Friends at the Table is an actual play podcast about critical worldbuilding, smart characterization, and fun interaction between good friends. Find us (and a listener guide) @Friends_Table on Twitter.
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Have you ever wondered what life would be like on a planet different from our own, or how writers create your favorite fictional worlds? Well, wonder no more because we have the facts for you! Every other week, astrophysicist/folklorist Moiya McTier explores fictional worlds by building them with a panel of expert guests, interviewing professional worldbuilders, or reviewing the merits of worlds that have already been built. You'll learn, you'll laugh, and you'll gain an appreciation for how ...
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Edgar Grunewald and Bill McGrath discuss all things worldbuilding - the process of constructing fictional settings.
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A podcast by three fantasy authors who love to overcomplicate their writing lives and want to help you do the same.
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Lorekeepers is a worldbuilding podcast about two friends chronicling the journey of an ever-expanding tapestry of interwoven lore.While other podcasts may start a new world with each episode, Carter and Frank return to Halûme each week, determined to create the deepest, grandest, and most nuanced fictional setting ever. Never forget that in an infinite world, there are always more tales to tell.
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Edgar Grunewald and Bill McGrath discuss all things worldbuilding - the process of constructing fictional settings.
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Where we create fantastical worlds with help from you, our listeners!
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What About Worldbuilding is a podcast that exists to explore the various aspects- anthropology to geology and beyond- that go into building worlds in writing.
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When you write a novel or build a game, you have to design a whole world. A world with culture, hierarchy, taboos, economy, fairness, traditions, careers, and origin stories. In Full Worlds, we hear authors and creators explain the worlds they built, without the story getting in the way.
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A Worldbuilding Podcast called "Sails & Silver", in which the hosts aim to create a world set in the golden age of sail. Monthly uploads. Possibly.
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Moiya finally finished the M dwarf planet! She's joined by Isabel J. Kim and together they made the cube crabs a bunch of anxious avoidant chemistry nerds who all went to survival camp. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Isabel J. Kim is an attorney, speculative fiction writer, and co-host of the Wow if Tru…
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Goodbye Palisade! Upcoming Twitch Stream + Giveaway September 12th!!
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HELLO! WELCOME TO THE END OF PALISADE! THERE ARE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THIS POST! Right now the date of the Palisade Post mortem isn't 100% decided. OUR PLAN AT THE MOMENT IS TO STREAM ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH. Odds are very high that this will be the Palisade post mortem but if it isn't, we'll still be streaming to celebrate our anniversary Ye…
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This episode carries content warnings for mental manipulation and body horror ////ACTIVE RECORD PERSPECTIVE: ASEPSIS ////DATE: 01.01.0001 [category pending] ////LOCATION: STATION PERENNIAL - PERENNIAL SHARD - BLUE CHANNEL | STRAND COORDINATE 00.00.0127236 ///RECORD TYPE: PARTIAL INVENTORY OF ITEMS RATED ESSENTIAL NON-ESSENTIALS (OVERRIDE K.B.99) 1x…
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Episode 136: Live from WorldCon in Glasgow!
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We were all in the same room! And that room was in Scotland! In this episode, your WFM co-hosts were able to record a special episode at WorldCon. We chat about ourselves, our works, the Traveling Light anthology, and our favorite components of a world to build. And then, we take some audience questions! (We apologize that some of them are a little…
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This episode carries content warnings for mental manipulation, body horror, and death. Hours after defeating Artifice, and hours before Motion's flagship breaches the far end of the battlefield, an uncomfortable buzz runs through the air. Even with the reinforcements from Millennium Break and the Apostolosians loyal to Cas'alear Rizah, the defender…
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Episode 254: Sinfluencers (Ship of a Thousand Sins Part 1)
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This week has us all going on a pleasure cruise thanks to long time patron Kaiser! The only problem is that hell is comin' with us. Listen in for boneless flesh beasts, Christian sex cults, and Sinfluencers! And: do you have opinions about Worldbuild With Us? We'd love to hear them in our listener survey: https://forms.gle/r4H644UZACyp8mW6A Do you …
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Moiya is joined by historian Fayge Horesh to talk about the dos and don'ts of imagining fictional histories, from ethical practices to research advice. And Moiya is happy to report that since recording, she has picked up a New York library card! HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Fayge Horesh is a public hi…
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This episode carries content warnings for mental manipulation, body horror, and death. Though Motion and her fleet remain at a distance, Levi, Brnine, Thisbe, and Cori find themselves facing overwhelming odds against the Pact’s forward operating unit, led by Passiflora, elect of the divine Artifice. Meanwhile, as Exeter Leap looks for a way to help…
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Subscribe: iTUNES, RSS Support Us On Patreon Discuss This Episode Email Us LINKS: My Neighbour Totoro UEFA Euro 2024 Artifexian Podcast Discord Langtime Studio Conlang Conflict Playlist Miscellaneous Myths: The Book Of Invasions (Overly Sarcastic Productions) Da Vinci Code Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Hostile Takeover Abhéskii Reference Grammar Kimhar…
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Subscribe: iTUNES, RSS Support Us On Patreon Discuss This Episode Email Us LINKS: My Neighbour Totoro UEFA Euro 2024 Artifexian Podcast Discord Langtime Studio Conlang Conflict Playlist Miscellaneous Myths: The Book Of Invasions (Overly Sarcastic Productions) Da Vinci Code Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Hostile Takeover Abhéskii Reference Grammar Kimhar…
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Episode 135: Philosophical Acts of Translation, ft. KEN LIU
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1:12:37
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What can translation and transmission of ideas and stories over time teach us about a society -- and about storytelling? Guest Ken Liu joins us to talk about the intertwining of philosophy, imagination, and translation. As writers, we can never fully translate the story that plays out in our heads onto the page, because every reader will imagine so…
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This episode carries content warnings for mental manipulation. At the center of the galaxy, the battle rages. Outnumbered, Cori and Thisbe turn to powers divine and profane in order to turn the tide, while Levi goes toe to toe with foes ten times his size. Brnine, Hunting--along with the the crews of the Blue Channel, Starcrossed, and Stolen Cameo-…
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Episode 253: It's A Five-Year Anniversary Jam!
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That's right, it's been five whole years of worldbuilding here at WBWU and this year we're taking it a bit easy with a good ol' fashioned jam session. Thank you all so much for your support, your prompts, and your patronage! Here's to five more years! And: do you have opinions about Worldbuild With Us? We'd love to hear them in our listener survey:…
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It's an Exolore x Pale Blue Pod crossover! Moiya and comedian Corinne Caputo talk about JWST's iconic first images, then pick one as the setting for their world. They imagine a planet of scaly people who love a relaxing train ride. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Corinne Caputo is a comedian and author o…
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Under the command of Levitation Cascabel-Gardner, and supported by an ad-hoc alliance with Millennium Break, the pirate crew of the Precipice, and the dedicated loyalists of exiled Apokine Cas'alear Rizah, an operation at the center of the galaxy begins. At the center: A strip of metal as long as a city and as deep as a geological straum, which pro…
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Episode 134: Print The Legend: Weaving Myth and History into One, ft. NALO HOPKINSON
1:18:33
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Where does mythology come from? How does it tie us together? What does one world's mythology tell us about its people, how they view themselves, and their interactions with the divine? We speak to Nalo Hopkinson about myths, mythologies, folklore, and the stories that we tell each other as well as the stories we invent. [Transcript TK] Our Guest: N…
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Episode 252: Enlightenment Under the Throbbing Tree (Giant of a Thousand Dutchies Part 2)
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Grab your flying parakeet and ready yourself for some enlightenment under the shade of an oddly throbbing tree on this week's episode! We're finishing out a prompt from long term Patron DiploRaptor where we introduce Monster Hunters, Elden Ring inspired "good guys" and some good old fashioned Luddites to the continent of the giant's corpse. And: do…
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With a fleet of Pact vessels heading towards Perennial’s station at the center of the Milky Way, Levi Cascabel-Gardner, Exeter Leap, and the reunited crew of the Blue Channel join with their allies on the beaches of the nearest world. There, they prepare for what is to come: Searching for new tools, drawing formations in the sand, and connecting wi…
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Moiya asks pop culture writer Amanda Silberling about her favorite video game, Splatoon! It involves squid kids, apocalypse stories, judgemental cats, and just the right level of violence. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Amanda Silberling is a senior culture writer at TechCrunch and co-host of Wow If Tru…
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PALISADE 56: Some New Thing Found in the Light, Or: A Year in Nine Parts
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This episode carries content warnings for death and severe isolation. It happened without much fanfare: They'd scattered—like the so-called shards of Divinity itself—all across the Milky Way. Searching. Fleeing. Exploring. Building. Fighting. A year apart. Not their year apart, because there was no "them" anymore, not by affinity or proximity, not …
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Episode 133: The Devil in the Details, ft. M.J. KUHN
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A perennial question that our listeners often have is: How do you organize your worldbuilding? Do you have templates to use? Charts to fill out? Once you start imagining all your fantastic choices, how do you keep track of them all and then weave them along with your plot? Well, the answer to all of this, as with so many writing questions, is "do w…
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Episode 251: When Giants Fall Nations Shall Rise (Giant of a Thousand Duchies Part 1)
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Break out the spreadsheets for some spread cheeks in this week's episode as we explore the giant anatomy of a continent sized giant. Things devolve quickly but we ultimately pull out an extremely fun and hair raising setting from Patron Diplo Raptor's prompt as Jonnie Law joins us this week as special guest host. And: do you have opinions about Wor…
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Moiya is joined by writer Rachel Feltman to imagine a beautiful but foreboding world. They end up with a genre-bending world full of people convinced they have magical powers. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Rachel Feltman is a science and technology writer, editor, and host of the weirdest thing I learn…
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PALISADE 55: A Palette of Colors Pt. 10
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There, on the edge of the Twilight Mirage, after a period of rapid revolution, the world of Palisade seems to find a slower rate of turn. Objects that hung in the air find their place on the ground—or commit to leaving the world, carrying their outward momentum with them. But even a world at peace exists in a broader orbit. This week on PALISADE: A…
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Episode 132: Just a Small Town Worldbuild, ft. CHERIE PRIEST
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A lot of the time, fantasy worldbuilding invokes huge maps, spanning civilizations and continents, with characters traversing vast distances on their epic quests. But what about the worldbuilding that happens with a tighter focus on an intimate, even insular location? Guest Cherie Priest joins us to discuss creating small towns just ripe for gothic…
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PALISADE 54: A Palette of Colors Pt. 9
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1:51:43
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The Twilight Mirage is known for its captivating color, its endless light, its ever-shifting shape, and its penchant for blurring the physical and digital into a poetic reality impossible to deny. But along with these things, it is marked by a unique distance, separated from the galaxy through tumultuous time. In this way, its sunset skies might be…
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Episode 250: It's Time to Meet the Anime Club (School of a Thousand Day Dreams Part 2)
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This week we discover just how much Daniel hates contemporary art as we continue our prompt from long-time patron Gluax. Cute animals, librarians, pro-wrestling, and yes, even the anime club, are all hot topics for this week's discussion. And: do you have opinions about Worldbuild With Us? We'd love to hear them in our listener survey: https://form…
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Subscribe: iTUNES, RSS Support Us On Patreon Discuss This Episode Email Us LINKS: Baldur’s Gate 3 Conlangery Tongues & Runes The Xeshor Tablet The Mythological Cycle Leabhar Gabhála Éireann Horslips The Saw Doctors Put ‘em Under Pressure (Republic of Ireland Football Squad) Not Like Us (Kendrick Lamar) Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (Kendrick Lamar) To Pim…
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Subscribe: iTUNES, RSS Support Us On Patreon Discuss This Episode Email Us LINKS: Baldur’s Gate 3 Conlangery Tongues & Runes The Xeshor Tablet The Mythological Cycle Leabhar Gabhála Éireann Horslips The Saw Doctors Put ‘em Under Pressure (Republic of Ireland Football Squad) Not Like Us (Kendrick Lamar) Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (Kendrick Lamar) To Pim…
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PALISADE 53: A Palette of Colors Pt. 8
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With the capture of Lander One, major military operations on Palisade have seemingly come to a close. Most of the remnants of the Bilateral Intercession’s forces have been captured or have turned themselves in—though some, like those now under the sway of the re-emergent Motion, have seemingly disappeared altogether. There are, remain, however, som…
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Moiya returns to this episode about fictional mapmaking. She talks with mapmaker Jessica Khoury about how mountains don't bend and rivers don't split, the logic behind human settlements, and how to name your places. Plus, there are dogs. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Jessica Khoury is an author and fan…
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It's the start of our sixth season! And we've got some projects going on. The Traveling Light anthology, which we Kickstarted -- with the help of many of you listeners! -- at the start of the fifth season, is now almost complete! We've finished the page proofs and are about to turn this into a Real Book. In this episode, you'll get to hear from the…
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PALISADE 52: A Palette of Colors Pt. 7
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Though it seems the worst is behind the people of Palisade, there is work yet to do. Work made harder by the realization that the work already done had higher costs than anticipated. But still, the members of the Cause do what they must to confront the remaining occupation forces, to bring each other back from the brink, and to steel themselves for…
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Episode 249: Practical Advice About Grad School (School of a Thousand Day Dreams Part 1)
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Get ready for a raucous discussion about pretentious art in this week's episode! Inspired by our beloved long-time patron Gluax, we delve into a school full of magical art, dreams, and maybe a bit of romance too. Listen to hear about our collective experiences with grad school and learn if your degree was worth it! And: do you have opinions about W…
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PALISADE 51: A Palette of Colors Pt. 6
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Having played their opening gambits, the leaders of Palisade now find they face unprecedented situations. At the center of it is the being calling itself Wakeful, an emerging gestalt consciousness comprised of (but irreducible to) the Divines freed from the Garden of Fidelity. As the guilty hide in its shadow, the Cause must determine how to act. I…
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Moiya is joined by geologist Kristina Gustovich to imagine a world built on justice and social cohesion. They end up creating sparkly cats who can see into the future and totally believe in universal basic income. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Kristina Gustovich is a geologist and science communicator,…
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Episode 130: Large-Scale Worldbuilding for Character-Centric Worlds, ft. REBECCA ROANHORSE
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Massive worlds require massive worldbuilding -- or do they? Sometimes, a narrower, character-centric scope can create a tight and compelling narrative while still crafting an expansive world. Guest Rebecca Roanhorse joins us to discuss how knowing your characters can help you konw your world. What does it mean to let character lead worldbuilding? H…
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Episode 248: The Medium of Flesh (World of a Thousand Words Part 2)
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This week's episode has us finishing up our time in our Patron Commissar Whiskers's world where words literally create magic. This time we're talking Mensis Covens, robots given birth through intent, and a secret group of monks seeking... Well you'll just have to listen to find out! And: do you have opinions about Worldbuild With Us? We'd love to h…
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PALISADE 50: A Palette of Colors Pt. 5
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This episode carries content warnings for body horror and discussions of slavery. Though the wheel yet spins in the Divine Principality, spinning is movement. And though one day we may return to the starting position, where it all gets driven around the axle again, until then movement may bring change, surprise, or truly novel developments. For tho…
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PALISADE 49: A Palette of Colors Pt. 4
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This episode carries content warnings for death. Another daring mission, another stunning success, and then, once again, the people Palisade breathe out all at once. But these exhalations aren't quite like the old ones. Some breathe deep, looking for solace but finding only solitude. Others breathe lound, so that the words they say get lost under t…
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rerun: Building Monsters with Dr. Emily Zarka
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Monster Expert Dr. Emily Zarka joins Moiya to talk about the origins of monster myths! Together, they conjure up some spooky monsters to inhabit three previously built Exolore worlds. HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST Dr. Emily Zarka is a professor, writer, host, and monster expert. Find her on twitter at …
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Episode 129: Motorcycles and Magic, ft HANA LEE
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"Traditional" fantasy novels often hold themselves to a pre-gunpowder/pre-steampower level of tech. So, what’s fun about setting a fantasy world in an era that has anything from the printing press to cell phones? Guest Hana Lee joins us to explore incorporating the technological into the magical world! How can the harnessing of magic be similar to …
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PALISADE 48: A Palette of Colors Pt. 3
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3:13:12
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This episode carries content warnings for discussion of enslavement, torture, death, body horror and eye injuries. Across Palisade, a question begins to weave itself through life. Across everyday kitchen conversations, war room arguments, and salon debates, people wonder what it might mean to be whole. If Delegates to reunited with their Divine sou…
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Episode 247: Where Blood Flows Like Ink (World of a Thousand Words Part 1)
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On this week's episode, long-time Patron Commissar Whiskers gives us a magic-system prompt for us to chew on. In a world where the written word crackles with arcane power a bunch of nerds sit around and gush over flowery prose and the function of language. It's cooler than it sounds I swear! There's even an Iron Chef joke! And: do you have opinions…
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PALISADE 47: A Palette of Colors Pt. 2
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This episode carries content warnings for discussion of death and self sacrifice. Palisade spins and twirls, coming to terms with its fresh orbit. And on its body, the people begin to adjust too. Finding a moment of space, Blue Channel captain Kalvin Brnine reconnects with an uncanny contact, with hopes of developing the tepid relationship into an …
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Moiya and mythologist John Bucher put their minds together to imagine an ancient mythic underworld. It has triels, elemental symbolism, and lots of silly little guys! What's not to love? HOSTED by Dr. Moiya McTier (@GoAstroMo), astrophysicist and folklorist GUEST John Bucher is a mythologist, a writer, and the executive director of the Joseph Campb…
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Subscribe: iTUNES, RSS Support Us On Patreon Discuss This Episode Email Us LINKS: Spice Bag Leipzig Glossing Rules LangTime Chat, Episode 40: Conlang Documentation AP #34: Betamax Crinkledash Request for Relief Herman Miller Abheski Reference Grammar Abheski Livestreams (Patrons Only) Doublet Edward Gorey Sam’s Card Gary Larson The Farside Nicaragu…
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Subscribe: iTUNES, RSS Support Us On Patreon Discuss This Episode Email Us LINKS: Spice Bag Leipzig Glossing Rules LangTime Chat, Episode 40: Conlang Documentation AP #34: Betamax Crinkledash Request for Relief Herman Miller Abheski Reference Grammar Abheski Livestreams (Patrons Only) Doublet Edward Gorey Sam’s Card Gary Larson The Farside Nicaragu…
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Episode 128: The Carousel of Progress
1:24:32
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Making fantasy worlds into living, growing worlds means giving them a history of change and growth and shifts in technology and culture, not to mention governments and borders. We talk about building history, historical ages and generational shifts, as well as diving into what are the historical ages in the world of the MNG, and how has it grown? A…
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PALISADE 46: A Palette of Colors Pt. 1
2:40:49
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It is the year 1430 of the Perfect Millennium, and in the center of the Milky Way galaxy, Perennial tries to shut out the noise, to focus in on only one place, one voice. But it is too loud on Palisade. This week on PALISADE: A Palette of Colors Pt. 1 It's going to be soon, babe / I've made up my mind Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featur…
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