlist will have but Forest by System of a Down always has reminded me of the Steel and Suvi relationship

brokenallbroken

As sad as it makes me this story is as relevant to the current moment as it is, that makes it all the more important and special. Thank you, you are all amazing.

Cody Zimmer

Hear me out, let us open up the world to the brilliance that can be achieved with dedicated hackery

Cody Zimmer

For me, over the last couple of years of this story, I've been living in this world where everything in my marrow has been telling me to flee from or crush Steel if possible. It was so validating for them to say the truth of those instincts outloud and with their full chest.

susan tiss

I love all of this so much!

bluebluebutton

Ecstatic to hear that Ame's foxfire on Steel is permanent 🤩 Every attack on Steel having advantage for the rest of Steel's life is honestly so juicy, especially after she jeeringly asked Ame what curse the little witch would lay on Steel for running her through. The answer is simple: a greater likelihood of every blade coming your way doing exactly to you what you've done to Ame. A real "reap what you sow" moment.

Stiltpuppy

During the conversation about "Citadel Bad" discourse, I'm just thinking about how early on we were told that these wizards created a desert where there was not previously a desert. That's bad guy shit. There's no universe where these storytellers tell us about an institution that does that and gets away with it on a cosmic level.

Freya

Omg 😱I actually fully improvised a game of clue/dnd for my friends a while back... Did I mind link with Erika???

Kiki

Yes please

Kelly

“Do not live in fear. Smell the sweet honey of the purpose you are called to.” and “He’s the most caked up. It’s like a window AC unit” being in the same recording is exactly why I’ll always be by the fireside.

Angel_Face_Artist

I don't know where else to say this so I'll say it here: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE RELEASE THE WILD ONES SCORE IT'LL HEAL ME I SWEAR

Susurrus

I ALMOST adapted a Clue/5e one shot but ended up going a more traditional route. I’m still fascinated by the idea, and will certainly take notes when Erika’s game drops!

Beau R.

I was wondering have we had any confirmation of characters that have wandered into the near spirit and fully made lives for themselves in spirit? Akin to a classical Fey lady spiriting off her lover to the wilds and the mortal living in spirit.

Jessica W.

I can't explain the looks I keep getting in this coffee shop as I go back to this page to replay parts of the podcast and that image flashes up.

Deyla

steel is a level of villain that will stay with me for the rest of my life. genuinely phenomenal watching it be revealed

Tasmin

So excited for more playlists! The ones you have released have expanded my music library and I'm truly greatful. It's also changed how I approach my own character creation

racing bulls on parade

The discussion about how Aabria recognized that Suvi had to find her way to her parents way of thinking all on her own is really cool. I have a fun mirror experience, that's a bit longwinded but I'll share here: I am adopted and my parents have always been super open about the circumstances and because it truly was an open adoption with an agency involved. I have the pleasure of being acquanted now with my biological father and his family and it's really really cool because we are actually so so similar, like to the point where both of our significant others point out the amount of times we make the same jokes. But it's not lost on me how interesting it is that by being raised completely separate from him by two very different parents, I've ended up with a similar attitude and disposition as he has now, but obviously he ALSO had a different upbringing (AND he's adopted as well and is NOTHING like his biological father). It's all very strange what can be nature and what can be nurture and it's fun to think about in the story and irl.

Witpending

8:19 Sneezing Is Not Normal

Karlantuk

Absolutely love how often Brennan tries to give Lou an out on the bit and he refuses to bite

DiamondPWrites

I’ve toyed with this idea a lot and I’m PUMPED to see Erika’s take!!

Brandon Carbaugh

Love Brennan's whole metaphor about how if you render the statue of the thing you hate with less truth than it deserves, the spell to destroy it won't work. There's something very cool and bold in kind of looking into your own heart, as a storyteller, to be like, "In another time and place, which aesthetic and intellectual temptations of this fucked-up ideological paradigm would I maybe not resist the charm roll on as successfully as I'd like to imagine for myself?" And then because the personal is the universal, you get to kind of reflect those qualities back at the audience and invite the same introspection.

Theo Lee

Wait, so that was Ame's first casting of counterspell. But wasn't that also Suvi's first casting of it after fully learning it? If so, then I'm reminded of the fact that they, as children, became and a Witch and a Wizard on the same night 🥹

The Wizard Sushi

PLEASE TELL ME YALL WERE SERIOUS ABOUT NACHO SINS

The Wizard Subjudice

Don't explain. Just wink at them. I almost guarantee they won't look at you again!

The Wizard Subjudice

I feel like this is Sly's endgame, a la Uncle Iroh's eternal tea party

Jordan T. Maxwell

B: "I already knew in that moment that she was the architect of your life's misery." A: "Well then I'm glad I made her white!" That's the funniest/fiercest damn thing I've heard in a while! Nearly drove off the road I was laughing so hard while driving!

The Wizard Subjudice

Wild conspiracy; Citadel may not have known about the Coven, but that doesn't mean they didn't know Indri (who also wanted Ame removed, but can't move against her directly.) And she's definitely the type to have more than one reason to vote no to opposing the Citadel. Theory? Cahoots!

The Wizard Subjudice

I love this as a name; this usually happens in my living room. Gotta think of a better name than living room lallygag though

CW

More narrative alleyoops then a gamebreaker in NBA Street V3

The Wizard Subjudice

speaking of favourite post credit scenes and spelling difficulties... Hot Opalfynd! Obalfind? OUGHBULPHINDT

Andrew Schmidt

We are actually dying for Nacho Sins, that’s not a joke. It’s 100% earnest.

David

I have made it no secret that I will pay real, hard currency for that WWW Soundtrack. I need a CD, a vinyl, AND the Spotify access please.

Bog Station: Remembrance

Oh Lou. “You know it’s just a room full of guys in discussion with their hands up going: HOOKS.” The face I made during this section… bless you all.

mguin

I genuinely would love a CD, I've swung back to physical media for the stuff I like & want to keep.

Bog Station: Remembrance

Well when the Big Dark Bad Spirit Daddy is coming to your door in a year, shits gotta happen fast… I imagine the year Ame bought herself is up by the end of Book 2, if not the middle

mguin

Quite apart from the epic focus of this fireside: Sportsforge sounds like an epic new game system

mguin

I may have shouted in my car. Did that a lot today 💜

Bog Station: Remembrance

It’s pure honest genius and this is why what this team is doing is redefining this medium and genre. Real shit. Philosophical and Moral chops. It’s Lit, as in Literature. LFG🔥

Lojaan

My mistake. I misheard and thought it was Lewil Sun

Sean Boyce

My brother, Curran tells Eursolon that the true measure of a knight is how they use their shield and strength protect those that can't. He says some believe that it is the sword that they live by, but that they are false knights. Steel is the sword. When Eursulon meets her and asks her if she's a knight, she uses her sword to answer him. There's a great comic on reddit that illustrates them perfectly at odds in ideology. The antithesis to Steel is Sky, but Curran is almost like her Contrapositive. It's so God damn good.

Vanarama

I’m losing it at the revelation that Steel is just Evil Brennan Genderswap. I already imagine Sir Curran as him I need to know who he is in Ame’s story.

Rebekah

I so appreciate how everyone is taking turns and sharing the labor (good labor, but labor nonetheless) of being the GM. Hearing the cast talk about it has inspired me to try GMing a one-shot for the very first time — this weekend is the thrilling conclusion and my dear forever-GM got to play a PC for the first time in YEARS!! I was soooo nervous, but hearing Erika try it (on air!!) gave me courage. 💜 To more stories by the fireside and beyond! Crackle crackle!

Rebekah

😭😭😭

Rebekah

Truly, the delight I felt in discovering that someone else besides me says “earballs.” William Shakespeare (the originator of the word “eyeballs”) would be so proud. 🥹

Rebekah

Congrats, you have won the internet for today 😂

The Wizard Salsa

The whole icarian conversation reminded me of my favorite Hozier song "I, Carrion" which is precisely about Icarus dropping from the sky and becoming bird food and I appreciated it 🙂‍↕️

Rebekah

Here in Minnesota where I live it is a common occurrence and we call it the “Minnesota goodbye” 😁 (or Midwest goodbye)

Townsend S. Wright

Half hour into this and I’ve just realized the parents’ party is the same ethnic makeup as this group, genderswapped. Black man, black woman, redhead woman, Asian man.

Deborah R.

Aabria I need you to know that your babybel/Icarus joke did not get enough of a reaction - the sound that left my body scared a whole flock of birds out of a tree.

Rebekah

SAAAAAAME

The Wizard Salsa

I'm glad Brennan refers to what he did with Steel as a "spell" because it's absolute magic. Being able to play an extremely evil character with such care and, perhaps compassion is the wrong word but HUMANITY, is what I admire most in his world building. The patience and ability to put asside your judgement for the sake of making it a well rounded character that you can't even tell is the villain at first glance is absolutely masterful. Incredible work, everyone involved in this podcast deserves all the praise in the world 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

Ryan Higgins

GIANT STEP...wobbawobbawabba....

KamasiFitzgerald

I think if our current leaders had swords and could fly and cast spells, they’d be seen as way cooler than they currently are 😭 *I* think steel’s a cool villain simply because I think wizards are cool - she’s an irredeemable monster and I want her dead, but she’s also done a majority of the dopest magical shit we’ve seen in the story so far lmao, is what it is

Bizarre Little Star

This is true 😂😂 and I totally get seeing her as cool! If anything I'm laughing at myself and hope others feel similar in my hang up on this word cool in response to Steele. It's silly I feel so strongly about this reaction to a fictional character 😂 like I go 'no! She's a fascist she's not cool!' she's fictional ya dingus get over it 😅 just wanted to voice my own frustration with being bothered by a fictional fascist being perceived as cool, which unfortunately they can be lol.

Eden

OMG LOU IS HERE!!!

Lee Chirtel

Calling Steel a fascist is interesting, because she seems to have no interest or even concept of the past as a thing worthy of living up to. It is usually a very much mythical one (the salute was famously taken from stage plays in the 19th century), but it nonetheless engages with some form of previous polity or world system. She seems like a living, breathing Bessemer Process. But since it is from the DM, I wonder if that implies that the humans tried something like this before? Maybe there is a longer term cycle like in that "The Great Slow Kings" by Zelazny?

The Wizard Subjudice

I found this podcast in 2023 when I had just (I'm going to say) freed myself from my parents and their emotionally manipulative bullshit, in a scene quite reminiscent of the last few minutes of #33 and the first few minutes of #34. My best friend who'd watched the shit they'd put me through for years almost word for word did tell me "you have been lied to and treated like shit, you need to change your conception of who these people are," (referencing around 42:00) and THE MOST HEART WRENCHING THING is that my mother who had been in a similar position to the one she put me in with her own mother never did the hard thing of saying "enough, no more, this behaviour is disgusting and I won't play," and I did. So by no fault of you guys, I'm now sobbing at my desk, but jfc, what does that say about how incredible and incredibly HUMAN are these characters you've made that they are THIS deeply relatable? Your story makes me (and hopefully other estranged children of emotionally immature parents) feel seen, valid and just a little bit relieved that it's not that me.

The Wizard Subjudice

I HAVE ALSO BEEN FKN WONDERING ABOUT THAT GHOST ARMY, THANK YOU ERIKA

Yarl

It’s funny, i really used to think he was playing her with compassion and found that so fascinating in the context of the empire she was running… only to slowly… have the veil pulled back…

James

OUGH!!! Sean, that's such a good point about shield vs. sword!!!

The Wizard Subjudice

That sounds so much nicer than the Irish goodbye I grew up hearing about!

icesquirrel

i need to lie down. Steel molded Suvi into herself. she had parental love and let her friends change her.

icesquirrel

I love that steel was always meant to be the villain

James Genovese

I have to say, even being very familiar with Brennan’s work and villains in the past, Steel’s spell absolutely worked on me. I thought, given the general arc of Book 1, sure the PCs would eventually come into opposition with Steel, but that’s Suvi’s mom! She’s so reasonable! She’s just doing her job! (see: Nuremberg defense) Her absolute *heel turn* in the finale had my jaw on the damn floor. I never ONCE expected that type of overt viciousness and villainy from her and SOMEHOW it was also entirely in character and believable at the same time. Just… absolutely bravo. Well done. Perfectly executed. This show is so good and I’ll be screaming it from the rooftops for forever.

Elise

And it is an honor to witness the story. Thank you WBN

Friday the Fierce

If there’s a Wizard Sly playlist it HAS to have On the Right Track from Pippin on it

Ashe

I am so thankful for Brennan being a GOOD person, because with all of his amazing talent and genius, logic and storytelling, if he were evil, he could absolutely take over the entire world. I have no doubt. Fortunately, we have Brennan on the side of kindness and beauty. I have to thank all of you, including the community for helping me through the tough time that is life on this planet these days, but especially in the us, in the south...I'm struggling, but to you Brennan, And Lou, And Aabria, And Erika Thank you...you are a light and hope, and this story is fucking amazing! It needs to be shouted just how good it is...I love you all, thank you for this...my respite from horrors of real life. Also I got to chime in on that saving of Ghost...man it turned full 40k evil when we went to the Blood Factory where crazy wizards in a circle with their mouths being pulled open full horror...Brennan was like the secret is out, we can paint the full horror show of the citadel and empire. Amazing mouth writing from all of my favorite creators. Again thanks.

Ashe

I SOOO want a redemption arc for sworn...a tragic tale...I want him back....heartbreaking "why you didn't ask me?"

Ashe

Steel is also the best bad guy ever...move over Darth Vader, and Hans Landa!

Ashe

Also using Animism is the coolest niche worldview that applies to many old cultures...works so well in dnd type setting.

Krisse S

Green brothers fan spotted!

One Punch Max

I could also see it that they arrive in that other place with the train ticket (forgot what it was called cause it was too long ago) and then spend a bunch of time there in something like a training montage.

Just a Fox

Whaaat I forgot that was a thing 😭

Just a Fox

Fuuuck that's so chilling - and a great pull!

RuviGaPo

That's so valid!!! Bc it's True! (AND ALSO REFRESHING?? For creators to say what they Mean and what their intent is, it makes it easier to understand the story). For me, she's Always reminded me So Much of my irl aunt that seeing Suvi have that same realization in real time that i've had to have, felt very rewarding, if extremely painful to experience Again. (Part of me Still hopes Steel can change but if this story has reaffirmed smth for me, it's that you can't force change in people who aren't open to it and that that energy is better spent in places where it's needed). That said i feel like i get Exactly where Suvi comes from and there isn't a single thing i would've done differently in her situation i think. Which is Really Cool ??? I can't recall another story where i've felt that way about a character? Which is Wild. (Except im gay af and Definitely would've heard tephmet out bc they're cute oops. What do you Mean i would throw away everything ive ever known and loved bc the wizard in the corner was a lil cute? What do you meannnnn?? Ahahaaah.. 😅 no wayyy *twirling my hair*)

RuviGaPo

Spellcraft is real. It's real and it's called storytelling, holy shit !!!!!!!!!

mandy lee

I don’t play D&D. I do, however, love a good long story! I cannot believe how much I loved your story!! I even subscribed to the Patreon just to hear the children’s adventure! I’m debating starting the whole thing over just so I could hear it again. Thank you so much for introducing me to this world. ❤️ OH AND I am cynical enough that the whole time I suspected that long Con was on the way lol

worldsbeyondnumber

While there are certain core traits academics ascribe to what was called fascism in the 20th century, in modern non-technical usage people commonly use the term fascism to describe single traits, specific values, ways of speaking, aspects of a person or institution's worldview, etc. as fascist or fascistic if they resemble or repeat those of the WWII era fascist projects even if the subject in question does not tick all the boxes required for scholarly categorization as fascism. Brennan is speaking in this way, the modern colloquial, and not that of a history professor. -t

Mitchellatron

Ok but what if the Artificers at the cottage give it giant mechanical walking legs???

Maya M

Is frog boil a common phrase? I've never heard of it.

Drew Borecky

As a muiscologist, thank you for your service.

Brendan

You can’t do this to me your dnd game can’t keep moving me to tears

Grace McLaughlin

Brb I’m gonna need 4 to 5 business days to recover from “ I get to live in a time that matters”

Lee Chirtel

Thank you for the long response. I will say that you guys have an explicitly philisophical fantasy world where Cecil Rhodes is literally right that Empire is a "Bread and Butter issue". If you make Dependency Theory true, history professor technical useage is inevitable. Otherwise, I do think it works in a specific early 20th century (rather than later) sense where many of the earliest fascists were "artistic manifesto" types. I can see Steel as a combo of Father Naphta and FT Marinetti, with a bit of Ernst Jünger (his book was "storm of steel" after all.

icesquirrel

he finally made it back onto the fireside! happy he got such a nice walk to mull over the story

Jasmine G.

Thank you guys so much for this. I love everything about all of WBN. Words fail ♥️

tre blessing

I have always said that too!! high-five

Warlock

Great Bear is caked up!

DiamondPWrites

It’s referring to a metaphor about abuse. I don’t remember the exact phrasing but the idea is that you don’t put a frog in boiling water to cook it because it will jump out. You put it in cold water and gradually increase the heat.

Nick Fraker

I haven't really heard it said much since the 90s so I think it's a bit of an older expression, but the phrase "boiling a frog" means to slowly change a situation over time, so the people who you are changing it on don't realize the situation has changed until it's too late to do anything about it. If you're trying to cook frogs (as several cultures do), if you try to put them in a pot of boiling water they will immediately jump out but if you put them in cold water and turn the heat up they'll just stay there and let themselves die.

Andrew Pace

8 years ago in college I wrote a paper on Leitmotif for a class that was about music for video games. It was sparked from the soundtrack of a game called Hollow Knight. Anyhow, it was so cool to remember that I did that when it was so literally brought up here by Erica! You all are pioneering something miraculous in this medium of entertainment! Never before has a group combined such incredible TTRPG storytelling with such impeccable music and sfx. Congrats on completing Book 1!

Rebekah

Ame’s Moving Castle

Beomene

It's mind-blowing to me that we are 79001 members. How can something this fulländat have only 79001 members? Why isn't it 79 000 001 already? I know it will be, one day!

Christie Joesbury

When I played Cluedo (Clue) as a kid I always wanted to make it more theatrical, so an RPG version of Clue is exactly what I want!

Christie Joesbury

Who are ghost and flicker and when did we meet them? I somehow remember broad strokes and then just forget entire parts of the story.

Kayleigh Alvarez

I feel a such a rush of glee, wonder, and a dash of fear every time the Witches' theme starts playing. It's haunting, it's weird, it's whimsical when it shouldn't be, and it's everything I could ever want from the strange ghibli-esque witches of the elder coven. Hearing it come from Ame's actions was such a huge "She's arrived" moment for me. I'm planning on running a campaign with witches in it soon and can't wait to play that theme for my table. I NEED that OST. TAKE MY MONEY!$$$

Joe Doyle

Episode 5 "Water, Water Everywhere" is where we meet Ghost and Flicker. They were working for Finley (the guy Eursulon sold Wavebreaker to) in Port Talon. You can check out the wiki for more details. It was pretty early days of the story, and they didn't circle back around to those two until much later. Hope that helps! https://worldsbeyondnumber.miraheze.org/wiki/Ghost

Faye Dao

BLeeM hitting me in my soul again

Yasmin

Hold up, we're getting a score album before the end of the year? Honestly the thing I'm most hyped for!!!

DomPie

Gosh! Brennan’s work looks to be cut out for him (see Critical Role C4 announcement). Congrats, Brennan, on leading the charge on what will surely be more epic storytelling. And Aabria being a regular player as well is so cool! I’m sure the quality of the storytelling here at WBN will be still mind bogglingly good, but damn, these guys are gonna be working hard. THANK YOU for all that you do for us listeners. We love you all, and can’t wait to start another epic adventure.

Krusty Bo Busty

Got a little confused who’s patreon i was on when i saw that image

Elise

Listening to episode 8 of the children’s adventure is wild after what we know of Steel. And I wonder, how did Wren not pick up Steel’s big bad energy. Wouldn’t she have recognized the scars left from an inflict wounds?

John Todd

My heart burns for more interludes and you people keep feeding the fire!!!

Patrick M

Why would she have seen the scars from Stone’s idiosyncratic way of casting Inflict Wounds?

Cait Batchelor

Going from screaming BRENNAN at the finale to AABRIA in the first 10 minutes here is the arc conclusion I needed

K C

Oblefinn is A+ I will hear none of this “he’s bad news” talk

Zanna

I really really love the whole bit of being changed by the world, by life, vs Steel's insistence on the total control idea of only doing the changing, never being changed. Profound.

The Pompous Peasant

noes! noes need moar content her u did not scratc teh service of this ep!!! NOESSSS MOAR

Sol Mari Montoya

I love Suvi’s organic development and growth of finding out what the citadel really stands for and coming into her parent’s legacy on her own. It was such a slow yet satisfying journey to see Suvi is as brilliant and as defiant as her parents. No indoctrination could change that. But speaking of Steel, it’s funny to me that Suvi thought the citadel was like the Republic in Star Wars and instead found out they were the Empire and Steel is Vader. What an incredible finale.

Muadwho

Let Ghost have time to build an army. Quite literally.

Brian Perkins

Brennan's feelings on Steel were so interesting to me because, perhaps aside from her words with Ursulon and Ame (and I suppose the larger portfolio of 'people she doesn't respect') I never got a truly wicked vibe from her. In a lot of her conversations with Suvi post-Twelve Brooks she's come off as saddened and exhausted by the the things she has to do, even while she isn't at all looking for absolution from the things that make her feel that way. I like that Suvi reacts in kind, not with anger but with a sort of disappointed sympathy. Steel is not a tragic character, but she is the product of a lot of compounding tragedies.

Emily C

Omggggg this is the answer

Christie Joesbury

I'm going through story withdrawal and feeling sad but I know there are other series coming. Besides listening to the entire podcast again, what other story/fiction or rpg podcasts are people listening to at the moment?

Brian Perkins

I first heard it used by Al Gore in "An Inconvenient Truth" comparing our response to Global Warming to the way a frog will not attempt to leave a pot of water if you increase the temperature gradually, staying put until the water is boiling hot (as opposed to if you were to drop a frog directly into a pot of already boiling water, in which case it would attempt to escape).

Brian Perkins

I was skeptical the whole time because she had so many opportunities to break bad at no real cost to herself. She didn't have to come out against imprisoning Naram, she didn't have to let Suvi go to the North Pole, she didn't have to bail Suvi out after Twelve Brooks, etc. She did all that because I guess Suvi is the one override command in her program language.

Shannon Brooks

Just a random thought listening to this, I would love to see the cast record dress as their character for one last picture? Or have them cosplay as their favorite NPC from Umora for just one more throwback to this incredible story ❤️

An Anxious Ghost

After listening to this episode again, I’ve thought of a few songs I think would be good for a Steel Playlist: Little Soldiers by The Crane Wives The Trial from Stray Gods the Roleplaying Musical Noble Blood by Tommee Proffit Warrior of the Mind from Epic the Musical Done For from Epic the Musical The Rockrose and the Thistle by The Amazing Devil Eat Your Young by Hozier Gasoline by Halsey

Eleventh Hour Panic Productions

[steps onto Rant Box] "Moral nuance over moral ambiguity" THANK YOU FOR PUTTING IT INTO WORDS That whole "product of their upbringing" discussion is *absolutely* important. It is necessary to understand how people who have made bad choices were driven to those choices so we know how to make the world a better place so the next time around, a person in a similar position feels safe making the better choice. And also Explaining behavior doesn't automatically excuse it. You can empathize with the awful circumstances a person has endured while also holding them accountable for their actions. Big "cool motive, still murd3r" energy ************ Erika: [requests academic musical analysis of Taylor's work] Me: Don't threaten me with a good time!

Dr. Eggman

I was really rooting for Task as Most Caked Up This Season™️ but you can't deny talent when it's a 2ft ass right in front of you

Suzanne Landig

Great kiddos!! Thanks for the great entertainment.

Emma Runswick

Where will you share it? Please let us know!

Emma Runswick

Murdering parents and stealing children to raise in more "proper" families has been a tactic of several fascist regimes, notably Argentina and Spain. There are two excellent songs in English I know about it: Esperanza by Alum Parry (about Spain), and Abuelita by Richard Shindell (about the fight of grandparents to find their grandchildren in Argentina post-junta).

Adrian Griffin

The Great Bear’s got an ass like a seat for when you get tired

BethKF

Finally caught up today - I had 2.5 episodes, plus firesides, left. It was brilliant, I loved every moment, but of the oodles of, awesome, cool things my brain could’ve chosen to get stuck on repeat, it’s gone with the brief description of Flicker’s thoughts/worldview upon returning to consciousness. Yep 🤦‍♀️. Great choice 👌😑 If anyone needs me I’ll be trying to piece my heart back together 😭😭😭

Muadwho

I'm treating the spirits around him currently (not Mr. Spider) as a Intervention/First Responders/F*ckery Midigaton squad. Here's to hoping!

Jordan Arvie

What an epic Book 1 finale. This is my favorite story. WBN - yall are my favorite storytellers. Thank you so much for creating this gorgeously complex world.

Jordan Arvie

So happy I got to listen to the finale with the fox (in plushie form)! 🦊

Suzanne Landig

Almost caught up and finally (almost) found where all episodes have been hidden. All that is beside the point. The point of course is the over the roof’s talents of your group. WOW do I make sense? I mean everyone of you are scary talent. Oh you follow me don’t you? I am in love with all of you!

Kamuraki

I've now recast Steel as Gillian Anderson in my head

LoonaTik - Witch of Musing Lore

Hearing Brennan slip up for a second because he heard the phrase “been here the whole time” come out of Aabria

BexNeko

I can see this

Nick Gresock

Can’t wait for the day this story of resisting against fascism returns. Guess we gotta go back to the hard work of it in the real world

SpringtidePrince

Crying at work over “Do not fear. Smell the sweet honey of purpose you are called to.”

Jactothemac

I hope we (one day) learn who Steel's first husband was, how she and Sonder got together, and how she became sword of the citadel!

KikiNightsong

Calling that Steel is Brennan's egg starting to crack 🤭

Bear Bard Tale's

Wait, steel was white? This whole time I imagined her looking like basically Suvi’s Aunt.

Chris Verde

This is the most perfect storytelling I've ever encountered, I love it so much. I couldn't stop listening from the very start. Thank you for this journey, thank you for the magic of words and sounds and the many many feelings they evoke. Thank you for filling a dark and difficult time of my life with wonder and whimsy and wizards and witches and wild ones. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Shreyas Joshi

This also happened in Australia with the Stolen Generation. Also I am now binging Richard Shindell's songs.

Joanna Bull

I love that evil is characterized by a desire to control the world, and good is characterized by curiosity and love for the world.