Fireside Chat for WWW ep42 “Match My Breath and Walk in My Footsteps”
Added 2025-02-18 12:30:01 +0000 UTCBEHOLD: GOBLINS ON PARADE!! The limits of "nuance." The superbowl of real-time breakups. And the very, very bad man.
BEHOLD: GOBLINS ON PARADE!! The limits of "nuance." The superbowl of real-time breakups. And the very, very bad man. Cast yer line in these waters friend, the old white marlin, mine enemy of old, swims these waters. From hell's heart I pod at thee!
Comments
Apparently I love a harpsichord
Caitlin Hirschler
2025-10-01 02:45:57 +0000 UTCThe fact that this show also has a "one big bed"-like thread makes me so happy ❤️
Amanda Samperi
2025-09-09 18:12:01 +0000 UTCIs that real??? Is that why I'm so anxious???
Devina Coleman
2025-08-23 04:17:10 +0000 UTCI just started SOBBING at the match my step, walk in my breath line during the episode. It was just so impactful
Devina Coleman
2025-08-23 04:14:40 +0000 UTC"I'm gonna fuck Will Gallows and see what we get from that"
Trey Lord
2025-08-03 19:23:06 +0000 UTCI'm fairly certain that Moby Dick with a spear at the end is just a really big narwhal
Damian
2025-07-22 19:13:00 +0000 UTCI frequently think about the story of the improv student who designs book covers because lately (and it's probably always been this way)....all the books look the same, by genre. Like all the ya fabtasy covers are the same design, all the self help books look the same, etc.
LelliePunk
2025-07-16 22:28:40 +0000 UTCThe harpsichord at that end got me good.
Benjamin Jones
2025-06-20 18:23:42 +0000 UTCI'm a little late to this episode, but part of what made it so impactful to me was how it seemed like Lou/Rawn locked into place a fully 3-dimensional character with his choice to focus on freeing the children. It took me right to the children's campaign and his own history of being a child that is lost and confused and pursued and exploited for his connection to/identity as spirit. The fact that this quest is coming from something so integral to the specific, embodied experience of the character felt so earned and authentic. Was this intentional? Is this reading of what is happening for Eursolon a fair reading, or am I off in left field? Also--the musical choices backing the intimacy of the three friends as they came together in the barn were so incredibly moving. I cried an embarrassing amount for a middle-aged mom driving on her commute. Gross, snotty, ugly crying in traffic is not a great look, but I regret nothing.
CharisCay
2025-06-05 14:26:26 +0000 UTCI dont feel like Silver has been done sorta dirty in this episode. He may not have been right to react the way he did but at the same time how the fuck else was he to be expected to react when he's being told that the thing he's lived his entire life for, that he's fought and killed for, and watched friends die for, is actually the bad guys. He never tried to say that kidnapping kids was right he simply rejected that the organization he's apart of would take part in that sort of action. And from his perspective he doesnt have any reason to think that what Suvi is telling him is true. Now thats not to say that I think he reacted in the best way, or even the correct way, but he did react in a really human way and it doesnt seem fair to expect him to change his entire Ideology that has been pounded into him for years in one conversation. It's a fair response to ask for proof of evil when being told that you are apart of it. Especially when you realize Suvi was exactly the same way at the beginning of the campaign. It's taken the sum of her adventures and seeing how the evil in the Citadel and the Empire actually effect people, and more specifically her friends, for her to come around on this conclusion. In fact she did say nearly that exact thing to Ursalon at one point. Silvers entire lived experience up to that point has told him the exact opposite of what Suvi is saying un that moment. It feels premature to judge his viewpoint based solely off of that conversation. I hope in Twelve Brooks they have the opportunity to show that evil directly to Silver and let him make the choice then where he stands. How he reacts when he sees children being actually abused in front of his face is the real test of what he believes. If in that moment he still chooses the Citadel and the Empire then he's on the wrong side and should be treated accordingly. But to judge him as such based just off of one conversation where he was pretty much blindsided with somthing that he had never even considered to be a possibility and his entire future with Suvi was turned on its head seems unfair. Even if he didnt react the way he should have reacted to his partner raising these types of concerns. Don't get me wrong the way he took what suvi was saying about the Citadel as a personal attack was unacceptable and equally unfair to Suvi. But like Brennan said they are both young as fuck and have a lot to learn about relationships and love and how to make them successful. I feel like he deserves another chance down the road to prove his true colors whatever they may be. And honestly I really hope he would make the right choice in that circumstance cause I like the guy. Anyway sorry for the mini rant in the comments.
Sean Boyle
2025-05-22 21:05:28 +0000 UTCTask is the "personification" of those dogs with sets of buttons keyed to specific words so it comes off as janky poetry
Lulu
2025-05-08 10:54:24 +0000 UTC🤣🤣
QTheWizardSagacious
2025-04-17 21:56:44 +0000 UTCAm I the only one who thought that the horses were being controlled by the witches?
LaQuoya Tyler
2025-04-17 21:55:54 +0000 UTCGuys, you can't make me cry on planes like this.
Melinda & Jeremiah Westly
2025-04-05 10:14:28 +0000 UTCGlad to be here, still sniffling from the ep. God you guys, c'mon
Nick Lerche
2025-04-03 03:17:14 +0000 UTCReptilian abacus of power, title of my next book of poetry
Emily C
2025-03-19 00:48:20 +0000 UTCThis one depressed me 😣. When Suvi screams under the water in the tub I just felt so bad for all of them, the world. I'm not sure who to back, if only the worlds were filled with more of these four, and the Fox of course, things would be so much brighter. I'm only about a quarter through this one, hoping by the end I can shake the bad vibes I currently feel.
The Pompous Peasant
2025-03-18 17:24:57 +0000 UTCIt's good to judge a book by its cover, but always be prepared for surprise twists (and poor graphic design choices)
just a little bawn
2025-03-12 21:37:01 +0000 UTCMarch of Goblins on harpsichord
Esther Bee
2025-03-12 13:32:45 +0000 UTCRawn Perlman is right behind you! Breathing softly into your ear
Esther Bee
2025-03-12 12:56:43 +0000 UTCI just want y’all to know that that trick with the tongue away from the roof of my mouth has been so. damn. helpful. I have felt my anxiety genuinely lessened. Thank you.
Deborah
2025-03-08 02:11:49 +0000 UTCReptilian abacus of power, great band name
nightyorb
2025-03-01 14:05:31 +0000 UTCThen, fairly understandable x)
Aragnnock Hod
2025-03-01 02:05:06 +0000 UTCMy best guess is they're mad at him for all the heartbreak in this chapter
Claire
2025-03-01 01:27:56 +0000 UTCPlot twist: Aabria actually loves harpsichord and has successfully goaded Taylor into including more of it into the pod :D
Liuba M
2025-02-28 18:15:50 +0000 UTCMe at the end of the episode - “Taylor NO”
Jul Staple
2025-02-27 21:50:08 +0000 UTCTHE MOUTH IS THE FINGERS OF THE FACE
jules
2025-02-26 21:25:47 +0000 UTCIt’s definitely the parasocial monster in me talking. Not questioning « My *dear* friend Aabria » and « a *very* special Guest », but : what’s up with the plain « Brennan Lee Muligan » intro that has been going on at the beginning for a few episode ? Am I missing a bit or something ? :o
Aragnnock Hod
2025-02-26 02:14:28 +0000 UTCWhat were you doing in colonial Williamsburg @louwilson 😂😂
Andrew Young
2025-02-25 23:47:46 +0000 UTCYeah Im curious on your world view on this too, @Sil
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-25 23:09:51 +0000 UTCAhsome! I love hearing stories like this. Any combos you want to share?
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-25 04:00:34 +0000 UTC@Sil, is it weird that I still think of ancestors as the gut feeling?
KRMorris
2025-02-25 03:59:07 +0000 UTCMy Ranger was the fighter of the party because I rolled super good on strength, con, and dex (my charisma was trash)— we were four of us, with a warlock, a sorcerer, and a Druid. So in the early levels and with my stats, I ended up being frontlines. It was fulfilling to me because I enjoyed the role play of it. I didn’t need my character to have cool new shit all the time or be able to combo in amazing ways, because we told a cool story…
KRMorris
2025-02-25 03:57:54 +0000 UTChttps://youtu.be/7aymVVnL8Oc?si=Qnz7yjbLBSvmqKxJ
Mimi Lenaburg
2025-02-24 22:40:52 +0000 UTCI would like to add that the Justification Machine is itself a moral framework for folks, and is a systemic social set of actions and values that make it ok to undervalue whatever is “othered.” In the story, anything not the Empire or Citadel is “othered,” and as such Ame as a witch and Eursulon as a Sprit is part of that “other” category. Suvi has now had enough experiences in “Othered” land where it actually fits quite well that she is questioning and challenging the Justification Machine because her definitions of what can be Othered has shifted.
KRMorris
2025-02-24 19:03:33 +0000 UTCYou’re spot on. They provide excellent balance. And the way they also bring out character development for others while doing it— it’s so subtle sometimes, but essential.
KRMorris
2025-02-24 18:57:53 +0000 UTCFrom discovering Naram's connection to Wavebreaker to uncovering the connection between the Great Bullfrog and the kidnapped greneaux children, Ame's investigative skills continue to move the narrative forward and clarify the tapestry of Umora. Honestly, Erika's gameplay style in general is progression oriented in a way that my GM brain deeply appreciates. Pursuing Orima, chasing down Eursulon in Arc 1, fleeing the Citadel, rerouting Fifi - the motion Erika adds to the story is masterful.
bluebluebutton
2025-02-24 18:16:34 +0000 UTCCalling it listening to the 42:20 portion of this, Eza's hitting that- "I miss the Old Suvi, not on the road Suvi, before Namor Suvi, Witches abhor Suvi–"
Sean Kelley
2025-02-24 17:09:15 +0000 UTCThe harpsichord ending killed me, literally laughed out loud on the train
Alisa Blanchard
2025-02-23 16:02:19 +0000 UTCpsst... R u sorcerer? I won't tell any body... Which class u be @sil?
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-23 06:28:15 +0000 UTCTHE MOUTH IS THE FINGERS FOR THE FACE. BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN I CANNOT
The Witch of the Weeping Rain
2025-02-21 22:49:44 +0000 UTCIs it a coincidence that the episode called match my breath has me hearing every time Lou breathes in or is it a cunning creative choice?
David Paterson
2025-02-21 21:21:58 +0000 UTC😂😂😂😂
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-21 20:42:47 +0000 UTCThank you
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-21 20:42:00 +0000 UTCwhich fireside chat was the eursulon's yes/no eagle familiar imagined in? all i remember is laughing extremely hard at that bit edited cos i forgot a word
fayfrantic
2025-02-21 17:48:29 +0000 UTCYo was that goblins on parade harpsichord at the end? Because it sure sounded like it and I was cheering in my car
jdarksun
2025-02-21 15:34:45 +0000 UTCI don’t have any specific request for Suvi or Aabria. I’m simply responding to the story as it unfolds. Both the character and the performer will take care of themselves in pursuit of telling a cohesive and fulfilling story. My critique isn’t about requesting changes or tweaks—just noting the moments where the story, as presented, doesn’t fully land for me. As for the Justification Machine, I don’t believe its purpose is to lie. Rather, it exists to allow people to act even when those actions conflict with the moral framework they’ve set for themselves. It’s a mechanism humans use to continue forward, even when logic or past beliefs might say otherwise. It’s not inherently deceitful—it’s just part of how we rationalize decisions and live with them.
Agiddysea
2025-02-21 01:06:58 +0000 UTCSuch a good Fireside Chat🤗
The Wizard Sparrow
2025-02-21 00:16:55 +0000 UTCI’m also curious if you have a flat out request and what that would sound like for Suvi/Aabriya?
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 18:46:12 +0000 UTCIs the justification machine lying?
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 18:37:10 +0000 UTCHmmm… interesting. I like a lot of your points. I do think she is accelerating the character development because the arc is closing. I take it that in the end of the day, the metaphor is: Suvi is willing to test and learn. Aabriya will be Aabriya and she has strengths and flaws. I’ll rephrase my words. But I agree with you in that the citadel is more than just a prop. I would use it like a prop to test and induce reactions out if PCs, but everything is designed to learn about the who are the PCs in TTRPG. But story wise the citadel is: a setting, villain, ally, multi-layered culture, force of nature, mystery and story generating catalyst. It isn’t one thing, the same way the Roman Empire in the heart of Rome was very different than Roman Brittania. It’s also very well known the citadel has its secrets. In matters of love, is it not super normal/relateable for someone’s heart to put up defenses? “I can only let you in if you know who I am and can feel a certain way about it?” That’s normal, that’s very true for a lot of people. “I’ll sleep with you, but that doesn’t mean we see each other clearly.” Suvis relationship with Silver is a reflection of her relationship with the Citadel. Very fucking close, but ultimately not her heart. I think Suvi is testing by going with Eursalon. I think Suvi is smart and does have reasons to investigate the Citadel: the Graneaux Family, She had her familiar in there with Eursalon, She’s also had someone commandeer her airship and her position on the airship. She’s in strange reflective awareness of a modified memory and hard spell; she’s aware of the Secrets that the Citadel is. Just because she says I trust the citadel; there is also a “I am not bad” whenever she defends the citadel. I do think she has real reasons as a character to go with Eursalon.i can’t detach the character Suvi from the person Aabriya. Every story is essentially an autobiography of the author. All books and plays. Suvi is Aabriya and there’s no script. She’s leaving the fireside chat early to go to a concert or w.e. Suvi left to go with Eursalon to get distance from a problem she has with the citadel. You aren’t wrong for wanting higher standards of character development. I just wonder if you’re missing out on the story of the human. Meta-analysis isn’t my cup of tea… but part of the story. There is the fact that the arc of Umora is coming to a close. I wonder who pitched the idea to close the arc. I genuinely do not know. Justification Machine… hmmm. Like the definition being people/characters are going to do what they do because that is who they are and then justify it later even if they justify it with garbage? Sure. I agree. It feels abrupt. I will say that to every internalize victim story I learned I had, it required me to abruptly decide differently. Getting to the awareness is the hard part, but abrupt decision to face the music and do something differently made sense when I have too many other things I cared about then defending my own helpless. There’s a correlation between fast choices and responsibility. Fail fast to learn fast. I really do think you should consider opening a YouTube channel, Agiddysea. I would also be interested to learn what type of PC you would create.
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 18:32:55 +0000 UTCMarch of the Goblin on YouTube https://youtu.be/8OjT9Nr2PP0?si=FiUWc5Pce-25GjaV
The Wizard Sparrow
2025-02-20 17:12:41 +0000 UTCYes :(
The Wizard Sardonic
2025-02-20 15:57:12 +0000 UTCRoro/Lift: Journey before pancakes.
bluebluebutton
2025-02-20 15:32:17 +0000 UTCIn D&D actual play, a character isn’t just defined by their words and actions in the game world. They are the result of multiple factors working together—the player’s choices, the randomness of the dice, the group dynamic at the table, and the expectations of the audience. Unlike a home game, where the only concern is the satisfaction of the players at the table, actual play exists to be consumed, which means the story must be engaging, cohesive, and built with the audience in mind. That’s why I push back on the idea that Suvi’s arc can be justified simply by saying, "she needs to move to understand." That explanation feels too broad, especially in a story that prides itself on its slow-burn, deliberate pacing. If movement alone is enough to justify a character shift, then what stops any character from making sudden, drastic decisions at any time? That’s also why I disagree with the idea that Suvi’s restlessness automatically equates to impulsivity or an unthinking leap. That feels counterintuitive to how she has been built, designed, and described up to this point. Her early characterization emphasized intelligence, study, and strategic thinking. Wanting freedom from the Citadel’s restrictions is not the same as rejecting an entire worldview without process. If she was meant to be someone who consistently acts without thinking, that should have been set up more clearly in the foundational episodes. Character development in actual play isn’t just an internal process—it’s an agreement between the creators at the table and the audience who follows the story over time. And that’s where I take issue with the idea that the Citadel is merely a "modular prop" designed to push the PCs forward. If the Citadel is just an amorphous force, then Suvi’s emotional and ideological break with it carries far less weight. For this moment to hit as a meaningful character turn, the Citadel needs to be more than just a broad institutional backdrop—it needs to have tangible, developed structures that Suvi is reacting against. The campaign has taken its time developing relationships, world dynamics, and philosophical conflicts, so we naturally expect major turning points to receive the same level of care. If Suvi’s ideological break is meant to be a defining moment in the story, then the process leading to that moment should have been clearer. And if this is merely a character swing rather than a fully realized shift, then we will have to see how Brennan and the rest of the table react to it and how they choose to implement it into the larger campaign. Suvi as a character isn’t just Aabria’s creation, nor just the table’s creation—she exists in collaboration with the audience. In a narrative-driven actual play, where the strength lies in its deliberate and thoughtful pacing, it isn’t unreasonable to expect key turning points to be built up before they happen.
Agiddysea
2025-02-20 15:19:23 +0000 UTCAnyone else missing the first guitar strum from the start of the episode theme music?
fishbananas
2025-02-20 07:36:54 +0000 UTCYes! I agree. The inner knowing, the ancestors, the component energies that manifest of them. Though, I wouldn’t want to take that away from any of the other classes either. But that connection yes, very strong and your words emphasize what is there. Laura Bailey’s character demonstrates this very well from campaign 3. Sorcerer as a vessel. Beautiful 💐
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 07:31:35 +0000 UTCCan't really answer your question about which class, but I think Sorcerers would not necessarily turn to themselves in the individual sense. They'd turn to their bloodline/ancestors. Very much a Rafiki/Simba moment of "Look closer. He lives in you."
Sil
2025-02-20 07:12:21 +0000 UTCThat Oath be comin' round the river as she comes...I wonder if it'll be an Oath of Charity, Oath of the Hearth or Oath of The Spirit's Council. Ooooh, and maybe extra fancy Lay on Hands stuff for 3rd level!
Sil
2025-02-20 07:08:42 +0000 UTCIt’s cool hearing someone having a fully fulfilling Ranger experience. With monks leading the way in movement, which doesn’t completely discredit them, I think Rangers main weapon is the ability for reconnaissance, which I think should be better emphasized in the game. I would like to see them have more tactician abilities as well. Do you agree?
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 06:55:04 +0000 UTCI have always understood Rangers at having much better survival skills. I’ve always played in settings with a lot of travel, so Rangers who have favored terrain are a big asset to getting a party where they need to go early on. To me, who has only played a Fighter class once and not above level 5, it’s more about combat. Rangers are useful for natural environments…? You can have city rangers, but I’ve never played one.
KRMorris
2025-02-20 03:59:38 +0000 UTCIt unlocked such memories for me! 🥰
Evelina Meiklejohn
2025-02-20 03:56:35 +0000 UTCMy issue with the Justification Machine isn’t with its existence but with how it functions in the meta-context of the story. Aabria has trained the audience to recognize when she invokes the Justification Machine, using it as both a narrative shorthand for Suvi's thoughts on Citadel related issues and later as a way to fast-forward character development. This works in some cases, but with Suvi, it feels like we skipped key steps in her internal struggle. For example, when Aabria brings up Suvi noticing Silver using his Justification Machine against her, we’re meant to see this as proof that she has moved past it—that she now sees the Citadel’s flaws. But narratively, I can’t pinpoint when that realization actually happened. When did the Citadel cross a line for her? When did she truly reckon with its failures, rather than just flipping a switch? That’s where my cognitive dissonance lies—not with the idea of the Justification Machine itself, but with how it allows the player/character to bypass critical emotional beats, making Suvi’s transformation feel more assigned than earned.
Agiddysea
2025-02-20 02:39:54 +0000 UTCOh my god, somehow that made this even more adorable !
Casey Furtado
2025-02-20 01:49:08 +0000 UTCI have a question. what would be the difference between a fighter and a ranger in your opinion? WotC doesn’t get Rangers, I keep feeling slighted.
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 01:48:14 +0000 UTCI certainly agree! Thanks for sharing!
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 01:39:54 +0000 UTC🤣
Abram
2025-02-20 01:33:43 +0000 UTCI would love to see Níf become a strong and wise NPC witch with the guidance of Ame and go on to defeat Indri and take her station!!
Abram
2025-02-20 01:32:49 +0000 UTCI can see where you’re coming from, but the Justification Machine is Very Real. It is a practice that many real people use to justify their behavior and expectations.
KRMorris
2025-02-20 01:17:49 +0000 UTCI appreciate your line of thinking! And I agree— I think Sorcerers go to their gut, not too dissimilar from a Barbarian, but what they respond with is magic not physical action. To expand on that, I think that is the similarity among Fighter, Monk, and Wizard as well— they go to training, to codified practice. I was raised as a Bard, but later in life have multiclassed to be a Ranger/Druid (I enjoy trail running and solo backpacking). I find a similar resonance in Bard with Witch—Bards also turn to the community, and their magic is through mirroring the public, rather than caring for them as Witch of the World’s heart does. ^that being said, maybe the more accurate description of where a Witch turns for resources/knowledge is to their Domain. I’m just thinking about how different Grimoire or Indri would act were they in Ame’s position…
KRMorris
2025-02-20 01:10:04 +0000 UTCWho defines the Citadel most for you? Why only call it action? It feel removed from motive. How would you generate change in perspective in a story? To get the drastic shift you seem to experience from Suvi, what would be necessary? What would she have to go through? Your words inspire some thought: So I think of the morality compass of dnd. Eursalon imo is likely neutral good. Steel as lawful neutral. (Yet it’s deemed only from the perspective of what we know.) And I think that’s a critical piece. Deemed from what we know from our lens. When I think of Doubledore telling Harry Potter that it is the actions we take during our life that defines us, I become aware that it’s not just action though right? Action as always correct is not the issue from what I see. It is not the tension of learning imo. Saving the Children, no matter the cost (his life, the life of citadel soldiers, the life of the great spirit? , etc.) is a defining piece of what Eursalon deems as important. This is what matters to me. It’s not ACTION, out in space removed from needs, context and feeling, that is justified. Even doing nothing would be action. It is: Saving The Children. That’s a fucking Oath if I ever heard one. I feel so connected to Eursalon’s life force. That matters to my psyche listening to this story: somewhere in the abstract world of story and dreams, the is a misplaced bear that stands up for the Children. Action no matter the cost, if said from the point of view of an empire that is in the clutches of power, not having enough, not in touch with its people… where as a fact of history illusion is usually required for War exist…. Is taking action through the mouth of Steel no matter the cost. I mean that’s only going to create more expectation rather than appreciation. I agree that Suvi is making choices quickly. I do think she is likely erring on the side of Chaotic neutral. Ok so , morality compass aside. These are the life and times of 20 year old characters learning to fill their large shoes while figuring out who they are. The story world is improvisational and driven by the contextual relationship of their knowledge base, experiential lens, current emotional state and relationships. Tell me who your friends and I will tell you who you are. The Citadel/Empire is so vast that it seems like a whirlwind to me. So I agree! It’s not defined like a scrumptious story. However I think it’s a modular prop with varying appendages, to push the PCs. It’s a huge prop, like all institutions that push us, in our life, to take actions. It certainly could use more fleshing out. I agree. It’s also so fucking vast, A. Whenever I take action on behalf of someone else I do need to ask: was it worth it? Maybe Suvi is in such large shoes she needs to move to understand. I know people like that. I know staying in a spot drives them nuts. That was literally Suvi episode 1 asking Steele. “Get me out of here please. It’s so boring being an apprentice.” All the books and connections; Get me out of here. That’s Suvi. I really think Suvi is being consistent in her inconsistency. Very curious on your reply.
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 01:05:03 +0000 UTCLove Le Guin!
W
2025-02-20 00:56:07 +0000 UTCYes. I also believed being raised by & with a witch of the worlds heart has something to do with it.
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 00:46:33 +0000 UTCWhich class are you? How do you shape your destiny during times of uncertainty? I really enjoyed the DMs awareness of defining a caster class based on where they go to make decisions during times of unrest. I heard him say that a Wizard would go to a book in a library; a witch would go to the community. This really helps me understand classes even further. I’m applying the same question to druid, bard, pally, warlock … and I find sorcerer to be super interesting. I THINK … I repeat.. I THINK ultimately it would be connected to their blood, their constitution, the place they get their power. They would refer to themselves, their will in times of crisis. Of course they could utilize any source of information but if charisma is their leading stat and if I agree with DND mechanics to define the archetype/character, Sorcerers would utilize their force of personality, their charisma, for the next step of unfolding their destiny. Sorcerers would turn to themselves for what to do next. Hmmm… of course it’s not limited to one absolutist source, just a cool tool for PCs, for me to have mythopoetic dialog with my PCs. I just really like playing with this question. I like it a lot. … mentally, I’m probably a wizard-druid. During times of intense fear where my decisions really mattered I fell back on researching patterns/pulling out academic publications followed by time alone in nature away from everyone, just listening to birds and rustling leaves, feeling mud between my toes. Which class are you? How do you shape your destiny during times of uncertainty?
Stefanucci Mozzarella
2025-02-20 00:31:11 +0000 UTCThe discussion of instinctual danger sense trumping reasoning reminded me of a quote from The Left Hand of Darkness: "It had the imperative clarity of a hunch. We have NAFAL ships, instantaneous transmission and mindspeech, but we haven't yet tamed hunch to ride in harness..."
Fergus Bremner
2025-02-19 23:26:29 +0000 UTCOh my god, Taylor, you evil man! The harpsichord outro made me laugh out loud!
Micah Ballard
2025-02-19 22:49:15 +0000 UTCI personally haven't had that moment, I always relied on the synopsis on the back of the book, which is why I always judged my books by their cover. I think the only example of what you've described that I'm aware of is the new wicked movie release cover that they put on the wicked book! Talk about misleading!
natasha
2025-02-19 21:52:21 +0000 UTCI think the phrase comes from the experience we've all had when you look at the cover illustration and say, "Had the artist read *any* of this book?" Like drawing the main character with blond braids when the text makes a point of describing short, dark, curly hair. It 's unfair to graphic designers that those are the memorable ones because we *expect* the cover to fit the book and only notice when it doesn't.
Carrie Mook Bridgman
2025-02-19 19:40:37 +0000 UTCWhat on earth is abria saying she can't scream high, she squeals in almost every episode which for an audio medium kind of sucks for me (it's a me thing I know, I get very overstimulated by high pitched noises and it does kind of bleed into my hatred for Suvi sometimes 😅)
Bizarre Little Star Creations
2025-02-19 18:43:40 +0000 UTC"The mouth is the fingers of the face" -Brennan 'horse-lips' Lee Mulligan, 2025
Krisse S
2025-02-19 18:26:02 +0000 UTCWho could forget Harlan Ellison’s penultimate masterpiece, “I Have No Breath and I Must Walk”
Luke
2025-02-19 18:03:08 +0000 UTCTask is pulling a "Ghostwriter" (1992) with Suvi's spellbook. 😆
Evelina Meiklejohn
2025-02-19 15:30:45 +0000 UTCEnding the eppy with jaunty harpsichord after what Aabria said. Taylor you sweet troll, you. You did make it sound good tho, ngl
xelamorph
2025-02-19 15:27:21 +0000 UTCIt makes my nerdy Cosmere heart rise whenever anyone mentions Eursolon’s oaths, journeys, protection, and being a knight 🥹 “Life Before Death. Strength Before Weakness. Journey before Destination.”
Raffetaffy
2025-02-19 15:08:53 +0000 UTCI am with you Aabria on the Harpsichord - it is the WORST instrument.. my OH has played Bach's Harpsichord Concertos at me far too often for it not to be deliberate.
Ickle Tayto
2025-02-19 11:14:46 +0000 UTCI really appreciate the Fireside Chats for offering a behind-the-scenes look at the creators’ thought processes—their motivations, the themes they were exploring, and what they felt they achieved. This kind of insight allows for more thoughtful analysis and critique, helping us evaluate whether those intentions landed effectively or fell short in execution. That being said, Suvi’s shift from staunch defender of the Citadel to openly questioning its authority felt abrupt. Just a short time ago, she was emotionally invested in defending her home, even tearfully asking, “Why do you believe the worst things about my home?” Now, she’s suddenly questioning whether Steel is manipulating her and actively deceiving the very soldiers she once fought to protect. While this is an important transformation, it feels like several key steps in her development were skipped to get her here. Much has been said about the Justification Machine, but it seems to act as a shortcut for character development rather than a fully realized arc. Suvi’s ideological shift happens so quickly that it feels like she is being moved along a narrative track rather than arriving at this perspective naturally. Additionally, the framing of asking for proof before acting as a flaw feels thematically inconsistent. The story presents Citadel wizards as wrong if they blindly follow orders without questioning them, but also wrong if they ask for proof before taking action. This contradiction weakens the internal moral logic of the world. If the expectation is that people must act on instinct rather than seeking confirmation of truth, it raises the question—on what grounds is an action ever truly right or wrong? Similarly, Ursulan’s belief that action is always justified—even without ensuring the best outcome—is framed as noble. Yet, if we shifted the narrative lens and placed those same words in Steel’s mouth, it would be seen as monstrous. This inconsistency suggests that an action is deemed right or wrong not by its consequences, but by who is saying it (Ame, Ursulan, or Suvi), which undermines the complexity of the show’s moral dilemmas. That said, the episode clearly pushes the characters toward a major status quo shift. Despite some narrative shortcuts, we were always going to arrive at this moment—it just could have been paced in a way that made Suvi’s transformation feel more earned.
Agiddysea
2025-02-19 08:51:42 +0000 UTCOk, hear me out. I'm sure that Hakea ment that the moon should be in the same phase as the night Ame stole the knockers, but what she _said_ was that the moon "returns to its state" from the night Ame stole the knockers. I went down a real Wikipedia rabbit hole on orbital nodes and nodal procession (also called draconian procession) of the moon, and if I'm understanding it correctly, the moon won't be in the same state for a whole year due to the angle that the moon is positioned in the sky. Maybe more than a year, if "state" is given to mean the exact same position in the sky. That won't happen for over 18 years according to the friendly folks on r/askastronomy. Anyways, just a fun way a player could weasle their way out of needing to go magic object regifting for a while and avoid trouble if they were so inclined
Corinne de Rond
2025-02-19 05:51:04 +0000 UTCIt was really good tho and so was millennium actress
Martian
2025-02-19 05:36:30 +0000 UTCGod I watched Perfect Blue for the first time last year at a movie theater and I the only other Satoshi Kon movie I had seen was Millennium Actress and I was not fucking ready
Martian
2025-02-19 05:35:42 +0000 UTCEmily wildes books are beautiful and some of my favorite reads for sure
RT
2025-02-19 05:07:54 +0000 UTC“If you can play it with your fingers certainly you can enunciate it with your mouth” YOU WOULD THINK SO, AND YET (the amount of songs I can play by muscle memory but have no clue how they’re supposed to sound is infuriating😭)
J
2025-02-19 04:38:44 +0000 UTCI love that Erika got her props for Ame’s moves in that episode too—so much got overshadowed, but it really kept the larger story moving forward and also Very Important.
KRMorris
2025-02-19 04:06:06 +0000 UTC“I know, I’ve lived it” — ABSOLUTELY
KRMorris
2025-02-19 03:42:49 +0000 UTCThis breakup was SUCH a young relationship breakup! Thanks for saying, Brennan! From Silver’s sigh-then-sitting-up, and grappling with the truth of the person you love, to Suvi’s “I’m gonna bring this up when we’re naked and on brain drugs, because I Have to be Sure,” it’s so, so, real.
KRMorris
2025-02-19 03:41:56 +0000 UTCAlso if you're like passing somebody on the street, judging a book by its cover is totally warranted. If somebody is moving erratically, looks angry, or is holding something pointy, I DON'T WANT TO GET TO KNOW THEM. I will judge them as "should be far away from me", maneuver myself safely, and move on with my life.
The Wizard Seeker
2025-02-19 03:40:24 +0000 UTCI have taught March of the Goblins to every piano student I have ever had. This is the funniest crossover in the world.
Kira O'Dell
2025-02-19 03:02:07 +0000 UTC😦😬😬😬 this is so so sad and I’m sure it’s true. Ugh!
Cackle Cackle
2025-02-19 02:58:23 +0000 UTCOmggggggg I wanted that Barbie SO BAD
Cackle Cackle
2025-02-19 02:55:39 +0000 UTCAs far as I can remember yeah she does and the deadline is getting close. I’m so nervous about what is going to happen!
The Wizard Symphony
2025-02-19 02:05:51 +0000 UTCThey moved past “the mouth is the fingers of the face” far too quickly
Shey
2025-02-19 02:05:39 +0000 UTCThe tiger thing is so real. If you ever go hiking in the mountains in California, you may once or twice experience the acute, undeniable, inexplicable sensation that you are being watched by a mountain lion, based on zero tangible evidence. It's the hardest thing in the world to explain, but man do you know it when you feel it.
Brandon Carbaugh
2025-02-19 01:34:11 +0000 UTCMarch of the Goblins on the harpsichord at the end? Taylor, you are an absolute joy and delight ❤️
kaguya_yoru
2025-02-19 01:12:18 +0000 UTCHmm so the evil Wizard Keen looks a bit like my manipulative ex boyfriend? Good to know 🗡⚰️
Kimberly W
2025-02-19 00:55:39 +0000 UTCI wish March of the Goblins had been in one of my music books when I was a little kid taking piano lessons. It would be fun to play.
Zanna
2025-02-19 00:48:55 +0000 UTCIt could be easily done...but do goblins say Hurrah? Might need a different exclamation. The goblins came marching one by one...
Zanna
2025-02-19 00:47:17 +0000 UTCMy take on Eursolon going to free the Grennoe children instead of the Great Bullfrog comes back to the main tension of his character - a spirit who is also a knight, the antithesis of someone who is rhled by desire. In order to pursue his breath and his honor, he has to go do the knightly thing, he has to save the most vulnerable. And the Great Bullfrog would approve! That's what it was trying to do as well!
Annika Kandoll
2025-02-18 23:53:37 +0000 UTCHARPSICHORD HATERS RISE!!!!!!!!!!!!
les! (king sheim)
2025-02-18 23:30:38 +0000 UTCLITERALLY THE COVER OF A BOOK IS THERE TO HELP YOU DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO READ IT! YOU GOTTA JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER! I'm so glad someone finally explained exactly why that phrase sucks, as good as it's intentions are hahaha
natasha
2025-02-18 22:57:16 +0000 UTCWizard SNAFU, 10/10 name cloak
Joseph Cormier
2025-02-18 22:22:28 +0000 UTCI love Aabria so much and the thing she said about giving Silver more grace than Ame and Eursulon gave Suvi really struck me. I feel like Suvi gets so much shit for her support of Citadel, but Ame and Eursulon never understood that they were demanding her to give up everything she'd ever known based on, to be honest, not much info.
Lace Cameron
2025-02-18 22:12:53 +0000 UTCI really wanted March of the Goblins to be a spoof of Ants Marching
Jared Perry
2025-02-18 22:10:57 +0000 UTCGrandma Wren's greatest ASS-et (5'4 baddie in a corduroy hat)
Emily C
2025-02-18 22:07:12 +0000 UTCI remember l bought a book on impulse once because of its jazzy colorful cover. It wound up being one of my favorite random finds in recent memory
Aiden Abett
2025-02-18 22:00:48 +0000 UTCalso the fact that Brennan can't keep himself from snacking this whole episode is wild to me
Alec Simkiss
2025-02-18 21:56:19 +0000 UTCOh… that makes painful sense 😬
Kalyn
2025-02-18 21:50:50 +0000 UTCI haven't played enough of that game to know if that's a compliment or not
BraveCrab
2025-02-18 21:50:05 +0000 UTCDid I miss something or does Ame still owe Indrie a gift of equal value to the door knobs?
Wyatt
2025-02-18 21:47:30 +0000 UTCI laughed so hard HAHAHA
Alec Simkiss
2025-02-18 21:46:45 +0000 UTCThe way that you phrased this made me think of how the game Disco Elysium internalizes thoughts
Alec Simkiss
2025-02-18 21:46:35 +0000 UTCHE DID MARCH OF THE GOBLINS AT THE END GODDAMMIT TAYLOR ILY
Alec Simkiss
2025-02-18 21:41:05 +0000 UTCWhy is March of the Goblins trending on YouTube?
Skeletal Cleric
2025-02-18 21:04:24 +0000 UTCTheory for what Eursulon will choose, it has to do with either family and/or reunion. Started off for found family, then reunion and the unknown family aspect. In every quest that seems to be the motivation.
Glen Petrofski
2025-02-18 20:37:42 +0000 UTCA very developed lizard brain. Useful in earlier human civilizations and I think still very useless I'm today's. The dangers are more insidious.
Glen Petrofski
2025-02-18 20:28:20 +0000 UTCthe goddamn harpsichord
Emily C
2025-02-18 20:14:49 +0000 UTCBrennan's talk of the "Tiger in the Grass" instinctual danger recognition has got me thinking "maybe my social anxiety is due to instinctually recognizing the dangers of those around me who have internalized the domination mindset of Neoliberal Capitalism"
BraveCrab
2025-02-18 19:59:20 +0000 UTCYes. Guffawed aloud in my kitchen
Kit
2025-02-18 19:41:26 +0000 UTCListening in the background and then Aabriya grabs my hair through the screen with Fort Collins… why were you guys in Fort Collins?!?
David McGuire
2025-02-18 19:41:03 +0000 UTCT A Y L O R.
Kit
2025-02-18 19:39:24 +0000 UTCMarch of the Goblins on the harpsichord is the most beautiful outro. Truly wondrous Taylor. 10/10
Like a bat out of The 9 Hells I’ll be gone when the morning comes
2025-02-18 19:32:56 +0000 UTCthe music in the outro made me CACKLE🤣🤣🤣🤣
Corey Lynn
2025-02-18 18:53:46 +0000 UTCI need Suvi to be the Wizard version of Grandmother Wren with 8000 paramours and to always know kindness and a soft touch after this arc. And I need it NEOW
Adrien
2025-02-18 18:49:21 +0000 UTCWhat do you mean BREAKUP???? Gotta go listen to that whole thing again (and cry, again)
Alyssa
2025-02-18 18:46:06 +0000 UTCMy ears & hackles raised at the harpsichord in the episode AND its reprise, amazing Taylor & Jared
mguin
2025-02-18 18:23:36 +0000 UTCthe growth and maturation of every character throughout the campaign so far really shone through in this episode and I love that the cast is as giddy about it as I am. and I am not at all concerned by the ominous mutterings that happened when talking about what happens next, no not at all (at the 37:13 mark). absolutely did not hear the very audible "oof" in the background, nope.
Bardic Mockery vs. Vicious Inspiration
2025-02-18 18:03:03 +0000 UTCWith the outro just to piss Aabria off.
Justin Smith (Barbarossa Builds, LLC)
2025-02-18 17:47:15 +0000 UTCand since he's already killed a dog, he's probably looking for his next victim... godspeed Nif, godspeed
Bardic Mockery vs. Vicious Inspiration
2025-02-18 17:46:14 +0000 UTCi will also say, i love a harpsichord because every time i hear one associated with a character i'm SO ready to find out what kind of problem they are.
Felix
2025-02-18 17:41:58 +0000 UTCI'm a vocal musician, and I'm not sure if I should feel complimented or insulted by Brennan's "the mouth is the fingers of the face" 🤣🤣 Unrelated, Aabria's "Rap-tilian" sounds like an exceptionally badass rapper. Also, the harpsichord at the end had me cackling 😎
Danielle St John
2025-02-18 17:40:50 +0000 UTC"I've been getting some SERIOUSLY mixed signals from this girl..."
Ash
2025-02-18 17:40:47 +0000 UTCNever ask Brennan how safe a beloved NPC will be! Remember that one of Brennan's catch phrases is, "I'm gonna kill that dog!"
Erik Hanson
2025-02-18 17:38:26 +0000 UTCAbsolutely cackling in illustrator right now. We do in fact try to make art to be judged accurately for you 😂
Jazz
2025-02-18 17:34:38 +0000 UTCOn the bright side this could be Suvi’s first step in following grandma wren’s footsteps and having various paramours around umora 🤷🏾♀️
Ayan Jama
2025-02-18 17:03:23 +0000 UTC17:10 Suvi has a Barbie Princess and the Popstar hairbrush
Chris Kagamine
2025-02-18 17:03:21 +0000 UTC“the mouth is the fingers of the face” - that’s a paddlin
kimmy
2025-02-18 17:03:09 +0000 UTCI was waiting for it, and it did not disappoint!
Lena
2025-02-18 17:01:39 +0000 UTCdaringly rescued by, lead through a death forest by, ridden within an inch of his life by, returned to safety by, and dumped by the wizard sky. in what? 2 weeks? if he survives that long, suvi's gonna be the one that got away. her crew: WE DID ALL THAT AND YOU FUCKING DUMPED HIM???
Felix
2025-02-18 16:43:34 +0000 UTCRawn, I adore you in a way that weirdly makes me adore Lou even more. Also, when you are fishing, do you specialize in PRAWNS?!?! Also also, Harpsichords are fantastic when played properly (most modern players have plonky piano fingers and the harpsichord requires supreme delicacy).
Lilith Evenstar
2025-02-18 16:21:10 +0000 UTCI tell people all the time that I have a pretty good creep-o-meter thanks to more than a decade of Girl Scout cookie sales. You learn to pick up bad vibes *really* fast.
Andi
2025-02-18 15:57:41 +0000 UTCThat fuckin outro 💀
ChosenOfAeterna
2025-02-18 15:31:26 +0000 UTCI feel like Steel and Silvers goals are to minimize failure at any cost, and Suvi used to have that same goal; even if she went about it in a more chaotic manner. I think now she is stepping into her own ways of thinking and being, understanding her friend’s point of views and understanding that failure is going to happen, so why is she going to wait. While there is a time for caution and planning, sometimes planning gets in the way of progress. Loved this Ep. I loved hearing the progress made by each of the characters, and the firmness and confidence of each characters choice to follow their purpose. This Ep. Felt grounding in a way. Thank ya’ll for your beautiful story telling! Can’t wait for the next ep!!! ❤️🥰
flyingwriter
2025-02-18 15:19:38 +0000 UTCpainties in the hay, bottles in the straw. merch idea.
Felix
2025-02-18 15:19:23 +0000 UTCFORT COLLINS BORN AND RAISED!!! I hope you enjoyed my city.
Grant Gruber
2025-02-18 15:07:56 +0000 UTCmouth is fingers of face
sylvie
2025-02-18 14:56:10 +0000 UTCI read that incognito book! I liked it
Pierce
2025-02-18 14:41:51 +0000 UTCyall comparing keen to sam reid as the reference for his looks is unforgivable to me, im choosing to ignore that
Trish K
2025-02-18 14:31:27 +0000 UTCyall really gonna do this to me on my birthday
samp
2025-02-18 14:22:41 +0000 UTCOk but did anyone else actually laugh out loud when they heard the outro music???
Aryn Davis
2025-02-18 14:11:44 +0000 UTCThe outro music got me. Well played, Taylor.
GrumpyTrees
2025-02-18 14:01:18 +0000 UTCI love Brennan pointing out a throughline that's been with us since Arc 1 made explicit with Eursulon's line, "I do not seek the ideal outcome. Simply one where they are free." Brennan says, "There's actually a contingent thing, which is just the idea of delay....That fundamentally comes from a place of, like, 'what if there's a flaw in the actions that you take?' And the ultimate response from Eursulon there in that moment, which is essentially, like, the relationship of, change comes with chaos. And change sometimes is worth it even with that chaos." I loved this. It immediately took me back to Eursulon refusing to wait to free Naram, and Ame's subsequent choice to counsel Naram not to sacrifice himself way back in Arc 1. There was no perfect choice, but Ame and Eursulon in concert did make the choice that did not delay the freedom of someone imprisoned. (Edited for spelling)
bluebluebutton
2025-02-18 13:47:51 +0000 UTCaabria left early cause she could feel that outro coming
Lauren
2025-02-18 13:41:40 +0000 UTCLet’s goooo!!!
Caleb Jackson
2025-02-18 13:41:29 +0000 UTCAhoohoo! Crackle Crackle! Just happy to be here 😁
Lindsay Byrd
2025-02-18 13:40:01 +0000 UTCAlso love hearing Brennan clearly shoveling almonds into the furnace in his back. 💜
ScoutHooligan
2025-02-18 13:37:10 +0000 UTCThat ending was great lmao
Mehmet
2025-02-18 13:29:30 +0000 UTCAhoohoo! The fingers are the mouth of the face!
ScoutHooligan
2025-02-18 13:19:31 +0000 UTCI absolutely cackled!
Pyrohydriscence
2025-02-18 13:10:03 +0000 UTC6 min in! “the mouth is the fingers of the face” is one liner gold
expandingnebula
2025-02-18 13:03:01 +0000 UTCfinally got Rawn Pearlman on the show!!! bless bless✨ been following big game fishing for a while now and i think it’s the perfect complement to the tenor of the show
expandingnebula
2025-02-18 12:59:36 +0000 UTCCrackle crackle
El
2025-02-18 12:55:32 +0000 UTCBrennan hit that “HUH?!?!” perfectly
Sea Moose
2025-02-18 12:53:03 +0000 UTCAre the photos meant to be a gray box and a gray scale? Edit: yes they are lol. Just needed to listen to the episode.
Alesha S.
2025-02-18 12:44:09 +0000 UTCLess than ten minutes in and truly some of the most unhinged energy of any Fireside chat so far!
Pyrohydriscence
2025-02-18 12:42:50 +0000 UTCYes!
Thimo Trommer
2025-02-18 12:40:51 +0000 UTCCrackle crackle
Jim DeSanto
2025-02-18 12:36:20 +0000 UTCCrackle crackle
Bill Posters
2025-02-18 12:34:25 +0000 UTCYippee! Is the entry jingle noticeably shorter for anyone else?
Jub64
2025-02-18 12:34:18 +0000 UTCA-hoo-hoo!
SvenTS
2025-02-18 12:31:00 +0000 UTC
